JP2013190728A - Guide and optical composite power cable - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a guide or the like which is capable of reducing tension applied to core wires and the like due to pulling a connection part of an optical cable by a simple mechanism, and can contribute to substantially equalizing a diameter of the connection part to those of the other parts.SOLUTION: In a connection part 1 of an optical cable 10 of an optical composite power cable 100, a core wire group 115 extracted from the optical cable 10 is inserted to a protection tube 13; the protection tube 13 is housed in a groove 231a of a guide 23; and the position of the protection tube is changed in a peripheral direction of the optical cable 10 so that the protection tube is spirally arranged. The guide 23 is formed of an elastic foam. When the connection part 1 is expanded by application of tension or the like, a part close to the guide center from the groove 231a is elastically deformed and compressed by a force in the guide center direction applied from the core wires and the like, and the groove 231a is brought closer to the center. Therefore, a spiral radius is reduced to reduce a path length of the core wires and the like, so that the expansion is absorbed. When the tension is released thereafter, a shape of the guide 23 is restored and the groove 231a is returned to its original position, and the core wires and the like are restored to an original arrangement state.

Description

  The present invention relates to a guide used for a connection portion of an optical cable in an optical composite power cable, and an optical composite power cable using the guide.

  An optical composite power cable may be laid on the seabed or the like for use in power supply or communication. The optical composite power cable is a composite of an optical cable and a power cable, and an example is an optical composite power cable 100 shown in FIG. In this optical composite power cable 100, three power cables 5 and one optical cable 10 are arranged in a sheath 6 to form a single cable.

  FIG. 18B is a diagram illustrating an example of the optical cable 10 described above. This optical cable 10 is of a loose tube type, in which four loose tubes 11 and two fillers 81 are twisted around a tension member 21 in a coating 71.

The loose tube 11 is a resin-made cylinder having a circular cross section, and is filled with jelly 110 and is coated with a plurality of optical fiber core wires (hereinafter referred to as “core wires”) coated with UV (ultra violet) coating with an ultraviolet curable resin. 111) is contained without being constrained and including a surplus length. Hereinafter, the plurality of core wires 111 are referred to as a core wire group 115 and the core wire group 115 accommodated in the loose tube 11 is referred to as an optical unit 20. In the example shown in the figure, each of the four optical units 20 has 6 cores, and a total of 24 core wires 111 are accommodated in the optical cable 10.
The filler 81 is a linear member provided to fill a space other than the optical unit 20 and the tension member 21 in the coating 71.

  A long optical composite power cable is required to be installed on the seabed. However, since there is a restriction on the length of the optical cable that can be manufactured at the factory, the optical composite power cable is manufactured after connecting the optical cables that have been once manufactured to each other at the factory to obtain the required length. The same applies to the power cable.

  In order to connect the optical cables, the core wire is taken out from each optical cable and the connection work is performed. At this time, the core wire to be connected is taken out from the optical cable with a certain amount of extra length with respect to the length of the optical cable connecting portion (hereinafter referred to as “connecting portion”).

  After the core wire is connected, the core wire or the core wire or the length of the connection portion in the longitudinal direction of the cable formed by using the guide is stored in the connection portion so as not to bend the core wire with the extra length below the allowable bending radius. A protective tube (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a core wire or the like) containing the core wire is guided and arranged in the connection portion. By using the guide, a plurality of core wires and the like can be arranged in an orderly manner, and tangling of the core wires and the like can be prevented. An example of a connection portion in which a long path is formed using a guide and a core wire is guided is disclosed in Patent Document 1.

Japanese Patent No. 3714928

  Various forces are applied to the connection portion of the optical cable during the manufacturing process of the optical composite power cable or during installation. When a tension or the like is applied to the connecting portion to extend, if a large tension is applied to the internal core wire or the like, the core wire or the like may be broken.

  In order to prevent this more reliably, it is desirable that the extra length of the core wire or the like can be extended in the longitudinal direction of the cable as long as possible so that the extension can be reliably absorbed when the connecting portion is extended.

  However, the empty space in the connecting portion is limited, and if the mechanism for this is large or complicated, there is a problem that the connecting portion becomes thick. When the connecting portion becomes thicker than the other portions of the optical cable, the optical composite power cable 100 shown in FIG. 18A swells at the position of the connecting portion, and the connecting portion becomes extreme during the manufacturing process or laying. There is a risk of damage to the internal core wire due to side pressure. Therefore, it is also required to make the connecting portion as thin as possible so as to have the same diameter or almost the same diameter as the other portions of the optical cable (hereinafter referred to as “quasi-same diameter”).

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and can reduce the tension applied to the core wire or the like when pulling the connection portion of the optical cable with a simple mechanism, and can also contribute to the quasi-same diameter of the connection portion. It is an object to provide a guide and an optical composite power cable using the guide.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object, in an optical cable connecting portion of an optical composite power cable in which an optical cable is combined with an electric power cable, an optical fiber core wire having a surplus length taken out from the optical cable is connected to the connecting portion. A guide for guiding the optical fiber core wire so that the length of the path for drawing the optical fiber core wire is longer than the length of the connection portion in the cable longitudinal direction, and accommodating the optical fiber core wire The guide is characterized in that a part is provided and the accommodating part is movable by elastic deformation of the guide itself.

When tension or the like is applied and the connecting portion is extended, the extra length of the optical fiber core wire or a protective tube (core wire or the like) through which the core wire passes is required to be extended in the cable longitudinal direction. Due to the elastic deformation, the position of the accommodating portion changes in a direction to shorten the path around the core wire or the like. When this path is shortened, the extra length of the core wire or the like is increased and the cable is extended in the longitudinal direction of the cable, and the extension of the connecting portion is absorbed. Therefore, the tension applied to the core wire and the like is reduced, and damage to the core wire and the like can be prevented. . Further, when the tension is released, the shape of the guide is restored due to elasticity, the position of the accommodating portion is restored, and the path becomes longer as it is, so that the arrangement state of the core wire and the like is restored.
Thus, in the present invention, the path of the core wire or the like is adjusted by the elastic deformation of the guide itself, so that there is an advantage that this adjustment mechanism can be simplified.

  Further, the guide is a disc body having the housing portion provided on the outer peripheral portion and a through hole provided in the central portion, and at least a part in the guide radial direction connecting the housing portion and the through hole is used as an elastic body. It is desirable that the housing portion be movable in the guide radial direction.

By configuring the guide as described above, the guide can be easily placed through the tension member in the through hole in the center of the guide.
Further, in this guide, when tension or the like is applied and the connecting portion is extended, and the necessary length of the core wire or the like is increased accordingly, the portion formed of the elastic body is compressed and the position of the accommodating portion approaches the guide center. As a result, the path length that has been long to absorb the extra length of the core wire or the like is shortened, and the extra length of the core wire or the like can be extended in the cable longitudinal direction. Furthermore, when the tension is released, the portion formed by the elastic body returns to its original thickness due to elasticity and returns to a state in which the path for drawing the core wire or the like is lengthened to absorb the extra length of the core wire or the like. can do.
Thus, by using a part in the guide radial direction as an elastic body, the path length of the core wire or the like can be adjusted by changing the thickness of the elastic body, so that there is an advantage that the adjustment mechanism can be simplified.

  Further, the guide is a columnar body provided with the accommodating portion on the outer peripheral portion and provided with a through hole in the center portion, and at least a part in a guide radial direction connecting the accommodating portion and the through hole as an elastic body, It is desirable that the housing portion be movable in the guide radial direction.

  Thus, even when the guide is a cylindrical body, the same effect as in the case where the guide is a disc body can be obtained. Further, in the cylindrical guide, the length that can accommodate the core wire and the like becomes long, so that the core wire and the like can be arranged more orderly.

  Further, it is desirable that a groove serving as the housing portion is formed on the outer peripheral portion.

  With this configuration, a core wire or the like can be easily accommodated in the groove from the top opening of the groove.

  Moreover, it is desirable that the guide of the present invention is made of an elastic foam, and a plurality of the accommodating portions are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

  By forming the guide with a foam having elasticity, the position of the accommodating portion can be changed more easily, and the path length can be adjusted more sensitively to the elongation of the connecting portion. Moreover, in this guide, since the accommodating part is arrange | positioned at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, when the core wire etc. which were accommodated in each accommodating part move toward a guide center, it goes to the guide center direction added to a guide from a core wire etc. Power is offset as a whole. Therefore, an unintended behavior due to the force applied to the guide in an uneven manner can be prevented, and the tension reducing action by the guide can be stably exhibited.

A second invention for achieving the above-described object is an optical composite power cable in which an optical cable is combined with a power cable. In the connection portion of the optical cable, the guide of the first invention is a cable of the connection portion of the optical cable. An optical composite power characterized in that an optical fiber core wire arranged in the longitudinal direction and taken out from the optical cable and connected is accommodated in the accommodating portion of the guide and is changed in position in the circumferential direction of the optical cable. It is a cable.
It is desirable that the optical fiber core wire taken out from the optical cable is housed in the housing portion of the guide in a state where it is passed through a tube and protected.

  In the present invention, since the guide that can adjust the path for drawing the core wire or the like by elastic deformation is used in the connection portion of the optical cable of the optical composite power cable, there is an advantage that the structure for the adjustment can be simplified.

  According to the present invention, a guide that can reduce the tension applied to a core wire or the like when a connection portion of an optical cable is pulled with a simple mechanism and can contribute to the quasi-equal diameter of the connection portion, and an optical composite power cable using the guide are provided. be able to.

The figure which shows the outline of the connection part 1 The figure explaining the protection tube 13, the unusual shape tube 14, and the flat tube 15 The figure explaining the reinforcement sleeve 50 The figure which shows the reinforcement sleeve 50 which removed the tension body 53 grade | etc., The figure explaining the guide 23 The figure which shows the tension member connection part guide 24 The figure which shows the folder 30 The figure which shows the connection method of the optical cable 10 The figure which shows the connection method of the optical cable 10 The figure which shows the connection method of the core wire group 115 The figure which shows the connection method of the core wire group 115 The figure which shows the state in which the tension was added to the connection part 1 The figure which shows the arrangement | positioning state of the protection tube 13 Diagram showing guide 75 Diagram showing guide 80 Diagram showing guide 90 Diagram showing guide 95 The figure shown about the optical composite power cable 100 and the optical cable 10

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment]
First, with reference to FIG. 1, the outline of the connection part 1 using the guide 23 which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the connection unit 1.
The connecting portion 1 is provided for the purpose of extending the length of the loose tube type optical cable 10 described with reference to FIG. 18B in the optical composite power cable 100 described with reference to FIG. -1, 10-2) are factory connection parts connected to each other. In addition, the whole connection part 1 is covered and covered with an interlock pipe, a polyethylene sheath, etc. which are not illustrated.

  In the connection portion 1, the coating 71 at the ends of the optical cables 10-1 and 10-2 is removed, and the optical unit 20, the filler 81, and the tension member 21 shown in FIG. 18B are exposed. In FIG. 1, only one of the four optical units 20 of the optical cable 10 is shown and the filler 81 is not shown for easy understanding. Moreover, the connection part 1 shall mean between the remaining coating | covers 71 and 71 of the optical cables 10-1 and 10-2 shown in FIG.

  The tension members 21 of the optical cables 10-1 and 10-2 are connected to each other by a connection member 221 at a tension member connecting portion 22.

  These tension members 21 are connected to a plurality of guides 23 on the optical cable 10-1 side and tension member connections in order from one optical cable 10-1 to the other optical cable 10-2 along the cable longitudinal direction of the connecting portion 1. The section guide 24 (24-1, 24-2), the folder 30 (30-1, 30-2), the guide guide 25, and a plurality of guides 23 on the optical cable 10-2 side are attached. Stoppers 39 are attached to both sides of the folder 30 to suppress the movement of the folder 30 in the cable longitudinal direction.

On the other hand, the protective tube 13, the deformed tube 14, and the flat tube 15 are connected to the optical units 20 of the optical cables 10-1 and 10-2 in this order.
In addition, the loose tube 11 of the optical unit 20 is cut off in the middle leaving the core group 115 shown in FIG. 18B, and the protective tube 13 and the like pass through the core group 115 inside. The optical unit 20 is connected in order from the remaining end, and this procedure will be described later.

Here, looking at one optical cable 10-1, the protective tube 13 connected to the optical unit 20 passes through the guide 23 and the tension member connecting portion guides 24-1 and 24-2, and is in front of the folder 30-1. Then, it is connected to the deformed tube 14 and then connected to the flat tube 15.
Looking at the other optical cable 10-2, the protective tube 13 connected to the optical unit 20 passes through the guide 23, the guide guide 25, and the folder 30-2, and passes through the guide tube 25 and the deformed tube 14 before the folder 30-1. Connected to the flat tube 15.

  In the core wire connection location 12, the core wire groups 115 coming out from the flat tubes 15 of the optical cables 10-1 and 10-2 are connected together. The core wire connection location 12 is accommodated in the folder 30 (30-1).

  Although not shown, connection processing is performed in the same manner for the core group 115 (FIG. 18B) of the other three optical units 20 of the optical cable 10.

  Next, the protective tube 13, the deformed tube 14, the flat tube 15, and the core wire connecting portion 12 will be described.

(Protection tube 13, deformed tube 14, flat tube 15)
FIG. 2 is a view showing the protective tube 13, the deformed tube 14, and the flat tube 15. 2A and 2B are diagrams showing ranges A and B in FIG. 1, respectively, and FIG. 2C is a diagram showing connection of each tube. 2D and 2E are cross-sectional views taken along lines C1-C1 and C2-C2 in FIG. 2B, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the protective tube 13 is a cylindrical body having a substantially circular cross section, and the outer dimension (hereinafter referred to as “outer dimension”) is the inner shape of the loose tube 11 of the optical unit 20. The size of the same (hereinafter referred to as “inner dimensions”).
One end 131 of the protective tube 13 is inserted into the end of the loose tube 11 and connected to the optical unit 20 so as to be able to advance and retract.

As shown in FIG. 2 (b), the one end portion 141 of the deformed tube 14 has a substantially circular cross section, and the inner dimension thereof is approximately the same as the outer dimension of the protective tube 13. The outer dimension of the one end 141 is approximately the same as the outer dimension of the loose tube 11.
The other end 145 has a flat cross section. The intermediate portion 143 has a cross-sectional shape that continuously changes from a substantially circular cross section of the one end portion 141 to a flat cross section of the other end portion 145.
The deformed tube 14 is movably connected to the protective tube 13 by inserting the other end portion 133 of the protective tube 13 inside the one end portion 141.

Further, the flat tube 15 is a cylindrical body having a flat cross section, and the outer dimension is the same size as the inner dimension of the other end 145 of the deformed tube 14.
The flat tube 15 is movably connected to the deformed tube 14 by inserting its end into the inside of the other end 145 of the deformed tube 14.

  By connecting the above-described deformed tube 14 and flat tube 15 as shown by the arrow in FIG. 2C, as shown in FIG. 2D and FIG. The irregularly arranged core wires 115 are guided by the intermediate portion 143 of the deformed tube 14 and are arranged in a flat manner inside the flat tube 15 without overlapping vertically.

  The protective tube 13, the deformed tube 14, and the flat tube 15 are formed of resin or the like and have appropriate flexibility. The deformed tube 14 can be manufactured by processing a tube similar to the loose tube.

(Core wire connection point 12)
At the core wire connection location 12 shown in FIG. 1, the core wire group 115 is collectively fused and connected using a multi-core fusion machine, and this procedure will be described later.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, the core wire connecting portion 12 is covered and protected by the reinforcing sleeve 50. The reinforcing sleeve 50 includes a cylindrical reinforcing member 52 made of a heat-meltable material and a tensile body 53 in the upper half and the lower half of the heat-shrinkable tube 51, respectively.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, when the core wire connection portion 12 is housed in a cylindrical reinforcing member 52 of the reinforcing sleeve 50 and the reinforcing sleeve 50 is heated, the reinforcing member 52 is melted and the heat-shrinkable tube 51 is formed. As shown in FIG. 3B, the core wire connection portion 12 is covered with the molten reinforcing material 52. Thereafter, when the reinforcing sleeve 50 is cooled, the reinforcing material 52 is solidified, and the core wire connecting portion 12 is integrated with the reinforcing sleeve 50 to be protected. The tensile body 53 has moderate rigidity and is intended to prevent mechanical force from being applied to the core wire connecting portion 12 and has a particularly large effect of suppressing bending.

  In the present embodiment, the heat-shrinkable tube 51 and the strength member 53 are further removed from the reinforcing sleeve 50 integrated with the core wire connection location 12, and the core wire connection location 12 is formed as shown in FIG. It is set as the state coat | covered only with the reinforcing material 52 cooled and solidified.

  As shown in FIG. 4 (b), the end of the flat tube 15 (for example, about 2 to 3 mm) is accommodated in the reinforcing member 52 in addition to the core connecting point 12, and the core wire is connected by the reinforcing member 52. The portion 12 and the end of the flat tube 15 are fixed and protected together. FIG. 4B is a view of the reinforcing member 52 and the like shown in FIG.

  Next, the guide 23, the tension member connecting portion guides 24 (24-1, 24-2), the guide guide 25, and the folder 30 (30-) for arranging the protective tube 13 and the like and the core wire connecting portion 12 are arranged. 1, 30-2) will be described.

(Guide 23)
As shown in FIG. 1, the protective tube 13 connected to the optical unit 20 of the optical cable 10 (10-1, 10-2) is arranged with a plurality of guides 23 provided with slack. Thereby, the extra length is provided also in the core wire group 115 in the protective tube 13 accommodated in the connection part 1. This arrangement section is referred to as a surplus length securing section 26.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the guide 23. FIG. 5A is a view of the extra length securing section 26 on the optical cable 10-1 side as viewed from the side, and FIGS. 5B to 5F show the line P1 in FIG. 5A, respectively. It is sectional drawing of each guide 23 along -P1-line P5-P5.

  As shown in FIG. 5A to FIG. 5F, the guide 23 has a groove 231 a (accommodating portion) for accommodating the protective tube 13 in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral portion of the radial cross section of the disc body 231. Are provided at equal intervals. In the illustrated example, four are provided at 90 ° intervals.

  Further, the disc body 231 is provided with a through hole 231b penetrating the central portion of the radial cross section in the axial direction. The guide 23 is disposed through the tension member 21 in the through hole 231b. The guide 23 may be fixed to the tension member 21 with an adhesive or the like, or may be rotatable around the tension member 21 without being fixed.

  The guide 23 is formed of a cushion material that is a foam having elasticity. As the cushioning material, for example, a sponge-like resin foam can be used. However, other materials can be used as long as they are elastic bodies.

  As shown in FIGS. 5B to 5F, the protective tube 13 is attached to a plurality of guides 23 while changing the position of the groove 231a to be accommodated for each guide, and the circumference of the optical cable 10 shown in FIG. It guides spirally so that a position may change in the direction, and the path | route which draws around the protection tube 13 is made longer than the length of the cable longitudinal direction of the location where the said protection tube 13 is arrange | positioned.

  Although the illustration of the filler 81 taken out from the optical cable 10 is omitted in FIG. 1, the filler 81 is cut at a position before entering the guide 23.

(Tension member connecting part guide 24)
As shown in FIG. 1, tension member connecting portion guides 24 (24-1 and 24-2) are attached to both sides of the connecting member 221 of the tension member connecting portion 22.

  The protective tube 13 connected to the optical unit 20 of the optical cable 10-1 is disposed so as to be attached to the tension member connecting portion guide 24 at the place where the guide 23 is exited. The tension member connecting portion guide 24 retracts the protective tube 13 from the connecting fitting 221 toward the cable outer side, and light loss due to local bending of the core wire 111 in the protecting tube 13 due to contact between the connecting fitting 221 and the protecting tube 13. Is to prevent the increase of

  FIG. 6 is a view showing the tension member connecting portion guide 24. FIG. 6A is a view of the range F in FIG. 1 viewed from the side. 6B and 6C are cross-sectional views taken along lines GG and HH in FIG. 6A, respectively.

  As shown in FIG. 6 (a), the tension member connecting portion guide 24 is obtained by attaching the disc body 241 to the small diameter end face of the truncated cone 243 and attaching the disc body 245 to the large diameter end face. It arrange | positions so that the disc body 245 may be located in the metal fitting 221 side.

  As shown in FIGS. 6B and 6C, grooves 241a and 245a for accommodating the protective tubes 13 are provided in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral portions of the radial cross sections of the disk bodies 241 and 245, respectively. A plurality are provided at equal intervals. In the example shown in the figure, four are provided at intervals of 90 °. Further, the depth of the groove 245a of the disk body 245 is determined to be shallower than the groove 241a of the disk body 241.

  The tension member connecting portion guide 24 is further provided with a through-hole 247 that penetrates the central portion of the radial cross section of the disc body 241, the truncated cone 243, and the disc body 245 in the axial direction. The tension member connecting portion guide 24 is disposed through the tension member 21 in the through hole 247.

Referring to FIGS. 6A to 6C, the protective tube 13 is a disc in the tension member connecting portion guide 24-1 through the inclination of the outer surface of the truncated cone 243 from the groove 241a of the disc 241. By being arranged in the groove 245a of the body 245, it moves in the cable outer direction. The protective tube 13 is bridged over the groove 245a of the disk body 245 of the tension member connecting portion guide 24-2, with the connecting metal fitting 221 interposed therebetween.
In this way, the protection tube 13 is retracted so as to be separated from the connection fitting 221 by shifting the arrangement of the protection tube 13 in the cable outer direction.

(Guidance guide 25)
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, the protective tube 13 connected to the optical unit 20 of the optical cable 10-2 is attached to the guide guide 25 at the place where it exits the guide 23.
The guide guide 25 has the same configuration as the tension member connecting portion guide 24-1 described in FIG. 6, and moves the protective tube 13 in the cable outer direction in the same manner as the tension member connecting portion guide 24-1. Then, the protective tube 13 is guided toward the accommodation groove 33 and the through groove 35 on the outer peripheral surface of the folder 30 described later.

(Folder 30)
As shown in FIG. 1, the core wire connection location 12 is housed in a folder 30 (30-1) and protected.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the folder 30 (30-1, 30-2). FIG. 7A is a view of the range J in FIG. 1 as viewed from above. FIGS. 7B, 7C, and 7D are cross-sectional views taken along lines KK, MM, and NN in FIG. 7A, respectively.
7 (b) to 7 (d), for the sake of explanation, the core wires subjected to the connection processing of the core group 115 of the other three optical units 20 of the optical cable 10, which are not shown in FIG. All the connection points 12 are also displayed.

As shown in FIGS. 7A to 7D, the folder 30 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 31 so as to penetrate the housing groove 33 and the through groove 35 in the axial direction. Further, the cylindrical body 31 is provided with a through-hole 37 that penetrates the central portion of the radial cross section in the axial direction. The folder 30 is disposed through the tension member 21 in the through hole 37.
The material of the folder 30 may be any material as long as it has a rigidity capable of resisting a force or the like that bends the folder 30 in order to protect the core wire connection portion 12. For example, a metal or the like can be used.

  The housing groove 33 is for housing the core wire connecting portion 12 and, as shown in FIG. 7B and the like, is 180 ° apart in the circumferential direction at the outer circumferential portion of the cylindrical body 31 in the radial direction. Two are provided at intervals.

The receiving groove 33 has a flat bottom surface, and as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the axial intermediate portion 33a has a wide shape wider than the depth. The core wire connecting portion 12 is disposed in the intermediate portion 33a. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7A, FIG. 7C, etc., the width of the accommodation groove 33 is slightly narrowed at both end portions 33b and 33b in the axial direction. The flat tubes 15 and 15 on both sides of the core wire connecting portion 12 are respectively disposed at the both end portions 33b and 33b.
Further, as shown in FIG. 7B, the depth 33 c of the housing groove 33 covers the height of the core wire connection location 12 (core wire connection location 12 so that side pressure is not applied to the accommodated core wire connection location 12. It is determined to be larger than the height of the reinforcing material 52.

  The through-grooves 35 are for passing the protective tube 13, and as shown in FIG. Two are provided. The two through grooves 35 are arranged so as to be shifted by 90 ° in the circumferential direction with respect to the two receiving grooves 33 described above.

  As shown in FIGS. 7A to 7D, in the present embodiment, the two folders 30-1 and 30-2 are arranged at different positions in the cable longitudinal direction of the connecting portion 1. Further, the folder 30-2 is arranged by being rotated by 90 ° in the circumferential direction with respect to the folder 30-1, and the position in the circumferential direction of the accommodation groove 33 of one folder 30-1 (30-2) and the other. The position in the circumferential direction of the through groove 35 of the folder 30-2 (30-1) is the same.

  In this embodiment, the two core wire connection locations 12 including the core wire connection location 12 explicitly shown in FIG. 1 are accommodated in the accommodation grooves 33 and 33 of the folder 30-1, and the remaining two core wire connection locations 12 are accommodated in the other folder 30-. It accommodates in the 2 accommodation groove | channels 33 and 33, and arranges four core wire connection locations 12 by changing a position in the cable longitudinal direction and distributing.

That is, as shown in FIG. 7B, FIG. 7D, and the like, in one folder 30-1 (30-2), two core wire connection locations 12 are respectively disposed in the two accommodation grooves 33. At the same time, the protective tubes 13 that accommodate the core wire groups 115 that are not to be connected at the core wire connection locations 12 are respectively disposed in the two through grooves 35 and passed therethrough. The two core wire connection locations 12 that have been connected to the core wire group 115 that has passed through the through-groove 35 are respectively disposed in the two accommodation grooves 33 of the other folder 30-2 (30-1).
In this way, the four core connection points 12 are distributed and arranged in the two folders 30-1 and 30-2.

  The connection unit 1 has the configuration described above. Next, a connection method of the optical cable 10 for forming the connection portion 1 will be described.

(Connection method of optical cable 10)
In order to connect the optical cable 10, first, the coating 71 at the end of the optical cable 10 shown in FIG. 18B is removed by removing only the length necessary for connection in consideration of the extra length described later, and the optical unit 10 is removed. 20, The tension member 21 and the filler 81 are taken out. This state is shown in FIG.
8 and FIG. 9 described later, as in FIG. 1, only one of the four optical units 20 of the optical cable 10 is shown, and the filler 81 is not shown.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 8 (b), the loose tube 11 of the optical unit 20 is cut off halfway to expose the core wire group 115 inside.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 8C, the protective tube 13, the deformed tube 14, and the flat tube 15 are sequentially connected to the end of the remaining loose tube 11 as described above while passing the core wire group 115 inside. . The end of the core wire group 115 exposes a necessary length from the flat tube 15 in order to perform a connection operation.

  The above process is performed for each of the optical cables 10-1 and 10-2 to be connected. At this time, the length of the core wire group 115 at the remaining end portions of the optical cables 10-1 and 10-2 (the front end side from the covering 71) is the sum of the length of the connection portion 1, the protective tube 13, It is determined to have some extra length than the tube for protecting the core wire formed by the tube 14 and the flat tube 15.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 9A, the core wire groups 115 of the optical cables 10-1 and 10-2 are connected to each other at the core wire connection place 12, and the core wire connection place 12 is used by using the reinforcing sleeve 50. Cover and protect.

  This procedure will be described below with reference to FIGS. In each figure, 40 is a multi-core fusion machine, 41 is a fusion mechanism, 42 is a fixture, and 43 is a heating / cooling mechanism, each showing a schematic configuration of a commercially available multi-core fusion machine.

First, as shown in FIG. 10 (a), the core wire group 115 coming out of the flat tube 15 is set on the fixture 42, and is held and fixed from above and below in a state of being flatly arranged. The end UV coating is removed and the ends are cut to align their positions.
When the core wire group 115 is set on the fixture 42, if the core wires 111 overlap each other, it may cause gripping failure or damage to the core wire 111, but the core wire group 115 is already flattened by the flat tube 15. Such mistakes are eliminated.

  Said process is performed about each optical cable 10-1, 10-2 to connect. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10 (a), the reinforcing sleeve 50 is passed through the core wire group 115 in advance and then set on the fixture 42. At this time, the core group 115 is passed through the reinforcing member 52 of the reinforcing sleeve 50 shown in FIG.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 10 (b), the core group 115 of each optical cable 10-1, 10-2 is set on the multi-core fusion machine 40 together with the fixtures 42, and is arranged to face each other. At 41, the ends are brought into contact with each other and fused together to form a core wire connection location 12.

  Thereafter, the core wire group 115 is removed from the fixture 42, the reinforcing sleeve 50 is moved, and the core wire connecting portion 12 is arranged at an appropriate position in the reinforcing sleeve 50 as shown in FIG.

Then, the flat tubes 15 and 15 on both sides of the core wire connection location 12 are respectively pulled out from the deformed tubes 14 and 14 and moved toward the core wire connection location 12, and as shown in FIG. Are inserted into both ends of the reinforcing sleeve 50, respectively. Said core wire connection location 12 and the edge part of this flat tube 15 and 15 are stored inside the reinforcing material 52 shown to Fig.3 (a).
Note that when the flat tube 15 is connected to the deformed tube 14 in the process described with reference to FIG. 8C, the length of the flat tube 15 inserted into the deformed tube 14 is the length of the flat tube 15 drawn in the above process. More than that.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 11 (b), the reinforcing sleeve 50 is set in the heating / cooling mechanism 43 of the multi-core fusion machine 40, and the reinforcing sleeve 50 is heated as described in FIG. 3 (b). Then, the reinforcing material 52 is melted and then cooled to solidify the reinforcing material 52. At this time, since the reinforcing sleeve 50 made of the heat-shrinkable tube 51 contracts, the reinforcing material 52 is covered around the core wire 111 without a gap.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 11C, the reinforcing sleeve 50 is removed from the multi-core fusion machine 40, and the heat-shrinkable tube 51 and the tensile body 53 of the reinforcing sleeve 50 shown in FIG. 3B are removed. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the core wire connection portion 12 and the end of the flat tube 15 are integrally fixed and protected by the reinforcing member 52 that has been cooled and solidified. The heat-shrinkable tube 51 and the strength member 53 can be separated from the reinforcing material 52 with a cutter or the like.

With the above procedure, the connection processing of the core wire group 115 is performed on each of the four optical units 20 of the optical cable 10.
Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 9B, the tension member 21 is cut to a required length, and the guide 23, the tension member connecting portion guide 24, the guide guide 25, the folder 30 and the like are described with reference to FIG. And the ends of the tension member 21 are connected to each other by a connecting metal fitting 221. This step may be performed before the core group 115 is connected.

  And as shown in FIG.9 (c), the protection tube 13, the unusual shape tube 14, the flat tube 15, and the core wire connection location 12 are arrange | positioned as demonstrated in FIG. The surplus length is stored in the surplus length securing section 26.

  As described above, the optical cables 10-1 and 10-2 are connected to form the connection portion 1. After that, the entire connecting portion 1 is protected by covering with an interlock pipe, a polyethylene sheath, etc. The interlock pipe is used by pulling back the one that has been passed through one optical cable prior to the above steps. .

(Tension reducing action of core wire etc. by guide 23)
Next, a description will be given of a situation where the tension is reduced by the deformation of the guide 23 when the connecting portion 1 is pulled and tension is applied to the core wire or the like. Here, the description will be made on the assumption that the guide 23 does not rotate, but the same effect is exhibited even when the guide 23 is rotatable as will be described later.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a state in which the connection portion 1 shown in FIG.
When tension T is applied to the connecting portion 1 and it is extended by ΔL from the original length L, the required length of the inner core wire or the like (the core wire 111 or the tubes 11, 13, 14, and 15 accommodating the core wire) is accordingly increased. become longer. In the present embodiment, the core wire or the like itself does not extend at this time, but the path around which the core wire or the like is routed in the surplus length securing section 26 is brought closer to the tension member 21 by utilizing the elastic deformation of the guide 23, thereby Absorbs the elongation ΔL and reduces the tension applied to the core wire and the like. This will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an arrangement state of the protection tubes 13 (core wire group 115) for one spiral in the extra length securing section 26 on the optical cable 10-1 side. FIG. 13A shows an initial state of the connecting portion 1 before being pulled, and FIG. 13B shows a state when being pulled. 13 (a) and 13 (b), the upper figure is a view of the extra length securing section 26 seen from the side, and the lower figure is a sectional view of the guide 23 along the line SS in the upper figure. . In this cross-sectional view, all the protective tubes 13 connected to the four optical units 20 of the optical cable 10 are shown for explanation.

First, in the initial state shown in FIG. 13A, the length of the protective tube 13 for one pitch of the spiral is L _t1 along the cable longitudinal direction, the distance (spiral radius) from the guide center is R ₁ , and the spiral. The path length along is D ₁ .

On the other hand, when the extended ΔL applied tension T to the connecting part 1 as, along with this, the force P _r to be Chijimeyo radius tightening the spiral, as shown in the lower of FIG. 13 (a), the protection The tube 13 and the core wire group 115 (core wire or the like) are added toward the guide center.
Then, the portion on the center side from the groove 231a of the guide 23 is elastically deformed and compressed, and the position of the groove 231a approaches the center as shown in FIG. Thus, the distance R ₁ from the guide center of the protective tube 13 is reduced to R ₂ , the spiral radius is shortened, the path length for drawing the core wire and the like is reduced, and the extra length of the core wire and the like is increased accordingly. The elongation ΔL of the connecting part 1 is absorbed in this way.

Thereafter, when the tension T of the connecting portion 1 is released and returns to the original length L, the force _Pr is also released, the shape of the guide 23 is restored by elasticity, and the compressed portion returns to the original thickness. . As a result, the groove 231a moves outward, and the protective tube 13 returns to the initial position shown in FIG. Hereinafter, every time the connecting portion 1 is pulled and stretched, the adjustment of the path length for drawing the core wire or the like by the elastic deformation of the guide 23 is repeated.

Here, when the connection portion 1 is pulled, the elongation absorbed per one pitch of the spiral of the protective tube 13 in the initial state shown in FIG. 13A is a section of the length L _{t1 corresponding} to this one pitch. Is a decrease in the path length of the core wire or the like. That is, in this section, the value is (D ₁ −D ₂ ) obtained by subtracting the path length D ₂ (FIG. 13B) when the connection portion 1 is pulled from the path length D ₁ in the initial state. In the entire connecting portion 1, the elongation is absorbed by the amount of path length reduction corresponding to the number of pitches arranged here.

  The maximum value of the elongation that can be absorbed per one spiral of the initial state is determined by the shape of the guide 23 by determining the maximum width (distance between the groove 231a and the tension member 21) that the groove 231a can move by elastic deformation. The number of pitches in the entire connection portion 1 may be determined so as to obtain a necessary amount of elongation absorption in consideration of a tension that may be applied to the connection portion 1.

  Further, when the guide 23 is rotatable, the elastic deformation similar to the above occurs when the connecting portion 1 is pulled, and the guide 23 rotates and the spiral of the protective tube 13 is unwound so that the core wire and the like are routed. Decreases in length. As a result, the extra length of the core wire or the like is increased, the extension of the connecting portion 1 is absorbed, and the tension applied to each core wire or the like is reduced.

As described above, in the guide 23 of the first embodiment, when tension or the like is applied and the connecting portion 1 is extended, the protective tube 13 and the core wire group 115 (core wire etc.) accommodated in the groove 231a on the outer peripheral portion of the disc body 231 are extended. ), The portion on the guide center side from the groove 231a is compressed by elastic deformation, the position of the groove 231a approaches the center, and the path length for drawing the core wire or the like decreases. The elongation of the connecting portion 1 is absorbed by the reduced amount of the path length, and the tension applied to each core wire or the like is reduced, thereby preventing damage. When the tension is released, the compressed portion returns to its original thickness due to elasticity, and the path around the core wire and the like returns to the original arrangement state.
Thus, in the present invention, there is an advantage that the tension applied to each core wire and the like can be reduced by adjusting the path length of the core wire and the like by a simple mechanism of thickness change due to elastic deformation of the guide 23 itself.

  Further, in the guide 23, the through hole 231b is provided at the center of the disc body 231, and therefore the guide 23 can be easily disposed through the tension member 21 in the through hole 231b. The protective tube 13 can also be easily accommodated in the groove 231a from the top opening of the groove 231a.

In addition, since the guide 23 is formed of a cushion material that is a foam having elasticity, the position of the groove 231a can be easily changed by its cushioning property, and the path is more sensitive to the tension of the connection portion 1. Adjustable length can be adjusted.
In addition, since a plurality of grooves 231a are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the disk body 231, when the guides 23 are elastically deformed by being pushed by the protective tubes 13 accommodated in the grooves 231a, the force in the guide center direction described above is used. P _r (FIG. 13A) is canceled by the guide 23 as a whole. Therefore, an unintended behavior due to the force applied to the guide 23 being biased can be prevented, and the tension reducing action by the guide 23 can be stably exhibited.

  Note that the core group 115 does not necessarily have to pass through the protective tube 13 or the like as in the present embodiment, and can be directly accommodated in the guide 23. However, the core wire group 115 can be protected by passing it through the protective tube 13 or the like. For example, damage caused by the core wire group 115 being rubbed against the guide 23 when the guide 23 is elastically deformed can be prevented. Further, by passing the core wire group 115 in the loose tube 11 of the optical unit 20 through the protective tube 13 that is thinner than the loose tube 11, the internal empty space can be expanded while making the connecting portion 1 quasi-equal in diameter. The displacement of the position of the groove 231a at the time of elastic deformation can be increased. In addition, there is an advantage that connection and management of the extra length can be performed for each core wire group 115 passed through the protective tube 13.

  Further, the protective tube 13 is accommodated in the groove 231a of the guide 23. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a hole may be formed in the guide 23 and the protective tube 13 may be passed through the hole. Furthermore, the arrangement of the grooves 231a is not limited to that described with reference to FIG. 5 and the like, and can be variously determined as necessary.

  Thus, the guide of the present invention is not limited to the one described in the first embodiment. Hereinafter, second to fifth embodiments of the guide of the present invention will be described. Note that these embodiments will mainly describe differences from the first embodiment, and description of the same points as those of the first embodiment will be omitted.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 14 is a view showing a guide 75 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14A shows an initial state of the connecting portion 1 before being pulled, and FIG. 14B shows a state when being pulled. 14 (a) and 14 (b), the upper figure is a view of the extra length securing section when this guide 75 is used, and the lower figure is along the line U-U in the upper figure. It is sectional drawing of the guide 75. FIG.

The difference between the guide 75 of the second embodiment and the guide 23 of the first embodiment is that a plurality of spiral grooves 751a (accommodating portions) are provided on the outer peripheral portion of a cylindrical body 751 formed of a cushioning material. It is. These grooves 751 a are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction in the radial cross section of the cylindrical body 751. In the illustrated example, four grooves 751a are arranged at intervals of 90 °.
The cylindrical body 751 is also provided with a through hole 751b penetrating the central portion of the radial cross section in the axial direction, and the guide 75 is disposed through the tension member 21 in the through hole 751b.

  The length of the guide 75 (cylindrical body 751) is equal to the length of the surplus length securing section, and the protective tube 13 of the surplus length securing section is accommodated in the groove 751a over the entire path.

As shown in FIGS. 14 (a) and 14 (b), when the connecting portion 1 is pulled, with this guide 75, from the entire path of the protective tube 13 and the core wire group 115 (core wires, etc.) housed in the groove 751a. The force toward the guide center is applied, and the position of the groove 751a approaches the center as in the first embodiment. As a result, the path length for routing the core wire or the like is reduced from D ₃ (FIG. 14 (a)) to D ₄ (FIG. 14 (b)), the extra length of the core wire or the like is increased, and the extension of the connecting portion 1 is absorbed. The same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained.

Moreover, in 2nd Embodiment, since the guide 75 is made into a cylindrical body and the protection tube 13 is accommodated over the whole path | route, the protection tube 13 can be arrange | positioned more orderly.
In the second embodiment, the length of the guide 75 is equal to the extra length securing section. However, the length of the guide 75 is not limited to this, and for example, a guide 75 that is shorter than the extra length securing section is secured. A plurality can be arranged in the section.

[Third Embodiment]
FIG. 15 is a view showing a guide 80 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15A shows an initial state of the connecting portion 1 before being pulled, and FIG. 15B shows a state when being pulled.
The difference between the guide 80 of the third embodiment and the guide 23 of the first embodiment is that a ring portion 231c having no elasticity is provided at the center of the disc body 231, and the inner side of the ring portion 231c is penetrated. The tension member 21 is passed through the hole 231b.

As shown in FIGS. 15A and 15B, when the connecting portion 1 is pulled, the guide 80 applies a force in the guide center direction from the protective tube 13 and the core wire group 115 (core wires, etc.). As a result, the portion between the bottom of the groove 231a and the outer periphery of the ring portion 231c is elastically deformed and compressed, and the position of the groove 231a approaches the center.
As a result, the route for routing the core wire or the like approaches the center of the cable in the same manner as described above. As a result, the route for routing becomes shorter, so that the extra length of the core wire or the like increases, and the extension of the connecting portion 1 is absorbed. The same effect as in the embodiment can be obtained. Thus, if at least a part in the guide radial direction connecting the groove 231a and the through hole 231b is formed of an elastic body, the length of the path for drawing the core wire or the like can be adjusted by changing the thickness. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[Fourth Embodiment]
FIG. 16 is a view showing a guide 90 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 16A shows an initial state of the connecting portion 1 before being pulled, and FIG. 16B shows a state when being pulled.

  In the guide 90 of the fourth embodiment, a plurality of accommodating portions 93 that can accommodate the protective tube 13 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction so as to surround the ring portion 91 (four at 90 ° intervals in the example in the figure). The housing portions 93 and the ring portions 91 are respectively connected to both end portions of a leaf spring 92 bent in a U shape. The guide 90 is disposed through the tension member 21 in the through hole 91 a inside the ring portion 91.

  As shown in FIGS. 16 (a) and 16 (b), when the connecting portion 1 is pulled, the guide 90 is driven by a force in the guide center direction applied from the protective tube 13 and the core wire group 115 (core wires, etc.). 92 is elastically deformed, and the accommodating portion 93 approaches the ring portion 91. This also shortens the route for drawing the core wire and the like as described above, increases the extra length of the core wire and the like, and absorbs the extension of the connecting portion 1, thereby obtaining the same effect as in the first embodiment.

[Fifth Embodiment]
FIG. 17 is a view showing a guide 95 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 17A shows an initial state of the connecting portion 1 before being pulled, and FIG. 17B shows a state when being pulled. 17 (a) and 17 (b), the upper figure is a view of the extra length securing section when the guide 95 is used, as viewed from the side, and the lower figure is along the line QQ in the upper figure. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a guide 95. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 17A, the guide 95 of the fifth embodiment is a groove for accommodating the protective tube 13 at both ends of the upper side and the lower side of a rectangular plate body 951 formed of a cushion material. 951a (accommodating part) is provided. The guide 95 is disposed through the tension member 21 in the central through hole 951 b and is fixed to the tension member 21.
Further, the protective tube 13 is attached to a plurality of guides 95 while changing the position of the groove 951a to be accommodated up and down for each guide, and is arranged along a long path.

When extending connecting portion 1 is pulled, in the fifth embodiment, as shown in the lower of FIG. 17 (a), the force P _r which tends to reduce the amplitude of the wave, were housed in the upper side of the groove 951a The protective tube 13 and the core wire group 115 (core wires and the like) in the protective tube 13 and the core wire group 115 (core wires and the like) are added downward and the core wire and the like of the groove 951a on the lower side are added upward.
Then, the portion between the upper and lower grooves 951a of the guide 95 is elastically deformed and compressed, and the upper groove 951a moves downward and the lower groove 951a moves upward as shown in FIG. In this way, the amplitude of the wave is reduced, the path around the core wire is shortened, and the extra length of the core wire is increased accordingly. This also absorbs the elongation of the connecting portion 1 and provides the same effect as in the first embodiment.

  As described above, various configurations of the guide are conceivable as long as the accommodating portion moves due to elastic deformation of the guide itself and the path of the core wire or the like changes. What kind of configuration is adopted may be selected in consideration of the tension that may be applied to the connecting portion 1 and the structure of the connecting portion 1.

Moreover, although the connection part 1 demonstrated the example which is a factory connection part in the above embodiment, if the guide of this invention is a connection part of the optical cable 10 in the optical composite power cable 100, it will not be restricted to a factory connection part. Applicable. As described above, the configuration of the optical composite power cable 100, the optical cable 10, or the connection portion 1 is not limited to the above-described configuration as long as the guide of the present invention is used, and various configurations can be adopted.
For example, the optical cable 10 is not limited to a loose tube type, and may be a slot type optical cable. Even in this case, the same effect can be obtained by arranging the core wire with a slackness using the guide of the present invention. However, because the loose-tube type optical cable has a longer manufacturable length, when a long optical composite power cable is manufactured, the use of the loose-tube type optical cable has an advantage that fewer connection portions are required.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to such examples. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes or modifications can be conceived within the scope of the technical idea disclosed in the present application, and these naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention. Understood.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ......... Connection part 5 ......... Power cable 10 ......... Optical cable 11 ......... Loose tube 12 ......... Core wire connection point 13 ......... Protection tube 20 ......... Optical unit 21 ......... Tension member 23, 75, 80, 90, 95 ......... Guide 26 ......... Reserved length section 30 ......... Folder 100 ......... Optical composite power cable 111 ......... Core wire 115 ......... Core wire group

Claims (7)

In the optical cable connection part of the optical composite power cable in which the optical cable is combined with the power cable, the length of the path for drawing the optical fiber core wire in order to accommodate the extra length optical fiber core wire taken out from the optical cable in the connection part Is a guide for guiding the optical fiber core wire so as to be longer than the length of the connecting portion in the cable longitudinal direction,
A guide provided with a receiving portion for receiving the optical fiber core wire, and the receiving portion being movable by elastic deformation of the guide itself. The guide is a disc body provided with the accommodating portion on the outer peripheral portion and provided with a through hole in the center portion,
2. The guide according to claim 1, wherein at least a part in a guide radial direction connecting the housing portion and the through hole is made an elastic body, and the housing portion is movable in the guide radial direction. The guide is a columnar body provided with the accommodating portion on the outer peripheral portion and provided with a through hole in the center portion,
The at least one part of the guide radial direction which connects the said accommodating part and the said through-hole is made into an elastic body, The said accommodating part was enabled to move to a guide radial direction, It is characterized by the above-mentioned. Guide.   The guide according to claim 2 or 3, wherein a groove serving as the housing portion is formed in an outer peripheral portion.   The guide according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the guide is made of a foam having elasticity, and a plurality of the accommodating portions are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. An optical composite power cable in which an optical cable is combined with a power cable,
In the connecting portion of the optical cable, the guide according to any one of claims 1 to 5 is arranged in a cable longitudinal direction of the connecting portion of the optical cable, and an optical fiber core wire that is taken out from the optical cable and connected thereto is connected to the guide. An optical composite power cable, wherein the optical composite power cable is housed in a housing portion and is disposed at a different position in the circumferential direction of the optical cable.   7. The optical composite power cable according to claim 6, wherein an optical fiber core wire taken out from the optical cable and connected thereto is housed in the housing portion of the guide while being passed through a tube and protected.

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