KR20190088890A - Optical cable - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an optical cable with improved mechanical rigidity, waterproof performance, and workability. According to the present invention, the optical cable includes: a plurality of optical units including a plurality of communication optical fibers, waterproof yarn, and a tube member receiving the optical fibers and the waterproof yarn; a tensile reinforcement fiber disposed on around the optical units; an outer jacket disposed to surround the outside of the tensile reinforcement fiber; and at least one rigidity reinforcement member longitudinally buried at a position closer to the outer surface of the outer jacket than the inner surface of the same.

Description

OPTICAL CABLE

The present invention relates to an optical cable. More particularly, the present invention relates to an optical cable having improved mechanical rigidity, waterproof performance and workability.

The use of large-capacity optical cables is increasing with the spread of optical communication using optical fiber.

In the case of fiber optic cable, the optical cable can be reduced in diameter compared to the conductor cable of the same capacity, and there is less concern about noise or loss due to the connection distance, thereby rapidly replacing the conductor cable.

In addition, with the increase in optical fiber usage due to the increase in optical communication demand, demand for miniaturization of optical cable itself, that is, reduction in optical cable diameter, continues.

However, the reduction of the diameter of the optical cable may cause the mechanical rigidity of the optical cable to be lowered due to the bending or bending thereof. Therefore, a separate reinforcing means for protecting the optical fiber inside the optical cable is required.

In recent years, since the electric power cable and the communication cable are installed in an underground pipe so as not to be exposed to the ground, they can be easily exposed to moisture.

As a method for protecting the optical cable from moisture, a method of inserting the jelly compound into the tube of the optical unit constituting the optical cable, a method of inserting the waterproof powder into the tube, and the like can be used.

The method of inserting the jelly compound into the cable has the inconvenience of wiping the jelly using a jelly cleanser or alcohol when cutting and connecting the tube for branching, and the surrounding environment may be contaminated by the jelly compound. In addition, the method of inserting the waterproof powder into the tube of the optical cable can not move the waterproof powder inside the cable, so that it is difficult to expect a waterproof effect for a sufficient time.

Therefore, a method that does not use a jelly compound or a waterproof powder is required.

Further, in the case of a large-capacity optical cable, an intermediate branch and connection are often performed in the cable installation process.

That is, when the coverage area of one optical cable is wide, the optical unit or optical fiber of the optical cable can be branched and connected at a plurality of points to provide optical communication.

The branching and connection of such an optical cable can be performed in an optical distributor or the like, and the optical fiber can be exposed by removing the outer jacket and the tube of the optical unit while the optical cable is fixed to the optical distributor.

In case of optical cable, optical cable should be stably supported in the connection box because excessive movement or bending of the optical cable should be prevented in order to protect the optical fiber constituting the optical cable.

However, unlike the power cable, the diameter of the cable is small, and when the optical cable is fixed to the connection or the like in such a way that the cable is excessively tightened, the optical fiber may be damaged.

In addition, the optical connection or optical branching operation performed in a narrow space inside the optical connection box is a work for handling a minute optical fiber, and therefore, workability is poor.

Therefore, a large-capacity optical cable having improved mechanical rigidity, waterproof performance, and workability is required.

An object of the present invention is to provide an optical cable having improved mechanical rigidity, waterproof performance and workability.

In order to solve the above-described problems, at least one optical unit having a plurality of optical fibers and a tube member accommodating the optical fibers; A receiving portion in which the optical unit is accommodated; An outer jacket surrounding the outside of the receiving portion; And at least one rigid reinforcing member embedded in the outer jacket in the longitudinal direction of the cable.

The rigid reinforcing member may be coated with an adhesive material.

In this case, the adhesive material may be EAA (Ethylene Acrylic Acid Copolymer Resin) resin or EEA (Ethylene-Ethyl Acrylate Copolymer Resin) resin.

The rigidity reinforcing member may be embedded at a position closer to the outer surface than the inner surface of the outer jacket.

Here, the optical unit may further include a waterproof yarn in the tube member.

Further, the tube member of the optical unit may be made of PVC or LSZH material, and the waterproof yarn may be eccentrically disposed so as to be close to the inner surface of the tube member.

In addition, at least one optical unit may be provided in the accommodating portion, and tensile reinforcing fibers may be further provided.

In this case, a waterproof yarn may further be provided between the tensile reinforcing fibers.

Further, the rigidity reinforcing member may be an FRP material.

Here, the rigid reinforcing member may have a circular cross-sectional shape.

The rigid reinforcing member may be formed in any one of an elliptical shape, a track shape, and a flat plate shape.

In this case, the pair of rigid reinforcing members may be provided at symmetrical positions, and the diameter may be at least 1.3 millimeters (mm), preferably at least 1.5 millimeters (mm).

The diameter of the rigid reinforcing member coated with the adhesive material may be at least 1.4 mm (mm), preferably 1.6 mm (mm) or more.

Here, the elongation at break of the optical cable may be 2.0% or more.

The tensile reinforcing fiber may be an aramid yarn or a glass yarn.

Here, each of the optical units may have twenty-four or less optical fibers, and a plurality of optical fibers may be provided.

The outer jacket may be made of polyethylene (PE) or LSZH material and the thickness t of the outer jacket may be at least 1.5 millimeters (mm), preferably at least 1.8 millimeters (mm).

In this case, the ratio (d / t) of the diameter d of the rigid reinforcing member to the thickness t of the outer jacket may be 0.70 to 0.95.

Here, the shortest distance to the inner surface of the outer jacket of the rigid reinforcing member may be 1.8 to 2.2 times the shortest distance to the outer surface.

The shortest distance to the outer surface of the outer jacket of the rigidity reinforcing member may be 0.03 millimeter or more.

Here, the optical fiber dot rate of the optical unit may be 70% or less.

Further, a rib cord may be provided inside the outer jacket, and the rib cord may be disposed within a range of +45 to -45 degrees with respect to a reference line connecting the rigid reinforcing member.

In this case, the pair of FRP members may be provided at symmetrical positions, and the diameter may be 1.3 millimeters (mm) or more.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an optical fiber connector comprising: at least one optical unit including at least twenty-four optical fibers and a waterproof yarn and including a tube member for receiving the optical fiber and the waterproof yarn; An outer jacket provided outside the optical unit; And at least one FRP member embedded in the outer jacket, wherein the tube member of the optical unit is made of PVC or LSZH material, and the waterproof yarn constituting the optical unit is eccentrically And the optical fiber cable is disposed.

In addition, a lip cord is provided inside the outer jacket, and the rib cord can be disposed within a range of +45 to -45 degrees with respect to a reference line connecting the FRP member.

According to the optical cable of the present invention, a sufficient rigidity of the optical cable can be ensured by embedding a rigid reinforcing member of sufficient thickness in the outer jacket.

In addition, according to the optical cable of the present invention, the optical cable can be stably fixed to an optical distributor or the like that performs the branching or connecting operation by using the rigid reinforcing member provided inside the outer jacket.

In addition, according to the optical fiber of the present invention, the rigid reinforcing member embedded in the outer jacket is exposed to the outside by placing the position of the rigid reinforcing member provided inside the outer jacket close to the outer surface of the outer jacket. It is possible to improve the workability of the work to be performed.

According to the optical fiber of the present invention, the rib cords disposed inside the outer jacket are disposed near the rigid reinforcing member, so that the rigid reinforcing member is exposed simultaneously with the outer jacket removing operation, Can be improved.

Further, according to the optical cable of the present invention, when the waterproof yarn is disposed in the inner side of the tube member constituting the optical unit inside the optical unit constituting the optical cable and the tube member of the optical unit is peeled off, Since it can be separated using a cord, workability can be improved.

1 shows a perspective view of a multi-stage absorber of an optical cable according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 shows a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of an optical cable according to the present invention.
3 shows a cross-sectional view of an optical unit of an optical cable according to the present invention.
4 shows a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of an optical cable according to the present invention.
5 shows a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of an optical cable according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein but may be embodied in other forms. Rather, the embodiments disclosed herein are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification.

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a multi-stage epitaxy of one embodiment of an optical cable 100 according to the present invention, Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of an optical cable 100 according to the present invention, Sectional view of the optical unit 10 of the optical cable 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

At least one optical unit (10) having a plurality of optical fibers (11) and a tube member (15) for receiving the optical fibers; A receiving portion (S) for receiving the optical unit; An outer jacket 90 surrounding the outside of the receptacle S; And at least one rigid reinforcing member (50) embedded in the outer jacket (90) in the longitudinal direction of the cable.

1 and 2, the optical cable 100 according to the present invention may include a plurality of optical units 10, but may include only one optical unit. That is, at least one or more optical units 10 may be provided, and the number of the optical units 10 may be variously changed according to the requirement of the customer or the diameter condition.

The number of the optical fibers 11 and the number of the optical units 10 constituting each optical unit 10 are not limited to the number of the optical fibers 11, Increase or decrease. For example, the number of the optical fibers 11 included in the optical unit 10 may be less than twenty-four.

It is preferable that the spot rate of the optical fiber 11 of the optical unit 10 is set to be 70% or less for stabilizing the room temperature optical characteristic.

The optical fiber 11 is a portion to which an optical signal including data is transmitted. In general, a glass optical fiber made of a silica material having a high refractive index is used for the core portion, and glass or synthetic resin having a low refractive index is used for the clad portion. And transmits the optical signal passing through the center by total reflection.

Preferably, the optical fiber 11 may be formed by coating a polymer resin on the outer surface of the core wire to mechanically protect the core part and the clad part.

The optical unit may comprise a tube member (15). In addition to protecting the optical fiber 11, the tube member 15 widely performs a waterproof function and a function of absorbing an external impact.

Each of the optical units 10 may further include a waterproof yarn 13 in addition to the plurality of optical fibers 11 in the tube member 15.

The tube member 15 of the optical unit 10 may be made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or LSZH material. Relatively, a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or LSZH material is torn more than an elongated property compared with a polymer resin such as polyethylene (PE), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), or polypropylene (PP) The waterproof yarn 13 accommodated in the tube member 15 can be cut and used as a lip cord to easily separate some sections manually, thereby improving workability .

3, the waterproof yarn 13 constituting the optical unit 10 may be eccentrically disposed so as to be close to the inner surface of the tube member 15. As shown in FIG.

In this case, when the tube member 15 of a section of the optical unit 10 is to be removed, the worker cuts a specific area of the tube member 15 and presses the waterproof yarn 13 So that the tube member 15 can be separated in the longitudinal direction of the cable.

The waterproof yarn 13 is wound around the optical fiber 11 in the tubing operation of covering the tube member 15 of the optical unit 10 so as to eccentrically arrange the waterproof yarn 13 at a position close to the inner surface of the tube member 15. [ To the side of the optical unit 10 can be used.

In addition, the tube member 15 may be made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or LSZH material and easily separated by the waterproof yarn 13 or the operator's hand.

1 and 2, an optical cable 100 according to the present invention may have a structure in which a receiving portion S is provided inside an outer jacket 90 and at least one optical unit 10 is accommodated have.

The receiving portion S may be configured to be empty, or may be configured to protect the optical unit with a stiffener as shown in Figs.

The embodiments shown in FIG. 1 and below as a reinforcing material provided in the accommodating portion S illustrate an example in which tensile reinforcing fibers 30 are provided between the optical units 10 to improve the tensile strength of the optical cable, but are not limited thereto .

The tensile reinforcing fibers 30 may be an aramid yarn or a glass yarn. The tensile reinforcing fibers 30 may be provided with an anti-rodent function in order to prevent cable damage caused by rodents.

In this case, it is preferable that the glass hardness of the glass yarn used as the tensile reinforcing fiber 30 is at least 6.0 in order to prevent damage to the rodents animal teeth.

In addition, another waterproof yarn 20 may be further included in the receiving portion S together with the tensile reinforcing fibers 30. [ The waterproof yarn 20 is incorporated in the tensile reinforcing fiber 20 to provide a waterproof or moisture removing function.

An outer jacket 90 may be provided on the outer side of the tensile reinforcing fiber 30. The outer jacket 90 may be made of polyethylene (PE) or LSZH.

For the inner protection of the optical cable 100, the thickness of the outer jacket 90 is preferably 1.5 millimeters (mm) or more, preferably 1.8 millimeters (mm) or more.

In this case, the diameter D of the optical cable 100 may be configured to satisfy 5 mm (millimeter) to 25 mm (mm) or less.

At least one rigid reinforcing member 50 coated with an adhesive material inside the outer jacket 90 may be embedded in the longitudinal direction of the cable.

If the rigid reinforcing member 50 embedded in the outer jacket 90 is not sufficiently adhered to the inner surface of the buried space of the outer jacket and is not fixed, 50 may not be contracted together depending on the amount of shrinkage thereof, so that the cable may be twisted or cause disconnection of the optical fiber or the like in the cable.

Therefore, in the optical cable according to the present invention, the surface of the embedded rigid reinforcing member 50 is coated with EAA (Ethylene Acrylic Acid Copolymer Resin) or EEA (Ethylene-Ethyl Acrylate Copolymer Resin) 90, it is preferable that the rigidity reinforcing member 50 and the outer jacket 90 are sufficiently bonded and integrated.

The EAA or the ethylene-ethyl acrylate copolymer resin (EEA) is easily coated on the surface of the rigid reinforcing member 50 by extruding the rigid reinforcing member 50 made of a material such as FRP .

In this case, the rigid reinforcing member 50 is preferably embedded in the longitudinal direction of the cable at a position closer to the outer surface than the inner surface of the outer jacket 90.

The rigid reinforcing member 50 protects the optical unit 10 by generating a tensile force when the optical cable is deformed, such as bending the optical cable, and can be used as an object to be fixed when the optical cable is fixed.

The rigid reinforcing member 50 may be formed of FRP (Fiber Reinforced Plastic) material having rigidity and elasticity of about 4,000 to 6,000 Kg / mm 2 in order to form a skeleton of the optical cable and generate tension force But not limited to, Kevlar aramid yarn, fiber glassepoxy rod, high strength fiber, stranded wire, steel wire and the like may be applied.

2, the rigid reinforcing member 50 is preferably embedded in the outer jacket 90 at a position closer to the outer surface than the inner surface of the outer jacket 90 in the longitudinal direction of the cable .

The rigid reinforcing member 50 may be provided for the overall rigidity of the optical cable 100 or the like so that when the outer jacket 90 is removed, And can be fixed to a housing such as a cabinet.

In this case, when the rigid reinforcing member 50 is eccentrically disposed inside the outer jacket 90, the outer jacket 90 must be completely separated, The rigidity enhancing member 50 is embedded in the longitudinal direction of the cable at a position closer to the outer surface than the inner surface of the outer jacket 90 to improve the convenience of the operation of exposing the rigid reinforcing member 50 to the outside of the outer jacket 90.

2, the shortest distance g2 to the inner surface of the outer jacket 90 of the rigid reinforcing member 50 is set to about 1.8 to 2.2 times the shortest distance g1 to the outer surface So that it is preferably eccentrically arranged.

The shortest distance g1 to the outer surface of the outer jacket 90 is set to be smaller than the minimum distance g2 in advance because the rigidity enhancing member 50 is prevented from being exposed to the outside of the outer jacket 90 or protruding by a small amount of banding 0.0 > mm < / RTI > (mm), for example.

The pair of rigid reinforcing members 50 may be provided at symmetrical positions, but the number of the rigid reinforcing members 50 can be increased or decreased.

As described above, the rigid reinforcing member 50 is formed to have a circular cross section, and the rigid reinforcing member 50 is made of FRP or the like. However, when the diameter d of the rigid reinforcing member 50 is 1.3 mm (d) of the rigid reinforcing member 50 when the thickness t of the outer jacket 90 is not less than 1.5 millimeters (mm) Is preferably at least 1.3 millimeters (mm).

In addition, when the diameter of the rigid reinforcing member 50 is set to 1.3 mm (mm) or more, it is confirmed that the elongation at break of the optical cable measured by the IEC 60794-1-21 E1 standard can be 2.0% or more I could.

When the thickness t of the outer jacket 90 constituting the communication cable 100 of the present invention is 1.8 millimeters or more, the diameter d of the rigid reinforcing member 50 is preferably 1.5 millimeters (mm) or more.

The ratio (d / t) of the diameter (d) of the rigid reinforcing member to the thickness (t) of the outer jacket, when the thickness t of the outer jacket 90 is 1.5 millimeters or more, At least 0.70, preferably 0.80 to 0.95.

The rigidity reinforcing member may be coated with an adhesive material as described above. In this case, the rigidity reinforcing member may be formed of a rigid reinforcing member coated with an adhesive material such as EAA (Ethylene Acrylic Acid Copolymer Resin) or EEA (Ethylene-Ethyl Acrylate Copolymer Resin) The diameter of the reinforcing member may be configured to be at least 1.4 mm (mm), preferably 1.6 mm (mm) or more, as the outer diameter increases by the adhesive material.

The rib cords 70 may be provided between the tensile reinforcing fibers 30 and the outer jacket 90 to be used for removing the outer jacket 90.

Although the rigid reinforcing member 50 is shown to have a circular cross-sectional shape in the above-described embodiment, the rigid reinforcing member 50 may be formed in any one of an elliptical shape, a track shape, and a flat plate- have.

4 shows a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of an optical cable 100 according to the present invention. Description of the duplicate of the optical cable 100 described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3 will be omitted.

In the above-described embodiment, the waterproof yarn 20 is provided inside the tensile reinforcing fiber 30. However, in order to prevent moisture penetration due to cracking of the outer jacket 90 or the like, a waterproof layer 80 ) May be further provided.

As described above, the bending rigidity of the optical cable can be improved by the rigid reinforcing member 50. However, in order to prevent moisture penetration into the inside of the outer jacket when the outer jacket is damaged, A separate waterproof layer 40 can be further reinforced.

5 shows a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of an optical cable 100 according to the present invention.

Although the twelfth optical fibers 11 are provided in each optical unit 10 and twelve optical units 10 are provided for the 144-core optical cable 100 in the above-described embodiments, In the example, the number of the optical units 10 is four, and the 48-fiber optical cable 100 is shown. That is, the diameter of the optical cable 100 can be adjusted by adjusting the number of the optical units 10 according to the needs of the user.

The number of the optical units 10 is not limited to four or twelve as shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 5. As described above, the optical unit 10 may be a single optical unit, It is also possible to construct an optical cable having one optical unit, or an optical cable having 144 optical units 10.

1 to 5, the number of the optical fibers 11 is not limited to 12. For example, six optical fibers 11 are provided in one optical unit, It is also possible to construct an optical cable provided with

A rib cord 70 may be provided between the tensile reinforcing fiber 30 and the outer jacket 90 to be used for removing the outer jacket 90. As shown in FIG. 5, The rib cords 70 constituting the optical cable of the optical fiber can be arranged within the range of +45 to -45 degrees with reference to the reference line connecting the center of the rigid reinforcing member 50. [

That is, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the rib cord 70 is disposed inside the outer jacket 90, and its position is close to the rigidity reinforcing member 50. At the same time as the outer jacket removing operation, The reinforcing member is exposed, and workability of the connection work of the optical distributor and the like can be improved.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. You can do it. It is therefore to be understood that the modified embodiments are included in the technical scope of the present invention if they basically include elements of the claims of the present invention.

100: Optical cable
10: optical unit
11: Optical fiber
13: Waterproof yarn
15: the tube member
50: rigidity reinforcing member
90: Outer jacket

Claims (26)

At least one optical unit having a plurality of optical fibers and a tube member accommodating the optical fibers;
A receiving portion in which the optical unit is accommodated;
An outer jacket surrounding the outside of the receiving portion; And
And at least one rigid reinforcing member embedded in the outer jacket in the longitudinal direction of the cable. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the rigid reinforcing member is coated with an adhesive material. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the adhesive material is EAA (Ethylene Acrylic Acid Copolymer Resin) resin or EEA (Ethylene-Ethyl Acrylate Copolymer Resin) resin. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the rigid reinforcing member is embedded at a position closer to the outer surface than the inner surface of the outer jacket. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the optical unit further comprises a waterproof yarn in the tube member. 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the tube member of the optical unit is made of PVC or LSZH material, and the waterproof yarn is eccentrically disposed so as to be close to the inner surface of the tube member. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein at least one optical unit is provided in the accommodating portion, and tensile reinforcing fibers are further provided. 8. The method of claim 7,
And a waterproof yarn is further provided between the tensile reinforcing fibers. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the rigid reinforcing member is made of FRP material. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the rigid reinforcing member has a circular cross-sectional shape. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the rigid reinforcing member is formed in any one of an elliptical shape, a track shape, and a flat plate-shaped cross-section. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the rigid reinforcing members are provided at a pair of symmetrical positions and have a diameter of at least 1.3 millimeters (mm), preferably at least 1.5 millimeters (mm). 13. The method of claim 12,
Wherein the diameter of the rigid reinforcing member coated with the adhesive material is at least 1.4 millimeters (mm), preferably at least 1.6 millimeters (mm). 13. The method of claim 12,
And the elongation at break of the optical cable is 2.0 percent or more. 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the tensile reinforcing fiber is an aramid yarn or a glass yarn. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein each of the optical units has twenty-four or less optical fibers and a plurality of optical fibers. The method according to claim 1,
And is made of polyethylene (PE) or LSZH material of the outer jacket,
Wherein the thickness t of the outer jacket is at least 1.5 millimeters (mm), preferably at least 1.8 millimeters (mm). The method according to claim 1,
Wherein a ratio (d / t) of a diameter (d) of the rigid reinforcing member to a thickness (t) of the outer jacket is 0.70 to 0.95. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein a ratio (d / t) of a diameter (d) of the rigid reinforcing member to a thickness (t) of the outer jacket is 0.80 to 0.95. 5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the shortest distance to the inner surface of the outer jacket of the rigid reinforcing member is 1.8 to 2.2 times the shortest distance to the outer surface. 21. The method of claim 20,
And the shortest distance from the rigid reinforcing member to the outer surface of the outer jacket is 0.03 millimeter or more. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein an optical fiber dot rate of the optical unit is 70% or less. 13. The method of claim 12,
Wherein the rib cord is disposed inside the outer jacket, and the rib cord is disposed within a range of +45 to -45 degrees with respect to a reference line connecting the rigid reinforcing member. At least one optical unit comprising at least twenty-four optical fibers and waterproof yarns and including a tube member for receiving the optical fiber and the waterproof yarn;
An outer jacket provided outside the optical unit; And
And at least one FRP member embedded in the outer jacket,
Wherein the tube member of the optical unit is made of PVC or LSZH material, and the waterproof yarn constituting the optical unit is eccentrically disposed so as to be close to the inner surface of the tube member. 25. The method of claim 24,
Wherein the pair of FRP members are provided at symmetrical positions, and the diameter of the FRP member is 1.3 millimeters (mm) or more. 26. The method of claim 25,
Wherein the rib cord is disposed inside the outer jacket, and the rib cord is disposed within a range of +45 to -45 degrees with respect to a reference line connecting the FRP member.

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