DE202011105000U1 - Electro-optical cable - Google Patents

Abstract

Electro-optical cable (1) for data transmission and / or energy transmission, comprising a single central optical conductor (10) which is surrounded by a first tubular insulation layer (20) and two coaxial electrical conductors (30, 40) surrounding the insulation layer (20), characterized in that the central optical conductor (10) forms a fiber optic core.

Description

The present invention relates to an electro-optical cable according to claim 1.

Electro-optical cables comprise, in addition to at least one optical waveguide or general optical conductor, one or more electrical conductors.

In particular, data and / or control signals can be transmitted optically via the optical waveguide. Preferably in communication and control systems.

The power supply can take place in parallel via the electrical conductors or, alternatively, electrical signals can be transmitted.

Since different transmission media are to be combined in a single cable set and these are bundled in a single cable, electro-optical communication cables or generally electro-optical cables with these properties are also referred to as hybrid cables.

For example, the WO 2011/035450 A2 an electro-optical cable for data transmission and / or energy transmission, comprising a central loose tube, wherein in the at least one central loose tube at least one optical waveguide is arranged and wherein the central loose tube is surrounded by at least one first tubular and electrically conductive braid in a coaxial arrangement. At least one second tubular electrically conductive layer is arranged coaxially around the central loose tube, which is designed as a stranded wire bearing.

Further, the WO 2007/006167 A1 an electro-optical cable, which also has a central loose tube and that of a smooth, flexible metal tube, at least one optical waveguide with a primary sheath, two coaxial with the loose tube layers of stranded metal wires and an outer sheath.

From the DE 20 2005 018 553 U1 a hybrid cable is known, which constitutes a protective device for an optical fiber, consisting of a protective tube, at least one guided through the protective tube electrical conductor loop with a defined electrical impedance and a special insulation of the conductor loop, wherein the protective tube has a two or more layers structure and a conductor loop in addition to the optical fiber is guided through the tube and further wherein the insulation of the two electrical conductors is selected so that they by the thermal effect of leaking light at a fraction of the optical fiber or radiation either to influence the electrical conductors or to a direct contact of the electrical conductors leads and a change in resistance by the measuring unit is detected.

Another hybrid cable is from the US 5,557,698 known. Here, a cable with a fiber optic core is disclosed, which is surrounded by two coaxial electrical conductors. The fiber optic core consists in this case of several co-located optical fibers. These are encased in a polymeric material. In the casing itself, a strain relief device in the form of yarns or glass fiber poxi sticks is used, which serves as a protection for the optical fibers. The optical core is thus surrounded by an inner and an outer braided electrical conductor.

The aforementioned cable assemblies of electro-optical conductors, in particular those in the latter document US 5,557,698 called cable structure, have a system-determined weight and due to the system structure space requirements.

When using hybrid cables in data transmission devices, especially in mobile data transmission devices, there has long been a need to reduce the cable in weight and miniaturize, d. H. to reduce in their cross-section without losing system properties. At the same time, however, the safety of hybrid cables should be maintained over a long time and the cables should be easy to assemble and flexible.

Other aspects in addition to the reduction of weight is the ability of data transmission, especially in so-called high-speed applications.

In the latter applications, high data rates are transmitted by means of an optical conductor.

In addition to the large number of the aforementioned basic technical problems, hybrid cables in mobile applications have the desire that they should be as flexible and universally applicable for different installation situations.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an electro-optical cable, which is as universal and flexible as possible, while reducing the dimensions and weight of the cable and the number of materials used leads.

This object is achieved with an electro-optical cable having the features of claim 1.

Advantageous developments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

All combinations of at least two features disclosed in the description, the claims and / or the figures also fall within the scope of the invention.

The basic idea of the present invention is to provide a single-core electro-optical cable surrounded by two electrical conductors, each separated by insulating layers.

By virtue of this special construction, which is similar to the cable arrangements selected in the state of the art, a minimal cable cross-section can be achieved by omitting certain system components and selecting suitable materials, so that the electro-optical cable according to the invention can be passed, for example, through a bearing bush of a mobile telephone.

This means that the cross section of such a cable is formed smaller than 3 mm, preferably has a cross section of less than 1 mm.

In the context of the present invention, the electro-optical cable can essentially be attributed to three conductor elements, namely an optical cable and two electrical conductors which radially surround the optical cable.

The electrooptical cable according to the invention comprises a single central optical conductor which is surrounded by a first tubular insulating body or a first tubular insulating layer, thus an insulating jacket and wherein two coaxial electrical conductors, thus an inner electrical conductor and an outer electrical conductor surrounding the tubular insulating layer , available.

Characteristic of this is that the only central optical conductor forms a fiber-optic core and thus represents a central optical bundle element.

In a particular advantageous embodiment, this is designed as a single core (single-core).

As a result of this single-core solution, data transmission can be accomplished via a minimum optical fiber in the center of the electro-optic conductor.

The optical core is surrounded by a tubular insulating layer, wherein the diameter of existing in the electro-optical cable electrical conductors and insulation materials according to the invention must be coordinated.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the core surrounding tubular insulating layer is formed with a maximum and therefore the largest material thickness. This ensures that the inner conductor surrounding the insulating layer can be formed with a minimum conductor shell diameter. Ie. the thickness of the material can be selected low, which serves in particular the goal of a space-reduced cable solution.

If, for example, the insulation layer surrounding the central optical conductor is formed in double or triple thickness with respect to the electrical conductors and the insulation layer separating the two electrical conductors, an optimization of the overall size of the electro-optical cable can be achieved.

The effective cross-section (line cross-section) obtained by the envelope-shaped conductors is consequently maximized. While maintaining high flexibility of the electro-optical cable.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention is located between the inner conductor and the outer conductor, a further insulating layer, which is advantageously formed in its thickness and thus sheath thickness less than the sheath thickness of the electrical conductors.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the thickness of the outer conductor and thus its material thickness is formed so that mathematically results in the same effective line cross section, as in the inner conductor.

In its most general embodiment, the electro-optical cable also has a cable sheath. The cable sheath surrounds the outer electrical conductor jacket-shaped and is formed as minimally as possible in its thickness according to the requirement.

Further advantages, features and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment and from the drawing. This shows:

1 a perspective view of an electro-optical cable according to the invention.

In the 1 is an exploded view of an electro-optical cable according to the invention 1 shown with its internal structure, the individual components are shown in steps for a better view.

The electro-optical cable 1 has a central optical conductor in its core 10 on, which, as shown here, is designed as a single-core and thus as a single fiber-optic core element or as a single fiber-optic core.

The fiber optic core 10 or the central optical conductor 10 is surrounded with a tubular and first tubular insulating layer 20 having a sheath thickness D _LW . The sheath thickness D _{LW of} the insulation layer 20 is formed larger than the sheath thicknesses of the subsequent these surrounding layers.

The insulation layer 20 is surrounded by a first inner conductor 30 and a second outer conductor 40 which are separated by a between the inner conductor 30 and the outer conductor 40 attached insulation layer 50 are electrically isolated from each other.

In other words, there is an insulating layer, namely the insulating layer 50 between the inner electrical conductor 30 and the outer electrical conductor 40 ,

Like in the 1 can be seen, the shell thickness D _{L of} the inner conductor 30 and the shell thickness D _{L of} the outer conductor 40 differently formed and that is the jacket thickness D _{L of} the outer conductor 40 less formed than the shell thickness of the inner conductor 30 ,

The intermediate insulation layer 50 is to be formed with minimum sheath thickness D _I.

The sheath thickness D _{I of} the insulation layer 50 is less than the jacket thickness D _{L of} the electrical conductors 30 . 40 ,

The electro-optical cable 1 further comprises an outer protective sheath and an outer sheath 60 ,

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

Electro-optical cable

10

Optical conductor (fiber optic core)

20

insulation layer

30

Electrical conductor

40

Electrical conductor

50

insulation layer

60

outer sheath

D _I

Sheath thickness of the insulation layer

D _L

Sheath thicknesses of the electrical conductors

D _LW

Sheath thicknesses of the inner insulation layer

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• WO 2011/035450 A2 [0006]
• WO 2007/006167 A1 [0007]
• DE 202005018553 U1 [0008]
• US 5557698 [0009, 0010]

Claims (9)

Electro-optical cable ( 1 ) for data transmission and / or energy transmission, comprising a single central optical conductor ( 10 ), of a first tubular insulating layer ( 20 ) and two the insulation layer ( 20 ) surrounding coaxial electrical conductors ( 30 . 40 ), characterized in that the central optical conductor ( 10 ) forms a fiber optic core. Electro-optical cable ( 1 ) according to claim 1, characterized in that the two electrical conductors ( 30 . 40 ) by a tubular insulating layer ( 50 ) are electrically isolated from each other. Electro-optical cable ( 1 ) according to claim 2, characterized in that the insulating layer ( 50 ) is formed smaller with its jacket thickness (D _I ) than the electrical conductors ( 30 . 40 ). Electro-optical cable ( 1 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the jacket thickness (D _L ) of the electrical conductors ( 30 . 40 ) is designed differently. Electro-optical cable ( 1 ) according to claim 4, characterized in that the material thickness (D _L ) of the conductor ( 30 ) is formed larger than the material thickness of the conductor ( 40 ). Electro-optical cable ( 1 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the jacket thickness (D _LW ) of the insulating layer ( 20 ) around the fiber optic core ( 10 ) is formed larger than the shell thickness (D _L ) of the inner conductor ( 30 ). Electro-optical cable ( 1 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the jacket thickness (D _LW ) of the inner insulating layer is formed larger by at least a factor of 2 than the jacket thickness (D _L ) of the inner electrical conductor ( 30 ). Electro-optical cable ( 1 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the central optical conductor ( 10 ) is formed as a single optical fiber (single-core). Electro-optical cable ( 1 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electro-optical cable ( 1 ) a cable sheath ( 60 ) having the outer electrical conductor ( 40 ) encloses.

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