GB2189071A - Telecommunication cable - Google Patents

Telecommunication cable Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2189071A
GB2189071A GB08701006A GB8701006A GB2189071A GB 2189071 A GB2189071 A GB 2189071A GB 08701006 A GB08701006 A GB 08701006A GB 8701006 A GB8701006 A GB 8701006A GB 2189071 A GB2189071 A GB 2189071A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
cable
wires
compressible
armour
layer
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
GB08701006A
Other versions
GB8701006D0 (en
Inventor
Timothy George Marsh
Laurence James Beer
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Associated Electrical Industries Ltd
Original Assignee
Associated Electrical Industries Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Associated Electrical Industries Ltd filed Critical Associated Electrical Industries Ltd
Publication of GB8701006D0 publication Critical patent/GB8701006D0/en
Publication of GB2189071A publication Critical patent/GB2189071A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • GPHYSICS
    • G02OPTICS
    • G02BOPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/44Mechanical structures for providing tensile strength and external protection for fibres, e.g. optical transmission cables
    • G02B6/4401Optical cables
    • G02B6/4415Cables for special applications
    • G02B6/4427Pressure resistant cables, e.g. undersea cables
    • GPHYSICS
    • G02OPTICS
    • G02BOPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/44Mechanical structures for providing tensile strength and external protection for fibres, e.g. optical transmission cables
    • G02B6/4401Optical cables
    • G02B6/4415Cables for special applications
    • G02B6/4416Heterogeneous cables
    • GPHYSICS
    • G02OPTICS
    • G02BOPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/44Mechanical structures for providing tensile strength and external protection for fibres, e.g. optical transmission cables
    • G02B6/4401Optical cables
    • G02B6/4429Means specially adapted for strengthening or protecting the cables
    • G02B6/443Protective covering
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01BCABLES; CONDUCTORS; INSULATORS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR CONDUCTIVE, INSULATING OR DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES
    • H01B7/00Insulated conductors or cables characterised by their form
    • H01B7/17Protection against damage caused by external factors, e.g. sheaths or armouring
    • H01B7/18Protection against damage caused by wear, mechanical force or pressure; Sheaths; Armouring
    • H01B7/22Metal wires or tapes, e.g. made of steel
    • H01B7/226Helicoidally wound metal wires or tapes
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01BCABLES; CONDUCTORS; INSULATORS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR CONDUCTIVE, INSULATING OR DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES
    • H01B11/00Communication cables or conductors
    • H01B11/22Cables including at least one electrical conductor together with optical fibres
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01BCABLES; CONDUCTORS; INSULATORS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR CONDUCTIVE, INSULATING OR DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES
    • H01B7/00Insulated conductors or cables characterised by their form
    • H01B7/14Submarine cables

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Communication Cables (AREA)

Abstract

A cable has two layers 7a, 10a of oppositely wound steel armour wires and a compressible material 8a located between the armour wires. The layer of compressible material allows the armour wires to move into it and thereby permit the cable to be coiled to a predetermined minimum coiling diameter as required (Fig. 1b). The compressible layer may be provided by a layer of foam tape (Fig. 2) or the wires of one or both layers of armour have a foam coating (Figs. 3 & 4). Alternatively the compressible layer may be formed in situ by solidifying a liquid silicone rubber. The embodiment shown is an optical cable with a strain member 3 & plastic sheathed optical fibres 2. The cable also comprises a foam tape 11, a polythene bedding layer 12, a jute covering 13, steel wires 15 and polypropylene roving 16. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Optical/electrical/composite cable This invention relates to an armoured cable, more specifically to a submarine telecommunications cable surrounded by inner and outer layers of oppositely wound armour wires.
The cable could be an optical/electrical/composite cable containing either optical fibres, electrical conductors or a combination of the two.
Broadly there are two desirable objections that certain types of optical/electrical/composite cables should aim to satisfy. Firstly the cable should have a construction such that whilst the cable is under strain the layers of armour act so as to prevent excessive rotation of the cable, and secondly it must be possible to coil the cable to a predetermined minimum coiling diameter. The first of these aims is satisfied by a cable having two adjacent layers of oppositely wound armour wires, as when such a cable is under tension the oppositely wound inner and outer armour layers act to oppose rotation of the cable.However when an attempt is made to coil such a cable the inherent rotation which is produced on coiling tends to introduce an extra twist in the outer armour layer, thereby reducing its pitch circle diameter, and/or reduce some of the twist in the inner armour layer, thereby increasing its pitch circle diameter. The result is that the cable has a very strong resistance to coiling.
Hence the problem of overcoming the disadvantages of the prior art lies in retaining the property of opposing cable rotation whilst under tension, but allowing the cable to be more readily coiled.
According to the present invention a cable comprises a core, which contains one or more conducting members, which is surrounded by inner and outer layers of oppositely wound armour wires and a compressible material located between said layers of amour wires.
The conducting members may be either electrical conductors or optical fibres or a combination of the two.
By including a compressible material between the inner and outer layers of armour wires it is possible for these layers to move into the compressible material to some degree during the twist produced by coiling. The thickness of the compressible material is preferably chosen so as to permit the cable to be coiled in a predetermined minimum coiling diameter. The compressible material may consist of a foam tape, although other forms of com pressible layers can be used in accordance with the invention. Either the inner or outer armour wires or both inner and outer armour wires may be surrounded by a compressible coating such as a foam.
The compressible material may be introduced into the region between the layers of armour wires so as to fill the region completely; it is preferably applied in fluid form and then allowed to solidify. A silicone rubber compound may be used for this purpose.
The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a cross-section through the cable when it is (a) uncoiled, and (b) coiled, and, Figures 2, 3 and 4 show three constructions, in accordance with the invention, of the inner and outer armour layers.
Referring now to Fig. 1a, this represents a half section of an uncoiled submarine telecommunication cable 1 having one or more plastics sheathed optical fibres 2 loosely stranded together with a central strain member 3 and bound with a paper tape 4, surrounded by a lead sheath 5. An inner armour layer 6a, comprising one or more helically stranded steel wires 7a, surrounds and is supported by the lead sheath 5 and is separated from a surrounding outer armour layer 9a, similarly comprising one or more helically stranded steel wires 10a but wound in the opposite direction to the wires 7a, by a first compressible foam tape 8a. The outer armour layer 9a is surrounded by a polythene bedding sheath 12 which is interiorly lined with a second foam tale 11.The bedding sheath 12 has an outer fibrous covering 13, such as jute or the like, which supports a reinforcing layer 14 comprised of one or more helical steel wires 15 wound in broadly the same direction (although not necessarily parallel) to the inner armour wires 7a. Finally the cable 1 has, fastened around the reinforcing layer 14, an exterior covering 16 which comprises a polypropylene roving or the like.
Referring now to Fig. 1b this represents a half-section of a coiled submarine cable 1 b (which in its uncoiled form was described above with reference to Fig. 1a). As the cable 1 b is coiled, rotation of the cable is produced which introduces extra twist into the outer armour layer 9b, thereby reducing its pitch circle diameter, and/or removes some twist from the inner armour layer 6b, thereby increasing its pitch circle diameter, the effect of this being to compress the first foam tape 8b. In the illustration the cable 1a is shown coiled to almost its minimum coiling diameter. When the cable is coiled to its minimum coiling diameter the layer foam layer 8b will be com pressed to its minimum thickness. allowing no further movement of the wires 7b and 9b.
Referring now to Figs. 2, 3, and 4 which show three examples, in accordance with the present invention, of providing a compressible layer separating inner and outer armour wires.
Fig. 2 represents the example as described above with reference to Fig. 1a, utilising a separate layer of compressible foam, for example in the form of a tape.
Fig. 3 shows inner and outer armour wires, 7a and 10a respectively, each being coated with a compressible material 17 such as a foam.
Fig. 4 shows only the outer armour wires 10a being coated with a material 17, although it is of course appreciated that having only the inner armour wires 7a coated with the said material 17 would also be in accordance with the invention.

Claims (12)

1. A cable, comprising a core containing at last one conducting member which is surrounded by inner and outer layers of oppositely wound armour wires and a compressible material located between said layers of armour wires.
2. A cable as claimed in Claim 1 wherein at least one of said conducting members is an optical fibre.
3. A cable as claimed in Claim 1 wherein at least one of said conducting members is an electrical conductor.
4. A cable as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the core contains at least one optical fibre and at least one electrical conductor.
5. A cable as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said compressible material is a foam tape.
6. A cable as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said inner armour wires are each surrounded by a compressible coating.
7. A cable as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said compressible material completely fills the region between said layers of armour wires.
8. A cable as claimed in Claim 6 wherein said compressible material is applied to said region in fluid form and then allowed to solidify.
9. A cable as claimed in Claim 7 wherein said compressible material is a silicone rubber compound.
10. A cable as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said outer armour wires are each surrounded by a compressible coating.
11. A cable as claimed in Claim 6, 7, 8 or 10 wherein said compressible coating is a foamed material.
12. A cable substantially as shown in and as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. la, 1b and 2 or Fig. 3 or Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawing.
GB08701006A 1986-04-11 1987-01-19 Telecommunication cable Withdrawn GB2189071A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB868608864A GB8608864D0 (en) 1986-04-11 1986-04-11 Optical/electrical/composite cable

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB8701006D0 GB8701006D0 (en) 1987-02-18
GB2189071A true GB2189071A (en) 1987-10-14

Family

ID=10596048

Family Applications (2)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB868608864A Pending GB8608864D0 (en) 1986-04-11 1986-04-11 Optical/electrical/composite cable
GB08701006A Withdrawn GB2189071A (en) 1986-04-11 1987-01-19 Telecommunication cable

Family Applications Before (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB868608864A Pending GB8608864D0 (en) 1986-04-11 1986-04-11 Optical/electrical/composite cable

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (2) GB8608864D0 (en)

Cited By (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4907855A (en) * 1988-01-15 1990-03-13 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Marine cable for a fiber optic waveguide with regenerator supply
EP0391616A2 (en) * 1989-04-06 1990-10-10 AT&T Corp. Underwater optical fiber cable
EP0405716A2 (en) * 1989-06-29 1991-01-02 AT&T Corp. Coilable torque-balanced cable and method of manufacture
US6970629B2 (en) * 2002-12-19 2005-11-29 Corning Cable Systems Llc Optical tube assembly having a dry insert and methods of making the same
US7177507B2 (en) 2002-12-19 2007-02-13 Corning Cable Systems, Llc Optical tube assembly having a dry insert and methods of making the same
US7254302B2 (en) 2002-12-19 2007-08-07 Corning Cable Systems, Llc. Optical tube assembly having a dry insert and methods of making the same
US7277615B2 (en) 2002-12-19 2007-10-02 Corning Cable Systems, Llc. Fiber optic cable having a dry insert and methods of making the same
US7336873B2 (en) * 2002-12-19 2008-02-26 Corning Cable Systems, Llc. Optical tube assembly having a dry insert and methods of making the same
US7349607B2 (en) 2001-06-20 2008-03-25 Corning Cable Systems Technology Incorporated Optical transmission element
US7471861B2 (en) 2001-06-20 2008-12-30 Corning Cable Systems Llc Optical transmission element
US7471862B2 (en) 2002-12-19 2008-12-30 Corning Cable Systems, Llc Dry fiber optic cables and assemblies
US7693375B2 (en) 2002-12-19 2010-04-06 Corning Cable Systems Llc Fiber optic cable having a dry insert
GB2477946A (en) * 2010-02-18 2011-08-24 Paradigm B V Transfer member assembly with settable material and shroud
IT202000000343A1 (en) * 2020-01-10 2021-07-10 Prysmian Spa Armored cable to carry alternating current

Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1048462A (en) *
GB849943A (en) * 1958-01-17 1960-09-28 British Insulated Callenders Improvements in or relating to electric cables and pipes
GB1176704A (en) * 1966-04-21 1970-01-07 Schlumberger Technology Corp Method and Apparatus for Forming Armored Cable.
GB1336630A (en) * 1970-12-28 1973-11-07 Kabel Metallwerke Ghh Tubular metal structure
US3823253A (en) * 1970-07-10 1974-07-09 Belden Corp Stretchable cable
GB1478867A (en) * 1973-12-21 1977-07-06 Texaco Development Corp Well logging method and means using an armoured mutliconductor cable
US4317000A (en) * 1980-07-23 1982-02-23 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy Contrahelically laid torque balanced benthic cable
US4342500A (en) * 1979-08-10 1982-08-03 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft High voltage stabile optical cable structures

Patent Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1048462A (en) *
GB849943A (en) * 1958-01-17 1960-09-28 British Insulated Callenders Improvements in or relating to electric cables and pipes
GB1176704A (en) * 1966-04-21 1970-01-07 Schlumberger Technology Corp Method and Apparatus for Forming Armored Cable.
US3823253A (en) * 1970-07-10 1974-07-09 Belden Corp Stretchable cable
GB1336630A (en) * 1970-12-28 1973-11-07 Kabel Metallwerke Ghh Tubular metal structure
GB1478867A (en) * 1973-12-21 1977-07-06 Texaco Development Corp Well logging method and means using an armoured mutliconductor cable
US4342500A (en) * 1979-08-10 1982-08-03 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft High voltage stabile optical cable structures
US4317000A (en) * 1980-07-23 1982-02-23 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy Contrahelically laid torque balanced benthic cable

Cited By (26)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4907855A (en) * 1988-01-15 1990-03-13 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Marine cable for a fiber optic waveguide with regenerator supply
EP0391616A2 (en) * 1989-04-06 1990-10-10 AT&T Corp. Underwater optical fiber cable
EP0391616A3 (en) * 1989-04-06 1992-01-02 AT&T Corp. Underwater optical fiber cable
EP0405716A2 (en) * 1989-06-29 1991-01-02 AT&T Corp. Coilable torque-balanced cable and method of manufacture
EP0405716A3 (en) * 1989-06-29 1992-03-18 American Telephone And Telegraph Company Coilable torque-balanced cable and method of manufacture
US7349607B2 (en) 2001-06-20 2008-03-25 Corning Cable Systems Technology Incorporated Optical transmission element
US7471861B2 (en) 2001-06-20 2008-12-30 Corning Cable Systems Llc Optical transmission element
US7177507B2 (en) 2002-12-19 2007-02-13 Corning Cable Systems, Llc Optical tube assembly having a dry insert and methods of making the same
US7751666B2 (en) 2002-12-19 2010-07-06 Corning Cable Systems Llc Optical tube assembly having a dry insert and methods of making the same
US7277615B2 (en) 2002-12-19 2007-10-02 Corning Cable Systems, Llc. Fiber optic cable having a dry insert and methods of making the same
US7336873B2 (en) * 2002-12-19 2008-02-26 Corning Cable Systems, Llc. Optical tube assembly having a dry insert and methods of making the same
US7236670B2 (en) 2002-12-19 2007-06-26 Corning Cable Systems, Llc. Optical tube assembly having a dry insert and methods of making the same
US6970629B2 (en) * 2002-12-19 2005-11-29 Corning Cable Systems Llc Optical tube assembly having a dry insert and methods of making the same
US7471862B2 (en) 2002-12-19 2008-12-30 Corning Cable Systems, Llc Dry fiber optic cables and assemblies
US7693375B2 (en) 2002-12-19 2010-04-06 Corning Cable Systems Llc Fiber optic cable having a dry insert
US7747117B2 (en) 2002-12-19 2010-06-29 Corning Cable Systems Llc Optical tube assembly having a dry insert and methods of making the same
US7254302B2 (en) 2002-12-19 2007-08-07 Corning Cable Systems, Llc. Optical tube assembly having a dry insert and methods of making the same
US7787727B2 (en) 2005-07-29 2010-08-31 Corning Cable Systems Llc Dry fiber optic cables and assemblies
US9477057B2 (en) 2005-07-29 2016-10-25 Corning Optical Communications LLC Fiber optic cables and assemblies
US9482837B2 (en) 2005-07-29 2016-11-01 Corning Cable Systems Llc Dry fiber optic cables and assemblies
US9494755B2 (en) 2005-07-29 2016-11-15 Corning Optical Communications LLC Fiber optic cable assembly
US9971101B2 (en) 2005-07-29 2018-05-15 Corning Optical Communications LLC Fiber optic cable assembly
GB2477946A (en) * 2010-02-18 2011-08-24 Paradigm B V Transfer member assembly with settable material and shroud
IT202000000343A1 (en) * 2020-01-10 2021-07-10 Prysmian Spa Armored cable to carry alternating current
EP3848944A1 (en) * 2020-01-10 2021-07-14 Prysmian S.p.A. Armoured cable for transporting alternate current
US11177054B2 (en) 2020-01-10 2021-11-16 Prysmian S.P.A. Armoured cable for transporting alternate current

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB8608864D0 (en) 1986-05-14
GB8701006D0 (en) 1987-02-18

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
WAP Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1)