JP2000284154A - Communication cable having identification means and method for identification of communication cable - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide communication cables having an identification means which allows the sure and easy identification of the bundled or intricately entangled communication cables and is capable of making identification even if the number of the communication cables increase to any number. SOLUTION: The communication cable 1 has the communication cable identification means for identifying the specific communication cable out of plural pieces of the communication cables. The circumference of the communication cable 1 is coated with the identification means 6 formed of an optical fiber material. A translucent film which shuts off external light and allows the transmission of internal light may be formed on the outer side of the identification means 6.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a communication cable having identification means for easily identifying a specific communication cable from a plurality of communication cables bundled or intricately entangled. The present invention relates to a method for identifying the communication cable.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Communication cables for transmitting signals between devices are usually bundled in units of several to several tens or more units, and are wired inside the devices, building floors, walls, underground, and the like. It is common to use Therefore, when a transmission failure occurs in a part of the communication cable, a communication cable to be inspected or repaired needs to be distinguished from other communication cables.

However, manually tracing a specific communication cable from one end to the other end is extremely inefficient. In particular, in recent years, optical fiber cables, which have a long transmission distance and a long cable length between connectors, have rapidly become widespread. Errors are also likely to occur.

Therefore, it is a common practice to apply different colors and patterns to each communication cable, and to easily identify a specific communication cable by using the colors and patterns. For example, Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. Sho 56-26708 discloses an optical fiber cable in which a predetermined portion such as an outer covering material is colored, and Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 61-6812 discloses an entire optical fiber cable. Discloses a multi-core optical fiber cable having different colors.

[0005] However, there is a limit in identifying communication cables by making them different in color or pattern as in the optical fiber cables described in these publications, and the number of communication cables is several tens or more units. In this case, the coloring or pattern applied to the communication cable becomes similar, making it difficult to distinguish the communication cable, and it becomes difficult to identify the communication cable.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and a specific communication cable is easily and reliably identified from a plurality of communication cables bundled or intricately entangled. Can and
An object of the present invention is to provide a communication cable and a communication cable identification method including an identification unit that does not make identification difficult regardless of the number of the communication cables.

[0007]

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a communication cable having identification means for identifying a specific communication cable from a plurality of communication cables. Wherein the identification means formed of an optical fiber material is provided around the communication cable.

According to this configuration, when a specific communication cable is irradiated with external light, the external light is transmitted through the entire length of the communication cable through the inside of the identification means formed by the optical fiber, causing the communication cable to emit light. This allows
At a glance, a specific communication cable can be distinguished from other communication cables.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, external light is prevented from being incident on the identification means outside the identification means formed of an optical fiber material, and internal light transmitted inside the identification means can be visually recognized. A semi-transparent film is formed over the entire length of the communication cable, and a light-collecting portion for allowing the external light to enter the identification means is formed in a part of the semi-transparent film.

According to this configuration, even if a part of the external light diffused from the light source is applied to another communication cable, the external light is reflected by the semi-transparent film, so that only the specific communication cable is used. Can be emitted, and reliable identification is possible even when the communication cables are bundled at a high density or when the wire diameter of the communication cables is small. In this case, if the position where the lighting unit is provided is slightly shifted for each communication cable, the chance of the diffused external light entering the identification means of another communication cable can be further reduced.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the communication cable is configured as an optical fiber cable having a core made of an optical fiber material. The present invention can be applied to any communication cable, but the transmission distance is long,
Therefore, a remarkable effect can be obtained by applying the present invention to an optical fiber cable having a long communication cable between the connectors.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in place of the optical fiber material, a fluorescent material whose fluorescent reaction spreads in a chain by irradiating external light is applied over the entire length of the communication cable, and the identification means is provided. It is formed and configured. According to this configuration, when a part of a specific communication cable is irradiated with light, the communication cable is fluorescent over the entire length, whereby the specific communication cable can be distinguished from other communication cables. The semi-transparent film of claim 2 may be formed around the identification means formed of a fluorescent material.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a communication cable identification method for identifying a specific communication cable from a plurality of communication cables, wherein identification means made of an optical fiber material is formed around the communication cable. A method is provided in which a part of the specific communication cable is irradiated with external light, and the specific communication cable is distinguished from other communication cables by light emission of the identification means by the irradiation of the external light.

According to this method, when external light is applied to a specific communication cable, the external light propagates through the entire length of the communication cable through the inside of the identification means formed by the optical fiber, causing the communication cable to emit light. Thus, a specific communication cable can be distinguished from other communication cables.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a semi-transparent film which prevents external light from being incident on the identification means and enables visual recognition of internal light transmitted inside the identification means over the entire length of the communication cable. A light-collecting unit is formed outside the identification unit, and a part of the semi-translucent film is formed to allow the external light to be incident on the identification unit. Is emitted, whereby the specific communication cable is distinguished from other communication cables.

According to this method, even if a part of the external light diffused from the light source irradiates another communication cable, the external light is reflected by the semi-transparent film. Can be emitted, and reliable identification is possible even when the communication cables are bundled at a high density or when the wire diameter of the communication cables is small. In this case, if the position where the lighting unit is provided is slightly shifted for each communication cable, the chance of the diffused external light entering the identification means of another communication cable can be further reduced.

[0017]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A preferred embodiment of a communication cable having an identification means according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a communication cable provided with an identification unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. At the center of the communication cable 1, two parallel core wires 2a and 2b are arranged.
The communication cable 1 of this embodiment is an optical fiber cable having a core formed from an optical fiber material.

The core wires 2a and 2b are composed of cores 3a and 3b made of an optical fiber material having an excellent light transmission property.
a and 3b formed on the outer periphery of the cladding layers 4a and 4b having a smaller refractive index than the cores 3a and 3b;
a, 4b, one or several covering layers 5 formed around
a, 5b. Examples of the optical fiber material include quartz-based materials such as silicon dioxide (SiO ₂ ), polyethylene (PE), and polyvinyl chloride (P).
Various types such as a resin type such as VC) are known.

An identification layer 6 as identification means made of an optical fiber material is provided on the outer periphery of the communication cable 1 thus formed over the entire length of the communication cable 1. Also in this discrimination layer 6, a layer having a small refractive index is formed on the surface, so that light travels inside the discrimination layer 6 while being totally reflected. The thickness (diameter) of the identification layer 6 is
Although it depends on the diameters of the core wires 2a and 2b, it is preferable that the thickness is about several hundreds μm to several thousand μm.

Next, the operation of the communication cable having the above configuration will be described.
A description will be given together with an embodiment of the identification method of the present invention. A plurality of communication cables 1 each having the above-described identification layer 6 are bundled to form a bundle of the communication cables 1. Of course, a communication cable having an identification unit different from the identification layer 6 having the above-described configuration, for example, an identification unit in which a different pattern or coloring is applied to the coated surface may be bundled together. As for such a communication cable, a specific communication cable is distinguished from other communication cables based on differences in coloring and patterns.

When a specific communication cable 1 is identified, the outer peripheral surface of the communication cable 1 is irradiated with external light using a flashlight or another external light source. The irradiated external light enters the transparent identification layer 6. Some of the incident external light is
The light travels over the entire length of the communication cable 1 while totally reflecting the inside of the identification layer 6 formed of an optical fiber. Accordingly, the specific communication cable 1 emits light over the entire length, so that the specific communication cable 1 can be easily identified from other communication cables 1. In addition, no matter how many communication cables 1 are used, only the communication cable 1 irradiated with external light emits light, so that a specific communication cable 1 is surely provided.
Can be distinguished from other communication cables 1.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 2, the same portions and the same members as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. FIG. 2 is a side view of a main part of a communication cable provided with an identification unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention. When the wire diameter of the communication cable 1 is relatively small, or when a large number of communication cables 1 are bundled at a high density, external light is applied to the specific communication cable 1 according to the first embodiment. A part of the radiated and diffused external light may enter the identification layer 6 of another communication cable 1 and cause the other communication cable 1 to emit light.

Therefore, in the second embodiment, the semi-transparent film 8 is coated on the outside of the identification layer 6 except for a part of the area 10 adjacent to the connector 7 of the communication cable 1. The semi-transparent film 8 reflects external light so that the external light does not enter the identification layer 6, and allows light transmitted inside the identification layer 6 to be visually recognized from the outside. Gallium arsenide (G) is used as the semi-transparent film 8 having such properties.
Known materials such as aAs) and silicon dioxide (SiO ₂ ) can be used.

When identifying a specific communication cable 1,
A region 10 not covering the semi-translucent film 8 is irradiated with external light.
In this embodiment, the region 10 not covering the semi-transparent film 8 is used.
Constitutes a daylighting unit for taking in external light into the identification layer 6. Of course, the form of the lighting unit is not limited to this, and an opening may be formed in a part of the semi-transparent film 8. Also,
The part where the lighting part is formed is not limited to the area adjacent to the connector 7 but may be provided at an arbitrary part such as in the communication cable 1.

By providing such a semi-transparent film 8, it becomes possible to allow external light to enter only the identification layer 6 of the specific communication cable 1 that needs to be identified. That is, the external light diffused from the light source is transmitted to the identification layer 6 of another communication cable 1.
Can be prevented. Thereby, the identification of the communication cable 1 can be made more reliable. If the area 10 that does not cover the semi-translucent film 8 is formed with a slightly shifted position for each communication cable 1, there is an opportunity for external light diffused from the light source to enter the identification layer 6 of another communication cable 1. It can be further reduced.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be briefly described. In the first and second embodiments, the identification layer 6 is formed from an optical fiber material, but in the third embodiment, the identification layer is formed from a fluorescent material. By irradiating a part of the communication cable with external light, a fluorescent reaction is transmitted in a chain along the entire length of the communication cable, and this fluorescent material can fluoresce a specific communication cable as a whole. By this fluorescence reaction, the specific communication cable can be distinguished from other communication cables, as in the first and second embodiments.

As the fluorescent material having such properties, a known material such as polyethylene (PE) can be used. The identification layer made of such a fluorescent material may be covered with the semi-transparent film 8 (see FIG. 2) as described in the second embodiment. Semi-transparent film 8
, It is possible to prevent the fluorescence of the identification layer of the other communication cable adjacent thereto, and to further enhance the certainty of identification.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, although the communication cable has been described as an optical fiber cable, the present invention is not limited to such an optical fiber cable, but can be applied to other communication cables. Further, although the description has been given by taking the two-core communication cable as an example, the communication cable of the present invention is not limited to the two-core cable, but can be applied to a single-core or three or more multi-cores.

[0029]

According to the communication cable and the identification method of the present invention, the following effects can be obtained. Since the communication cable is covered with an identification means formed of an optical fiber material or a fluorescent material, the communication cable can be illuminated over its entire length by irradiating a specific communication cable with external light. The specific communication cable can be identified.

Further, in the case where the semi-transparent film is provided around the identification means, the semi-transparent film prevents a part of the diffused external light from entering the identification means of another communication cable. In particular, even when the communication cables are bundled at a high density or the diameter of the communication cables is small, it is possible to reliably identify the communication cables.

As described above, according to the present invention, even if the length of a communication cable is increased or the number of bundled communication cables is increased, a specific communication cable can be reliably and easily separated from another communication cable. It is possible to identify.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a communication cable including an identification unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a main part of a communication cable including an identification unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Communication cable 2a, 2b Core wire 3a, 3b Core 4a, 4b Cladding layer 5a, 5b Coating layer 6 Identification layer (identification means) 7 Connector 8 Semi-translucent film

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A communication cable comprising identification means for identifying a specific communication cable from a plurality of communication cables, wherein said identification means formed of an optical fiber material is provided around said communication cable. A communication cable provided with an identification means characterized by the above-mentioned. 2. A semi-transmissive film formed of an optical fiber material, which prevents external light from being incident on the identification means and enables visual recognition of internal light transmitted inside the identification means, outside the identification means. 2. The identification unit according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit is formed over the entire length of the communication cable, and a lighting part for allowing the external light to enter the identification unit is formed on a part of the semi-transmissive film. Communication cable. 3. The communication cable according to claim 1, wherein the communication cable is an optical fiber cable having a core made of an optical fiber material. 4. The identification means is formed by applying, instead of the optical fiber material, a fluorescent material whose fluorescent reaction spreads in a chain by irradiating external light over the entire length of the communication cable. A communication cable comprising the identification means according to claim 1. 5. A communication cable identification method for identifying a specific communication cable from a plurality of communication cables, comprising: forming an identification means made of an optical fiber material around the communication cable; A method of identifying a communication cable, comprising: irradiating a part of the communication cable with external light, and identifying the specific communication cable from other communication cables by emitting light of the identification means by the irradiation of the external light. 6. A semi-transparent film is formed on the outside of the identification means over the entire length of the communication cable so as to prevent external light from being incident on the identification means and to allow visual recognition of internal light transmitted inside the identification means. Then, a lighting part for making the external light incident on the identification means is formed on a part of the semi-transparent film, and the identification means is illuminated by irradiating the lighting part with the external light, thereby causing the identification means to emit light. 6. The communication cable according to claim 5, wherein a specific communication cable is distinguished from other communication cables.
Communication cable identification method described in 1.