JP2006276608A - Plastic optical cable - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a plastic optical cable which is excellent in mechanical characteristics and incombustibility and does not give bad influences to the environment. <P>SOLUTION: The plastic optical cable 11 is provided with an element wire 12 and a first covering material 13 for tight covering the element wire; a second covering material 18 on a circumference of the first covering material; and a tensile-strength fiber 17 arranged between the first covering material 13 and the second covering material 18. The second covering material 18 includes a metalhydroxide and a polymer and the blending rate of the metalhydroxide to the polymer is to 50 to 75 weight %. The plastic optical cable resists repetitive bending, shows excellent incombustibility in burning experiment under severe conditions, and is friendly to the environment. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a plastic optical cable, and more particularly to a flame retardant plastic optical cable.

  In optical applications such as optical transmitters, plastic materials are generally superior to quartz materials in terms of molding processability, weight reduction, cost reduction, flexibility, and impact resistance. is there. For example, a plastic optical cable is not suitable for long-distance transmission because of a large optical transmission loss compared to a quartz optical cable. However, due to the above properties of plastic, a plastic optical fiber (Plastic optical cable) in the cable is not suitable. A so-called large diameter can be achieved by enlarging the core portion of the optical fiber. This increase in the diameter eliminates the need to increase the connection accuracy of various peripheral parts and devices used for branching and connecting the plastic optical cable with the plastic optical cable. Therefore, the plastic optical cable has advantages such as easy connection with peripheral parts and peripheral devices, ease of terminal processing, and high-precision alignment. In addition to the above-mentioned cost reduction of the connector part, the plastic optical cable has low risk of piercing accidents to the human body due to the above-mentioned properties of the plastic, easy workability and easy laying due to high flexibility. There are merits such as safety, vibration resistance, and low price.

  As a result, the plastic optical cable is not only attracting attention for home and in-vehicle applications, but also as an extremely short distance and large capacity cable such as an internal wiring of a high-speed data processing device or a DVI (Digital Visual Interface) link. Utilization is being studied, and further, utilization is also being studied for optical HDMI links that conform to the HSVI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) standard, which is the next generation version of DVI. In the future, it will be used in home theater applications, stores, event venues, amusement facilities, security equipment, hotels, schools, hospitals, stations, airports, broadcasting stations, etc.

  In plastic optical cable, the bending resistance and weather resistance of the plastic optical fiber contained in it, suppression of performance deterioration due to moisture absorption, improvement of tensile strength, provision of stepping resistance, flame resistance, protection from chemical damage In general, one or more layers of coating material are provided on the surface of a plastic optical fiber for the purpose of preventing noise due to an external configuration, improving product value by coloring, and the like. As a method for applying a coating material, a method in which a thermoplastic resin is melt-extruded and solidified on the surface of a plastic optical fiber is generally used in accordance with a metal wire coating method.

  By the way, in recent years, a plastic optical cable has been widely used, and high-speed and large-capacity communication using a plastic optical cable network has been performed not only in a trunk line system but also in each home. Under such circumstances, the optical transmission device is required to be flame retardant, and the optical fiber cable connected to the optical transmission device is also required to be flame retardant.

  At present, in PVC cables and the like, PVC (polyvinyl chloride), which is excellent in mechanical properties and workability as well as flame retardancy, or PVC-modified material mainly composed of PVC is often used as a coating material. However, when PVC is incinerated under inappropriate conditions, harmful gases may be generated. In addition, PVC often contains lead compounds, and environmental pollution due to elution of lead compounds is a concern for landfill disposal of PVC. On the other hand, antimony compounds, zinc compounds, bromine compounds, etc. that have been used in combination with PVC are often used for flame retardant of materials that replace PVC, so-called de-PVC (non-PVC) materials. The use of compounds has also been restricted due to problems such as environmental pollution. Recently, home appliance manufacturers have been obligated to collect and recycle products, and environmental measures for electric cables used in electronic devices, OA devices, etc. are increasingly required. In this way, the development and commercialization of environmentally friendly products are actively carried out in various fields due to the global movement for the protection of the global environment.

  However, in the case of a plastic optical cable, unlike the case of a general electric wire or a silica-based optical cable, since the strand itself is a combustible material, it is technically difficult to make it flame-retardant. PVC, which has been widely used as a coating material in the past, has a very high flame retardancy, and even when coated on a plastic optical fiber, it exhibited a high flame retardant effect. There is a problem in using this as a covering material. Various flame retardant resin materials that have been developed with the goal of de-PVC have high flame resistance when the resin is used alone, and are sufficiently flame retardant as a coating for non-combustible wires and quartz wires. However, in the case of a plastic optical cable, it is necessary to suppress the burning of the wire itself, and the flame retardancy is insufficient.

  Therefore, when a material other than PVC resin is used as the coating material, it is necessary to add a large amount of a flame retardant mainly composed of inorganic hydroxide into the coating material. However, the coating material to which a large amount of inorganic hydroxide is added tends to be harder and less flexible than the PVC resin. In order to improve flexibility, it is conceivable to reduce the addition rate of metal hydroxide by changing the resin itself to another one, but this will reduce the mechanical strength and flame retardancy of the plastic optical cable. There was a problem of inviting.

Attempts to manufacture a flame retardant electric wire or a flame retardant plastic plastic optical cable using a coating material other than PVC have been made conventionally. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a non-PVC resin. The main component resin as the coating material is EVA, and the flame retardant added thereto is magnesium hydroxide, which is a metal hydroxide. According to this document, the flame retardant evaluation method employs a vertical flammability test based on UL1581, and a flame retardant cable that passes this is obtained. In Patent Document 2, a specific resin and a metal hydroxide are used as a coating material, and red phosphorus is further added. In patent document 3, the coating | cover with the halogen-free polyolefin in the environment consideration type insulated wire is proposed. Patent Document 4 proposes a small-diameter material to which tensile strength fibers are added, in which no harmful substances such as dioxins are generated and no harmful substances such as heavy metal compounds are eluted in the landfill process.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-56063 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-77641 JP 2002-231069 A JP 2001-147353 A

  However, even in the case of non-PVC-based coating wires or plastic optical cables, it is often necessary to add flame retardant aids that are concerned about environmental pollution problems such as bromine compounds, antimony compounds, lead compounds, zinc compounds, Moreover, the problem that various characteristics of a plastic optical cable deteriorate by addition of a flame retardant or a flame retardant aid remains. And what has satisfied the flame retardance under the severe conditions requested | required by the future use of a plastic optical cable has not been proposed yet. The flame retardancy under severe conditions means that a plurality of plastic optical cables are in contact with each other over a width of 305 mm in a room having a height of 3.66 m, a width of 1.22 m and a depth of 2.44 m. When the flame is heated for 15 minutes with a propane gas burner with a calorific value of 154.5 kW at the lower end of this cable, the maximum temperature of the cable located 30 cm or more above the flame contact part is 454.5 ° C or less. Yes, it is flame retardant so that the flame does not burn up 3.66 m or more from the lower end of the cable, which is UL 1666 class flame retardant.

  For example, in what is proposed in Patent Document 1, sufficient flame retardancy cannot be obtained unless a considerable amount of antimony trioxide or brominated flame retardant is added to the coating material. If red phosphorus is not added, sufficient flame retardancy cannot be obtained. Moreover, although the thing of patent document 3 has passed the 60 degree inclination combustion test of JISC3005, in this standard, the flame retardance under the above severe conditions is not enough, and also a metal electric wire (copper wire) cable Therefore, if the coated body is replaced with a flammable plastic optical fiber, even the 60-degree inclined combustion test having a low flame retardance standard cannot be passed. The thing proposed in Patent Document 4 is evaluated for flame retardancy in a horizontal flammability test of JISC3005, and does not achieve flame retardance under the above severe conditions.

  An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide a plastic optical cable which is excellent in mechanical properties and flame retardancy under severe conditions, is friendly to the environment, and does not impair the transmission characteristics of the strands by covering.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a plastic optical fiber that transmits an optical signal, a first covering material that tightly covers the outer periphery of the plastic optical fiber, and an outer periphery of the first covering material. A plastic optical cable comprising a second covering material for covering, having a plurality of tensile strength fibers between the first covering material and the second covering material, wherein the second covering material includes a polymer and a metal hydroxide, The blending ratio of the hydroxide is 50 to 75% by weight in the second covering material.

  The tensile strength fiber is preferably an aramid fiber, and 70 to 90% by weight of the polymer is preferably an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer having a melt flow rate of 40 to 70 g / 10 min. Further, the outer diameter of the plastic optical fiber is L1 (mm), the thickness of the first coating material is L2 (mm), and the distance between the outer periphery of the first coating material and the inner periphery of the second coating material is L3 (mm). When the thickness of the second covering material is L4 (mm), (L3 / L2) ≧ 0.6 (1), (L2 / L1) ≧ 0.5 (2), ( L4 / L3) ≧ 1.5... (3) It is preferable to satisfy all the conditions indicated by (3).

  The plastic optical cable of the present invention is excellent in mechanical characteristics and flame retardancy under severe conditions, is friendly to the environment, and does not impair the transmission characteristics of the strands themselves.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing an embodiment of the plastic optical fiber cable of the present invention. A plastic optical fiber cable (hereinafter referred to as a cable) 11 listed here is a plastic optical fiber in which a first covering material 13 is provided on the outer periphery of a plastic optical fiber strand (hereinafter referred to as a strand) 12 for transmitting an optical signal. A fiber cord (hereinafter referred to as a cord) 16, a plurality of tensile strength fibers 17, and a second covering material 18 are included. The cable 11 is a so-called loose cable in which the first covering material 13 and the second covering material 18 are not in close contact with each other. The cord 16 may be generally referred to as a plastic optical fiber core wire, and the strand 12 may be generally referred to simply as a plastic optical fiber.

  The strand 12 has a refractive index continuously changing in a radial direction of a circular cross section, that is, a core portion (not shown) having a refractive index distribution continuously and an outer periphery of the core portion. This is a so-called GI-type wire composed of a cladding portion (not shown) having a refractive index equal to or lower than the refractive index of the core portion. However, the strand 12 may be a strand having another refractive index profile such as a single mode or a step index instead of the GI type. In some cases, the clad portion and the core portion have a multilayer structure. And as for the strand 12, it is preferable that the diameter T1 of a cross section is 0.2-2.0 mm, and it is preferable that the diameter of a core part is 0.1-1.5 mm. However, the present invention does not depend on the configuration of the strand 12 and can be applied to a known strand.

  As the material of the strand 12, that is, the core portion and the clad portion, a known strand material can be used. For example, polymethyl methacrylate, polystyrene, polycarbonate, diethylene glycol bisallyl carbonate, fluoroalkyl methacrylate, methyl methacrylate-styrene copolymer, α-methylstyrene-methyl methacrylate copolymer, copolymer of fluoroalkyl methacrylate and tetrafluoroethylene Perfluoroallyl vinyl ether polymer, deuterated fluorinated polymer, deuterated methacrylic resin and the like.

  In order for the core part to have a refractive index distribution as described above, an additive (dopant) for imparting a refractive index distribution to the core part is added. As is well known, the dopant is a compound having a sufficiently large size as compared with the monomer that is a repeating unit of the polymer that is the main component of the core portion. Examples of dopants include benzyl benzoate, benzyl n-butyl phthalate, benzyl saltylate, benzyl phenyl ether, benzoic anhydride, dibenzyl ether, diphenyl phthalate, diethylene glycol dibenzoate, triphenyl phosphate, diphenyl, diphenylmethane, Examples include diphenyl ether, diphenyl sulfide, m-phenoxytoluene, phenyl benzoate, 1,2-propanediol dibenzoate, tricresyl phosphate, dibutyl phthalate, and diphenyl sulfoxide.

  The first covering material 13 is provided in close contact with the outer periphery of the strand 12 and protects the strand 12 and supplements the mechanical strength of the strand. However, the present invention does not depend on the configuration of the code 16 and can be applied to the known code 16.

  As a polymer of the main component of the 1st coating | covering material 13, polyethylene (PE), a polypropylene (PP), an ethylene-ethyl acrylate copolymer (EEA) etc. are illustrated as a preferable thing. Among these, PE is preferable, and low density polyethylene (LDPE) is particularly preferable. The first coating material 13 includes an antioxidant, a light shielding agent, a lubricant, an inorganic filler, a colorant, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) fine particles, etc. in order to improve the performance and commercial value of the coated wire 12. Is preferably added. There are both liquid and solid additives, but in the case of solids, mixing tends to be non-uniform. Is preferred. If the size of these fine particles is not sufficiently small, when the wire 12 is coated, the wires 12 are mainly present on the inner surface of the first covering material 13 and in the vicinity of the inner surface of the first coating material 13. As a result, local lateral pressure is applied to the cord 16 and local distortion is applied to the cord 16, which may increase transmission loss. For this reason, the particle diameter of these additives is desirably 1 μm or less.

  In the cable 11 of the present invention, the tensile strength fiber 17 is provided in the area between the first covering layer 13 and the second covering layer 18, and the tensile strength fiber is a fiber having a higher elastic modulus than the cord 16. It is. Thereby, the mechanical strength, tensile strength, etc. as the cable 11 can be improved. Furthermore, the cable 11 can be made flame-retardant by combining the use of the tensile strength fibers 17 and the configuration of the second covering layer 18 described later.

  As the tensile fiber, an aramid fiber, a polyester fiber, a polyamide fiber, a carbon fiber, or the like can be used. Among them, an aramid fiber is particularly preferable in terms of improving flame retardancy. A product obtained by collecting a plurality of these fiber-shaped polymers and twisting them, or a product obtained by further twisting a twisted product with an epoxy resin or the like may be used. In order to further improve the mechanical strength and tensile strength of the cable, a linear body such as a metal wire may be used together with the tensile strength fiber. As the material of the metal wire, stainless steel, plated iron, or copper is used for the purpose of combining with electric wiring, but these are not limited to these materials.

  The second covering material 18 includes a polymer and a metal hydroxide. The cable 11 is made flame retardant by mixing the metal hydroxide with the polymer so that the weight ratio of the second coating layer 18 to the polymer is 5 to 50% by weight and using the above-described tensile fiber 17. can do. Examples of the metal hydroxide include magnesium hydroxide, aluminum hydroxide, calcium hydroxide and the like. Considering for the purpose of flame retardancy only, the addition amount of the metal hydroxide is preferably 100 parts by weight or more with respect to 100 parts by weight of the polymer of the second coating material 18, but if the addition amount is too large, 2 There is a concern that the flexibility of the covering material 18 is lowered and the cable 11 becomes brittle. Therefore, when the addition rate of the metal hydroxide is within the above range, both the flexibility and flame retardancy of the cable 11 can be achieved.

  In order to further improve the flame retardancy, a flame retardant aid may be added to the second coating material 18 in addition to the metal hydroxide. Various flame retardant aids can be used for adding de-PVC. For example, a condensed phosphate ester compound such as ammonium polyphosphate having a foam insulation effect is effective, and in the case of a nitrogen-based compound, peroxidized 4-butylamino-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine and 2, Reaction products such as 4,6-trichloro-1,3,5-triazine and cyclohexane, N, N′ethane-1,2-diylbis (1,3-propanediamine) are effective. In addition, for the purpose of reducing the ratio of combustible substances contained in the second covering material 18, improving the surface shape of the inner surface and the outer surface of the second covering material 18, and imparting slipperiness, talc, silica, etc. , Calcium and the like may be added.

  The polymer used as the second coating material 18 is preferably one having high fluidity at a low temperature as much as possible in order to suppress thermal deterioration of the strands 12 due to coating. However, since mechanical strength after solidification is also necessary, It is selected based on the balance between the two. Examples of the polymer of the second covering material 18 include polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, nylon (nylon 6, nylon 66, nylon 11, etc.), ethylene ethyl acrylate, and modified polymers thereof. Among them, an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer is preferable, and an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer having an ethylene structure repeating unit of 35 to 45% by weight is more preferable. The present invention does not depend on the molecular weight, molecular weight distribution, degree of branching, and degree of crosslinking of these polymers, and the type of functional group may be appropriately changed. Further, these polymers can be blended and used as necessary.

  However, when a combustion test of UL1581 (VW-1) is performed, the cable may melt and drip (drip) while burning, and may fail. In order to improve the flame retardancy from the viewpoint of suppressing the drip, 70 to 90% by weight of the polymer component of the second covering material 18 is ethylene-vinyl having a melt flow rate (MFR) of 40 to 70 g / 10 min. An acetate copolymer is preferred, and the ethylene part in the ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer is more preferably 35 wt% or more and 45 wt% or less. Furthermore, it is preferable from the viewpoint of drip suppression that a thermosetting resin such as a melamine resin, an epoxy resin, particles such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and the like are added to the second covering material 18. Note that nanoclays such as montmorillonite, bentonite, and hectorite modified with dioctadecyldimethylammonium, and nanometal compound particles such as aluminum, copper, and iron may be added to the second coating material 18 in a small amount. It has the same effect as the addition of particles such as epoxy resin.

  Further, titanium oxide, carbon for coloring, or the like may be added to the second covering material 18. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the surface of the second covering material 18 from being yellowed over a long period of use, and to maintain the whiteness or make the discoloration inconspicuous, thereby improving the commercial value.

  As with the first covering material 13, an antioxidant, a light shielding material, a lubricant, an inorganic filler, a colorant, PTFE fine particles, and the like may be added to further improve the performance and commercial value of the cable 11. Good.

The outer diameter of the strand 12 is L1 (mm), the thickness of the first covering member 13 is L2 (mm), the distance between the outer periphery of the first covering member 13 and the inner periphery of the second covering member 18 is L3 (mm), When the thickness of the second covering material 18 is L4 (mm), it is preferable that all the following conditions (1) to (3) are satisfied. Thereby, a flame retardance can be improved more. By providing the tensile strength fiber 17 between the first covering material 13 and the second covering material 18 so as to satisfy these conditions, even when the second covering material 18 is ignited, it is due to resin melting around the ignited portion. Flow is suppressed. In addition, the wire 12 and the first covering material 13 that do not contain a flame retardant cause the combustible material contained therein to be a combusted portion in the cable 11 due to the presence of the second covering material 18 and the tensile strength fiber 17. It is suppressed that it moves to. Thus, the effect of the flame retardant contained in the second covering material 18 is sufficiently exerted, and the fire spread is further suppressed. Furthermore, it is preferable to use an aramid fiber as the tensile strength fiber 17 because the heat resistance is further improved.
(L3 / L2) ≧ 0.6 (1)
(L2 / L1) ≧ 0.5 (2)
(L4 / L3) ≧ 1.5 (3)

  Moreover, in order to provide the cable 11 with another function depending on the application, a coating material other than the first and second coating materials 13 and 18 may be provided. Examples of other coating materials include a flexible material coating material and a foam coating material for further relaxing stress during bending, and a reinforced coating material for increasing rigidity.

  The manufacturing method of the strand 12 includes (1) a method in which a preform is manufactured and then the preform is heated and stretched so as to become a strand having a predetermined outer diameter, and (2) a core portion and a cladding portion are combined. A typical method is to melt and extrude each polymer raw material to be formed into a strand having a predetermined outer diameter. Among the methods of (1), there are various preform manufacturing methods. For example, an outer periphery of a core member that has been prepared in advance, in which a preform core portion and a preform clad portion are formed and then combined together. The preform core portion and the preform clad are formed by polymerization, and the preform core portion is formed by polymerization in the hollow portion of the preformed hollow member for the preform clad portion. There are a method of forming the respective parts, a method of simultaneously melting and extruding the preform core part and the preform clad part. And as a manufacturing method of the refractive index distribution type strand 12, after making the polymer hollow member used as a preform clad part as described in the international publication 93/08488 pamphlet, this A preferred example is a method of injecting a polymerizable compound into the hollow part and polymerizing the polymerizable compound by an interfacial gel polymerization method to form the core part. However, this invention does not depend on the manufacturing method of a strand.

  In the method (1), when a monomer as a polymer raw material for forming a preform is polymerized, an initiator that generates a radical can be used to initiate the polymerization reaction. Such initiators include: (a) those that are preferably used at a relatively high temperature, that is, about 80 ° C. or higher; (b) those that are preferably used at a temperature of about 40 to 80 ° C .; Some initiators can be used at −10 to 40 ° C., and in general, it is preferable to use an initiator that can be used at room temperature or higher because of the ease of reaction. Examples of (a) include cumene hydroperoxide, t-butyl hydroperoxide, dicumyl peroxide, di-t-butyl peroxide and the like. (B) includes benzoyl peroxide, lauroyl peroxide, potassium persulfate, ammonium persulfate. Azobisisobutylnitrile and the like are exemplified, and (c) includes hydrogen peroxide-ferrous salt, persulfate-sodium acid sulfite, cumene hydroperoxide-ferrous salt, benzoyl peroxide-dimethylaniline, etc. Illustrated. Of these, benzoyl peroxide and azobisisobutylnitrile are more preferably used. The polymerization reaction can also be initiated by a combination of peroxide-organometallic alkyl, oxygen-organometallic alkyl, and the like.

  A chain transfer agent may be used for adjusting the degree of polymerization. Known chain transfer agents that can be used include aliphatic mercaptans, thioglycolic acid, diisopropioxanthogen, and the like, among which butyl mercaptan and amyl mercaptan are more preferable.

  When manufacturing the GI type strand 12, a refractive index adjusting agent (hereinafter referred to as a dopant) is polymerized so that the core portion develops a predetermined refractive index distribution from the center of the circular cross section toward the outer peripheral direction. Add to the monomer. The dopant needs to have a sufficiently large size compared to the resin monomer as the main component. Specific examples of compounds include benzyl benzoate, benzyl n-butyl phthalate, benzyl saltylate, benzyl phenyl ether, Benzoic anhydride, dibenzyl ether, diphenyl phthalate, diethylene glycol dibenzoate, triphenyl phosphate, diphenyl, diphenylmethane, diphenyl ether, diphenyl sulfide, m-phenoxytoluene, phenylbenzoate, 1,2-propanediol dibenzoate, tricresyl Examples thereof include phosphate, dibutyl phthalate, and diphenyl sulfoxide.

  Further, instead of or in addition to the dopant, a polymer that forms the strand 12 may be a mixture of a plurality of polymers having different refractive indices, a copolymer having different repeating units having different refractive indexes, or the like. it can.

  FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a main part of a first coating apparatus that coats the wire 12 with the first coating material 13. The first coating apparatus 40 includes a nipple 41 that guides the wire 12 and a flow path (hereinafter referred to as a coating material flow path) for guiding the molten first coating material 13 to the coating start position PS. 41 and a die 42 for controlling the outer diameter of the cord 16 and an extruder 43 for melting the first covering material 13 and extruding it to the melting device 40. The die 42 has a die base 45 that covers the first coating material 13 on the wire 12, and a die head body 46 that guides the die coating base 45 to the die base 45 while maintaining the first coating material 13 in a molten state. A nipple base 48 and a nipple body 49 are provided. Further, heaters 51 and 52 for controlling the temperature of the die 42 to adjust the temperature of the first covering material 13 are attached to the die base 45 and the die head main body 46.

  The nipple 41 and the die 42 are usually made of metal. Examples of metals include stainless steel, chromium molybdenum steel, nickel chromium steel, chromium steel, manganese steel, tungsten carbide (WC) steel, brass, copper, aluminum, cast iron steel, and the like. The flow path of the first covering material 13 and both tip portions of the die base 45 and the nipple base 48 are required to have flatness, peelability of the first covering material 13, hardness, corrosion resistance, wear resistance, etc. For the purpose of these improvements, various surface treatments such as nickel plating and hard chrome plating are exemplified. Further, the outer wall of the nipple 41 and the inner wall of the die 42 forming the coating material flow path are formed so that the resin flow line (weld line) is difficult to be generated in the first coating material 13 formed on the strand. It is preferably designed to flow 13 at a uniform flow rate. Therefore, the material of the outer wall of the nipple and the inner wall of the die 42 is selected according to the properties of the first covering material 13. Further, the both wall surfaces and the dies and nipple shapes are determined so that the extrusion pressure at the time of extruding the first covering material 13 from both the caps 45 and 48 is maintained at a constant value and flow unevenness does not occur. The

  The first covering material 13 melted by the extruder 43 is sent from the covering material inlet 53 to the covering material flow path by the extrusion pressure. Moreover, the strand 12 runs continuously inside the nipple 41 by a take-off device (not shown) provided downstream of the die 42 and pulling the strand 12. The first coating material 13 reaches the coating start position PS in the molten state, and covers the wire 12 that has come out of the nipple 41. In the present embodiment, the relative position between the tip end of the die base 45 and the tip end of the nipple base 48 having a tapered shape is set so that the coating start position PS is inside the die 42. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, both are assembled so that the tip of the nipple base 48 is slightly upstream from the tip of the die base 45. The outlet of the first covering material 13 formed by the tip of the nipple base 48 and the tip of the die base 45 takes into account the predetermined thickness L2 of the first covering material 13 when the gap interval is the cord 16. To be determined. By setting the first coating device 40 as such a pressure type coating device, the coating start position PS is inside the die 42, and the coating of the wire 12 is started in a state where pressure is applied to the first coating material 13. . The code 16 is obtained as described above.

  Next, a method for covering the cord 16 with the second covering material 18 will be described. FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing the second coating apparatus, and FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the main part of the second coating apparatus. The second covering device 70 melts the second covering material 18 by covering the cord 16 with the covering portion 71 that covers the second covering material 18, the plurality of supply portions 72 that supply the tensile strength fibers 17 to the covering portion 71, and the second covering material 18. And an extruder 73 for extruding the covering portion 71. In order to avoid the complexity of the drawing, the number of the tensile strength fibers 17 and the rollers 76 for guiding the tensile strength fibers 17 to the supply unit are illustrated as two, but the present invention depends on these numbers. do not do.

  The supply unit 72 includes a plurality of reels 77 around which the tensile strength fibers 17 are wound. The reel 77 is provided with a brake member for giving an appropriate resistance to the reel so that the tensile strength fiber 17 does not sag and a controller for controlling the brake member, both of which are not shown.

  The covering portion 71 includes a nipple 81 that guides the cord 16 and the tensile strength fiber 17, and a flow path for guiding the molten second covering material 18 to the covering start position PS (hereinafter referred to as a covering material flow path). And a die 82 for controlling the outer diameter of the cable 11. The die 82 includes a die base 85 that collectively covers the bundle of the cord 16 and the tensile fiber 17 with the second coating material 18, and a die head body 86 that guides the second coating material 18 to the die base 85. The nipple 81 has a nipple base 88 and a nipple main body 89. In addition, heaters 91 and 92 for controlling the temperature of the die 82 in order to adjust the temperature of the second covering material 18 are attached to the die base 85 and the die head main body 86.

  The die head body 86 is formed with an inlet 93 (hereinafter referred to as a coating material inlet) 93 of the second coating material 18 melted by the extruder 73. Further, a decompression device 101 for decompressing an area through which the cord 16 and the tensile fiber 17 pass is connected to an upstream portion of the nipple main body 89, and a decompression seal 102 for effectively controlling the internal pressure of the nipple 81; A seal pressing member 103 is provided. In the present embodiment, a combination of a decompression pump and an air filter is used as the decompression device 101, but other known decompression devices may be used. In addition, when it is desired to sufficiently widen the gap between the cord 16 and the second covering material 18, the decompression device may not be used. Further, since the materials of the nipple 81 and the die 82 are the same as those of the first coating device 40, description thereof is omitted.

  A take-off portion (not shown) for pulling the cord 16 is provided on the downstream side of the die 82, whereby the cord 16 passes through the inside of the nipple 81. Further, the tensile strength fiber 17 passes through the inside of the nipple at the same traveling speed as that of the cord 16 by driving the reel 77. And the 2nd coating | covering material 18 fuse | melted with the extruder 83 is sent into a coating | coated material flow path from the coating | coated material inlet 93 with extrusion pressure. The second coating material 18 reaches the coating start position PS in the molten state and covers the cord 16 that has come out of the nipple 81.

  In the present embodiment, unlike the coating with the first coating material 13, the shape of the nipple base 88 and the tips of the nipple base 88 and the tip of the die base 85 are set so that the coating start position PS is outside the die 42. Determine the relative position of. Unlike the nipple base 48 (see FIG. 2) in the first coating apparatus 40, the nipple base 88 is a cylinder whose outer diameter is substantially constant only at the downstream end, and the portion other than that is tapered. However, the present invention does not depend on the shape of the nipple base 88. For example, the downstream end may be tapered with a slight cross-sectional inclination. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the tip of the nipple base 88 extends so as to be substantially on the same line as the downstream end of the die base 85. The gap between the outlets of the second covering material 18 formed by the die base 85 and the nipple base 88 is set to be larger than a predetermined thickness of the second covering material 18 when the cable 11 is formed. The cord 16 is covered with the second covering material 18 by the so-called pull-down coating as described above.

  Although the cable 11 can be manufactured as described above, the cable of the present invention is not limited to the above manufacturing method. For example, in the coating process for manufacturing the cord 16, a drop-type coating as in the second coating device 70 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) may be performed, or the second coating material for manufacturing the cable 11 may be used as a second. You may perform pressurization type | mold coating like the 1st coating apparatus 40 (refer FIG. 2) at a coating process. In particular, even in a coating apparatus that performs pressure-type coating such as the first coating apparatus, when the inner diameter of the coating material outlet of the die base is sufficiently large, the nipple base is moved to the downstream side to perform the drop-type coating. be able to. In many cases, either the pressure type or the pull-down type coating method is selected mainly in consideration of the melt viscosity of the coating material.

  The cable of the present invention is not limited to the mode shown in the first embodiment. For example, a cable having a cross section shown in FIGS. The cable 120 shown in FIG. 5 includes a wire 123 and a cord 123 made of a first covering material 122 covering the outer periphery of the wire 121, a first tensile strength fiber 126 provided on the outer periphery of the cord 123, and the cord 123. It has the 2nd tensile strength fiber 127 arrange | positioned at a substantially fixed space | interval, and the 2nd coating | covering material 128 which covers the outer periphery of the 1st tensile strength fiber 126 and the 2nd tensile strength fiber 127 together. The second tensile strength fibers 127 are tightly coated with the second covering material 128 in a bundled state, but the first tensile strength fibers 126 are the same as the first covering material 122 as in the first embodiment shown in FIG. It is arranged in a cavity between the second covering material 128. And the connection part 128a is formed when the 2nd coating | covering material 128 coat | covers the cord 123, the 1st tension fiber 126, and the 2nd tensile strength fiber 127 integrally. The first tensile strength fiber 126 and the second tensile strength fiber 127 may be the same material.

  The cable 120 according to the second embodiment has the same structure as the cable 11 according to the first embodiment (see FIG. 1) except for the second tensile strength fiber 127 and the outer peripheral second covering material 128 and the connecting portion 128a. Therefore, the diameter L1 in the circular cross section of the strand 121, the thickness L2 of the first coating material 122, the distance L3 from the first coating material 122 to the second coating material 128, and the thickness L4 of the second coating material 128 are as follows. The method of taking is the same as in the first embodiment.

  The cable 140 shown in FIG. 6 is a so-called two-core cable in which two cords are connected. That is, the cable 140 shown as the third embodiment includes two cords 143 including the strand 141 and the first covering material 142, tensile strength fibers 146 provided on the outer periphery of each cord 143, and two cords. 143 and the tensile strength fiber 146, and the 2nd coating | covering material 148 which coat | covers integrally. This cable 140 is also a loose cable similar to the cable 11 (see FIG. 1) shown in the first embodiment. The two cords 143 are connected by a connecting portion 148a formed by the second covering material 148.

  The cable shown in FIG. 7 is a two-core cable. The cable 160 shown as the fourth embodiment includes two cords 163 that are composed of the strands 161 and the first covering material 162 and are spaced apart from each other, and a first cord provided on the outer periphery of each cord 163. Second tensile fibers 167 arranged at two locations so as to sandwich the tensile fibers 166 and the two cords 163 arranged in a line, and so that the center of the cross section is aligned with the center of each cross section of the two cords 163. And a second covering portion 168 that integrally covers these outer peripheries. The two cords 163 and the second tensile strength fiber 167 are connected by a connecting portion 168 a formed by the second covering portion 168.

  The cable shown in FIG. 8 is also a two-core cable. The cable 180 shown as the fifth embodiment is different from the cable 140 shown in the third embodiment (see FIG. 6) in the connection portion. Specifically, the cable 180 includes two cords 183 made of a wire 181 and a first covering material 182, a first tensile fiber 186 provided on the outer periphery of each cord 183, and a second tensile fiber 187. It has two cords 183 and a second covering material 188 that integrally covers the first tensile strength fiber 186 and the second tensile strength fiber 187. The second tensile strength fiber 187 is provided at the center of the cross section of the connecting portion 188a having a substantially hexagonal shape, so that the cross sectional center of the second tensile strength fiber 187 and the cross sectional centers of the two cords are aligned. Being

  The plastic optical cable of the present invention exemplified above can maintain the transmission loss before the repetition in terms of transmission characteristics without causing cracks or cracks in a repeated bending test (for example, JIS C6861). But it shows sufficient flame retardancy. For example, in the UL test, the flame retardancy of UL1581 (VW-1) is expressed, and the resistance to the riser combustion test of UL1666 is also shown.

  The cable of the present invention constitutes a system for transmitting optical signals when used with various light emitting elements, light receiving elements, other optical cables, optical buses, light guide plates, optical couplers, optical signal processing devices, optical connectors for connection, and the like. be able to.

EXAMPLES Hereinafter, although an Example is given and this invention is demonstrated in detail, this invention is not limited to these.
[Experiment 1]
The element wire 12 was made of a clad portion and a core portion, and the clad portion was made of an outer clad as an outer shell member and an inner clad of the inner member. The outer clad is a PVDF tube having an inner diameter of 18.7 mm and a length of 90 cm prepared by melt extrusion. The raw material for the inner clad was injected into the hollow part of this tube. The raw material for the inner clad was 204.1 g of deuterated methyl methacrylate (MMA-d8) as a radical polymerizable compound that was removed by distillation so that the water content was 100 ppm or less, and dimethyl 2 as a polymerization initiator. , 2′-azobis (2-methylpropionate) (trade name; V-601, manufactured by Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) and n-lauryl mercaptan as a chain transfer agent. These mixtures were injected after adjusting to a predetermined temperature. Addition ratios of dimethyl 2,2′-azobis (2-methylpropionate) and n-lauryl mercaptan to MMA are 0.012 mol% and 0.2 mol%, respectively. The clad in which the raw material for the inner clad was injected was set in the polymerization vessel main body of the rotation polymerization apparatus so that the longitudinal direction was horizontal, and heat polymerization was performed in an atmosphere of 70 ° C. for 22 hours while rotating at 3000 rpm. It was. At this time, an ungrounded thermocouple was provided in the vicinity of the rotating polymerization vessel, specifically, 1 to 2 cm away, and the temperature measured by this thermocouple was regarded as the temperature due to the polymerization reaction. And the temperature peak (henceforth an exothermic peak) in the exotherm of the polymerization reaction measured by this method was calculated | required. In Experiment 1, an exothermic peak of 60.8 ° C. was observed when about 15 hours had elapsed from the start of polymerization. And thereby, the layer which consists of PMMA-d8 was formed in the inner surface of an outer clad, and this layer was made into the inner clad.

  The core raw material was injected into the hollow portion of the inner clad under normal temperature and normal pressure. The raw materials for the core were 81.7 g of MMA-d8 from which water was removed to 100 ppm or less, dimethyl 2,2′-azobis (2-methylpropionate) as a polymerization initiator, and n as a chain transfer agent. A mixture of lauryl mercaptan and diphenyl sulfide (DPS) as a dopant. Note that DPS is a non-polymerizable compound. The addition ratio of dimethyl 2,2'-azobis (2-methylpropionate), n-lauryl mercaptan and DPS to MMA was 0.04 mol%, 0.2 mol% and 7 wt%, respectively. Next, the clad into which the core raw material has been injected is set again in the polymerization vessel body of the rotation polymerization apparatus so that the longitudinal direction is horizontal, and is rotated at a rotation speed of 3000 rpm in an atmosphere of 70 ° C. Polymerization was carried out by heating for 5 hours. Thereafter, the ambient temperature was raised to 90 ° C. for 5 hours, and the rotation was continued at a rotation speed of 500 rpm, followed by heat treatment at 120 ° C. for 24 hours to form a core. Furthermore, it was naturally cooled while rotating to obtain a preform of GI type wire.

  The preform was allowed to stand for 1 week using a desiccator as a drying means in which the atmosphere was 23 ° C./5% or less. Thereafter, the preform was stretched to produce a strand 12 having an outer diameter of 320 μm. The obtained strand 12 had a transmission loss of 85 dB / km (measurement wavelength: 650 nm) and a transmission band of 2.2 Gb / s · 100 m.

  LDPE (low density polyethylene) having an MFR of 80 g / 10 min was used as the first coating material 13, and the strands 12 were coated so that the outer diameter of the cord 16 was 1.2 mm. The coating is performed using an extrusion apparatus having a screw with a diameter of 40 mm and a pressure type coating apparatus as shown in FIG. 2, and the first resin 13 has a molten resin temperature of 125 ° C. and a coating speed of 18 m / min. . The transmission loss of the obtained code 16 was 81 dB / km, and the transmission band was 2.1 Gb / s · 100 m.

  The obtained cord 16 was covered with a second covering material 18. The polymer of the second covering material 18 is an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (hereinafter referred to as EVA). This EVA has an ethylene component content of 40% by weight and an MFR of 60 g / min. The second covering material 18 contains 200 parts by weight of magnesium hydroxide particles having an average particle diameter of 0.1 μm to 1.0 μm with respect to 100 parts by weight of EVA, and the average particle diameter is 0.5 μm to 5 μm. It contains 1.5 parts by weight of 0.04 μm polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) particles and 1 part by weight of a polyimide resin. In addition, this 2nd coating | covering material 18 passed the VW-1 test of UL1581 with this raw material alone.

  The cord 16 was covered with the second covering material 18 by using a pull-down type coating apparatus as shown in FIGS. The extrusion temperature of the first coating material 13 is 210 ° C., the coating speed is 18 m / min, and the tension against the cord is 100 × 9.8 mN. The tensile strength fiber 17 is a fiber bundle made of Kevlar (registered trademark), which is an aramid fiber made by TORAY, and four bundles thereof were used. The thickness of the aramid fiber is 1270 dtex.

  In the obtained cable 11, L1 = 0.32mm, L2 = 0.44mm, L3 = 0.4mm, L4 = 0.55mm. The cable 11 had a transmission loss of 81 dB / km and a transmission band of 2.1 Gb / s · 100 m.

  About the obtained cable, combustibility evaluation was implemented with the following method. A plurality of cables 11 were suspended in a line in a room having a height of 3.66 m, a width of 1.22 m, and a depth of 2.44 m so that the cables 11 were in contact with each other over a width of 305 mm. Then, the lower end of the cable 11 was indirectly flamed with a propane gas burner having a calorific value of 154.5 kW for 30 minutes. The maximum temperature at a position of 30 cm or more from the flame contact portion of the cable was 256 ° C. or less, and the flame reached only 210 m above the lower end of the cable 11.

  Furthermore, repeated bending evaluation of the cable was performed by the following method. The cable 11 was suspended vertically with a load of 0.5 × 9.8 mN per strand. Then, a guide having a radius of 15 mm was disposed in the middle of the cable 11, and the cable 11 above the guide was repeatedly bent at 90 ° angles to the left and right with respect to the vertical direction along the guide. The operation of bending once each to the left and right was one cycle, and one cycle was performed in 2 seconds and 1000 cycles were performed. Thereafter, the surface of the cable 11 was visually observed. In this visual observation, the cable 11 was not cracked or cracked. When the increase value of transmission loss after this repeated bending was measured, it was 0.2 dB / km or less.

[Comparative Experiment 1]
The same cord as in Experiment 1 was covered with the second coating material to obtain a cable with L3 = 0.2 mm and L4 = 0.55 mm. Other conditions are the same as those in Experiment 1.

  The obtained cable had a transmission loss of 176 dB / km and a transmission band of 1.8 Gb / s · 100 m.

  This cable was evaluated for flammability. As a result, the maximum temperature of the cable reached 454.5 ° C. or more, and the flame burned out from the lower end of the cable by 3.66 m or more. As a result of repeated bending evaluation, no cracks or cracks were observed in the cable, and the increase value of the transmission loss after the repeated bending was 0.2 dB / km or less.

[Comparative Experiment 2]
The same cord as in Experiment 1 was covered with the second covering material to obtain a cable with L4 = 0.75 mm. Other conditions are the same as those in Experiment 1.

  The obtained cable had a transmission loss of 131 dB / Km and a transmission band of 2.0 Gb / s · 100 m.

  As a result of evaluating the flammability of this cable, the maximum temperature of the cable became 454.5 ° C. or higher, and the flame burned up from the lower end of the cable by 3.66 m or more. In repeated bending evaluation, cracks were confirmed in the cable.

[Comparative Experiment 3]
The first coating material and the second coating material were coated on the same wire as in Experiment 1, and tensile strength fibers were applied. The cable in this experiment is L2 = 0.14mm, L3 = 0.4mm, L4 = 0.55mm. Other conditions are the same as those in Experiment 1.

  The obtained cable had a transmission loss of 135 dB / Km and a transmission band of 2.0 Gb / s · 100 m.

  As a result of evaluating the flammability of this cable, the maximum temperature of the cable became 454.5 ° C. or higher, and the flame burned up from the lower end of the cable by 3.66 m or more. As a result of repeated bending evaluation, the cable was not cracked and cracked, and the increase value of the transmission loss after the repeated bending was 0.2 dB / km or less.

[Comparison Experiment 4]
The first coating material and the second coating material were coated on the same wire as in Experiment 1, and tensile strength fibers were applied. The cable in this experiment is L2 = 0.14 mm, L3 = 0.2 mm, and L4 = 0.35 mm. Other conditions are the same as those in Experiment 1.

  The obtained cable had a transmission loss of 153 dB / Km and a transmission band of 1.9 Gb / s · 100 m.

  As a result of conducting a flammability evaluation on this cable, the maximum temperature of the cable became 454.5 ° C. or higher, and the flame burned up from the lower end of the cable by 3.66 m or more. As a result of repeated bending evaluation, the cable was not cracked and cracked, and the increase value of the transmission loss after the repeated bending was 0.2 dB / km or less.

[Comparative Experiment 5]
The first coating material and the second coating material were coated on the same wire as in Experiment 1, and tensile strength fibers were applied. The cable in this experiment is L2 = 0.14 mm, L3 = 0.2 mm, and L4 = 0.75 mm. Other conditions are the same as those in Experiment 1.

  The obtained cable had a transmission loss of 211 dB / Km and a transmission band of 1.8 Gb / s · 100 m.

  As a result of conducting a flammability evaluation on this cable, the maximum temperature of the cable became 454.5 ° C. or higher, and the flame burned up from the lower end of the cable by 3.66 m or more. As a result of repeated bending evaluation, the cable 11 was found to be cracked. When the transmission loss value after repeated bending was measured, it was over 500 dB / km.

[Comparative Experiment 6]
The conditions were the same as in Experiment 1 except that no tensile strength fiber was added.

  The obtained cable had a transmission loss of 81 dB / Km and a transmission band of 2.1 Gb / s · 100 m.

  As a result of evaluating the flammability of this cable, the maximum temperature of the cable became 454.5 ° C. or higher, and the flame did not burn up from the lower end of the cable by 3.66 m or more. As a result of repeated bending evaluation, it was confirmed that the cable 11 was extended when it was bent for 300 cycles. Moreover, when the transmission loss value after 1000 times of repeated bending was measured, it exceeded 500 dB / km.

  As a result of the above Experiment 1 and Comparative Experiments 1 to 6, it can be seen that the plastic optical cable of the present invention has high flame resistance and repeated bending resistance.

  As described above, the plastic optical cable of the present invention is excellent in mechanical properties and flame retardancy under severe conditions, is friendly to the environment, and does not impair the transmission characteristics of the strands themselves.

It is sectional drawing which shows the outline of the plastic optical cable of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the principal part of a pressurization type coating device. It is the schematic of a pull-down type coating apparatus. It is the schematic which shows the principal part of a withdrawal type coating | coated apparatus. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the plastic optical cable which is another embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the plastic optical cable which is another embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the plastic optical cable which is another embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the plastic optical cable which is another embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Plastic optical cable 12 Plastic optical fiber strand 13 1st coating material 17 Tensile fiber 18 2nd coating material 120,140,160,180 Plastic optical cable 121,141,161,181 Plastic optical fiber strand 155,142,162,182 First covering material 128, 148, 168, 188 Second covering material

Claims (4)

In a plastic optical cable comprising a plastic optical fiber that transmits an optical signal, a first covering material that tightly covers an outer periphery of the plastic optical fiber, and a second covering material that covers the outer periphery of the first covering material ,
A plurality of tensile fibers between the first covering material and the second covering material;
The plastic optical cable according to claim 2, wherein the second coating material includes a polymer and a metal hydroxide, and a compounding ratio of the metal hydroxide is 50 to 75% by weight in the second coating material.   The plastic optical cable according to claim 1, wherein the tensile strength fiber is an aramid fiber.   The plastic optical cable according to claim 1 or 2, wherein 70 to 90% by weight of the polymer is an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer having a melt flow rate of 40 to 70 g / 10 min. The outer diameter of the plastic optical fiber is L1 (mm), the thickness of the first coating material is L2 (mm), and the distance between the outer periphery of the first coating material and the inner periphery of the second coating material is L3 ( mm), when the thickness of the second covering material is L4 (mm),
(L3 / L2) ≧ 0.6 (1)
(L2 / L1) ≧ 0.5 (2)
(L4 / L3) ≧ 1.5 (3)
The plastic optical cable according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein all the conditions indicated by the following are satisfied.

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