JP4567175B2 - Building materials - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a building material suitable for a case where construction for extending an optical fiber in a house is performed.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Due to the computerization of personal computers and other home appliances, there is an increasing demand for high-speed data communication inside the house. High-speed data communication includes a wired communication system and a wireless communication system. A wireless communication method using infrared rays or microwaves is suitable for portable devices and small devices. However, for stationary devices such as refrigerators, televisions, and air conditioners, the wired communication method is preferable to the wireless communication method in consideration of stability and reliability.
[0003]
Also, when a home LAN (local area network) is formed, the wired communication method is more stable. Therefore, twisted metal cables and optical fiber cables are used for the network. When the wired communication system is adopted, it becomes a problem how and where the cable is stretched around in the house. The method of attaching the cable along the wall surface is easy, but there is an aesthetic problem. Therefore, at the time of new construction, a conduit for connecting wires is attached to the interior of the attic or the wall, a connector is attached to an outlet box provided on the wall, and an arbitrary device is connected through this outlet box. The same construction is performed for the optical fiber cable.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, the conventional techniques as described above have the following problems to be solved.
Metal cables are easy to lay and connect, but they are vulnerable to external noise. For example, if a high-performance lightning arrester is not installed, the entire equipment inside the house will be damaged in the event of a lightning strike. There is also a problem. Fiber optic cables do not have these problems and are safe. Further, the optical fiber cable is light and resistant to noise, and has an advantage that high-speed and large-capacity communication is possible. On the other hand, optical fibers are weaker than mechanical cables compared to metal cables, and in order to withstand external forces after being drawn into or installed in conduits, a strong coating or protective tube is required. There was a problem that the construction cost was high. In addition, since special technology is required for the connection work, there is a problem that a large amount of construction engineers need to be trained.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention adopts the following configuration in order to solve the above points.
<Configuration 1>
An element is laminated and integrated, and an optical fiber is embedded between any of the elements. The optical fiber is terminated by a detachable connector, and the connector is connected between the element together with the optical fiber. Building material characterized by being embedded in
[0006]
<Configuration 2>
The building material according to Configuration 1, wherein the connector is housed in a gap formed between the pieces.
[0007]
<Configuration 3>
The unit pieces are laminated and integrated, and an optical fiber is embedded between any of the above unit pieces, and the end of this optical fiber is stored in an extra length storage unit formed by a gap formed between the unit pieces. A building material characterized by
[0008]
<Configuration 4>
The building material according to Configuration 1, wherein a plurality of optical fibers are embedded between each of the above-mentioned pieces with a space between each other.
[0009]
<Configuration 5>
The building material according to Configuration 1, wherein one or a plurality of optical fibers are respectively embedded between the stacked pieces.
[0010]
<Configuration 6>
The building material according to Configuration 1, wherein the optical fiber is drawn and embedded in a pipe sandwiched between the stacked pieces.
[0011]
<Configuration 7>
The building material according to Configuration 1, wherein the optical fiber is embedded in a position avoiding a pre-cut processing portion of the building material in advance.
[0012]
<Configuration 8>
The building material according to Configuration 1, wherein the end of the optical fiber is disposed in an opening on a side surface of the precut building material.
[0013]
<Configuration 9>
The building material according to Configuration 1, wherein the optical fiber is gently bent at a portion close to an end thereof and embedded so as to be drawn substantially linearly from an opening on a side surface of the building material.
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described using specific examples.
FIG. 1 shows the structure of a building material for a house according to the present invention, (a) is an exploded perspective view showing an example, (b) is an exploded partial enlarged perspective view of a modified example, (c) is an exploded plan view of the modified example, (D) is an end view of a modified example, and (e) is an end view of another modified example.
[0015]
As a building material for a house, especially a building material used for a pillar or a beam, what is called a laminated wood may be used in addition to a so-called solid wood obtained by sawing a raw wood. The laminated material is obtained by laminating thin plates and solidifying them with an adhesive. Such laminated lumber has a feature that the material cost can be made relatively low, and that there is little deviation such as bending. In the following examples, this laminated material will be described as an example of a building material. The thin plate for manufacturing this laminated lumber will be called a piece.
[0016]
In this embodiment, in the process of manufacturing the laminated material, the optical fiber is sandwiched between any of the pieces and integrated and embedded. As shown to Fig.1 (a), the laminated material 1 is comprised of several piece 2-1, 2-2. . . . Manufactured from. In the example of this figure, the optical fiber 3 is sandwiched and embedded between the element 2-1 and the element 2-2. The optical fiber 3 is laid in the house at the same time as the house is constructed using the laminated material 1. During the construction of the house, the optical fiber 3 is protected by the laminated material 1, so that there is almost no fear that the optical fiber 3 is subjected to an impact or a large tension and is broken.
For this reason, the optical fiber 3 may have a structure in which the light guide is protected to a minimum. That is, there is no need to apply a tension member or a strong protective coating. For example, an optical fiber core wire having a primary coating on the primary coat may be used. Therefore, the cost is very low. The optical fiber 3 may be single mode or multimode. Further, it may be a plastic fiber, a multicomponent fiber, or a quartz fiber.
[0017]
FIG. 1B shows a specific internal structure of the end face of the laminated material 1. As described above, if the optical fiber 3 is embedded in the laminated material 1, terminal processing for connection work becomes a problem. Moreover, there is a possibility that the end of the optical fiber 3 may be damaged during transportation of the laminated material 1 or during construction work. Take the following measures. A groove 4 for embedding the optical fiber 3 is formed in the element piece 2-2 shown in FIG. The optical fiber 3 is accommodated in the groove 4, and a gap formed inside the laminated material 1 is defined as an extra length accommodating portion 5. The end of the optical fiber 3 is buried in the extra length storage unit 5. Immediately before the connection work, the wall portion 5A is broken and the end portion of the optical fiber stored in the extra length storage portion 5 is taken out. In other words, the provision of the sealed extra length storage portion 5 has an effect of protecting the end of the optical fiber 3 during transportation of the laminated material 1 or during construction work. In this case, it is preferable to provide a mark 7 or the like on the corresponding portion of the laminated material 1 so that the wall portion 5A to be broken can be clearly seen from the outside during the connection work.
[0018]
FIG.1 (c) is the figure which looked at the state which accommodated the optical fiber 3 in the element piece 2-2 of FIG.1 (b) from the top. As shown in this figure, the terminal 3A of the optical fiber 3 is spirally stored in the surplus length storage section 5. At the time of construction, the terminal 3A of the optical fiber 3 may be pulled out from here and used. In addition, there exists a possibility that the terminal 3A of this optical fiber 3 may adhere | attach with the adhesive agent at the time of manufacturing the laminated material 1. FIG. In that case, what is necessary is just to accommodate in the surplus length accommodating part 5, for example in the state which covered the polyethylene bag etc. which are not illustrated to the terminal 3A of the optical fiber 3. FIG. Further, in the example shown in the figure, the extra length storage portion 5 is rectangular, but if it is made circular as shown by the alternate long and short dash line 5B in (c), the cutting process of the element piece 2-2 in (b) is very easy. There is an effect of becoming.
[0019]
(D) of a figure is drawing which looked at the end surface of the laminated material 1 shown to (b) and (c). By cutting out a part of the element piece 2-2, a gap having a thickness (excess length storage portion 5) for storing the terminal 3A of the optical fiber 3 is provided. The length of the terminal 3A of the optical fiber 3 to be accommodated is very short because it is required to be connected. Accordingly, the extra length storage portion 5 may be very thin. The thickness of the element pieces 2-1 and 2-2 is sufficiently thicker than the thickness of the optical fiber core wire. Therefore, for example, as shown in (e) of the figure, the terminal 3A of the optical fiber 3 can be accommodated only by providing the element piece 2-2 with a slight recess 5C.
[0020]
As described above, by embedding the optical fiber 3 and the terminal 3A of the optical fiber 3 between the pieces of the laminated material 1, it is possible to protect the terminal 3A of the optical fiber 3 during transportation and construction work. became. Moreover, if the above laminated material 1 is used as a building material such as a pillar or beam of a house, the end 3A of the optical fiber 3 is connected to each other after the construction of the building framework is completed, and a connector box is provided as appropriate. An optical fiber network in the home is realized.
[0021]
FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a modified example of an embedded state of an optical fiber in a building material.
As shown in FIG. 1, (a) in the drawing forms a groove 4 having a V-shaped cross section in one element 2-2 of a pair of overlapping elements 2-1 and 2-2. The optical fiber 3 is housed in an integrated manner using an adhesive 10. The adhesive 10 is used when the pieces 2-1 and 2-2 are bonded together.
[0022]
The wooden pieces 2-1 and 2-2 constituting the laminated material 1 expand and contract due to temperature, humidity, and other causes. On the other hand, an optical fiber is mainly made of glass such as quartz and therefore hardly expands or contracts. Accordingly, the stretching force of the laminated material 1 is applied to the optical fiber 3, and the transmission characteristics of the optical fiber 3 may be impaired. In order to prevent this, for example, when the optical fiber 3 is accommodated in the groove 4, it is preferable to surround the optical fiber 3 with a plastic film or the like and use it as a cushioning material. That is, by embedding the optical fiber 3 in the element piece via an appropriate cushioning material, it is possible to relieve stress due to a tensile force or a side pressure applied to the optical fiber 3.
[0023]
(B) of a figure is the thing of the structure which formed the groove | channel 4 in the element pieces 2-1 and 2-2, and embedded the pipe 6 here. The optical fiber 3 is accommodated in the pipe 6. In this way, no stress is applied to the optical fiber 3, and its characteristics can be maintained stably for a long period of time. In addition, in the event that the optical fiber is disconnected or the characteristics deteriorate due to some reason, the optical fiber 3 can be exchanged.
[0024]
(C) of the figure shows an example in which an optical fiber tape core wire widely used for telephone communication is embedded between the pieces 2-1 and 2-2. In this example, the concave portion 4A is formed in the element piece 2-2 and the tape core wire 7 is accommodated. The tape core wire 7 is obtained by embedding a glass fiber 9 in a tape-shaped plastic coating 8. In this example, four optical fibers are embedded in the tape core wire 7. In the case of a home network, a single optical fiber is sufficient. Therefore, the remaining optical fiber can be used for a protection line.
[0025]
Since the tape core wire 7 is resistant to a certain degree of tension, it is sufficiently reliable both mechanically and in signal processing. Only one or two of the four optical fibers 3 in the tape core 7 are used, and if there is an accident in these, the remaining protection line is used. If a plastic film or the like is interposed between the concave portion 4A of the element piece 2-2 and the tape core wire 7, the tape core can be obtained even when the element pieces 2-1 and 2-2 are bonded using the adhesive 10. The adhesive does not adhere to the line 7. The plastic film also serves to reduce the friction between the element and the optical fiber, and becomes a cushioning material.
[0026]
In the example shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C, the structure of the optical fiber to be embedded has been described. In (d) and (e) of FIG. 2, a modification of the place where the optical fiber is embedded is introduced. In the example of (d), the laminated material is constituted by four pieces 2-1 to 2-4. One optical fiber 3 is embedded in each of the overlapping surfaces of all the pieces 2-1 to 2-4. For example, when this laminated material 1 is used for a beam, a bending stress is applied to the laminated material 1 and a tension corresponding to the bending is applied to each embedded optical fiber. In this case, the tension applied to the optical fiber 3 differs depending on the embedded position. If the bending is large, there is a possibility that a tension is applied so as to break. Therefore, as shown in this figure, a plurality of optical fibers are embedded in different places so that, for example, even if one of them is broken, another spare optical fiber can be used.
[0027]
Depending on the direction of stress applied to the laminated material, among the embedded optical fibers, an optical fiber that receives tension and an optical fiber that receives compressive force may be generated. In the example of FIG. 2E, a plurality of optical fibers 3 are embedded in parallel between the two pieces 2-1 and 2-2. Compared with the example of (d), the arrangement direction of the optical fibers differs by 90 degrees. Since the direction of the external force applied to the laminated material 1 varies depending on the location and the mounting direction of the laminated material 1, either (d) or (e) may be appropriately selected and used.
[0028]
When the optical fiber 3 is fixedly integrated with the adhesive between the element pieces 2-1 to 2-4 and embedded, the optical fiber 3 directly receives the stress applied to the laminated material 1. In general, the signal transmission loss of the optical fiber 3 changes according to the applied stress. Therefore, if this laminated material is used for the building material of a house and the loss of the optical signal transmitted through the optical fiber is measured, the stress applied to the building material of the house can be quantitatively measured. In addition, since the optical fiber has a very small elongation, when stress is applied to the building material, the force may not be absorbed and the optical fiber may be broken. As a result, it is possible to detect that the stress applied to a part of the structural material of the house due to an earthquake or the like exceeds an allowable value, and to take measures such as repair. Therefore, the laminated material 1 of the present invention is also suitable for laying such a monitoring optical fiber.
[0029]
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a connection state when the above laminated material is used as a building material for a house.
In (a), the beams 11 and 12 are supported and fixed on a column 13. The connecting portions of the beams 11 and 12 and the pillar 13 are combined by being cut by a pre-cut or other method. That is, since the portion close to the end of the laminated material 1 is processed as described above, there is a risk of being cut if the end of the optical fiber is disposed here. Therefore, as shown in the figure, openings 17, 18, and 19 are provided so that the optical fiber is drawn from the side surface of the building material at a portion close to the end. The optical fibers drawn out from the openings 17, 18, and 19 are linearly connected to each other by the connector 16.
[0030]
As described above, if an optical fiber terminal for a necessary extra length is embedded in the laminated material 1, the terminal portion can be taken out and connected to the other optical fiber at the time of optical fiber connection work. For this connection, for example, a heat fusion method or the like can be employed. In addition, a connector may be attached to the optical fiber terminal in advance so that the optical fiber terminal can be easily connected in the field. That is, if the optical fiber terminal with the connector is embedded in the laminated material 1, the connection between the optical fiber terminals is completed with one touch, and the optical fiber network in the house is completed very easily.
[0031]
FIG. 4 is an example in which an optical fiber terminal with a connector is embedded in the laminated material 1, (a) is an exploded perspective view of the main part of the laminated material, and (b) is a plan view of the main part of a house using the laminated material. is there.
As shown to (a) of a figure, the optical fiber 3 is embedded at the groove | channel 4 at the piece 2-2 of the laminated material. And the connector 27 is attached to the edge part. The connector 27 is accommodated in an opening 26 formed in the element piece 2-2. This connector 27 is a female connector. And it connects with the male connector 28 provided in the edge part of optical fiber 3D for jumper connection. The term “for jumper connection” means “for interconnection with an optical fiber embedded in another laminated material 1”. The male connector 28 is also accommodated in the opening 26.
[0032]
That is, in this laminated material 1, both the optical fiber 3 and the connector 27 attached to its end are embedded. If the opening 26 is covered, an external force is not applied to the optical fiber 3 and the connector 27 during transportation and construction of the laminated material 1. In addition, there is no risk of contamination. After the assembly work of the laminated material 1 is completed, the cover (not shown) of the opening 26 is removed, and the jumper connection optical fiber 3D is connected using the connector 28, so that the optical fiber connection work is completed.
[0033]
The beam 31 shown in FIG. 4B is connected and fixed by a beam 32 and a fire beam 33. An optical fiber 3B is embedded in the beam 31. An optical fiber 3 </ b> C is embedded in the beam 32. Further, a jumper connecting optical fiber 3D is attached to the side surface of the fire beam 33. These are connected by connectors 29 and 30 as described in (a). The connector 29 is obtained by connecting the pair of male and female connectors 27 and 28 of FIG. A connector 29 for connecting the optical fiber 3B and the optical fiber 3D is accommodated in the opening 26 as shown in FIG. A connector 30 for connecting the optical fiber 3C and the optical fiber 3D is embedded in an opening provided on the beam 32 side. In this way, if the optical fibers 3B and 3C are connected to each other via the optical fiber 3D, the optical fibers 3B and 3C can be protected from external force without deteriorating the aesthetics of the interior of the house, and the optical fiber in the house. Network.
[0034]
5A is a side view of the structure of the house different from the above example, FIG. 5B is an enlarged perspective view of the end of the cheek cane, and FIG. 5C is an enlarged plan view.
As shown in (a) of the figure, two beams 31 and 37 are supported by a column 32. The cheek cane 34 is provided to reinforce the beam 31. In this example, the cheek stick 34 is made of the laminated material 1, and the optical fiber 3D is embedded therein. In this example, the optical fiber 3D is embedded in a recess formed on the side surface of the cheek cane 34 although it is said to be embedded. (B) and (c) show the specific configuration. The cheek can 34 shown in the figure is obtained by stacking and pasting four pieces 35-1 to 35-4.
[0035]
Among these pieces, the optical fiber 3 and the connector 27 are accommodated in a gap 36 formed by cutting out a part of the piece 35-1. When the cheek can 34 is manufactured, the optical fiber 3 and the connector 27 may be bonded and fixed in the gap 36 with an adhesive or silicon resin. When connecting the optical fiber 3, the minimum required adhesive or the like is removed from the gap 36 of the cheek cane 34, the connector 27 is taken out, and this is inserted into the opening of the beam 31 or the column 32 shown in FIG. . Therefore, the end of the optical fiber 3 may be extended by the length necessary for such connection, and the connector 27 may be attached thereto. In this example, in the case of the beam 32, a gap 40 for accommodating the end of the optical fiber and the connector is provided on the lower surface. In the case of the pillar 32, a vertically long gap 41 is provided in the center for accommodating the end of the optical fiber and the connector.
[0036]
FIG. 6 is a modified example of the present invention, in which (a) is a side view of a column and a beam, and (b) to (e) are explanatory views showing the state of an optical fiber inside a gap.
As shown in FIG. 4A, when the optical fiber 33 embedded in the column 31 and the optical fiber 34 embedded in the beam 32 are connected in a straight line, the optical fiber 33 is connected from the column 31 or the beam 32. It is preferable that the ends of the rods 34 and 34 are gently curved and drawn linearly to the side surfaces of the columns 31 and the beams 32. This is because an excessive bending or the like is not applied to the optical fibers 33 and 34. The same applies when the connector is already connected to the terminal and when the connector is connected from now on.
[0037]
However, for example, when the end of the optical fiber 34 is pulled out from the groove 35 to the center of the rectangular gap 36 as shown in FIG. ), The optical fiber 34 may be bent at an end portion of the groove 35 to be less than the allowable bending radius and be broken. Further, if the extra length of the optical fiber 34 is forcibly pushed into the gap 36, it may be bent in the opposite direction as shown in FIG. Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 5E, it is preferable that the groove 35 accommodating the optical fiber 34 is gently curved as it is and opened to the side surfaces of the column 31 and the beam 32.
[0038]
The present invention is not limited to the above examples. In the above example, we have described the use of laminated lumber for pillars and beams in a house. However, an optical fiber can be embedded in the wall material and the floor material using the same laminated material. When forming a network inside a house, we want to connect the optical fiber to the indoor equipment at the shortest possible distance from any place. By using an optical fiber embedded in a column or beam of a room, a place where an optical fiber terminal can be connected can be provided at all of the eight vertices of a rectangular parallelepiped room. If it is used for flooring, an optical fiber outlet box can be installed anywhere in the corner of the room. The optical fiber has no polarity or direction and there is no risk of a short circuit, so no special knowledge is required for connector connection. Unlike metal cables, there is no danger of heat generation or leakage, so it can be installed anywhere. There is also an effect that it is not affected at all even if it is provided with an electric heating floor heating facility or installed near the power line.
[0039]
In the above embodiment, the laminated material in which the pieces are assembled has been described as an example. However, the present invention can be used for various building materials obtained by laminating two or more pieces other than the laminated material. For example, even if there is a slight difference in the thickness of the pieces, the present invention can be implemented with plywood or other laminated materials in which the pieces are bonded with an adhesive in substantially the same manner as the laminated material. A piece of wood that is a laminate of 10 to 30 mm thick piles, and is a laminate of the above, and a laminate of thin single plates with a thickness of about 0.8 to 1.2 mm Is a single plate laminate (LVL: Laminated Veneer Lumber). A stack of pieces having a thickness of about 0.4 to 0.6 mm and a width of about 40 to 80 mm is called an OSB (Oriented Strand Board). Any of these building materials are suitable for carrying out the present invention. Some or all of the pieces may be medium density fiberboard (MDF) obtained by compressing and hardening the fibers. Moreover, the building material which stuck the surface board on the board of the base is also good.
[0040]
In any case, the optical fiber can be embedded in the building material by processing any one of the pieces and forming a groove for embedding the optical fiber in the building material. Further, composite panels in which a plaster board, a heat insulating material, and a plywood are laminated, and a composite panel in which a sheet made of vinyl chloride resin, a plywood, a heat insulating material, and an ALC plate are laminated are also widely used as building materials. An optical fiber can be embedded in these as well. If the laminated pieces are flexible, a groove for automatically embedding the optical fiber can be formed in a recess generated when the optical fiber is sandwiched. Moreover, the above building materials can be easily realized as an in-building optical fiber cable network by using them as structural materials or construction materials for houses or other buildings.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 shows the structure of a building material for housing according to the present invention, (a) is an exploded perspective view showing an example, (b) is an exploded partial enlarged perspective view of a modified example, and (c) is an exploded plan view of the modified example. , (D) is an end view of a modified example, and (e) is an end view of another modified example.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a modified example of an embedded state of an optical fiber in a building material.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a connection state when laminated wood is used as a building material for a house.
FIG. 4 is an example in which an optical fiber terminal with a connector is embedded in a laminated material 1, (a) is an exploded perspective view of the main part of the laminated material, and (b) is a plan view of the main part of a house using the laminated material. It is.
5A is a side view of a housing structure, FIG. 5B is an enlarged perspective view of an end of the main part, and FIG. 5C is an enlarged plan view of the end of the main part.
6A is a modification of the present invention, and FIG. 6A is a side view of a column and a beam, and FIGS. 6B to 6E are explanatory views showing the state of an optical fiber inside a gap.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Glulam 2-1, 2-2 Piece 3 Optical fiber 3A Optical fiber terminal 4 Groove 5 Extra length storage part 6 Cover

Claims (9)

The unit pieces are laminated and integrated, and an optical fiber is embedded between any of the unit pieces,
This optical fiber is terminated by a detachable connector,
The said connector is embed | buried between the said pieces with the said optical fiber, The building material characterized by the above-mentioned. In the building material according to claim 1,
The connector is housed in a gap formed between the pieces. The unit pieces are laminated and integrated, and an optical fiber is embedded between any of the unit pieces,
The optical fiber terminal is housed in a surplus length housing portion formed by a gap formed between the device pieces. In the building material according to claim 1,
A building material characterized in that a plurality of optical fibers are embedded at intervals between any of the above-mentioned pieces. In the building material according to claim 1,
A building material characterized in that one or a plurality of optical fibers are respectively buried between the laminated pieces. In the building material according to claim 1,
An optical fiber is drawn and embedded in a pipe sandwiched between the laminated pieces. In the building material according to claim 1,
The optical fiber is embedded in a position that avoids the pre-cut processing portion of the building material in advance. In the building material according to claim 1,
The optical fiber terminal is disposed in the opening on the side surface of the precut building material. In the building material according to claim 1,
A construction material characterized in that an optical fiber is embedded so as to be gently curved at a portion near its end and to be drawn substantially linearly from an opening on a side surface of the construction material.

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