JPH08152535A - Juncture of optical cable - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a juncture of optical cables which is reduced in the finish outside diameter of the juncture and is easily applicable to coated optical fiber ribbons as well by anchoring and fixing tensile bodies of optical cables in a metallic cylinder and housing the connected surplus lengths and junctures of optical fibers into the metallic cylinder. CONSTITUTION: This juncture of the optical cables is formed by fitting metallic sleeves 7 mounted at the ends of the tensile bodies 3 of the optical cables 1 to be connected respectively into fitting grooves 13 formed near both ends in the metallic cylinder 10 to anchor the tensile bodies and housing the connected surplus lengths 5 and junctures 6 of the optical fibers 2 into the metallic cylinder 10.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical cable connection part, and more particularly to a factory-processed connection part of an optical cable in a power / optical composite submarine cable.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the case of an electric power / optical composite submarine cable, since high tension is required at the connecting portion of the optical cable, the strength members of the optical cable are connected by welding or silver brazing in a metal tube. Is wrapped around the metal tube. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an example of such an optical cable connecting portion. In the drawing, 1 is an optical cable to be connected,
A resin coating layer 4 is provided on a strength member 3 such as a central steel wire, and a plurality of optical fibers 2 are wound on the resin coating layer 4 at a predetermined pitch.
Further, an outer coating layer of metal, plastic, or the like is applied on top of this. The tensile strength members 3 are connected to each other by welding, silver brazing, or the like, and the connecting portion 8 is included to provide a half-split metal cylinder 10 with its end positioned on the resin coating layer 4. There is.

An optical fiber 2 is wound around the metal tube 10 to form a connection extra length 5, and a connecting portion 6 such as a fusion splicing portion of the optical fiber 2 is reinforced by a reinforcing jig or the like. It is fixed on the metal cylinder 10 by a tightening band 18 or the like. Including such a connection part, metal on the outside,
A protective tube (not shown) made of plastic or the like is provided over the outer coating layer of the optical cable 1 to be connected.

[0004]

In the conventional optical cable connection described above, a method for welding tensile strength members to each other is as follows.
It is easy to obtain a tensile force, but the positional relationship in the length direction between the strength member and its connecting portion cannot be fixed. In addition, the method of wrapping the extra splicing length of an optical fiber on a cylinder is not suitable for a factory-processed connection part because the finished outer diameter is large, and the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire is not applicable because it is twisted. is there.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems and fixes the end portion of the strength member of the optical cable in the metal tube by anchoring it, and at the same time, provides the extra connection length and the connection portion of the optical fiber in the metal tube. By storing, the finished outer diameter of the connection part is reduced, and at the same time, the connection part of the optical cable that can be easily applied to the tape-shaped optical fiber core is also provided.
The feature is that the metal sleeves attached to the end portions of the strength member of the optical cable to be connected are fitted in the fitting grooves provided near both ends in the metal cylinder to hold the strength member, and This is because the extra length of the optical fiber and the splicing part are housed in it.

[0006]

In the above-mentioned connecting portion of the optical cable of the present invention, the metal sleeve attached to the end portion of the strength member of the optical cable is fitted in the fitting groove provided in the metal cylinder to hold the strength member. The position of the end of the strength member can be determined. Further, since the extra connection length of the optical fiber and the connection portion are housed in the metal cylinder, the finished outer diameter of the connection portion can be reduced, and the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire can be easily applied.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway vertical sectional view of a concrete example of an optical cable connecting portion of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of a metal tube used in the present invention. The metal tube 10 used in the present invention is formed of a half-split metal tube, and both ends thereof have a spindle shape when combined. As shown in FIG. 2, a groove 15 for engaging the end portion of the outer coating layer of the optical cable 1 (see FIG. 1) is provided at both ends, and a tensile strength member retracting portion 11 is provided near the end portion, and an intermediate hollow portion is provided. Forms the extra length of the optical fiber and the connection part storage part 12. The tensile strength member retaining portion 11 is provided with an engaging groove 14 at the end of the resin coating layer 4 of the optical cable 1 and a fitting groove 13 of the metal sleeve 7 attached to the end of the tensile strength member 3 of the optical cable 1.
Are formed.

A metal sleeve 7 is attached to the end of the strength member 3 exposed by stripping off the end portion of the optical cable 1 by crimping or the like. It is desirable that the metal sleeve 7 has a rectangular cross section to prevent the optical cable 1 from rotating. Then, the end portions of the outer coating layer of the optical cable 1 are provided with engaging grooves at both ends of the metal tube 10.
15 and the resin coating layer 4 end is engaged with the engagement groove 14, and the metal sleeve 7 attached to the end of the tensile strength body 3 is fitted into the fitting groove 13 to secure the strength of the tensile strength body 3. Hold the end.
At this time, it is preferable to reinforce the boundary between the optical cable 1 and the metal tube 10 so that the optical cable 1 is not excessively bent.

The optical fiber 2 of the optical cable 1 has a connection extra length 5 formed in a loop shape and has an extra length formed between the tension member detention parts 11 on both sides, and the optical fiber connection part 6 is provided in the connection part accommodation part 12.
It is housed together and the other half-split metal tube is combined to form the connection part. After the reinforcing portions 16 are formed on both ends of the metal cylinder 10, lead pipes 17 are provided by drawing or the like for protection.

[0010]

As described above, according to the connecting portion of the optical cable of the present invention, the metal sleeve is attached to the end portion of the strength member of the optical cable, and the metal sleeve is fitted in the fitting groove provided in the metal tube. The end portion of the tensile strength member can be positioned by holding it. Also, by storing the total length of the optical fiber and the connecting part in a metal tube, the finished outer diameter of the entire connecting part can be reduced, and it can be easily applied to a tape-shaped optical fiber core wire. it can. Therefore, when the present invention is applied to a factory-processed connection portion of an optical cable, the effect is great.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway vertical sectional view of a specific example of an optical cable connecting portion of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of a metal cylinder used in the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a conventional optical cable connecting portion.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 optical cable 2 optical fiber 3 tensile strength body 4 resin coating layer 5 optical fiber connection extra length 6 optical fiber connection portion 7 metal sleeve 10 metal cylinder 11 tensile strength body retention portion 12 extra length, connection portion storage portion 13 metal sleeve fitting groove 14 resin Engagement groove on coating layer end 15 Engagement groove on outer coating layer 16 Reinforcement body 17 Lead tube

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Katsuhiro Hosoe 1-3-3 Shimaya, Konohana-ku, Osaka Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. Osaka Works

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A metal sleeve attached to an end portion of a strength member of an optical cable to be connected is fitted into fitting grooves provided near both ends of the metal cylinder to hold the strength member, and at the same time, the metal cylinder. An optical cable splicing part, characterized in that an extra splicing length of the optical fiber and a splicing part are housed therein.