JPH09120024A - Coated optical fiber ribbon - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make it possible to efficiently house and easily connect an optical fiber cable in and to an optical connector and to connect optical connectors of various numbers of cores while flexibly dealing with them by inclining both flank parts of coating layers in parallel with each other. SOLUTION: The coated optical fiber ribbon 3 is constituted by arranging plural pieces of optical fibers 1 formed by providing optical fibers with a primary coating consisting of a UV-curing resin, etc., in parallel on a plane and putting a common coating layer 2 consisting of a UV curing resin, etc., on the outer side thereof. The coating layer 2 is formed in the state of inclining its both flank parts so that these parts are paralleled with each other. Such optical fiber cable allows the housing of the coated optical fiber ribbon 3 as it is into the optical fiber cable without forming the coated fiber ribbon into the state of an optical fiber unit 12 and, therefore, a narrow space is enough for housing. Consequently, there is no need for increasing the diameter of the optical fiber cable itself and the efficient housing of the coated optical fiber ribbon 3 therein is made possible.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tape-shaped optical fiber core wire.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 4 shows an example of a conventional tape-shaped optical fiber core wire. As shown in FIG. 4, the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 3 includes, for example, four optical fiber element wires 1 each having a primary coating made of an ultraviolet curable resin or the like on the optical fiber, arranged in a plane and in parallel. The outer periphery thereof is covered with a common coating layer 2 made of an ultraviolet curable resin or the like. From the viewpoint of improving the mechanical strength and the like, the coating layer 2 is normally rounded on both side surfaces so as to have an arcuate cross section, as shown in FIG.
Such a tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 3 is usually housed in an optical fiber cable and laid in a predetermined place in that state.

After the optical fiber cable is laid, when terminal processing such as connection is performed, as shown in FIG.
The end portion of the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 3 is exposed in advance, the coating layer 2 of the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 3 is peeled off for a predetermined length to form the optical fiber exposed portion 13, and then the terminal treatment is performed. However, in FIG. 5 and FIGS. 7 and 3 described later,
For simplification of the drawing, the illustration of the primary coating applied to the outside of the optical fiber is omitted.

For this terminal processing, as shown in FIG. 5, the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 3 is connected to, for example, an optical connector 10 having a number of cores (twice here). There is. At that time, if the tape-shaped optical fiber core wires 3 were connected to the optical connector 10 one by one, it would take a lot of time.

Therefore, in order to simplify this connection work, conventionally, as shown in FIG. 6, before the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 3 is housed in the optical fiber cable, the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 3 is previously attached. The optical fiber unit 12 in which a plurality of (two in this case) are arranged in a plane and parallel to each other and the bind layer 11 is formed on the outside thereof is manufactured.

In this way, the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 3 is stored in the optical fiber cable in the state of the optical fiber unit 12, and after the optical fiber cable is laid, the tape is left as it is as shown in FIG. The optical fiber core wires 3 are collectively connected to the optical connector 10, and the labor for connecting the tape-shaped optical fiber core wires 3 to the optical connector 10 one by one is omitted.

Here, this optical fiber cable is, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, a tensile strength member 4 made of steel wire or the like,
The spacer 5 provided on the outer periphery thereof, the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 3 housed in the groove 6 provided in the surface of the spacer 5 in a spiral shape or an inverted spiral shape, and the spacer 5
It is composed of a press-winding layer 8 formed of a press-winding material such as a plastic tape formed on the outer periphery and a sheath layer 9 made of polyethylene or the like. When waterproofness is required, the groove 6 is filled with jelly 7 (waterproof mixture), water-absorbent powder, or the like, and the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 3 is buried therein.

[0008]

However, when the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 3 is formed into an optical fiber unit as described above, the side surfaces of the rounded coating layer 2 are abutted against each other as described above. Since the bind layer 11 is formed in a stable state, the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 3 is bent due to, for example, curing shrinkage of the bind layer 11, and as a result, as shown in FIG. However, there is a problem in product quality that the tape does not form a straight line in the width direction of the optical fiber core wire 3. If the optical fiber strand 1 is not straight in this way, the tip of the optical fiber unit 12 will not enter the optical connector 10, so that the optical fiber unit 12 cannot be successfully connected to the optical connector 10. .

Further, since the optical fiber unit 12 is formed by arranging a plurality of tape-shaped optical fiber core wires 3 in parallel in a plane, it has a shape which is widened in the width direction. In order to store 3 in the optical fiber cable in the state of the optical fiber unit 12, it is necessary to form the groove portion 6 of the spacer 5 in a wider state as shown in FIG. 8, so that the entire optical fiber cable has a large diameter. And the storage efficiency of the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 3 was also poor.

Furthermore, such an optical fiber unit 1
In 2, there is no expandability of the number of cores in one unit, so
For example, when the optical connector 10 is changed from the 8-fiber type to the 12-fiber type, the connection switching work is troublesome, such as newly laying the optical fiber unit 12 having the corresponding number of fibers.

As described above, the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 3
However, there were many problems due to the fact that the optical fiber unit 12 was in the state of.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object thereof is to efficiently store an optical fiber cable in the optical fiber cable without increasing the diameter thereof, and to easily carry out the optical fiber cable without forming an optical fiber unit. An object of the present invention is to provide a tape-shaped optical fiber core wire which can be connected to a connector and can be flexibly connected to optical connectors having various numbers of cores.

[0013]

The tape-shaped optical fiber core wire of the present invention is a tape-shaped optical fiber core wire in which a coating layer is provided outside a plurality of optical fiber element wires arranged in a plane and in parallel. The both side surfaces of the coating layer are inclined so as to be parallel to each other.

The tape-shaped optical fiber core wire of the present invention is characterized in that both side surfaces which are conventionally rounded in an arc shape as shown in FIG. 4 are inclined so as to be parallel to each other.

In order to connect such a tape-shaped optical fiber core wire to an optical connector having a larger number of cores than that, after laying an optical fiber cable accommodating the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 3. , Exposing the tape-shaped optical fiber cores of the cable end and arranging them in a flat and parallel contact state so that the desired number of cores is obtained, and the optical connector is kept as it is. Just connect to. Moreover, by changing the number of the tape-shaped optical fiber cores, it is possible to connect the optical connectors corresponding to various numbers of cores.

Therefore, when the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire of the present invention is housed in the optical fiber cable, it is not necessary to form the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire into an optical fiber unit, and it can be housed as it is.

As a result, the storage space for the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire in the optical fiber cable can be made narrower than that in the case where the optical fiber unit is stored, and it is not necessary to increase the diameter of the optical fiber cable. The storage efficiency of the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire is also improved.

Further, as described above, when connecting the tape-shaped optical fiber core wires to the optical connector, the tape-shaped optical fiber core wires are connected to each other as in the prior art while the rounded side surfaces are abutted against each other. Instead of forming a fiber unit, the side surfaces of the tape-shaped optical fiber cores can be abutted in close contact with each other, and can be connected to the optical connector without adhering the abutting surfaces. There is no concern about axis misalignment of the tape-shaped optical fiber core when forming the optical fiber unit.

Moreover, since both side surfaces of the coating layer of the tape-shaped optical fiber core are inclined so as to be parallel to each other, the area of the side surface of the tape-shaped optical fiber core is large. Therefore, it is possible to easily dispose a plurality of tape-shaped optical fiber core wires in a stable butted state in a planar and parallel contact state.

[0020]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 3 as an example of an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 3 has a plurality of optical fiber element wires 1 (four in this case) having a primary coating made of an ultraviolet curable resin or the like on the optical fiber and a planar shape. In parallel with each other, and a common coating layer 2 made of an ultraviolet curable resin or the like is covered on the outside thereof. However, the coating layer 2 is so that both side surfaces thereof are parallel to each other.
It is formed in an inclined state.

An example of an optical fiber cable (spacer 5 type optical fiber cable) accommodating such a tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 3 is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the optical fiber cable includes a strength member 4 made of steel wire or the like,
A spacer 5 provided on the outer side thereof, a tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 3 housed in a groove portion 6 of the spacer 5, and a holding winding layer 8 formed on the outside of the spacer 5 and formed by holding winding of a plastic tape or the like. , A sheath layer 9 made of polyethylene or the like. When waterproofness is required for this type of cable, the groove 6 may be filled with the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 3 and a water absorbing material such as jelly 7 or cellulose.

In such an optical fiber cable, as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 3 can be stored in the optical fiber cable as it is without being in the state of the optical fiber unit 12, so that the storage space for that can be made small. As a result, it is not necessary to increase the diameter of the optical fiber cable itself, and the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 3 can be efficiently stored inside.

Further, after the sheath layer 9 and the press-winding layer 8 at the end portion of this optical fiber cable are peeled off, the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 3 (here, four cores) in the groove portion 6 of the spacer 5 is removed.
When connecting the optical fiber 10 and the optical connector 10 (here, 8 cores), as shown in FIG. 3, the coating layer 2 and the primary coating at the tip of the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 3 are stripped for a predetermined length to expose the optical fiber. 13 is formed, and a plurality of tip portions (here, two) of the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 3 including this portion are brought into contact with side surfaces of both tape-shaped optical fiber core wires 3 in a plane and in parallel. It is arranged in a state and is directly connected to the optical connector 10. As described above, the connection between the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 3 and the optical connector 10 can be easily performed even though the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 3 is not formed as an optical fiber unit.

Here, in the example of the present embodiment, the number of cores of the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 3 is four, the number of cores is two, and the number of cores of the optical connector 10 is eight. Then, these numbers may be any number or any number. For example, the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 3 of 4 cores and the optical fiber core wire of 2 cores may be combined and connected to the 6-core optical connector 10.

Further, the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 3 of one example of the present embodiment is provided between the optical fiber element wire 1 and the coating layer 2,
For example, a printed layer or the like for identifying the core wire may be formed, or another coating layer may be formed on the outer side of the coating layer 2, that is, on the outer side of the plurality of optical fiber strands 1, It suffices that the common covering layer 2 is formed so that both side surface portions are inclined so as to be parallel to each other.

Further, in the example of this embodiment, the tape-shaped optical fiber core wires 3 are connected to the optical connector 10 in a state where they are simply abutted, but the tape-shaped optical fiber core wires 3 are affixed to each other at the abutting surface, Alternatively, this may be performed in a state in which the tape-shaped optical fiber core wires 3 are covered and fixed with a heat-shrinkable tube or the like.

[0027]

The tape-shaped optical fiber core wire of the present invention can be efficiently accommodated in the optical fiber cable without increasing the diameter of the optical fiber cable, and can be easily connected to the optical connector without forming an optical fiber unit. It can be flexibly connected to optical connectors with various numbers of cores. Moreover, when connecting this tape-shaped optical fiber core wire to the optical connector,
A plurality of tape-shaped optical fiber core wires in a stable state,
They can be arranged in a plane and in parallel with each other.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a tape-shaped optical fiber core wire as an example of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of an optical fiber cable accommodating a tape-shaped optical fiber core wire, which is an example of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an embodiment in which an optical connector is attached to a tape-shaped optical fiber core wire, which is an example of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a conventional tape-shaped optical fiber core wire.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of connecting a conventional tape-shaped optical fiber core to an optical connector without forming an optical fiber unit.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of an optical fiber unit manufactured from a conventional tape-shaped optical fiber core wire.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an example in which a conventional tape-shaped optical fiber core wire is formed into an optical fiber unit and connected to an optical connector.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a conventional optical fiber cable accommodating a tape-shaped optical fiber core wire.

FIG. 9 shows a conventional tape-shaped optical fiber

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Optical Fiber Element 2 Covering Layer 3 Tape-shaped Optical Fiber Core 4 Strength Element 5 Spacer 6 Groove 7 Jerry 8 Holding Winding Layer 9 Sheath Layer 10 Optical Connector 11 Bind Layer 12 Optical Fiber Unit 13 Optical Fiber Exposed Part

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A tape-shaped optical fiber core wire in which a coating layer is provided outside a plurality of optical fiber element wires arranged in a plane and parallel to each other, wherein both side surfaces of the coating layer are parallel to each other. A tape-shaped optical fiber core, characterized in that it is inclined so that.