JPH11305088A - Optical fiber unit and optical fiber cable using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily fins a specified optical fiber unit, without using a colored coated optical fiber tape by providing a colored string disposed parallelly to the length directions of the optical fiber unit in a unit material coating layer. SOLUTION: A colored string 11 disposed in parallel with to the length direction of this optical fiber unit 1 is provided inside a unit material coating layer. The colored string 11 is disposed at a position which is visible from the surface of the optical fiber unit 1 via the unit coating layer at the upper part of one of the flat parts of a laminated body. Also, the colored string 11 is colored to a color decided beforehand so as to correspond to the respective plural optical fiber units 1 housed in this optical fiber cable 6. Then, the color of the colored string 11 is easily visually confirmed from the surface of the optical fiber unit 1 through the unit material coating layer, without damaging the unit material coating layer.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical fiber unit that facilitates identification of optical fiber units, and an optical fiber cable using the same.

[0002]

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing an example of a conventional optical fiber unit, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing an example of a conventional optical fiber cable using the optical fiber unit shown in FIG. It is.

In FIG. 3, an optical fiber unit 1 comprises:
A collective coating layer made of an ultraviolet curable resin or the like is formed around the plurality of optical fiber strands 2 to form an optical fiber ribbon 3.
A laminate 4 obtained by laminating a plurality of the laminates is integrated by a unit material coating layer 5 made of an ultraviolet curable resin or the like.

In FIG. 4, an optical fiber cable 6
Comprises a plurality of optical fiber units 1 housed in a tube 7 made of an aluminum pipe or the like, and a sheath 8 made of an ultraviolet curable resin such as polyethylene or the like is formed around the tube 7. It is used by being entangled and twisted with a support wire 10 having a tension member 9 provided with a sheath 8.

[0005] In the optical fiber cable 6 using such an optical fiber unit 1, when the optical fiber cable 6 is bent or when a force is applied to the optical fiber cable 6, for example,
Since the unit material coating layer 5 reduces stress such as lateral pressure received from the tube 7 and the like, an increase in loss due to the stress hardly occurs, and the device has good loss characteristics. The optical fiber cable 6 using such an optical fiber unit 1 has an advantage that it can accommodate a large number of optical fiber wires 2 and is preferable for achieving high-density mounting of optical fibers. Things.

However, in the optical fiber cable 6 using such an optical fiber unit 1, when the optical fiber cable 6 is connected, the optical fiber cable 6 is connected from among the plurality of optical fiber units 1 included in the optical fiber cable 6. For example, when selecting the specific optical fiber unit 1, there is an inconvenience that it is difficult to find the specific optical fiber unit 1. Therefore, in order to reduce the above-mentioned inconvenience, the laminated body 4 is formed using a colored optical fiber tape core 3 as the optical fiber tape core 3 constituting the optical fiber unit 1, A method of easily identifying a specific optical fiber unit 1 is performed.

[0007]

However, in the method of using the colored optical fiber tape core wire 3, when the optical fiber unit 1 is manufactured, the laminate 4 is formed in various colors. A complicated operation of selecting a predetermined color from the colored optical fiber ribbon 3 and arranging it at a predetermined position is required, which has been a problem. In addition, in the method using such colored optical fiber ribbons, it is necessary to manage various types of optical fiber ribbons 3 having different colors, which is troublesome and troublesome.

Accordingly, the present invention solves such a problem and provides an optical fiber unit 1 that can easily find a specific optical fiber unit 1 without using a colored optical fiber tape core wire 3. The task is to provide. Another object of the present invention is to provide an optical fiber cable 6 in which a plurality of the optical fiber units 1 are housed in a tube 7 or a slot of a slot rod.

[0009]

An object of the present invention is to provide an optical fiber unit in which a plurality of single optical fibers or optical fiber tapes are integrated by a unit material coating layer. The problem can be solved by providing an optical fiber unit provided with a colored cord arranged in parallel with the length direction of the optical fiber unit, or by using the optical fiber unit as an optical fiber cable housed in a plurality of tubes or slots of a slot rod.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an example of the optical fiber unit of the present invention. This optical fiber unit 1
Is formed by laminating a plurality of optical fiber ribbons 3 in which a plurality of optical fiber strands 2 are integrated into a laminate 4,
Further, the laminate 4 is integrated by a unit material coating layer 5 made of an ultraviolet curable resin or the like, and is disposed inside the unit material coating layer 5 in parallel to the length direction of the optical fiber unit 1. It has a colored string 11. The colored string 11 is arranged above one flat portion of the laminate 4 and at a position visible from the surface of the optical fiber unit 1 via the unit material coating layer 5.

The colored cord 11 is colored in a predetermined color so as to correspond to each of the plurality of optical fiber units 1 housed in the optical fiber cable 6. Then, the colored string 11
Color without damaging the unit material coating layer 5,
It is preferable that the optical fiber unit 1 can be easily visually confirmed from the surface of the optical fiber unit 1 through the unit material coating layer 5, and for example, red, blue, green, purple, black, brown, white, and the like are preferable.

The colored string 11 used here is not particularly limited, but specific examples thereof include nylon,
Polyester, polypropylene, etc. can be used. In particular, polyester (“Tetron” brand name: manufactured by Toray Industries) cords are easy to color, flexible, and inexpensive. It is preferably used.

The colored cord 11 may be rectangular tape-shaped or circular in cross section, and is not particularly limited. For example, the tape-shaped colored cord 11 having a rectangular cross section may be used. In this case, the width can be set to 0.1 mm to 1000 mm, and the thickness can be set to 10 μm to 100 μm, and particularly preferably, the width is about 0.5 mm and the thickness is about 5.0 μm.

If the width and thickness of the colored string 11 are less than the above-mentioned ranges, it is difficult to distinguish the optical fiber units 1 from each other. When manufacturing the unit 1, the strength of the colored string 11 is weak, so that handling becomes difficult, which is not preferable. On the other hand, if the width and the thickness of the colored string 11 are out of the above range, the colored string 11 is easily buckled and adversely affects the loss of the optical fiber. Of the unit material coating layer 5 at the portion where the colored string 11 is arranged is undesirably reduced.

By the way, the position of the colored string 11 inside the unit material coating layer 5 can be provided at an arbitrary position as long as the colored string 11 is arranged in parallel to the length direction of the optical fiber unit 1. However, when the color of the colored string 11 is visually confirmed from the surface of the optical fiber unit 1 through the unit material coating layer 5 by being located closer to the outside of the unit material coating layer 5, Since the color becomes clearer, the color can be more clearly and easily confirmed, which is preferable.

The colored string 11 is provided inside the unit material covering layer 5 and may be provided in a single number as shown in the example of FIG. You can also.

In order to manufacture such an optical fiber unit 1, a plurality of optical fiber ribbons 3 in which a plurality of optical fiber strands 2 are integrated are laminated to form a laminate 4, which is then colored. This is performed by, for example, disposing the string 11 in parallel with the length direction of the optical fiber unit 1 and further integrating the laminate 4 and the colored string 11 with a unit material coating layer 5 made of an ultraviolet curable resin or the like. .

Since such an optical fiber unit 1 has a colored string 11 arranged in parallel with the length direction of the optical fiber unit 1 inside the unit material coating layer 5, it is predetermined. The color of the colored string 11 that is colored can be easily confirmed visually from the surface of the optical fiber unit 1 through the unit material coating layer 5, and the colored string 11 is colored. By the color, the specific optical fiber unit 1 corresponding to the color can be easily identified.

Also, such an optical fiber unit 1
For example, in the case where a specific optical fiber unit 1 is selected from a plurality of optical fiber units 1, even if the colors of all the optical fiber ribbons 3 constituting the optical fiber unit 1 are the same, Since the specific optical fiber unit 1 can be easily identified, as in the case where the optical fiber unit 1 is identified using the colored optical fiber ribbon 3,
In the manufacture of the optical fiber tape core wires colored in various colors, it is possible to eliminate the need for the complicated work of selecting a predetermined color and arranging it in a predetermined position, and The troublesome labor of managing the different optical fiber ribbons 3 can be eliminated.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing an example of the optical fiber cable of the present invention. In FIG. 2, an optical fiber cable 6 houses a plurality of the optical fiber units 1 in a tube 7 made of an aluminum pipe or the like, and a sheath 8 made of an ultraviolet curable resin such as polyethylene or the like is provided around the tube 7. Is formed. The optical fiber cable 6 is used by being entangled with a support wire 10 having a tension member 9 provided with a sheath 8, twisted together, and wired.

In order to manufacture such an optical fiber cable 6, it is possible to manufacture the optical fiber cable 6 by a method similar to a generally used method. For example, a plurality of the optical fiber units 1 can be manufactured from an aluminum pipe or the like. And a sheath 8 made of polyethylene or the like is extrusion-coated on the periphery of the tube 7 to form an optical fiber cable 6.
And so on.

Since such an optical fiber cable 6 has a plurality of optical fiber units 1 housed in a tube 7 or a slot of a slot rod, for example,
For example, when the optical fiber unit 1 is connected, a specific optical fiber is selected from a plurality of optical fiber units 1 included in the optical fiber cable 6 according to the color of the colored cord 11 included in the optical fiber unit 1. Unit 1
Can be easily identified.

The optical fiber unit 1 of the present invention is not limited to the optical fiber unit using the optical fiber ribbon 3, but is a group of a plurality of optical fiber single cores composed of one optical fiber 2 Can also be used. Also,
The position of the colored string 11 included in the optical fiber unit 1 is not limited to the above example, and may be any position inside the unit material coating layer 5.

[0024]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to embodiments. An optical fiber unit 1 having the structure shown in FIG. That is, four optical fiber strands 2 are arranged in parallel, a collective coating layer is formed on the periphery thereof, and an integrated optical fiber tape core wire 3 having a width of 0.3 mm and a thickness of 1.1 mm is formed. And three of these are laminated to form a laminate 4
Then, the laminate 4 is made of polyester ("Tetron" trade name: manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc.) having a width of 0.
A unit material coating layer 5 was formed by coating with a UV curable resin together with a colored string 11 having a thickness of 5 mm and a thickness of 5 μm and an outer diameter of 1.7.
mm optical fiber unit 1 was prepared.

When the optical fiber unit 1 is manufactured, as the colored cord 11 used for the optical fiber unit 1, there are two optical fibers, an optical fiber unit 1 using a red one and an optical fiber unit 1 using a blue one. Fiber unit 1
It was created. Further, as the optical fiber ribbon 3 constituting the optical fiber unit 1, an optical fiber ribbon 3 using an optical fiber strand 2 colored in a general color is used. The laminate 4 consisting of the line 3 “# 1- # 2- # 3- # 4: (blue, yellow,
(Green) -white-white-pink ".

Subsequently, an optical fiber cable 6 as shown in FIG. 2 was prepared by using the optical fiber unit 1 as a test body prepared as described above. That is, the two optical fiber units 1 as test specimens are housed in a tube 7 made of an aluminum pipe having an inner diameter of 3.8 mm, and then a sheath 8 is formed around the tube 7 to form an optical fiber cable. No. 6 was created.

The optical fiber cable 6 thus prepared
In contrast, it was observed whether the optical fiber unit 1 using the red colored string 11 and the optical fiber unit 1 using the blue colored string 11 can be distinguished. The optical fiber cable 6 was examined for its ability to take out the optical fiber ribbon 3. further,
Loss characteristics of the two optical fiber units 1 as test specimens and the optical fiber cable 6 (initial loss: low temperature −3)
0 ° C. and high temperature 70 ° C.).

As a result, the two optical fiber units 1 housed inside the optical fiber cable 6 can be easily identified by the color of the colored string 11 of each test piece. I was able to confirm that it was possible. In addition, it became clear that the colored string 11 of these test pieces did not hinder the take-out of the optical fiber ribbon 3 from the optical fiber cable 6. Further, two optical fiber units 1 as test specimens and the optical fiber cable 6
No increase in loss was observed in any of the cases, and it was confirmed that the colored string 11 of the test body did not hinder the loss characteristics.

[0029]

As described above, the optical fiber unit according to the present invention is an optical fiber unit in which a plurality of single optical fibers or optical fiber tapes are integrated by a unit material coating layer. Since the material coating layer is provided with a colored cord arranged in parallel to the length direction of the optical fiber unit, the colored cord is previously colored without using a colored optical fiber ribbon. By the determined color, a specific optical fiber unit corresponding to the color can be easily identified.

In the optical fiber cable of the present invention, the optical fiber unit is housed in a plurality of tubes or slots of a slot rod. Depending on the color of the colored string colored in a predetermined color, a specific optical fiber unit requiring connection can be easily identified from a plurality of optical fiber units and can be easily selected. Things.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an example of an optical fiber unit according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing an example of the optical fiber cable of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing an example of a conventional optical fiber unit.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a conventional optical fiber cable.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Optical fiber unit, 2 ... Optical fiber wire, 3 ... Optical fiber tape core, 5 ... Unit material coating layer, 6 ... Optical fiber cable, 11 ... Colored string

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An optical fiber unit in which a plurality of optical fiber single wires or optical fiber tape wires are integrated by a unit material coating layer, wherein the unit material coating layer is provided in the length direction of the optical fiber unit. An optical fiber unit provided with colored strings arranged in parallel. 2. An optical fiber cable, wherein the optical fiber unit according to claim 1 is housed in a plurality of tubes or slots of a slot rod.