JPS6268635A - Production of metallic dividing piece composing pressure resistant layer of submarine optical cable - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the waterproofing and waterblocking of a product by composing the forming passage having a satin-finished part on the outer peripheral face of plural work rolls and by continuously inserting a metallic deformed wire into the forming passage thereof. CONSTITUTION:The 1st work roll 10 and the 2nd work roll 11 are arranged by providing the prescribed roll gap G. On the roll 10, the forming part 17 providing a recessed peripheral curved face is provided via a pair of taper peripheral faces 15 at the body part thereof. The roll 11 provides the taper peripheral face 18A which supports the taper peripheral face 15 of the roll 10 with sliding and forms a forming part 19 as well. A satin-finished part 20 is formed on the taper peripheral face 18A and projecting peripheral curved face 18 and a metallic deformed wire 13 is formed as the divided piece between the forming parts 17, 19 via a feeding roll. Due to the satin-finished work being formed on the peripheral face of the product, the adhesive surface area of the product is increased and the waterproofing and waterblocking thereof are improved.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a submarine optical cable that uses optical fiber as a transmission medium, and in particular, to a pressure-resistant layer of the submarine optical cable that protects the optical fiber (unit). The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing divided metal pieces.

(Conventional technology) Optical fibers have characteristics such as low loss, broadband performance, and light weight, so they are economically significant when used in submarine optical cables that transmit large amounts of information over long distances. There is real benefit.

FIG. 10 shows an example of the cross-sectional structure of such a submarine optical cable, in which 1 is an optical fiber unit, and 2 is a metallic material that protects the optical fiber unit 1 from high water pressure and is also used as a power supply path. This pressure-resistant layer 2 is composed of three fan-shaped pieces 2a, 2b, and 2c arranged vertically. The gap 3 in the pressure-resistant layer 2 is filled with a compound, and this compound is also filled in the gaps 3 between the tensile strength wires and metal tubes inside and outside the pressure-resistant layer 2, mainly to prevent water run-in. It is something. 4 is a tensile strength wire twisted around the outer periphery of the pressure-resistant layer 2, which mainly adds tensile strength to the submarine optical cable. Reference numeral 5 denotes a metal tube to which the tensile strength wire 4 is fixed, and the gaps between these tubes are also filled with compound. 6 is an insulating layer made of plastic or the like.

Note that the outer periphery of the insulating layer 6 may be provided with an exterior covering to prevent damage to the cable, if necessary.

The characteristics of such submarine optical cables are as follows:
As described in Publication No. 1, the divided pieces 2a, 2b, and 2c constituting the pressure-resistant layer 2 have characteristics.

That is, since the pressure-resistant layer 2 is fixed to the outer periphery of the optical fiber unit 1 with the divided pieces 2a, 2b, and 2c arranged vertically, it has a thickness that can sufficiently protect the optical fiber unit 1 even under high water pressure. It has the advantage that it can be made thicker, and also has the advantage that the pressure-resistant layer is not heat-molded during manufacturing, so the transmission characteristics of the optical fiber are not impaired.

Further, there are advantages such as being able to function as a tension member.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) However, when forming the pressure-resistant layer 2, these divided pieces 2a, 2b, and 2c are formed with the highest possible accuracy so that no steps are formed on the inner and outer peripheral surfaces. Although surface finishing is required, since the pressure-resistant layer 2 is formed by vertical alignment, when bending stress etc. are applied, the joint surfaces of the divided individual pieces 2a, 2b, 2c may shift or fall. Therefore, even if the inside of the pressure-resistant layer 2 is filled with the compound, there is a problem that the water running effect is not sufficiently exhibited. In particular, since it is not possible to apply a large pressure contact force to the optical fiber unit 1, the interlayer adhesion between the pressure layer 2 and the optical fiber unit 1 is low, and there is a concern that water running may occur.
The bonding surfaces of the divided pieces 2a, 2b, and 2c forming the pressure-resistant layer 2 are also filled with compound, but there is a sufficient risk of water running on these bonding surfaces as well.

This problem can be solved by applying a satin finish to the circumferential surface of each divided piece to effectively prevent water running, but applying a satin finish to the divided individual pieces means that the depth of the groove is small. For this reason, it is difficult to achieve a satin finish using short blasting or other methods.

In view of such circumstances, the present invention uses a processing roll having a satin-finished portion on its outer circumferential surface in manufacturing the divided metal pieces constituting the pressure-resistant layer, thereby producing divided individual pieces having a slight satin-finished portion. The purpose of this invention is to provide a manufacturing method for continuously producing .

(Means for Solving the Problems) The technical means taken by the present invention to achieve the above-mentioned requirements are characterized in that the pressure-resistant layer that protects the optical fiber unit is formed by combining individual metal pieces. In this method, a satin-finished portion is formed on the circumferential surface of the deformed metal wire by continuously inserting the deformed metal wire into a forming passage having a satin-finished portion formed by the outer peripheral surfaces of a plurality of processing rolls.

(Example) In FIG. 1, 10 is a first processing roll shown as a smooth roll, 11 is a second processing roll shown as a matte finish roll, and both rolls 10 and 11 are rotatable in the direction of the arrow.

Here, the term "freely rotatable" includes a case where it rotates freely and a case where one or both of them are actively rotated at the same speed.

12 is a pair of feed rolls, and 12A is a pair of feed rolls, each of which has a metal material deformed wire 13 having a fan-shaped cross section and a cross section formed by the outer peripheral surfaces of each of the first processing roll 10 and the second processing roll 11. It can be continuously inserted into the fan-shaped molding passage 14.

Referring to FIG. 2, the first processing roll 10 is provided with a forming portion 17 having a circumferential curved surface 16 via a pair of tapered circumferential surfaces 15 in its body, and the second processing roll 11 is provided with a forming portion 17 having a circumferential curved surface 16 via a pair of tapered circumferential surfaces 15. A circumferential groove having a tapered circumferential surface 18A that receives and supports the tapered circumferential surface 15 in sliding contact in a crowded manner, and a convex circumferential curved surface 18 at the groove bottom of the circumferential groove, where a molded portion 19 is formed. The image forming portions 17 and 19 form a forming passage 14 having a sector-shaped cross section.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, both the tapered peripheral surface 188 and the convex peripheral curved surface 18 of the molded part 19 are formed with a matte textured part 20 which is made uneven by, for example, shot blasting. For example, there are 50 to 30 pieces per 1 mm2, and the depth is 0.01 to 0.1 mm.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, a satin-finished portion 20 is formed only on the convex circumferential curved surface 18 of the molded portion 19.

In any case, the forming portion 17.19 of the first processing roll 10 and the second processing roll 11 constitutes a forming passage 14 having a fan-shaped cross section, and in this example, the forming portion 17.19 is formed through the engagement and sliding contact of the Taber peripheral surface 15.17. This allows relative deviation in the roll axis direction to be regulated and alignment to be possible.

Therefore, according to the apparatus of the illustrated example, the metal material deformed wire 13, which has a substantially fan-shaped cross section by wire drawing or extrusion, is formed into the first processing roll 10 and the second processing roll 11 via the feed roll 12. In the process of being continuously inserted into the passage 14 and sent out by the delivery roll 12A, the satin finished portion 20 forms a satin portion 21 on both the inner circumferential surface and the butt surface in the example shown in FIG. The irregularly shaped wire 138 shown in FIG. 4, that is, the divided individual pieces, each having a fan-shaped cross section, are continuously manufactured. In the example shown in FIG.
The deformed wire 138 shown in FIG. 5, which is formed on the inner circumferential surface, is continuously manufactured.

In addition, in FIGS. 2 and 3, G is a roll gap, and within this range, either one or both of the first processing roll 10 or the second processing roll 11 is not pressed by a pressing force holding mechanism (not shown). The force is adjustable.

In addition, the deformed wire 13A shown in FIG.
and plain portions 21A are formed alternately in the longitudinal direction of the line, and this means that in the second processing roll 11 shown in FIG. 3, the reference numeral 11A shown in FIG. It can be manufactured by using the formed processing roll 11. In the second processing roll 11 shown in FIG. 2, by alternately forming processed portions 20 and smooth portions, a deformed wire having plain portions and satin portions alternately not only on the inner circumferential surface but also on the abutting surface is manufactured. be able to.

In addition, in the example illustrated above, the forming part 1 of the first processing roll 10
7 is a smooth portion and does not have a satin-finished portion 20, but by forming the satin-finished portion 20 on the molded portion 17, a satin-finished portion 21 can also be formed on the outer peripheral surface. Also, the first processing roll 10. The second processing roll 11 has a satin-finished portion 21 formed on both sides, so that it can have the satin-finished portion 21 all over.

Furthermore, in the above example, the irregularly shaped line 13A, that is, the divided individual pieces are fan-shaped in cross section, but in the case of the pressure-resistant layer shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the cross-sectional shape of the divided individual pieces is not shown. When manufacturing the irregularly shaped wires 13B, 13G, 130 having these shapes, the molding passage 14 is shaped to match them.

(Effects of the Invention) The present invention provides a pressure-resistant layer for protecting an optical fiber unit that is formed by combining individual metal pieces, and in which a deformed metal wire is formed into a material having a satin finish formed by the outer peripheral surface of a plurality of processing rolls. It is characterized by forming a satin-finished part on the circumferential surface of the metal irregularly shaped wire by continuously inserting it into the passage, so the adhesion surface area is increased and the waterproofness and water-proofing properties are greatly improved. This method has the advantage of being able to continuously mass-produce divided pieces for forming a pressure-resistant layer.

In addition, in the embodiment, although only one pair of the first processing roll 10 and the second processing roll 11 is provided,
It may be configured by including a plurality of sets of both rolls in the manufacturing direction.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a front view of the device used in the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a front view of the device used in the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an arrow diagram of the second embodiment seen from the same direction as FIG. 2, and FIGS. 4 to 6 show three examples of irregularly shaped lines obtained by the present invention. Perspective views, Figures 7 to 9
The figures are explanatory diagrams showing the other side of the divided pieces obtained by the present invention in each combined state, and FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing a conventional cable. 10-first processing roll, 11-・second processing roll, 14
-・-Molding passage, 2t-matte part.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a pressure-resistant layer that protects an optical fiber unit, which is formed by combining individual metal pieces, the metal material deformed wire is formed to have a matte finish formed by the outer peripheral surface of a plurality of processing rolls. 1. A method of manufacturing individual divided metal pieces constituting a pressure-resistant layer of a submarine optical cable, characterized in that a matte finish is formed on the circumferential surface of a deformed metal wire by continuously inserting the wire into a passage.