JP2007010919A - Optical fiber unit and optical fiber cable - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical fiber unit having high identifiability of the optical fiber units from each other by improving the identifiability of thread-like fibers and coated optical fibers, and to provide an optical fiber cable. <P>SOLUTION: The thread-like fibers 12 can be identified easily from the coated optical fibers 11, by an identifying means 13 intermittently provided on the thread-like fibers 12 and therefore, the easy identification of the optical fiber units 10 from each other by the colors etc., of the thread-like fibers 12 can be made possible. Meanwhile, the identifying means can be exemplified by nodes and rings of bundled threads 12, flags, etc. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical fiber unit and an optical fiber cable. For example, by facilitating discrimination between a fiber bundle bundled with optical fiber cores and an optical fiber core wire, the discrimination between the optical fiber units is improved. The present invention relates to an optical fiber unit and an optical fiber cable.

Conventionally, an optical fiber unit formed by winding a thread around a plurality of optical fiber cores in order to improve the efficiency of use of the optical fiber core when branching several optical fibers in the middle part of the optical cable laying Is disclosed (for example, see Patent Document 1).
As shown in FIG. 8, in the optical fiber cable 100 disclosed in Patent Document 1, a cable core composed of a plurality of optical fiber cores 101 is accommodated in a pipe-shaped sheath 102, and the cable core and the pipe-shaped sheath 102 are accommodated. The buffer layer 103 is provided between the two. The cable core is composed of a plurality of optical fiber units 104, and the optical fiber unit 104 is configured by bundling a plurality of optical fiber core wires 101 with thread fibers 105. A tensile body 106 is provided inside the sheath 102.
JP 2003-302560 A

  By the way, in the optical fiber cable 100 disclosed in Patent Document 1, a plurality of optical fiber cores 101 are bundled using a thread-like fiber 105 having the same color as one of the optical fiber cores 101 in the optical fiber unit 104. . This fiber 105 has substantially the same color and thickness as the optical fiber core 101 (thread fiber: 0.1-0.2 mm, optical fiber core: 0.25 mm), and the optical fiber core 101 is twisted. Since the pitch and the winding pitch of the filamentous fiber 105 are approximate, the two are arranged substantially in parallel. For this reason, there is a problem that the discrimination between the fiber filament 105 and the optical fiber core wire 101 is deteriorated, and the discrimination between the optical fiber units 104 by the filament fiber 105 is deteriorated.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to increase the discriminability between optical fiber units by increasing the discriminability between a filamentous fiber and an optical fiber core wire. It is to provide a unit and a fiber optic cable.

  In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the first feature of the optical fiber unit according to the present invention is an optical fiber unit in which a plurality of optical fiber cores having different coating colors are wound and integrated with a filamentous fiber, The yarn-like fiber is intermittently provided with identification means for identifying the fiber core.

  In the optical fiber unit configured as described above, the filamentous fiber can be identified from the optical fiber core wire by the identification means provided intermittently in the filamentous fiber. Identification can be performed easily.

  A second feature of the optical fiber unit according to the present invention is that, in the first feature of the present invention, the identification means is a knot provided on the filamentous fiber.

  In the optical fiber unit configured as described above, since the filamentous fiber can be identified from the optical fiber core wire by the knot provided intermittently in the filamentous fiber, the identification of the optical fiber unit is performed based on the color of the filamentous fiber. Can be easily performed. Moreover, since the knot is integral with the filamentous fiber, it does not come off.

  The third feature of the optical fiber unit according to the present invention is that, in the second feature of the present invention, the knot has a ring portion.

  In the optical fiber unit configured as described above, the knot provided as the identification means is conspicuous by the ring portion, so that the filamentous fiber can be easily identified from the optical fiber core wire. Further, the optical fiber unit can be easily taken out by grasping the ring portion.

  A fourth feature of the optical fiber unit according to the present invention is that, in the third feature of the present invention, the circumference of the knot ring portion is 10 mm or less.

  In the optical fiber unit configured as described above, by restricting the size of the knot ring portion, it is possible to prevent the ring portions from being entangled with each other and other thread-like fibers.

  According to a fifth feature of the optical fiber unit of the present invention, in any one of the first to fourth features of the present invention, the pitch of the identification means is a bundle of the filamentous fibers on the optical fiber core wire. It is that it is 1/3 or less of the pitch.

  In the optical fiber unit configured as described above, since the identification means such as a knot is provided at intervals of 1/3 or less of the pitch in which the filamentous fibers are wound to bundle the optical fiber cores, the filamentous fibers are optical fiber cores. The identification means can always be visually recognized during one round of the circumference of the line. For this reason, a filamentous fiber can be reliably identified from an optical fiber core wire.

  A sixth feature of the optical fiber cable according to the present invention is that a cable core in which the optical fiber units according to any one of the first to fifth features of the present invention are arranged in a plurality of groups is replaced with a pipe-shaped sheath. It is in the structure accommodated inside.

  In the optical fiber cable configured as described above, since the optical fiber core wire and the filamentous wire thread in each optical fiber unit can be easily distinguished by the identification means provided in the filamentous fiber, the pipe is formed by the filamentous fiber. The optical fiber unit contained in the inner sheath can be easily identified. For this reason, it is possible to improve the work efficiency of the intermediate post-branch work and prevent erroneous work.

  According to a seventh aspect of the optical fiber cable of the present invention, the optical fiber unit according to any one of the first to fifth aspects is formed on the outer surface of a slot rod having a tensile body at the axial center. The slot groove is accommodated and the outer surface of the slot rod is covered with a sheath.

  In the optical fiber cable configured as described above, the fiber contained in the slot groove by the thread fiber can be easily distinguished from the optical fiber core wire in each optical fiber unit by the thread fiber identification means. The fiber unit can be easily identified, the work efficiency of the intermediate post-branching work can be improved, and erroneous work can be prevented.

  According to the present invention, since it is difficult to distinguish between a fiber thread and an optical fiber core wire as in the prior art, it is possible to eliminate the problem that it is difficult to identify each optical fiber unit by the fiber thread. Since the filamentous fiber and the optical fiber core wire can be easily distinguished, the effect that the optical fiber unit can be easily identified by the filamentous fiber is obtained.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the optical fiber unit of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing another example of the optical fiber unit, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing still another example of the optical fiber unit. 4 is an explanatory view of the pitch for providing the identification means, FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the optical fiber cable according to the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the optical fiber cable according to the present invention. .

As shown in FIG. 1, an optical fiber unit 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is an optical fiber in which a plurality of optical fiber core wires 11 having different coating colors are wound around bundle yarns 12 that are filamentous fibers and integrated. In the unit 10, the bundle yarn 12 is intermittently provided with, for example, a knot 13 as identification means for identifying the optical fiber core wire 11.
Therefore, since the bundle yarn 12 can be identified from the optical fiber core wire 11 by the knot 13 provided intermittently on the bundle yarn 12, the optical fiber unit 10 can be easily identified by the color of the bundle yarn 12 or the like. Will be able to. Note that the optical fiber unit 10 can be easily identified by changing the color of the bundle yarn 12 for each optical fiber unit 10.

As in the optical fiber unit 10 </ b> B shown in FIG. 2, the knot 13 is preferably formed to have a ring portion 14.
Therefore, the knot 13 provided as the identification means is conspicuous by the ring portion 14, so that the bundle yarn 12 can be easily identified from the optical fiber core wire 11. Further, by grasping the ring portion 14, the optical fiber unit 10B can be easily taken out.

The circumference of the ring portion 14 of the knot 13 is desirably 10 mm or less.
Thus, by restricting the size of the ring portion 14 of the knot 13, it is possible to prevent the bundle yarn 12 and the ring portion 14 from being entangled.

Further, as in the optical fiber unit 10C shown in FIG. 3, a flag 15 can be provided as identification means. The flag 15 can be attached to the knot 13 provided on the bundle yarn 12 as described above, but the flag 15 can be directly attached to the bundle yarn 12 without providing the knot 13.
Therefore, since the bundle yarn 12 can be identified from the optical fiber core wire 11 by the flag 15 provided intermittently on the bundle yarn 12, the optical fiber unit 10 can be easily identified by the color of the bundle yarn 12 or the like. Will be able to. It is desirable that the size of the flag 15 be set so as not to be entangled with the other flags 15 or the bundle yarn 12. Further, by changing the color or pattern of the flag 15 for each optical fiber unit 10C, the optical fiber unit 10C can be easily identified.

As shown in FIG. 4, it is desirable that the pitch P1 of the knot 13, the ring portion 14, or the flag 15, which is an identification means, be 1/3 or less of the bundle pitch P0 of the bundle yarn 12 on the optical fiber core wire 11.
Accordingly, since the bundle yarn 12 is provided with the identification means such as the knot 13 at a pitch P1 which is 1/3 or less of the pitch P0 around which the optical fiber core wire 11 is bundled, the bundle yarn 12 is attached to the optical fiber core wire 11. The identification means exists within a range that can be visually recognized during one round of the circumference. For this reason, the bundle yarn 12 can be reliably identified from the optical fiber core wire 11.

Next, the optical fiber cable 20 according to the present invention will be described.
As shown in FIG. 5, the optical fiber cable 20 according to the present invention includes the optical fiber units 10, 10 </ b> B, and 10 </ b> C described above (except for the case where both the optical fiber units 10, 10 </ b> B, and 10 </ b> C are distinguished below). A description will be given of the fiber unit 10. The cable cores 21 arranged in a plurality of groups are accommodated in a pipe-like sheath 22.
In addition, tension members 23 and 23 are provided inside and outside the sheath 22 with the cable core 21 interposed therebetween. Further, for example, a support portion 24 having a support wire 24 a formed by twisting a plurality of steel wires can be used by being connected to the sheath 22 via the connection portion 25.

FIG. 6 shows another example of the optical fiber cable. In this optical fiber cable 30, the above-described optical fiber unit 10 is accommodated in a slot groove 33 formed on the surface of a slot rod 32 having a tension member 31 that is a tensile member at the center of the axis, and the outer surface of the slot rod 32 is sheathed 34. It is coated with.
Similarly to the case of FIG. 5, the support portion 35 having the support line 35 a can be used by being connected to the sheath 34 via the connection portion 36. Here, the case where five slot grooves 33 are provided and five optical fiber units 10 are accommodated has been described, but the number of slot grooves 33 and optical fiber units 10 is not limited to this. Further, a mark 37 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the slot rod 32 so that a predetermined slot groove 33 can be specified.

  As described above, according to the optical fiber unit 10 and the optical fiber cables 20 and 30 described above, when the optical fiber core wires 11 having different coating colors are wound and integrated with the bundle yarn 12, the identification means is attached to the bundle yarn 12. Therefore, the bundle yarn 12 can be easily identified from the optical fiber core wire 11. For this reason, the optical fiber unit 10 can be easily identified by the color of the bundle yarn 12, the flag 15, or the like.

The optical fiber unit and the optical fiber cable of the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and appropriate modifications and improvements can be made.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, a case has been described in which a plurality of bundle yarns 12 are spirally wound in the S direction and the Z direction and bundled so that the bundle yarns 12 intersect in a cross shape. As shown in FIG. 7, the bundle fiber 12 can be wound in a spiral in one direction to bundle the optical fiber core wire 11.

  As described above, the optical fiber unit and the optical fiber cable according to the present invention can easily distinguish between the fiber filament and the optical fiber core wire by the filamentous fiber identification means, and therefore the fiber optic unit can be easily used with the fiber filament. For example, by facilitating the discrimination between the fiber bundles bundled with the optical fiber cores and the optical fiber core wires, thereby improving the discrimination between the optical fiber units. It is useful as an optical fiber unit and an optical fiber cable.

It is a perspective view which shows embodiment which concerns on the optical fiber unit of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows another optical fiber unit. It is a perspective view which shows another optical fiber unit. It is explanatory drawing of the pitch which provides an identification means. It is sectional drawing which shows the optical fiber cable concerning this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows another optical fiber cable concerning this invention. It is a perspective view which shows another way of winding a filamentous fiber. It is sectional drawing which shows the conventional optical fiber cable.

Explanation of symbols

10 Optical fiber unit 11 Optical fiber core wire 12 Bundle yarn (filamentous fiber)
13 Knot (identification means)
14 Wheel part (identification means)
15 Flag (identification means)
20, 30 Optical fiber cable 21 Cable core 22 Sheath 31 Tension member (strength member)
32 Slot rod 33 Slot groove 34 Sheath P0 Bundle pitch P1 Pitch of identification means

Claims (7)

An optical fiber unit in which a plurality of optical fiber cores having different coating colors are wound with a filamentous fiber and integrated,
An optical fiber unit, wherein the filamentary fiber is intermittently provided with identification means for identifying the fiber core.   The optical fiber unit according to claim 1, wherein the identification unit is a knot provided on the filamentous fiber.   The optical fiber unit according to claim 2, wherein the knot is formed to have a ring portion.   The optical fiber unit according to claim 3, wherein the circumference of the knot ring portion is 10 mm or less.   The optical fiber unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a pitch of the identification means is 1/3 or less of a bundle pitch of the filamentous fibers on the optical fiber core wire.   An optical fiber cable comprising a cable core in which the optical fiber units according to any one of claims 1 to 5 are arranged in a plurality of groups and housed in a pipe-shaped sheath.   The optical fiber unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5 is accommodated in a slot groove formed on an outer surface of a slot rod having a tensile body at an axial center, and the outer surface of the slot rod is covered with a sheath. An optical fiber cable characterized by having a configuration as described above.

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