JP2013221966A - Optical fiber ribbon and optical fiber cable - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical fiber ribbon which allows at least one of a plurality of collectively coated optical fiber strands to be easily separated as a single core.SOLUTION: An optical fiber ribbon 1 includes a plurality of optical fiber strands 10 and 11 arranged in a parallel on a plane and a coating layer 20 integrally covering peripheries of the plurality of optical fiber strands 10 and 11. The plurality of optical fiber strands 10 and 11 include at least one first optical fiber strand 10 having a first outer diameter D1 and at least one second optical fiber strand 11 having a second outer diameter D2 smaller than the first outer diameter D1.

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical fiber ribbon and an optical fiber cable formed by collectively covering optical fiber strands having different strand diameters.

  In a four-core optical fiber ribbon in which a plurality of (for example, four) optical fibers are parallelly covered with a coating layer, all four optical fibers can be separated into a single core. It is difficult to extract only a specific number of the four optical fibers and separate them into a single core. Therefore, in order to be able to take out the optical fiber in units of a plurality, two tape cores (subunits) in which a plurality of optical fibers (for example, two) are parallelly covered with a coating layer in parallel are coated on a plane. There is known a four-fiber optical fiber ribbon that is arranged in parallel and collectively covers the periphery of the subunit with a coating layer (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2007-148270 A

  The optical fiber tape core described in Patent Document 1 has a structure in which the optical fiber tape core is covered with two coating layers. Therefore, when it is desired to take out only two single optical fibers from the optical fiber ribbon, it is necessary to divide the optical fiber tape once into subunits and then separate one subunit into single optical fibers. The single-core separation process becomes complicated. In addition, since it is necessary to form the coating layer made of resin or the like with two layers, the manufacturing process of the optical fiber ribbon and the amount of resin used increase, leading to an increase in manufacturing cost.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an optical fiber ribbon and an optical fiber cable that can easily perform single-core separation for a specific number of optical fibers in the optical fiber.

  In order to achieve the above object, an optical fiber ribbon of the present invention includes a plurality of optical fiber strands arranged in parallel on a plane and a coating that integrally covers the periphery of the plurality of optical fiber strands. A plurality of optical fiber strands, wherein the plurality of optical fiber strands have at least one first optical fiber strand having a first outer diameter and a second outer diameter smaller than the first outer diameter. And having at least one second optical fiber.

  In the optical fiber ribbon of the present invention, it is preferable that the first outer diameter is 250 μm ± 10% and the second outer diameter is 200 μm ± 10%.

  The optical fiber ribbon of the present invention preferably has an interval between the centers of adjacent optical fiber strands of 250 μm among the plurality of optical fiber strands.

  Moreover, the thickness of the coating layer on the line extending in the direction orthogonal to the parallel direction of the plurality of optical fiber strands from the center of the first optical fiber strand, It is preferable that the thickness is smaller than the thickness of the coating layer on a line extending from the center of the second optical fiber strand in a direction orthogonal to the parallel direction of the plurality of optical fiber strands.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the optical fiber tape core wire of the present invention has a recess formed in the coating layer according to a recess between adjacent optical fiber strands.

  Furthermore, the optical fiber cable of the present invention contains at least one optical fiber ribbon as described above.

  According to the optical fiber ribbon of the present invention, when the optical fiber ribbon is squeezed with a dedicated separating tool, it can be separated in order from the first optical fiber having a larger strand diameter. Therefore, single-core separation can be easily performed for a specific number of optical fiber strands in the optical fiber ribbon, with fewer steps, and work efficiency can be improved.

It is sectional drawing which shows the optical fiber tape cable core which concerns on 1st embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the optical fiber tape cable core which concerns on 2nd embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the optical fiber tape cable core which concerns on 3rd embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the optical fiber tape cable core which concerns on 4th embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows an example of the optical fiber tape cable core which concerns on the modification of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the optical fiber cable which concerns on this invention.

  Hereinafter, a plurality of embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
First, with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the example of 1st embodiment which concerns on this invention is demonstrated.
As shown in FIG. 1, an optical fiber ribbon 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes at least one optical fiber 10 (an example of a first optical fiber) and a plurality ( Here, for example, three optical fiber strands 11 (an example of a second optical fiber strand) are juxtaposed on a plane, and these are collectively covered with the coating layer 20.

  The optical fiber 10 is obtained by coating a glass fiber 13 with a coating layer 14. The optical fiber 11 is obtained by coating a glass fiber 13 with a coating layer 15. The glass fiber 13 has a core 13a and a clad 13b around it, and the outer diameter of the clad 13b is, for example, 125 μm. As the optical fiber wires 10 and 11, an optical fiber (AGF: All Glass Fiber) in which the core 13a and the clad 13b are made of quartz glass, an optical fiber (HPCF: Hard Plastic Clad Fiber) in which the clad 13b is made of hard plastic, or the like is used. be able to.

The coating layers 14 and 15 are made of an ultraviolet curable resin or the like, and may be colored so that the optical fiber strands 10 and 11 can be identified. The covering layers 14 and 15 may have a structure in which a plurality of layers are laminated in the radial direction. As this multi-layer structure, there are a two-layer structure having an inner layer and an outer layer covering the periphery thereof, or a three-layer structure having a colored layer covering the inner layer, the outer layer and the periphery thereof.

  The outer diameter D1 (an example of the first outer diameter) of the coating layer 14 of the optical fiber 10 is, for example, in the range of 250 μm ± 10%, and preferably, for example, 250 μm. The outer diameter D2 (an example of the second outer diameter) of the coating layer 15 of the optical fiber 11 is, for example, in the range of 200 μm ± 10%, and preferably, for example, 200 μm. That is, the optical fiber 11 has an outer diameter smaller than the outer diameter D1 of the coating layer 14 of the optical fiber 10 around the glass fiber 13 having the same outer diameter as the glass fiber 13 of the optical fiber 10. It is formed by coating the coating layer 15 of D2.

  As the coating layer 20 that collectively covers the optical fiber strands 10 and 11 arranged in parallel, an ultraviolet curable resin that is a base resin having the same composition as the coating layers 14 and 15 of the optical fiber strands 10 and 11 is used. preferable. The thickness T1 of the coating layer 20 including the optical fiber strands 10 and 11 is, for example, 300 μm. Moreover, the thickness T2 of the coating layer 20 on a line extending in the direction orthogonal to the parallel direction of the optical fiber strands 10 and 11 from the center of the optical fiber strand 10 is, for example, 25 μm, and from the center of the optical fiber strand 11 A thickness T3 of the coating layer 20 on a line extending in a direction orthogonal to the parallel direction of the optical fiber strands 10 and 11 is, for example, 50 μm.

In the present embodiment, “single-core separation” means that, for example, a single-core optical fiber 10 is separated from the optical fiber ribbon 1 and taken out.
When single-fiber separation of the optical fiber strand 10 from the optical fiber ribbon 1 according to the present embodiment, the optical fiber ribbon 1 is sandwiched by a dedicated separation tool (not shown) and the coating layer 20 is rubbed. As a result, the coating layer 20 is gradually peeled off, and the optical fiber strand 10 having the smallest thickness of the surrounding coating layer 20 is exposed first, and only this single optical fiber strand 10 is separated into a single core. . In a state where the optical fiber strand 10 is exposed, the optical fiber strand 11 in which the surrounding coating layer 20 is thicker than the periphery of the optical fiber strand 10 remains covered with the coating layer 20. When it is desired to separate the optical fiber 11 from a single core, the coating layer 20 may be further rubbed with a separation tool.

  As described above, according to the optical fiber ribbon 1 of the first embodiment configured as described above, the optical fiber 10 having the outer diameter D1 and the outer diameter smaller than the outer diameter D1 of the optical fiber 10. Since it has the optical fiber strand 11 which has D2, when the optical fiber tape core wire 1 is squeezed with a separation tool not shown, it can isolate | separate in order from the optical fiber strand 10 with a large strand diameter. Therefore, when only the optical fiber 10 is separated, the single-core separation can be performed with the minimum number of rubbing, and the working efficiency can be improved.

  Furthermore, according to the optical fiber ribbon 1 of the first embodiment, the plurality of optical fiber strands 10 and 11 arranged in parallel are covered with only one coating layer 20 made of, for example, an ultraviolet curable resin. The optical fiber ribbon 1 can be configured, and it is not necessary to cover with two or more coating layers. Therefore, the manufacturing process of the optical fiber ribbon 1 can be simplified, the amount of resin used can be reduced, and the production cost of the optical fiber ribbon 1 can be suppressed.

(Second embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the optical fiber ribbon according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, about the part which is the same as that of 1st embodiment, or an equivalent part, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to drawing, and the description is abbreviate | omitted or simplified.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the optical fiber ribbon 2 of the present embodiment has, for example, two optical fiber strands 10 and, for example, two optical fiber strands 11.

  In the optical fiber ribbon 2, it is preferable that the optical fiber strand 10 and the optical fiber strand 11 are arranged such that the distance between the centers of adjacent strands is, for example, 250 μm. That is, the optical fiber strands 10 having an outer diameter D1 of 250 μm are in contact with each other and arranged in parallel, between the optical fiber strands 11 having an outer diameter D2 of 200 μm, and between the optical fiber strand 10 and the optical fiber strand 11. Are arranged in parallel with a gap so that the distance between the centers of the optical fiber strands is 250 μm. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the coating layer 20 enters between the optical fiber strands 11 and between the optical fiber strand 10 and the optical fiber strand 11.

  When splicing optical fiber ribbons together, position the optical fiber ribbon to a fiber holder provided in a general-purpose fusion splicer, and connect the optical fiber ribbon to the opposite optical fiber ribbon. Collective fusion connection is made in a state of being held in contact with the connection end of the wire. A fiber holder provided in a conventionally used fusion splicer is often designed to hold an optical fiber ribbon having an interval between the centers of optical fiber strands of 250 μm. Therefore, according to the optical fiber ribbon 2 of the second embodiment configured as described above, it is easy to use a general-purpose fusion splicer while allowing single-core separation with fewer steps. Batch fusion can be performed.

  When the optical fiber 10 is separated from the optical fiber ribbon 2 according to the present embodiment, the optical fiber ribbon 1 is sandwiched by a dedicated separating tool (not shown), and the coating layer 20 is rubbed. As a result, the coating layer 20 is gradually peeled off, and the two optical fiber strands 10 are first exposed and separated from each other. In a state where the optical fiber strand 10 is exposed, the optical fiber strand 11 in which the surrounding coating layer 20 is thicker than the periphery of the optical fiber strand 10 remains covered with the coating layer 20. When it is desired to separate the optical fiber 11 from a single core, the coating layer 20 may be further rubbed with a separation tool.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment of the optical fiber ribbon according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, about the part which is the same as that of 1st embodiment, or an equivalent part, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to drawing, and the description is abbreviate | omitted or simplified.

  In the first embodiment, the thickness T1 of the outer periphery of the coating layer 20 is constant regardless of the depression between the adjacent optical fiber strands 10, 11, but as shown in FIG. In the optical fiber ribbon 3 according to the embodiment, a recess 20a is formed in the coating layer 20 in accordance with the depression between the adjacent optical fibers 10 and 11.

  According to the optical fiber ribbon 3 of the third embodiment configured as described above, the thickness of the coating layer 20 can be reduced in the recess between the adjacent optical fibers 10 and 11. Therefore, when the optical fiber 10 is separated into a single core, the coating layer 20 can be easily peeled off by reducing the number of times the coating layer 20 is rubbed with a separation tool (not shown).

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, a fourth embodiment of the optical fiber ribbon according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, about the part which is the same as that of 1st embodiment or 3rd embodiment, or equivalent, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to drawing, and the description is abbreviate | omitted or simplified.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the optical fiber ribbon 4 includes an optical fiber having an outer diameter different from that of the optical fiber strands 10 and 11 in addition to the optical fiber strand 10 and the optical fiber strand 11. You may comprise so that the strand 12 may be included. The optical fiber 12 is obtained by coating a glass fiber 13 with a coating layer 16. The outer diameter D3 of the coating layer 16 is, for example, in the range of 230 μm ± 10%, and preferably, for example, 230 μm.

  According to the optical fiber ribbon 4 of the fourth embodiment configured as described above, three types of optical fiber strands 10, 11, and 12 having different outer diameters are arranged in parallel in order of increasing outer diameter, and the periphery thereof is arranged. By collectively covering with the coating layer 20, single-core separation of the optical fiber strands can be performed in a plurality of times (here, three times) as necessary.

  In the first to fourth embodiments described above, the optical fiber tape core wire in which, for example, four optical fiber strands are collectively coated in parallel is illustrated, but the number of optical fiber strands to be collectively coated is as follows. It is not limited to this. 5, for example, four optical fiber strands 10 and four optical fiber strands 11 are juxtaposed to cover a total of eight optical fiber strands. It is also possible to form the core optical fiber ribbon 5. In this case, when the coating layer 20 is rubbed with a separation tool, first, the four optical fiber strands 10 are exposed and separated from each other. If the coating layer 20 is further rubbed with a separating tool, the optical fiber 11 can be separated from the single core.

  Also in the embodiment of FIGS. 3 to 5, it is preferable that the distance between the centers of adjacent optical fiber strands is 250 μm as in the embodiment of FIG. 2.

As shown in FIG. 6, a slot-type optical fiber cable 30 including at least one of the optical fiber ribbons 1 (2, 3, 4, 5) can be manufactured. The optical fiber cable 30 includes a slot rod 31, a tension member 32 provided integrally with the center of the slot rod 31, and a plurality of slot grooves 33 provided on the outer periphery of the slot rod 31. Each slot groove 33 accommodates a laminate 40 in which a plurality of the optical fiber ribbons 1 (2, 3, 4, 5) described above are laminated. In this state, the outer periphery of the slot rod 31 is covered with the tape 34, and the outermost layer is covered with the sheath 35, whereby the optical fiber cable 30 is formed.
According to the optical fiber cable 30 configured as described above, since the optical fiber tape core wire 1 (2, 3, 4, 5) that can be easily separated from each other is provided, the optical fiber cable 30 is connected to the single optical fiber. The work efficiency when taking out the fiber strand and laying it at home is good.
It is also possible to manufacture a loose type optical fiber cable in which at least one optical fiber ribbon is housed in a resin tube serving as a sheath and a filler is filled around the optical fiber ribbon.

  While the invention has been described in detail and with reference to specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

  1, 2, 3, 4, 5: Optical fiber ribbon, 10, 11, 12: Optical fiber, 20: Coating layer, 20a: Recess, 30: Optical fiber cable

Claims (6)

A plurality of optical fiber strands arranged in parallel on a plane;
A coating layer that integrally covers the periphery of the plurality of optical fiber strands;
With
The plurality of optical fiber strands include at least one first optical fiber strand having a first outer diameter, and at least one second optical fiber having a second outer diameter smaller than the first outer diameter. An optical fiber ribbon comprising: an optical fiber.   2. The optical fiber ribbon according to claim 1, wherein the first outer diameter is 250 μm ± 10%, and the second outer diameter is 200 μm ± 10%.   The optical fiber ribbon according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an interval between centers of adjacent optical fiber strands among the plurality of optical fiber strands is 250 µm.   The thickness of the coating layer on a line extending in the direction orthogonal to the parallel direction of the plurality of optical fiber strands from the center of the first optical fiber strand is determined from the center of the second optical fiber strand. The optical fiber ribbon according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the thickness is smaller than the thickness of the coating layer on a line extending in a direction orthogonal to a parallel direction of the plurality of optical fiber strands.   The optical fiber tape core wire according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a concave portion is formed in the coating layer in accordance with a depression between adjacent optical fiber strands.   An optical fiber cable comprising at least one optical fiber tape core wire according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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