Optical fiber unit and optical fiber cable

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10488610-B2
Application number	US-201716092952-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 15, 2017
Priority date	May 20, 2016
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

An optical fiber unit includes: an optical fiber bundle formed by bundling a plurality of optical fibers; and a plurality of bundling members. One bundling member of the plurality of bundling members is wound on an outer circumference of the optical fiber bundle in a length direction of the optical fiber bundle, while reversing a winding direction alternately, and is joined to another bundling member at a section where the winding direction is reversed. A ratio of a width of a cross-section of the bundling member to a thickness of the cross-section of the bundling member is smaller than 20.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An optical fiber unit comprising:
an optical fiber bundle formed by bundling a plurality of optical fibers; and
a plurality of bundling members, wherein
one bundling member of the plurality of bundling members:
is wound on an outer circumference of the optical fiber bundle in a length direction of the optical fiber bundle, while reversing a winding direction alternately, and
is joined to another bundling member at a section where the winding direction is reversed, wherein
a ratio of a width of a cross-section of the bundling member to a thickness of the cross-section of the bundling member is smaller than 20.

2. The optical fiber unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the ratio of a width of the cross-section of the bundling member to the thickness of the cross-section of the bundling member is equal to or smaller than 18.

3. The optical fiber unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the bundling members are joined with an adhesive.

4. The optical fiber unit according to claim 1 , wherein
an area in which the optical fiber is exposed from the bundling member on the outer circumference of the optical fiber bundle is equal to or smaller than 150A/N mm 2 , where A is a number of the optical fibers, and N is a number of the bundling members.

5. The optical fiber unit according to claim 4 , wherein
the area in which the optical fiber is exposed from the bundling member on the outer circumference of the optical fiber bundle is equal to or smaller than 10 mm 2 .

6. An optical fiber cable comprising:
a plurality of optical fiber units; and
an outer sheath that coats a plurality of the optical fiber units, wherein
the optical fiber unit comprises:
an optical fiber bundle bundling a plurality of optical fibers; and
a plurality of bundling members,

one bundling member of the plurality of bundling members:
is wound on an outer circumference of the optical fiber bundle along a length direction of the optical fiber bundle, while reversing alternately a winding direction, and
is joined to another bundling member at a section where the winding direction is reversed, wherein
a ratio of a width of a cross-section of the bundling member to a thickness of cross-section of the bundling member is smaller than 20.

7. An optical fiber unit comprising:
an optical fiber bundle formed by bundling a plurality of optical fibers; and
a plurality of bundling members,
wherein a first bundling member of the plurality of bundling members:
is wound on an outer circumference of the optical fiber bundle in a length direction of the optical fiber bundle, while reversing a winding direction alternately, and
is joined to a second bundling member at a section where the winding direction is reversed,

wherein a third bundling member of the plurality of bundling members:
is wound on an outer circumference of the optical fiber bundle in a length direction of the optical fiber bundle, while reversing a winding direction alternately, and
is joined to a fourth bundling member at a section where the winding direction is reversed,

wherein the first bundling member and the third bundling member form a first intersection and are joined at the first intersection, and the second bundling member and the fourth bundling member form a second intersection and are joined at the second intersection,
wherein a ratio of a width of a cross-section of each bundling member to a thickness of the cross-section of the same bundling member is smaller than 20, and
wherein an area in which the optical fiber is exposed from the bundling member on the outer circumference of the optical fiber bundle is equal to or smaller than 150A/N mm 2 , where A is a number of the optical fibers, and N is a number of the bundling members.

8. The optical fiber unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the ratio of the width of the cross-section of the bundling member to the thickness of the cross-section of the bundling member is equal to or greater than 1.3.

Assignees

• Fujikura Ltd

Inventors

• Ito Naoto
• Osato Ken
• Yamanaka Masayoshi

Classifications

• G02B6/44 Primary

  Mechanical structures for providing tensile strength and external protection for fibres, e.g. optical transmission cables (cables incorporating electric conductors and optical fibres {where features relating to the optical fibres are not of interest} H01B11/22) · CPC title

• G02B6/441 Primary

  built up from sub-bundles (G02B6/4429, G02B6/4439, G02B6/4479 take precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/4403

  with ribbon structure (G02B6/4429, G02B6/4439, G02B6/4479 take precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/443

  Protective covering · CPC title

• G02B6/4433

  Double reinforcement laying in straight line with optical transmission element · CPC title