Submarine device, method of configuring submarine device, and submarine cable system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12210205-B2
Application number	US-202117913229-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2021
Priority date	Mar 30, 2020
Publication date	Jan 28, 2025
Grant date	Jan 28, 2025

Abstract

A submarine device includes a main tail cable connected to a submarine cable, a first branch tail cable including a first group of optical fibers among a plurality of optical fibers included in the main tail cable, a second branch tail cable including a second group of optical fibers among the plurality of optical fibers, a branch member that couples the main tail cable to the first and second branch tail cables and including therein a through hole for branching the plurality of optical fibers included in the main tail cable into the first group and the second group, and a device main body including a first introduction part for introducing the first branch tail cable into the device main body and a second introduction part for introducing the second branch tail cable into the device main body. The branch member is fixed to the device main body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A submarine device comprising:
a main tail cable connected to a submarine cable;
a first branch tail cable including a first group of optical fibers among a plurality of optical fibers included in the main tail cable;
a second branch tail cable including a second group of optical fibers among the plurality of optical fibers;
a branch member configured to couple the main tail cable to the first and second branch tail cables and including therein a through hole for branching the plurality of optical fibers included in the main tail cable into the first group and the second group; and
a device main body including a first introduction part for introducing the first branch tail cable into the device main body and a second introduction part for introducing the second branch tail cable into the device main body, wherein
the branch member is fixed to the device main body.

2. The submarine device according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the main tail cable and the first and second branch tail cables is formed into a coil shape, and
coil diameters of the first and second branch tail cables are smaller than a coil diameter of the main tail cable.

3. The submarine device according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the first and second branch tail cables is fixed to the device main body.

4. The submarine device according to claim 1 , wherein
the main tail cable is fixed to the device main body.

5. The submarine device according to claim 1 , wherein
the main tail cable includes a copper pipe covering the plurality of optical fibers,
the first branch tail cable includes a copper pipe covering the first group of optical fibers,
the second branch tail cable includes a copper pipe covering the second group of optical fibers, and
one end parts of the copper pipes of the main tail cable and the first and second branch tail cables are brazed to respective open ends of the through hole of the branch member.

6. The submarine device according to claim 5 , wherein
a counterbored hole is provided at each of the open ends of the through hole of the branch member,
the one end part of each of the copper pipes of the main tail cable and the first and second branch tail cables is inserted in and brazed to each of the counterbored holes.

7. The submarine device according to claim 6 , wherein
a tapered part having a diameter increased outward from an inner peripheral surface of each of the counterbored holes is provided at the open end of the counterbored hole of the through hole, and
a brazing part is formed in each of the tapered parts.

8. The submarine device according to claim 6 , wherein
a part of the branch member between a pair of the counterbored holes into which the copper pipes of the first and second branch tail cables are inserted protrudes outwardly.

9. The submarine device according to claim 5 , wherein
a diameter of the through hole is larger than inner diameters of the copper pipes of the first and second branch tail cables, and an inner diameter of the copper pipe of the main tail cable is larger than the diameter of the through hole.

10. The submarine device according to claim 1 , wherein
a corner part positioned at a boundary between an outer peripheral surface and an end surface of the branch member is chamfered.

11. The submarine device according to claim 1 , wherein
the branch member is made of maraging steel.

12. A method of configuring a submarine device comprising:
branching a main tail cable connected to a submarine cable into a first branch tail cable including a first group of optical fibers among a plurality of optical fibers included in the main tail cable and a second branch tail cable including a second group of optical fibers among the plurality of optical fibers through a branch member;
introducing the first branch tail cable into a device main body through a first introduction part and introducing the second branch tail cable into the device main body through a second introduction part; and
fixing the branch member to the device main body.

13. A submarine cable system comprising:
a submarine cable; and
a submarine device connected to the submarine cable, wherein
the submarine device comprises:
a main tail cable connected to a submarine cable;
a first branch tail cable including a first group of optical fibers among a plurality of optical fibers included in the main tail cable;
a second branch tail cable including a second group of optical fibers among the plurality of optical fibers;
a branch member configured to couple the main tail cable to the first and second branch tail cables and including therein a through hole for branching the plurality of optical fibers included in the main tail cable into the first group and the second group; and
a device main body including a first introduction part for introducing the first branch tail cable into the device main body and a second introduction part for introducing the second branch tail cable into the device main body, and
the branch member is fixed to the device main body.

Assignees

• Nec Corp

Inventors

• Tanaka Akihiro
• Nagasawa Toshihide

Classifications

• G02B6/50

  Underground or underwater installation; Installation through tubing, conduits or ducts · CPC title

• G02B6/46

  Processes or apparatus adapted for installing {or repairing} optical fibres or optical cables (installation of cables containing electric conductors and optical fibres H02G) · CPC title

• G02B6/502 Primary

  Installation methods in fluid conducts, e.g. pipelines · CPC title

• G02B6/4427 Primary

  Pressure resistant cables, e.g. undersea cables · CPC title

• G02B6/506

  Underwater installation · CPC title