Cable and method for introducing initial tensile strain to optical fiber

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9958299-B2
Application number	US-201615522192-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 21, 2016
Priority date	Aug 27, 2015
Publication date	May 1, 2018
Grant date	May 1, 2018

Abstract

A cable ( 10 ) includes a cable body ( 11 ) that is formed from a plurality of wires ( 14 ) that are integrally bundled; and a pair of sockets ( 12 ) to which both end portions of the cable body ( 11 ) is separately affixed; at least one of the plurality of wires ( 14 ) being a fiber-containing wire ( 16 ), which is formed by an optical fiber ( 17 ) that extends in a cable length direction (D) and that is protected by a protective tube ( 18 ); wherein the optical fiber ( 17 ) protrudes from the protective tube ( 18 ), in the cable length direction, further outside than the socket ( 12 ); and each of the pair of sockets ( 12 ) is provided with a spool ( 30 ) that removably holds the optical fiber ( 17 ) and imparts an initial tensile strain to the optical fiber ( 17 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cable comprising:
a cable body that is formed from a plurality of wires that are integrally bundled; and
a pair of sockets to which both end portions of the cable body is separately affixed;
at least one of the plurality of wires being a fiber-containing wire, which is formed by an optical fiber that extends in a cable length direction and that is protected by a protective tube; wherein
the optical fiber protrudes from the protective tube, in the cable length direction, further outside than the socket; and
each of the pair of sockets is provided with a tensile strain-imparting portion that holds the optical fiber and imparts an initial tensile strain to the optical fiber.

2. The cable according to claim 1 , wherein the tensile strain-imparting portion comprises a spool portion that holds the optical fiber by having the optical fiber wound about an outer circumferential surface of the spool portion.

3. The cable according to claim 2 , wherein:
the tensile strain-imparting portion comprises fixing means for fixing the optical fiber to the spool portion; and
the outer circumferential surface of the spool portion is formed as a circular circumferential surface over which the optical fiber can slide in a circumferential direction of the spool portion.

4. The cable according to claim 2 , wherein the spool portion is formed so as to be able to rotate in a circumferential direction thereof, and comprises rotation restricting means for restricting rotation in the circumferential direction.

5. The cable according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a filler material that fills the socket so as to attach the end portions of the plurality of wires to the socket;
wherein the tensile strain-imparting portion is held on the socket by the filler material.

6. A method for introducing an initial tensile strain to the optical fiber in the cable according to claim 1 , comprising:
holding the optical fiber inserted through the protective tube by the tensile strain-imparting portion; and
imparting the initial tensile strain to the optical fiber via the tensile strain-imparting portion.

Assignees

• Nippon Steel & Sumikin Eng Co
• Tokyo Rope Mfg Co

Inventors

• Yamazaki Shinsuke
• Kai Yasuyuki
• Ibukuro Junichi
• Kuramata Satoru
• Sugiyama Hiroki

Classifications

• E01D19/16

  Suspension cables; Cable clamps for suspension cables {; Pre- or post-stressed cables} · CPC title

• G01L1/242

  the material being an optical fibre · CPC title

• G01L1/24

  by measuring variations of optical properties of material when it is stressed, e.g. by photoelastic stress analysis {using infrared, visible light, ultraviolet} · CPC title

• B63B2035/446

  for converting wind energy into electric energy · CPC title

• B63B21/50

  Anchoring arrangements {or methods} for special vessels, e.g. for floating drilling platforms or dredgers · CPC title