Optical cable having waved metal tube, and method and apparatus for producing the same
AssigneeLG Cable Ltd.
InventorsJune-Sun Kim, Euy-Don Park, Min Son
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Abstract
An optical cable having a metal tube receiving an optical fiber and bent to form a waved shape is disclosed. The optical cable may prevent cutoff of the optical fiber or deterioration of optical characteristics though tensile force is applied to the optical cable in its longitudinal direction since the metal is formed in a waved shape. To bend the metal tube, the metal tube is passed through roller pair(s) which are shaken in a direction perpendicular to the advancing direction of the metal tube. Thus, it is possible to obtain excess fiber length (EFL) easily and accurately as desired.
Claims15
A method for manufacturing an optical cable, comprising:
- preparing a metal tube in which an optical fiber is received;
- transferring the metal tube to a longitudinal direction thereof at a predetermined speed;
- and
- bending the metal tube so that the transferred metal tube forms a waved shape in an advancing direction thereof.
An apparatus for manufacturing an optical cable, comprising:
- a first pair of rollers which are rotated oppositely so that a metal tube receiving an optical fiber therein is passed through the rollers in a longitudinal direction thereof,
- wherein, as the first pair of rollers are rotated, a trajectory drawn by opposite points on the first pair of rollers is shaken in a direction perpendicular to an advancing direction of the metal tube so that the metal tube passing through the first pair of rollers is bent to form a waved shape in the advancing direction.
An optical cable comprising:
- a metal tube bent to have a waved shape along a longitudinal direction thereof;
- and
- at least one optical fiber received in the metal tube with forming a waved shape according to the metal tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.