Patent Application
20160341922
This disclosure generally relates to waveguides that scatter light from the side thereof. More particularly, this disclosure relates to cables and cable assemblies, such as patch cords, that are traceable due to the addition of such a side-emitting waveguide.
Today's computer networks continue to increase in size and complexity. Businesses and individuals rely on these networks to store, transmit, and receive critical data at high speeds. Even with the expansion of wireless technology, wired connections remain critical to the operation of computer networks, including enterprise data centers. Portions of these wired computer networks are regularly subject to removal, replacement, upgrade or other moves and changes. To ensure the continued proper operation of each network, the maze of cables connecting the individual components must be precisely understood and properly connected between specific ports.
In many cases, a network's cables, often called patch cords, can be required to bridge several meters across a data center. The cables may begin in one equipment rack, run through the floor or other conduit, and terminate at a component in a second equipment rack.
As a result, there is a need for a traceable cable that provides a means for the network operator to quickly identify the path and approximate terminal end of a given cable that is being replaced, relocated, or tested.
The present disclosure includes traceable cables and methods for forming the same. In one embodiment of this disclosure, the cable includes at least one data transmission element, a jacket at least partially surrounding the at least one data transmission element, and a side-emitting optical fiber incorporated with and extending along at least a portion of the length of the cable. The side-emitting optical fiber is at least partially embedded in the jacket. The side-emitting optical fiber may comprise a core having a first index of refraction and an exterior surface. Scattering sites comprising scattering material disposed on the exterior surface of the core may be placed along the length of the optical fiber. The scattering sites are capable of scattering light so that the scattered light is emitted from the side-emitting optical fiber at discrete locations. The fiber may also include a cladding having a second index of refraction, the cladding substantially surrounding the core and the scattering material. When light is transmitted through the core, light scattered from the side-emitting optical fiber allows the cable to be traced along at least a portion of the length thereof.
This disclosure also provides method of forming a traceable cable, which includes at least one data transmission element and a jacket at least partially surrounding the at least one data transmission element, is provided. The method comprises forming a side-emitting optical fiber by: applying scattering material upon an exterior surface of a core of the side-emitting optical fiber at spaced apart locations to create scattering sites configured to allow the side-emitting optical fiber to scatter light therefrom. The step of forming the fiber further comprises adding a cladding around the core and the scattering material. The method of forming the cable further comprises at least partially embedding the side-emitting optical fiber within the jacket so that the side-emitting optical fiber extends along at least a portion of a length of the cable.
In other methods described by the present disclosure, a method of forming a traceable cable, which includes at least one data transmission element and a jacket at least partially surrounding the at least one data transmission element, is provided. The method comprises forming an optical fiber by: passing a core through a printing station that applies a scattering material onto an exterior surface the core, and passing the core, with the scattering material applied to the exterior surface, through a first die block that applies cladding onto the core to form the optical fiber, wherein the cladding has a lower index of refraction than the core, and wherein the scattering material applied to the core is configured to scatter light traveling through the optical fiber so that the scattered light can pass through the cladding and be emitted from the optical fiber. The method of forming the cable further comprises at least partially embedding the optical fiber within the jacket so that the optical fiber extends along at least a portion of a length of the cable.
Other embodiments of the present disclosure include a traceable cable formed by forming an optical fiber. The optical fiber is formed by: passing a core through a printing station that applies a scattering material onto an exterior surface the core, and passing the core, with the scattering material applied to the exterior surface, through a first die block that applies cladding onto the core to form the optical fiber, wherein the cladding has a lower index of refraction than the core, and wherein the scattering material applied to the core is configured to scatter light traveling through the optical fiber so that the scattered light can pass through the cladding and be emitted from the optical fiber. The method of forming the cable further comprises at least partially embedding the optical fiber within a jacket so that the optical fiber extends along at least a portion of a length of the jacket, wherein the jacket defines an exterior surface of the traceable cable.
Yet another embodiment of the present disclosure includes a traceable cable having a length. The cable comprises at least one data transmission element, a jacket at least partially surrounding the at least one data transmission element, and a side-emitting optical fiber incorporated with and extending along at least a portion of the length of the cable. The side-emitting optical fiber is at least partially embedded in the jacket. The side-emitting optical fiber comprises a core having a first index of refraction and an exterior surface. The fiber further comprises at least one scattering site comprising scattering material disposed on the exterior surface of the core along the length of the optical fiber, the at least one scattering site being capable of scattering light so that the scattered light is visible along the side-emitting optical fiber. The fiber further comprises a cladding having a second index of refraction, the cladding substantially surrounding the core and the scattering material. When light is transmitted through the core, light scattered from the side-emitting optical fiber allows the cable to be traced along at least a portion of the length thereof.
Additional features and advantages will be set forth in the detailed description which follows, and in part will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. It is to be understood that the foregoing general description, the following detailed description, and the accompanying drawings are merely exemplary and intended to provide an overview or framework to understand the nature and character of the claims.
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate one or more embodiments, and together with the description serve to explain principles and operation of the various embodiments. Features and attributes associated with any of the embodiments shown or described may be applied to other embodiments shown, described, or appreciated based on this disclosure.
Various embodiments will be further clarified by examples in the description below. In general, the description relates to side-emitting waveguides, cables, and cable assemblies using the waveguides to facilitate the traceability of the cable or cable assembly. This description also relates to methods of forming the side-emitting waveguides, cables and cable assemblies.
A problem that occurs in data centers or similar network locations is congestion and clutter caused by large quantities of cables.
An aspect of this disclosure is the provision of side-emitting waveguides, usable within traceable cables, which provide efficient light emission that may provide visibility of the waveguide in well-lit rooms over a significant distance, wherein the waveguides may be produced by an efficient manufacturing method.
Turning back to the figures,
In some embodiments, the cable 3 may be more appropriately referred to as a conduit, without having any data transmission elements 7. Instead of transmitting a data signal, these cables 3 may transmit fluids such as air or liquid. These cables 3 may be appropriate for use in a medical setting such as IV lines or oxygen tubing. The cable 3 includes a jacket 10. The jacket 10 may be a hollow tube forming a conduit that can substantially surround the data transmission elements 7 and that can define an outer surface of the cable 3. Alternatively, the data transmission elements 7 may be at least partially embedded within the jacket 10.
Cables 3 of the present disclosure include a tracer element 15. The tracer element 15 is provided to enable the cable 3 to be selectively identified at one or more areas along the cable 3. The tracer element 15 may be visually identified with or without special equipment, such as an IR camera.
One example of a tracer element 15 is a side-emitting optical fiber 20 used to identify one or more portions of the cable 3. The side-emitting optical fiber 20 may be referred to interchangeably as a side-emitting optical waveguide herein. Therefore this disclosure does not intend to differentiate between the terms “optical fiber” and “optical waveguide” per se. The side-emitting optical fiber 20 may conduct nonvisible light. The side-emitting optical fiber 20 can also be used to conduct visible light, such as green light at approximately 532 nm. Red light, blue light, or a combination thereof could also be used to assist with tracing the cable 3. Green light may be used due to the relative high degree of sensitivity of the human eye to green light.
As seen in
Still referring to
Turning to
In some embodiments, the core 30 may be a substantially solid core, generally free of voids or air pockets as found within the airline optical fiber type of diffusive optical fibers. A core 30 that is free from voids may facilitate splicing, polishing, or other processing operations, which may be needed in some embodiments to make ends of the side-emitting optical fiber 20 compatible with a device for launching light into the side-emitting optical fiber. The core 30 may comprise a polymer or a glass, and in some embodiments even consist entirely of a polymer or glass (e.g., be pure silica). In some embodiments where the core 30 comprises glass, index matching material other than glass (e.g., polymer sheath 32) may be added to the glass to extend the radius of the core 30, possibly to values comparable to polymer cores (which are typically larger than purely glass cores). Doing so may allow the core 30 to be processed in a manner like plastic optical fibers, as will be discussed in further detail below with reference to
The cladding 35 can be a polymer, such as fluoro-acrylate, or a glass, but is selected to have an index of refraction that differs from the index of refraction of the core 30. In one embodiment, the index of refraction of the cladding 35 is lower than that of the core 30. Therefore the material selection for the cladding depends upon the material selected for the core 30. A polymer core may have a relatively higher index of refraction than a pure glass core. Therefore, providing cladding 32 on a polymer core may allow for a wider range of possible materials, which in turn allows of the possible selection of lower cost materials that might not otherwise function properly if applied to a purely glass core. In some embodiments, the indices of refraction produce a step-index optical fiber. In other embodiments, the side-emitting optical fiber 20 may be a trapezium or triangular index fiber. The cladding 35 closely surrounds the core 30 to help maintain light within the side-emitting optical fiber 20. The cladding 35 may have a thickness between about 4% and about 40% of the diameter of the core. For example, the cladding 35 may be between about 5 and about 50 microns thick from the surface of the core 30 to an exterior surface 36 of the cladding 35 when the core 30 has a diameter of 125 microns.
According to embodiments of the present description, scattering sites 40 are selectively provided at one or more locations on the along the length of the side-emitting optical fiber 20. The scattering sites 40 are configured to provide areas where light, which is otherwise traveling along the side-emitting optical fiber 20, is scattered and therefore able to be emitted from the side of the side-emitting optical fiber 20 proximate to the scattering sites, as shown in stippled lines in
The scattering sites 40 are areas where scattering material is disposed on the exterior surface 36 to produce optical surfaces tending to scatter incoming light. Some or all of the scattering sites 40 may be annular or otherwise generally ring shaped, extending around the entire circumference of the side-emitting optical fiber 20. In some embodiments, as understood from
A complete ring shape may provide the most uniformly scattered light, but a full ring is not believed necessary to have light scatter in all 360 degrees around a lengthwise axis of the side-emitting optical fiber 20 and/or light to be seen 360 degrees a lengthwise axis of the cable 3. The scattering sites 40 scatter light generally in all directions with varying intensity. Therefore, each scattering site 40 directs light immediately out of an adjacent portion of the cladding 35, and also directs light back through the core 30 and out an opposite portion of the exterior surface 36 as schematically illustrated in
In other embodiments, the scattering sites 40 are not configured as bands at least partially extending around the circumference of the core 30. In some instances, the scattering sites 40 may each comprise an array of dots, as seen in
A variety of scattering materials may be used to form the scattering sites 40. In one embodiment, the scattering material is an ink having scattering particles 42 and a binder 44 in which the scattering particles 42 are dispersed. The scattering particles 42 may be titanium dioxide (TiO2) particles. The titanium dioxide may have an anatase crystal structure or a rutile crystal structure. Titanium dioxide has a high index of refraction, between about 2.5 and 2.75, which facilitates its usefulness as a scattering material. In other embodiments, the scattering particles 42 may include zinc sulphide, lithopone, antimony oxide, zinc oxide, calcium carbonate, calcium silicate, or aluminum silicate, among others.
The size of the scattering particles 42 may affect the properties of the scattering material. Particle size can be selected based upon the wavelength of light passing through the side-emitting optical fiber 20. When the particles are about half the wavelength of the source light, significant additional bending of light can occur, increasing scattering. For example, if the source light is green, a particle size between 0.2-0.3 microns may maximize scattering.
The degree of scattering can be affected by several other factors. The level of scattering of the scattering material will likely depend upon the uniformity of scattering particle spacing within the binder 44, the relative uniformity of the particle size, and the concentration or density of the scattering particles 42 within the binder 44, etc. For example, the geometry of the scattering particles 42 may vary, but in one embodiment, the scattering particles 42 may be substantially spherical. Scattering particles 42 may have average diameters that vary from about 100 nm to about 100 microns. The volume of the scattering sites 40 may be from 1% to 99% scattering particles 42 and 1% to 99% binder 44. While each of these factors may be considered when selecting the scattering material for the scattering sites 40, it is believed that the configuration of the scattering sites 40 themselves may be more important to achieving the desired traceability of the cable 3.
A variety of materials may be selected for the binder 44. The binder 44 may be the same material as the core 30. The binder 44 may be the same material as the cladding 35. The binder 44 could be a material having the same index of refraction as the core 30 or the cladding 35. In one example, the binder 44 may be acrylate. In other embodiments, the binder 44 may be selected to have an index of refraction between the indices of refraction of the core 30 and the cladding 35. The binder 44 should be a material with an index of refraction that is substantially different from that of the scattering particles 42. The binder material should also be substantially transparent to emitted wavelengths. The binder 44 should also be selected from a material compatible with the core 30 for adhering thereto. A variety of processes may be used to apply the scattering material to the exterior surface 36. The scattering material may be applied by coating, printing, spraying, or other appropriate methods known in the art.
Several characteristics of the scattering sites 40 may be refined to help ensure that the extraction of light from the core 30 to provide tracer locations 4 along the cable 3 that may each be visible in a well-lit environment. The characteristics may also be refined based the practical manufacturability of the cable 3 and side-emitting optical fiber 20.
First, the separation P between the scattering sites 40 may be selected to address a variety of challenges associated with cable assemblies for data centers or similar network locations. In one embodiment, P may be zero. In that embodiment, material forming the scattering sites 40 may form a continuous path along the length of the core 30. In one embodiment, the scattering sites 40 may be between about 5 mm and about 10 meters apart. In another embodiment, the scattering sites 40 may be between about 1 cm and about 1 m apart. Scattering sites 40 that are too close together approach a uniform emission along the length of the cable 3, and may lose the efficient use of light provided by more discrete tracer locations 4. This may be a relevant concern in some instances but not others. Scattering sites 40 that are too far apart may lose the benefits of along-the-length tracer locations 4 and the ability to sufficiently trace the cable 3 in its environment with other cables. This also may be a relevant concern in some instances but not others. Additionally, scattering sites 40 that are too far apart may result in no scattering sites 40 sufficiently close to the terminal end of the cable 3 to provide a tracer location 4 within the appropriate equipment rack 110. An approximate separation P of about 10 cm may balance the light efficiency and traceability benefits, keeping in mind that several of the tracer locations 4 may be hidden behind other cables, effectively increasing the relative spacing between each tracer location 4. In some embodiments, the separation P may facilitate identifying the overall length of the cable 3. For example, the approximate separation P may be about 1 meter in some embodiments, thereby allowing a person to count the tracer locations 4 to approximate the total length of the cable 3 in meters. In other embodiments, the approximate separation P may be about 1 foot, thereby allowing a person to count the tracer locations 4 to estimate the total length of the cable 3 in feet.
As used herein, the cable 3 and the side-emitting optical fiber 20 may be described as each having respective launched ends and traced ends. The launched ends can be the known, accessible end of the cable 3 and end of the side-emitting optical fiber 20 where the network operator would provide (i.e. launch) tracer light to the side-emitting optical fiber 20. The respective traced ends should therefore be understood as the respective ends of the cable 3 and optical fiber 20 opposite the launched ends. The traced end, particularly of the cable 3, is the end of the cable that needs to be identified by the tracing process. It should be understood that these ends are not fixed. For any given operation, either end of the cable 3 may constitute the launched end and the traced end.
The separation P (
The size of each scattering site 40 may also be based on the challenges associated with cable assemblies for data centers or similar network locations. The size of each scattering site 40 may include the arc sweep around the side-emitting optical fiber 20. The size of each scattering site 40 may also include the magnitude M (
Where the scattering sites 40 are each formed by an array of dots, the size of the each scattering site 40 may be described in the terms of the size of the dots and density thereof. Again, the size may be constant along the length of the side-emitting optical fiber 20. Alternatively, the size may vary with respect to a distance from the end of the side-emitting optical fiber 20, such that the size of each dot changes or the density of the array changes.
Further, the scattering sites 40 may be characterized by their thickness T (
The thickness T of each scattering site 40 may be substantially consistent along the length of the cable 3. The thickness T may be between about 100 nm and about 100 microns. Alternatively, the thickness T may vary as a function of the distance from an end of the cable 3 or side-emitting optical fiber 20. For example the thickness T may increase with distance from the launched end.
The side-emitting optical fiber 20 may include at least one coating 50 applied to the cladding 35. The coating 50 may be relatively harder than the cladding 35. The coating 50 is optional. When applied, the coating 50 may be between about 0 and about 100 microns thick. The coating 50 may be provided as a layer of protection for the core 30 and the cladding 35. The coating 50 may be a polymer having a modulus of at least about 1000 MPa to about 4000 MPa. The coating 50 should be at least translucent, if not fully transparent, in locations corresponding with the scattering sites 40. The coating 50 may have light transmission windows or have generally uniform light transmission characteristics. The coating 50 may be made from acrylate. The refractive index of the coating 50 may be 1.56 relative to the refractive index of the optical cladding 32 of 1.35, and in each case the refractive index of the coating 50 should be higher than the refractive index of the cladding 32.
The side-emitting optical fiber 20 may also include an ink layer 60 applied to the coating 50. The ink layer 60 may be selectively applied to locations corresponding with the scattering sites 40. Alternatively, the ink layer 60 may be uniformly applied to the coating 50. The ink layer 60 may include the same material as the scattering material. The ink layer 60 may be configured to further diffuse the light being emitted from the side-emitting optical fiber 20. The ink layer 60 is configured to provide each tracer location 4 with an approximate Lambertian distribution pattern.
The side-emitting optical fiber 20 of the present disclosure has been described for use in facilitating traceability of a cable 3. In some embodiments, the side-emitting optical fiber 20 may have uses independent of the cable 3. For example, the side-emitting optical fiber 20 may not be used for tracing at all, but may itself provide decorative or functional illumination or indication.
Side-emitting optical fibers 20 according to this disclosure may be manufactured according to a process schematically illustrated in
The core 30, with the scattering sites 40 applied, may be fed, pulled, or drawn at typical telecom speeds through a first liquid die block 74. There, a cladding 35 is deposited or otherwise applied to the core 30. In one example, the process for adding the cladding 35 may be a pultrusion process. The cladded core 33 may pass through a curing station 75 where the cladding 35 is at least partially cured. In one example, the curing station 75 may emit UV light from lamps or LEDs to rapidly, optically cure the cladding 35.
The cladded core 33 may pass through a second liquid die block 80 where a similar pultrusion process may add a coating 50 over the cladding 35. The coating 50 may be cured as it passes through a second curing station (not shown), or may be cured by other known means, such as temperature.
To provide a smoother, more Lambertian, light distribution pattern from the side-emitting optical fiber 20, a scattering ink layer 60 may be applied onto the coating 50 at a third liquid die block 84, or other processing unit, such as a spray applicator or printer.
In some embodiments, the side-emitting optical fiber 20 may be manufactured on a single draw. As will be understood by those of skill in the art, the side-emitting optical fiber 20 can be produced in a continuous fashion on a single line, at a single location, which may be particularly advantageous for embodiments where the core 30 comprises entirely glass due to the fragile nature of such embodiments. Alternatively, it is possible that the side-emitting optical fibers 20 of the present description could also be produced by discrete steps at separate locations. For example, the core 30 may be wound up, transported between locations or manufacturing stations, and then run through the printing station 70 applying the scattering material to the exterior surface 36. Use of a core 30 having the glass center 31 and the index matched polymer sheath 32, or a fully polymer/plastic core, may be advantageous when manufacturing of the side-emitting optical fiber 20 is performed using process steps at different times or locations. A pure glass core may be more likely to become damaged if removed from the line before being coated. Use of a core 30 with the glass center 31 and index matched polymer sheath 32 may produce a more reliable manufacturing process because the printing station 70 may be less likely to damage the core than if printing on a pure glass core.
The side-emitting optical fibers 20 may continue on the single line directly to the manufacture of the cable 3. Alternatively, the side-emitting optical fiber 20 may be separately combined with the data transmission elements 7 and the jacket 10 in a different location or distinct time. In one embodiment, an extrusion or pultrusion process may be used to at least partially embed the side-emitting optical fiber 20 with the jacket 10 as the jacket 10 is being formed around the data transmission element 7. The side-emitting optical fiber 20 may be combined with at least one data transmission element 7 and a jacket 10 by a variety of processes known in the art, depending upon the particular type of cable 3 that is being manufactured.
Cable assemblies 1 may be made by cutting the cable 3 to a desired length and attaching the desired connectors 5 to each end according to processes known in the art, and dependent upon the type of cable assembly 1 being produced. For example, the connector 5 may be SC, LC, ST, FC, or MPO type connectors.
The side-emitting optical fibers 20, cables 3 that incorporate the side-emitting optical fibers 20, and cable assemblies 1 that incorporate the cables 3, each have several advantages that will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. Particularly, use of a side-emitting optical fiber 20 within the cable 3 provides an improved ability for a network operator to quickly and efficiently trace a particular cable assembly 1 so that a traced end can be identified from a predetermined launched end of the cable assembly 1. The side-emitting optical fibers 20 of this disclosure can be configured to facilitate the ability to trace along the full length of the cable 3. This may be helpful to identify tangles or knots. This may also help when the particular equipment rack 110, in which the traced end is connected, is unknown. For example, equipment racks 110 often have front doors that are kept closed. Tracing along the length of the cable 3 may help identify which rack to search. If a tracer location 4 were only on the traced end the cable 3, it may be hidden behind the door.
When tracer locations 4 are spaced apart, the side-emitting optical fibers 20 are able to make more efficient use of a tracer source light. This means that tracer locations 4 can be provided along cables 3 of significant length, for example 30 m or more, while the tracer locations 4 may remain sufficiently bright to be readily visible in a well-lit room using a tracer source light of reasonable intensity.
A tracer light source may be integrated into the cable 3, or the connector 5, to illuminate the side-emitting optical fiber 20. In some embodiments, however, a separate tracer light source may be used to selectively emit light into the side-emitting optical fiber 20. By using a separate tracer light source, the cost of the cable 3 may be reduced compared to systems integrating a light source or using active light sources along the length to form the individual tracer locations 4.
In advantageous embodiments, the side-emitting optical fiber 20 can be made with a continuous manufacturing process where each step is performed on a single draw. Such a continuous process may provide a high rate of manufacture with minimum waste, transportation costs or labor costs. Use of readily available printing equipment to form the scattering sites 40 provides a processing step that can be readily controlled in terms of separation, arc sweep, thickness and magnitude of the scattering sites 40 to achieve the best combination of traceability, brightness, and manufacturing efficiency.
Persons skilled in waveguide technology will appreciate additional variations and modifications of the devices and methods already described. The above examples are in no way intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Additionally, where a method claim below does not explicitly recite a step mentioned in the description above, it should not be assumed that the step is required by the claim. Furthermore, where a method claim below does not actually recite an order to be followed by its steps or an order is otherwise not required based on the claim language, it is not intended that any particular order be inferred.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15168466.9 | May 2015 | EP | regional |
This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/164,035, filed on May 20, 2015, and European Patent Application No. 15168466.9, also filed on May 20, 2015, the content of both applications relied upon and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62164035 | May 2015 | US |
