Method and apparatus for producing a submarine cable, and submarine cable produced therewith

Abstract

A method and to an apparatus for producing a submarine cable containing a number of conductors, in particular energy conductors and/or data conductors, that are accommodated inside a cable-protecting pipe, is provided. The following method steps being carried out: a) providing the conductors and the cable-protecting sheath and conveying the same into a common assembly region; b) bringing the conductors and the cable-protecting pipe together; c) opening the separating slit in the cable-protecting pipe such that an insertion opening of the open separating slit is formed; e) holding the open separating slit open; f) inserting the conductors into the cable-protecting pipe through the insertion opening in the open separating slit; and g) releasing the open separating slit.

Claims

1. A submarine cable containing a plurality of conductors comprising power conductors and/or data conductors which are received within a cable protection tube and are protectively embedded therein, wherein two longitudinal edges of a separation slot of the cable protection tube therebetween receive in a clamping manner a flexible closure tape, the flexible closure tape contacting both of the two longitudinal edges and a surface of the cable protection tube adjacent to the two longitudinal edges, the flexible enclosure tape spanning at least an entire distance between the two longitudinal edges; wherein the plurality of conductors and the cable protection tube are conveyed into a common assembly region, and the plurality of conductors are introduced into the cable protection tube through the separation slot; wherein the flexible closure tape includes two straight parallel legs and an intermediate web section, the intermediate web section connecting the two parallel legs; wherein the two longitudinal edges of a separation slot of the cable protection tube, having the closure tape lying therebetween, are interconnected in a sealing/watertight manner by way of an adhesive layer.

2. The submarine cable as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two parallel legs run in a circumferential direction of the cable protection tube, and the intermediate web section runs in a radial direction of the cable protection tube.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

(1) Some of the embodiments will be described in detail, with reference to the following figures, wherein like designations denote like members, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective overall illustration of the apparatus according to an embodiment the invention for manufacturing the submarine cable;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic perspective enlarged illustration of a detail of the apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention for manufacturing the submarine cable, in the region of the opening and retaining installation of the cable protection tube of the submarine cable;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic perspective partial view of the completely made-up submarine cable, in a first embodiment;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a schematic perspective partial view of the completely made-up submarine cable, in a second embodiment having an H-shaped closure tape; and

(6) FIG. 5 shows a schematic perspective partial view of an embodiment of a H-shaped closure tape according to FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(7) FIG. 1 shows the apparatus 1 according to the invention for manufacturing the completely made-up submarine cable 2 according to the invention, which is located on a cable-laying ship (not illustrated), for example.

(8) The apparatus 1 according to the invention contains a ladder-shaped main frame 2 which defines an assembly region 18. Two active drives 3 in the form of in each case two conveyor belts 3a and 3b, and 3c and 3d, respectively, are located on this main frame 2, so as to be disposed on the end sides, said conveyor belts providing conveyance of the conductors 4 and of the cable protection tube 5, which are being fed into the apparatus 1, and of the completely made-up submarine cable 6, 6 which is exiting from the apparatus 1. Here, the cable protection tube 5 bears on the conveyor belts 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, which effect actual transportation of the cable protection tube 5, conjointly with the conductors 4 being located therein, in the conveying direction 10. Furthermore, lateral guide rollers 7 which in pairs are disposed to the left and to the right of the cable protection tube 5, are present on the main frame 2, as well as upper guide rollers 8 which press onto the cable protection tube 5 optionally by way of spring loading being present, which provide lateral guiding of the cable protection tube 5, or provide friction-locking bearing of the cable protection tube 5 on the conveyor belts 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d in the assembly region 18.

(9) Finally, the rotation axes of two oblique guide rollers 9 which are mutually assigned in pairs to the left and to the right of the cable protection tube 5, are aligned in the example here so as not to be perpendicular to the vertical, but so as to be oblique thereto at an angle of approx. 35 to 45 in the direction of the cable protection tube 5. These two lateral oblique guide rollers 9 in the closing region 18e are disposed in the conveying direction 10 so as to be downstream, locationally behind the introduction of the conductors 4 into the cable protection tube 5 such that compressing the previously opened longitudinal edges 11 (cf. FIG. 3) of the separation slot 12 (cf. FIG. 2) of the cable protection tube 5 may be performed therewith.

(10) The presently three pieces of electrical conductors 4, and an optical conductor 4 (obscured and therefore not visible in this FIG.), and the associated cable protection tube 5, from accumulators, for example winding reels (not illustrated here) of the apparatus 1 are conveyed in the conveying direction 10 by means of lower active drives 3 having front and rear conveyor belts 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, and passive conjointly running lateral upper and lateral oblique guide rollers 7, 8, 9 into the gathering region 18a in which the conductors 4 are placed into the opened cable protection tube 5, so as to be subsequently conveyed out of the apparatus 1 as a closed and completely made-up submarine cable 6, 6, onto an accumulator, for example a winding reel (not illustrated), or else to be laid directly without intermediate storage on or in the seabed.

(11) The alternative and completely made-up submarine cable 6, in a second embodiment according to FIG. 4, is additionally illustrated in FIG. 1. It can be seen that a closure tape 23, which is indicated with dashed lines, at the beginning of the closing region 18e of the cable protection tube 5 is incorporated in the separation slot 12 (cf. FIG. 2) between the two longitudinal edges 11 (cf. FIG. 2) of the cable protection tube 5. Further details of this closure tape 23 have already been mentioned in the general specification and will be described in more detail hereunder in the context of FIGS. 4 and 5.

(12) FIG. 2 shows an enlarged illustration of a detail of the apparatus 1 according to the invention, in the opening region 18b and the retention region 18c of the cable protection tube 5 of the submarine cable 6, 6 according to the invention. The conductors 4 are introduced from above into the introduction region 18d into introduction opening 16 of the cable protection tube 5 in the conveying direction 13. In order for the cable protection tube 5 to be opened, a knife 14 is disposed in the upper region of the jacket of the cable protection tube 5, so as to be downstream in conveying direction 10 of the conveyor belt 3b, the knife 14 cutting open the cable protection tube 5, thus forming the separation slot 12 having two mutually opposite longitudinal edges 11 on the cable protection tube 5.

(13) In order for the cable protection tube 5 to be retained open, a wedge 15 is located so as to be downstream of the knife 14 in the conveying direction 10, the wedge 15 retaining the separation slot 12 by bearing on the two mutually opposite longitudinal edges 11 of the cable protection tube 5.

(14) The separation slot 12 is retained open by the wedge 15 until the conductors 4 in the conveying direction 13 by way of the introduction opening 16 have been completely introduced into the interior of the cable protection tube 5.

(15) The four internal guide rollers 17 in the interior 16 of the cable protection tube 5 serve for holding down and optionally retaining the opened cable protection tube 5, and optionally for spacing the conductors 4 from the base of the cable protection tube 5 in the region where the cable protection tube 5 is opened and retained.

(16) FIG. 3 now shows the completely made-up submarine cable 6 according to the invention, in a first embodiment having a slotted cable protection tube 5, in which the electrical and/or optical conductors 4 are received within an optional embedding layer 19.

(17) It can readily be seen that the two longitudinal edges 11 of the cable protection tube 5 in the circumferential direction are pushed on top of one another, thus defining an overlapping region 20 between the two angular jacket strips 21 of the cable protection tube 5 that extends in the circumferential direction and the longitudinal direction (corresponding to the conveying direction 10 in FIGS. 1 and 2).

(18) Therefore, the diameter of the cable protection tube 5 prior to slitting is larger than the diameter of the cable protection tube 5 after closing.

(19) In this instance, an overlapping space 22 into which the embedding layer or another connection and sealing compound may then be incorporated is formed between the two angular jacket strips 21. Of course, the two angular jacket strips 21, alternatively or additionally, may also be welded together from the outside.

(20) FIG. 4 shows the completely made-up submarine cable 6 according to the invention, in a second embodiment having a flexible H-shaped closure tape 23 which, in particular in a clamping manner, is incorporated in the separation slot 12 between the two longitudinal edges 11 of the cable protection tube 5, in particular across the entire length of the cable protection tube 5, being adhesively bonded therein by way of an adhesive layer 27.

(21) FIG. 5 shows the H-shaped closure tape 23 as per FIG. 4, wherein the two parallel legs 24, 25 are chosen to be longer than the intermediate web 26 which connects the former. The dimensions of the two parallel legs 24, 25 and of the intermediate web 26 depend on the diameter and on the wall thickness of the cable protection tube 5, on the thickness and area of the adhesive layer 27 (FIG. 4), and on the adhesive force of the adhesive of the adhesive layer 27 (FIG. 4).

(22) It can be seen in FIG. 4 that the closure tape 23 is incorporated into the separation slot 12 of the cable protection tube 5 in such a manner that the two parallel legs 24 of the closure tape 23 run in the circumferential direction of the cable protection tube 5, being attached to the jacket of the cable protection tube 5, and that the intermediate web 26 of the closure tape 23 runs in the radial direction of the cable protection tube 5, being applied between the surfaces of the two longitudinal edges 11 of the cable protection tube 5, optionally under a slight circumferential clamping force.

(23) Finally, it is pointed out once more that the methods as have been described in detail here above, and the apparatus illustrated, are merely exemplary embodiments which may be modified in various ways by a person skilled in art without departing from the scope of the invention. Furthermore, the use of the indefinite article a does not preclude the respective features being present in multiples. Likewise, the term unit and module does not preclude the respective components being composed of a plurality of interacting part-components which optionally may also be distributed in terms of space.

(24) Although the present invention has been disclosed in the form of preferred embodiments and variations thereon, it will be understood that numerous additional modifications and variations could be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention.

(25) For the sake of clarity, it is to be understood that the use of a or an throughout this application does not exclude a plurality, and comprising does not exclude other steps or elements.