Branching unit for submarine systems
US5517383A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 3, 1994 |
| Grant date | May 14, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 3, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04B3/44
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A branching unit for use in submarine telecommunications optical cable systems which employs electrical power feeding for repeater/regenerators of the cable system, in particular a system employing multiple branching units. The unit terminates three line cables (at 1, 2, 3) and a sea earth (at 4) and includes first, second the third high voltage relays (A, A1, B, B1, C, C1), only one of which is energized at a time. When electrical power is supplied between any two line terminations, e.g. 1 and 3, an associated relay coil, e.g. C is energized so that its contacts C1 isolate the third line termination, e.g. 2, and connect it to the sea earth termination (4) via fourth, or fifth, relay contacts (D1, E1 ). The branching unit also includes a plurality of optical regenerators, for optical path switching purposes, which require electrical power feeding and whose power feed circuits 20 are connected in parallel with each of the relay coils. When any relay is energized, i.e. the cable system is powered up, the regenerators are also powered. The zener diodes (21) provide voltage supply to the regenerator power feed circuits as well as providing surge protection for them and the relay coils …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.