Fiber optic cable with flexible conduit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10054753-B2
Application number	US-201514918764-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2015
Priority date	Oct 27, 2014
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a fiber optic cable that includes a plurality of internal optical fibers and a fiber optic cable portion. The fiber optic cable portion includes an outer jacket and an inner conduit, the inner conduit containing the plurality of optical fibers disposed therein. The fiber optic cable further includes a flexible conduit portion, wherein the flexible conduit portion has a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end is secured to the fiber optic cable portion and the distal end has a terminating device. The terminating device at least partially encases the flexible conduit portion, and the plurality of optical fibers passes through the flexible conduit portion and the terminating device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fiber optic cable comprising:
a plurality of internal optical fibers;
a fiber optic cable portion including:
an outer jacket, and
an inner conduit, the inner conduit containing the plurality of optical fibers disposed therein;

a flexible conduit portion, wherein the flexible conduit portion has a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end being secured to the fiber optic cable portion and the distal end having a terminating device, wherein the terminating device at least partially encases the flexible conduit portion, and wherein the plurality of internal optical fibers passes through the flexible conduit portion and the terminating device, wherein both the flexible conduit portion and the fiber optic cable portion are flexible, and wherein the flexible conduit portion has a greater flexibility than fiber optic cable portion; and
wherein the distal end of the flexible conduit is mounted to telecommunications equipment, and wherein the plurality of optical fibers pass through the terminating device and into the telecommunications equipment to connect to a terminating location in the telecommunications equipment.

2. The fiber optic cable of claim 1 , wherein the fiber optic cable includes a plurality of inner strength members disposed between the outer jacket and the inner conduit.

3. The fiber optic cable of claim 1 , wherein the flexible conduit surrounds a portion of the inner conduit.

4. The fiber optic cable of claim 1 , wherein the proximal end of the flexible conduit is secured to the fiber optic cable using an overmold material.

5. The fiber optic cable of claim 1 , wherein the distal end of the flexible conduit further includes a fan-out device.

6. The fiber optic cable of claim 5 , wherein the fan-out device is secured to the flexible conduit by the terminating device.

7. The fiber optic cable of claim 1 , wherein the terminating device includes a heat shrink material to, when shrunk by heat, at least partially encase and seal a junction between the flexible conduit portion and the terminating device.

8. The fiber optic cable of claim 1 , wherein the terminating device includes an overmold cap.

9. The fiber optic cable of claim 1 , wherein the inner conduit and outer jacket of the fiber optic cable terminate at the proximal end of the flexible conduit and wherein only the plurality of optical fibers pass through the flexible conduit portion.

10. The fiber optic cable of claim 1 ,
wherein the flexible conduit portion is bent relative to an axis of the fiber optic cable portion, wherein the outer jacket and the inner conduit terminate so as to allow only optical fibers to extend through a portion of the flexible conduit portion to the terminating device.

11. The fiber optic cable of claim 1 , wherein a water-blocking gel is located within the flexible conduit.

12. The fiber optic cable of claim 1 , wherein the flexible conduit portion is comprised of material that is resistant to a crushing force.

13. A fiber optic cable comprising:
a plurality of internal optical fibers;
a fiber optic cable portion including:
an outer jacket, and
an inner conduit, the inner conduit containing the plurality of optical fibers disposed therein; and

a flexible conduit portion, wherein the flexible conduit portion has a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end being secured to the fiber optic cable portion and the distal end having a terminating device, wherein the terminating device at least partially encases the flexible conduit portion, and wherein the plurality of internal optical fibers passes through the flexible conduit portion and the terminating device,
wherein the proximal end of the flexible conduit is secured to the fiber optic cable using a heat shrink material.

14. A fiber optic cable comprising:
a plurality of internal optical fibers;
a fiber optic cable portion including:
an outer jacket, and
an inner conduit, the inner conduit containing the plurality of optical fibers disposed therein; and

a flexible conduit portion, wherein the flexible conduit portion has a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end being secured to the fiber optic cable portion and the distal end having a terminating device, wherein the terminating device at least partially encases the flexible conduit portion, and wherein the plurality of internal optical fibers passes through the flexible conduit portion and the terminating device, wherein the proximal end of the flexible conduit is secured to the inner conduit of the fiber optic cable using an epoxy, and wherein the flexible conduit is also secured to the outer jacket of the fiber optic cable by a securing device.

15. The fiber optic cable of claim 14 , wherein the securing device includes a heat shrink material.

16. The fiber optic cable of claim 14 , wherein the securing device includes an overmold material.

Assignees

• Commscope Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Petersen Cyle D

Classifications

• G02B6/4452

  Distribution frames · CPC title

• G02B6/4476

  with heat-shrinkable elements · CPC title

• G02B6/4461

  Articulated · CPC title

• G02B6/4494

  Physics · mapped topic

• G02B6/4472 Primary

  Manifolds · CPC title