Tactical deployable cables

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10386594-B2
Application number	US-201615758244-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 9, 2016
Priority date	Sep 11, 2015
Publication date	Aug 20, 2019
Grant date	Aug 20, 2019

Abstract

A tactical deployable cable is provided. The cable includes a fiber optic unit. The fiber optic unit includes a plurality of optical fibers, each of the plurality of optical fibers having a maximum nominal outer diameter of less than or equal to about 250 microns. The fiber optic unit further includes a UV cured resin layer surrounding and encapsulating the plurality of optical fibers. The fiber optic unit further includes a thermoplastic elastomer buffer layer surrounding the UV cured resin layer. The cable may include a thermoplastic jacket surrounding the fiber optic unit, and a plurality of strength members disposed between the jacket and the fiber optic unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tactical deployable cable, comprising:
a fiber optic unit, the fiber optic unit comprising:
a plurality of optical fibers, each of the plurality of optical fibers having a maximum nominal outer diameter of less than or equal to about 250 microns;
a UV cured resin layer surrounding and encapsulating the plurality of optical fibers; and
a thermoplastic elastomer buffer layer surrounding and in contact with the UV cured resin layer,
wherein the fiber optic unit has a maximum outer diameter of less than or equal to 1000 microns.

2. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of optical fibers consists of four optical fibers.

3. The cable of claim 2 , wherein each of the four optical fibers has a maximum nominal outer diameter of about 250 microns.

4. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of optical fibers consists of six optical fibers.

5. The cable of claim 4 , wherein each of the six optical fibers has a maximum nominal outer diameter of about 200 microns.

6. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the UV cured resin layer comprises a silicone.

7. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the UV cured resin layer has a tensile modulus of less than 10 MPa.

8. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of optical fibers are helically stranded.

9. The cable of claim 1 , further comprising a thermoplastic jacket surrounding the fiber optic unit and a plurality of strength members disposed between the jacket and the fiber optic unit.

10. The cable of claim 9 , wherein the strength members are aramid yarns.

11. The cable of claim 9 , wherein the thermoplastic jacket comprises a polyurethane.

12. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the fiber optic unit is a plurality of fiber optic units.

13. The cable of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of fiber optic units consists of twelve fiber optic units and the cable has a maximum outer diameter of less than 6.5 millimeters.

14. The cable of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of fiber optic units consists of four fiber optic units and the cable has a maximum outer diameter of less than 5.6 millimeters.

15. The cable of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of fiber optic units consists of one fiber optic unit and the cable has a maximum outer diameter of less than 4.5 millimeters.

16. A tactical deployable cable, comprising:
a fiber optic unit, the fiber optic unit comprising:
a plurality of optical fibers, each of the plurality of optical fibers having a maximum nominal outer diameter of less than or equal to about 250 microns;
a UV cured resin layer surrounding and encapsulating the plurality of optical fibers; and
a thermoplastic elastomer buffer layer surrounding the UV cured resin layer;

a thermoplastic polyurethane jacket surrounding the fiber optic unit; and
a plurality of strength members disposed between the jacket and the fiber optic unit.

17. The cable of claim 16 , wherein the UV cured resin layer comprises a silicone.

18. The cable of claim 16 , wherein the UV cured resin layer has a tensile modulus of less than 10 MPa.

19. The cable of claim 16 wherein the buffer layer contacts the LTV cured resin layer.

20. The cable of claim 16 , wherein the UV cured resin layer is a first UV cured resin layer, and further comprising a second UV cured resin layer disposed between and in contact with the first UV cured resin layer and the thermoplastic elastomer buffer layer, the second UV cured resin layer having a secant modulus of greater than 500 MPa.

21. The cable of claim 16 , wherein the fiber optic unit further comprising a central rod, the optical fibers surrounding the central rod.

22. The cable of claim 16 , wherein the fiber optic unit has a maximum outer diameter of less than or equal to 1000 microns.

Assignees

• Afl Telecommunications Llc

Inventors

• Quinn Justin
• Stratton Craig

Classifications

• G02B6/4432 Primary

  with fibre reinforcements · CPC title

• G02B6/4413

  Helical structure · CPC title

• G02B6/4434

  Central member to take up tensile loads · CPC title

• G02B6/441

  built up from sub-bundles (G02B6/4429, G02B6/4439, G02B6/4479 take precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/4457

  Bobbins; Reels · CPC title