Binder film for a fiber optic cable

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11287589-B2
Application number	US-201615289943-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 10, 2016
Priority date	Sep 26, 2012
Publication date	Mar 29, 2022
Grant date	Mar 29, 2022

Abstract

A fiber optic cable includes a cable core of core elements and a protective sheath surrounding the core elements, an armor surrounding the cable core, the armor comprising a single overlap portion when the fiber optic cable is viewed in cross-section, and a jacket surrounding the armor, the jacket having at least two longitudinal discontinuities extruded therein. A method of accessing the cable core without the use of ripcords includes removing a portion of the armor in an access section by pulling the armor away from the cable core so that an overlap portion separates around the cable core as it is being pulled past the cable core. A protective sheath protects the core elements as the armor is being pulled around the cable core.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fiber optic cable, comprising:
a cable core of core elements and a protective sheath surrounding the core elements, wherein the protective sheath is continuous peripherally around the core elements, forming a continuous closed loop when viewed in cross-section, and continuous lengthwise along a length of the cable, and wherein the cable core is devoid of any ripcords;
an armor surrounding the cable core, the armor comprising a single overlap portion when the fiber optic cable is viewed in cross-section; and
a jacket surrounding the armor, the jacket having at least two longitudinal discontinuities extruded therein.

2. The fiber optic cable of claim 1 , further comprising an access section, the access section defined by a jacket portion removed via separation of the jacket along the discontinuities and an armor portion removed via separation of the overlap portion around the cable core.

3. The fiber optic cable of claim 1 , wherein the core elements comprise:
a tube surrounding one or more optical fibers;
at least one of a filler rod and an additional tube; and
a central strength member, wherein the core elements are stranded around the central strength member in a pattern of stranding including reversals in lay direction of the core elements.

4. The fiber optic cable of claim 1 , wherein the protective sheath is in radial tension around the core elements such that the protective sheath opposes outwardly transverse deflection of the core elements, and wherein the protective sheath loads the core elements normally to the central strength member such that contact between the core elements and central strength member provides coupling therebetween, limiting axial migration of the core elements relative to the central strength member.

5. The fiber optic cable of claim 1 , wherein the radial tension of the protective sheath has a distributed loading of at least 5 newtons per meter length of the cable.

6. The fiber optic cable of claim 1 , wherein the protective sheath is 0.2 millimeters or less in thickness.

7. The fiber optic cable of claim 1 , wherein the armor is comprised of steel, aluminum, or copper.

8. The fiber optic cable of claim 1 , wherein, around the cross-sectional periphery of the protective sheath, the protective sheath takes the shape of adjoining core elements and extends in generally concave arcs over interstices between the core elements.

9. The fiber optic cable of claim 1 , wherein the jacket is at least five times thicker than the protective sheath.

10. The fiber optic cable of claim 1 , wherein the jacket is opaque and the protective sheath is translucent so that the core elements are at least partially visible through the protective sheath.

11. The fiber optic cable of claim 1 , wherein an interior area surrounded by the armor that includes the cable core is devoid of any ripcords.

12. The fiber optic cable of claim 1 , wherein the protective sheath is formed from a polymeric material that forms a continuous closed loop when viewed in cross-section that is continuous lengthwise for at least 10 m along the length of the cable.

13. A method of accessing core elements of a fiber optic cable without the use of ripcords, the fiber optic cable comprising a cable core of the core elements and a protective sheath surrounding the core elements, an armor surrounding the cable core, the armor comprising a single overlap portion when the fiber optic cable is viewed in cross-section, and a jacket surrounding the armor, the jacket having at least two longitudinal discontinuities extruded therein, the method comprising:
making a ring cut of the jacket at a mid-span location;
making a longitudinal cut in the jacket where at least one of the two longitudinal discontinuities are located, the longitudinal cut orthogonally intersecting the ring cut;
grasping the jacket at the intersection of the longitudinal cut and the ring cut and peeling back the jacket so that the jacket separates along the discontinuities a predetermined length;
removing the predetermined length of jacket peeled back from the core to expose the armor and define an access section;
scoring the armor near an end of the access section to remove a small section of the armor and expose the cable core; and
removing a remaining portion of the armor in the access section by pulling the armor away from the cable core, without the use of ripcords, so that the overlap portion separates around the cable core as it is being pulled past the cable core.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
making a lengthwise incision in the protective sheath to provide an opening through which the core elements may be accessed.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the core elements include a plurality of buffer tubes, at least one of the buffer tubes surrounding optical fibers.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the core elements further include a central strength element, the buffer tubes being stranded around the central strength element in an s-z stranding configuration.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the lengthwise incision is made at a reversal of the s-z stranding configuration.

Assignees

• Corning Optical Communications LLC

Inventors

• Blazer Bradley Jerome
• Burns Rodney Maurice
• Dewell James Garrett
• Greenwood Iii Julian Latelle
• Greer Keith Aaron
• Mcalpine Warren Welborn

Classifications

• G02B6/443 Primary

  Protective covering · CPC title

• B29C48/06 Primary

  Rod-shaped · CPC title

• G02B6/566

  Devices for opening or removing the mantle · CPC title

• G02B6/4431

  with provision in the protective covering, e.g. weak line, for gaining access to one or more fibres, e.g. for branching or tapping (break-out terminations G02B6/4471) · CPC title

• B29K2105/20

  Inserts · CPC title