Optical fiber device having annular and axial grooves

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12164163-B2
Application number	US-202217685533-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 3, 2022
Priority date	Jan 10, 2019
Publication date	Dec 10, 2024
Grant date	Dec 10, 2024

Abstract

A fiber optic cable includes an outer surface, an axial groove and an additional annular groove. The outer surface includes an annular groove. The axial groove that extends in an axial direction of the fiber optic cable. The additional annular groove is configured to separates sections of the outer surface. The axial groove is configured to be gripped by a connector to prevent rotation of the fiber optic cable relative to the connector. The separate sections are configured to hinge against each other such that the fiber optic cable is bendable to a predetermined bend radius.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fiber optic cable, comprising:
an outer surface that includes an annular groove;
an axial groove that extends in an axial direction of the fiber optic cable;
an additional annular groove that separates sections of the outer surface;
wherein the axial groove is configured to be gripped by a connector to prevent rotation of the fiber optic cable relative to the connector;
wherein the separate sections are configured to hinge against each other such that the fiber optic cable is bendable to a predetermined bend radius; and
wherein the fiber optic cable comprises a duct, a cable, or a tube.

2. The fiber optic cable of claim 1 , further comprising an additional axial groove in the outer surface that extends in the axial direction and separates sections of the outer surface in a circumferential direction of the fiber optic cable.

3. The fiber optic cable of claim 2 , wherein the annular groove comprises a first annular groove and a second annular groove that is configured to separate first and second sections of the outer surface.

4. A fiber optic cable comprising:
an outer surface portion that includes an annular groove portion and an axial receiving portion that is substantially perpendicular to the annular groove portion;
an additional annular groove portion configured to separate sections of the outer surface portion;
wherein the axial receiving portion is structurally configured to be gripped by a connector to prevent rotation of the fiber optic cable relative to the connector; and
wherein the separate sections are structurally configured to hinge against each other such that the fiber optic cable is prevented from bending beyond a minimum bend radius.

5. The fiber optic cable of claim 4 , further comprising a connector portion; and
wherein the connector portion includes an engagement portion that is structurally configured to be received by the axial receiving portion.

6. The fiber optic cable of claim 5 , wherein the engagement portion comprises an axial ridge, and the axial receiving portion comprises an axial groove structurally configured to receive the axial ridge.

7. The fiber optic cable of claim 5 , wherein cooperative engagement between the engagement feature of the connector portion and the axial receiving portion prevents rotation of the outer surface portion relative to the connector portion.

8. The fiber optic cable of claim 5 , wherein the connector portion comprises a fiber optic connector.

9. The fiber optic cable of claim 4 , wherein the annular groove and the additional annular groove are configured to be spaced apart from one another in an axial direction of the fiber optic cable.

10. The fiber optic cable of claim 4 , wherein the axial groove portion comprises a plurality of axial grooves that are configured to divide the outer surface portion in a circumferential direction of the fiber optic cable into separate sections.

11. A fiber optic cable comprising:
an outer surface portion structurally configured to include a plurality of separate sections that are configured to prevent the fiber optic cable from bending beyond a minimum bend radius;
an axial groove portion configured to extend in an axial direction of the fiber optic cable; and
wherein the axial groove portion is configured to be gripped by a fiber optic connector to prevent rotation of the outer surface portion relative to the connector.

12. The fiber optic cable of claim 11 , wherein the separate sections are configured to hinge against each other such that the fiber optic cable is prevented from bending beyond a minimum bend radius.

13. The fiber optic cable of claim 11 , wherein the outer surface portion includes an annular groove portion that is substantially perpendicular to the axial groove portion; and
wherein the annular groove portion is configured to provide the plurality of separate sections.

14. The fiber optic cable of claim 13 , wherein the annular groove portion includes a plurality of annular grooves that are configured to be spaced apart from one another in an axial direction of the fiber optic cable.

15. The fiber optic cable of claim 11 , further comprising a connector portion; and
wherein the connector portion includes an engagement portion configured to be received by the axial groove portion.

16. The fiber optic cable of claim 15 , wherein the connector portion comprises a fiber optic connector.

17. The fiber optic cable of claim 15 , wherein the engagement portion comprises an axial ridge configured to be received by the axial groove portion.

18. The fiber optic cable of claim 15 , wherein cooperative engagement between the engagement portion of the connector portion and the axial groove portion prevents rotation of the outer surface portion relative to the connector.

19. A fiber optic cable assembly comprising:
a fiber optic cable portion configured to include an axial groove portion and an annular groove portion;
a fiber optic connector portion configured to include an axial ridge portion for forming a non-rotatable portion between the fiber optic cable portion and the fiber optic connector portion;
wherein the annular groove portion is structurally configured to prevent the fiber optic cable portion from bending beyond a minimum bend radius; and
wherein the non-rotatable portion between the fiber optic cable portion and the fiber optic connector portion is structurally configured to prevent rotation of the fiber optic cable portion relative to the fiber optic connector portion during operation of the fiber optic cable assembly.

20. The fiber optic cable assembly of claim 19 , wherein the axial groove portion of the fiber optic cable portion comprises a plurality of axial grooves, the axial ridge portion of the fiber optic connector comprises a plurality of axial ridges, and the non-rotatable portion comprises a plurality of non-rotatable portions.

21. The fiber optic cable assembly of claim 20 , wherein the plurality of annular grooves are configured to be spaced apart from one another in axial direction of the fiber optic cable portion.

22. The fiber optic cable assembly of claim 20 , wherein the plurality of axial grooves are configured to divide the outer surface in a circumferential direction of the fiber optic cable into separate sections; and
wherein the separate sections are configured to hinge against each other such that the fiber optic cable portion is prevented from bending beyond a minimum bend radius.

23. An optical fiber device for coupling with a connector comprising:
an annular groove portion configured to form a limited hinge portion that prevents the optical fiber device from bending beyond a minimum bend radius of the optical fiber device;
an axial groove portion configured to form a non-rotatable portion between the optical fiber device and an axial engagement portion of a connector; and
wherein the non-rotatable portion is configured to prevent rotation of the axial groove portion of the optical fiber device relative to the axial engagement portion of the connector.

24. The optical fiber device of claim 23 , wherein the axial engagement portion of the connector comprises an axial ridge portion.

25. The optical fiber device of claim 23 , wherein the axial groove portion comprises a first axial groove, and further comprising a second axial groove configured to separate first and second sections of an outer surface portion of the optical fi

Assignees

• Ppc Broadband Inc

Inventors

• Claver Nicholas V
• Daoust Daniel
• Stankovski Steve

Classifications

• G02B6/4401 Primary

  Optical cables (glass fibres with a protective coating G02B6/02395) · CPC title

• G02B6/38875 Primary

  Protection from bending or twisting · CPC title

• G02B6/0038

  Linear indentations or grooves, e.g. arc-shaped grooves or meandering grooves, extending over the full length or width of the light guide · CPC title

• G02B6/3636

  the mechanical coupling means being grooves (G02B6/3652 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/4408

  Groove structures in support members to decrease or harmonise transmission losses in ribbon cables · CPC title