Multi-fiber optical distribution cable for hallway installations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016299309-A1
Application number	US-201514844410-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 3, 2015
Priority date	Apr 9, 2015
Publication date	Oct 13, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An optical fiber distribution or breakout cable for serving multiple customer premises in a multi-dwelling unit (MDU) building. The cable contains a number of bend insensitive fibers each having a different colored coating for identification. A jacket of a flame-retardant polymer compound is extruded to surround the fibers. The jacket is sufficiently opaque to hide the color coated fibers at least partially from view, and the outer diameter of the jacket is not more than about 3.5 mm. A procedure for installing the cable through a hallway of a MDU building so as to lessen any negative visual impact of the installation on observers nearby is also disclosed.

First claim

We claim:

1 . An optical fiber distribution or breakout cable for servicing multiple customer units or premises, comprising:
a number of bend insensitive optical fibers each of which has a coating of a different color to identify the fiber; and an outer jacket of a flame-retardant polymer compound that is extruded to surround the fibers, wherein the jacket is sufficiently opaque to hide the colored coatings on the optical fibers at least partially from view, and the jacket has an outer diameter of not more than approximately 3.5 mm so that any negative visual impact of the cable is reduced or eliminated when the cable is routed over an interior building surface to service the customer units or premises.

2 . An optical fiber cable according to claim 1 , wherein each of the coated optical fibers has an outer diameter of approximately 240 microns.

3 . An optical fiber cable according to claim 1 , including a relatively soft curable inner layer surrounding the coated fibers, and a harder curable outer layer surrounding the inner layer.

4 . An optical fiber cable according to claim 3 , wherein the inner and the outer layers are clear or translucent to allow a sufficient amount of light energy to pass through the layers to cure the layers during manufacture of the cable.

5 . An optical fiber cable according to claim 1 , wherein the compound forming the outer jacket is compatible with a non-toxic adhesive for bonding the cable to a building wall or other structural surface including at least one of painted or unpainted wood, paneling, sheetrock, plaster, concrete block, brick, stucco, wallpaper, and texturing.

6 . An optical fiber cable according to claim 1 , wherein the outer jacket comprises a low-smoke PVC compound.

7 . An optical fiber cable according to claim 1 , wherein the outer jacket comprises a low-smoke zero-halogen material.

8 . An optical fiber cable according to claim 1 , wherein the outer jacket is not more than about 0.35 mm thick.

9 . An optical fiber cable according to claim 1 , wherein the outer jacket comprises a mineral filler selected from among magnesium hydroxide Mg(OH) 2 and aluminum trihydrate Al(OH) 3 in a concentration ranging from approximately 10% to 70 % by weight.

10 . An optical fiber cable according to claim 1 , wherein the outer jacket comprises a mineral filler selected from among calcium carbonate and clay.

11 . An optical fiber cable according to claim 1 , wherein the outer jacket comprises a pigment or colorant for blending or color matching the cable to a wall or other surface along which the cable is installed.

12 . An optical fiber cable according to claim 1 , wherein the outer jacket is marked with a printed legend to indicate a fire safety rating for the cable.

13 . An optical fiber cable according to claim 12 , wherein the printed legend comprises an inked string of lightly colored text not more than about 1.34 mm high so that the text string can be seen and read only when viewed at a relatively close distance.

14 . A procedure for installing an optical fiber distribution or breakout cable through a hallway in a building for providing communication services to multiple living units or premises in the building, comprising:
providing a distribution or breakout cable containing a number of colored optical fibers each of which is assigned to a living unit or premises to be serviced by the cable, the cable having an opaque jacket having an outer diameter of not more than approximately 3.5 mm; identifying each living unit or premises along a hallway to be serviced by the cable, and mounting a connection module at or near each unit; determining a routing path for the cable over a wall of the hallway in such a manner as to lessen any negative visual impact of the cable on observers nearby when the cable is installed over the path; temporarily taping the cable over the routing path, and leaving coiled sections of cable at the locations of the mounted modules; applying an adhesive bead along an underlying surface of the determined routing path, and pressing the cable into the bead for bonding the cable to the underlying surface; placing the cable sections into each of the connection modules mounted at or near each unit; opening the opaque jacket of the cable sections in each of the connection modules, and identifying by color a cable fiber assigned to the corresponding unit; removing a length of the identified fiber, terminating the fiber with a connector, and inserting the connector in an adapter mounted in the connection module; and passing an end of a drop cable from the unit into the connection module, and inserting a connector at the end of the drop cable into the adapter.

15 . The procedure of claim 14 , including coloring the outer jacket of the cable to match or blend with the underlying surface of the routing path.

16 . The procedure of claim 14 , including mounting cable bend protectors at corners of the determined routing path.

17 . The procedure of claim 14 , including testing signal power levels and insertion losses throughout the installation.

18 . The procedure of claim 17 , including closing all the connection modules when the installation of the cable through the hallway of the building is completed.

Assignees

• Ofs Fitel Llc

Inventors

• Boxer Mark A
• Hendrickson Daniel
• Weimann Peter A

Classifications

• G02B6/4482

  Code or colour marking · CPC title

• G02B6/4436

  Heat resistant · CPC title

• G02B6/447

  Physics · mapped topic

• G02B6/4466 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G02B6/50

  Underground or underwater installation; Installation through tubing, conduits or ducts · CPC title