Fiber optic cable demarcations inhibiting movement of optical fibers relative to strength members, and related assemblies and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9810857-B2
Application number	US-201414246316-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 7, 2014
Priority date	Oct 11, 2011
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

Fiber optic cable demarcations inhibiting movements of optical fibers relative to strength members, and related cable assemblies and methods, are disclosed. By bonding optical fibers to strength members with a bonding agent received into at least one cavity, a demarcation may be formed inside the cable jacket at a cable jacket interface. The at least one cavity may be disposed within a cable jacket of a fiber optic cable and at the cable jacket interface. The demarcation may bond at least one optical fiber and at least one strength member together to inhibit longitudinal movement of the at least one optical fiber relative to the at least one strength member. In this manner, the demarcation may inhibit optical fiber movement within the fiber optic connector, which may cause tensile forces and/or buckling of the optical fiber resulting in optical fiber damage and/or optical attenuation.

First claim

We claim:

1. A connectorized fiber optic cable, comprising:
a cable jacket;
at least one optical fiber and at least one strength member extending from the cable jacket at a cable jacket interface; and
a bonding agent disposed in at least one cavity inside the cable jacket at the cable jacket interface to form a demarcation inside the cable jacket at the cable jacket interface, the bonding agent attaching the at least one optical fiber and the at least one strength member together to inhibit longitudinal movement of the at least one optical fiber relative to the at least one strength member.

2. The connectorized fiber optic cable of claim 1 , wherein the bonding agent is at least one glue stick.

3. The connectorized fiber optic cable of claim 1 , wherein the at least one strength member and the at least one optical fiber contact the bonding agent in the demarcation.

4. The connectorized fiber optic cable of claim 1 , further comprising at least one filler unit, wherein the at least one cavity is disposed between the at least one filler unit and the cable jacket interface.

5. The connectorized fiber optic cable of claim 4 , wherein the at least one cavity is less than fifteen millimeters in a longitudinal direction.

6. The connectorized fiber optic cable of claim 1 , further comprising a fiber optic connector optically coupled to the at least one optical fiber.

7. The connectorized fiber optic cable of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the at least one strength member secures the fiber optic connector to the fiber optic cable.

8. The connectorized fiber optic cable of claim 1 , wherein the at least one optical fiber is part of one of at least one fiber subunit,
the at least one strength member comprises a plurality of strength members, and
a first portion of the plurality of strength members is part of the at least one fiber subunit and a second portion of the plurality of strength members is disposed outside of the at least one fiber subunit.

9. The connectorized fiber optic cable of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of strength members are twisted together within the demarcation.

10. The connectorized fiber optic cable of claim 8 , wherein the at least one optical fiber and the first portion of the plurality of strength members are free from the at least one fiber subunit in the demarcation.

11. The connectorized fiber optic cable of claim 1 , wherein the bonding agent attaches the at least one strength member to an inner surface of the cable jacket.

12. The connectorized fiber optic cable of claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one optical fiber comprises a bare optical fiber, and the bonding agent attaching the at least one strength member to the bare optical fiber.

13. The connectorized fiber optic cable of claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one optical fiber comprises a buffer layer, and the bonding agent attaching the at least one strength member to the buffer layer.

14. A connectorized fiber optic cable, comprising:
a cable jacket;
at least one optical fiber and a plurality of strength members extending from the cable jacket at a cable jacket interface, wherein the at least one optical fiber is part of one of at least one fiber subunit, wherein a first portion of the plurality of strength members is part of the at least one fiber subunit and a second portion of the plurality of strength members is disposed outside of the at least one fiber subunit; and
a bonding agent disposed in at least one cavity inside the cable jacket at the cable jacket interface to form a demarcation inside the cable jacket at the cable jacket interface, the bonding agent attaching the at least one optical fiber and the plurality of strength members together to inhibit longitudinal movement of the at least one optical fiber relative to the plurality of strength members, wherein the at least one optical fiber and the first portion of the plurality of strength members are free from the at least one fiber subunit in the demarcation.

15. The connectorized fiber optic cable of claim 14 , wherein the bonding agent is at least one glue stick.

16. The connectorized fiber optic cable of claim 14 , wherein the at least one strength member and the at least one optical fiber contact the bonding agent in the demarcation.

17. The connectorized fiber optic cable of claim 14 , further comprising at least one filler unit, wherein the at least one cavity is disposed between the at least one filler unit and the cable jacket interface.

18. The connectorized fiber optic cable of claim 17 , wherein the at least one cavity is less than fifteen millimeters in a longitudinal direction.

19. The connectorized fiber optic cable of claim 14 , further comprising a fiber optic connector optically coupled to the at least one optical fiber.

20. The connectorized fiber optic cable of claim 19 , wherein at least one of the at least one strength member secures the fiber optic connector to the fiber optic cable.

21. The connectorized fiber optic cable of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of strength members are twisted together within the demarcation.

22. The connectorized fiber optic cable of claim 14 , wherein the bonding agent attaches the at least one strength member to an inner surface of the cable jacket.

23. The connectorized fiber optic cable of claim 14 , wherein each of the at least one optical fiber comprises a bare optical fiber, and the bonding agent attaching the at least one strength member to the bare optical fiber.

24. The connectorized fiber optic cable of claim 14 , wherein each of the at least one optical fiber comprises a buffer layer, and the bonding agent attaching the at least one strength member to the buffer layer.

Assignees

• Corning Optical Communications LLC

Inventors

• Cervantes Marisol Aponte
• Hundley Michael Travis
• Lochkovic Gregory Alan
• Pina Francisco Luna
• Reinhardt Sherrh Clint
• Theuerkorn Thomas
• Williams Karen Elizabeth

Classifications

• G02B6/4479

  Manufacturing methods of optical cables · CPC title

• G02B6/245

  Removing protective coverings of light guides before coupling · CPC title

• G02B6/3889 Primary

  using encapsulation for protection, e.g. adhesive, molding or casting resin · CPC title

• G02B6/4471

  Terminating devices (demountable connectors G02B6/3807); Cable clamps · CPC title

• G02B6/38875

  Protection from bending or twisting · CPC title