Rapid deploy outdoor cable

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9823431-B2
Application number	US-201514730791-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 4, 2015
Priority date	Jun 4, 2015
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

Aspects of this disclosure relate to a cable that includes an outer housing, a plurality of optical fibers within the outer housing and arranged side-by-side along the width of the cable; and a removably attached access layer within the outer housing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cable, comprising:
an outer housing having a planar bottom surface extending along a width of the outer housing;
a plurality of optical fibers within the outer housing and arranged in parallel with one another along the width of the cable;
a removably attached access layer providing access to the plurality of optical fibers, the removably attached access layer forming a first portion of the outer housing and having a shape complementary to a second portion of the outer housing from which the access layer can be separated; and
a plurality of strength members, wherein the strength members are secured to the access layer such that when the access layer is moved from a closed position to an open position, the strength members are moved away from a remainder of the outer housing,
wherein strength members of the plurality of strength members are disposed between each of the optical fibers.

2. The cable of claim 1 , further comprising an adhesive layer disposed at the bottom surface of the outer housing, the adhesive layer comprised of a material configured to secure the cable to a surface exposed to an outside environment.

3. The cable of claim 1 , wherein first and second outer strength members are disposed within the outer housing such that the plurality of optical fibers are disposed between the first and second outer strength members.

4. The cable of claim 3 , wherein a distance between a top and bottom surface of the second portion of the outer housing is greater adjacent to the first and second outer strength members than a portion of the outer housing adjacent to the optical fibers.

5. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of strength members are comprised of resin embedded with glass fibers or synthetic aramid fibers.

6. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the access layer is configured to move from the closed position to the open position where the access layer is moved away from the first portion of the outer housing, wherein the optical fibers are exposed when the access layer is in the open position.

7. The cable of claim 1 , wherein a cross-section of the access layer across the width of the outer housing comprises a shape of a trapezoid.

8. The cable of claim 2 , wherein the adhesive layer is a first adhesive layer, and the access layer includes a second adhesive layer that allows for the access layer to be moved back and forth between the closed position and the open position, wherein the access layer is secured to the outer housing in the closed position.

9. The cable of claim 2 , wherein the adhesive layer is a first adhesive layer, and the access layer is secured to the outer housing by a second adhesive layer.

10. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of optical fibers include at least twelve fibers.

11. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the cable further comprises microducts and the optical fibers are positioned within microducts.

12. A method of deploying a cable onto a surface exposed to an outside environment comprising:
removing a liner overlying a first adhesive layer of the cable to expose the first adhesive layer;
placing the first adhesive layer into contact with the surface; and
applying pressure to the cable to secure the cable to the surface,
wherein the cable comprises:
an outer housing having a planar bottom surface extending along a width of the outer housing;
a plurality of optical fibers within the outer housing and arranged in parallel with one another along the width of the cable;
a removably attached access layer providing access to the plurality of optical fibers, the removably attached access layer forming a first portion of the outer housing and having a shape complementary to a second portion of the outer housing from which the access layer can be separated; and
a plurality of strength members, wherein the strength members are secured to the access layer such that when the access layer is moved from a closed position to an open position, the strength members are moved away from a remainder of the outer housing, while still being secured to the access layer,
wherein the first adhesive layer is disposed at the bottom surface of the outer housing and the first adhesive layer is comprised of a material configured to secure the cable to a surface exposed to an outside environment, and
wherein the optical fibers and the strength members are staggered such that central axes of the strength members and central axes of the optical fibers are not aligned.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the cable is a first cable, the method further comprising:
exposing a second adhesive layer disposed at a bottom surface of a second cable, the second cable housing a second plurality of second optical fibers; and
securing the second adhesive layer of the second cable to a top surface of the first cable.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein exposing a second adhesive layer includes removing a second adhesive backing liner from the bottom surface of the second cable to expose the second adhesive layer.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first cable is deposited at the same time a first adhesive backing liner is removed.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first cable and the second cable are cut from a same primary cable.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the cable is a first cable, the method further comprising:
exposing a second adhesive layer disposed at a bottom surface of a second cable, the second cable housing a microduct;
positioning the second cable in a direction extending away from the first cable; and
blowing one of the plurality of optical fibers in the first cable through the microduct.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein prior to blowing, the access layer of the first cable is in an open position so as to provide access to the one of the plurality of optical fibers within the outer housing.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein a circumference of each of the plurality of strength members is greater than a circumference of each of the microducts.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein a circumference of each of the plurality of strength members is greater than a circumference of each of the microducts.

Assignees

• Google Inc
• Google Llc

Inventors

• Lish David Frank
• Segura Ben Warren
• Anthony David
• Toccalino John
• Rader Paul Steven
• Miles David

Classifications

• G02B6/4407 Primary

  with internal fluted support member (G02B6/4429, G02B6/4439, G02B6/4479 take precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/4403

  with ribbon structure (G02B6/4429, G02B6/4439, G02B6/4479 take precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/46

  Processes or apparatus adapted for installing {or repairing} optical fibres or optical cables (installation of cables containing electric conductors and optical fibres H02G) · CPC title

• G02B6/4463

  Physics · mapped topic

• G02B6/4464

  Physics · mapped topic