Optical fiber cable

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9841573-B1
Application number	US-201615216807-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jul 22, 2016
Priority date	Jul 22, 2016
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

A cable comprising a central member with a coating that is soft, and which deforms under compression. Ribbon stacks are then placed atop the soft material so that the bottoms of the ribbon stacks are in direct contact with the soft material, thereby causing the soft material to conform to the shape of the bottoms of the ribbon stacks.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical fiber cable, comprising:
a central member, comprising:
a central strength member; and
a central member jacket surrounding the central strength member;

a soft material coating the central member;
ribbon stacks helically disposed around the soft material, the ribbon stacks compressing and deforming the soft material;
an encapsulate disposed between the ribbon stacks; and
a jacket surrounding the ribbon stacks, the jacket further surrounding the encapsulate.

2. The cable of claim 1 , the jacket comprising:
an inner jacket surrounding the ribbon stacks, the inner jacket further surrounding the encapsulate;
a strength member surrounding the inner jacket; and
an outer jacket surrounding the strength member.

3. The cable of claim 2 , the strength member comprising a layer of armor.

4. The cable of claim 2 , the strength member comprising a layer of para-aramid strength yarn.

5. The cable of claim 2 , the strength member comprising a layer of fiberglass yarn.

6. The cable of claim 1 , the soft material having a shore a (10 second) hardness between approximately 30 and approximately 90.

7. The cable of claim 1 , the soft material being one selected from the group consisting of:
KRATON® styrenic thermoplastic elastomers;
polyether thermoplastic elastomers;
polyester thermoplastic elastomers;
thermoplastic polyurethanes; and
extrudable rubbers.

8. An optical fiber cable, comprising:
a central member;
a ribbon stack having a bottom;
a soft material disposed between the central member and the bottom of the ribbon stack, the soft material being compressed by the ribbon stack; and
a deformation in the soft material, the deformation having a shape that corresponds to the bottom of the ribbon stack.

9. The cable of claim 8 , the soft material having a shore a (10 second) hardness between approximately 30 and approximately 90.

10. The cable of claim 9 , the soft material further having a shore a (10 second) hardness between approximately 30 and approximately 60.

11. The cable of claim 8 , the soft material being one selected from the group consisting of:
KRATON® styrenic thermoplastic elastomers;
polyether thermoplastic elastomers;
polyester thermoplastic elastomers;
thermoplastic polyurethanes; and
extrudable rubbers.

12. The cable of claim 8 , further comprising:
an inner jacket surrounding the ribbon stack, the inner jacket further surrounding the soft material.

13. The cable of claim 12 , further comprising an encapsulate located between the inner jacket and the soft material.

14. The cable of claim 12 , further comprising:
a strength member surrounding the inner jacket.

15. The cable of claim 14 , further comprising:
an outer jacket surrounding the strength member.

16. The cable of claim 14 , the strength member comprising woven aramid yarn surrounding the inner jacket.

17. The cable of claim 14 , the strength member comprising a layer of armor surrounding the inner jacket.

18. An optical fiber cable, comprising:
a central member, comprising:
a central strength member; and
a central member jacket surrounding the central strength member;

a soft material coating the central member, the soft material having a shore a (10 second) hardness between approximately 30 and approximately 90;
n ribbon stacks helically disposed around the soft material, n≧2, the ribbon stacks compressing and deforming the soft material, the ribbon stacks comprising ribbons, the ribbons comprising optical fibers;
an encapsulate disposed between the ribbon stacks; and
a jacket surrounding the ribbon stacks, the jacket further surrounding the encapsulate, the jacket comprising:
an inner jacket surrounding the ribbon stack, the inner jacket further surrounding the encapsulate;
a strength member being selected from the group consisting of:
a layer of armor surrounding the inner jacket; and
a woven aramid yarn surrounding the inner jacket; and

an outer jacket surrounding the strength member.

19. The cable of claim 18 , the ribbon stacks having a total optical fiber count selected from the group consisting of:
3,456 optical fibers;
432 optical fibers; and
96 optical fibers.

20. The cable of claim 18 , each of the ribbon stacks comprising a ribbon selected from the group consisting of:
a 24-fiber ribbon comprising 250 μm optical fibers;
an 18-fiber ribbon comprising 250 μm optical fibers;
a 12-fiber ribbon comprising 250 μm optical fibers;
a 9-fiber ribbon comprising 250 μm optical fibers;
a 6-fiber ribbon comprising 250 μm optical fibers;
a 24-fiber ribbon comprising 200 μm optical fibers;
an 18-fiber ribbon comprising 200 μm optical fibers;
a 12-fiber ribbon comprising 200 μm optical fibers;
a 9-fiber ribbon comprising 200 μm optical fibers; and
a 6-fiber ribbon comprising 200 μm optical fibers.

Assignees

• Ofs Fitel Llc

Inventors

• Debban Harold P
• Weimann Peter A

Classifications

• G02B6/4434 Primary

  Central member to take up tensile loads · CPC title

• G02B6/4403

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

• G02B6/4413 Primary

  Helical structure · CPC title

• G02B6/4433

  Double reinforcement laying in straight line with optical transmission element · CPC title