DEVICE FOR FURCATING FIBER OPTIC CABLES

• US 20080138020A1
• Filed: 08/14/2007
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Afl IG LLC
• Original Assignee: Netig LLC
• Inventors: Robinson, Paul, Thostenson, Anthony, Eliot, Bill, Harvey, Douglas, Bagby, Daniel, Kleeberger, Terry
• Granted Patent: US 7,494,284 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/106
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4471 Terminating devices demountable connectors G02B6/3807; Cable clamps
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4477 with means for strain-relieving to interior strengths element

Abstract

A fiber optic cable assembly is provided. The cable assembly includes a housing, a plurality of furcation tubes, and a bundled cable. The housing has an opening at a first end and a plurality of channels at a second end. The furcation tubes are aligned with corresponding channels. One end of the bundled cable extends into an interior space of the housing through the opening. The bundled cable has a cable jacket and cable filaments. A first portion of the cable filaments extends beyond the end of the cable jacket in the interior space. A plurality of optic fibers is disposed in the bundled cable and the housing, and a molding compound is disposed around the furcation unit. Individual optic fibers are in individual furcation tubes and movable to slide longitudinally relative to the housing.

Claims

1. A fiber optic cable assembly, comprising:

a housing having a first end, a second end, and an interior space between the first and second ends, the housing having an opening at the first end and a plurality of channels at the second end;

a plurality of furcation tubes aligned with corresponding channels;

a bundled cable having a cable jacket and cable filaments in the cable jacket, one end of the bundled cable extending into the interior space through the opening, wherein the cable filaments include a first portion extending beyond the end of the cable jacket in the interior space;

a molding compound around the furcation unit; and

a plurality of optic fibers in the bundled cable and the housing, wherein individual optic fibers are in individual furcation tubes, and wherein the optic fibers are movable to slide longitudinally relative to the housing.

2. The fiber optic cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing further includes an anchor in the interior space, and wherein the first portion of the cable filaments wraps around at least a portion of the anchor and extends toward the opening.

3. The fiber optic cable assembly of claim 2, wherein the anchor comprises a solid column extending from an internal surface of the housing.

4. The fiber optic cable assembly of claim 2, wherein the anchor comprises a column having a channel.

5. The fiber optic cable assembly of claim 1, further comprising a first anchor and a second anchor spaced apart from the first anchor in the interior space.

6. The fiber optic cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the cable filaments further comprise a second portion extending through the opening to be external to the housing and/or the cable jacket.

7. The fiber optic cable assembly of claim 1, further comprising a fastener fastening the second portion of the cable filaments to the housing and/or the cable jacket.

8. The fiber optic cable assembly of claim 1, further comprising a molding compound over the second portion of the cable filaments, the housing, and/or the cable jacket.

9. The fiber optic cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the interior space of the housing is substantially free of adhesives.

10. The fiber optic cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the optic fibers can slide longitudinally within the interior space.

11. The fiber optic cable assembly of claim 1, wherein individual furcation tubes include a buffer tube encasing one of the optic fibers, the buffer tube extending at least partially into the interior space via the channels.

12. The fiber optic cable assembly of claim 1, wherein individual furcation tubes include a plurality of tube filaments and a buffer tube encasing one of the optic fibers, and wherein individual channels include a first section receiving a corresponding tube jacket and tube filaments of one of the furcation tubes and a second section receiving a corresponding buffer tube.

13. The fiber optic cable assembly of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of buffer tubes slidably disposed in the bundled cable, the housing, and corresponding furcation tubes, wherein individual buffer tubes encase one of the optic fibers.

14. The fiber optic cable assembly of claim 1, further comprising a heat-shrink tubing adjacent to the opening and at least partially over the second portion of the cable filaments.

15. The fiber optic cable assembly of claim 14, further comprising a molding compound over the heat-shrink tubing.

16. A fiber optic cable assembly, comprising:

a furcation unit having a head with a plurality of channels, a base having an opening and an anchor, and a cover coupled to the base and the head to define an interior space;

a bundled cable having a cable jacket and cable filaments inside the cable jacket, a portion of the cable filaments extending beyond the cable jacket, around the anchor, and out of the interior space via the opening;

a plurality of furcation tubes, wherein individual furcation tubes correspond to individual channels; and

a plurality of optic fibers, wherein individual fibers are slidably disposed in the bundled cable, the base, and one of the channels of the furcation unit, and inside one of the furcation tubes.

17. The fiber optic cable assembly of claim 16, wherein the anchor is proximate to the opening.

18. The fiber optic cable assembly of claim 16, further comprising a first anchor and a second anchor spaced apart from the first anchor in the interior space.

19. The fiber optic cable assembly of claim 18, wherein a first set of the cable filaments extends at least partially around the first anchor, and wherein a second set of the cable filaments extends at least partially around the second anchor.

20. The fiber optic cable assembly of claim 16, wherein individual furcation tubes further include a buffer tube disposed inside individual channels.

21-39. -39. (canceled)