Cable Assembly Having Bend Performance Optical Fiber Slack Coil

• US 20090285539A1
• Filed: 05/13/2009
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Christopher Paul Lewallen, Costas Saravanos, Elli Makrides-Saravanos, James P. Luther, Robert B. Elkins III
• Inventors: Elkins, Robert B. III, Luther, James P., Lewallen, Christopher Paul, Makrides-Saravanos, Elli, Saravanos, Costas
• Granted Patent: US 8,238,705 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/134
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00663 Production of light guides
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02342 characterised by cladding features, i.e. light confining region
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0365 arranged - - +
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4475 with provision for lateral branching G02B6/4431 takes precedence

Abstract

A fiber optic cable assembly including a mid-span access location, a cable having at least fiber therein, and a tether in optical communication with the at least one fiber of the cable. The access location and portions of the cables are substantially encapsulated within a flexible body having dimensions sufficient to accommodate the optical splitter therein. A method for making a fiber optic cable assembly including an access location, distribution cable, tether and optical splitter maintained within a flexible overmolded body while providing an assembly having a relatively small cross-sectional diameter.

Claims

1. A fiber optic cable assembly, comprising:

a fiber optic cable including at least one cable optical fiber therein and at least one mid-span access location at which at least one pre-selected optical fiber is preterminated;

at least one tether attached at the mid-span access location and including at least one tether optical fiber therein;

a flexible body substantially encapsulating the at least one mid-span access location; and

a splitter located at the mid-span access location operable for splitting the at least one preterminated optical fiber into at least one optical fiber that is optically connected to the at least one tether optical fiber.

2. The cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the flexible body is an overmolded body.

3. The cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one cable optical fiber is a microstructured optical fiber.

4. The cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the cable assembly has a cross-sectional diameter less than about 1.25 inches.

5. The cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the cable assembly further includes a tube for maintaining a slack coil of optical fiber.

6. The cable assembly of claim 5, wherein the tube is at least partially filled with a lubricant.

7. The cable assembly of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the tether is secured by the flexible body.

8. The cable assembly of claim 1, the flexible body providing a space therein for maintaining a slack coil of spliced together portions of the at least one preterminated optical fiber and the at least one tether optical fiber.

9. The cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the fiber optic cable includes at least one buffer tube.

10. The cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the flexible body does not include a preferential bend element.

11. A fiber optic cable assembly, comprising:

a fiber optic distribution cable including a plurality of optical fibers therein and including an access location wherein at least one optical fiber of the distribution cable is terminated and routed away from uncut optical fibers of the distribution cable;

a tether including at least one optical fiber therein;

an optical splitter operable for splitting the at least one terminated optical fiber into at least one optical fiber optically connected to the at least one tether optical fiber, and at least one optical fiber that is optically connected to a downstream portion of the at least one terminated optical fiber; and

a flexible body substantially encapsulating the access location, a portion of the tether, and the optical splitter.

12. The cable assembly of claim 11, further comprising at least one tube for maintaining a slack coil.

13. The cable assembly of claim 12, wherein the tube is at least partially filled with a lubricant.

14. The cable assembly of claim 11, wherein at least one of the plurality of optical fibers of the distribution cable and the at least one optical fiber of the tether are bend performance optical fibers.

15. The cable assembly of claim 14, wherein the bend performance optical fiber is a microstructured optical fiber.

16. The cable assembly of claim 11, wherein the flexible body has a cross-sectional diameter less than about 1.25 inches.

17. The cable assembly of claim 11, wherein the flexible body defines a space within dimensioned large enough to accommodate a minimum bend radius of the slack coil of a bend performance optical fiber.

18. A method for making a fiber optic cable assembly having an access location, fiber optic cable and a tether attached thereto, wherein at least one optical fiber of the cable is in optical communication with at least one optical fiber of the tether, the method comprising:

preterminating at least one optical fiber of the fiber optic cable;

providing an optical splitter and optically attaching the optical splitter to the at least one optical fiber of the fiber optic cable; and

attaching at least one optical fiber of the tether to the optical splitter.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising splitting the at least one preterminated optical fiber of the fiber optic cable into a first optical fiber that is spliced to the at least one optical fiber of the tether and a second optical fiber that is spliced to a downstream portion of the at least one preterminated optical fiber of the fiber optic cable.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein at least one of the preterminated optical fiber of the fiber optic cable and the at least one optical fiber of the tether are bend performance optical fiber.