COMBINED OPTICAL FIBER AND POWER CABLE

• US 20150071594A1
• Filed: 09/03/2014
• Published: 03/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Register, James Arthur III
• Granted Patent: US 9,488,793 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/101
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0281 Graded index region forming part of the central core segment, e.g. alpha profile, triangular, trapezoidal core G02B6/0288, G02B6/0286 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0365 arranged - - +
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4416 Heterogeneous cables
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4429 Means specially adapted for strengthening or protecting the cables
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4434 Central member to take up tensile loads
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/44384 the means comprising water blocking or hydrophobic materials G02B6/4439, G02B6/4479 take precedence

Abstract

A combined low attenuation optical communication and power cable is provided. The cable includes a cable body having an inner surface defining a channel within the cable body. The cable includes an optical transmission element located within the channel and a copper electrical conducting element located within the channel. The cable includes a plurality of tensile strength yarn stands located within the channel.

Claims

1. A combined low attenuation optical communication and power cable comprising:

a cable body including a first end, a second end and an inner surface defining a channel within the cable body;

a buffer tube located within the channel;

a plurality of optical fibers located within the buffer tube, each optical fiber including a glass core, a first cladding layer having a first refractive index and a second cladding layer located outside of the first cladding layer having a second refractive index, wherein the second refractive index is less than the first refractive index;

a plurality of copper electrical conducting elements located within the channel, wherein each of the copper electrical conducting elements has a diameter smaller than or equal to 16 AWG;

a tensile strength fiber group located within the channel and extending between the first end and the second end of the cable body, the tensile strength fiber group located toward a central area of the channel such that the buffer tube is located between the tensile strength fiber group and the inner surface of the cable body and such that the copper electrical conducting element is located between the tensile strength fiber group and the inner surface of the cable body, wherein the fiber group includes at least two elongate aramid fibers; and

a water absorbent polymer material attached to at least one of the aramid fibers of the tensile strength fiber group.

2. The combined low attenuation optical communication and power cable of claim 1, wherein the tensile strength fiber group includes at least one polyester fiber, wherein a water absorbent polymer material is coupled the polyester fiber.

3. The combined low attenuation optical communication and power cable of claim 1, wherein the plurality of copper conducting elements includes at least four copper conducting elements each having a diameter smaller than or equal to 20 AWG.

4. The combined low attenuation optical communication and power cable of claim 3, wherein the tensile strength fiber group includes at least one polyester fiber, wherein a water absorbent polymer material is coupled the polyester fiber.

5. The combined low attenuation optical communication and power cable of claim 1, wherein the plurality of copper conducting elements includes more than 16 copper conducting elements each having a diameter smaller than or equal to 20 AWG.

6. The combined low attenuation optical communication and power cable of claim 5, further comprising an elongate strength member formed from at least one of glass reinforced plastic and metal located within the channel such that that the plurality of copper conducting elements and the buffer tube surround the elongate strength member, wherein the plurality of copper conducting elements includes at least 24 copper conducting elements each having a diameter smaller than or equal to 20 AWG.

7. A combined optical communication and power cable comprising:

a cable body including an inner surface defining a channel within the cable body;

an optical transmission element located within the channel;

a copper electrical conducting element located within the channel, wherein the copper electrical conducting element has a diameter smaller than or equal to 16 AWG; and

a plurality of tensile strength yarn stands located within a central area of the channel such that the optical transmission element is located between the plurality of tensile strength yarn stands and the inner surface of the cable body and such that the copper electrical conducting element is located between the plurality of tensile strength yarn stands and the inner surface of the cable body.

8. The combined optical communication and power cable of claim 7, wherein the optical transmission element includes a buffer tube and a plurality of bend insensitive optical fibers located within the buffer tube, each optical fiber including a glass core, a first cladding layer having a first refractive index and a second cladding layer located outside of the first cladding layer having a second refractive index, wherein the second refractive index is less than the first refractive index;

wherein the tensile strength yarn strands are formed from aramid fibers.

9. The combined optical communication and power cable of claim 7, wherein the optical transmission element comprises at least two tight buffered optical fibers, and the copper conducting element comprises at least two separate copper wires having a diameter smaller than or equal to 24 AWG.

10. The combined optical communication and power cable of claim 7, further comprising at least one polyester fiber, wherein a water absorbent polymer material is coupled the polyester fiber.

11. A combined optical communication and power cable comprising:

a cable body including a first end, a second end and an inner surface defining a channel within the cable body;

a plurality of bend insensitive optical fibers located within the channel, each optical fiber including a glass core, a first cladding layer having a first refractive index and a second cladding layer located outside of the first cladding layer having a second refractive index, wherein the second refractive index is less than the first refractive index;

a copper electrical conducting element located within the channel;

a plurality of tensile strength yarn stands located within the channel; and

a plurality of polyester stands located within the channel; and

a water absorbent polymer material coupled to at least one of the tensile strength yarn stands and the polyester strands.

12. The combined optical communication and power cable of claim 11 wherein the copper conducting element comprises at least two copper wires each having a diameter smaller than or equal to 20 AWG.

13. The combined optical communication and power cable of claim 11 wherein the copper conducting element comprises at least 16 copper wires each having a diameter smaller than or equal to 20 AWG.

14. A low attenuation optical communication and power cable comprising:

a cable body including an inner surface defining a channel within the cable body;

a plurality of optical fibers located within the channel, each optical fiber including a glass core, a first cladding layer having a first refractive index and a second cladding layer located outside of the first cladding layer having a second refractive index, wherein the second refractive index is less than the first refractive index;

a plurality of copper wires located within the channel, the copper wires configured to transmit electrical power; and

a plurality of tensile strength yarn stands located within the channel;

wherein the combined tensile strength of the copper wires and tensile strength yarn strands is greater than 300 kN;

wherein the optical fibers have a bend attenuation of less than 0.4 dBm at 1550 nm when the cable is wrapped into coils of about 6 inches in diameter.

15. The low attenuation optical communication and power cable of claim 14, further comprising a water absorbent polymer material located within the channel, wherein the plurality of tensile strength yarn strands include at least one aramid fiber and at least one polyester fiber, wherein the water absorbent polymer material is coupled to the polyester fiber.

16. The low attenuation optical communication and power cable of claim 15, wherein the plurality of copper wires includes at least four copper wires each having a diameter smaller than or equal to 20 AWG.

17. The low attenuation optical communication and power cable of claim 16, wherein the plurality of copper wires includes more than 16 copper conducting elements each having a diameter smaller than or equal to 20 AWG.

18. The low attenuation optical communication and power cable of claim 14, wherein the plurality of tensile strength yarn strands include at least two aramid fiber and at least two polyester fiber, wherein a water absorbent polymer material is coupled each of the aramid fibers and the polyester fibers.

19. A combined optical communication and power cable comprising:

a cable body including an inner surface defining a channel within the cable body;

an optical transmission element located within the channel;

a copper electrical conducting element located within the channel, wherein the copper electrical conducting element has a diameter smaller than or equal to 16 AWG;

a plurality of tensile strength yarn stands located within a central area of the channel; and

a helically wrapped aramid yarn fiber surrounding and in contact with an outer surface of the optical transmission element and the copper conducting element.

20. The combined optical communication and power cable of claim 19, wherein the helically wrapped aramid yarn fiber has a lay length of between 100 mm and 300 mm.

21. The combined optical communication and power cable of claim 19, further comprising between 2 and 5 additional helically wrapped aramid yarn fiber surrounding and in contact with the outer surface of the optical transmission element and the copper conducting element.

22. The combined optical communication and power cable of claim 19 wherein the copper electrical conducting element includes at least four copper each having a diameter smaller than or equal to 20 AWG.

23. The combined optical communication and power cable of claim 19 wherein the combined tensile strength of the copper electrical conducting element and the tensile strength yarn strands is greater than 300 kN wherein the optical transmission elements have a bend attenuation of less than 0.4 dBm at 1550 nm when the cable is wrapped into coils of about 6 inches in diameter.