Submarine fiber optic cable assembly
First Claim
1. A cable assembly for installation underwater, said assembly comprising:
- a fiber optic cable of a predetermined length;
a non-conductive subduct surrounding said fiber optic cable throughout said predetermined length;
at least one sinkable cable residing substantially parallel to said subduct throughout said predetermined length; and
means for attaching said sinkable cable to said subduct throughout said predetermined length, said sinkable cable and said attaching means together exhibiting, with respect to water, a weight-to-buoyancy ratio that is greater than one.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus which allows the installation of a relatively inexpensive, low-attenuation, subterranean fiber optic cable underwater is disclosed. A high-density polyethylene subduct is extruded around the fiber optic cable to form a subduct assembly which typically exhibits a weight that is less than its buoyancy in water. The subduct assembly is then transported to the point of installation along with at least one sinkable cable and a lashing wire. Dimensions of the sinkable cable are selected so that, at the point of installation, the sinkable cable is lashed to the subduct assembly to form a cable assembly having a desired weight-to-buoyancy ratio with respect to water and a desired tensile strength. Splices in the subduct assembly and the sinkable cable occur at locations in the cable assembly which are offset from one another.
25 Citations
25 Claims
-
1. A cable assembly for installation underwater, said assembly comprising:
-
a fiber optic cable of a predetermined length; a non-conductive subduct surrounding said fiber optic cable throughout said predetermined length; at least one sinkable cable residing substantially parallel to said subduct throughout said predetermined length; and means for attaching said sinkable cable to said subduct throughout said predetermined length, said sinkable cable and said attaching means together exhibiting, with respect to water, a weight-to-buoyancy ratio that is greater than one. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A submarine fiber optic cable assembly having a standard subterranean fiber optic cable therein, said cable assembly comprising:
-
a non-conductive subduct which is substantially impervious to water, said subduct enclosing said fiber optic cable so that an environment outside of said subduct is substantially isolated from said fiber optic cable; at least one steel strand attached to and positioned substantially parallel to said subduct, said at least one steel strand exhibiting sufficiently high density and weight so that said cable assembly exhibits, with respect to water, a weight-to-buoyancy ratio that is significantly greater than one. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
-
25. A cable assembly intended for use in submarine installations, said cable assembly comprising:
-
a fiber optic cable consisting essentially of non-metallic materials and being of a predetermined length; a polyethylene subduct which is substantially impervious to water and which surrounds said fiber optic cable throughout said predetermined length; at least one galvanized steel strand residing substantially parallel to said subduct throughout said predetermined length; and a stainless steel lashing wire wound around said subduct and said at least one strand so that a multiplicity of revolutions of said lashing wire are wound throughout said predetermined length, said at least one strand and said lashing wire together exhibiting sufficiently high density and weight to cause said entire assembly to exhibit, with respect to water, a weight-to-buoyancy ratio that is significantly greater than one.
-
Specification