Optical cable

• US 6,487,346 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2001
• Issued: 11/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Nothofer, Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Tulsidas
• Application Number:
  US09/799,128
• Publication Number:
  US 20010021296A1
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 385/109, 385/117, 385/113, 385/103, 385/106
• US Class Current: 385/109
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/441 built up from sub-bundles G02B6/4429, G02B6/4439, G02B6/4479 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/44384 the means comprising water blocking or hydrophobic materials G02B6/4439, G02B6/4479 take precedence

Abstract

Described is an optical cable or cable element with a plurality of optical waveguide elements which are stranded together and each consist of several optical waveguides, collected into a bundle, and of a plastic covering surrounding the bundle with a maximum free space of 0.1 mm, and of a non-compressible filling compound filling the intermediate spaces between the optical waveguides, and with a layer of longitudinally aligned glass or plastic fibers surrounding the optical waveguide elements and with an extruded outer jacket of a polymer, the outer jacket compressing the layer radially.

Claims

1. An optical cable or cable element comprising:

a plurality of optical waveguide elements which are stranded together, the optical waveguide elements comprising several optical waveguides collected into a bundle, a plastic covering surrounding the bundle with a maximum free space of 0.1 mm, and an incompressible filling compound filling the intermediate spaces between the optical waveguides;

a protection layer comprising longitudinally aligned glass or plastic fibers surrounding the optical waveguide elements; and

an extruded outer jacket of a polymer compressing the layer radially.

2. The optical cable or cable element according to claim 1, further comprising threads or yarns of a material which swells upon the ingress of moisture disposed in intermediate spaces between the optical waveguide elements and the protection layer.

3. The optical cable or cable element according to claim 1, further comprising a moisture-blocking filling compound in intermediate spaces between the optical waveguide elements and the protection layer.

4. An optical cable comprising:

a plurality of the cable elements according to claim 1 stranded together; and

a common outer jacket.

5. The optical cable according to claim 4, further comprising threads or yarns of a material which swells upon the ingress of moisture disposed in intermediate spaces between the cable elements.

6. The optical cable according to claim 4, further comprising a moisture-blocking filling compound in intermediate spaces between the cable elements.

7. The optical cable according to claim 4, wherein the cable elements are stranded around a tensile-stress and compression-resistant core and are surrounded by a common outer jacket.

8. The optical cable according to claim 7, further comprising threads or yarns of a material which swells upon the ingress of moisture provided in intermediate spaces between the cable elements and the outer jacket.

9. The optical cable according to claim 7, further comprising a filling compound disposed in intermediate spaces between the cable elements and the outer jacket.