Loose tube optical ribbon cable

• US 6,751,383 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2002
• Issued: 06/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Um, Eun-Song, Hwang, Joong-Jin
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Tulsidas C.
• Application Number:
  US10/235,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20030202757A1
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• Field of Search: 385/105, 385/109, 385/110, 385/112, 385/113, 385/114
• US Class Current: 385/112
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4411 Matrix structure
• 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

The present invention relates to a loose-tube, optical-ribbon cable, which comprises a central tensile-strength component situated in the center of the optical-ribbon cable; a plurality of loose tubes mounted with a bundle of optical-ribbon fibers, wherein the bundle of optical-ribbon fibers are formed by laminating multiple optical-ribbon fibers, each optical-ribbon fiber including multiple cores of optical fibers stranded in a single row and a sheath surrounding the multiple cores of optical fibers, wherein the plurality of loose tubes are stranded around the central tensile-strength component; a plurality of circle-shaped, water-absorbing members arranged in a hollow which is formed outside the pair of loose tubes neighboring each other; a water-absorbing tape for surrounding the plurality of loose tubes and plurality of circle-shaped, water-absorbing members; and, an external sheath situated in the outermost surface of the optical ribbon-cable for protecting the interior of the loose tube optical-ribbon cable against the external environment.

Claims

1. A loose tube, optical-ribbon cable comprising:

a central tensile-strength component situated in the center of the optical-ribbon cable;

a plurality of loose tubes having a bundle of optical-ribbon fibers surrounding the central tensile-strength component and disposed in parallel arrangement, one to each other, the bundle of optical-ribbon fibers being formed by laminating the optical-ribbon fibers, each optical-ribbon fiber including multiple cores of optical fibers stranded in a single row and a sheath surrounding the multiple cores of optical fibers;

a plurality of circle-shaped, water-absorbing members disposed in hollows between the plurality of tubes, the members comprising a plurality of twisted yarns, some of which are water-absorbing, and a remainder of which have a certain degree of strength, each water-absorbing member comprising a predetermined number of each type of yarn that are both twisted together to maintain a shape of the circle-shaped, water-absorbing members;

a water-absorbing tape for surrounding the plurality of loose tubes and the plurality of circle-shaped, water-absorbing members; and

,

an external sheath forming an outermost layer of the optical-ribbon cable, for protecting an interior of the loose tube, optical-ribbon cable against an external environment.

2. The loose-tube, optical-ribbon cable as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a tensile-strength component situated between the water-absorbing tape and the external sheath to enhance tensile strength thereof.

3. The loose tube, optical-ribbon cable as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a tensile-strength component situated between the water-absorbing tape and the external sheath to enhance tensile strength thereof.

4. The loose-tube, optical-ribbon cable as set forth in claim 1, wherein the central tensile-strength component is defined by fiberglass-reinforced plastic (FRP) material.

5. The loose-tube, optical-ribbon cable as set forth in claim 1, wherein an outer layer of the central tensile-strength component is defined by a polymer, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polyethylene (PE) compound.

6. The loose-tube, optical-ribbon cable as set forth in claim 1, wherein the external sheath is defined by a polymer, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE), hytrel, nylon, and polypropylene material.

7. The loose-tube, optical-ribbon cable as set forth in claim 1, wherein the external sheath is formed using an extrusion technique.