Fiber optic assemblies and cables having subunits with a security feature

• US 6,922,511 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2003
• Issued: 07/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corning Cable Systems LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bayliss, Roderick S. Jr., Hobbs, William M., McPeak, Jill D., Register, James A. III, Rhoney, Brian K., Nave, Samuel D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Prasad, Chandrika
• Application Number:
  US10/403,327
• Publication Number:
  US 20040190842A1
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 385/102, 385/101, 385/100, 385/103, 385/104, 385/105, 385/106, 385/109, 385/110
• US Class Current: 385/106
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4411 Matrix structure
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4433 Double reinforcement laying in straight line with optical transmission element

Abstract

One embodiment is a fiber optic cable including at least one subunit, a tube, a plurality of strength members, and a cable jacket. The subunit includes a fiber optic ribbon and a sheath, wherein the sheath is tight-buffered about the fiber optic ribbon, thereby inhibiting buckling of the ribbon during temperature variations. The tube houses at least a portion of the at least one subunit to form a tube assembly. The plurality of strength members are disposed radially outward of the tube and are surrounded by the cable jacket. Other embodiments include a plurality of subunits in a stack with each subunit having a sheath for security purposes. Additionally, a tube assembly can have a fiber optic packing density of about 0.05 or greater.

Claims

1. A fiber optic cable comprising:

at least one subunit, the subunit including a fiber optic ribbon and a sheath, wherein the sheath is tight-buffered about the fiber optic ribbon, thereby inhibiting buckling of the ribbon during temperature variations;

a tube, the tube housing at least a portion of the at least one subunit, thereby forming a tube assembly;

a plurality of strength members, the plurality of strength members being disposed radially outward of the tube; and

a cable jacket, the cable jacket generally surrounding the tube and the plurality of strength members.

2. The fiber optic cable of claim 1, the at least one subunit being a portion of a subunit stack, the subunit stack including at least two subunits having a different number of optical fibers in the respective ribbons of the at least two subunits for increasing a fiber optic packing density of the tube assembly.

3. The fiber optic cable of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of subunits, each subunit having a respective ribbon and a respective sheath that is tight-buffered about the fiber optic ribbon, wherein the plurality of subunits form a subunit stack that is stranded within the tube.

4. The fiber optic cable of claim 1, the cable jacket being formed from a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) material.

5. The fiber optic cable of claim 1, the tube being formed from a polyvinylchloride (PVC) material.

6. The fiber optic cable of claim 1, the sheath and the tube being formed from a polyvinylchloride (PVC) material and the cable jacket being formed from a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) material.

7. The fiber optic cable of claim 1, the cable further comprising at least one ripcord.

8. The fiber optic cable of claim 1, the tube assembly having a fiber optic packing density of about 0.05 or greater.

9. The fiber optic cable of claim 1, further comprising an electrical component.

10. The fiber optic cable of claim 1, the tube assembly being stranded about a central member.

11. The fiber optic cable of claim 1, further comprising a first subunit having a respective sheath of a first color and a second subunit having a respective sheath of a different color.

12. The fiber optic cable of claim 1, some of the plurality of strength member being fiberglass yarn strands.

13. A fiber optic cable comprising:

a plurality of subunits, the plurality of subunits each including a respective fiber optic ribbon and a respective sheath that is tight-buffered about the respective fiber optic ribbon, wherein the plurality of subunits form a subunit stack that is stranded;

a tube, the tube housing at least a portion of the subunit stack, thereby forming a tube assembly;

at least one strength member; and

a cable jacket, the cable jacket generally surrounding the tube and the at least one strength member.

14. The fiber optic cable of claim 13, the subunit stack having at least two subunits with the respective ribbons of the at least two subunits having a different number of optical fibers in the respective ribbons for increasing fiber optic packing density of the tube assembly.

15. The fiber optic cable of claim 13, the cable jacket being formed from a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) material.

16. The fiber optic cable of claim 13, the tube being formed from a polyvinylchloride (PVC) material.

17. The fiber optic cable of claim 13, the sheath and the tube being formed from a polyvinylchloride (PVC) material and the cable jacket being formed from a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) material.

18. The fiber optic cable of claim 13, the cable further comprising at least one ripcord.

19. The fiber optic cable of claim 13, the tube assembly having a fiber optic packing density of about 0.05 or greater.

20. The fiber optic cable of claim 13, further comprising an electrical component.

21. The fiber optic cable of claim 13, the tube assembly being stranded about a central member.

22. The tube assembly of claim 13, a first respective sheath of a first subunit having a first color and a second respective sheath of a second subunit having a different color.

23. The tube assembly of claim 13, the tube assembly being a portion of a cable, the cable having a plurality of fiberglass strength members disposed about the tube assembly and a cable jacket, the cable jacket generally surrounding the tube assembly.

24. A tube assembly comprising:

a plurality of subunits, the plurality of subunits each including a respective fiber optic ribbon and a respective sheath that is tight-buffered about the respective fiber optic ribbons wherein the plurality of subunits form a subunit stack that is stranded;

a tube, the tube housing at least a portion of the a plurality of subunits, wherein the tube assembly has a fiber optic packing density of about 0.05 or greater.

25. The tube assembly of claim 24, the tube being stranded about a central member.

26. The tube assembly of claim 24, the tube assembly being a portion of a cable.

27. The tube assembly of claim 24, the sheaths of the plurality of subunits being formed from a flame-retardant material.

28. The tube assembly of claim 24, the tube being formed from a flame-retardant material.

29. The tube assembly of claim 24, the subunit stack having at least two subunits with the respective ribbons of the at least two subunits having a different number of optical fibers in the respective ribbons.

30. The tube assembly of claim 24, further comprising an electrical component.

31. The tube assembly of claim 24, a first respective sheath of a first subunit having a first color and a second respective sheath of a second subunit having a different color.

32. The tube assembly of claim 24, the tube assembly being a portion of a cable, the cable having a plurality of fiberglass strength members disposed about the tube assembly and a cable jacket, the cable jacket generally surrounding the tube assembly.