Groove cable

• US 7,095,930 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2004
• Issued: 08/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Draka-Comteq USA Incorporated (Draka-Comteq)
• Original Assignee: Draka-Comteq USA Incorporated (Draka-Comteq)
• Inventors: Lovie, Ray, Welnack, Charles J., Barker, Jeff, Storaasli, Olaf, Holshouser, Terry Sr., Overton, Bob J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Palmer, Phan
• Application Number:
  US10/851,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20050013566A1
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 385100-114, 226 1- 8, 405/183.5, 405/184.4, 405/154.1
• US Class Current: 385/100
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/504 Installation in solid material, e.g. underground
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 1/06 for laying cables, e.g. laying apparatus on vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 9/02 laid directly in or on the ground, river-bed or sea-bottom; Coverings therefor, e.g. tile
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 9/04 in surface ducts; Ducts or covers therefor

Abstract

A cable system and method including a cable or a microduct provided within the groove extending vertically into, but not through, a pavement. The cable has a central strength member, at least one buffer tube stranded around the central strength member, an outer jacket surrounding the buffer tube and central strength member, and at least one transmission element provided within said at least one buffer tube. Provided within the microduct is a microduct cable including at least one transmission element. A cable including a central strength member, at least one buffer tube stranded around the central strength member, an outer jacket surrounding the buffer tube and central strength member, and at least one transmission element provided within said at least one buffer tube. The cable has a longitudinal thermal expansion force due to a change in temperature from 20° C. to 70° C. of less than 305 lbs when constrained.

Claims

1. A cable system, comprising:

a cable including a central strength member, at least one buffer tube stranded around the central strength member, an outer jacket surrounding the buffer tube and central strength member, and at least one transmission element provided within said at least one buffer tube; and

a pavement including a groove extending vertically into but not through the pavement, wherein said cable is provided within said groove, wherein the cable has a longitudinal thermal expansion force due to a change in temperature from 20°

C. to 70°

C. of less than or equal to 35 lbs when constrained.

2. The cable system of claim 1, wherein the at least one buffer tubes is made of a polybutylene terephthalate material.

3. The cable system of claim 2, wherein the polybutylene terephthalate material is hydrolytically stabilized to maintain ultimate strains of greater than 100 percent after aging 30 days at 85°

C. and 85% RH and greater than 10 percent after aging 45 days at 85°

C. and 85% RH.

4. The cable system of claim 3, wherein the polybutylene terephthalate material maintains ultimate strains of greater than 200 percent after aging 30 days at 85°

C. and 85% RH and greater than 20 percent after aging 45 days at 85°

C. and 85% RH.

5. The cable system of claim 4, wherein the polybutylene terephthalate material maintains ultimate strains of greater than 300 percent after aging 30 days at 85°

C. and 85% RH and greater than 50 percent after aging 45 days at 85°

C. and 85% RH.

6. The cable system of claim 1, wherein the pavement is a road pavement.

7. The cable system of claim 6, further comprising a curb surface, wherein said groove is positioned at a curb junction adjacent to the curb surface.

8. The cable system of claim 1, wherein said groove extends 60% or less of an overall depth of the pavement.

9. The cable system of claim 8, wherein said groove extends 70% or less of the overall depth of the pavement.

10. The cable system of claim 1, wherein said groove includes a loop section, and wherein said cable extends around the groove of the loop section.

11. The cable system of claim 10, wherein said cable extends around the groove of the loop section a plurality of times.

12. The cable system of claim 1, further comprising at least one backing rod provided within said groove on top of said cable.

13. The cable system of claim 11, further comprising a filler material provided within said groove on top of said at least one backing rod.

14. The cable system of claim 1, wherein said cable has a linear expansion due to a change in temperature from 20°

C. to 70°

C. with respect to an 800 ft. run length of less than 0.7 ft.

15. The cable system of claim 14, wherein said cable has a linear expansion due to a change in temperature from 20°

C. to 70°

C. with respect to an 800 ft. run length of 0.5 ft or less.

16. The cable system of claim 1, wherein said outer jacket has a melt temperature above 180°

C.

17. The cable system of claim 16, wherein said outer jacket has a melt temperature above 200°

C.

18. The cable system of claim 1, wherein the pavement is a sidewalk pavement.

19. The cable system of claim 1, wherein said at least one transmission element is an optical fiber.

20. The cable system of claim 1, wherein said outer jacket is a cross-linked material.

21. The cable system of claim 1, wherein the central strength member is a dielectric material.

22. The cable system of claim 1, wherein the central strength member is a glass reinforced plastic.

23. The cable system of claim 1, wherein the central strength member is steel.

24. The cable system of claim 1, wherein the at least one buffer tube is a plurality of buffer tubes.

25. The cable system of claim 1, wherein the at least one buffer tubes is made of an impact-modified polypropylene material.

26. The cable system of claim 1, wherein said central strength member has a bend strain of less than 1.5% when the cable is subjected to a 4.2 inch bend radius.

27. The cable system of claim 1, wherein said at least one transmission element within said at least one buffer tube of the cable has a bend strain of less than 0.2%.

28. The cable system of claim 1, wherein said cable is capable of being bent to a 4.2 inch radius without fracturing the central strength member or other cable components.

29. The cable system of claim 1, wherein said outer jacket is polyethylene.

30. The cable system of claim 1, wherein said cable has a coefficient of thermal expansion of less than or equal to 13 μ

m/m °

C.

31. The cable system of claim 1, wherein said cable is a microduct cable provided in a microduct.

32. A cable system, comprising:

a cable including a central strength member, at least one buffer tube stranded around the central strength member, an outer jacket surrounding the buffer tube and central strength member, and at least one transmission element provided within said at least one buffer tube; and

a pavement including a groove extending vertically into but not through the pavement, wherein said cable is provided within said groove, wherein said cable has a linear expansion due to a change in temperature from 20°

C. to 70°

C. with respect to an 800 ft. run length of less than 0.7 ft.

33. The cable system of claim 32, wherein said cable has a linear expansion due to a change in temperature from 20°

C. to 70°

C. with respect to an 800 ft. run length of 0.5 ft or less.

34. A cable system, comprising:

a cable including a central strength member, at least one buffer tube stranded around the central strength member, an outer jacket surrounding the buffer tube and central strength member, and at least one transmission element provided within said at least one buffer tube; and

a pavement including a groove extending vertically into but not through the pavement, wherein said cable is provided within said groove, wherein the at least one buffer tubes is made of a polybutylene terephthalate material and wherein the polybutylene terephthalate material is hydrolytically stabilized to maintain ultimate strains of greater than 100 percent after aging 30 days at 85°

C. and 85% RH and greater than 10 percent after aging 45 days at 85°

C. and 85% RH.

35. The cable system of claim 34, wherein the polybutylene terephthalate material maintains ultimate strains of greater than 200 percent after aging 30 days at 85°

C. and 85% RH and greater than 20 percent after aging 45 days at 85°

C. and 85% RH.

36. The cable system of claim 35, wherein the polybutylene terephthalate material maintains ultimate strains of greater than 300 percent after aging 30 days at 85°

C. and 85% RH and greater than 50 percent after aging 45 days at 85°

C. and 85% RH.