Fiber optic cables having a toning lobe

• US 7,627,217 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2006
• Issued: 12/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corning Cable Systems LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Stern, Eric A., Conrad, Craig M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rahll; Jerry T
• Application Number:
  US11/365,443
• Publication Number:
  US 20070201799A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,372 Days
• Field of Search: 385/101, 385/113, 174/113.AS, 174/117.AS
• US Class Current: 385/101
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/562 locatable, e.g. using magnetic means

Abstract

Fiber optic cables are disclosed that have a toning lobe that allows the conductive wire to migrate toward the main cable body while still allowing adequate separation performance of the toning lobe. More specifically, the fiber optic cable includes a main cable body having at least one optical waveguide and a toning lobe. The toning lobe is connected to the main cable body by a web that frangible. In one embodiment, the toning lobe and the web have a generally tear drop shape. The web includes a neck portion adjacent to the main cable body and a web body, wherein the web body generally increases in thickness towards the toning lobe. The shape of the toning lobe allows a conductive wire of the toning lobe to migrate from a center of the toning lobe toward the main cable body while still providing adequate separation performance of the toning lobe.

Claims

1. A fiber optic cable comprising:

a main cable body, the main cable body having at least one optical waveguide; and

a toning lobe, the toning lobe being connected to the main cable body by a web that is frangible, wherein the toning lobe and the web have a generally tear drop shape and the web includes a neck portion adjacent to the main cable body and a web body, wherein the web body generally increases in thickness from the main cable body towards the toning lobe, thereby allowing a conductive wire of the toning lobe to migrate from a center area of the toning lobe toward the main cable body while still providing adequate separation performance of the toning lobe, the toning lobe having a separation force from the main cable body of less than 30 Newtons along an X-X axis.

2. The fiber optic cable of claim 1, further comprising two strength components, wherein the two strength components are disposed on opposite sides of the at least one optical waveguide within the main cable body.

3. The fiber optic cable of claim 1, the web body having a first side and a second side and the first and second sides are generally tangent to a respective surface of the toning lobe.

4. The fiber optic cable of claim 1, wherein the web body has a predetermined radius where it joins a main portion of the toning lobe, wherein a center of the predetermined radius lies on the toning lobe side of the fiber optic cable.

5. The fiber optic cable of claim 1, further including at least one strength component or at least one strength member.

6. The fiber optic cable of claim 1, the web body having a first minimum thickness and a second minimum thickness and the neck portion has a neck thickness, wherein a ratio of the sum of the first minimum thickness and the second minimum thickness divided by the neck thickness is about equal to or greater than 1.5.

7. The fiber optic cable of claim 1, the conductive wire being a copper wire.

8. The fiber optic cable of claim 1, the fiber optic cable having a width of about 12 millimeters or less and a height of about 7 millimeters or less.

9. The fiber optic cable of claim 1, the toning lobe having a separation force from the main cable body between about 10 Newtons and about 30 Newtons along the X-X axis.

10. The fiber optic cable of claim 1, wherein the fiber optic drop cable is flame retardant.

11. The fiber optic cable of claim 1, further including at least one water-swellable component.

12. A fiber optic cable comprising:

a main cable body, the main cable body having at least one optical waveguide; and

a toning lobe, the toning lobe being connected to the main cable body by a web that is frangible, wherein the web includes a neck portion adjacent to the main cable body and a web body connected to the neck portion at a first end and connected to a main portion of the toning lobe at a second end, wherein the web body has a first side and a second side, wherein the first side is generally tangent to a first point of the toning lobe and the second side is generally tangent to a second point of the toning lobe and the web body generally decreases in thickness toward the main cable body, thereby allowing a conductive wire of the toning lobe to migrate from a center area of the toning lobe toward the main cable body while still providing adequate separation performance of the toning lobe, the toning lobe having a separation force from the main cable body of less than 30 Newtons along an X-X axis.

13. The fiber optic cable of claim 12, further comprising two strength components, wherein the two strength components are disposed on opposite sides of the at least one optical waveguide within the main cable body.

14. The fiber optic cable of claim 12, wherein the fiber optic drop cable is flame retardant.

15. The fiber optic cable of claim 12, further including at least one water-swellable component.

16. The fiber optic cable of claim 12, further including at least one strength component or at least one strength member.

17. The fiber optic cable of claim 12, the web body having a first minimum thickness and a second minimum thickness and the neck portion has a neck thickness, wherein a ratio of the sum of the first minimum thickness and the second minimum thickness divided by the neck thickness is about equal to or greater than 1.5.

18. The fiber optic cable of claim 12, the conductive wire being a copper wire.

19. The fiber optic cable of claim 12, the fiber optic cable having a width of about 12 millimeters or less and a height of about 7 millimeters or less.

20. The fiber optic cable of claim 12, the toning lobe having a separation force from the main cable body between about 10 Newtons and about 30 Newtons along the X-X axis.

21. A fiber optic cable comprising:

a main cable body, the main cable body having at least one optical waveguide; and

a toning lobe, the toning lobe being connected to the main cable body by a web that is frangible, wherein the web includes a neck portion adjacent to the main cable body and a web body connected to the neck portion at a first end and connected to a main portion of the toning lobe at a second end wherein the web body generally increases in thickness from first end to the second end, the web body having at least one radius where it joins the main portion of the toning lobe, wherein a center of the at least one radius lies on the toning lobe side of the fiber optic cable, thereby allowing a conductive wire of the toning lobe to migrate from a center area of the toning lobe toward the main cable body while still providing adequate separation performance of the toning lobe, the toning lobe having a separation force from the main cable body of less than 30 Newtons along an X-X axis.

22. The fiber optic cable of claim 21, further comprising two strength components, wherein the two strength components are disposed on opposite sides of the at least one optical waveguide within the main cable body.

23. The fiber optic cable of claim 21, wherein the fiber optic drop cable is flame retardant.

24. The fiber optic cable of claim 21, further including at least one water-swellable component.

25. The fiber optic cable of claim 21, further including at least one strength component or at least one strength member.

26. The fiber optic cable of claim 21, the web body having a first minimum thickness and a second minimum thickness and the neck portion has a neck thickness, wherein a ratio of the sum of the first minimum thickness and the second minimum thickness divided by the neck thickness is about equal to or greater than 1.5.

27. The fiber optic cable of claim 21, the conductive wire being a copper wire.

28. The fiber optic cable of claim 21, the fiber optic cable having a width of about 12 millimeters or less and a height of about 7 millimeters or less.

29. The fiber optic cable of claim 21, the toning lobe having a separation force from the main cable body between about 10 Newtons and about 30 Newtons along the X-X axis.