Optical cable and method for producing an optical cable

• US 8,588,567 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2012
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CCS Technology Inc. (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CCS Technology Inc. (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kamps, Rainer, Kundis, Dieter Erwin, Merbach, Gerhard, Stcklein, Waldemar
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng, Charlie
• Assistant Examiner(s): EL SHAMMAA, MARY A
• Application Number:
  US13/446,045
• Publication Number:
  US 20120201501A1
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 385100-114
• US Class Current: 385/102
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4432 with fibre reinforcements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4486 Protective covering

Abstract

An optical cable comprises a tight-buffered optical cable and a protective sleeve which surrounds the tight-buffered optical cable. An intermediate layer surrounds the protective sleeve has tension-resistant elements. Furthermore, the optical cable contains a cable sheath which surrounds the intermediate layer, and a transitional area facing its inner surface. In this transitional area, the material of the cable sheath is mixed with the tension-resistant elements of the intermediate layer.

Claims

1. An optical cable, comprising:

a waveguide;

a protective sleeve surrounding the waveguide;

an intermediate layer surrounding the protective sleeve and having tension-resistant elements; and

a cable sheath surrounding the intermediate layer and having a transitional area that faces an inner surface of the sheath and in which a material of the cable sheath is mixed with the tension-resistant elements of the intermediate layer, wherein

the transitional area comprises 0.1% to 20% of the thickness of the cable sheath.

2. The optical cable of claim 1, wherein the transitional area comprises 10% to 20% of a thickness of the cable sheath.

3. The optical cable of claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer includes at least one of glass fibers and a yarn composed of aramide fibers.

4. The optical cable of claim 1, wherein the material of the cable sheath comprises a flame-retardant, non-corrosive material.

5. The optical cable of claim 4, wherein the material of the cable sheath has polyethylene and aluminum trihydroxide or polyethylene and magnesium hydroxide.

6. The optical cable of claim 1, further comprising a gap between the waveguide and the protective sleeve, the gap having a thickness in the range from 30 to 100 μ

m.

7. The optical cable of claim 1, wherein the internal diameter of the protective sleeve is not greater than 1000 μ

m.

8. The optical cable of claim 1, wherein the waveguide is part of a tight-buffered optical cable, and wherein an external diameter of the tight-buffered optical cable is about 900 μ

m.

9. The optical cable of claim 1, further comprising a gel with a viscosity of greater than 4000 mPas at a temperature of 23°

C. located between the protective sleeve and the waveguide.

10. The optical cable of claim 9, wherein the viscosity of the gel is in the range of 6000 mPas to 12000 mPas at a temperature of 23°

C.

11. The optical cable of claim 1, wherein the protective sleeve is operatively connected via the intermediate layer to the cable sheath such that any relative shrinkage of the protective sleeve and of the cable sheath with respect to the tight-buffered optical cable after 24 hours is not greater than 3 mm to 5 mm over a cable length of 3 m and at a temperature of approximately 80°

C.

12. The optical cable of claim 1, wherein the waveguide is part of a tight-buffered optical cable, and wherein the tight-buffered optical cable and the protective sleeve make contact with one another such that a withdrawal force exerted on the tight-buffered optical cable or on the protective sleeve is not less than 0.7 N at room temperature and with a withdrawal speed in the range from 40 mm/min to 50 mm/min, over a cable length of 1 m.

13. The optical cable of claim 12, wherein the withdrawal force is in the range of 2 N to 3 N.

14. The optical cable of claim 1, wherein the protective sleeve and the cable sheath are operatively connected to one another via the intermediate layer such that a withdrawal force on the protective sleeve from the cable sheath is in the range of 30 N to 60 N at room temperature and at a withdrawal speed in the range from 40 mm/min to 50 mm/min, over a cable length of 1 m.

15. An optical cable, comprising:

a waveguide;

a protective sleeve surrounding the waveguide forms a gap;

an intermediate layer surrounding the protective sleeve and has tension-resistant elements; and

a cable sheath around the intermediate layer and operatively connected to the protective sleeve via the intermediate layer such that any relative shrinkage of the protective sleeve and of the cable sheath with respect to the waveguide after 24 hours is not greater than 3 mm to 5 mm over a cable length of 3 m and at a temperature of approximately 80°

C.,

wherein a withdrawal force of the protective sleeve from the cable sheath is in the range from 30 N to 60 N at room temperature and with a withdrawal speed in the range from 40 mm/min to 50 mm/min, over a cable length of 1 m.

16. The optical cable of claim 15, wherein the tension-resistant elements comprise aramide fibers.

17. The optical cable of claim 15, wherein a material of the cable sheath and the tension-resistant elements are mixed in a transitional area between the intermediate layer and the cable sheath.

18. The optical cable of claim 17, wherein the transitional area comprises 0.1% to 20% of the thickness of the cable sheath.

19. The optical cable of claim 17, wherein the gap has a thickness in the range of 45 μ

m to 55 μ

m and an internal diameter of the protective sleeve is in the range of 800 μ

m to 1200 μ

m.

20. The optical cable of claim 15, further comprising a filling compound in the gap, the filling compound comprising a gel with a viscosity of greater than 6000 mPas at a temperature of 23°

C.

21. An optical cable, comprising:

a tight-buffered optical cable;

a protective sleeve surrounding the tight-buffered optical cable;

an intermediate layer surrounding the protective sleeve and having tension-resistant elements; and

a cable sheath surrounding the intermediate layer and having a transitional area that faces an inner surface of the sheath and in which a material of the cable sheath is mixed with the tension-resistant elements of the intermediate layer, wherein

the transitional area comprises 0.1% to 20% of the thickness of the cable sheath.

22. The optical cable of claim 21, wherein the transitional area comprises 10% to 20% of a thickness of the cable sheath.

23. The optical cable of claim 21, wherein the intermediate layer includes at least one of glass fibers and a yarn composed of aramide fibers.

24. The optical cable of claim 21, wherein the material of the cable sheath comprises a flame-retardant, non-corrosive material.

25. The optical cable of claim 24, wherein the material of the cable sheath has polyethylene and aluminum trihydroxide or polyethylene and magnesium hydroxide.

26. The optical cable of claim 21, further comprising a gap between the tight-buffered optical cable and the protective sleeve.

27. The optical cable of claim 21, wherein an internal diameter of the protective sleeve is not greater than 1000 μ

m.

28. The optical cable of claim 21, wherein an external diameter of the tight-buffered optical cable is about 900 μ

m.

29. The optical cable of claim 21, further comprising a gel with a viscosity of greater than 4000 mPas at a temperature of 23°

C. located between the protective sleeve and the tight-buffered optical cable.

30. The optical cable of claim 29, wherein the viscosity of the gel is in the range of 6000 mPas to 12000 mPas at a temperature of 23°

C.

31. The optical cable of claim 21, wherein the protective sleeve is operatively connected via the intermediate layer to the cable sheath such that any relative shrinkage of the protective sleeve and of the cable sheath with respect to the tight-buffered optical cable after 24 hours is not greater than 3 mm to 5 mm over a cable length of 3 m and at a temperature of approximately 80°

C.

32. The optical cable of claim 21, wherein the tight-buffered optical cable and the protective sleeve make contact with one another such that a withdrawal force exerted on the tight-buffered optical cable or on the protective sleeve is not less than 0.7 N at room temperature and with a withdrawal speed in the range from 40 mm/min to 50 mm/min, over a cable length of 1 m.

33. The optical cable of claim 32, wherein the withdrawal force is in the range of 2 N to 3 N.

34. The optical cable of claim 21, wherein the protective sleeve and the cable sheath are operatively connected to one another via the intermediate layer such that a withdrawal force on the protective sleeve from the cable sheath is in the range of 30 N to 60 N at room temperature and at a withdrawal speed in the range from 40 mm/min to 50 mm/min, over a cable length of 1 m.