Foamed fiber optic cable

• US 7,873,249 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2009
• Issued: 01/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADC Telecommunications Incorporated (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Nardone, Kenneth Christopher, Kachmar, Wayne M., Kleckowski, Ronald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Font; Frank G
• Application Number:
  US12/472,939
• Publication Number:
  US 20090324180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 601 Days
• Field of Search: 385102-108, 385123-128
• US Class Current: 385/102
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4402 with one single optical waveguide G02B6/4429, G02B6/4439, G02B6/4479 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/443 Protective covering
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4432 with fibre reinforcements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4438 for facilitating insertion by fluid drag in ducts or capillaries
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4486 Protective covering

Abstract

A fiber optic cable includes an optical fiber, a strength layer surrounding the optical fiber, and a jacket assembly surrounding the strength layer. The jacket assembly includes a foam. A method for manufacturing a fiber optic cable includes mixing a base material, a chemical foaming agent and a shrinkage reduction material into a mixture in an extruder. The mixture is heated so that the base material and the chemical foaming agent form a foam with shrinkage reduction material embedded into the foam. An optical fiber and strength layer are fed into a crosshead. The mixture is extruded around the optical fiber and the strength layer to form a jacket assembly.

Claims

1. A fiber optic cable comprising:

an optical fiber;

a strength layer surrounding the optical fiber;

a jacket assembly surrounding the strength layer, the jacket assembly including a foam having a closed cell structure and including a percentage of air bubbles in a range of about 5% to about 50%, the foam including a plurality of shrinkage reduction members embedded in the foam.

2. A fiber optic cable as claimed in claim 1, wherein the jacket assembly includes an outer layer surrounding the foam.

3. A fiber optic cable as claimed in claim 2, wherein the outer layer is made of a polymer material.

4. A fiber optic cable as claimed in claim 3, wherein the polymer material of the outer layer includes shrinkage reduction material.

5. A fiber optic cable comprising:

an optical fiber;

a strength layer surrounding the optical fiber;

a jacket assembly surrounding the strength layer, wherein the jacket assembly includes an inner layer and an outer layer, the inner layer is a foam having a closed cell structure, the foam includes a percentage of air bubbles in the range of about 5% to about 50%, the inner layer including a plurality of shrinkage reduction members embedded in the foam, the shrinkage reduction members being of a liquid crystal polymer material.

6. A fiber optic cable as claimed in claim 5, wherein the jacket assembly includes an outer layer surrounding the foam.

7. A fiber optic cable as claimed in claim 6, wherein the outer layer is made of a polymer material.

8. A fiber optic cable as claimed in claim 7, wherein the polymer material of the outer layer includes shrinkage reduction material.