Fiber optic cable assembly with high packing density and method of making same

A fiber optic cable assembly, comprising:

• a fiber optic cable having a first end and a second end and carrying a plurality of optical fibers;
• and
• a furcation at one or both of the first end and the second end of the fiber optic cable, the furcation comprising:
• a furcation housing connected to the fiber optic cable and receiving the plurality of optical fibers therein;
• and
• a plurality of furcation tubes extending from the furcation housing, each of the plurality of furcation tubes receiving a number of the plurality of optical fibers of the fiber optic cable, and each of the plurality of furcation tubes defining at least in part a respective furcation leg of the furcation;
• and
• at least one connection interface terminating the number of the plurality of optical fibers received in each of the plurality of furcation tubes;
• and
• a pulling grip disposed over the furcation legs and attached to the furcation housing,
• wherein a maximum inner diameter of the pulling grip is less than an outer diameter of the furcation housing, and
• wherein at least one of the plurality of furcation tubes is transformable from an expanded configuration having an expanded diameter to a contracted configuration having a contracted diameter less than the expanded diameter.

A method of making a fiber optic cable assembly from a fiber optic cable having a first end and a second end and carrying optical fibers, comprising:

• forming a furcation at one or both of the first end and the second end of the fiber optic cable, wherein the forming comprises:
• exposing a working length of the optical fibers;
• locating a furcation housing over a portion of the working length of the optical fibers so that end sections of the optical fibers extend through the furcation housing;
• providing a plurality of furcation tubes, wherein at least one of the plurality of furcation tubes is a transformable furcation tube configured to transform from an expanded configuration having an expanded diameter to a contracted configuration having a contracted diameter less than the expanded diameter;
• for each furcation tube of the plurality of furcation tubes, inserting a number of the optical fibers through the furcation tube;
• and
• terminating the number of the optical fibers extending through each furcation tube of the plurality of furcation tubes with at least one connection interface,
• wherein for each transformable furcation tube, the method further comprises:
• after inserting the number of the optical fibers through the furcation tube, transforming the furcation tube from the expanded configuration toward the contracted configuration;
• and
• disposing a pulling grip over the end sections of the optical fibers and attaching the pulling grip to the fiber optic cable assembly, wherein a maximum inner diameter Di of the of pulling grip is less than an outer diameter of the furcation housing.