Signal transmitting cable
AssigneeEmtelle UK Limited
InventorsGeorge Brown, David Stockton, Kevin Cockburn, Greig McIiwraith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cable (302) has (8) fibres (304) are encapsulated by a UV curable layer (306) having a diameter of approximately (1010) microns, and (16) outer fibres (316) arranged in a circular formation around the inner fibres (304). The optical fibres (304) are held in position by means of the UV curable layer (306) so that the UV curable material of the layer (306) does not penetrate into the gaps between the optical fibres (304) and the outermost optical fibres (304) are restrained by the layer from moving axially. It is found that such an arrangement provides surprisingly favourable bending properties, making the cable particularly suitable for installation in a tube by means of blowing.
Claims17
1-27. (canceled)
A signal transmitting cable comprising a first signal transmitting portion including a plurality of elongate, flexible first signal transmitting members, wherein the first signal transmitting members are surrounded by a first layer of resin material curable by means of radiation such that only the outermost signal transmitting members are in contact with said first layer, and said first signal transmitting members are arranged to form at least three rows, wherein for each said row containing a plurality of said members, said members are arranged such that neighbouring members of a row are in touching contact with each other, each recess formed by neighbouring members of a first said row facing towards a second said row accommodates a respective member of said second row, and said first layer is in touching contact with substantially all of the outward facing surface of the first signal transmitting portion.
A method of forming a signal transmitting cable, the method comprising:
- arranging a plurality of elongate, flexible first signal transmitting members in at least three rows, wherein for each said row containing a plurality of said members, said members are arranged such that neighbouring members of a row are in touching contact with each other, and each recess formed by neighbouring members of a first said row facing towards a second said row accommodates a respective member of a said second row;
- surrounding said first signal transmitting members by a first layer of resin material curable by means of radiation such that only the outermost signal transmitting layers are in contact with said first layer, and said first layer is in touching contact with substantially all of the outward facing surface of the first signal transmitting portion;
- and
- curing said first layer by means of radiation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.