Optical communication cable

An optical communication cable comprising:

• at least one core, said core comprising a plurality of optical fibers being packaged in the form of optical ribbons, said ribbons being arranged in a stack and helically twisted in said core;
• a first layer of insulative material for thermally protecting said core;
• an inner jacket for forming a loose-fitting enveloping structure surrounding said core, whereby said inner jacket is being sufficiently loose with respect to said core such that said core is substantially decoupled from said inner jacket, and whereby said first layer is lined along the interior surface of said inner jacket;
• a second layer of insulative material surrounding said inner jacket, for preventing thermally induced shrinkage of said inner jacket;
• an outer jacket surrounding said second layer of insulative material;
• and
• a plurality of primary strength members tightly coupled to said outer jacket to carry applied tensile loads,
• wherein said core describes an undulating path with respect to the relatively straight inner jacket in which said core is contained.

An optical communication cable comprising:

• at least one core, said core comprising a plurality of optical fibers being packaged in units of optical fiber ribbons, said ribbons being arranged in at least one stack and helically twisted in said core, wherein said fibers are arranged with a uniform center-to-center spacing in each said ribbon, and wherein the optical fibers at any cross-section of said core are dispersed in an x-y matrix with a substantially uniform center-to-center spacing in both the x and y directions, thereby permitting mass cable splicing;
• an inner jacket surrounding said core, said inner jacket forming a loose-fitting enveloping structure sufficiently loose with respect to said core such that said core is substantially decoupled from said inner jacket;
• an outer jacket surrounding said inner jacket;
• and
• a plurality of primary strength members tightly coupled to said outer jacket to carry applied tensile loads.

An optical communication cable comprising:

• at least one core, said core comprising a plurality of optical fibers being packaged in units of optical fiber ribbons wherein said ribbons are arranged in at least one stack and helically twisted in said core;
• an inner jacket surrounding said core, said inner jacket forming a loose-fitting enveloping structure sufficiently loose with respect to said core such that said core is substantially decoupled from said inner jacket;
• an outer jacket surrounding said inner jacket;
• a plurality of primary strength members tightly coupled to said outer jacket to carry applied tensile loads;
• and
• means for achieving a cross-sectional core end configuration in which the optical fibers are dispersed in a x-y matrix with a uniform center-to-center spacing in both the x and y directions.

An optical communication cable comprising:

• at least one core comprising a plurality of optical fibers, said fibers being packaged in the form of optical ribbons;
• an inner cable jacket surrounding said core, said inner cable jacket forming a loose-fitting enveloping structure sufficiently loose with respect to said core such that said core is substantially mechanically decoupled from said inner cable jacket;
• an outer cable jacket surrounding said inner cable jacket;
• and
• a plurality of primary strength members tightly coupled to said outer cable jacket to carry applied tensile loads, wherein said ribbons describe undulating paths with respect to the relatively straight inner cable jacket in which they are loosely contained.

An optical communication cable comprising:

• at least one core, said core comprising a plurality of optical fibers being packaged in units of optical fiber ribbons, said ribbons being arranged in at least one stack and helically twisted in said core;
• an inner jacket surrounding said core, said inner jacket forming a loose-fitting enveloping structure sufficiently loose with respect to said core such that said core is substantially decoupled from said inner jacket;
• an outer jacket surrounding said inner jacket;
• a plurality of primary strength members tightly coupled to said outer jacket to carry applied tensile loads;
• and
• a layer of insulative material between said inner jacket and outer jacket, said layer having substantial thermal insulative properties to prevent shrinkage of said inner jacket during manufacture of said outer jacket.

An optical communication cable comprising:

• at least one core comprising a plurality of optical fibers;
• an inner jacket surrounding said core, said inner jacket forming a loose-fitting enveloping structure sufficiently loose with respect to said core such that said core is substantially decoupled from said inner jacket;
• an outer jacket surrounding said inner jacket;
• a plurality of primary strength members tightly coupled to said outer jacket to carry applied tensile loads;
• and
• a layer of insulative material between said inner jacket and outer jacket, said layer having substantial thermal insulative properties to prevent shrinkage of said inner jacket during manufacture of said outer jacket.