Fiber optic cable with surround kingwire and method of making same

A high-strength, waterproof undersea optical cable comprising:

• an electrically conductive first central core portion having opposed end portions, each end portion having a sealing surface with one or more sets of locking surfaces, each set having a distal and a proximal locking surface;
• an electrically conductive second central core portion having opposed end portions, each end portion having a sealing surface with one or more sets of locking surfaces, each set having a distal and a proximal locking surface, said second central core portion being sealed to said first central core portion by sealing engagement of at least one set of locking surfaces of the end portions of said second central core portion wherein the distance between a proximal locking surface of one set of locking surfaces of said first central core portion and a distal locking surface of another set of locking surfaces of said first central core portion is less than the distance between a proximal locking surface of one set of locking surfaces of said second central core portion and a distal locking surface of another set of locking surfaces of said second central core portion, said first and second central core portions forming a central core and a sealed chamber interiorly thereof;
• a water blocking material located in and filling said chamber;
• one or more optical fibers located in said chamber and surrounded by said water blocking material;
• a multiplicity of high tensile strength steel wires helically wrapped around and positioned outwardly of said central core;
• and
• a waterproof thermoplastic cover positioned outwardly of and surrounding said steel wires.

A method of making a high-strength, waterproof cable comprising:

• forming a first central core portion having an axis and opposed ends wherein each end has a sealing surface, said sealing surfaces having at least one pair of locking surfaces, said pair including a proximal locking surface and a distal locking surface, said distal locking surface being positioned further from said axis than said proximal locking surface;
• forming a second central core portion having an axis and opposed ends wherein each end has a sealing surface said sealing surfaces having at least one pair of locking surfaces, said pair including a proximal locking surface and a distal locking surface, said distal locking surface being positioned further from said axis than said proximal locking surface;
• embedding one or more optical fibers in said blocking material;
• placing a blocking material between opposed ends of either or both of said central core portions;
• sealing said first central core portion to said second central core portion by engaging at least one pair of locking surfaces of the end portions of said second central core portion wherein the distance between a proximal locking surface of one pair of locking surfaces of said first central core portion and a distal locking surface of another pair of locking surfaces of said first central core portion is less than the distance between a proximal locking surface of one pair of locking surfaces of said second central core portion and a distal locking surface of another pair of locking surfaces of said second central core portion, to thereby form a central core and a sealed chamber containing said blocking material and said optical fibers interiorly thereof;
• positioning one or more high tensile strength members outwardly of said central core;
• and
• positioning a cover outwardly of and surrounding said strength members.