Composite cable for access networks
AssigneePirelli Cable Corporation
InventorsAaron Anderson, Grant Davidson, John Sach
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A composite cable for distributing electrical power to components in an optical fiber network and for transmitting optical signals between optical fiber network components includes at least one layer of insulated electrical conductors arranged in side-by-side relation to provide a layer of conductors of a thickness substantially equal to the thickness of the conductors. The conductors of the at least one layer of conductors are S-Z stranded and surround the optical fibers which are loosely contained in at least one plastic buffer tube to provide desirable structural and operational features to the cable and to an optical fiber network in which the cable can be included.
Claims19
A composite cable for conveying both electrical and optical energy comprising:
- a longitudinally extending plastic buffer tube loosely containing at least one optical fiber;
- at least one longitudinally extending layer of individually insulated electrical conductors disposed in side-by-side relation around said buffer tube to provide a conductor layer having a thickness substantially equal to the thickness of the conductors and wherein the conductors are S-Z stranded;
- an outer plastic jacket surrounding said layer of conductors;
- a strength member extending longitudinally in said cable and disposed within said outer jacket;
- and
- water blocking material in at least some of the otherwise empty spaces within said outer jacket.
A composite cable for conveying both electrical and optical energy comprising:
- a longitudinally extending plastic buffer tube loosely containing at least one optical fiber;
- a water blocking material filling at least some of the otherwise empty spaces in the buffer tube;
- a longitudinally extending layer of solid water swellable material disposed around said buffer tube;
- at least one longitudinally extending layer of individually insulated electrical conductors disposed in side-by-side relation around the layer of solid water swellable material to provide a conductor layer having a thickness substantially equal to the thickness of the conductors and wherein the conductors are S-Z stranded;
- an outer plastic jacket surrounding said layer of conductors;
- and
- at least one strength member extending longitudinally in said cable and disposed within said outer jacket.
A composite cable for conveying electrical and optical energy comprising:
- a longitudinally extending central plastic buffer tube loosely containing at least one optical fiber;
- a water blocking material filling at least some of any otherwise empty paces in the buffer tube;
- a first longitudinally extending layer of a solid water swellable material disposed around said buffer tube;
- at least one longitudinally extending layer of individually insulated electrical conductors disposed in side-by-side relation around said first water swellable material to provide a conductor layer having a thickness substantially equal to the thickness of the conductors and wherein the conductors are S-Z stranded;
- a second longitudinally extending layer of a water swellable material disposed around said layer of conductors;
- a layer of longitudinally extending strength members disposed around the second layer of water swellable material and extending longitudinally along the length of the cable;
- an inner plastic jacket surrounding the layer of strength members;
- a longitudinally extending conductive armor disposed around the inner jacket;
- and
- an outer plastic jacket surrounding the conductive armor.
The cable of claim 16 further comprising at least one further longitudinally extending layer of individually insulated conductors in side-by-side relation disposed between the inner jacket and said second layer of water swellable material, wherein the conductors of said further layer of conductors are S-Z stranded.
A composite cable for conveying electrical energy and optical signals comprising:
- a longitudinally extending central strength member;
- a plurality of plastic buffer tubes, wherein each of the buffer tubes loosely contains at least one optical fiber and wherein the buffer tubes are disposed around the central strength member and are S-Z stranded;
- a water blocking material filling at least some of any otherwise empty spaces in each of the buffer tubes;
- a longitudinally extending layer of water swellable material disposed around the S-Z stranded buffer tubes;
- a first inner plastic jacket surrounding the layer of water swellable material;
- at least one longitudinally extending layer of insulated electrical conductors in side-by-side relation and disposed around the first inner jacket to provide a conductor layer having a thickness substantially equal to the thickness of the conductors and wherein the conductors are S-Z stranded;
- an outer plastic jacket surrounding the layer of conductors;
- and
- a water blocking material in at least some of any otherwise empty spaces between the first inner jacket and the outer jacket.
A composite cable for conveying both electrical and optical energy comprising:
- a longitudinally extending plastic buffer tube loosely containing at least one optical fiber;
- a water blocking material filling at least some of the otherwise empty spaces in the buffer tube;
- a longitudinally extending layer of solid water swellable material disposed around said buffer tube;
- at least one longitudinally extending layer of individually insulated electrical conductors disposed in side-by-side relation around the layer of solid water swellable material to provide a conductor layer having a thickness substantially equal to the thickness of the conductors and wherein the conductors are S-Z stranded;
- an outer plastic jacket surrounding said layer of conductors;
- at least one strength member extending longitudinally in said cable and disposed within said outer jacket;
- an inner plastic jacket surrounding said layer of solid water swellable material, wherein said outer plastic jacket surrounds said inner plastic jacket and wherein said strength member comprises a plurality of longitudinally extending yarns around said layer of conductors and intermediate said layer of conductors and said inner plastic jacket and
- a layer of longitudinally extending armor intermediate said inner jacket and said outer jacket, wherein said layer of armor comprises a metal sheet with two layers of polymer between said metal sheet and said outer jacket, one of said layers of polymer being bonded to said metal sheet and the other of said polymer layers being bonded to both said one polymer layer and said outer jacket, wherein the bond between the two polymer layers is weaker than the bond between said one polymer layer and said metal sheet and the bond between the other polymer layer and said outer jacket so that, upon removal of said outer jacket, said one polymer layer remains bonded to the metal sheet while the other polymer layer is removed with the outer jacket.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.