Loading patent…
AssigneeFitel USA Corp.
InventorsRichard Hartford Norris, Richard D. Small, Phillip Maurice Thomas, Peter A. Weimann
Estimating the term…
A hybrid strength member (300) for an optical cable (10) is made from dielectric materials, and provides excellent compressive and tensile properties within a single structure. The strength member includes two concentric layers of filamentary strands that are embedded in a thermoset material such as epoxy. The filamentary strands of the inner layer (310) primarily comprise aramid fibers, while the filamentary strands of the outer layer (320) primarily comprise glass fibers. A pair of strength members (300-1, 300-2) is embedded in a plastic jacket of the optical cable at diametrically opposite sides of a central core tube that contains a number of optical fibers. Each strength member includes a thin coating (330) of a relatively soft material (i.e., a hardness of less than 80D on the Shore durometer scale) to enhance its coupling to the plastic jacket. Moreover, each strength member has a compressive stiffness that is effective to inhibit substantial contraction of the cable, and a tensile stiffness that is effective to receive tensile loads without substantial transfer of such loads to the glass fibers.
An optical cable having a longitudinal axis and at least one core tube that extends in the direction of the longitudinal axis, said core tube including one or more optical fibers disposed therein, the cable further including a plurality of dielectric rods that are coupled to an outer plastic jacket of the, cable and extend in the direction of its longitudinal axis, said dielectric rods having a compressive stiffness that is effective to inhibit substantial contraction of the cable and a tensile stiffness that is effective to receive a tensile load without substantial transfer of the tensile load to the optical fibers,
A dielectric rod having tensile and compressive stiffness, said rod comprising inner and outer layers,of filamentary strands that are embedded in a thermoset material, the inner layer primarily comprising aramid fibers whose tensile modulus exceeds 12 million psi, the outer layer primarily comprising electrical grade, continuous-filament glass fibers.
An optical fiber cable comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.