US 6,618,527 B2 · Fiber optic cables having grease layers with reduced agglomerate sizes

Abstract

A fiber optic cable includes a buffer tube, a plurality of ribbons of optical fibers extending through the buffer tube and a grease layer disposed between at least one pair of adjacent ribbons. The grease layer includes a base component and a plurality of agglomerates formed filler particles, such as silica particles. The major dimension of the majority of the agglomerates is advantageously less than 100 microns in order to reduce microbending of the optical fibers and the resulting attenuation of the signals propagating along the optical fibers. The fiber optic cable can also include a filling compound that is disposed within the buffer tube and surrounds the optical fibers and that is also formed of a base component and a plurality of agglomerates, the majority of which similarly have a major dimension of less than 100 microns.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A fiber optic cable comprising:

a buffer tube defining a lengthwise extending passageway;
a plurality of ribbons of optical fibers extending through the passageway defined by said buffer tube;
and
a grease layer disposed between at least one pair of adjacent ribbons of optical fibers, said grease layer comprising a base component and a plurality of agglomerates comprised of particles, about 80%±20% of the agglomerates having a major dimension less than the thickness of the grease layer between adjacent optical ribbons, wherein said plurality of agglomerates have an average major dimension that is between about 75 microns and about 125 microns.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Fiber optic cables having grease layers with reduced agglomerate sizes

Life of this patent

Fiber optic cables having grease layers with reduced agglomerate sizes

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16