Optical fiber cable, a method of manufacturing the optical fiber cable, and an installation for implementing the method

A method of manufacturing an optical fiber cable (10), the optical fiber cable comprising a tube (12) having optical fibers (14) housed therein, the tube being disposed in a helical or SZ type lay, wherein the tube (12) is longitudinally twisted so as to define a longitudinally-extending helical path inside the tube (12) for the optical fibers (14) housed therein;

• the method comprising the steps of:
• feeding the tube (12) provided with the opticals fibers (14) to a die for manufacturing the cable (10) from a storage reel (24) on which it is wound, the tube (12) is fed to the die by unreeling the tube (12) from the storage reel (24) while the storage reel (24) is held stationary, thereby imparting longitudinal twisting to the tube (12) causing the optical fibers (14) housed within the tube to follow a helical path of pitch substantially equal to the length of one turn of the tube (12) wound on the storage reel (24).

An optical fiber cable, comprising:

• a tube having optical fibers housed therein, the tube being disposed in a helical or SZ type lay, wherein the tube is longitudinally twisted so as to impose a longitudinally-extending helical path inside the tube for the optical fibers housed therein;
• and wherein an inner surface of the tube directly contacts at least part of the optical fibers.