Water-swellable tape, adhesive-backed for coupling when used inside a buffer tube
AssigneeDraka Comteq B.V.
InventorsBob Overton, Wayne Cheatle, Greg Dechristopher
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A water-swellable material is included for water-blocking inside a buffer tube in a cable design, and an adhesive material is provided in or on the water-swellable material. The adhesive material may function as a bonding agent between the water-swellable material and the inside wall of a buffer tube, thus providing coupling of the water-swellable material to the buffer tube. In addition, or alternatively, a second adhesive material may be provided for bonding the optical fibers to the water-swellable material. The adhesive materials may be in the form of a bead or beads and may be foamed or unfoamed.
Claims84
A buffer tube arrangement, comprising:
- a plurality of optical fibers;
- an extruded buffer tube enclosing said optical fibers;
- a water-swellable element disposed between the optical fibers and the extruded buffer tube and enclosing the optical fibers;
- and
- a curable adhesive material provided on the water-swellable element for bonding the water-swellable element to the buffer tube, the curable adhesive material being cured after the extruded buffer tube has substantially completed its post-extrusion contraction on cooling, thereby adhesively bonding the water-swellable element to the extruded buffer tube in a way that averts subjecting the optical fibers and/or the water-swellable element to unwanted contractive forces caused by the post-extrusion contraction of the extruded buffer tube.
A buffer tube arrangement, comprising:
- a plurality of optical fibers;
- an extruded buffer tube enclosing said optical fibers;
- a water-swellable element disposed between the optical fibers and the extruded buffer tube and enclosing the optical fibers;
- a fabric or web of fibrous material disposed between the water-swellable element and the extruded buffer tube, the fibrous material reducing bonding between the water-swellable element and the extruded buffer tube;
- and
- a curable adhesive material for bonding the fibrous material to the water-swellable element.
A buffer tube arrangement, comprising:
- a plurality of optical fibers;
- an extruded buffer tube enclosing said optical fibers;
- and
- a water-swellable element disposed between the optical fibers and the buffer tube and enclosing the optical fibers, wherein said water-swellable element comprises (i) an outer layer and (ii) at least one inner layer possessing a melt profile that is substantially similar to that of the extruded buffer tube, and wherein a seam of at least one inner layer of said water-swellable element is exposed to said buffer tube for bonding the water-swellable element to the buffer tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.