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US 7,599,589 B2Granted
Gel-free buffer tube with adhesively coupled optical element
AssigneeDraka Comteq B.V.
InventorsBob J. Overton, Greg DeChristopher, Wayne Cheatle
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a buffer tube arrangement, discrete domains of adhesive material provide adhesive coupling of a water-swellable element and an optical fiber bundle that includes a plurality of optical fibers.
Claims27
A buffer tube arrangement, comprising:
- an optical fiber bundle including a plurality of optical fibers;
- a buffer tube enclosing said optical fiber bundle;
- a water-swellable element disposed between said optical fiber bundle and said buffer tube, said water-swellable element substantially enclosing said optical fiber bundle;
- and
- a plurality of discrete domains of adhesive material adhesively coupling said water-swellable element and said optical fiber bundle without requiring frictional coupling.
2 more elements
A buffer tube arrangement, comprising:
- an optical fiber bundle including a plurality of optical fibers;
- a buffer tube enclosing said optical fiber bundle;
- a water-swellable element disposed between said optical fiber bundle and said buffer tube, said water-swellable element substantially enclosing said optical fiber bundle;
- and
- a plurality of discrete domains of adhesive foam adhesively coupling said water-swellable element and said optical fiber bundle, wherein said plurality of discrete domains of adhesive foam predominantly comprise dots of adhesive foam (i) having an average diameter of less than about one millimeter and (ii) being spaced from one another by at least about one millimeter.
2 more elements
A method of making a gel-free buffer tube, comprising:
- providing a ribbon stack of optical fibers;
- providing a water-swellable tape;
- applying discrete domains of adhesive foam to the ribbon stack of optical fibers and/or the water-swellable tape to bond the ribbon stack of optical fibers and the water-swellable tape without requiring frictional coupling;
- substantially enclosing the ribbon stack of optical fibers within the water-swellable tape, whereby the discrete domains of adhesive foam adhesively couple the ribbon stack of optical fibers and the water-swellable tape;
- and
- extruding a polymeric buffer tube around both the ribbon stack of optical fibers and the water-swellable tape.
3 more elements
A buffer tube arrangement, comprising:
- an optical fiber bundle including a plurality of optical fibers;
- a buffer tube enclosing said optical fiber bundle;
- a water-swellable element disposed between said optical fiber bundle and said buffer tube, said water-swellable element substantially enclosing said optical fiber bundle;
- and
- a plurality of discrete domains of adhesive material adhesively coupling said water-swellable element and said optical fiber bundle, wherein said plurality of discrete domains of adhesive material resists movement of the optical fibers relative to the water-swellable element without requiring the application of an external compressive force upon the water-swellable element.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.