Optical waveguides – Optical transmission cable – Tightly confined
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-13
2003-12-16
Feild, Lynn (Department: 2839)
Optical waveguides
Optical transmission cable
Tightly confined
Reexamination Certificate
active
06665478
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF INVENTION
The invention relates to a small diameter fiber optic cable including an uncorrugated armor shielding that maintains flexibility and mechanical strength in the cable.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
A first type of conventional cable includes a protective armor shielding disposed about one or more signal-carrying optical fibers in order to protect the fibers while maintaining adequate flexibility in the cable. The armor shielding typically comprises a corrugated metal. However, the use of a corrugated material increases the amount of material necessary to protect a given length of optical fibers and further increases the cable diameter and weight. The corrugated material also requires an additional processing step, thereby increasing the manufacturing time, and further increasing the probability that the metal armoring can be damaged during the corrugation process.
As a second conventional device, optical fibers are armored with a welded steel tube. However, the process for producing the welded tube is very complicated and slow, thereby increasing manufacturing costs. Welded steel tubes have performance advantages, such as better structural integrity. However, welded steel tubes also have attendant disadvantages such as decreased flexibility.
As a third conventional device, a flat (uncorrugated) steel tape becomes bonded to a cable jacket. However, the bonding in such conventional cables does not provide sufficient flexibility to pass industry-based flexing tests. In particular, because the bonding between the jacket and armoring tape cannot be made uniform, local stresses accumulate at areas where bonding forces are weak. Thus, such bonded flat metal tapes introduce an unacceptably high level of localized bending stress in the cable armor.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Applicant's invention overcomes the above deficiencies. The inventor of the present inventive cable observed that non-corrugated armor tapes could meet necessary industry standards by maintaining the ratio of the armor tube diameter and the thickness of the jacket tube wall for a specified cable diameter within a prescribed range. This ratio permits flexing that comports with industry standards while maintaining adequate cable resistance in compression and tensile tests.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4054365 (1977-10-01), Marx et al.
patent: 4372792 (1983-02-01), Dey et al.
patent: 4439633 (1984-03-01), Grooten
patent: 4521072 (1985-06-01), Cholley et al.
patent: 4568144 (1986-02-01), Occhini et al.
patent: 4679898 (1987-07-01), Grooten
patent: 4729629 (1988-03-01), Saito et al.
patent: 5039197 (1991-08-01), Rawlyk
patent: 5050957 (1991-09-01), Hamilton et al.
patent: 5053582 (1991-10-01), Terakawa et al.
patent: 5212755 (1993-05-01), Holmberg
patent: 5422973 (1995-06-01), Ferguson et al.
patent: 5509097 (1996-04-01), Tondi-Resta et al.
patent: 5636305 (1997-06-01), Warner et al.
patent: 5778652 (1998-07-01), Kunze
patent: 5920672 (1999-07-01), White
patent: 6014487 (2000-01-01), Field et al.
patent: 6049647 (2000-04-01), Register et al.
patent: 6304701 (2001-10-01), Bringuiter et al.
patent: 6317540 (2001-11-01), Foulger et al.
patent: 6349161 (2002-02-01), Gleason et al.
patent: 6377738 (2002-04-01), Anderson et al.
patent: 37 16871 (1988-12-01), None
patent: 197 13 306 (1998-04-01), None
patent: 0 545-622 (1993-06-01), None
patent: 2 164 469 (1986-03-01), None
patent: 2 295 028 (1996-05-01), None
patent: 2007654 (1994-02-01), None
patent: WO 98/06109 (1998-02-01), None
Armouring Telecommunications Cable With Coated Steel Tabe by William Busch, Granville Research & Development Center No date.
Development and Actual Environment Testing of Optical Fiber Cables With Small Diameter Stainless Pipe by Yasushi Sudo, et al. “International Wire & Cable Symposium Proceedings 1997”.
Alcatel
Feild Lynn
Le Thanh-Tam
LandOfFree
Fiber optic cable with non-corrugated armor shielding does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Fiber optic cable with non-corrugated armor shielding, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Fiber optic cable with non-corrugated armor shielding will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3153966