Optical waveguides – Optical transmission cable – With electrical conductor in the same cable
Utility Patent
1998-05-13
2001-01-02
Bovernick, Rodney (Department: 2874)
Optical waveguides
Optical transmission cable
With electrical conductor in the same cable
C385S105000, C385S110000
Utility Patent
active
06169834
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to cables that provide both optical and electric signals in the same cable.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Composite cables having copper pairs for conducting electricity and optical fibers for conducting light are known in the art.
FIG. 1
shows one such prior art composite cable generally indicated as
10
, having an oversheath
12
wrapped around a fiber cable generally indicated as
20
and a copper cable generally indicated as
40
. The oversheath
12
has ripcords
14
. The fiber cable
20
has a jacket
22
, a ripcord
24
, flexline
26
, a buffer tube
28
, optical fiber
30
and filling compound
32
. The copper cable
40
has a jacket
42
, polyethylene
44
, tape
46
, and copper pairs generally indicated as
48
.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,050,960 and 5,082,380 show and describe an optical fiber cable construction having a non-electrically conductive rigid rod or core made of glass reinforced resin by a pultrusion or similar process, a binder, and an extruded sheath. The non-electrically conductive rigid rod or core has a fiber slot, a fiber arranged therein, and a cap for the fiber slot. The slot has convexly radiused edges, and the cap has concavely radiused edges for mating with the convexly radiused edges of the cap.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,110,001 shows and describes an optical fiber cable construction having a plastic core, a central steel strength member arranged therein, a core wrap surrounding the plastic core, metal tape around the core wrap, steel armor around the metal tape, and an outer jacket around the steel armor. The plastic core has a fiber channel for receiving optical fiber, and a copper pair channel for receiving copper pairs.
Some shortcomings of the prior art composite cable include: (1) the stranded fiber optic cable in
FIG. 1
is large and requires additional material; (2) the cables do not optimize requirements of a fiber optic cable material versus the typical concerns of shrinkage at cold temperatures in a range of −40 to −50 degrees Celsius; (3) the steel central strength member or the pultruded glass reinforced plastic (GRP) strength member in the prior art cables is not capable of being shaped by bending without elastic recovery; and (4) when bent beyond elastic recovery, the steel central strength member buckles, and the pultruded strength member fractures or breaks, resulting in the steel being kinked or the GRP no longer being effective as a strength member. Failure to meet the restrictions on shrinkage results in attenuation of the signal carried by the optical fibers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a composite cable for providing electrical and optical signals, having a cable housing, one or more optical fibers, and malleable conductive copper pairs. The cable housing has a fiber ribbon slot and a tubular opening therein. The one or more optical fibers are arranged in the fiber ribbon slot, for providing the optical signals through the composite cable. The malleable conductive copper pairs are arranged in the tubular opening and provide the electrical signals through the composite cable, provide central strength to the composite cable, and permit bending without elastic recovery to shape the composite cable.
The composite cable may have a removable compression cap for covering the ribbon slot. The compression cap and the cable housing together define a generally oval exterior surface when the compression cap is assembled on the cable housing. The cable housing and the compression cap are dimensioned so as to provide a pry slot for receiving a screwdriver for prying the compression cap free of the cable housing. The pry slot is defined by a cable housing-surface and a cap-surface, the cable housing-surface and the cap-surface being opposed to each other and separated by a distance sufficient to permit the blade of a screwdriver to fit therebetween when the compression cap is assembled on the cable housing.
One important advantage of the present invention is that it provides a very versatile cable that is easily accessed, less costly to manufacture, and more easily handled and installed because it is smaller and lighter than composite cables known in the prior art. The groups of copper pairs also are more elastic and do not buckle, kink, fracture or break when subjected to typical bending demands during installation or reentry and installation of the composite cable, and allow the cable to be wrapped in a small coil and stay coiled (i.e. not elastically spring back and straighten out).
Moreover, the present invention results in a reduction in material and more compact composite cable when compared with other composite cable designs. The use of copper pairs as a central strength member replacing glass reinforced or steel rods reduces the overall amount of plastics required, in turn reducing the resulting shrinkage forces of plastics at cold temperatures. The use of copper pairs provides the desired tensile strength for the composite cable. The copper pairs may be used for transmitting data, voice or power.
Moreover still, the oval shape of the composite cable generates rotation during crush load, resulting in the copper pairs that are tightly packed to absorb the crush load, while loosely packed optical fiber or fiber ribbon are not subject to crush load. The copper pairs have less elastic recovery than the glass reinforced or steel rods, thus allowing the composite cable to be routed or fitted to a contour shape best utilizing available space, which reduces the amount of composite cable used during installation and the cost for installing the same.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description read in conjunction with the attached drawings and claims appended hereto.
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Alcatel
Bovernick Rodney
Stahl Michael J.
Ware Fressola Van der Sluys & Adolphson LLP
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