Alcatel

Geoff Witt

Brian G Risch

J Boyet Stevens

Steve Shen

Rick Robinson

The present invention is directed to a novel construction of buffer tubes for fiber optic cables which offers a way to access the optical fibers inside a buffer tube while reducing the risk of damaging the fibers, as sometimes occurs when cutting the outer layer of the buffer tube. A buffer tube for use in a fiber optic cable of the present invention comprises a tube having a tube wall, the wall having an inside and outside surface, wherein an inner portion of tube wall, nearest the inside surface, is made of a material having a higher notch-sensitivity than an outer portion of the tube wall nearest the outside surface.

Buffer tube design for easy and reliable access in mid-span

An optical fiber cable includes ripcords that are oriented in particular locations with reference to radial strength members and any armor overlap included in a housing for optical fibers. The ripcords are spaced 180&deg; from each other and preferably 90&deg; from the armor overlap region. Color coded or marked ripcords are also placed adjacent to RSMs, with color coding or other marking on external surfaces of the housing to indicate a pull direction for respective ripcords. The ripcords may be extruded with the RSM into a jacket housing or disposed in a grooved section formed into the RSM. Pairs of RSMs may also be disposed on opposite sides of a ripcord to protect the ripcord from being accidentally severed by cutting instruments during servicing of the cable.

Growing community of inventors

Hickory, NC, United States of America

Geoff Witt