Corning Optical Communications LLC

Corning Cable Systems

Mark Tracy Paap

William Carl Hurley

William Welch McCollough

William Eric Caldwell

Terry Lee Ellis

Michael John Gimblet

Eric Raymond Logan

Rebecca Elizabeth Sistare

William Welch Mccollough

An optical cable assembly is provided. The cable assembly includes a plurality of subunits surrounded by an outer cable jacket, a furcation unit and optical connectors coupled to the end of each of the subunits. Each of the subunits includes an inner jacket, a plurality of optical fibers; and a tensile strength element. The first tensile strength element and the inner jackets of each subunits are coupled to the furcation unit, and the optical fibers and tensile strength elements of each subunit extend through the furcation unit without being coupled to the furcation unit. The subunit tensile strength element and optical fibers of each subunit are balanced such that both experience axial loading applied to the assembly and, under various loading conditions, the compression of the subunits is controlled and/or the axial loading of the optical fibers is limited to allow proper function of the optical connector.

Optical fiber cable and assembly

An optical fiber assembly including an optical fiber ribbon and an optical connector is provided. The optical fiber ribbon includes a ribbon matrix, a first group of optical fibers embedded in the ribbon matrix, a second group of optical fibers embedded in the ribbon matrix, and a split in the ribbon matrix at a first end of the ribbon forming a space between a first end of the first group of optical fibers and a first end of the second group of optical fibers. The optical connector includes a body, a first array of openings defined in the body, and a second array of openings defined in the body. The second array is spaced from the first array. The bond between the ribbon matrix and the optical fibers prevents elongation of the split.

Durable optical fiber and connector assembly

A fiber optic ribbon having a plurality of optical fibers held together by a matrix material is disclosed. The matrix material has a first end with a first shape and a second end with a second shape, where the first shape is different than the second shape. In one embodiment, the first end has a concave end portion and the second end has a convex end portion. The fiber optic ribbon is advantageous as a subunit of a larger ribbon since the first end of a first subunit can interlock with a second end of a second subunit, thereby providing a robust structure. Moreover, the distance between optical fibers of adjacent subunits is reduced so the fiber optic ribbon may allow mass fusion splicing of same using standard splice chucks.

Fiber optic ribbon subunits having ends with different shapes

Growing community of inventors

Hickory, NC, United States of America

Mark Tracy Paap