Bicc Plc

Raymond J Slaughter

Patrick Vassar Andrews

Derek Chadwick

An optical cable comprises at least one optical bundle and at least two separate elongate reinforcing members. The axes of the or each optical bundle and the reinforcing members lie substantially in a common plane with the or each optical bundle located between and spaced from two reinforcing members. Each reinforcing member has an overall dimension perpendicular to said common plane that is substantially greater than the corresponding overall dimension of the or each optical bundle so that the or each bundle lies in the space bounded by two planes one located on each side of the two members and touching both members. An extruded outer sheath surrounds and fills the interstices between the optical bundle or bundles and the reinforcing members.

Optical guides

An optical cable comprises a plurality of separately formed flexible tubes in at least one of which is loosely housed at least one flexible tape which, viewed in transverse cross-section, is corrugated so that it has a plurality of troughs extending along its length, at least two optical bundles and/or separate optical fibres being secured in some of the troughs. An outer protective sheath surrounds the plurality of tubes and at least one elongate reinforcing member is embedded in or surrounded by the sheath.

Optical cables

An optical cable comprises an extruded elongate body of rubber or plastics material having at least one bore extending lengthwise in the body, and, embedded in the extruded elongate body and arranged side-by-side with the bore or bores, at least one separate elongate reinforcing member, at least one substantially flat flexible support member, e.g. a flexible tape or a pair of overlying flexible tapes, is housed loosely in the bore or in at least one of the bores and, viewed in transverse cross section, the tape or at least one of the tapes is corrugated so that it has a plurality of troughs extending along its length, at least two optical bundles or optical fibers are secured in at least two of the troughs.

In an optical guide, for instance a flexible optical cable, comprising at least two optical fibres and, surrounding the fibres, an outer protective sheath, each of at least some of the optical fibres has a continuous coating of a metallic material, e.g. aluminium or an aluminium-based alloy, which reduces the risk of surface damage of the optical fibre and also serves as an optical screen. At least one covering layer of non-metallic protective material, e.g. resin, enamel or plastics material, may overlie the metallic coating of each metal-coated optical fibre.

In an optical transmission system in which light being transmitted from a light-emitting device to a detector device is caused to travel along at least one path built up of at least two optical fibers connected end-to-end, the optical fibre of the interconnected fibres that is nearer the light-emitting device being of smaller cross-sectional area than the other optical fibre, the optical fibres are detachably connected end-to-end by means of a connector comprising two separately formed bodies. One body of the connector has a bore in which one of said two optical fibres is housed and from which a length of said optical fibre protrudes and the other body of the connector has a through-bore which is stepped between its ends and in one part of which the other of said two optical fibres is housed. The two bodies of the connector are connected together with the length of the fibre protruding from said one part of the connector fitting in the vacant part of the stepped through-bore of the other body of the connector in such a way that the end faces are in contact or close proximity to one another and that the end face of the fibre having the larger cross-sectional area overlies at least a major portion, and preferably substantially the whole, of the end face of the other fibre.

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Chiselhurst, United Kingdom

Raymond J Slaughter