Pirelli Cable Corporation

Pirelli Cables and Systems LLC

Roger Vaughn

Ben H Wells

Aaron M Anderson

Jon Fitz

Rodney J Pierce

Richard Chamberlain

An optical fiber cable core includes a buffer tube containing at least one optical fiber and reinforced by at least two substantially radially incompressible longitudinal strength members, each strength member having surface portions radially outermost with respect to the tube axis which are at or protrude from the exterior surface of the buffer tube. If the strength members protrude from the exterior surface of the buffer tube, less than 50%, and preferably less than 20%, of the outer surface of the strength members protrudes from the exterior surface of the buffer tube. The positions of the strength members can be readily determined, can be visible and can be easily removed from the buffer tube prior to slitting the buffer tube to achieve midspan access. The core can include a buffer tube having an inner tubular portion, an outer tubular portion including the strength members, and a release agent between the tubular portions to enable easy separation of the tubular portions so that conventional slitting tools can be used to gain midspan access. Also, an optical fiber cable including the core and methods of manufacturing a reinforced buffer tube are disclosed.

Optical fiber cable and core with a reinforced buffer tube having visible strength members and methods of manufacture thereof

An optical fiber cable has a jacket of flame retardant and ultraviolet stabilized plastic and meets the requirements for both outdoor and indoor use. The jacket has two longitudinal portions interconnected by an intermediate longitudinal portion of a thickness less than the thickness of the two portions. One of the two portions contains a longitudinally extending strength member of sufficient tensile strength to support the cable when the cable is suspended outdoors between relatively widely spaced supports. The other of the two portions has a longitudinally extending bore which contains at least one tightly buffered, longitudinally extending optical fiber and can also contain a flexible, longitudinally extending strength member. When the cable is suspended outdoors between support, the intermediate jacket portion has sufficient strength to prevent separation of the strength member portion from the optical fiber portion. The strength member portion, when desired, can be separated from the optical fiber portion to form an optical fiber subunit, which is flexible and meets indoor riser requirements, and a strength member subunit.

Optical fiber cable with support member for indoor and outdoor use

High fiber count, compact, loose tube optical fiber cable employing ribbon units and flexible buffer tubes

Growing community of inventors

Columbia, SC, United States of America

Roger Vaughn