Corning Research & Development Corporation

Sergey Vladimirovich Chernykh

Anne Germaine Bringuier

Xiaole Cheng

Bradley Jerome Blazer

Rebecca Elizabeth Sistare

John Richard Jacks

Ryan Thomas Adams

Embodiments of the disclosure relate to an optical fiber cable. The optical fiber cable includes a cable jacket having an inner jacket surface and an outer jacket surface. The outer jacket surface is an outermost surface of the optical fiber cable, and the inner jacket surface defines an internal jacket bore. The optical fiber cable also includes at least one subunit disposed within the internal jacket bore. Each of the at least one subunit includes a foamed tube having an inner subunit surface and an outer subunit surface. The inner subunit surface defines a central subunit bore. Each of the at least one subunit also includes a stack of at least two optical fiber ribbons disposed in the central subunit bore of the foamed tube. Each of the at least two optical fiber ribbons comprising at least two optical fibers. The stack occupies from 85%-95% of a cross-sectional area of the central subunit bore such that the central subunit bore provides from 5% to 15% of free space around the stack along at least a portion of a length of the foamed tube.

Foamed tube having free space around ribbon stacks of optical fiber cable

Embodiments of the disclosure relate to an optical fiber cable having at least one optical fiber, a cable jacket, and a foam layer. The cable jacket has an inner surface and an outer surface. The outer surface is an outermost surface of the optical fiber cable, and the inner surface is disposed around the at least one optical fiber. The foam layer is disposed between the at least one optical fiber and the cable jacket. The foam layer includes a polymer component having from 30% to 100% by weight of a polyolefin elastomer (POE) or thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) and from 0% to 70% by weight of low density polyethylene (LDPE). The foam layer has a closed-cell morphology having pores with an average effective circle diameter of 10 μm to 500 μm. Further, the expansion ratio of the foam layer is at least 50%.

Foam for optical fiber cable, composition, and method of manufacturing

Growing community of inventors

Hickory, NC, United States of America

Sergey Vladimirovich Chernykh