Sumitomo Electric Lightwave Corp.

William E Beasley, Jr

John P Sarbell

James W Moran

Taichiro Nagao

Stephen R Stokes

Takashi Tanaka

Natalie Roskam

Thomas A Morrison

Loose tube fiber optic cable containing a core of S-Z stranded strands comprising optical fibers having first and second alternatively repeating first and second sections, and a sheath circumscribing the core. The ROL transition points defined by the junctures of first and second strand sections along the length of the cable have been provided at an optimized reduced distance therebetween that is approximately 1/2 of the longitudinal length of the sheath entry window created during mid-span entry of the loose tube fiber optic cable. Thus, at least one (1) ROL transition point will be located within the sheath entry window during mid-span entry access to the cable, and most suitably either two (2) or three (3) ROL transition points will be located.

S-Z stranded optical cable with optimized short ROL pitch

A method of removing the encapsulant matrix from a selected span of optical ribbon fiber to provide access to one or more selected optical fibers wherein a strip of adhesive tape having a plastic card element attached to one end thereof is placed on a support surface with an adhesive surface of the strip of tape facing upwardly. A selected span of optical ribbon fiber is placed across the exposed top surface of the strip of tape and across the plastic card element. A selected amount of glue is positioned beneath the span length of the optical ribbon fiber overlaying the plastic card element so as to bond the optical ribbon fiber to a portion thereof. Next, the end of the optical ribbon fiber overlaying the plastic card element is lifted so as to initiate delamination of the encapsulant matrix from the optical fibers of the optical ribbon fiber, and the delamination caused by the tension on the glue bond is propagated by lifting the span length of the optical fiber which overlays the exposed surface of the strip of tape. Thus, the optical fibers contained within the optical ribbon fiber are removed from the encapsulant matrix by applying the delamination procedure to one or both sides of the optical ribbon fiber as may be required.

Method for midspan entry of optical ribbon fiber

Fiber optic cable containing a core of S-Z stranded strands comprising optical fibers having first and second alternatively repeating first and second sections, a sheath circumscribing the core, and a plurality of indicators located beneath the sheath and in a medial position between a corresponding plurality of pairs of junctures of first and second strand sections along at least a portion of the length of the cable.

S-Z stranded optical cable with mid-span entry marker

A method of midspan or end entry accessing of one or more selected optical fibers carried by an optical ribbon fiber. The top and bottom surfaces of a first selected span of the optical ribbon fiber are friction abraded to initiate delamination of the bond between the optical fibers and the matrix encapsulant. The delamination is completed by applying a rolling force to the circumference of the first selected span, and the delamination is then propagated by introducing the first selected span into the bore of a die element and urging the die element along a relatively longer second selected span of the optical ribbon fiber. With the delamination completed, the tip of an elongated tool is inserted through the encapsulant within the second selected span and between one or more selected optical fibers and the remaining optical fibers within the optical ribbon fiber. Next, the tip of the elongated tool is lifted from within the encapsulant so as to remove the one or more selected optical fibers from the encapsulant, and the elongated tool inserted between the encapsulant and the one or more selected optical fibers. Finally, the elongated tool is slidably urged along the length of the delaminated second selected span to lift the optical fibers out of the encapsulant for access as necessary.

Growing community of inventors

Durham, NC, United States of America

William E Beasley, Jr