Fiber optic cable having buffer tubes with optical fiber bundles therein

Abstract

A fiber optic cable and method for making the cable includes a plurality of buffer tubes positioned around a central member with three levels of color coding to enhance identification of individual optical fibers within the cable. Each of the buffer tubes has a predetermined color for identifying each individual buffer tube from the other buffer tubes, and a plurality of optical fibers are positioned within each buffer tube and arranged in a plurality of optical fiber bundles within each buffer tube. Each optical fiber bundle includes a binder yarn surrounding respective ones of the optical fibers with each of the binders having a predetermined color for identifying each individual optical fiber bundle from the other optical fiber bundles within a respective buffer tube. In addition, each of the optical fibers has a predetermined color for identifying each individual optical fiber from other optical fibers within a respective optical fiber bundle. Accordingly, three levels of identification are provided in a compact cable having a relatively small cross-section and a large number of small groups of fibers may be formed as required for an emerging cable television architecture requiring a large number of spaced apart drop points for small groups of fibers.