The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 09, 1999
Filed:
Dec. 12, 1997
Terry D Mathis, Lilburn, GA (US);
John T Chapin, Alpharetta, GA (US);
Montri Viriyayuthakorn, Norcross, GA (US);
Lucent Technologies Inc., Murray Hill, NJ (US);
Abstract
The present invention provides a color-coded optical fiber cable and a method for manufacturing the color-coded optical fiber cable. The optical fiber cable of the present invention comprises a glass fiber, a buffer surrounding the fiber, which may be comprised of nylon, an aramid fiber strength member surrounding the fiber buffer, and an outer sheath surrounding the aramid fiber strength member. In accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, optical fiber cables are color coded by using aramid fiber strength members of different colors. Once a color-coded aramid fiber strength member has been placed about the fiber buffer, it is surrounded by a light-transmissive outer sheath so that the color of the aramid fiber strength member can be easily ascertained, even when the optical fiber cable is wound up on a reel. When employed with a duplex cable, this embodiment allows a technician to easily determine which miniature jumper cable of the duplex cable is the transmit jumper cable and which is the receive jumper cable. In accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention, an optical fiber cable is color coded by placing a colored jacket about the aramid fiber strength member of the optical fiber cable. An outer light-transmissive jacket is then placed about the colored jacket. When a duplex optical fiber cable is color coded in accordance with this embodiment, the colored jackets of each of the jumper cables are simultaneously covered with the light-transmissive outer sheath by extruding the light-transmissive outer sheath over the colored jackets. The light-transmissive outer sheath holds the jumper cables together. The colored jackets of the jumper cables can be easily seen by a technician through the outer light-transmissive jacket of the duplex cable. The present invention can be used in a similar manner to color code optical fiber jumper cables contained in optical fiber quad cables and in optical fiber break-out cables.