Optical cabling apparatus having improved dry filling compound and method for making

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention include an optical communication system having an optical cable with an improved configuration for multi-fiber arrangements. In particular, the invention is embodied in an optical communication system including an optical cable having an improved dry filling compound for protecting and maintaining multi-fiber arrangements therein and yet enabling relatively easy access thereto. The system includes a source of optical energy, an optical cable coupled to the source for transmitting optical energy from the source, and a receiver coupled to the optical cable for receiving optical energy from the source. The optical cable includes at least one multi-fiber unit tube having therein a plurality of optical fibers such as individual fibers or one or more fiber ribbons, and a dry filling compound formed around the at least one multi-fiber unit tube. The dry filling compound is made of a soft, non-adhesive plastic or rubber material and formed around the multi-fiber unit tubes in such a way that the relative position of the multi-fiber unit tubes are maintained with respect to one another within the optical cable. The dry filling compound is made of a material such as an extrudable rubber or plastic, a soft UV-curable acrylate, a plasticized polyvinylchloride, a soft polyolefin, a butyl rubber, an ethylene-propylene rubber, a polyurethane foam or other suitable reactively-formed foams. The dry filling compound material is firm enough to maintain the relative positions of the multi-fiber unit tubes within the optical cable but soft enough to allow relatively easy access into the optical cable.