Patent · US Expired

Optical fiber cable having fiber in metal tube core with outer protective layer

US6404961B1 · kind B1 · utility

62Cited by
9References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 23, 1998
Grant dateJun 11, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 23, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B6/4488
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A fiber optic cable includes a core and a surrounding protective layer. The core includes an inner tube having one or more optical fibers contained therein, and the surrounding protective layer includes an outer tube received over the inner tube, and a layer of buffer material positioned between the outer tube and the inner tube. The buffer material maintains the inner tube generally centrally located within the outer tube and providing a mechanical link between the inner tube and the outer tube to prevent relative movement therebetween. The inner tube may be coated with a low hydrogen permeability material to minimize the entrance of hydrogen into the inner tube. The low hydrogen permeability material may be coated with a protective layer of hard, scratch resistant material to protect the integrity of the low hydrogen permeability material. The area in the inner tube not occupied by the optical fibers may be filled with a filler material, the filler material being selected to have a sufficient viscosity to resist the shear forces applied to it as a result of the weight of the optical fibers within the tube while allowing movement of the optical fibers within the tube during spooli…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.