Optical drop cable for aerial installation
US6493491B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 28, 2000 |
| Grant date | Dec 10, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 28, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B6/4422
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An aerial drop cable comprises a jacket surrounding a cavity containing a least one loosely housed optical fiber and a pair of reinforcing members composed of a plurality of high modulus fibers such as polybenzoxazole (PBO) fibers. The cross-sectional area of the reinforcing members is larger than the cross-sectional area of the cavity so that the optical fiber disposed in the cavity is protected from lateral compressive forces. By utilizing reinforcing members which are composed of PBO fibers, the diameter of the reinforcing members is reduced as compared with conventional reinforcing members composed of aramid, metal or glass thereby providing a substantial reduction in the amount of jacketing material and the weight of the cable. Further, the bending strain of the cable utilizing PBO reinforcing members is substantially reduced for an equivalent bending radius as compared with cables utilizing conventional reinforcing members due to the smaller diameter of the reinforcing members. Therefore, the bending radius of the cable is reduced providing greater flexibility for routing the cable.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.