Hybrid strength member for an optical cable
US6611646B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 8, 1999 |
| Grant date | Aug 26, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 8, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B6/44384
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A hybrid strength member (300) for an optical cable (10) is made from dielectric materials, and provides excellent compressive and tensile properties within a single structure. The strength member includes two concentric layers of filamentary strands that are embedded in a thermoset material such as epoxy. The filamentary strands of the inner layer (310) primarily comprise aramid fibers, while the filamentary strands of the outer layer (320) primarily comprise glass fibers. A pair of strength members (300-1, 300-2) is embedded in a plastic jacket of the optical cable at diametrically opposite sides of a central core tube that contains a number of optical fibers. Each strength member includes a thin coating (330) of a relatively soft material (i.e., a hardness of less than 80D on the Shore durometer scale) to enhance its coupling to the plastic jacket. Moreover, each strength member has a compressive stiffness that is effective to inhibit substantial contraction of the cable, and a tensile stiffness that is effective to receive tensile loads without substantial transfer of such loads to the glass fibers.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.