Abstract: The specification describes an optical fiber drop cable with a flat configuration and having two side-by-side subunits. One of the subunits contains a cable strength member, e.g. a steel wire or stranded wire. The other subunit is an optical fiber subunit, which contains the optical fiber(s), and also contains one or more additional strength members. In a preferred embodiment, the cable is dry, and has conformal encasements that couple the optical fiber(s) to the outer cable sheath.

Abstract: The specification describes an optical fiber drop cable with a flat configuration and having two side-by-side subunits. One of the subunits contains a cable strength member, e.g. a steel wire or stranded wire. The other subunit is an optical fiber subunit, which contains the optical fiber(s), and also contains one or more additional strength members. In a preferred embodiment, the cable is dry, and has conformal encasements that couple the optical fiber(s) to the outer cable sheath.

Abstract: The specification describes an improved optical fiber cable wherein the cable cross section is round and contains a plurality of bundled optical fibers. The bundle may comprise randomly spaced fibers or fibers aligned in a ribbon configuration. The bundle is encased in a polymer encasement that couples mechanically to each optical fiber. Preferably, the fibers are spaced from the nearest neighbor to improve coupling. In some embodiments the encasement is relatively hard, and is deliberately made to adhere to the optical fiber bundle. Consequently the encasement medium functions as an effective stress translating medium that deliberately translates stresses on the cable to the optical fibers. The cable construction of the invention is essentially void free, and provides a dry cable with water blocking capability.

Abstract: An optical fiber cable includes a number of optical fiber bundles. Each bundle contains a number of optical fiber cable units, and a relatively thin skin surrounds the cable units and retains the units in a desired configuration another over the length of the bundle. Each cable unit includes a number of optical fibers, and a first outer jacket that surrounds the fibers. The bundles are protectively enclosed by a second outer jacket of the cable. In an illustrated embodiment, each cable unit has 12 fibers, each bundle contains 12 cable units, and six bundles are protectively enclosed by the second outer jacket, so that the cable contains 432 optical fibers each of which is traceable by color and/or indicia markings.

Abstract: The specification describes an improved optical fiber cable wherein the cable cross section is round and contains a plurality of bundled optical fibers. The bundle may comprise randomly arranged optical fibers or optical fibers aligned in a ribbon configuration. The bundle is encased in a polymer encasement that couples mechanically to the optical fibers. In some embodiments the encasement is relatively hard, and is deliberately made to adhere to the optical fiber bundle. Consequently the encasement medium functions as an effective stress translating medium that deliberately translates stresses on the cable to the optical fibers. The cable construction of the invention is essentially void free, and provides a dry cable with water blocking capability.

Abstract: The specification describes an optical fiber drop cable with a flat configuration, corresponding to “A-drop” cable. The cable is dry, and has a conformal primary encasement that is coupled directly to the optical fiber(s). Coupling the optical fibers and the exterior surface of the cable provides unexpected benefits, reducing the tendency of the fiber cable to buckle or shrink-back, and reducing the susceptibility of the cable to fiber retraction. The drop cable comprises three in-line components encased in a conformal secondary encasement. The center component comprises the optical fiber(s) coupled to the primary encasement. Located on each side of the optical fiber system are strength members. In a preferred embodiment, dimensions of the three elements are chosen so that the diameter of the center component is less than the diameter of either strength member. This provides crush protection for the optical fiber system.

Abstract: A hybrid optical fiber cable for bearing trunk traffic as well as local traffic has at least one tubular sheath member containing a fiber ribbon stack and surrounded by a sheath member and one or more smaller tubular sheath members within the surrounding sheath member in a configuration amenable to breaking out one or more fibers for local traffic without disturbing the fiber ribbon stack or stacks.

Abstract: The specification describes an improved optical fiber ribbon cable. The cable design addresses the problem of wrinkles in the cable coating that occur on the interior bend radius on moderate bending of the cable. The wrinkles are much smaller than the bend radius, and are, relatively speaking, microbends. These may cause microbending losses in the fibers even where the bend radius is relatively large. The cable design of the invention has a combination of three important features. The cable cross section is round. The encasement for the optical fiber stack is relatively hard, and is deliberately made to adhere to the optical fiber stack. Consequently the encasement medium functions as an effective stress translating medium that deliberately translates stresses on the cable to the optical fibers. The optical fibers function as compressive strength members to retard longitudinal strain on the cables, and thereby reduce wrinkling of the encasement.

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.

Abstract: A protective cable armor for cable having tensile stiffness and providing structural protection from invasion by foreign objects. The armor comprises a substantially planar sheet member having a length and a width and an intermittent corrugation pattern disposed therein. The intermittent corrugation pattern comprises at least one land extending across the width of the sheet member and having a defined land width. The intermittent corrugation pattern further comprises at least one, groove extending across the width of the sheet member and having a defined groove width, where the defined land width differs from the defined groove width. The land is disposed adjacent the groove. The sheet member can also be disposed in a substantially tubular form.