Fiber optic assemblies and cables having subunits with a security feature
View Patent ↗One embodiment is a fiber optic cable including at least one subunit, a tube, a plurality of strength members, and a cable jacket. The subunit includes a fiber optic ribbon and a sheath, wherein the sheath is tight-buffered about the fiber optic ribbon, thereby inhibiting buckling of the ribbon during temperature variations. The tube houses at least a portion of the at least one subunit to form a tube assembly. The plurality of strength members are disposed radially outward of the tube and are surrounded by the cable jacket. Other embodiments include a plurality of subunits in a stack with each subunit having a sheath for security purposes. Additionally, a tube assembly can have a fiber optic packing density of about 0.05 or greater.
1. A fiber optic cable comprising:
at least one subunit, the subunit including a fiber optic ribbon and a sheath, wherein the sheath is tight-buffered about the fiber optic ribbon, thereby inhibiting buckling of the ribbon during temperature variations;
a tube, the tube housing at least a portion of the at least one subunit, thereby forming a tube assembly;
a plurality of strength members, the plurality of strength members being disposed radially outward of the tube; and
a cable jacket, the cable jacket generally surrounding the tube and the plurality of strength members.
2. The fiber optic cable of claim 1 , the at least one subunit being a portion of a subunit stack, the subunit stack including at least two subunits having a different number of optical fibers in the respective ribbons of the at least two subunits for increasing a fiber optic packing density of the tube assembly.
3. The fiber optic cable of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of subunits, each subunit having a respective ribbon and a respective sheath that is tight-buffered about the fiber optic ribbon, wherein the plurality of subunits form a subunit stack that is stranded within the tube.
4. The fiber optic cable of claim 1 , the cable jacket being formed from a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) material.
5. The fiber optic cable of claim 1 , the tube being formed from a polyvinylchloride (PVC) material.
6. The fiber optic cable of claim 1 , the sheath and the tube being formed from a polyvinylchloride (PVC) material and the cable jacket being formed from a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) material.
7. The fiber optic cable of claim 1 , the cable further comprising at least one ripcord.
8. The fiber optic cable of claim 1 , the tube assembly having a fiber optic packing density of about 0.05 or greater.
9. The fiber optic cable of claim 1 , further comprising an electrical component.
10. The fiber optic cable of claim 1 , the tube assembly being stranded about a central member.
11. The fiber optic cable of claim 1 , further comprising a first subunit having a respective sheath of a first color and a second subunit having a respective sheath of a different color.
12. The fiber optic cable of claim 1 , some of the plurality of strength member being fiberglass yarn strands.
13. A fiber optic cable comprising:
a plurality of subunits, the plurality of subunits each including a respective fiber optic ribbon and a respective sheath that is tight-buffered about the respective fiber optic ribbon, wherein the plurality of subunits form a subunit stack that is stranded;
a tube, the tube housing at least a portion of the subunit stack, thereby forming a tube assembly;
at least one strength member; and
a cable jacket, the cable jacket generally surrounding the tube and the at least one strength member.
14. The fiber optic cable of claim 13 , the subunit stack having at least two subunits with the respective ribbons of the at least two subunits having a different number of optical fibers in the respective ribbons for increasing fiber optic packing density of the tube assembly.
15. The fiber optic cable of claim 13 , the cable jacket being formed from a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) material.
16. The fiber optic cable of claim 13 , the tube being formed from a polyvinylchloride (PVC) material.
17. The fiber optic cable of claim 13 , the sheath and the tube being formed from a polyvinylchloride (PVC) material and the cable jacket being formed from a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) material.
18. The fiber optic cable of claim 13 , the cable further comprising at least one ripcord.
19. The fiber optic cable of claim 13 , the tube assembly having a fiber optic packing density of about 0.05 or greater.
20. The fiber optic cable of claim 13 , further comprising an electrical component.
21. The fiber optic cable of claim 13 , the tube assembly being stranded about a central member.
22. The tube assembly of claim 13 , a first respective sheath of a first subunit having a first color and a second respective sheath of a second subunit having a different color.
23. The tube assembly of claim 13 , the tube assembly being a portion of a cable, the cable having a plurality of fiberglass strength members disposed about the tube assembly and a cable jacket, the cable jacket generally surrounding the tube assembly.
24. A tube assembly comprising:
a plurality of subunits, the plurality of subunits each including a respective fiber optic ribbon and a respective sheath that is tight-buffered about the respective fiber optic ribbons wherein the plurality of subunits form a subunit stack that is stranded;
a tube, the tube housing at least a portion of the a plurality of subunits, wherein the tube assembly has a fiber optic packing density of about 0.05 or greater.
25. The tube assembly of claim 24 , the tube being stranded about a central member.
26. The tube assembly of claim 24 , the tube assembly being a portion of a cable.
27. The tube assembly of claim 24 , the sheaths of the plurality of subunits being formed from a flame-retardant material.
28. The tube assembly of claim 24 , the tube being formed from a flame-retardant material.
29. The tube assembly of claim 24 , the subunit stack having at least two subunits with the respective ribbons of the at least two subunits having a different number of optical fibers in the respective ribbons.
30. The tube assembly of claim 24 , further comprising an electrical component.
31. The tube assembly of claim 24 , a first respective sheath of a first subunit having a first color and a second respective sheath of a second subunit having a different color.
32. The tube assembly of claim 24 , the tube assembly being a portion of a cable, the cable having a plurality of fiberglass strength members disposed about the tube assembly and a cable jacket, the cable jacket generally surrounding the tube assembly.