Dry tube fiber optic assemblies, cables, and manufacturing methods therefor
View Patent ↗A fiber optic dry tube assembly and a method of manufacturing the same includes at least one optical waveguide and a tube. The tube houses at least a portion of the at least one optical fiber and is formed from a bimodal polymeric material. The tube has an average ovality of about 10 percent or less. In other embodiments, the bimodal polymeric material that forms the tube has a melt index of about 1.0 g/10 minutes or less, a melt strength in the range of about 8 cN to about 35 cN at 190° C,. and/or a polydisperity of about 7 or greater. Additionally, the dry tube assemblies of the present invention can form a portion of a cable.
1. A fiber optic dry tube assembly comprising:
at least one optical waveguide;
a tube, the tube housing at least a portion of the at least one optical waveguide, wherein the tube is formed from a bimodal polymeric material and has an average ovality of about 10 percent or less.
2. The fiber optic dry tube assembly of claim 1 , the tube having an average ovality of about 7 percent or less.
3. The fiber optic dry tube assembly of claim 1 , the tube having an average ovality of about 5 percent or less.
4. The fiber optic dry tube assembly of claim 1 , the bimodal polymeric material having a melt index of about 1.0 g/10 minutes or less.
5. The fiber optic dry tube assembly of claim 1 , the bimodal polymeric material being a polyethylene.
6. The fiber optic dry tube assembly of claim 5 , the polyethylene being selected from the group consisting of a high-density polyethylene, a medium-density polyethylene, a low-density polyethylene, and a linear low-density polyethylene.
7. The fiber optic dry tube assembly of claim 1 , the bimodal polymeric material being selected from the group consisting of a polypropylene (PP), a polyvinylchloride (PVC), a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), a thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV), and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF).
8. The fiber optic dry tube assembly of claim 1 , the at least one optical waveguide being a portion of a ribbon stack.
9. The fiber optic dry tube assembly of claim 1 , the fiber optic dry tube assembly being a portion of a cable.
10. The fiber optic dry tube assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a water-swellable material within the tube.
11. The fiber optic dry tube assembly of claim 10 , the water-swellable material being a portion of a dry insert that is compressible for assisting coupling between the at least one optical fiber and the tube.
12. The fiber optic dry tube assembly of claim 11 , the dry insert being attached to the tube.
13. The fiber optic dry tube assembly of claim 1 , the bimodal polymeric material having a polydisperity of about 7 or greater.
14. The fiber optic dry tube assembly of claim 1 , the bimodal polymeric material having a polydisperity of about 10 or greater.
15. The fiber optic dry tube assembly of claim 1 , the bimodal polymeric material having a melt strength in the range of about 8 cN to about 35 cN at 190° C.
16. A fiber optic dry tube assembly comprising:
at least one optical fiber;
a tube, the tube housing at least a portion of the at least one optical fiber and a water-swellable material, wherein the tube is formed from a bimodal polyethylene and has an average ovality of about 10 percent or less.
17. The fiber optic dry tube assembly of claim 16 , the tube having an average ovality of about 7 percent or less.
18. The fiber optic dry tube assembly of claim 16 , the tube having an average ovality of about 5 percent or less.
19. The fiber optic dry tube assembly of claim 16 , the bimodal polymeric material having a melt index of about 1.0 g/10 minutes or less.
20. The fiber optic dry tube assembly of claim 16 , the polyethylene being selected from the group consisting of a high-density polyethylene, a medium-density polyethylene, a low-density polyethylene, and a linear low-density polyethylene.
21. The fiber optic dry tube assembly of claim 16 , the at least one optical fiber being a portion of a fiber optic ribbon stack.
22. The fiber optic dry tube assembly of claim 16 , the water-swellable material being a portion of a dry insert that is compressible for assisting coupling between the at least one optical fiber and the tube.
23. The fiber optic dry tube assembly of claim 22 , the dry insert being attached to the tube.
24. The fiber optic dry tube assembly of claim 16 , the fiber optic dry tube assembly being a portion of a cable.
25. The fiber optic dry tube assembly of claim 16 , the bimodal polymeric polyethylene having a polydisperity of about 7 or greater.
26. The fiber optic dry tube assembly of claim 16 , the bimodal polymeric polyethylene having a polydisperity of about 10 or greater.
27. The fiber optic dry tube assembly of claim 16 , the bimodal polymeric material having a melt strength in the range of about 8 cN to about 35 cN at 190° C.
28. A dry fiber optic cable comprising:
at least one optical fiber;
a tube, the tube housing at least a portion of the at least one optical fiber, wherein the tube is formed from a bimodal polymeric material and having an average ovality of about 10 percent or less; and
a cable jacket.
29. The dry fiber optic cable of claim 28 , the tube having an average ovality of about 7 percent or less.
30. The dry fiber optic cable of claim 28 , the tube having an average ovality of about 5 percent or less.
31. The dry fiber optic cable of claim 28 , the bimodal polymeric material having a melt index of about 1.0 g/10 minutes or less.
32. The dry fiber optic cable of claim 28 , the bimodal polymeric material being a polyethylene.
33. The dry fiber optic cable of claim 28 , the polyethylene being selected from the group consisting of a high-density polyethylene, a medium-density polyethylene, a low-density polyethylene, and a linear low-density polyethylene.
34. The dry fiber optic cable of claim 28 , the bimodal polymeric material being selected from the group consisting of a polypropylene (PP), a polyvinylchloride (PVC), a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), a thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV), and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF).
35. The dry fiber optic cable of claim 28 , the at least one optical fiber being a portion of a fiber optic ribbon stack.
36. The dry fiber optic cable of claim 28 , further comprising a water-swellable material within the tube.
37. The fiber optic dry tube assembly of claim 36 , the water-swellable material being a portion of a dry insert that is compressible for assisting coupling between the at least one optical fiber and the tube.
38. The fiber optic dry tube assembly of claim 37 , the dry insert being attached to the tube.
39. The fiber optic dry tube assembly of claim 28 , the bimodal polymeric material having a polydisperity of about 7 or greater.
40. The fiber optic dry tube assembly of claim 28 , the bimodal polymeric material having a polydisperity of about 10 or greater.
41. The fiber optic dry tube assembly of claim 28 , the bimodal polymeric material having a melt strength in the range of about 8 cN to about 35 cN at 190° C.
42. A method of manufacturing a fiber optic dry tube assembly comprising the steps of:
paying off at least one optical waveguide; and
extruding a tube around at least a portion of the at least one optical waveguide, wherein the tube is formed from a bimodal polymeric material and has an average ovality of about 10 percent or less.
43. The method of claim 42 , the step of extruding the tube wherein the tube has an average ovality of about 7 percent or less.
44. The method of claim 42 , the step of extruding the tube wherein the tube has an average ovality of about 5 percent or less.
45. The method of claim 42 , the step of extruding the tube wherein the bimodal polymeric material has a melt index of about 1.0 g/10 minutes or less.
46. The method of claim 42 , the step of extruding the tube wherein the bimodal polymeric material is a polyethylene.
47. The method of claim 46 , the polyethylene being selected from the group consisting of a high-density polyethylene, a medium-density polyethylene, a low-density polyethylene, and a linear low-density polyethylene.
48. The method of claim 42 , the bimodal polymeric material being selected from the group consisting of a polypropylene (PP), a polyvinylchloride (PVC), a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), a thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV), and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF).
49. The method of claim 42 , the at least one optical waveguide being a portion of a ribbon stack.
50. The method of claim 42 , further comprising paying off a water-swellable material that is disposed about the at least one optical waveguide.
51. The method of claim 50 , the water-swellable material being a portion of a dry insert that is compressed for assisting coupling between the at least one optical fiber and the tube.
52. The method of claim 51 , further comprising the step of attaching the dry insert to the tube.
53. The method of claim 42 , further comprising the step of placing at least one dry insert adjacent to the at least one optical waveguide, thereby forming a core.
54. The method of claim 53 , further comprising the step of securing the core with a binder thread.
55. The method of claim 42 , further comprising the steps of placing at least one strength member adjacent to the tube and extruding a jacket therearound, thereby forming a fiber optic cable.
56. The method of claim 42 , the bimodal polymeric material having a polydisperity of about 7 or greater.
57. The method of claim 42 , the bimodal polymeric material having a polydisperity of about 10 or greater.
58. The method of claim 42 , the bimodal polymeric material having a melt strength in the range of about 8 cN to about 35 cN at 190° C.