Fiber optic cable having a low-shrink cable jacket and methods of manufacturing the same
View Patent ↗A fiber optic cable and methods for manufacturing the same the fiber optic cable including a fiber optic cable core, the fiber optic cable core includes at least one optical fiber and a separation layer. The separation layer generally surrounds the at least one optical fiber, and a cable jacket generally surrounds the separation layer. The cable jacket has an average shrinkage of about 2.0% or less during a cable jacket shrinkage test conducted at a temperature of 110° C. for 2 hours with the cable core removed. The low-shrink characteristic of the cable jacket preserves optical performance during, for example, temperature variations.
1. A method of manufacturing a fiber optic cable comprising:
paying off at least one optical fiber and at least one separation element;
defining a cable core by placing said at least one separation element adjacent to said at least one optical fiber; and
extruding a cable jacket around said cable core, wherein said cable jacket is formed from a material having an ultimate elongation, measured using ASTM D-412, being in the range of about 350 percent to about 700 percent said cable jacket having an average shrinkage of about 2.0% or less measured about 1 hour after a cable jacket shrinkage test conducted at a temperature of 110° C. for 2 hours with the cable core removed.
2. The method of claim 1 , said cable jacket having an average shrinkage of about 1.5% or less measured about 1 hour after a cable jacket shrinkage test conducted at a temperature of 110° C. for 2 hours with the cable core removed.
3. The method of claim 1 , said fiber optic cable being a portion of an interconect cable assembly having at least one optical connector, said interconnect cable assembly having an average delta insertion loss of about 0.03 dB or less at a reference wavelength selected from the group of about 1310 nm, about 1550 nm and 1625 nm during a thermal cycling test that cycles the temperature between a minimum of −40° C. and a maximum of 85° C.
4. The method of claim 1 , the step of extruding said cable jacket being accomplished by a tube-on process.
5. The method of claim 1 , said step of extruding having a draw-down ratio (DDR) of about 2 or less.
6. The method of claim 1 , the step of extruding said cable jacket further comprising a flexural modulus of said material, measured using ASTM D790, of about 10,000 psi or less.
7. The method of claim 1 , the step of extruding said cable jacket further comprising a flexural modulus of said material, measured using ASTM D790, of about 8,500 psi or less.
8. The method of claim 1 , the step of extruding said cable jacket further comprising a flexural modulus of said material, measured using ASTM D790, of about 7,500 psi or less.
9. The method of claim 1 , the step of extruding a cable jacket further comprising a Shore A hardness of said material, measured using ASTM D-2240, of about 95 or less.
10. The method of claim 1 , the step of extruding said cable jacket further comprising a Shore A hardness of said material, measured using ASTM D-2240, of about 90 or less.
11. The method of claim 1 , the step of extruding said cable jacket further comprising a Shore A hardness of said material, measured using ASTM D-2240, of about 85 or less.
12. The method of claim 1 , the step of extruding said cable jacket further comprising said material being selected from the group of a polyether type thermoplastic polyurethane, a partially cross-linked chlorinated polyolefin, a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), a thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs), and polyvinylidene fluorides (PVDFs).
13. The method of claim 1 , said step of extruding said cable jacket further comprising said material having a melting onset temperature being about 110° C. or greater.
14. A method of manufacturing a fiber optic cable comprising:
paying off at least one optical fiber and at least one separation element;
defining a cable core by placing said at least one separation element adjacent to said at least one optical fiber; and
extruding a cable jacket around said cable core, wherein said cable jacket is formed from a material having a flexural modulus, measured using ASTM D790, of about 10,000 psi or less said cable jacket having an average shrinkage of about 2.0% or less measured about 1 hour after a cable jacket shrinkage test conducted at a temperature of 110° C. for 2 hours with the cable core removed.
15. The method of claim 14 , said cable jacket having an average shrinkage of about 1.5% or less during a cable jacket shrinkage test conducted at a temperature of 110° C. for 2 hours with the cable core removed.
16. The method of claim 14 , said fiber optic cable being a portion of an interconnect cable assembly having at least one optical connector, said interconnect cable assembly having an average delta insertion loss of about 0.03 dB or less at a reference wavelength selected from the group of about 1310 nm, about 1550 nm, and 1625 nm during a thermal cycling test that cycles the temperature between a minimum of −40° C. and a maximum of 85° C.
17. The method of claim 14 , the step of extruding said cable jacket being accomplished by a tube-on process.
18. The method of claim 14 , said step of extruding said cable jacket having a draw-down ratio (DDR) of about 2 or less.
19. The method of claim 14 , the step of extruding said cable jacket further comprising an ultimate elongation of said material, measured using ASTM D-412, being in the range of about 350 percent to about 700 percent.
20. The method of claim 14 , the step of extruding said cable jacket further comprising a Shore A hardness of said material, measured using ASTM D-2240, of about 95 or less.
21. The method of claim 14 , the step of extruding said cable jacket further comprising said material being selected from the group of a polyether type thermoplastic polyurethane, a partially cross-linked chlorinated polyolefin, a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), a thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs), and polyvinylidene fluorides (PVDFS).
22. The method of claim 14 , said step of extruding said cable jacket further comprising said material having a melting onset temperature being about 110° C. or greater.