Multi-fiber optical distribution cable for hallway installations

1. An optical fiber distribution or breakout cable for servicing multiple living units or premises inside a building, consisting of:

an outer jacket;

a number of bend insensitive optical fibers each of which has a coating of a different color to identify the fiber;

a relatively soft curable inner layer surrounding the coated fibers, and a harder curable outer layer surrounding the soft curable inner layer;

wherein the inner and the outer layers are clear or translucent to allow a sufficient amount of light energy to pass through the layers to cure the layers during manufacture of the cable, and to allow the differently colored coatings on the optical fibers to be visible through the layers so that an optical fiber assigned to a given living unit or premises can be identified by the color of the coating on the fiber when the outer jacket of the cable is removed;

the outer jacket consists of a flame-retardant polymer compound that is extruded over the outer layer when cured, wherein the jacket is not more than approximately 0.75 mm thick and sufficiently opaque to hide the colored coatings on the optical fibers at least partially from view, and the jacket has an outer diameter of not more than approximately 3.5 mm so that any negative visual impact of the cable is reduced or eliminated when the cable is routed over a hallway wall or other interior building surface to service the living units or premises; and

the polymer compound forming the outer jacket is compatible with a non-toxic adhesive that has been applied along the hallway wall or other interior building surface and into which adhesive the cable is pressed.

2. An optical fiber cable according to claim 1 , wherein each of the coated optical fibers has an outer diameter of approximately 240 microns.

3. An optical fiber cable according to claim 1 , wherein the flame-retardant polymer compound forming the outer jacket is a low-smoke PVC compound.

4. An optical fiber cable according to claim 1 , wherein the flame-retardant polymer compound forming the outer jacket includes a low-smoke zero-halogen material.

5. An optical fiber cable according to claim 1 , wherein the flame-retardant polymer compound forming the outer jacket has a mineral filler selected from among magnesium hydroxide Mg(OH) 2 and aluminum trihydrate Al(OH) 3 in a concentration ranging from approximately 10% to 70% by weight.

6. An optical fiber cable according to claim 1 , wherein the flame-retardant polymer compound forming the outer jacket has a mineral filler selected from among calcium carbonate and clay.

7. An optical fiber cable according to claim 1 , wherein the flame-retardant polymer compound forming the outer jacket has a pigment or colorant for blending or color matching the cable to a wall or other surface along which the cable is installed.

8. An optical fiber cable according to claim 1 , wherein the outer jacket is marked with a printed legend to indicate a fire safety rating for the cable.

9. An optical fiber cable according to claim 8 , wherein the printed legend comprises an inked string of lightly colored text not more than about 1.34 mm high so that the text string can be seen and read only when viewed at a relatively close distance.

10. An optical fiber cable according to claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the curable outer layer that surrounds the curable inner layer in the cable is approximately 1.35 mm.