Optical fiber cable having reinforcing layer of tape heat-bonded to jacket
An optical fiber cable includes an optical fiber; a sheet of reinforcing tape rolled around a majority of an annular sidewall of the optical fiber; and a jacket surrounding the rolled sheet of reinforcing tape. The sheet has parallel longitudinal edges that are circumferentially spaced from each other to form a longitudinal slit along a length of the sheet of reinforcing tape. The reinforcing tape is formed of a polymeric material having uni-directionally oriented molecules along the length of the sheet. The jacket is heat-bonded to the sheet of reinforcing tape.
1. A method of manufacturing an optical fiber cable having at least a first optical fiber, the method comprising:
wrapping a sheet of reinforcing tape around the first optical fiber so that longitudinal edges of the sheet extend parallel to each other along a length of the first optical fiber to form a rolled sheet of reinforcing tape, the tape not including reinforcing yarns or fibers; and
extruding a jacket around the rolled sheet of reinforcing tape so that heat from extrusion partially melts the reinforcing tape to heat-bond the rolled sheet of reinforcing tape to the jacket.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing tape including polyethylene molecules uni-directionally oriented along the length of the sheet.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein wrapping the sheet of reinforcing tape comprises wrapping the sheet so that the longitudinal edges are circumferentially spaced from each other to form a longitudinal slit.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein wrapping the sheet of reinforcing tape comprises:
wrapping a first sheet of reinforcing tape around a circumferential portion of the first optical fiber so that longitudinal edges of the first sheet extend parallel to each other along the length of the first optical fiber; and
wrapping a second sheet of reinforcing tape around another circumferential portion of the first optical fiber so that longitudinal edges of the second sheet extend parallel to each other along the length of the first optical fiber.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein one of the longitudinal edges of the first sheet faces but is circumferentially spaced from one of the longitudinal edges of the second sheet; and wherein another of the longitudinal edges of the first sheet faces but is circumferentially spaced from another of the longitudinal edges of the second sheet to form the rolled sheet with two longitudinal slits extending along a length of the rolled sheet.
6. A method of connectorizing a first axial end of an optical cable including a jacket surrounding reinforcing tape wrapped around an optical fiber, the method comprising:
spreading out reinforcing tape at the first axial end of the optical cable to provide an enlarged cross-dimension of the first axial end, the tape not including reinforcing yarns or fibers;
axially sliding a portion of an optical connector rearwardly into the first axial end of the optical cable through the enlarged cross-dimension; and
applying heat to the first axial end of the optical cable to heat-bond the first axial end of the optical cable to the portion of the optical connector.
7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising stripping a portion of the jacket from the first axial end of the optical cable before spreading out the reinforcing tape.
8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising cutting the jacket at the first axial end of the optical cable to form a slit; wherein spreading out the reinforcing tape also comprises spreading out the jacket at the slit.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising cutting the jacket and the reinforcing tape at the first axial end of the optical cable at a location circumferentially spaced from the slit to form a second slit; wherein spreading out the reinforcing tape also comprises spreading out the jacket at the slit and the second slit.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second slit is located opposite the slit.
11. The method of claim 6 , wherein spreading out reinforcing tape at the first axial end of the optical cable comprises inserting a spread tool into a longitudinal slit defined in the reinforcing tape at the first axial end of the cable; and sliding the spreader tool along the longitudinal slit.
12. The method of claim 6 , wherein the portion of the optical connector includes a rear housing portion of a connector body.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
threading the optical cable through a boot;
sliding the boot over the first axial end of the optical cable and over the rear housing portion of the optical connector; and
securing the boot to the optical connector so that the boot encloses the first axial end of the optical cable.
14. The method of claim 6 , wherein the portion of the optical connector includes a ferrule hub.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
threading the optical cable through an inner connector body, an outer connector body, and a boot;
sliding the ferrule hub through the outer connector body from a rear of the outer connector body after the optical cable is heat-bonded to the ferrule hub;
sliding the inner connector body partially into the outer connector body from the rear of the outer connector body; and
mounting the boot to the optical connector.