Appeal No. 2003-2153 Page 7
Application No. 09/632,160
Figure 3 is a diagram of a third embodiment of a cable having one or more
optical fibers 202 arranged in a buffer tube 204, and having cyclically-placed thermoset
material such as a low viscosity elastomer generally indicated as 206, 208 to hold the
one or more optical fibers 202 in the buffer tube 204 at intervals of about every 10
meters.
Figure 4 is a diagram of a fourth embodiment of a cable having one or more
optical fibers 302 arranged in a buffer tube 304, and having cyclically-placed thermoset
material such as a low viscosity elastomer generally indicated as 306, 308 to hold the
one or more optical fibers 302 in the buffer tube 304. The cyclically-placed low viscosity
elastomer 306, 308 is a thin wavy section of material, which thickens at a mid section to
contact the buffer tube wall generating a fiber friction lock when cured or crosslinked.
Adjacent cyclically-placed low viscosity elastomers 306, 308 form an area or segment
that contains trace amounts of water swellable powder 320 and does not have to be
filled for water ingress prevention. The exterior surface of the cable jacket and/or the
buffer tube 304 has markings 310, 312 to indicate the cycled placement position of the
thermoset material in the event the cable has to be serviced and a technician needs to
know the location of the cycled placement.
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007