US4195906A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Optical guides
Assignee: Balfour Beatty PLC
•
Filing: 1978-04-03
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Granted: 1980-04-01
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Expires: 1998-04-03
Abstract
Abstract An optical cable comprises at least one optical cable element and, surrounding the optical cable element or elements, a flexible tube of rubber or plastics material, the bore of the tube being of such a transverse cross-section having regard to the transverse cross-section of the optical cable element or to the transverse cross-sections of the optical cable elements that there is at least one elongate space formed between the element or elements and the internal surface of the tube. The or each optical cable element comprises an extruded elongate body of rubber or plastics material having a transverse cross sectional shape of elongate form and having at least one bore extending lengthwise in the body, at least one optical bundle and/or at least one separate optical fiber housed loosely in the bore or in at least one of the bores and, embedded in said extruded elongate body and arranged side-by-side with said bore or bores, at least two separate elongate reinforcing members, the or each bore being positioned between two reinforcing members.
Inventors
- 👤 Noel S. Dean
- 👤 Frank Lea
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 02:36
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/44; G02B6/4401; G02B6/4429; G02B6/443; G02B6/4432; G02B6/4433; G02B6/441; G02B6/4411; G02B6/4415; G02B6/4416
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
170 words
An optical cable comprising at least optical cable element comprising an extruded elongate body of rubber or plastics material having a transverse cross sectional shape of elongate form and having at least one bore extending lengthwise in the body, at least one flexible optical guide housed loosely in the bore or in at least one of the bores and, embedded in said extruded elongate body and arranged side-by-side with said bore or bores, at least two separate elongate reinforcing members, the at least one bore being positioned between two reinforcing members; and, surrounding the optical cable element or elements, a flexible tube from one of the group consisting of rubber and plastics material, the bore of the tube being of such a transverse cross section having regard to the transverse cross section of the optical cable element or to the transverse cross section of the optical cable elements that there is at least one elongate space formed between the at least one element and the internal surface of the tube.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
170 words
An optical cable comprising at least optical cable element comprising an extruded elongate body of rubber or plastics material having a transverse cross sectional shape of elongate form and having at least one bore extending lengthwise in the body, at least one flexible optical guide housed loosely in the bore or in at least one of the bores and, embedded in said extruded elongate body and arranged side-by-side with said bore or bores, at least two separate elongate reinforcing members, the at least one bore being positioned between two reinforcing members; and, surrounding the optical cable element or elements, a flexible tube from one of the group consisting of rubber and plastics material, the bore of the tube being of such a transverse cross section having regard to the transverse cross section of the optical cable element or to the transverse cross section of the optical cable elements that there is at least one elongate space formed between the at least one element and the internal surface of the tube.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
188 words
An optical cable comprising at least one optical cable element comprising an extruded body of rubber or plastics material having a transverse cross sectional shape of elongate form and having at least one bore extending lengthwise in the body, at least one flexible optical guide housed loosely in the bore or in at least one of the bores and, embedded in said extruded elongate body and arranged side-by-side with said bore or bores, at least two separate elongate reinforcing members, the at least one bore being positioned between two reinforcing members and the axes of the bore or bores and the reinforcing members lying in a common plane; and, surrounding the at least one optical cable element, a flexible tube of one of the group consisting of rubber and plastics material, the bore of the tube being of such a transverse cross section having regard to the transverse cross section of the optical cable element or to the transverse cross sections of the optical cable elements that there is at least one elongate space formed between the at least one element and the internal surface of the tube.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
188 words
An optical cable comprising at least one optical cable element comprising an extruded body of rubber or plastics material having a transverse cross sectional shape of elongate form and having at least one bore extending lengthwise in the body, at least one flexible optical guide housed loosely in the bore or in at least one of the bores and, embedded in said extruded elongate body and arranged side-by-side with said bore or bores, at least two separate elongate reinforcing members, the at least one bore being positioned between two reinforcing members and the axes of the bore or bores and the reinforcing members lying in a common plane; and, surrounding the at least one optical cable element, a flexible tube of one of the group consisting of rubber and plastics material, the bore of the tube being of such a transverse cross section having regard to the transverse cross section of the optical cable element or to the transverse cross sections of the optical cable elements that there is at least one elongate space formed between the at least one element and the internal surface of the tube.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
An optical cable as claimed in claim 2, wherein the opposite major surfaces of the or each optical cable element lie in substantially parallel planes.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
An optical cable as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexible optical guide or at least one of the flexible optical guides of the or each optical cable element is a separate optical fibre.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
An optical cable as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexible optical guide or at least one of the flexible optical guides of the or each optical cable element is an optical bundle.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
An optical cable as claimed in claim 1, wherein the or each optical cable element is housed loosely in the flexible tube.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
51 words
An optical cable as claimed in claim 1, in which the flexible tube contains a single optical cable element, wherein the opposite minor surfaces of the elongate body of the element are integral with the internal surface of the tube to form two elongate spaces on opposite sides of the element.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
20 words
An optical cable as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bore of the flexible tube is of substantially circular cross-section.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
30 words
An optical cable as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one elongate electric conductor is contained in the elongate space or in at least one of the elongate spaces.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
An optical cable as claimed in claim 1, wherein the or each elongate space is substantially filled throughout the length of the cable with a greasy, water-impermeable medium.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
54 words
An optical cable as claimed in claim 1, wherein the internal surface of the flexible tube is lined with a moisture barrier in the form of a continuous layer of metal tape, at least the outwardly facing surface of the tape carrying a layer of plastics material which is bonded to the flexible tube.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
23 words
An optical cable as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexible tube is surrounded by an oversheath of extruded rubber or plastics material.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
55 words
An optical cable as claimed in claim 12, wherein the flexible tube and oversheath are separated by a moisture barrier in the form of a continuous layer of metal tape, each surface of the tape carrying a layer of plastics material which is bonded to the flexible tube or oversheath, as the case may be.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
29 words
An optical cable as claimed in claim 1, wherein a reinforcing wall comprising at least one layer of elongate elements of reinforcing material is embedded in the flexible tube.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
24 words
An optical cable as claimed in claim 14, wherein the elongate elements of reinforcing material extend helically about the axis of the flexible tube.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
60 words
An optical cable as claimed in claim 14, wherein at least some of the elongate elements of reinforcing material are embedded at spaced positions around the flexible tube and extend substantially lengthwise of the cable, each elongate element having undulations that serve to improve the mechanical bonding of the element within the flexible tube and the flexibility of the cable.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
GB1479426A
Cited
FR2300348A1
Cited
US3955878A
Cited
GB1480206A
Cited
DE2635917A1
Cited
US4110001A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1983-04-01 | 1983-10-01 | 1984-04-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1987-04-01 | 1987-10-01 | 1988-04-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1991-04-01 | 1991-10-01 | 1992-04-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |