US4952012A — Electro-opto-mechanical cable for fiber optic tra…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 218 words

A cable having the capability for assuring the transmission of phase modulated optical data comprising: a central thin-walled tubular member longitudinally extending coincident in the axis of the cable with the tubular member made from a material having a compressive strength to resist radial inward deformation and having the property to permit longitudinal flexure and shaped with an outer diameter equal to a multiple of about ten times the dimensions of its wall thickness and having a longitudinal welded seam to provide an integral construction with a hermetically sealed interior; at least one optical fiber longitudinally disposed in said interior of the central thin walled tubular member; a gel filling said interior of the central thin walled tubular member containing said at least one optical fiber therein to remove any voids and to provide mechanical coupling between said optical fiber and the interior of said central thin-walled tubular member therein; an annular shaped dielectric region outwardly coaxial and adjacent said central thin walled tubular member and at least a pair of contrahelical layers of load bearing metallic strands disposed outwardly of the dielectric region providing an overall torque-balanced cable, said metallic strands being fabricated to allow the cable to be coiled, deployed, and retrieved without creating loop formation that leads to kinking (hockling) as said cable is tensioned.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 218 words

A cable having the capability for assuring the transmission of phase modulated optical data comprising: a central thin-walled tubular member longitudinally extending coincident in the axis of the cable with the tubular member made from a material having a compressive strength to resist radial inward deformation and having the property to permit longitudinal flexure and shaped with an outer diameter equal to a multiple of about ten times the dimensions of its wall thickness and having a longitudinal welded seam to provide an integral construction with a hermetically sealed interior; at least one optical fiber longitudinally disposed in said interior of the central thin walled tubular member; a gel filling said interior of the central thin walled tubular member containing said at least one optical fiber therein to remove any voids and to provide mechanical coupling between said optical fiber and the interior of said central thin-walled tubular member therein; an annular shaped dielectric region outwardly coaxial and adjacent said central thin walled tubular member and at least a pair of contrahelical layers of load bearing metallic strands disposed outwardly of the dielectric region providing an overall torque-balanced cable, said metallic strands being fabricated to allow the cable to be coiled, deployed, and retrieved without creating loop formation that leads to kinking (hockling) as said cable is tensioned.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 58 words

A cable according to claim 1 in which said central thinwalled tubular member is a steel alloy material having the property and dimensions to prevent the transmission of sufficient heat to cause damage to said at least one optical fiber as said longitudinal welded seam in said central thin walled tubular member is precisely created by a laser.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 102 words

A cable according to claim 2 further including: a served electrically conductive layer interposed in the annular shaped dielectric region longitudinally extending coaxially about said central thin walled tubular member; an elastomeric compound disposed between at least adjacent layers of load bearing strands filling both inner and outer interstices associated with the layers; and a pressure extruded external jacket filling all outer intersticial spaces between adjacent metallic strands in the outermost layer and covering the torque-balanced layers, said served electrically conductive layer, and said central thinwalled tubular member with said at least one optical fiber to provide an integrated electro-opto-mechanical cable structure.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 64 words

A cable according to claim 2 or 3 further including: at least one served electrical conductor clustered about and longitudinally extending in a helical path about said central thin-walled tubular member, said at least one served electrical conductor, said annular shaped dielectric region, said thinwalled tubular member with said at least one optical fiber and said torque-balanced layers providing an integrated electro-optomechanical cable structure.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 166 words

A cable according to claim 2 or 3 further including: at least one additional thin-walled tubular member fashioned like said central thin-walled tubular member and clustered about and longitudinally extending in a helical path about said central thin-walled tubular member; a least one additional optical fiber longitudinally extending in each said additional thin-walled tubular member each provided with an appropriately calculated back-twist to offset the torsional stress induced in fabricating said helical path in each said additional optical fiber and assure said transmitting phase modulated optical data with low-noise; a gel filling each said additional thin walled tubular member; and at least one served electrical conductor clustered about and longitudinally extending in a helical path about said central thin-walled tubular member, said annular shaped dielectric region being pressure extruded to assure covering said at least one additional thin walled tubular member and said at least one served electrical conductor such that the dielectric fills the outer interstices of the helically extending tubular members and electrical conductors.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 52 words

A cable according to claim 5 in which each said at least one additional thin walled tubular member is alternated in a desired ratio with each said at least one served electrical conductor in an annulus said clustered about and longitudinally extending in said helical path about said central thin-walled tubular member.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 52 words

A cable according to claim 4 in which said annular shaped dielectric region has a semi-conductive strand shield directly in contact with said at least one served electrical conductor and filling the outermost interstices of adjacent conductors and an insulative annulus adjacent to and in intimate contact with said semi-conductive strand shield.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 61 words

A cable according to claim 5 in which said annular shaped dielectric region has a semi-conductive strand shield directly in contact with said at least one served electrical conductor and said at least one additional thin-walled tubular member and filling the outer interstices between said members and an insulative annulus adjacent to and in intimate contact with said semi-conductive strand shield.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 34 words

A cable according to claim 1 further including: an adhesive polymeric bonding material disposed on said central thin-walled tubular member to bond the annular shaped dielectric region thereto to provide an integral electro-opto-mechanical structure.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 45 words

An apparatus according to claim 1, 2, or 3 in which the outer layer of load bearing metallic strands is fabricated in a circumferentially symmetric arrangement with adjacent strands equidistantly spaced apart to provide partial coverage of the underlying layer of load bearing metallic strands.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 101 words

A cable according to claim 2 or 3 further including: at least one served electrical conductor clustered about and longitudinally extending in a helical path about said central thin-walled tubular member, said at least one served electrical conductor, said annular shaped dielectric region, said thinwalled tubular member with said at least one optical fiber and said torque-balanced layers providing an integrated electro-opto-mechanical cable structure and in which the outer layer of load bearing metallic strands is fabricated in a circumferentially symmetric arrangement with adjacent strands equidistantly spaced apart to provide partial coverage of the underlying layer of load bearing metallic strands.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 203 words

A cable according to claim 2 or 3 further including: at least one additional thin-walled tubular member fashioned like said central thin-walled tubular member and clustered about and longitudinally extending in a helical path about said central thin-walled tubular member; a least one additional optical fiber longitudinally extending in each said additional thin-walled tubular member each provided with an appropriately calculated back-twist to offset the torsional stress induced in fabricating said helical path in each said additional optical fiber and assure said transmitting phase modulated optical data with low-noise; a gel filling each said additional thin walled tubular member; and at least one served electrical conductor clustered about and longitudinally extending in a helical path about said central thin-walled tubular member; said annular shaped dielectric region being pressure extruded to assure covering said at least one additional thin walled tubular member and said at least one served electrical conductor such that the dielectric fills the outer interstices of the helically extending tubular members and electrical conductors and in which the outer layer of load bearing metallic strands is fabricated in a circumferentially symmetric arrangement with adjacent strands equidistantly spaced apart to provide partial coverage of the underlying layer of load bearing metallic strands.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 39 words

An apparatus according to claim 4 further including: an adhesive polymeric bonding material disposed on outer surfaces of said at least one served electrical conductor to bond the annular dielectric region thereto to provide an integral electro-opto-mechanical cable structure.

Claim 15

Independent Claim 118 words

A method for assuring the transmission of lownoise optical phase data and, optionally, polarization data coming from a remote undersea fiber optic sensor system through a transmission medium whose construction requires the following steps: hermetically enclosing optical transmission fibers of the transmission medium in a longitudinally extended steel alloy tubular member having a laser welded longitudinal seam; filling the tubular member with an thixotropic polymeric void-full compound; and incorporating the hermeticly enclosing tubular member containing the optical transmission fibers and voidfill compound into a supporting cable structure that includes strength members formed from various combinations of copper alloys, steel alloys, synthetic fiber yarns, and fiber reinformed composite epoxy matrix materials; and, optionally, includes at least one electrical conductor.

Claim 16

Independent Claim 118 words

A method for assuring the transmission of lownoise optical phase data and, optionally, polarization data coming from a remote undersea fiber optic sensor system through a transmission medium whose construction requires the following steps: hermetically enclosing optical transmission fibers of the transmission medium in a longitudinally extended steel alloy tubular member having a laser welded longitudinal seam; filling the tubular member with an thixotropic polymeric void-full compound; and incorporating the hermeticly enclosing tubular member containing the optical transmission fibers and voidfill compound into a supporting cable structure that includes strength members formed from various combinations of copper alloys, steel alloys, synthetic fiber yarns, and fiber reinformed composite epoxy matrix materials; and, optionally, includes at least one electrical conductor.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1993-08-27	1994-02-26	1994-08-28	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1997-08-27	1998-02-26	1998-08-28	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2001-08-27	2002-02-26	2002-08-28	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Electro-opto-mechanical cable for fiber optic transmission systems

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