US5046815A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Optical fiber cabling
Assignee: Corning Inc
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Filing: 1990-05-17
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Granted: 1991-09-10
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Expires: 2010-05-17
Abstract
Abstract Plastic ducts suitable for use alone or as components of telecommunications cables to provide for easy installation of optical fibers by blow-in methods, together with optical cable designs incorporating such ducts, are described. The ducts, most preferably provided as plastic tubes, are characterized by inner sidewall compositions of a modified polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-based compound, the compound consisting at least predominantly of PVC polymer but additionally containing up to about 20% by weight of fluorocarbon polymers compounded directly with the PVC.
Inventors
- 👤 Michael B. Cain
- 👤 Rengan Kannabiran
- 👤 Emily M. Squires
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 18:09
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/46; G02B6/50; G02B6/52; G02B6/44; G02B6/4401; G02B6/4415; G02B6/4416; G02B6/4429; G02B6/4438; G02B6/4439; G02B6/4459; G02B6/4479; G02B6/4485
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
46 words
A telecommunications cable comprising at least one plastic duct adapted for the blow-in installation of one or more coated low-loss optical fibers, wherein at least the inner sidewall of the duct consists predominantly of polyvinyl chloride polymer which comprises 0.5-20% by weight of a fluorocarbon polymer.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
46 words
A telecommunications cable comprising at least one plastic duct adapted for the blow-in installation of one or more coated low-loss optical fibers, wherein at least the inner sidewall of the duct consists predominantly of polyvinyl chloride polymer which comprises 0.5-20% by weight of a fluorocarbon polymer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
A telecommunications cable in accordance with claim 1 wherein the plastic duct is an extruded plastic tube composed predominantly of polyvinyl chloride and containing 0.5-20% by weight of polytetrafluoroethylene.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
A telecommunications cable in accordance with claim 2 wherein the plastic tube contains 1-8 low-loss glass optical fibers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
A telecommunications cable in accordance with claim 2 which comprises, in combination with the plastic tube, one or more copper wires for the transmission of electrical voice or data telecommunication signals.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
A telecommunications cable in accordance with claim 3 wherein at least one of the low-loss optical fibers comprises an outer plastic coating of foamed polyvinyl chloride.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
A plastic duct for the containment of one or more coated optical fibers, the duct having an inner sidewall composition consisting predominantly of polyvinyl chloride polymer and containing 0.5-20% by weight of a fluorocarbon polymer.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
A plastic duct for the containment of one or more coated optical fibers, the duct having an inner sidewall composition consisting predominantly of polyvinyl chloride polymer and containing 0.5-20% by weight of a fluorocarbon polymer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
A plastic duct in accordance with claim 6 which is an extruded plastic tube composed at least predominantly of polyvinyl chloride polymer and containing 0.5-20% by weight of polytetrafluoroethylene.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
30 words
A plastic duct in accordance with claim 6 wherein the inner sidewall is provided as a layer of a polyvinyl chloride compound containing 0.5-20% by weight of a fluorocarbon polymer.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
56 words
In combination, a plastic duct having an inner sidewall composition consisting predominantly of polyvinyl chloride polymer with at least one optical fiber or cable disposed in loose containment within the duct, wherein the inner sidewall composition includes 0.5-20% by weight of a fluorocarbon polymer and the optical fiber or cable comprises a textured plastic outer coating.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
56 words
In combination, a plastic duct having an inner sidewall composition consisting predominantly of polyvinyl chloride polymer with at least one optical fiber or cable disposed in loose containment within the duct, wherein the inner sidewall composition includes 0.5-20% by weight of a fluorocarbon polymer and the optical fiber or cable comprises a textured plastic outer coating.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
16 words
The combination of claim 9 wherein the textured plastic coating is composed of foamed polyvinyl chloride.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1994-09-09 | 1995-03-11 | 1995-09-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1998-09-09 | 1999-03-11 | 1999-09-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2002-09-09 | 2003-03-11 | 2003-09-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |