US5093880A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Optical fiber cable coated with conductive metal coating and process therefor
Assignee: Furukawa Electric Co Ltd
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Filing: 1990-08-27
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Granted: 1992-03-03
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Expires: 2010-08-27
Abstract
Abstract An optical fiber cable free from a generation of a microbent during manufacturing, and in which an impregnation of hydrogen and/or water to a cladding is prevented, and having high electrical conduction, tolerance to heat and mechanical strength, and a process for making same. The optical fiber cable includes a silica based glass optical fiber including a core and a cladding, a thin carbon coating formed on an outer surface of the optical fiber, and an electrically conductive coating formed on an outer surface of the carbon coating. The carbon coating functions as a layer for preventing the impregnation of hydrogen and/or water to the optical fiber, and the conductive coating functions as a heat tolerance member, a conductive member, and a mechanical support member. The carbon coating is preferably formed as an amorphous carbon layer. Preferably, the conductive coating can be made of materials having a good contact with the carbon coating, a high conductivity, a high heat tolerance, and a high strength, and can be formed as thin as possible. The conductive coating can be formed by a plurality of different metal layers having different thickness.
Inventors
- 👤 Akira Matsuda
- 👤 Akira Iino
- 👤 Ryotomo Sirakawa
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 19:31
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/44; C; C23; C23C; C23C18/00; C23C18/16; C23C18/31; C23C18/38; C03; C03C; C03C25/00; C03C25/10; C03C25/104; C03C25/106; C03C25/1061; C03C25/1062; C03C25/1063; C23C18/1601; C23C18/1633; C23C18/1646; C23C18/165; C23C18/1653; C23C18/32; C23C28/00; C23C28/30; C23C28/32; C23C28/322; C23C28/34; C23C28/343; C25; C25D; C25D3/00; C25D3/02; C25D3/38; C23C18/1619; C23C18/18; C23C18/1851; C23C18/1872; C23C18/1886; C23C18/1893; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S65/00; Y10S65/15; Y10S65/16
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
60 words
An optical fiber cable comprising: an optical fiber of silica based glass, including a core and a cladding; a carbon coating formed on an outer surface of said optical fiber; and an electrically conductive coating formed on an outer surface of said carbon coating, wherein said electrically conductive coating is a conductive metal having high adhesion with said carbon coating.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
60 words
An optical fiber cable comprising: an optical fiber of silica based glass, including a core and a cladding; a carbon coating formed on an outer surface of said optical fiber; and an electrically conductive coating formed on an outer surface of said carbon coating, wherein said electrically conductive coating is a conductive metal having high adhesion with said carbon coating.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
An optical fiber cable according to claim 1, wherein said conductive coating comprises nickel.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
An optical fiber cable according to claim 2, wherein an additional conductive coating having a small electrical resistance is formed on said nickel conductive coating.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
An optical fiber cable according to claim 1, wherein said conductive coating comprises copper.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
68 words
A process for making an optical fiber cable including an optical fiber made of silica based glass and having a core and a cladding, comprising the steps of: forming a carbon coating on an outer surface of said optical fiber; and forming an electrically conductive metal coating on said carbon coating by an electroless plating process, said electrically conducting metal coating having high adhesion with said carbon coating.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
68 words
A process for making an optical fiber cable including an optical fiber made of silica based glass and having a core and a cladding, comprising the steps of: forming a carbon coating on an outer surface of said optical fiber; and forming an electrically conductive metal coating on said carbon coating by an electroless plating process, said electrically conducting metal coating having high adhesion with said carbon coating.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
59 words
A process for making an optical fiber cable according to claim 5, wherein said forming of said electrically conductive metal coating comprises the steps of: forming a first metal coating on said carbon coating by a electroless plating process, and forming a second metal coating having a small electrical resistance on said first metal coating by an electroplating process.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
119 words
A process for making an optical fiber cable including an optical fiber made of silica based glass and having a core and a cladding, comprising the steps of: forming a carbon coating on an outer surface of said optical fiber; forming a first metal layer on said carbon coating by an electroless plating process, said first metal layer having a good contact with said carbon coating; forming a second metal layer on said first metal layer by an electroless plating process; and forming a conductive metal coating having a small electrical resistance on said second metal layer by an electroplating process, said second metal layer having a good contact with said conductive metal coating formed by the electroplating process.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
119 words
A process for making an optical fiber cable including an optical fiber made of silica based glass and having a core and a cladding, comprising the steps of: forming a carbon coating on an outer surface of said optical fiber; forming a first metal layer on said carbon coating by an electroless plating process, said first metal layer having a good contact with said carbon coating; forming a second metal layer on said first metal layer by an electroless plating process; and forming a conductive metal coating having a small electrical resistance on said second metal layer by an electroplating process, said second metal layer having a good contact with said conductive metal coating formed by the electroplating process.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
110 words
A process for making an optical fiber cable including an optical fiber made of silica based glass and having a core and a cladding, comprising the steps of: forming a carbon coating on an outer surface of said optical fiber; forming a first metal layer having good contact with said carbon coating on said carbon coating by an electroless plating process; forming a second metal layer having a good contact with said first metal layer, said second metal layer being formed by an electroplating process on said first metal layer; and forming a conductive metal coating having a small electrical resistance on said second metal layer by an electroplating process.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
110 words
A process for making an optical fiber cable including an optical fiber made of silica based glass and having a core and a cladding, comprising the steps of: forming a carbon coating on an outer surface of said optical fiber; forming a first metal layer having good contact with said carbon coating on said carbon coating by an electroless plating process; forming a second metal layer having a good contact with said first metal layer, said second metal layer being formed by an electroplating process on said first metal layer; and forming a conductive metal coating having a small electrical resistance on said second metal layer by an electroplating process.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
62 words
A process for making an optical fiber cable according to claim 5, wherein said forming of said electrically conductive metal coating comprises the steps of: forming a first metal layer having high adhesion with said carbon coating on said carbon coating by the electroless plating process, and forming a second metal layer on said first metal layer by a metal evaporation method.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
28 words
A process for making an optical fiber cable according to claim 5, wherein said forming of said electrically conductive metal coating is carried out by a sputtering method.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
29 words
A process for making an optical fiber cable according to claim 5, wherein said forming of said electrically conductive metal coating is carried out by a metal evaporation method.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
30 words
A process for making an optical fiber cable according to claim 5, wherein said forming of said carbon coating is carried out so as to form an amorphous carbon coating.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
74 words
A process of making an optical fiber cable including an optical fiber made of silica based glass and having a core and a cladding, comprising the steps of: forming a carbon coating on an outer surface of said optical fiber; forming a metal coating having good contact with said carbon coating on said carbon coating by an electroless plating process; and forming a conductive metal layer on said metal layer by a sputtering method.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
74 words
A process of making an optical fiber cable including an optical fiber made of silica based glass and having a core and a cladding, comprising the steps of: forming a carbon coating on an outer surface of said optical fiber; forming a metal coating having good contact with said carbon coating on said carbon coating by an electroless plating process; and forming a conductive metal layer on said metal layer by a sputtering method.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
61 words
A process for making an optical fiber cable including an optical fiber, comprising the steps of: forming a carbon coating on an outer surface of said optical fiber; forming a first metal coating on said carbon coating by an electroless plating process; and electroplating a second metal coating on said first metal coating, said second metal coating having low electrical resistance.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
61 words
A process for making an optical fiber cable including an optical fiber, comprising the steps of: forming a carbon coating on an outer surface of said optical fiber; forming a first metal coating on said carbon coating by an electroless plating process; and electroplating a second metal coating on said first metal coating, said second metal coating having low electrical resistance.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
96 words
A process for making an optical fiber cable including an optical fiber, comprising the steps of: forming a carbon coating on an outer surface of the optical fiber; forming a first metal layer on said carbon coating by an electroless plating process, said first metal layer having high adhesion with said carbon coating; forming a second metal layer on said first metal layer by an electroless plating process; and electroplating a third metal layer on said second metal layer, said third metal layer having low electrical resistance and having high adhesion for said second metal layer.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
96 words
A process for making an optical fiber cable including an optical fiber, comprising the steps of: forming a carbon coating on an outer surface of the optical fiber; forming a first metal layer on said carbon coating by an electroless plating process, said first metal layer having high adhesion with said carbon coating; forming a second metal layer on said first metal layer by an electroless plating process; and electroplating a third metal layer on said second metal layer, said third metal layer having low electrical resistance and having high adhesion for said second metal layer.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
94 words
A process for making an optical fiber cable including an optical fiber, comprising the steps of: forming a carbon coating on an outer surface of the optical fiber; forming a first metal layer on said carbon coating by an electroless plating process, said first metal layer having high adhesion with said carbon coating; electroplating a second metal layer on said first metal layer, said second metal layer having high adhesion with said first metal layer; and electroplating a third metal layer on said second metal layer, said third metal layer having low electrical resistance.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
94 words
A process for making an optical fiber cable including an optical fiber, comprising the steps of: forming a carbon coating on an outer surface of the optical fiber; forming a first metal layer on said carbon coating by an electroless plating process, said first metal layer having high adhesion with said carbon coating; electroplating a second metal layer on said first metal layer, said second metal layer having high adhesion with said first metal layer; and electroplating a third metal layer on said second metal layer, said third metal layer having low electrical resistance.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
64 words
A process for making an optical fiber cable including an optical fiber, comprising the steps of: forming a carbon coating on an outer surface of the optical fiber; forming a first metal layer on said carbon coating by an electroless plating process, said first metal layer having high adhesion to said carbon coating; and sputtering a second metal layer on said first metal layer.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
64 words
A process for making an optical fiber cable including an optical fiber, comprising the steps of: forming a carbon coating on an outer surface of the optical fiber; forming a first metal layer on said carbon coating by an electroless plating process, said first metal layer having high adhesion to said carbon coating; and sputtering a second metal layer on said first metal layer.
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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) | 1995-03-03 | 1995-09-02 | 1996-03-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-03-03 | 1999-09-02 | 2000-03-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-03-03 | 2003-09-02 | 2004-03-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |