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    Us4508423 PDF

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    Babar Saleem

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    4seres Hye OR AOE United States Patent 19 (1) Patent Number: 4,508,423 Winter et al. [45] Date of Patent: Apr. 2, 1985 [54] METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR 3141636 11/1983 Fed. Rep. of Germany ... 350/96.23 ASSEMBLING AN OPTICAL FIBER Issezr4 12/1979 United Ringdom ners. 250/9633 TETAS Caeee 1389520 1/1961 United Kingom “os 380/0633 133007 371961. Unted Kingdom 2 30/9623 75] Inventors: Joseph Winter, New Haves; Micha 15} Tavern Woodbridge, bth of Conn OTHER PUBLICATIONS . Wilkins, G. A., “How Small Can an Electro-Optical 173] Assignee: Olin Corporation, New Haven, Transoccanic Cable Be? International Telemetry So- . ciety Conference, San Diego, California, 10/13-18/81. 21) Appl. Nox 413,846 Wilkins, G. A. et als “Design and Performance of an Undersea, Single-Fiber Multi-Repeater, Full Duplex, [22] Filed: Sep. 1, 1982 Electro-Optical Data Link", Intemational Telemetry a Society Conference, "San. Diego, California, Related U.S. Application Data 10/13-15/81. {631 Comtinution-inpart of Ser. No, 324242, Nov. 23, Wilkins, G. A., “Guidelines to the Design of Optical ‘oe Cables", ASME Winer Annual Meeting, New York, mice New York, 12/2-7/73. {sil Ine a Wilkin, G. A. “An Electro-Optical Array Support , Cable", ASME Winter Annual Meeting, Chicago, Il (58) Field of Seareh noi, 11/16-20/80. (54 References Cited Wilkins, G. A, "Recent Experience with Small, Under- U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS Benin Cables”, IEEE-EASCON, Washington, 3985878 9/1916 Nowak. 350/96 R —Begeman, M. L. et aly Manufecruring Processes Sixth 4,118,594 10/1978 Arnaud 350/96.23 Edition, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1957, pp. 283-285. Stacion ‘Sion Jachimowicz 330963 : ‘Lootear $/1960 Rawtenberg ct a". 3309623 Primary Examiner—Wiliam L. Sikes {Bitter Yivso Portman eal 3509623 Asitant Examiner—Robert E. Wise 22835 11/1900. Ronner et 35079623 Atiomey, gens or Firm-Barry L. Kelmachter, {20336 1271980 Parte eal 3509623 fhearard Mf Cob; Paul Weinstein SGeriers [2/1081 Nakagome etal an. 3509623 4,275,294 6/1981 Davidson 350/96.23 [57] ABSTRACT Sor8835 Sigel Jchson 35079623 eee optical fiber SSietno Isl Penner eal 3iuse33 A method and appara for assembling an optic ibe 4,288,144 9/1981 Nakai et al. 350/96,23 Communication le comprises forming @ tubular ide 97 Naa 135079623, ember out of strip of metal or metal alloy and sealing Shine. ise Doe 73/06 The tubular member, After the wbular member hes been FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS. 2507649 2/1975 Fed. Rep. of Germany .. 350/9623 sealed, at least one optical fiber and a cushioning mate- rial are deposited into the member. 2507648 2/1976 Fed. Rep. of Germany .. 350/96.23 47 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures Fy aff ees eh # ZTE i a ’ E : e 5 = U.S. Patent Apr. 2, 1985 Sheetlof4 4,508,423 FLUXING if STATION FLUXING STATION lo f U.S. Patent Apr. 2, 1985 Sheet2of4 4,508,423 Se eS 4,508,423 Sheet 3 of 4 U.S. Patent Apr. 2, 1985 NOLS wh w 4,508,423 Sheet 4 of 4 U.S. Patent Apr. 2, 1985 ale NOUVLS TTT TTI 'snavuvdaw! ' 1 J 2NT109) NOMLWAS ONIX 4,508, 1 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING AN OPTICAL FIBER COMMUNICATION CABLE “This application is a continuation‘in-part of U.S. pas tent application Ser. No. 324,242 filed Nov. 23, 1981 t0 Winter etal The invention disclosed herein relates to a method and apparatus for assembling an optical fiber communi- cation cable. The cable produced by the instant inven- tion has utility in underground, undersea, and other communication applications. “The advent of optical fibers for use in communication applications has permitted construction of relatively ‘small diameter cables. Generally, optical fiber commu- nication cables are designed to provide all of the re- quired electrical, optical, and physical functions within the smallest possible diameter. Additionally, itis desir- able that the eable be constructed to have a relatively Jong uninterrupted length and good flexibility charac- teristics. Furthermore, in undersea. applications, the cable has to withstand stresses induced by hydrostatic pressure, temperature, and sea action. ‘An optical ber communication cable generally con- sists of several layers of appropriate plastic materials such as polyethylene, polyimide, polyamide, KEVLAR filaments in an epoxy matrix, or other similar plastics encapsulating a strengthening layer within which a dielectric ayer is used to protect an inner tube or eable core. This inner tube or cable core is frequently made of 30 ‘materials which allow it to be used asa tubular conduc- tor. When used in undersea applications, the core often contains an appropriate polyethylene or other long chain plastic gel material f0 help position one or more sass optical fibers. Typical optical cable constructions are those shown and discussed in US. Pat. Nos 53955,878 to Nowak, 4,118,594 to Amaud, 4146302 to Fachimowiez, 4201,607 to Rautenberg etal, 4,212,097 to Portinari etal, 4,239,336 to Parfee etal, 4.232.935 to Rohner et al, 4,257,675 to Nakagome etal, 4.275.294 40 to Davidson, 4278,835 to Jackson, 4,279,470 to Por- tinari et al, and 4,288,144 to Nakai et al, in German Offenlegungsschrift No. 2,507,649 to Tscharntke, in “Guidelines to the Design of Optical Cables” by Wile kins, presented at the Winter Annual Meeting, Dec. 2-7, 1979 of the American Society of Mechanical Engi- neers, in “An Electro-Optical Array Support Cable” by Wilkins, presented at the Winter Annual Meeting, Nov. 16-20, 1980 of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, in "Recent Experience with Small, Under- 50 sea Optical Cables” by Wilkins, IEEE-EASCON, Oc- tober, 1979, Washington, D.C. in “How Small Can an Electro Optical Cable Be?” by Wilkins, International Telemetry Society Conference, San Diego, Cali, Oct. 15-15, 1981 and in "Design and Performance of an ‘Undersea, Single-Fiber, Multi-Repeater, Full Duplex, Electro-Optical Data Link”, by Wilkins et al., Interna- tional Telemetry Conference, San Diego, Calif, Oct. 13-15, 1981 ‘Various approaches for assembling these optical ca 60 {es are known in the at. One approach places optical fibers within a split aluminum tube: A copper tube made from copper tape is then formed over the aluminum tube and fibers sa to provide a hermetic seal. Thereal- ter, the copper tube may be surrounded by a dielectric 65 layer, a strength member layer, and a sheath, An alter- native to this approach surrounds the aluminum tube and optical bers with a copper tape layer, a dielectric 3 4 3s 423 2 and a sheath, U.S. Pat. No. 4,239,336 to Parfree et lustrative of these approaches. Ina second approach, a metal tube is manufactured such as by extrusion or rolling over a metal strip. The tube is slit open and one or more optical fibers are in- serted into the tube. If desired, a void filing gel may be inserted along with the fiber or fibers. The tube is then squeezed shut and the slit permanently closed as by welding. The tube is finally surrounded by a dielectric layer, a loadbearing section, and an outer jacket. Mlus- trative of this approach is “An Electro-Optical Array Support Cable” by Wilkins and U.S. Pat. No. 4,275,294 to Davidson. A similar approach is shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,212,097 and 4,279,470, both to Portinari et al Yet another approach known in the art rolls an elee- trical conductor tube from a flat-tape stock of copper material. Prior to tube closure, the optical fiber or fibers and/or a void filler or pressure buffer layer are inserted into the tube channel. The tube is then forced shut and Permanently welded or soldered. Additional layers consisting of synthetic materials and containing high tensile strength materials may be used to cover the conductor tube. Illustrative of this type of approach are USS. Pat. Nos. 4,146,302 to Jachimowicz, 4,232,935 to Rohner et al. and 4,257,675 to Nakagome et al The fabrication of optical communication cables by these approaches has been hampered by an inability to get extremely long uninterrupted lengths of assembled cable. Furthermore, the tube has to be threaded with ‘one or more glass conductor rods or fibers whose diam- eter is approximately } mm. Frequently, kinking or breaking of one or more of the fibers occurs during threading, resulting in non-usable cable. In addition,

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