Fiber optic cable for installation in a cable passageway and methods and an apparatus for producing the same

Abstract

A fiber optic cable ( 40,50 ) having a cellularized cable component ( 10,10′,10 ″), the cellularized cable component including at least one optical fiber and a cable jacket ( 45,55 ). The cable jacket can include surface irregularities ( 46,56 ) having crests and hollows ( 46 a, 46 b; 56 a, 56 b ) for reducing surface-to-surface contact with a surface ( 60 ) in the cable passage way. The cable jacket can include a friction reducing additive for lubricating the interface between the cable jacket and the cable passageway or objects in the cable passageway. A method and apparatus for producing the cables is also disclosed.

Accordingly, what is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A fiber optic cable, comprising: 
 a cellularized cable component, said cellularized cable component including at least one optical fiber; and a cable jacket, said cable jacket comprising surface irregularities for low resistance to a cable pulling force.    
     
     
         2 . The fiber optic cable of    claim 1   , wherein said cable component is of the slotted core type.  
     
     
         3 . The fiber optic cable of    claim 1   , said surface irregularities including crests and hollows having generally arcuate surfaces.  
     
     
         4 . The fiber optic cable of    claim 1   , said surface irregularities including a sinusoidal-like shape.  
     
     
         5 . The fiber optic cable of    claim 1   , said surface irregularities including a center aligned with a center of said fiber optic cable.  
     
     
         6 . The fiber optic cable of    claim 1   , said surface irregularities including a repeating cycle.  
     
     
         7 . The fiber optic cable of    claim 6   , said repeating cycle including crests and hollows formed at a given angular period.  
     
     
         8 . The fiber optic cable of    claim 7   , said angular period including a range of about 5 to 50 degrees.  
     
     
         9 . The fiber optic cable of    claim 1   , said cable jacket including at least two crests that can rest on a flat surface with at least one hollow therebetween.  
     
     
         10 . The fiber optic cable of    claim 1   , said surface irregularities being generally longitudinally shaped along said fiber optic cable.  
     
     
         11 . The fiber optic cable of    claim 1   , said surface irregularities being generally helically shaped along said fiber optic cable.  
     
     
         12 . The fiber optic cable of    claim 11   , said helically shaped profile following a helical shape of said cable component.  
     
     
         13 . The fiber optic cable of    claim 1   , said surface irregularities being generally SZ shaped along said fiber optic cable.  
     
     
         14 . The fiber optic cable of    claim 13   , said SZ shaped surface irregularities following an SZ shape of said cable component.  
     
     
         15 . The fiber optic cable of    claim 1   , said cellularized component comprising a rod.  
     
     
         16 . The fiber optic cable of    claim 1   , said cellularized component comprising gas-filled cells.  
     
     
         17 . The fiber optic cable of    claim 1   , said cellularized component comprising particles.  
     
     
         18 . The fiber optic cable of    claim 1   , said cellularized component comprising micro-spheres.  
     
     
         19 . The fiber optic cable of    claim 1   , said cellularized component comprising 50% gas-filled voids or more.  
     
     
         20 . The fiber optic cable of    claim 1   , said cellularized component including multiple layers, at least one layer is cellularized.  
     
     
         21 . The fiber optic cable of    claim 1   , said jacket including at least one friction reducing additive.  
     
     
         22 . The fiber optic cable of    claim 21   , said friction reducing additive being a material selected from the group of consisting of a fatty acid, a silicone, a fluoro-compound, and a mineral oil.  
     
     
         23 . The fiber optic cable of    claim 1   , said cellularized cable component including a skin layer.  
     
     
         24 . A fiber optic cable, comprising: 
 fiber optic cable component including at least one optical fiber therein; and    a cable jacket, said cable jacket comprising surface irregularities.    
     
     
         25 . The fiber optic cable of    claim 24   , said surface irregularities including a continuous series of crests and hollows having generally arcuate surfaces.  
     
     
         26 . The fiber optic cable of    claim 24   , said surface irregularities including a generally sinusoidal-like shape.  
     
     
         27 . The fiber optic cable of    claim 24   , said surface irregularities including a center aligned with a center of said fiber optic cable.  
     
     
         28 . The fiber optic cable of    claim 24   , said surface irregularities including a repeating cycle.  
     
     
         29 . The fiber optic cable of    claim 28   , said repeating cycle including crests and hollows formed at a given angular period.  
     
     
         30 . In a method of making a fiber optic cable, comprising: 
 extruding a cable jacket on a fiber optic cable component having at least one optical fiber therein; and    shaping surface irregularities in said cable jacket.    
     
     
         31 . The method of    claim 30   , said step of shaping said surface irregularities including forming crests and hollows in said profile.  
     
     
         32 . The method of    claim 30   , said step of shaping said profile including forming said undulations parallel to a center of said fiber optic cable.  
     
     
         33 . The method of    claim 30   , said step of forming said undulations including forming said undulations into a helical formation.  
     
     
         34 . The method of    claim 33   , said helical formation roughly tracing at least one helical feature of said fiber optic cable component.  
     
     
         35 . The method of    claim 30   , said step of shaping said profile including forming said undulations into an SZ formation.  
     
     
         36 . The method of    claim 35   , said SZ formation roughly tracing at least one SZ feature of said fiber optic cable component.  
     
     
         37 . A die for extruding a cable jacket material onto a fiber optic cable component, said die comprising: 
 a profile having crests and hollows formed therein for shaping said cable jacket material whereby said cable jacket material is extruded onto a cable component containing at least one optical fiber therein; said die forming surface irregularities in said cable jacket as said cable jacket material is extruded onto said fiber optic cable component.    
     
     
         38 . The die of    claim 37   , wherein said die is stationary.  
     
     
         39 . The die of    claim 37   , wherein said die is rotatable.