Device for furcating fiber optic cables

Abstract

A fiber optic cable assembly is provided. The cable assembly includes a housing, a plurality of furcation tubes, and a bundled cable. The housing has an opening at a first end and a plurality of channels at a second end. The furcation tubes are aligned with corresponding channels. One end of the bundled cable extends into an interior space of the housing through the opening. The bundled cable has a cable jacket and cable filaments. A first portion of the cable filaments extends beyond the end of the cable jacket in the interior space. A plurality of optic fibers is disposed in the bundled cable and the housing, and a molding compound is disposed around the furcation unit. Individual optic fibers are in individual furcation tubes and movable to slide longitudinally relative to the housing.

1 . A fiber optic cable assembly, comprising:
 a housing having a first end, a second end, and an interior space between the first and second ends, the housing having an opening at the first end and a plurality of channels at the second end;   a plurality of furcation tubes aligned with corresponding channels;   a bundled cable having a cable jacket and cable filaments in the cable jacket, one end of the bundled cable extending into the interior space through the opening, wherein the cable filaments include a first portion extending beyond the end of the cable jacket in the interior space;   a molding compound around the furcation unit; and   a plurality of optic fibers in the bundled cable and the housing, wherein individual optic fibers are in individual furcation tubes, and wherein the optic fibers are movable to slide longitudinally relative to the housing.   
   
   
       2 . The fiber optic cable assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the housing further includes an anchor in the interior space, and wherein the first portion of the cable filaments wraps around at least a portion of the anchor and extends toward the opening. 
   
   
       3 . The fiber optic cable assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the anchor comprises a solid column extending from an internal surface of the housing. 
   
   
       4 . The fiber optic cable assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the anchor comprises a column having a channel. 
   
   
       5 . The fiber optic cable assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a first anchor and a second anchor spaced apart from the first anchor in the interior space. 
   
   
       6 . The fiber optic cable assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the cable filaments further comprise a second portion extending through the opening to be external to the housing and/or the cable jacket. 
   
   
       7 . The fiber optic cable assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a fastener fastening the second portion of the cable filaments to the housing and/or the cable jacket. 
   
   
       8 . The fiber optic cable assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a molding compound over the second portion of the cable filaments, the housing, and/or the cable jacket. 
   
   
       9 . The fiber optic cable assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the interior space of the housing is substantially free of adhesives. 
   
   
       10 . The fiber optic cable assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the optic fibers can slide longitudinally within the interior space. 
   
   
       11 . The fiber optic cable assembly of  claim 1 , wherein individual furcation tubes include a buffer tube encasing one of the optic fibers, the buffer tube extending at least partially into the interior space via the channels. 
   
   
       12 . The fiber optic cable assembly of  claim 1 , wherein individual furcation tubes include a plurality of tube filaments and a buffer tube encasing one of the optic fibers, and wherein individual channels include a first section receiving a corresponding tube jacket and tube filaments of one of the furcation tubes and a second section receiving a corresponding buffer tube. 
   
   
       13 . The fiber optic cable assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of buffer tubes slidably disposed in the bundled cable, the housing, and corresponding furcation tubes, wherein individual buffer tubes encase one of the optic fibers. 
   
   
       14 . The fiber optic cable assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a heat-shrink tubing adjacent to the opening and at least partially over the second portion of the cable filaments. 
   
   
       15 . The fiber optic cable assembly of  claim 14 , further comprising a molding compound over the heat-shrink tubing. 
   
   
       16 . A fiber optic cable assembly, comprising:
 a furcation unit having a head with a plurality of channels, a base having an opening and an anchor, and a cover coupled to the base and the head to define an interior space;   a bundled cable having a cable jacket and cable filaments inside the cable jacket, a portion of the cable filaments extending beyond the cable jacket, around the anchor, and out of the interior space via the opening;   a plurality of furcation tubes, wherein individual furcation tubes correspond to individual channels; and   a plurality of optic fibers, wherein individual fibers are slidably disposed in the bundled cable, the base, and one of the channels of the furcation unit, and inside one of the furcation tubes.   
   
   
       17 . The fiber optic cable assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the anchor is proximate to the opening. 
   
   
       18 . The fiber optic cable assembly of  claim 16 , further comprising a first anchor and a second anchor spaced apart from the first anchor in the interior space. 
   
   
       19 . The fiber optic cable assembly of  claim 18 , wherein a first set of the cable filaments extends at least partially around the first anchor, and wherein a second set of the cable filaments extends at least partially around the second anchor. 
   
   
       20 . The fiber optic cable assembly of  claim 16 , wherein individual furcation tubes further include a buffer tube disposed inside individual channels. 
   
   
       21 . The fiber optic cable assembly of  claim 20 , wherein individual optic fibers are disposed inside individual buffer tubes. 
   
   
       22 . The fiber optic cable assembly of  claim 16 , further comprising a fastener attaching the cable filaments to the cable jacket and/or the furcation unit. 
   
   
       23 . The fiber optic cable assembly of  claim 16 , further comprising a molding compound around the furcation unit, the cable filaments, and the cable jacket. 
   
   
       24 . A cable breakout assembly, comprising:
 a head having a plurality of channels;   a base having a first end engaging the head, a second end opposite the first end, and first and second side walls extending between the first and second ends, the second end having an opening; and   an anchor positioned inside the base and proximate to the second end, the anchor and the first side wall defining a first passage to the opening, and the anchor and the second side wall defining a second passage to the opening.   
   
   
       25 . The cable breakout assembly of  claim 24 , wherein the anchor is either rigidly attached to the base or formed integral with the base. 
   
   
       26 . The cable breakout assembly of  claim 24 , wherein the base includes a bottom surface and a top surface, and wherein the anchor extends substantially from the bottom surface to the top surface. 
   
   
       27 . The cable breakout assembly of  claim 24 , further comprising a first anchor and a second anchor spaced apart from the first anchor in the interior space. 
   
   
       28 . The cable breakout assembly of  claim 27 , wherein individual channels include first and second sections, the first section corresponding to and in communication with the second section. 
   
   
       29 . The cable breakout assembly of  claim 28 , wherein the first section has a first internal diameter and the second section has a second internal diameter smaller than the first internal diameter. 
   
   
       30 . A fiber optic cable assembly, comprising:
 a furcation unit having a first end, a second end, and an interior space;   a bundled cable having a cable jacket and cable filaments at the first end of the furcation unit, wherein the cable filaments are secured to the furcation unit;   a plurality of optic fibers extending through the bundled cable and the furcation unit to project from the second end of the furcation unit; and   a molding compound securing the bundled cable to the furcation unit, wherein the optic fibers are slidably movable in a longitudinal direction relative to the furcation unit and the bundled cable.   
   
   
       31 . The fiber optic cable assembly of  claim 30 , wherein the furcation unit further includes an anchor proximate to the opening in the interior space, and wherein the cable filaments are wrap at least partially around the anchor. 
   
   
       32 . The fiber optic cable assembly of  claim 30 , further comprising a first anchor and a second anchor spaced apart from the first anchor in the interior space. 
   
   
       33 . The fiber optic cable assembly of  claim 30 , wherein the interior space of the housing is substantially free of adhesives. 
   
   
       34 . A method of furcating a bundled cable into a plurality of furcation tubes, the bundled cable having a cable jacket enclosing a plurality of optic fibers and cable filaments, the method comprising:
 removing the cable jacket to partially expose the optic fibers and cable filaments;   disposing each of the optic fibers inside one of the furcation tubes by extending the optic fibers from the bundled cable through the furcation unit; and   engaging the cable jacket to the furcation unit by disposing the cable filaments proximate to an anchor inside the furcation unit.   
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein engaging the cable jacket to the furcation unit includes wrapping the cable filaments at least partially around the anchor and extending the cable filaments beyond the opening to be external to the cable jacket. 
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising securing the cable filaments to the cable jacket and/or the furcation unit. 
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 34 , further comprising placing a molding compound around the furcation unit, the cable filaments, and the cable jacket. 
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein individual furcation tubes include a tube jacket enclosing a buffer tube and tube filaments, and the method further comprising:
 partially removing the tube jacket from the furcated cables to expose a portion of the buffer tube and filaments; and   inserting the exposed buffer tubes into corresponding channels of the furcation unit without the tube filaments.   
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 38 , further comprising:
 disposing a molding compound over a portion of the furcation unit and the furcation tubes;   withdrawing the buffer tubes from the furcation tubes; and   placing a second molding compound around the first molding compound, the furcation unit, the cable filaments, and the cable jacket.