Fiber optic micro cable

摘要

A fiber optic micro cable (10) includes a jacket (14) applied over a core (12) structure. The core (12) includes at least one optical fiber (20) positioned between longitudinally extending structural strength members (17), the strength members and the optical fibers being embedded in a buffer material (24). The strength members and the optical fibers are positioned in a common plane thereby resulting in a generally flat or rectangular shaped cable. The buffer material is selected to provide good adhesion with the jacket and to have a low modules of elasticity to distribute external forces applied to the cable. The jacket material is selected to have good adhesion to the buffer material and to be a tough and abrasion resistant material to further protect the cable core. The jacket is fabricated so that there is slightly more jacket material in the area of the strength members to thereby provide an external profile of the jacket with protrusions in the areas of the strength members. Therefore, when external compressive forces are applied to the cable, the forces are concentrated to first be reacted by the strength members rather than the optical fibers. The strength members provide tensile strength to the cable and have a larger outside diameter than the optical fibers to thereby absorb any crushing forces on the cable.