OPTICAL CABLE

摘要

An elongate flexible core 1 especially suitable for use in an optical cable to be employed as an aerial cable has in its outer circumferential surface circumferentially spaced, longitudinally extending grooves in which optical fibres will be loosely housed and comprises extruded plastics material and a multiplicity of longitudinally stressed elongate flexible nonmetallic reinforcing elements each substantially encapsulated in the extruded plastics material, the multiplicity of non-metallic reinforcing elements being substantially evenly distributed throughout the cross-sectional area of the core. The non-metallic reinforcing elements preferably extend helically around the axis of the core with a long length of lay and preferably constitute 60 to 70% by volume of the extruded plastics material. The non-metallic reinforcing elements are preferably made of an aromatic polyamide and the plastics material may be a thermoplastics material, a thermosetting material or a thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer. The core 1 may be a single elongate flexible body or it may comprise a plurality of elongate flexible bodies, extending helically around the axis of the core.