Optical cable with nonmetallic reinforcing elements

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 3 in which optical fibres 34 will be loosely housed and comprises extruded plastics material and a multiplicity of longitudinally stressed elongate flexible non-metallic reinforcing element 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 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.