OPTICAL FIBER CABLE WITH PRINT PROTECTIVE OUTER SURFACE PROFILE

• Main Authors: SMITH, David Henry, BLAZER, Bradley Jerome, BOOKBINDER, Dana Craig, CHIASSON, David Wesley, TEMPLE, JR., Kenneth Darrell, TUTTLE, Randall Dwaine, HAWTOF, Daniel Warren, DODD, Andrew S
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 28.06.2017
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; CABLES; CONDUCTORS; DECORATIVE ARTS; ELECTRICITY; INSULATORS; MACHINES, APPARATUS OR TOOLS FOR ARTISTIC WORK, e.g. FORSCULPTURING, GUILLOCHING, CARVING, BRANDING, INLAYING; OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS; OPTICS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR CONDUCTIVE, INSULATING ORDIELECTRIC PROPERTIES; TRANSPORTING

An optical cable is provided. The optical cable includes a cable body having an outer surface and an inner surface defining a lumen and one or more optical transmission elements located within the lumen. The optical cable includes a groove array comprising a plurality of grooves located on the outer surface of the cable body. Each groove defines a trough having a lower surface located between peaks on either side of the trough, and the groove array includes an average groove spacing. The optical cable includes an ink layer applied to the cable body at the location of the groove array. The groove array and the ink layer are formed to limit abrasion experienced by the ink layer.