Embodiments of the disclosure relate to an optical fiber cable having at least one optical fiber, a cable jacket and a foam layer. The cable jacket includes an inner surface and an outer surface in which the outer surface is an outermost surface of the optical fiber cable. The inner surface is disposed around the at least one optical fiber. The foam layer is disposed between the at least one optical fiber and the cable jacket. The foam layer is made of an extruded product of at least one thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), a chemical foaming agent, and a crosslinking agent. The foam layer has a closed-cell morphology having pores with an average effective circle diameter of less than 100 μm. Further, the foam layer has a compression modulus of less than 1 MPa when measured at 50% strain.

Polymeric compositions comprising a polybutylene terephthalate; a low-density polyolefin selected from a low-density polyethylene, a polyolefin elastomer, or combinations thereof; and a maleated ethylene-based polymer. Optical cable components fabricated from the polymeric composition. Optionally, the polymeric composition can further comprise one or more additives, such as a filler. The optical fiber cable components can be selected from buffer tubes, core tubes, and slotted core tubes, among others.

The present disclosure provides an optical fiber cable (100). The optical fiber cable (100) includes one or more optical fiber (102), one or more loose tube (104) surrounding the one or more optical fiber (102) and an outer sheath (108) surrounding the one or more loose tube (104). The material composition of the one or more loose tube (104) is a mixture of a first material and a second material. The flexural modulus of the first material is at least 1000 MPa. The flexural modulus of the second material is at most 50 MPa. The material composition of the outer sheath (108) is a mixture of a first material and a second material. The flexural modulus of the first material is at least 500 MPa. The flexural modulus of the second material is at most 50 MPa.

The present disclosure provides an optical fiber cable (200, 300) with a compressed core (206, 306) and manufacturing method thereof. The method includes bundling a plurality of optical transmission elements (202, 302) to form a core (206, 306) of the optical fiber cable (200, 300) and compressing the core (206, 306). The method further includes extruding a sheath (212, 312) around the compressed core (206, 306), wherein the core (206, 306) is compressed to a smaller diameter by a compression tool. The compression tool has a cylindrical cavity, wherein an internal diameter of the cylindrical cavity gradually decreases from a first end to a second end of the compression tool. The core enters from the first end of the compression tool with a diameter d and exits from the second end with a diameter d-Δd, such that Δd/d is greater than or equal to 0.05.

An opto-electrical cable may include an opto-electrical cable core and a polymer layer surrounding the opto-electrical cable core. The opto-electrical cable core may include a wire, one or more channels extending longitudinally along the wire, and one or more optical fibers extending within each channel. The opto-electrical cable may be made by a method that includes providing a wire having a channel, providing optical fibers within the channel to form an opto-electrical cable core, and applying a polymer layer around the opto-electrical cable core. A multi-component cable may include one or more electrical conductor cables and one or more opto-electrical cables arranged in a coax, triad, quad configuration, or hepta configuration. Deformable polymer may surround the opto-electrical cables and electrical conductor cables.

Embodiments of an optical fiber cable are provided. The optical fiber cable includes at least one optical fiber, a buffer tube surrounding the at least one optical fiber, and at least one tensile element wound around the buffer tube. The at least one tensile element has a laylength of at least 200 mm. The optical fiber cable also includes an exterior jacket surrounding the tensile element. The exterior jacket is made up of at least one polyolefin, at least one thermoplastic elastomer, and at least one high aspect ratio inorganic filler. Further, the exterior jacket has an averaged coefficient of thermal expansion of no more than 120 (10.sup.−6) m/mK.

Embodiments of a method of collecting a tail section of a long product, such as an optical fiber cable, are provided. In the method, a lead wire from a tail spool is unwound, and the lead wire is fed through a flange of a main spool. The tail spool and the main spool have a common rotation axis. The lead wire is attached to the long product. The tail spool is rotated while holding the main spool stationary so as to wind the lead wire and the tail section onto the tail spool. The rotation of the tail spool is stopped, and the main spool and the tail spool are rotated together so as to wind the long product onto the main spool. Also provided are embodiments of a winding apparatus using the tail spool and a tail reel that includes the tail spool and a drive mechanism.

An optical communication cable and related method is provided. The cable includes a cable body and a plurality of optical transmission elements surrounded by the cable body. The cable includes a reinforcement layer surrounding the plurality of optical transmission elements and located between the cable body and the plurality of optical transmission elements. The reinforcement layer includes an outer surface and a channel defined in the outer surface that extends in the longitudinal direction along at least a portion of the length of the cable. The cable includes an elongate strength element extending in the longitudinal direction within the channel.

An optical cable and method for forming an optical cable is provided. The cable includes a cable jacket including an inner surface defining a channel and an outer surface and also includes a plurality of optical fibers located within the channel. The cable includes a seam within the cable jacket that couples together opposing longitudinal edges of a wrapped thermoplastic sheet which forms the cable jacket and maintains the cable jacket in the wrapped configuration around the plurality of optical fibers. The method includes forming an outer cable jacket by wrapping a sheet of thermoplastic material around a plurality of optical core elements. The method includes melting together portions of thermoplastic material of opposing longitudinal edges of the wrapped sheet such that a seam is formed holding the sheet of thermoplastic material in the wrapped configuration around the core elements.

An optical fiber cable branch member includes a branch member main body, a cable-fixing portion which holds and fixes, onto the branch member main body, an end portion of a jacket of an optical fiber cable including a first optical fiber core bundle and the jacket which coats an outer circumference of the first optical fiber core bundle, and includes a tension resistance member buried in a cable longitudinal direction, a tube-fixing portion which fixes, onto the branch member main body, a plurality of protective tubes which respectively cover and protect respective outer circumferences of a plurality of second optical fiber core bundles obtained by branching the first optical fiber core bundle extending from the end portion of the jacket, and a main body-fixing portion which fixes the branch member main body onto an object to be attached.