New Structure of Optical Fiber Protection Cable Using Helical Composite Spring

A new type of cable is introduced for protecting optical fiber from mechanical bending or abrupt temperature changes. It shows superior ability to protect fiber from severe bending and lowers the thermal sensitivity compared with conventional optical fiber cable. It can be used as a protection sleeve or cable in special regions. The proposed device consists of a helical composite spring, a thermal insulator (i.e., polyurethane foam) and a heat-shrinkable tube which coats the outside of the spring. These components can be acquired for a moderate price and manufactured by simple processes.