Patent ID: 7251411

Claim:
A telecommunications cable comprising: a distribution cable including a distribution cable jacket and a plurality of buffer tubes positioned within the cable jacket, the plurality of buffer tubes including a first buffer tube, the distribution cable including a mid-span location where a portion of the distribution cable jacket has been removed and where at least the first buffer tube includes a fiber access location; a tether cable including a tether jacket, a tether buffer tube positioned within the jacket, and at least one strength member; a retention block configured to install on the distribution cable at a downstream end of the mid-span location, the retention block configured to retain the tether buffer tube and the at least one strength member of the tether cable; a separation block configured to install on the distribution cable at an upstream end of the mid-span location, the separation block including a first channel extending from a first end of the separation block to an opposite second end of the separation block, the plurality of buffer tubes of the distribution cable passing through the first channel, the separation block also including a second channel extending from the first channel to the second end of the separation block; a tube that extends along the mid-span location from the separation block to the retention block; a length of optical fiber optically coupled to the distribution cable at one end and optically coupled to the tether cable at an opposing end, the length of optical fiber passing through the second channel of the separation block, along the tube, and through the retention block; and an overmold that covers the retention block, the separation block, and the tube.