Patent ID: 7315681

Claim:
A retractor/dispenser system for optical fiber cable, in which the cable is continuous and kept at a radius of curvature in excess of an established minimum, the system comprising: a housing having a central axis and including a first outlet port for withdrawing and returning optical cable from the housing, and a second outlet port for a fixed end of the optical cable; a rotatable cable spool concentric with a central axis in the housing, the cable spool having an annular surface for winding optical fiber thereon, the annular surface having a radius of curvature at least greater than the minimum bending radius; at least one fiber optic cable wrapped around the periphery of the annulus and including at least one cable end extending through the first port, the wrapped cable having an insulated jacket section extending with optical continuity to a section of substantially smaller diameter at a transition region; an interleaved and co-extensive length of coil spring and length of smaller diameter cable coupled to the transition region of the cable, and wrapped about the spool, the lengths of the wrapped spring and cable alternating radially within the interleaved structure which is helically concentric with the central axis, one end of the spring being fixed to the spool at one radius and the other being coupled to the housing at a greater radius from the central axis, such that the interleaved cable/spring structure provides, by expansion or contraction of the helical form between the coupled ends, a variable length of cable for accommodating changes due to rotation of the spool as cable is extracted at the first port, and another section of cable coupled with optical continuity to the fixed end to the interleaved spring/cable combination and extending from the housing at the second port to provide a fixed end for external interconnection.