Patent ID: 8649644

Claim:
A method of making an armored fiber optic cable comprising: providing a fiber optic cable core, the fiber optic cable core including at least one optical fiber capable of conveying optical signals; at least partially enclosing the fiber optic cable core in armor; applying particulate matter over at least a part of an exterior perimeter of the armor; and after applying the particulate matter, forming a covering over the armor, wherein the fiber optic cable has a first bond region occupying a first section of the perimeter of the armor and formed in part by the application of particulate matter, and a second bond region occupying a second section of the perimeter of the armor, a first bond force between the covering and the armor in the first bond region being less than a second bond force in the second bond region, and wherein portions of the armor in the second bond region become thermoplastically bonded to the covering during forming of the covering over the armor.