Patent ID: 6973246

Claim:
An optical fiber cable having a central core construction wherein strength members that provide tensile strength and rigidity necessary for the cable to carry anticipated loads are embedded in an outer jacket of the cable, comprising: a number of optical fiber bundles; each one of the fiber bundles includes a number of optical fiber cable units, and a skin surrounding the cable units in such manner as to retain the units in a desired configuration over a length of the bundle wherein the skin has a thickness of not more than about 0.008 inch (0.2 mm); each one of the cable units includes a number of optical fibers, and a first outer jacket that protectively surrounds the fibers of the unit wherein the first outer jacket has a thickness of not more than about 0.008 inch (0.2 mm); a second outer jacket dimensioned and arranged for protectively enclosing the optical fiber bundles; and one or more strength members embedded in a wall of the second outer jacket along the length of the cable for providing the cable with the necessary tensile strength and rigidity.