Patent ID: 7955004

Claim:
A method of furcating a fiber optic cable having a first plurality of optical fibers contained in a protective tube into a second plurality of fiber optic cables each carrying a single optical fiber in a protective tube, said method comprising the steps of: threading said first plurality of optical fibers into said protective tubes of said second plurality of fiber optic cables forming a junction wherein said first plurality of optical fibers are exposed between said protective tube of said fiber optic cable having a said first plurality of optical fibers and said protective tubes of said second plurality of fiber optic cables; placing a first tube around said junction so that said first tube covers said protective tube and reinforcing members from said fiber optic cable having said first plurality of optical fibers and said protective tubes from said second plurality of fiber optic cables, said first tube dimensioned to allow said exposed optical fibers inside said junction to bend as said fiber optic cables expand and contract; folding reinforcing fibers from said fiber optic cable having said first plurality of optical fibers over said first tube; folding reinforcing fibers from said second plurality of fiber optic cables over said first tube thereby overlapping said reinforcing fibers from said fiber optic cable having said first plurality of optical fibers and said reinforcing fibers from said second plurality of fiber optic cables; wrapping said overlapped reinforcing fibers so that said reinforcing fibers are secured to said first tube when an adhesive is applied to said reinforcing fibers; applying said adhesive to said reinforcing fibers; and placing a rigid outer tube over said adhesive.