Patent ID: 8781277

Claim:
An optical fiber cable, comprising: a polymeric jacket; at least one elongated buffer tube having a substantially circular cross-section; at least one optical fiber disposed within the at least one buffer tube; and at least one dummy rod, stranded together with said at least one buffer tube and having a substantially non-circular cross-section, wherein the cross-sectional area of each dummy rod is at least 10% less than the cross-sectional area of the at least one elongated buffer tube along a majority of the length of the at least one dummy rod, wherein the non-circular cross-section is formed by at least one projection that extends outwardly from a point located at or near a center portion of the at least one dummy rod, wherein the at least one projection has a width that is about the same as the radius of the at least one elongated buffer tube along a majority of the length of the at least one dummy rod, wherein a diameter of a circle circumscribing a peripheral edge of the at least one projection is within about 10% of a diameter of the at least one elongated buffer tube, and wherein an arc of the circle circumscribes the peripheral edge.