Patent ID: 8693831

Claim:
A fiber optic cable configured for use in consumer electronics applications, including connecting computer peripherals, the fiber optic cable comprising: (A) colored optical fibers, each of the optical fibers comprising a glass core and cladding, wherein the optical fibers are non-buffered optical fibers; (B) a polymer jacket having an outer periphery and a channel periphery that defines a channel through which the optical fibers extend, wherein the channel extends the entire length of the cable, wherein the shape of the channel is selected to allow the optical fibers to translate therein when the cable is bent; wherein the cable cross-section can be bisected by a first axis and by a second axis, the first and second axes being perpendicular to one another, wherein the channel has a height that is generally measured along the first axis and a width that is generally measured along the second axis, wherein the height of the channel is greater than the width of the channel, wherein the optical fibers may move along the first axis; wherein the channel has an aspect ratio, obtained by dividing the height of the channel by the width of the channel, of at least 1.5; wherein the outer periphery of the jacket constitutes the exterior of the fiber optic cable; wherein the fiber optic cable is circular in cross-section; wherein the fiber optic cable has a particularly small footprint such that the diameter of the circular cross-section is about 3 millimeters; (C) first and second bend-control elements, wherein the bend-control elements provide a preferential bend characteristic to the fiber optic cable such that the fiber optic cable is inclined to twist when subjected to bending stresses so that the fiber optic cable bends about the second axis and the optical fibers will tend to move in the channel to assume a state of lower strain; wherein the bend control elements are arranged on opposite sides of the channel from one another and are aligned with the second axis, wherein the bend-control elements are wholly embedded in the jacket, wherein the bend control elements comprise electrically-conductive material and wherein the electrically-conductive material is metallic; wherein the bend control elements are spaced apart from the interior of the channel by a distance of at least 0.15 millimeters, thereby providing sufficient separation to mitigate pinching or other direct- or indirect-interaction that may attenuate, damage, or otherwise influence the optical fibers when the cable is bent.