OPTICAL FIBER CABLE DESIGNED FOR RUNNING WATER PREVENTION

PURPOSE:To have a stable preventive characteristic for running water for a long period of time without any adverse influence on optical fibers by contg. a material which gels by absorbing water and seals peripheral gaps by oozing in a layer wound with interposing cords and/or tapes. CONSTITUTION:Plural pieces of optical fibers 2 and interposing cords 3 are disposed on the outside of a buffer layer 7 on the outside circumference of a tension member 1 (e.g.; a copper wire or the like), and the cords 3 are disposed in the clearances among the fibers 2. A layer 4 wound with tapes is disposed on the outside circumference thereof, and if necessary, an aluminum-PE laminated tape 5 is wound on the outside thereof. A sheath 6 is covered on the outside thereof. A material (e.g.; polyacrylic acid powder or the like) having the effect of gelling and oozing by absorbing water and preventing running water by sealing the clearances in the sheath 6 is contained uniformly in the cord 3 and/or the tapes of the layer 4. When water infilters the cable, the above-described material gels very quickly and oozes to fill the clearances existing in the cable, thereby preventing running water.