WO2013112396A1 - Cable assembly having a small form-factor pulling grip and methods for making the same - Google Patents

Description

CABLE ASSEMBLY HAVING A SMALL FORM-FACTOR PULLING GRIP AND METHODS FOR MAKING THE SAME

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 61/591,499 filed on January 27, 2012 the content of which is relied upon and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

[0002] The disclosure is directed to cable assemblies having pulling grips for installing cable assemblies into pathways such as ducts, conduit, or the like. More specifically, the disclosure is directed to cable assemblies having a small form-factor pulling grip for installing the cable assembly into relatively small pathways.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Optical fiber is increasingly being used for a variety of applications, including but not limited to broadband voice, video, and data transmission. Optical networks may use fiber optic cables in variety of outdoor or indoor applications and each application has it own special needs. Indoor applications typically have the challenges of restricted space for routing the fiber optic cables to the desired location especially in existing buildings. By way of example, many existing buildings have existing conduit, ducts, or the like for routing communication cables in the building. In order to protect fiber optic cable assemblies pulling grips are typically used when installing pre-terminated fiber optic cable assemblies (i.e., the connectors are already attached to the cable assembly) into pathways, conduits and/or duct systems.

[0004] Conventional pulling grip solutions for protecting the fiber optic cable and/or connectors of pre-terminated fiber optic cable assemblies are designed for installation into pathways having ample space such as large diameter conduits. However, larger conduits are more expensive and time consuming to install in existing high rise units and space may still not allow installation of larger conduits or ducts. Moreover, many existing installations are restricted to the use of the existing pathways for the cable assemblies due to space, time, and/or cost restraints. [0005] Further, many of the existing conduit or duct systems in high-rise buildings use smaller sized pathways that were initially intended for electrical cables and/or have existing cables installed, thereby providing limited space for routing fiber optic cables assemblies therein. Unlike electrical cables, it is often preferred to install pre-terminated fiber optic cables so the craft has plug and play connectivity in the field instead of having the difficult and time-consuming task of terminating and polish optical fiber connectors in the field.

[0006] These small existing pathways make installing the fiber optic cables challenging to install without damaging the fiber optic cable and/or connectors of the cable assembly. Additionally, many times it is desired to install several cable assemblies into existing pathways which makes use of conventional pulling grip solutions difficult or not possible.

[0007] Conventional pulling grip solutions typically use a relatively large rigid tube or rigid housing. Specifically, the connectors attached to the legs of the cable assembly are installed into the rigid tube or rigid housing for protecting the same during the pulling installation. However, the rigid tube or rigid housing takes up much of the space available within the existing conduit, duct, or the like, thereby limiting the number of cable assemblies that can be pulled into the pathway. Consequently, there is an unresolved need for a robust and reliable cable assembly having a pulling grip with a small form- factor for use where space is restricted.

SUMMARY

[0008] The disclosure is directed to cable assemblies having a small form-factor pulling grip along with methods for making the same. One aspect is directed to a cable assembly having a pulling grip including a cable having at least one optical fiber, at least one strength member, and a cable jacket, wherein a furcation body is attached to an end of the cable and one or more furcation legs extend from the furcation body. A pulling element is formed from the at least one strength member of the cable and extends beyond one or more furcation legs and includes a pulling loop. A protective sleeve is disposed directly about a portion of the cable assembly, and the protective sleeve has a non-cinch configuration about the cable assembly. [0009] Another aspect is directed to a method of forming a cable assembly having a pulling grip including the steps of providing a cable having at least one optical fiber, at least one strength member, and a cable jacket, wherein a furcation body is attached to an end of the cable and one or more furcation legs extends from the furcation body; forming a pulling element from the at least one strength member of the cable so that the pulling element extends beyond the one or more furcation legs and includes a pulling loop; and positioning a protective sleeve directly about a portion of the cable assembly and securing the protective sleeve so it has a non-cinch configuration about the cable assembly.

[0010] Another aspect is directed to a fiber optic cable assembly including a cable having at least one optical fiber, at least one strength member, and a cable jacket, wherein a furcation body is attached to an end of the cable and one or more furcation legs extend from the furcation body. The furcation body includes a first tube disposed within a second tube, wherein the first tube is potted for securing and potting the optical fibers.

[0011] Additional features and advantages will be set forth in the detailed description which follows, and in part will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from that description or recognized by practicing the same as described herein, including the detailed description that follows, the claims, as well as the appended drawings.

[0012] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description present embodiments that are intended to provide an overview or framework for understanding the nature and character of the claims. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure, and are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate various embodiments and together with the description serve to explain the principles and operation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a fiber optic cable assembly having a pulling grip installed on one end; [0014] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the fiber optic cable assembly of FIG. 1 with the protective sleeve removed showing the details of one end of the cable assembly; and

[0014] FIG. 3 shows a cross-section of an explanatory fiber optic cable;

[0015] FIGS. 4-16 depict explanatory steps for forming the furcation body on a portion of the fiber optic cable of FIG. 3;

[0016] FIGS. 17 and 18 depict explanatory steps for forming the pulling loop of the pulling element of the explanatory cable assembly;

[0017] FIG. 19 illustrates an end portion of another exemplary fiber optic cable being prepared for furcation and making a cable assembly similar to FIG. 2 by cutting and removing a portion of a cable jacket and exposing optical fibers subunits that form furcation legs and strength members disposed inside the fiber optic cable;

[0018] FIG. 20 illustrates the exposed strength member end portion in FIG. 19 twisted and taped;

[0019] FIG. 21 illustrates the twisted and taped strength member end portion in FIG. 4 cut to the desired length;

[0020] FIG. 22 illustrates preparing to insert the strength member end portion in FIG. 5 into a tube;

[0021] FIG. 23 illustrates pushing the strength member end portion through the tube in FIG. 22 and pushing the tube to the cable jacket on the fiber optic cable illustrated in FIG. 3;

[0015] FIG. 24 illustrates the tube in FIG. 23 being optionally secured to the strength members.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Whenever possible, like reference numbers will be used to refer to like components or parts.

[0017] The cable assemblies and methods disclosed herein include a pulling grip having small-form factors for installing the cable assemblies into relatively small pathways, conduits, ducts or the like. The cable assemblies may include an extended pulling loop formed by strength members of the fiber optic cable along with a protective sleeve disposed directly about a portion of the cable assembly for creating a low-profile assembly suitable for the use in small diameter pathways, conduits, ducts or the like. In particular, the protective sleeve has a non-cinch configuration about the cable assembly meaning it does not squeeze down and clamp about the cable assembly when a pulling force is applied to the pulling grip, but instead pulling forces are transferred to the cable assembly using strength members of the fiber optic cable. Further, the cable assemblies disclosed eliminate the use of bulky protective tubing or housings for protecting the fiber optic connectors of the cable assembly as used in conventional fiber optic cable pulling grips.

[0018] Consequently, the cable assembly discussed herein use small-form factor pulling grips so that the one or more cable assemblies may be installed into relatively small ducts, passageways, conduit or the like. By way of example, the cable assemblies and pulling grips disclosed having a small footprint may allow up to six cable assemblies to be installed into a single one-inch conduit, which is not feasible with bulky conventional pulling grips. Typically, conventional pulling grips for cable assemblies are bulky and use a rigid tubular element (i.e., rigid protective tube) between the cable assembly and the mesh disposed about a portion of the cable assembly for cinching down onto the tubular element for transferring a pulling force to the cable assembly. In other words, the rigid tubular members are used as a buffer for inhibiting the mesh from tightening directly onto the cable assemblies such as the furcation legs and connector and causing damage. Thus, the rigid tubular elements require a relatively large amount of free-space for pulling the cable assembly into the conduit or duct. Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Whenever possible, like reference numbers will be used to refer to like components or parts.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of an explanatory fiber optic cable assembly 10 having a pulling grip 12 formed on one end of a fiber optic cable 16. Pulling grip 12 has a portion formed from fiber optic cable 16 and a portion that is not formed by fiber optic cable 16. Specifically, the pulling grip 12 includes a pulling element 14 formed from at least one strength member (not visible) of the fiber optic cable 16 and extends beyond one or more furcation legs when a protective sleeve 50 of pulling grip 12 is installed on the cable assembly 10. The pulling element 14 may also include a pulling loop 16 having a portion that is also formed by the at least one strength member of the fiber optic cable 16. Moreover, sleeve 50 is a portion of the pulling grip 12 that is not formed by fiber optic cable 16 and sleeve 50 is disposed directly about a portion of the cable assembly 10. Sleeve 50 includes a mesh or the like that has a non-cinch configuration so that it does tighten onto the cable assembly, which can damage or destroy portions of the fiber optic cable assembly 10 during the installation of the same. Sleeve 50 may also comprise other materials that have a non-cinch configuration for protecting the cable assembly and inhibit snagging. As used herein, a non-cinch configuration means the sleeve does not squeeze down and clamp about the cable assembly for transferring pulling forces to the cable assembly. Since sleeve 50 is disposed directly about a portion (i.e. the furcation legs) of the cable assembly 10 it allows the fiber optic cable assembly with pulling grip 12 to have a relatively small footprint for installation into small pathways, conduits, ducts or the like while still providing suitable protection to the fiber optic cable assembly 10. In other words, cable assembly 10 does not include a protective tube (i.e., rigid or corrugated) disposed about the furcation legs under the protective sleeve 50, thereby allowing a small form- factor for the pulling grip 12.

[0020] FIG. 2 depicts explanatory fiber optic cable assembly 10 with the sleeve 50 of the pulling grip 12 removed to show the construction of the fiber optic cable assembly 10 and FIG. 3 depicts a cross-sectional view of fiber optic cable 16. As shown, cable assembly 10 includes a furcation body 50 attached to an end of the fiber optic cable 16 and one or more furcation legs 30 extending from the furcation body 50. As shown, the cable assembly 10 may optionally include one or more connectors 32 attached to the furcation legs 30 as depicted in FIG. 2 for providing plug and play connectivity. In other words, a cable assembly having pre-terminated connectors allows the craft to quickly and easily connect the cable assembly as desired. Although, explanatory fiber optic cable assembly 10 is shown with three connectors 32, other embodiment can have other suitable numbers of connectors. Likewise, fiber optic cable 16 may have any suitable number of optical fibers as desired. By way of example, the fiber optic cable 16 of FIG. 2 includes thirty-six optical fibers that are distributed into three furcation legs 30 each having twelve-fibers with each leg having an twelve-fiber connector attached (i.e., a multi-fiber connector). Other arrangements are also possible with fiber optic cable 16 such as distributing the twenty-four optical fibers into two furcation legs 30 each having twelve-fibers with each leg having a twelve-fiber connector attached. Of course, any suitable cable may be used with the concepts disclosed herein.

[0021] As best shown in FIG. 3, fiber optic cable 16 includes at least one optical fiber 20, at least one strength member 22, and a cable jacket 24. Fiber optic cable 16 can include any suitable optical fibers in any suitable configuration such as loose fibers, buffered, ribbonized or the like. Likewise, fiber optic cable 16 can have any suitable strength member such as fiberglass, aramid yarns such as Kevlar®, or even a glass- reinforced plastic (GRP). Fiber optic cable 16 is an interconnect fiber optic cable that is not as robust as distribution cables (i.e., the cable can not withstand large pulling forces like distribution cables; consequently, being able to apply pulling forces directly to the strength members of the cable inhibits damage during the installation process.

[0022] FIGS. 4-16 depict explanatory steps for forming the furcation body 50 on a portion of fiber optic cable 16. FIG. 4 depicts a portion of the cable jacket 24 after being ring cut at the desired location on fiber optic cable using a suitable tool. Before ring cutting the cable jacket a grommet 21 as shown in FIG. 12 may be threaded onto fiber optic cable 16 and slid out of the way. As shown, after being ring cut a free end 24a of the cut cable jacket 24 is slid away from the cut location so that the optical fibers 20 can be separated from the strength members 22 at the exposed location and then the optical fibers 20 are pulled out of the free end 24a. In this embodiment, the free end 24a and strength members 22 are pulled to the side and used for making a pulling element 14 as discussed herein. FIG. 5 show a protective structure 27 threaded about optical fibers 20 so it can be inserted into an end 24b of cable jacket 24 so that the end 24b can be slit on opposite sides while inhibiting damage to the optical fibers 20 as shown in FIG. 6.

[0023] Thereafter, FIG. 7 shows the strength members 22 are divided into two groups and arranged into the slits in end 24b of cable jacket 24 so that a heat shrink 40 can be arranged and secured about end 24b and the strength members 22. Next, a first tube 51 of the proper size is threaded onto the optical fibers 20 and slid over a portion of heat shrink 40 as shown in FIG. 8. First tube 51 forms a portion of the furcation body 50 used for securing and potting the optical fibers as discussed below.

[0024] In this embodiment, the furcation legs 30 are formed using a discrete structure configured as fan-out leg 60, but other configurations are possible for the furcation legs 30. The fan-out leg 60 may include a fan-out tube 60a and a plurality of strength members 60b such as aramid yarns partially disposed within fan-out tube 60a. One or more fan-out legs 60 are then slid over the select optical fibers 20 as desired in preparation of potting the optical fibers 20 within first tube 51 for forming a portion the furcation body 50 as shown in FIG. 9. By way of example, the furcation body 50 may have two furcation legs 30 extending therefrom with each furcation leg having eight optical fibers terminated by a multi-fiber connector. Of course, cable assemblies can have different counts for the furcation legs and/or optical fiber in the furcation legs. Likewise, the connectors terminated by the furcation legs can be single-fiber or multi- fiber connectors.

[0025] As depicted in FIG. 10 first tube 51 is then filled with a suitable first potting material such as an epoxy (not numbered) for securing the optical fibers within the furcation body 50. First tube 51 may be clear or translucent to visually aid the craft in determining if the tube is filled with epoxy and no significant air pockets are formed in the epoxy, but the use of opaque materials is possible. Thereafter, the one or more fan- out tubes 60a of the fan-out legs 60 are inserted into the other end of the first tube 51 before the epoxy cures for forming a portion the furcation body 50 that secures optical fibers 20 as depicted in FIG. 11. Moreover, the ends of strength members 60b are pulled to the side of the fan-out tube 60a as shown.

[0026] FIG. 12 shows a top view of the partially assembled furcation body 50 on the fiber optic cable 16 with the previously installed grommet 21 slid back into view on the cable jacket 24. The strength members 60b and fan-out tube 60a of the fan-out leg 60 can be held together using a tape to inhibit movement of the components as the remainder of the furcation body 50 is created. If desired indicia centering marks may be made on the cable jacket 24 on one end and the fan-out leg(s) 60 and free end 24a on the other end for positioning (i.e., centering) a second tube 53 about the first tube 51 of the furcation body 50 as shown in FIG. 13. In other words, the furcation body 50 has the first tube 51 disposed within second tube 53.

[0027] The strength members 60b of the fan-out leg 60 can have an adhesive applied so that they maintain their desired position within the second tube 53 during manufacture and while being filled (i.e., potted) with a suitable materials such as an epoxy. Next grommet 21 is slid into an end of second tube 53 as shown to inhibit the potting material from escaping as it is being filled and the free end 24a and fan-out leg 60 are partially disposed within the second tube 53 before potting. Second tube 53 may be clear or translucent so the technician can observe the filling of the tube 53 with the potting material and verify that air pockets and the like are eliminated during the filling process. FIG. 14 shows second tube 53 being potted and FIG. 15 shows furcation plug 50 after completion. Thereafter, an optional heat shrink 62 may be applied about the furcation plug 50 as shown in FIG. 16.

[0014] FIGS. 17and 18 show the details for forming the pulling loop 16 of pulling element 14 of the cable assembly 10 from strength members 22 and free end 24a that was previously ring cut from the cable. As depicted, the end of tube 56 is formed into a loop and a portion of the strength members 22 are optionally twisted and/or braided about the pulling element 14 (i.e., about free end 24a) as shown. Thereafter, a securing device 16a such as a heat shrink tubing is used for securing the strength members 22 to a portion of the pulling element 14. In this embodiment, the optical fibers were arranged into separate groups and threaded into a fan-out legs 60 for forming a furcation leg 30 for protecting the optical fibers 26.

[0015] With embodiments having fiber optic cables with subunits the jacket of the subunit can form the respective furcation legs 30 so that the separate and discrete fan-out legs are not needed, but instead provide by the cable. Thereafter, the furcation body 50 may be formed at the end portion of fiber optic 18. The furcation body 50 can have any suitable construction useful for the cable design. For instance, the furcation body 50 can simply be one or more heat shrinks for securing the pulling element and fibers at the furcation location. In other embodiments, the furcation body 50 may be formed by molding or be a premolded shell that fits about end portion 18 and is filled with epoxy or the like for fixing the structure. One or more fiber optic connectors 32 may be optionally attached to the furcation legs 30 as desired to construction a fiber optic cable assembly as shown in FIG. 2.

[0028] Completing the cable assembly 10 having pulling grip 12 is accomplished by threading protective sleeve 50 directly about a portion of cable assembly 10. Specifically, the pulling element 14 formed from at least one strength member of the cable is positioned so as to extend beyond the one or more furcation legs 30. In this embodiment, the pulling element 14 extends beyond the protective sleeve 50 so it is available to attach a pulling rope or string, fish-tape, or the like. In this embodiment, pulling element 14 is formed with a pulling loop 16 on the end for easy attachment by the craft. Sleeve 50 is be secured at each end to the cable assembly 10 and is positioned to protect the furcation legs 30 and/or connectors 32 of the assembly. By way of example, sleeve 50 is secured using a heat shrink at each end portion. As shown, a first end of the sleeve covers a portion of the furcation body 50 and the pulling loop extends beyond the second end of the sleeve 50.

[0029] Of course, other methods are available for creating one or more furcation bodies on fiber optic cables. The preparation and installation of furcation bodies 50 on other fiber optic cable constructions may vary depending on cable construction involved, but essentially produce a similar furcation body 50 attached to an end of the fiber optic cable having one or more furcation legs extending from the furcation body. By way of example, furcation bodies can be made using an overmolded process or the like.

[0030] FIGS. 19-24 show an alternative explanatory method for preparing a portion of the fiber optic cable assembly from a different design of a fiber optic cable 16'. Although, the concepts of the present application are below are described below are shown with a cable configuration having individual subunits within the cable jacket 24, the concepts of the pulling grip may be used with any suitable fiber optic cable. As used herein, a subunit cable has several smaller cable units disposed within the larger fiber optic cable and the subunits can each form a furcation leg 30 of the fiber optic cable assembly as desired.

[0031] Similar to the previous fiber optic cable assembly, the finished fiber optic cable assembly includes pulling element 14 extending from furcation body 50 and being formed from strength members 22 of the fiber optic cable 16'. In other words, the pulling grip 12 of the finished cable assembly includes the pulling element 14 formed from at least one strength member 22 of the fiber optic cable 16' and extends beyond one or more furcation legs 30 when a protective sleeve 50 of pulling grip 12 is installed on the cable assembly such as shown in FIG. 1. As best shown in FIG. 19, fiber optic cable 16' includes at least one optical fiber 20, at least one strength member 22, and a cable jacket 24. Fiber optic cable 16' has optical fibers 20 disposed within one or more subunits of the cable that includes a subunit jacket (not numbered) with strength members (not visible) therein that respectively forms individual furcation legs 30. Fiber optic cable 16' can include any suitable optical fibers in any suitable configuration such as loose fibers, buffered, ribbonized or the like. Likewise, fiber optic cable 16' can have any suitable strength member such as fiberglass, aramid yarns such as Kevlar®, or even a glass- reinforced plastic (GRP) depending on the desired cable design.

[0032] The pulling element 14 is formed from the strength members 22 of fiber optic cable 16' disposed outward of the individual furcation legs 30 that are exposed after cutting a portion of cable jacket 24. As illustrated in FIG. 19, preparing the fiber optic cable 16' includes removing a portion of the cable jacket 24 from an end portion 18 of the fiber optic cable 16', thereby exposing end portions of the subunits that will form furcation legs 30 and the strength member end portions 21 from the end of the cable. By way of non-limiting example, a suitable length of cable jacket such as between twenty- four to thirty-six inches of the cable jacket 24 may be removed from the end portion 18 of the fiber optic cable 16; however, other suitable longer or shorter lengths are possible. As before, a ring cutter may be used to remove the end portion of the cable jacket 24 from the end portion 18 of the fiber optic cable 16'. After the end portion of the cable jacket 24 is removed, the strength member 22 and cable subunits that will form furcation legs 30 are be separated, as illustrated by FIG. 19.

[0014] In this embodiment, before the strength members 22 are formed into the pulling element 14, the strength member end portions 21 may optionally be twisted as illustrated in FIG. 20. Twisting the strength member end portions 21 may more easily allow threading of the strength member end portions 21 through a strength member tube, as discussed in more detail below, when forming the pulling element 14. To prevent the twist disposed in the strength member end portion 21 from unraveling, a portion 50 of the strength member 22 can be secured with tape 52 or other securing means, as illustrated in FIG. 21. As an option, the strength member 22 may be taped to a rod to secure the strength member 22 prior to taping or securing the portion 50. A first end 54 of the strength member end portion 21 adjacent the tape 52 can then be cut to provide the strength member end portion 21 in the desired length prior to forming the pulling element 14.

[0015] Before forming the pulling element 14 from the strength member end portion 21, it may be desired to optionally dispose the strength member end portion 21 into a strength member tube 56, as illustrated in FIGS. 22 and 23. The strength member tube 56 may serve to protect the strength members 22 from damage when a pulling load is placed on the pulling element formed from the strength member end portion 21. For example, the strength member tube 56 may be a heat shrink tube that is heat shrunk around the strength member end portion 21 to firmly secure the strength member tube 56 around the strength member end portion 21. FIG. 22 illustrates the strength member end portion 21 from FIG. 21 prior to being inserted into the strength member tube 56. Unlike the previous fiber optic cable 16, fiber optic cable 16' uses a separate, discrete component for covering the strength members, whereas fiber optic cable 16 used the portion of the cable jacket that was ring cut.

[0016] FIG. 23 illustrates disposing the strength member tube 56 over the strength member end portion 21 and sliding the strength member tube 56 back towards the end portion 18 of the fiber optic cable 16. Providing the strength member tube 56 is optional and maybe used as desired. Likewise, the strength member tube 56 can be any suitable tube; although a heat shrink tube is one preferred way of protecting the strength members 22.

[0017] By way of example, FIG. 24 illustrates the strength member tube 56 after being heat shrunk onto the strength members 22. As one non-limiting example, the strength member tube 56 in FIGS. 22 and 23 may be heated to a temperature between 100 and 200 degrees Celsius for between two (2) and four (4) minutes to heat shrink and secure the strength member tube 56 to the strength members 22. The optical fibers 26 (or fiber sub-units) can be bent back towards the cable jacket 24 to keep them out of the way as illustrated in FIG. 24 as desired. Next, the furcation body 50 can be formed about end portion 18 using a preformed furcation body filled with an epoxy or the like and the ends of fucation legs can be terminated with fiber optic connectors to complete the cable assembly. Thereafter, the pulling loop 16 can be formed on pulling element 14 and the protective sleeve 50 is disposed directly about a portion of the cable assembly and securing the protective sleeve 50 so it has a non-cinch configuration about the cable assembly.

[0018] Although the disclosure has been illustrated and described herein with reference to preferred embodiments and specific examples thereof, it will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments and examples can perform similar functions and/or achieve like results. All such equivalent embodiments and examples are within the spirit and scope of the disclosure and are intended to be covered by the appended claims. It will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims.

Claims

We claim:

1. A cable assembly having a pulling grip, the cable assembly comprising: a cable having at least one optical fiber, at least one strength member, and a cable jacket, wherein a furcation body is attached to an end of the cable and one or more furcation legs extend from the furcation body;

a pulling element formed from the at least one strength member of the cable, wherein the pulling element extends beyond one or more furcation legs and includes a pulling loop; and

a protective sleeve disposed directly about a portion of the cable assembly, wherein the protective sleeve has a non-cinch configuration about the cable assembly.

2. The cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the protective sleeve comprises a mesh.

3. The cable assembly of any of claims 1 or 2, wherein the at least one strength member of the cable forms a portion of the pulling loop.

4. The cable assembly of any of claims 1-3, wherein the at least one strength member of the cable is twisted for forming a portion of the pulling loop.

5. The cable assembly of any of claims 1-4, wherein the at least one strength member of the cable is an aramid yarn.

6. The cable assembly of any of claims 1-5, wherein a first end of the protective sleeve covers a portion of the furcation body and the pulling loop extends beyond the second end of the protective sleeve.

7. The cable assembly of any of claims 1-6, one or more of the furcation legs being formed from a subunit of the cable.

8. The cable assembly of any of claims 1-7, wherein the protective sleeve is in contact with a portion of the cable assembly.

9. The cable assembly of any of claims 1-8, wherein the furcation body has a first tube disposed within a second tube.

10. The cable assembly of any of claims 1-9, wherein the assembly does not include a protective tube disposed about the one or more furcation legs within the protective sleeve.

11. A method of forming a cable assembly having a pulling grip, comprising the steps of:

providing a cable having at least one optical fiber, at least one strength member, and a cable jacket, wherein a furcation body is attached to an end of the cable and one or more furcation legs extends from the furcation body;

forming a pulling element from the at least one strength member of the cable so that the pulling element extends beyond the one or more furcation legs and includes a pulling loop; and

positioning a protective sleeve directly about a portion of the cable assembly and securing the protective sleeve so it has a non-cinch configuration about the cable assembly.

12. The method of claim 11, further including the step of twisting a portion of the at least one strength member that forms the pulling loop.

13. The method of any of claims 11 or 12, further including the step of forming a portion of the pulling loop from the at least one strength member of the cable.

14. A fiber optic cable assembly, comprising: a cable having at least one optical fiber, at least one strength member, and a cable jacket, wherein a furcation body is attached to an end of the cable and one or more furcation legs extend from the furcation body;

wherein the furcation body includes a first tube disposed within a second tube, wherein the first tube is potted for securing and potting the optical fibers.

15. The fiber optic cable assembly of claim 14, further including a pulling element formed from the at least one strength member of the cable, wherein the pulling element extends beyond one or more furcation legs and includes a pulling loop; and

a protective sleeve disposed directly about a portion of the cable assembly, wherein the protective sleeve has a non-cinch configuration about the cable assembly.