Optical fiber ribbon

US6134364A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES INC. · US

Inventors

• Raymond P. DeFabritis · Lilburn, US
• Kenneth W. Jackson · Lawrenceville, US
• Kariofilis Konstadinidis · Decatur, US
• Shahabuddin Siddiqui · Lawrenceville, US
• Neil Wilbur Sollenberger · Duluth, US
• Carl R. Taylor · Lawrenceville, US
• John Turnipseed · Lilburn, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 21, 1998
• Grant date: Oct 17, 2000
• Expiry date: Oct 21, 2018

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02B6/44785
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An optical fiber ribbon in which a plurality of optical fibers are held in an array has a matrix material for bonding to the fibers to form the ribbon. The matrix material has certain characteristics which serve to enhance fiber access, among which are an elastic modulus from 600 to 1200 MPa at room temperature, from 100 to 280 MPa at 100.degree. C., and from 15 to 45 MPa at temperatures greater than 170.degree. C. The matrix material swells in ethanol more than 15% by volume within 20 minutes, and is virtually immune to the action of cleaning solvents. The matrix material has a surface tension of 20-35 mJ/m.sup.2 as do the color coding inks which identify the fibers.