# US 10,310,202 B2 · Rollable optical fiber ribbon

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- Number: US 10,310,202 B2
- Document ID: US10310202B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/920,706
- Filed: 2018-03-14
- Published: 2018-07-19
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2015-07-31
- Assignees: Corning Optical Communications LLC
- Applicants: Corning Optical Communications LLC
- Inventors: Bradley Jerome Blazer; Dana Craig Bookbinder; Ming-Jun Li; Alan Todd Parsons; Pushkar Tandon
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10310202B2

## CPC

- G02B 6/4404: {Multi-podded}
- G02B 6/443: {Protective covering}
- G02B 6/4434: {Central member to take up tensile loads}
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS

## Abstract

An optical ribbon is provided. The optical ribbon includes a plurality of optical transmission elements. The ribbon includes a ribbon body coupled to and supporting the plurality of optical transmission elements. The ribbon body is formed from a flexible polymeric material such that the plurality of optical transmission elements are reversibly movable between an aligned position in which the plurality of optical transmission elements are substantially parallel with each other and a curved position.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A fiber optic cable comprising:
a jacket; and
an optical ribbon surrounded by the jacket, the optical ribbon comprising a plurality of optical fibers and a ribbon body coupled to and supporting the plurality of optical fibers in an array,
wherein the ribbon body is contiguous lengthwise for at least 10 cm along a length of the plurality of optical fibers, is contiguous widthwise over all of the plurality of optical fibers, and is formed from a flexible polymeric material that partially surrounds the plurality of optical fibers such that an outer surface of the ribbon body defines an outermost surface on an entire first side of the optical ribbon and the plurality of optical fibers define an outermost surface on a second side of the ribbon opposite the first side of the ribbon, and
wherein each of the plurality of optical fibers includes a central axis extending through a center point of an optical core, wherein, when the optical ribbon is in an unrolled position, at least 90% of the polymeric material of the ribbon body is located on one side of central axes of the plurality of optical fibers, and wherein, when the optical ribbon is in a rolled position, the central axes of the optical fibers surround a central axis of the optical ribbon when viewed in cross-section perpendicular to the central axis of the ribbon.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The fiber optic cable of claim 1, wherein the ribbon body includes an inner surface bonded to the exterior surfaces of the plurality of optical fibers.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The fiber optic cable of claim 1, wherein when the optical ribbon is in the unrolled position, all of the polymeric material of the ribbon body is located on one side of central axes of the plurality of optical fibers.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The fiber optic cable of claim 1, wherein the polymeric material has a modulus of elasticity less than 1500 MPa.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The fiber optic cable of claim 4, wherein the polymeric material has a modulus of elasticity greater than 85 MPa and less than 1500 MPa.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The fiber optic cable of claim 5, wherein the polymeric material has a maximum thickness between 5 μm and 150 μm.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The fiber optic cable of claim 6, wherein the polymeric material allows the ribbon to bend such that an angle between center points of two of the adjacent optical fibers measured from a horizontal plane is between 10 degrees and 90 degrees.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The fiber optic cable of claim 1, further comprising a buffer tube surrounding the optical ribbon.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The fiber optic cable of claim 1, further comprising a strength element.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The fiber optic cable of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of buffer tubes, wherein each buffer tube of the plurality of buffer tubes contains at least one optical ribbon.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The fiber optic cable of claim 10, wherein the plurality of buffer tubes are stranded around the strength element.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The fiber optic cable of claim 1, wherein the ribbon body comprises a plurality of bridges formed from the polymeric material coupled between exterior surfaces of adjacent optical fibers.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The fiber optic cable of claim 1, wherein the exterior surface of at least one of the plurality of optical fibers abuts the exterior surface of at least one other optical fiber.