Optical-fiber ribbon with distorted sinusoidal adhesive pattern and method therefor
AssigneePrysmian S.p.A.
InventorsEhsan Fallahmohammadi, Brian G. Risch, Clint Nicholaus Anderson
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Abstract
A method of producing an optical-fiber ribbon includes applying bonding material to a major surface of an optical-fiber assembly via a dispenser that is revolving around a central axis to bond adjacent optical fibers in the optical-fiber assembly. The method, which facilitates faster line speeds, achieves an optical-fiber ribbon with an adhesive bead that forms a distorted sinusoidal pattern substantially across the width of the optical-fiber assembly.
Claims22
A method of making an optical-fiber ribbon, comprising:
- (i) arranging a plurality of optical fibers into a longitudinal optical-fiber assembly having width w, wherein the plurality of optical fibers are parallel and respectively adjacent to each other;
- (ii) advancing the longitudinal optical-fiber assembly at linear velocity v;
- and
- (iii) applying bonding material to a surface of the optical-fiber assembly via a dispenser that is revolving around a central axis at a cyclical frequency r, wherein pitch v/r is 50 millimeters or greater.
A method of making an optical-fiber ribbon, comprising:
- (i) arranging a plurality of optical fibers into a longitudinal optical-fiber assembly having planar width w, a first major surface, and a second major surface, wherein the plurality of optical fibers are parallel and respectively adjacent to each other;
- (ii) continuously advancing the plurality of optical fibers as arranged in the longitudinal optical-fiber assembly at linear velocity v;
- and
- (iii) applying bonding material to at least one major surface of the optical-fiber assembly via a dispensing nozzle that is revolving around a central axis at a cyclical frequency r, wherein the ratio of pitch v/r to the width w of the optical-fiber assembly is between 12 and 150.
An optical-fiber ribbon, comprising:
- (i) a plurality of respectively adjacent optical fibers extending in a longitudinal direction and arranged in parallel to form an optical-fiber assembly having width w;
- and
- (ii) an adhesive bead bonding adjacent optical fibers in the optical-fiber assembly, the adhesive bead forming a distorted sinusoidal pattern across the width of the optical-fiber assembly, wherein the adhesive bead's distorted sinusoidal pattern repeatedly forms (i) peaks at one edge portion of the optical-fiber assembly and (ii) valleys at an opposite edge portion of the optical-fiber assembly, and wherein the distorted sinusoidal peaks and the distorted sinusoidal valleys have different respective shapes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.