Flexible optical fiber ribbon with ribbon body flexibility recesses
AssigneeCorning Optical Communications LLC
InventorsDavid Wesley Chiasson, Barada Kanta Nayak
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Abstract
A flexible optical ribbon and associated method is provided. The ribbon includes a plurality of optical transmission elements and a polymeric ribbon body surrounding the plurality of optical transmission elements. The ribbon body includes a plurality of recesses formed in the ribbon body, and each recess has a depth extending from the first major surface toward the plurality of optical transmission elements and a length extending along the ribbon body between a first recess end and a second recess end. The first recess end is defined by a concave curved surface of the polymeric ribbon body.
Claims9
An optical ribbon comprising:
- a plurality of optical transmission elements each having a longitudinal axis;
- and
- a multi-layer polymeric ribbon body coupled to, supporting and surrounding the plurality of optical transmission elements, the polymeric ribbon body comprising:
- a plurality of inner layer segments formed from a first polymeric material, each inner layer segment is a contiguous polymer structure at least partially surrounding at least two of the optical transmission elements and having an inner surface contacting outer surfaces of the at least two optical transmission elements;
- and
- a single contiguous outer layer formed from a second polymeric material and surrounding all of the inner layer segments such that outer surfaces of the inner layer segments contact the outer layer and the outer layer defines a first major surface on one side of the plurality of optical transmission elements and a second major surface on the other side optical transmission elements, wherein a portion of the outer layer is located between each adjacent inner layer segment such that all of the inner layer segments are held together by the outer layer;
- wherein the first major surface defines a first profile, the first profile shaped such that, when viewed in lateral cross-section, a distance between the first and second major surfaces decreases toward a minimum located between adjacent pairs of inner layer segments, wherein the first profile includes a concave curved surface at the minimum thickness, the curved surface having a radius of curvature greater than 0.05 mm.
A method of forming a flexible optical ribbon comprising:
- providing an optical fiber ribbon including a plurality of optical fibers embedded in and surround by a polymeric ribbon body having an outer surface;
- and
- removing portions of the polymeric ribbon body with a laser such that a plurality of recesses are formed along the outer surface of the ribbon body, wherein each of the recesses is defined, at least in part, by a curved section of the outer surface of the ribbon body, the curved section having a radius of curvature greater than 0.05 mm, the radius of curvature reducing stress concentration within the recess.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.