US 4,593,974 AGranted

Plastic optical fiber

AssigneeMitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd.

InventorsTakashi Yamamoto, Kozi Nishida, Akio Tateishi

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Abstract

A plastic optical fiber having an enhanced light transmission and satisfactory mechanical and chemical properties is composed of a core having a refractive index n.sub.1, a cladding layer having a refractive index n.sub.2, and a protective layer having a refractive index n.sub.3, the refractive indices n.sub.1, n.sub.2, and n.sub.3 satisfying the relationships n.sub.1 -n.sub.2 .gtoreq.0.01 and n.sub.3 -n.sub.2 >0 and the cladding layer being composed of a copolymer of: (A) 20% to 99.95% by weight of at least one comonomer selected from fluoroalkyl acrylates and methacrylates, (B) 0.05% to 10% by weight of at least one vinyl comonomer having a hydrophilic radical, and (C) 0% to 79.95% by weight of at least one other vinyl comonomer capable of copolymerizing with the comonomers (A) and (B).

Claims14

Dependent claims

A plastic optical fiber comprising:

(1) a core consisting of a polymeric material and having a refractive index n.sub.1,
(2) a cladding layer consisting of a polymeric material and having a refractive index n.sub.2, and
(3) a protective layer consisting of a polymeric material and having a refractive index n.sub.3, which optical fiber is characterized in that said refractive indices n.sub.1, n.sub.2, and n.sub.3 satisfy the relationships
n.sub.1 -n.sub.2 .gtoreq.0.01
and
n 3-n.sub.2 >0
and in that said cladding layer-forming polymeric material consists essentially of a copolymer of:
(A) 20% to 99.95% by weight of at least one fluorine-containing-comonomer selected from the group consisting of fluoroalkyl acrylates and fluoroalkyl methacrylates;
(B) 0.05% to 10% by weight of at least one vinyl comonomer having a hydrophilic radical;
and
(C) 0% to 79.95% by weight of at least one other vinyl comonomer capable of copolymerizing with the above-mentioned comonomers (A) and (B).

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.