Optical fiber marking method and device
AssigneeAlcatel Cable
InventorsClaude Freychet, Alain Tauleygne
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Optical fibers are marked as they move continuously in a flat bundle prior to insertion into a protective envelope by continuously spraying an ink jet in a plane intersecting all the fibers, alternately from one extreme fiber to the other. The inkjet is sprayed in a plane perpendicular to the direction of forward movement of the fibers. The marking device comprises a head for spraying a jet of ink in a plane intersecting all the fibers reciprocating from one extreme fiber of the flat bundle to the other. The spray head moves in a plane perpendicular to the direction of forward movement of the fibers.
Claims4
Method of marking optical fibers prior to insertion of the fibers into a protective envelope comprising the steps of:
- continuously moving a plurality of optical fibers extending parallel to each other in a flat bundle in the longitudinal direction of the fibers;
- and
- continuously spraying an ink jet intersecting said plurality of fibers while moving the ink jet across a plane intersecting all fibers alternately from one laterally extreme fiber of said bundle to another opposite, laterally extreme fiber of said bundle.
Device for marking a plurality of optical fibers extending parallel to each other in a flat bundle comprising, means for continuously moving said optical fibers as a flat bundle in the longitudinal direction of the fibers, and a head for spraying a jet of ink in a plane intersecting all of the fibers, reciprocable from one laterally extreme fiber of the flat bundle to another laterally extreme fiber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.