Optical fiber encapsulating techniques

Abstract

A plurality of optical fibers (13) are first bonded to an upper surface of a flat flexible plastic substrate (12). The optical fibers are covered with a layer (20) of thermoplastic material to form a composite structure comprising the thermoplastic material, the optical fibers and the plastic substrate. The composite structure is then compressed at a first elevated temperature and at a first relatively high pressure which are sufficient to bond or tack the thermoplastic material to the plastic substrate. The temperature of a composite structure is then cool while maintaining the first relatively high pressure. Thereafter, a second elevated temperature is applied to the thermoplastic material while compressing the composite structure at a second pressure. The second elevated temperature is higher than the first temperature and is sufficiently high to cause the thermoplastic material to flow about and encase the optical fibers, while the second pressure is smaller than the first pressure and is sufficiently small to avoid damaging said optical fibers. The various compression steps are applied by upper (17) and lower (16) platens of a press machine which are appropriately heated to apply the temperatures described above.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.