Method for manufacturing optical fiber ribbon
AssigneeAlcatel
InventorsBob James Overton, Peter R. Stupak, Michael B. Purvis, Robert W. Greer, Houching Michael Yang
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Abstract
A method for manufacturing optical fiber ribbon containing optical fibers having colored layers. The color is provided in a secondary coating composition that is cured prior to application of a matrix material for forming the optical fiber ribbon. The secondary coating composition includes a photoinitiator that is relatively insensitive to oxygen, and the environment to which the secondary coating composition is exposed is limited by removing the boundary layer of air surrounding the secondary coating composition prior to the application of the matrix material thereto.
Claims28
A method for manufacturing an optical fiber ribbon, comprising the steps of:
- coating a plurality of optical fibers with a primary coating composition and curing said primary coating composition to form a primary coating layer on each of said optical fibers;
- coating said optical fibers having said primary coating layer thereon with a secondary coating composition, said secondary coating composition containing a coloring agent in an amount effective for color-coding said optical fibers, and a photoinitiator in an amount effective for initiating curing of said secondary coating composition upon exposure thereof to UV radiation, said photoinitiator being substantially insensitive to oxygen;
- substantially eliminating oxygen from adjacent said secondary coating composition coated on said optical fibers and at least substantially completely curing of said secondary coating composition;
- and
- encapsulating said plurality of optical fibers having said primary coating layer and said secondary coating layer thereon with a matrix material, said encapsulation being conducted while said secondary coating composition is at least substantially completely cured whereby said matrix material and s aid sec ondary coating are adjoining but substantially unreacted with each other.
An optical fiber ribbon, comprising:
- a plurality of optical fibers, each optical fiber having a primary coating layer and a secondary coating layer, said secondary coating layer being prepared from a secondary coating composition containing a coloring agent in an amount effective for color-coding said plurality of optical fibers, and a photoinitiator in an amount effective for initiating curing of said secondary coating composition upon exposure thereof to actinic radiation, said photoinitiator being substantially insensitive to oxygen;
- a matrix material for encapsulating said plurality of optical fibers, said matrix material and said secondary coating layer being adjoining but substantially unreacted with each other,
- wherein said optical fiber ribbon is resistant to stresses that pinch the ribbon edge-to-edge.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.