Alcatel

Curtis John Hutton

Justin Thompson

Kevin Paschal

Houching Michael Yang

Robert W Greer, Iv

Patrick Bourghelle

Allen Griser

Rob Greer

Mark Abee

An optical fiber ribbon in which the location of a particular fiber contained in the ribbon can be easily identified in the field. The optical fiber ribbon includes a plurality of optical fibers arranged in parallel with and adjacent one another, and a ribbon matrix bonded to the outer coatings and encasing the plurality of optical fibers, wherein the ribbon matrix includes indicia on an outside thereof for directionally identifying a particular one of the optical fibers. According to a first aspect of the invention, the indicia includes triangle, with an apex of the triangle pointing in the direction of the particular fiber. Alternatively, according to a second aspect of the invention, the indicia includes an arrow pointing in the direction of the particular fiber. The indicia is preferably repeated at regular intervals along the length of the ribbon to allow the particular fiber to be identified along the entire length of the ribbon. In the case of an optical fiber ribbon product which includes a plurality of optical fiber ribbons, the indicia can also be used to distinguish between ribbons. For example, in the event the indicia is a triangle, a first optical fiber ribbon can be identified by a single triangle repeated at regular intervals along the length of the ribbon and a second optical fiber ribbon can be identified by a pair of triangles repeated along the length of the ribbon. Alternatively, the ribbons can be identified with a different indicia for distinguishing between the ribbons.

Identification scheme to both identify ribbon color/dash code and locate fiber&num;1

A buffered optical fiber ribbon cable includes at least one optical fiber ribbon cable, which has parallel optical fibers encased in a ribbon matrix sheath, and a ribbon buffering layer surrounding the optical fiber ribbon cable. The ribbon matrix sheath is at least partially molecularly bonded to outer coatings of the optical fibers and surrounds the parallel optical fibers, thereby holding the optical fibers immediately adjacent one another. The material of the ribbon buffering layer is preferably UV curable resin or thermoplastic material. Also, the ribbon buffering layer material may further contain imbedded reinforcement fibers for strengthening the ribbon buffering layer. The ribbon buffering layer is made of a material that allows the buffered optical fiber ribbon cable to be installed in environments independent of any additional protective cable covering. Moreover, the buffered optical fiber ribbon cable may have an optional outer buffering layer, surrounding the ribbon buffering layer, for added protection from the environment (e.g., fire retardant properties).

Reinforced buffered fiber optic ribbon cable

A color-coded optical fiber ribbon includes a plurality of substantially parallel, adjacent, longitudinally extending optical fibers disposed, at least at a given cross section of the optical fiber ribbon, in substantially the same plane. A resin matrix material covers the optical fibers, which have at least one coating formed thereon. A color-coding identification scheme for the optical fiber ribbon is formed by coloring the optical fiber ribbon with at least two colors. A ribbon die for producing the color-coded optical fiber ribbon includes at least one coating chamber having at least one primary coating orifice for supplying a primary coating material to be applied to the optical fibers; and at least one flow guide channel for supplying a colored material in addition to the primary coating material in order to coat predetermined areas of the fiber optic ribbon so as to form the color-coding identification scheme.

Color-coded optical fiber ribbon and die for making the same

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Hickory, NC, United States of America

Curtis John Hutton