Alcatel

Patrick Bourghelle

Houching Michael Yang

Justin Thompson

Steven Xuefeng Shen

Kevin Paschal

Michael Yang

Robert W Greer, Iv

Curtis John Hutton

Mark Abee

A method of manufacturing optical ribbons, wherein the optical fibers are paid out by an optical fiber pay-out unit, and grouped together in a nozzle where they are coated in a coating material which is caused to set in order to form an optical fiber ribbon. A plurality of groups of optical fibers are formed in parallel in as many nozzles as possible, and the groups of optical fibers, which are coated in a coating material, are caused to set simultaneously using a single setting means for setting the coating material, in order to form as many ribbons of optical fibers as possible, thereby enabling the manufacturing cost of a ribbon to be reduced.

Method of manufacturing optical fiber ribbons

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

A coating applicator for continuously applying matrix material to a plurality of optical fibers arranged in a ribbon configuration is described. The coating applicator has a first contacting means for contacting the plurality of optical fibers on a first side of the plurality of optical fibers and for contacting a first end fiber of the plurality of optical fibers. The coating applicator also has a second contacting means for contacting the plurality of optical fibers on a second side of the plurality of optical fibers and for contacting a second end fiber of the plurality of optical fibers. The second contacting means is located downstream of the first contacting means, and is located relative to the first contacting means so that the optical fibers are forced to contact the first and second contacting means as described above.

Coating applicator for producing optical fiber ribbon with improved geometry

Growing community of inventors

Hickory, NC, United States of America

Patrick Bourghelle