Alcatel

Robert W Greer, Iv

Houching Michael Yang

Bob J Overton

Justin Thompson

Michael B Purvis

Kevin Paschal

Peter R Stupak

Curtis John Hutton

Patrick Bourghelle

Mark Abee

An optical fiber containing a polymer coating that includes a perlescent pigment. The perlescent pigment contains mica particles which transmit wavelengths of light used to cure the polymer coating. Further, the mica particles reflect visible wavelengths of light. Therefore, the inclusion of perlescent pigments in the polymer coating increases cure speed, due to increased UV transmittance, while enhancing the brightness or visibility of color in an optical fiber coating, due to reflection of visible light.

Incorporation of UV transparent perlescent pigments to UV curable optical fiber materials

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

An optical fiber ribbon including a matrix material and one or more optical fibers disposed therein. The properties of the matrix material have been developed so that the optical fiber ribbon has optimal handling characteristics such as superior heat strip, encapsulation, easy peel and breakout, good fiber geometry and robustness. The optical fiber ribbon achieves optimal handling characteristics by including in the matrix material a polymer having a glass transition temperature of greater than 100&deg; C., an elongation to break of greater than 15% and a rheological behavior wherein the onset of non-Newtonian behavior occurs at a shear rate of greater than 10,rad/sec.

Optical fiber ribbon matrix material having optimal handling characteristics

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.

Growing community of inventors

Conover, NC, United States of America

Robert W Greer, Iv