The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 30, 1999
Filed:
Jul. 02, 1998
Houching M Yang, Conover, NC (US);
Steven X Shen, Hickory, NC (US);
Alcatel, Paris, FR;
Abstract
A method of making an optical fiber ribbon with improved planarity and an optical fiber ribbon having improved planarity are described. The method includes the steps of providing a plurality of optical fibers and arranging the plurality of optical fibers to form a planar optical fiber arrangement. The planar optical fiber arrangement defines a first common tangent plane and a second common tangent plane. Matrix material is applied to the planar optical fiber arrangement to form a first uncured layer of matrix material such that the first layer does not extend beyond the first or the second common tangent plane by more than twenty micrometers. The first uncured layer of matrix material is then cured to achieve a degree of cure between 70% and 95% to provide a cured first layer of matrix material on the planar arrangement. Next, matrix material is applied over the first cured layer to form a second uncured layer of matrix material. Finally, the second uncured layer is cured until a degree of cure in the second layer is at least 85% to form an optical fiber ribbon with improved planarity. The optical fiber ribbon of the present invention can be made according to the method described.