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. 20, 2001
Filed:
Apr. 24, 2000
David M Szum, Voorburg, NL;
Adrianus G. M. Abel, Capelle aan de Ijssel, NL;
DSM N.V., Heerlen, NL;
Abstract
Provided is an improved optical glass fiber, ribbon unit having the capability of providing mid-span access to individual color-coated optical glass fibers contained therein by application of finger pressure from a human hand. The ribbon unit is made of a plurality of coated optical glass fibers each further coated with a cured color-composition; and a matrix material which binds the plurality of color-coated optical glass fibers together, wherein a bonding force between the cured color-composition and the coated optical glass fibers is greater than a bonding force between said cured color-composition and said matrix material, and wherein the matrix material has been selected or formulated to provide a modulus and Tg sufficiently high such that when opposing pressure is applied to the ribbon unit using the fingers of a human hand, the matrix material buckles and separates from said color-coated optical glass optical fibers instead of compressing and absorbing the opposing pressure. Also provided are a method of making the ribbon unit, and a method of achieving mid-span access to individual color-coated optical glass fibers contained within the ribbon unit.