Optical fiber ribbon configured to provide enhanced flexibility and reduced bending stress during operation

Abstract

An optical fiber ribbon that may include a plurality of optical fibers arranged in parallel and a connecting portion having a plurality of bond portions configured to be spaced apart from one another in a longitudinal direction between adjacent optical fibers of the plurality of optical fibers. The plurality of bond portions may include a first bond portion having a first bond composition that is configured to provide a first bond attachment force and a first bond flexibility during optical fiber bending range, and a second bond portion having a second bond composition that is configured to provide a second bond attachment force that is weaker than the first bond attachment force and a second bond flexibility during optical fiber bending range that is greater than the first bond flexibility during optical fiber bending range so to provide enhanced ribbon flexibility and reduced ribbon bending stress during operation of the ribbon.

Description

OPTICAL FIBER RIBBON CONFIGURED TO PROVIDE ENHANCED FLEXIBILITY AND REDUCED BENDING STRESS DURING OPERATIONCross Reference to Related Applications

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 689,285 filed August 30, 2024, which is currently pending, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of optical fiber communication technology and, in particular, to an intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon configured to reduce stress on the optical fiber ribbon during bending.Background

[0003] The evolution of 5G and increase of data consumption over recent years have drastically increased the application of data centers and Telecoms. Large scale data centers and Telecom sectors require ultra-high fiber density cables that offer high data rate with low latency. High fiber density cables can include a large number of optical fibers inside the cable. Ribbons, including traditional flat ribbons where the ribbon is fully encapsulated in a ribbon matrix and flexible ribbons where fibers are intermittently bonded with a ribbon matrix, are highly preferred over loose fibers for high fiber count cables because they provide significant reduction in installation time thanks to the use of mass fusion splicing. Flat ribbons have preferential bending in one direction, which limits the fiber packing density in a cable. Flexible ribbons, however, are packed more efficiently in a cable as they can fold to reach similar density levels as loose fiber in large diameter tube or subunit.

[0004] Flexible ribbons are often joined together by a bonding material with a fixed repeating pattern down the length of the ribbon. In these designs, the flexing properties of the bond locations are relatively constant per unit length of bond. Suppliers may vary the overall bond properties by making the axial bonds lengths shorter or longer, which can vary the force required to flex the material at a given location. Further, suppliers mayvary the location of the bonds by placing the bonds at locations where they want to keep the optical fibers together while leaving the other locations with no bonds.

[0005] The bonding material used for the bonds needs to have a high degree of flexibility and enough bonding strength to keep the fibers permanently secured, minimize induced stress on the optical fibers during flexing, and maintain a fiber pattern that can be easily assembled in ribbon connectors, during mass fiber fusing operations, etc. Given all these constraints, some performance attributes may be compromised in order to try to optimize others. For example, less overall bonding material allows for greater flexibility, but may compromise assembly for mass fusion, etc. On the other hand, higher overall amounts of bonding material may benefit mass fusion, but may also induce more stress on the fibers under flexed conditions and increase flammability of finished cable design.

[0006] Therefore, it may be desirable to provide an optical fiber ribbon that includes fibers that are configured to be intermittently bonded using different bond compositions at certain bond locations so as to provide enhanced ribbon flexibility performance and reduced stress on the fibers resulting from bending while maintaining fiber alignment during mass fusion and splicing operations.Summary

[0007] According to various exemplary aspects of the disclosure, an optical fiber ribbon may be configured to provide enhanced ribbon flexibility and reduced ribbon bending stress during operation of the ribbon,

[0008] In some embodiments, the ribbon may include a first bond portion having a first bond composition that is configured to provide a first bond optical fiber attachment force and a first bond flexibility during optical fiber bending range. In some embodiments, the ribbon may include a second bond portion having a second bond composition that is configured to provide a second bond portion optical fiber attachment force that may be weaker than the first bond portion optical fiber attachment force and / or a second bond portion optical fiber flexibility during optical fiber bending range that may be configured to provide greater optical fiber flexibility during optical fiber bending than provided by the first bond portion optical fiber flexibility during optical fiber bending range so as to provideenhanced ribbon flexibility and reduced ribbon bending stress during operation of the ribbon.

[0009] In some embodiments, an optical fiber ribbon may include a plurality of optical fibers arranged in parallel and a connecting portion configured to connect adjacent optical fibers together. In some embodiments, the ribbon may be structurally configured to provide enhanced flexibility and reduced stress between fibers resulting from bending.

[0010] In some embodiments, the connecting portion may include a plurality of bond portions configured to be spaced apart from one another in a longitudinal direction between adjacent optical fibers of the plurality of optical fibers.

[0011] In some embodiments, the plurality of bond portions may include a plurality of first bond portions having a first bond composition and a plurality of second bond portions having a second bond composition that is configured to be different than the first bond composition.

[0012] In some embodiments, the connecting portion may be structurally configured to provide enhanced flexibility of the optical fiber ribbon and reduced stress resulting from bending.

[0013] In some embodiments, a first adjacent two of the optical fibers may be intermittently connected by the plurality of first bond portions spaced apart along a first longitudinal reference line and a second adjacent two of the optical fibers may be intermittently connected by the plurality of second bond portions spaced apart along a second longitudinal reference line.

[0014] In some embodiments, the second bond composition may be structurally configured to form a more flexible bond than the first bond composition.

[0015] In some embodiments, the second longitudinal reference line may be positioned on the intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon at a location configured for acute bending.

[0016] In some embodiments, the first adjacent two of the optical fibers may be intermittently connected along a first longitudinal reference line by the first bond portions and by the second bond portions.

[0017] In some embodiments, the second bond composition may be structurally configured to form a weaker bond than the first bond composition.

[0018] In some embodiments, the second bond portions may be structurally configured to mitigate the plurality of optical fibers from fanning out at a lateral cut line.

[0019] In some embodiments, two or more of the second bond portions may be positioned between two successive first bond portions along the first longitudinal reference line.

[0020] In some embodiments, the second bond portions may have an average bond portion length that is less than an average bond portion length of the first bond portions.

[0021] In some embodiments, an optical fiber ribbon may include a plurality of optical fibers arranged in parallel and a connecting portion structurally configured to connect adjacent optical fibers together.

[0022] In some embodiments, the connecting portion may include a plurality of bond portions that are configured to be spaced apart from one another in a longitudinal direction between adjacent optical fibers of the plurality of optical fibers.

[0023] In some embodiments, the first adjacent two of the optical fibers may be intermittently connected by first bond portions spaced apart along a first longitudinal reference line. In some embodiments, the first bond portions may include a first bond composition.

[0024] In some embodiments, the second adjacent two of the optical fibers may be intermittently connected by second bond portions spaced apart along a second longitudinal reference line. In some embodiments, the second bond portions may include a second bond composition.

[0025] In some embodiments, the first adjacent two of the optical fibers may be intermittently connected by third bond portions spaced apart along the first longitudinal reference line. In some embodiments, the third bond portions may include a third bond composition.

[0026] In some embodiments, at least one of the second bond composition or the third bond composition may be configured to be different than the first bond composition.

[0027] In some embodiments, the connecting portion may be structurally configured to provide enhanced flexibility of the optical fiber ribbon and reduced stress resulting from bending.

[0028] In some embodiments, the second bond composition may be configured to be different than the first bond composition and may be structurally configured to form a more flexible bond than the first bond composition.

[0029] In some embodiments, the second longitudinal reference line may be positioned on the intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon at a location configured for acute bending.

[0030] In some embodiments, the third bond composition may be configured to be different than the first bond composition and may be structurally configured to form a weaker bond than the first bond composition.

[0031] In some embodiments, the third bond portions may be structurally configured to mitigate the plurality of optical fibers from fanning out at a lateral cut line.

[0032] In some embodiments, the first bond composition and at least one of the second bond composition or the third bond composition may be configured to include the same bond composition.

[0033] In some embodiments, an optical fiber ribbon may be structurally configured to provide enhanced flexibility and reduced stress between fibers resulting from bending. In some embodiments, the optical fiber ribbon may include a plurality of optical fibers arranged in parallel and a connecting portion comprising a plurality of bond portions.

[0034] In some embodiments, the plurality of bond portions may be configured to be spaced apart from one another in a longitudinal direction between adjacent optical fibers of the plurality of optical fibers.

[0035] In some embodiments, the plurality of bond portions may include a plurality of first bond portions having a first bond composition and a plurality of second bond portions having a second bond composition that is configured to be different than the first bond composition.

[0036] In some embodiments, the second bond composition may be structurally configured to form at least one of a more flexible bond than the first bond composition or a weaker bond than the first bond composition.

[0037] In some embodiments, a first adjacent two of the optical fibers may be intermittently connected by the plurality of first bond portions spaced apart along a first longitudinal reference line and a second adjacent two of the optical fibers may beintermittently connected by the plurality of second bond portions spaced apart along a second longitudinal reference line.

[0038] In some embodiments, the second longitudinal reference line may be positioned on the intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon at a location configured for acute bending and / or the second bond composition may be structurally configured to form a more flexible bond than the first bond composition.

[0039] In some embodiments, the first adjacent two of the optical fibers may be intermittently connected along a first longitudinal reference line by both of the first bond portions and the second bond portions.

[0040] In some embodiments, the second bond composition may be structurally configured to form a weaker bond than the first bond composition.

[0041] In some embodiments, the second bond portions may be structurally configured to mitigate the plurality of optical fibers from fanning out at a lateral cut line.

[0042] In some embodiments, two or more of the second bond portions may be positioned between two successive first bond portions along the first longitudinal reference line.

[0043] In some embodiments, the second bond portions may have an average bond portion length that is less than an average bond portion length of the first bond portions.

[0044] In some embodiments, the second bond portions may have an average bond portion length that is greater than or equal to an average bond portion length of the first bond portions

[0045] In some embodiments, the second bond portions may have a smaller cross- sectional area and / or less bonding material than the first bond portions.

[0046] In some embodiments, the second bond portions may be structurally configured to mitigate separation of adjacent fibers at a cut location on the optical fiber ribbon.Brief Description of the Figures

[0047] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary optical fiber cable containing an intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon in accordance with various aspects of the disclosure

[0048] FIG. 2 is a top view of a portion of an example ribbon of optical fibers intermittently bonded together.

[0049] FIG. 3 is a sectional view of two adjacent fibers of the ribbon of FIG. 2 showing an example bonding of the adjacent fibers

[0050] FIG. 4 is a top view of a portion of a second example ribbon of optical fibers intermittently bonded together.

[0051] FIG. 5 is a top view of a portion of a third example ribbon of optical fibers intermittently bonded together.

[0052] FIG. 6 is a sectional view of an example ribbon of optical fibers in a rolled state.

[0053] In the drawings, like reference numbers may generally indicate identical, functionally similar, and / or structurally similar elements.Detailed Description

[0054] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary optical fiber cable 10 containing an intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon 100 in accordance with various aspects of the disclosure. In some embodiments, the intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon 100 may be placed inside a buffer tube 12 of the optical fiber cable 10. For example, the optical fiber ribbon 100 may be rolled when placed inside the buffer tube 12. In some embodiments, the optical fiber cable 10 may include a water blocking tape 14, a sheath 16, a strength member 18, a ripcord 20, and / or a swellable yarn 22. In some embodiments, rather than be placed inside a buffer tube, the intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon 100 may be rolled and / or bundled together using a binder and disposed loosely in the sheath 16. In the example of FIG. 1 , the strength member 18 is shown embedded in the sheath 16. In other embodiments, the strength member 18 may be positioned radially inward of the sheath 16.

[0055] In the illustrated embodiment, the optical fiber ribbon 100 is a twelve fiber (12F) ribbon. In other embodiments, however, the optical fiber ribbon 100 may contain more or less than twelve fibers. It should be appreciated that the optical fiber cable 10 may be sized to contain any number of buffer tubes and / or bundled intermittently bondedoptical fiber ribbons 100, and / or the buffer tubes may be sized to contain any number of intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbons.

[0056] FIG. 2 illustrates a portion of an example intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon 200. Other portions of the intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon 200 may be substantially similar to the portion illustrated in FIG. 2. The intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon 200 may include a plurality of optical transmission portions 201 -212, for example, optical fibers. Although the optical fiber ribbon 200 illustrated in FIG. 2 includes twelve optical fibers (i.e., an 12F ribbon), it should be understood that the features described in this disclosure can be applied to optical fiber ribbons having more or less than twelve optical fibers (e.g., eight fiber (8F)).

[0057] The optical fibers 201 -212 may be structurally configured to generally extend in a longitudinal direction X (e.g., parallel with each other) and are arranged side-by-side in a direction Y transverse (e.g., perpendicular) to the longitudinal direction X. For example, first and second optical fibers 201 , 202 may be adjacent to one another, the second and the third optical fibers 202, 203 may be adjacent to one another, while the second optical fiber 202 may be between the first and the third optical fibers 201 , 203. Thus, the second optical fiber 202 may be adjacent to a fiber on opposing sides in the transverse direction Y. This same relationship may exist between adjacent optical fibers from the second optical fiber 202 to eleventh optical fiber 211 . However, end optical fibers (i.e., the first and twelfth optical fibers 201 , 212) may only be adjacent to one other optical fiber.

[0058] As illustrated in FIG. 2, each of second to eleventh optical fibers 202-211 may be connected to adjacent optical fibers on opposing sides in the transverse direction by a connecting portion 220. For example, in some implementations, the second optical fiber 202 may be bonded to the first and the third optical fibers 201 , 203, the third optical fiber 203 may be bonded to the second and the fourth optical fibers 202, 204, the fourth optical fiber 204 may be bonded to the third and the fifth optical fibers 203, 205, and so on. On the other hand, the first optical fiber 201 may only be bonded to the second optical fiber 202 and the twelfth optical fiber 212 may only be bonded to the eleventh optical fiber 211.

[0059] In order to enhance the flexibility of the optical fiber ribbon 200, the adjacent optical fibers may be intermittently connected or bonded to one another by bond portions 228 to form the connecting portion 220 rather than being bonded or connected to one another along their entire length in the longitudinal direction X.

[0060] The bond portions 228 may be configured in a variety of ways. For example, the bonding technique and the profile of the bond portions 228 may vary in different optical fiber ribbon embodiments and may differ at different portions of the optical fiber ribbon 200. Some bonding application techniques deposit bonding material from a point where the optical fibers touch or are closest together (a fiber tangent point between the fibers) to a partial or full fill of the void between the fibers. For example, FIG. 3 illustrates an example bond portion 228 having a cross-sectional area BA that fully fills an upper gap or space between the first and the second optical fibers 201 , 202. In some embodiments, the bonding application technique may deposit less bonding material such that the cross- sectional area BA may be a partial fill of the void between the fibers. For example, in some embodiments, less bonding material may result in a weaker bond than a full fill of the void.

[0061] In some implementations, the profile of the bond portions 228 may be structurally configured to subject the fibers to less stress when the intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon 200 is rolled or folded. For example, in some embodiments, the bond portion 228 may be structurally configured to reduce the amount of bonding material that is stretched (or compressed) when the fibers are moved (for example, rotated) relative to each other, therefore making such movement subject the fibers to less stress. In some embodiments, one or more bond portions 228 may be configured as described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 651 ,574, filed May 24, 2024, the disclosure of which is fully incorporate herein by reference.

[0062] The portion of the example optical fiber ribbon 200 in FIG. 2 illustrates bond portions 228 spaced apart from one another in a longitudinal direction between adjacent fibers 201 -212 to bond the adjacent fibers together. Each of the bond portions 228 may have a bond portion width BW (in the traverse direction Y), a bond portion length BL (in the longitudinal direction X), and a distance or spacing D between the bond portion andadjacent bond portions in the longitudinal directions (e g., along a centerline between adjacent fibers).

[0063] In some embodiments, the intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon 200 may utilize specific bonding patterns regarding bond portion length BL, bond portion width BW, and spacing D between bond portions 228 to form the connecting portion 220. In other embodiments, the intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon 200 may use random or pseudo-random bond patterns regarding bond portion length BL, bond portion width BW, and spacing D between bond portions 228 to form the connecting portion 220. In some embodiments, the intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon may use random or pseudorandom bond patterns configured as described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 682,026, filed August 12, 2024, the disclosure of which is fully incorporate herein by reference.

[0064] Each of the bonding patterns may use a longitudinal reference line between two adjacent fibers to guide the path of where to lay down the bond portions 228 between the adjacent fibers. For example, in some implementations, the longitudinal reference line may be the centerline CL between two adjacent fibers. The bond portions 228 may be formed in a variety of ways. For example, in some implementations, the bonding material forming the bond portions 228 may be applied by computer controlled intermittent nozzle spraying and inkjet printing with the pattern generated by computer algorithms.

[0065] Referring to FIG. 2, the illustrated portion of the example optical fiber ribbon 200 includes three first bond portions 230a-230c, of the plurality of bond portions 228, spaced apart along a first centerline CL1 between the first optical fiber 201 and the second optical fiber 202. For example, the process of applying the bonding material forming the first bond portions 230a-230c may use the first centerline CL1 as a first reference line for guiding the path of where to lay down the bonding material.

[0066] In the illustrated embodiment, each of the first bond portions 230a-230c may have, within normal state of the art processing variations, a constant bond portion width BW, constant bond portion length BL, and a constant bond portion spacing D. In other embodiments, however, one or more of the bond portion width BW, bond portion length BL, and bond portion spacing D of the first bond portions 230a-230c may vary.

[0067] A variety of bonding materials may be used for the first bond portions 230a- 230c. For example, in some implementations, the bond composition of the first bond portions 230a-230c may include an acrylate, silicone, or polyurethane based material or equivalent performing adhesives. In some embodiments, the first bond portions 230a- 230c may have a first bond composition. In some embodiments, the first bond composition may be structurally configured to provide the primary bond strength of the connecting portion 220 of the intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon 200.

[0068] In some embodiments, bond portions 228, in addition to the first bond portions 230a-230c, may comprise the first bond composition. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the first bond composition is used for the plurality of bond portions 228 spaced apart along the second centerline CL2 between the second optical fiber 202 and the third optical fiber 203, along the third centerline CL3 between the third optical fiber 203 and the fourth optical fiber 204, along the fifth centerline CL5 between the fifth optical fiber 205 and the sixth optical fiber 206, along the sixth centerline CL6 between the sixth optical fiber 206 and the seventh optical fiber 207, along the eighth centerline CL8 between the eighth optical fiber 208 and the ninth optical fiber 209, along the tenth centerline CL10 between the tenth optical fiber 210 and the eleventh optical fiber 211 , and along the eleventh centerline CL11 between the eleventh optical fiber 211 and the twelfth optical fiber 212.

[0069] In some embodiments, the bond portions 228 comprising the first bond composition may all have the same, or similar, bond portion width BW, bond portion length BL, and bond portion spacing D as the first bond portions 230a-230c. In other embodiments, however, one or more of the bond portion width BW, the bond portion length BL, and the bond portion spacing D may vary amongst the bond portions 228.

[0070] In some embodiments, the intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon 200 may include bond portions 228 that comprise one or more bond compositions that are different than the first bond composition. For example, the illustrated portion of the example optical fiber ribbon 200 may include eight second bond portions 232a-232h, of the plurality of bond portions 228, spaced apart along the ninth centerline CL9 between the ninth optical fiber 209 and the tenth optical fiber 210.

[0071] In the illustrated embodiment, each of the second bond portions 232a-232h may have, within normal state of the art processing variations, a constant bond portion width BW, constant bond portion length BL, and a constant bond portion spacing D. In other embodiments, however, one or more of the bond portion width BW, bond portion length BL, and bond portion spacing D of the second bond portions 232a-232h may vary. In some embodiments, the second bond portions 232a-232h may have a smaller bond portion length BL, or a smaller average bond portion length BL, than that first bond portions 230a-230c. In other embodiments, however, the bond portion length BL, or the average bond portion length BL, of the second bond portions 232a-232h may be the same or greater than the bond portion length BL, or average bond portion length BL, of the first bond portions 230a-230c. For example, in embodiments, the cross-sectional area of the second bond portions 232a-232h may be smaller and / or have less bonding material than the first bond portions 230a-230c.

[0072] In some embodiments, the second bond portions 232a-232h may have a smaller bond spacing D, or a smaller average bond spacing D, than that first bond portions 230a-230c. In other embodiments, however, the bond spacing D, or the average bond spacing D, of the second bond portions 232a-232h may be the same or greater than the bond spacing D, or the average bond spacing D, of the first bond portions 230a-230c.

[0073] A variety of bonding materials may be used for the second bond portions 232a-232h. For example, in some implementations, the bond composition of the second bond portions 232a-232h may include an acrylate, silicone, or polyurethane based material or equivalent performing adhesives. In some embodiments, the second bond portions 232a-232h may have a second bond composition that is different than the first bond composition.

[0074] In some embodiments, the second bond composition may be structurally configured to provide a more flexible bond than the first bond composition. In some embodiments, bond portions 228 comprising the second bond composition may be selectively positioned between two adjacent optical fibers to create folding lines or folding areas of the optical fiber ribbon 200 that may induce reduced or minimal stress on the optical fibers when folded or bent at the line or area.

[0075] For example, as shown in the example of FIG. 2, the optical fiber ribbon 200 may include a plurality of second bond portions 232a-232h spaced apart along the ninth centerline CL9 between the ninth optical fiber 209 and the tenth optical fiber 210; thus creating a folding line along the ninth centerline CL9 that is more flexible than a centerline (e.g., the first centerline CL1 ) along which the bond portions have the first bond composition are positioned.

[0076] In some embodiments, the optical fiber ribbon 200 may include bond portions having the second composition at multiple lateral locations (e.g., reference lines between adjacent fibers) on the ribbon. For example, in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 2, the optical fiber ribbon 200 may also include bond portions 228 comprising the second bond composition spaced apart along the fourth centerline CL4 between the fourth optical fiber 204 and the fifth optical fiber 205.

[0077] In some embodiments, the second bond composition may be structurally configured to provide a weaker bond (e.g., an attachment force that is weaker) than the first bond composition. For example, the second bond composition may provide a relatively low bonding strength. In some embodiments, the low bonding strength of the second bond composition may provide a minimal additional strength to ribbon allowing the number and / or size of the bond portions utilizing the first bond composition to be reduced (e.g., the bond portion length BL of the first bond portions 230a-230c may be shorter); thus, reducing the overall amount of bonding material used for those bond portions.

[0078] In addition, while in some embodiments the weaker bond strength (i.e., weaker attachment force) of the bond portions having the second bond composition may not add a significant amount of strength to the overall strength of the connecting portion 220, the bond portions with the second bond composition may provide organizational structure to the optical fiber ribbon 200 keep optical fibers together (i.e., prevent optical fibers from fanning out) during mass fusion and splicing operations.

[0079] FIG. 4 illustrates a portion of an example intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon 400. Other portions of the intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon 400 may be substantially similar to the portion illustrated in FIG. 4. The intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon 400 may include a plurality of optical transmission portions 401-412, forexample, optical fibers. Although the optical fiber ribbon 400 illustrated in FIG. 4 includes twelve optical fibers (i.e., an 12F ribbon), it should be understood that the features described in this disclosure can be applied to optical fiber ribbons having more or less than twelve optical fibers (e.g., eight fiber (8F)).

[0080] The optical fibers 401 -412 may be structurally configured to generally extend in a longitudinal direction X (e.g., parallel with each other) and are arranged side-by-side in a direction Y transverse (e.g., perpendicular) to the longitudinal direction X. For example, first and second optical fibers 401 , 402 may be adjacent to one another, the second and the third optical fibers 402, 403 may be adjacent to one another, while the second optical fiber 402 may be between the first and the third optical fibers 401 , 403, and so on.

[0081] As illustrated in FIG. 4, each of second to eleventh optical fibers 402-411 may be connected to adjacent optical fibers on opposing sides in the transverse direction by a connecting portion 420. For example, in some implementations, the second optical fiber 402 may be bonded to the first and the third optical fibers 401 , 403, the third optical fiber 403 may be bonded to the second and the fourth optical fibers 402, 404, the fourth optical fiber 404 may be bonded to the third and the fifth optical fibers 403, 405, and so on. On the other hand, the first optical fiber 401 may only be bonded to the second optical fiber 402 and the twelfth optical fiber 412 may only be bonded to the eleventh optical fiber 411.

[0082] In order to enhance the flexibility of the optical fiber ribbon 400, the adjacent optical fibers may be intermittently connected or bonded to one another by bond portions 428 to form the connecting portion 420 rather than being bonded or connected to one another along their entire length in the longitudinal direction X. The example intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon 400 may be substantially similar to the example intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon 200. Thus, the description of the intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon 200 may apply equally to the intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon 400. In the illustrated example, however, the intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon 400 includes both bond portions 428 having the first bond composition and bond portions 428 having the second bond composition along the same centerline or along multiple centerlines.

[0083] The portion of the example optical fiber ribbon 400 in FIG. 4 illustrates bond portions 428 spaced apart from one another in a longitudinal direction between adjacent fibers 401 -412 to bond the adjacent fibers together. Each of the bond portions 428 may have a bond portion width BW (in the traverse direction Y), a bond portion length BL (in the longitudinal direction X), and a distance or spacing D between the bond portion and adjacent bond portions in the longitudinal directions (e.g., along a centerline between adjacent fibers).

[0084] In some embodiments, the intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon 400 may utilize specific bonding patterns regarding bond portion length BL, bond portion width BW, and spacing D between bond portions 428 to form the connecting portion 420. In other embodiments, the intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon 400 may use random or pseudo-random bond patterns regarding bond portion length BL, bond portion width BW, and spacing D between bond portions 428 to form the connecting portion 420.

[0085] Each of the bonding patterns may use a longitudinal reference line between two adjacent fibers to guide the path of where to lay down the bond portions 428 between the adjacent fibers. For example, in some implementations, the longitudinal reference line may be the centerline CL between two adjacent fibers. The bond portions 428 may be formed in a variety of ways. For example, in some implementations, the bonding material forming the bond portions 428 may be applied by computer controlled intermittent nozzle spraying and inkjet printing with the pattern generated by computer algorithms.

[0086] Referring to FIG. 4, the illustrated portion of the example optical fiber ribbon 400 includes twelve first bond portions 430a-430l, of the plurality of bond portions 428, spaced apart along a first centerline CL1 between the first optical fiber 401 and the second optical fiber 402.

[0087] In some embodiments, one or more of the first bond portions 430a-430l may have a first bond composition and one or more other of the first bond portions may have a second bond composition. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the fourth of the first bond portion 430d, the eighth of the first bond portion 430h, and the twelfth of the first bond portion 430I may have the first bond composition. In some embodiments, the first bond composition may be structurally configured to provide the primary bond strength of the connecting portion 420 of the intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon 400.

[0088] In some embodiments, each of the first bond portions 430d, 430h, 4301 having the first bond composition may have, within normal state of the art processing variations, a constant bond portion width BW, constant bond portion length BL, and a constant bond portion spacing D1 between the first bond portions having the first bond composition. In other embodiments, however, one or more of the first bond portions having the first bond composition may have a bond portion width BW, bond portion length BL, and bond portion spacing D1 that is different.

[0089] In the illustrated embodiment, the first of the first bond portions 430a, the second of the first bond portions 430b, the third of the first bond portions 430c, the fifth of the first bond portions 430e, the sixth of the first bond portions 430f, the seventh of the first bond portions 430g, the ninth of the first bond portions 430i, the tenth of the first bond portions 430j, and the eleventh of the first bond portions 430k may have the second bond composition. In some embodiments, each of the first bond portions having the second bond composition 430a-c, 430e-g, 430i-k may have, within normal state of the art processing variations, a constant bond portion width BW, constant bond portion length BL, and a constant bond portion spacing D2 between the adjacent second bond portions having the second bond composition. In other embodiments, however, one or more of the first bond portions having the first bond composition may have a bond portion width BW, bond portion length BL, and bond portion spacing D2 that is different.

[0090] As shown in FIG. 4, in some embodiments, bonding patterns using both bond portions having the first bond composition and bond portions having the second bond composition may be used to bond one or more pairs of adjacent fibers together in addition to the first and second fibers 401 , 402. For example, in some embodiments, each of the optical fibers 401-412 may be bonded to an adjacent optical fiber by both bond portions having the first bond composition and bond portions having the second bond composition along the respective centerlines CL1 -CL11 .

[0091] In some embodiments, the second bond composition may be structurally configured to provide a weaker bond than the first bond composition. For example, the second bond composition may provide a relatively low bonding strength. In some embodiments, the low bonding strength of the second bond composition may provide a minimal additional strength to the ribbon allowing the number and / or size of the bondportions utilizing the first bond composition to be reduced (e.g., the bond portion length BL of the fourth bond portion 430d may be shorter); thus, reducing the overall amount of bonding material used for those bond portions.

[0092] In addition, while in some embodiments the weaker bond strength of the bond portions having the second bond composition may not add a significant amount of strength to the overall strength of the connecting portion 420, the first bond portions with the second bond composition may provide organizational structure to the optical fiber ribbon 400 keep optical fibers together (i.e., prevent optical fibers from fanning out) during mass fusion and splicing operations. For example, if the optical fiber ribbon 400 were to be cut along a lateral cut line (e.g., the dashed line S in FIG. 4), the first bond portions with the second bond composition may mitigate fanning out of the optical fibers at, or adjacent, the cut end portions.

[0093] FIG. 5 illustrates a portion of an example intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon 500. Other portions of the intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon 500 may be substantially similar to the portion illustrated in FIG. 5. The intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon 500 may include a plurality of optical transmission portions 501-512, for example, optical fibers. Although the optical fiber ribbon 500 illustrated in FIG. 5 includes twelve optical fibers (i.e., an 12F ribbon), it should be understood that the features described in this disclosure can be applied to optical fiber ribbons having more or less than twelve optical fibers (e.g., eight fiber (8F)).

[0094] The optical fibers 501 -512 may be structurally configured to generally extend in a longitudinal direction X (e.g., parallel with each other) and are arranged side-by-side in a direction Y transverse (e.g., perpendicular) to the longitudinal direction X. For example, first and second optical fibers 501 , 502 may be adjacent to one another, the second and the third optical fibers 502, 503 may be adjacent to one another, while the second optical fiber 502 may be between the first and the third optical fibers 501 , 503, and so on.

[0095] As illustrated in FIG. 5, each of second to eleventh optical fibers 502-511 may be connected to adjacent optical fibers on opposing sides in the transverse direction by a connecting portion 520. For example, in some implementations, the second optical fiber 502 may be bonded to the first and the third optical fibers 501 , 503, the third opticalfiber 503 may be bonded to the second and the fourth optical fibers 502, 504, the fourth optical fiber 504 may be bonded to the third and the fifth optical fibers 503, 505, and so on. On the other hand, the first optical fiber 501 may only be bonded to the second optical fiber 502 and the twelfth optical fiber 512 may only be bonded to the eleventh optical fiber 511.

[0096] In order to enhance the flexibility of the optical fiber ribbon 500, the adjacent optical fibers may be intermittently connected or bonded to one another by bond portions 528 to form the connecting portion 520 rather than being bonded or connected to one another along their entire length in the longitudinal direction X. The example intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon 500 may be substantially similar to the example intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbons 200, 400. Thus, the description of the intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbons 200, 400 may apply equally to the intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon 500. In the illustrated example, however, the intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon 500 includes bond patterns that have both bond portions 528 having the first bond composition and bond portions 528 having the second bond composition along the same centerline or along multiple centerlines and also include bond patterns having bond portions 528 having the second bond composition along one or more centerlines to form a folding line or folding area.

[0097] The portion of the example optical fiber ribbon 500 in FIG. 5 illustrates bond portions 528 spaced apart from one another in a longitudinal direction between adjacent fibers 501 -512 to bond the adjacent fibers together. Each of the bond portions 528 may have a bond portion width BW (in the traverse direction Y), a bond portion length BL (in the longitudinal direction X), and a distance or spacing D between the bond portion and adjacent bond portions in the longitudinal directions (e.g., along a centerline between adjacent fibers).

[0098] In some embodiments, the intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon 500 may utilize specific bonding patterns regarding bond portion length BL, bond portion width BW, and spacing D between bond portions 528 to form the connecting portion 520. In other embodiments, the intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon 500 may use random or pseudo-random bond patterns regarding bond portion length BL, bond portion width BW, and spacing D between bond portions 528 to form the connecting portion 520.

[0099] Each of the bonding patterns may use a longitudinal reference line between two adjacent fibers to guide the path of where to lay down the bond portions 528 between the adjacent fibers. For example, in some implementations, the longitudinal reference line may be the centerline CL between two adjacent fibers. The bond portions 528 may be formed in a variety of ways. For example, in some implementations, the bonding material forming the bond portions 528 may be applied by computer controlled intermittent nozzle spraying and inkjet printing with the pattern generated by computer algorithms.

[0100] Referring to FIG. 5, the illustrated portion of the example optical fiber ribbon 500 includes twelve first bond portions 530a-530l, of the plurality of bond portions 528, spaced apart along a first centerline CL1 between the first optical fiber 501 and the second optical fiber 502.

[0101] In some embodiments, one or more of the first bond portions 530a-530l may have a first bond composition and one or more other of the first bond portions may have a second bond composition. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the fourth of the first bond portions 530d, the eighth of the first bond portions 530h, and the twelfth of the first bond portions 530I may have the first bond composition. In some embodiments, the first bond composition may be structurally configured to provide the primary bond strength of the connecting portion 520 of the intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon 500.

[0102] In some embodiments, each of the first bond portions 530d, 530h, 530I having the first bond composition may have, within normal state of the art processing variations, a constant bond portion width BW, constant bond portion length BL, and a constant bond portion spacing D1 between the first bond portions having the first bond composition. In other embodiments, however, one or more of the first bond portions having the first bond composition may have a bond portion width BW, bond portion length BL, and bond portion spacing D1 that is different.

[0103] In the illustrated embodiment, the first of the first bond portions 530a, the second of the first bond portions 530b, the third of the first bond portions 530c, the fifth of the first bond portions 530e, the sixth of the first bond portions 530f, the seventh of the first bond portions 530g, the ninth of the first bond portions 530i, the tenth of the first bond portions 530j, and the eleventh of the first bond portions 530k may have the second bond composition. In some embodiments, each of the first bond portions having the secondbond composition 530a-c, 530e-g, 530i-k may have, within normal state of the art processing variations, a constant bond portion width BW, constant bond portion length BL, and a constant bond portion spacing D2 between the adjacent second bond portions having the second bond composition. In other embodiments, however, one or more of the first bond portions having the second bond composition may have a bond portion width BW, bond portion length BL, and bond portion spacing D2 that is different.

[0104] As shown in FIG. 5, in some embodiments, bonding patterns using both bond portions having the first bond composition and bond portions having the second bond composition may be used to bond one or more pairs of adjacent fibers together in addition to the first and second fibers 501 , 502. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the bonding pattern using both bond portions having the first bond composition and bond portions having the second bond composition may be used for the plurality of bond portions 528 spaced apart along the second centerline CL2 between the second optical fiber 502 and the third optical fiber 503, along the third centerline CL3 between the third optical fiber 503 and the fourth optical fiber 504, along the fifth centerline CL5 between the fifth optical fiber 505 and the sixth optical fiber 506, along the sixth centerline CL6 between the sixth optical fiber 506 and the seventh optical fiber 507, along the eighth centerline CL8 between the eighth optical fiber 508 and the ninth optical fiber 509, along the tenth centerline CL10 between the tenth optical fiber 510 and the eleventh optical fiber 511 , and along the eleventh centerline CL11 between the eleventh optical fiber 511 and the twelfth optical fiber 512.

[0105] In some embodiments, the second bond composition may be structurally configured to provide a weaker bond than the first bond composition. For example, the second bond composition may provide a relatively low bonding strength. In some embodiments, the low bonding strength of the second bond composition may provide a minimal additional strength to the ribbon allowing the number and / or size of the bond portions utilizing the first bond composition to be reduced (e.g., the bond portion length BL of the fourth bond portion 530d may be shorter); thus, reducing the overall amount of bonding material used for those bond portions.

[0106] In addition, while in some embodiments the weaker bond strength of the bond portions having the second bond composition may not add a significant amount ofstrength to the overall strength of the connecting portion 520, the first bond portions with the second bond composition may provide organizational structure to the optical fiber ribbon 500 keep optical fibers together (i.e. , prevent optical fibers from fanning out) during mass fusion and splicing operations. For example, if the optical fiber ribbon 500 were to be cut along a lateral cut line (e.g., the dashed line S in FIG. 5), the first bond portions with the second bond composition may mitigate fanning out of the optical fibers at, or adjacent, the cut end portions.

[0107] In some embodiments, the intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon 500 may include a bond pattern between adjacent optical fibers that only utilizes bond portions 528 having the second bond composition. For example, the illustrated portion of the example optical fiber ribbon 500 may include eight second bond portions 532a-532h, of the plurality of bond portions 528, spaced apart along the ninth centerline CL9 between the ninth optical fiber 509 and the tenth optical fiber 510. In some embodiments, the second bond portions 532a-532h may have the second bond composition.

[0108] In some embodiments, the second bond composition may be structurally configured to provide a more flexible bond than the first bond composition. In some embodiments, bond portions 528 comprising the second bond composition may be selectively positioned between two adjacent optical fibers (e.g., the ninth optical fiber 509 and the tenth optical fiber 510) to create folding lines or folding areas of the optical fiber ribbon 500 that may induce reduced or minimal stress one the optical fibers when folded or bent at the line or area.

[0109] In some embodiments, the optical fiber ribbon 500 may include bond portions having the second composition at multiple lateral locations (e.g., reference lines between adjacent fibers) on the ribbon. For example, in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 5, the optical fiber ribbon 500 may also include bond portions 528 comprising the second bond composition spaced apart along the fourth centerline CL4 between the fourth optical fiber 504 and the fifth optical fiber 505.

[0110] FIG. 6 shows an example folding patterns of a ribbon 600 of the disclosure that can be created to optimize the tightening of fibers into a small group, while minimizing inherent stress on the fibers. The example ribbon 600 includes a plurality of optical transmission portions, for example, optical fibers. Although the optical fiber ribbon 600illustrated in FIG. 6 includes twelve optical fibers 601-612 (i.e., a 12F ribbon), the features described in this disclosure can be applied to optical fiber ribbons having more or less than twelve fibers (e.g., eight fibers (8F)).

[0111] Each of the optical fibers 601-612 may be connected to adjacent optical fibers on opposing sides by a connecting portion 620. In order to enhance the flexibility of the optical fiber ribbon 600, adjacent optical fibers 601 -612 may be intermittently connected or bonded to one another by bond portions 628 to form the connecting portion 620. The intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon 600 may utilize bond portions 628 having two or more different bond compositions, as described above in relation to optical fiber ribbon of FIGS. 2-5.

[0112] For example, in the illustrated implementation, the bond portions 633 connecting the fourth optical fiber 604 to the fifth optical fiber 605 and connecting the eighth optical fiber 608 to the ninth optical fiber 609 may be structurally configured to provide a more flexible bond and / or a weaker bond than the bond portions connecting other pairs of adjacent fibers.

[0113] For example, the bond portions 633 connecting the fourth optical fiber 604 to the fifth optical fiber 605 and connecting the eighth optical fiber 608 to the ninth optical fiber 609 may utilize the second bond composition while the bond portions 634 connecting other adjacent pairs of fibers (e.g., connecting the seventh optical fiber 607 and the eighth optical fiber 608)

[0114] As a result, bond portions 633 joining the fourth optical fiber 604 to the fifth optical fiber 605 and joining the eighth optical fiber 608 to the ninth optical fiber 609 may provide more flexibility which allows the ribbon 600 to bend more readily at those bond portions 633 and subject the fibers to less stress. In some implementations, the bond portions 633 may be structurally configured to allow for acute bending (i.e., a bending angle [3 of 90 degrees or more) of the ribbon at those portions, as shown in FIG. 6.

[0115] The example of an optical fiber ribbon 600 in FIG. 6 illustrates the bond portions 628 on one side (e.g., top side or the bottom side) of the optical fiber ribbon 600. In other embodiments, however, a combination of bond portions 628 may be positioned on the top side and bottom side of optical fiber ribbon 600 to facilitate folding or coiling. Thus, selected placement of the bond portions 628 on the top side and / or the bottom sideof the optical fiber ribbon 600, along with the use of different bond compositions, may allow a ribbon designer to create an optical fiber ribbon that more easily conforms to a desired shape inside a cable.

[0116] The above description in conjunction with the above-reference drawings sets forth a variety of embodiments for exemplary purposes, which are in no way intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Those having skill in the relevant art can modify the described apparatus and methods in various ways without departing from the broadest scope of the disclosure. Thus, the scope of the apparatus and methods described herein should not be limited by any of the exemplary embodiments and should be defined in accordance with the accompanying claims and their equivalents.

Claims

What is Claimed is:1 . An optical fiber ribbon structurally configured to provide enhanced flexibility and reduced bending stress, comprising: a plurality of optical fibers arranged in parallel; a connecting portion configured to connect adjacent optical fibers together; wherein the connecting portion includes a plurality of bond portions that are configured to be spaced apart from one another in a longitudinal direction between adjacent optical fibers of the plurality of optical fibers; wherein a first adjacent two of the optical fibers are intermittently connected by first bond portions spaced apart along a first longitudinal reference line, wherein the first bond portions comprise a first bond composition; wherein a second adjacent two of the optical fibers are intermittently connected by second bond portions spaced apart along a second longitudinal reference line, wherein the second bond portions comprise a second bond composition; wherein the first adjacent two of the optical fibers are intermittently connected by third bond portions spaced apart along the first longitudinal reference line, wherein the third bond portions comprise a third bond composition; and wherein at least one of the second bond composition or the third bond composition is structurally configured to be at least one of weaker or more flexibly different than the first bond composition; and wherein the connecting portion is structurally configured to provide enhanced flexibility of the optical fiber ribbon and reduced stress on the optical fiber resulting from bending of the optical fiber ribbon.

2. The ribbon of claim 1 , wherein the second bond composition is configured to be different than the first bond composition and is structurally configured to form a more flexible bond than the first bond composition.

3. The ribbon of claim 2, wherein the second longitudinal reference line is positioned on the intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon at a location configured for acute bending.

4. The ribbon of claim 1 , wherein the third bond composition is configured to be different than the first bond composition and is structurally configured to form a weaker bond than the first bond composition.

5. The ribbon of claim 4, wherein the third bond portions are structurally configured to mitigate the plurality of optical fibers from fanning out at a lateral cut line.

6. The ribbon of any of claims 1-5, wherein the first bond composition and at least one of the second bond composition or the third bond composition have the same bond composition.

7. An optical fiber ribbon configured to provide enhanced flexibility and reduced bending stress, comprising: a plurality of optical fibers arranged in parallel; a plurality of bond portions configured to bond adjacent optical fibers together, wherein the plurality of bond portions include a plurality of first bond portions having a first bond composition and a plurality of second bond portions having a second bond composition that is configured to be different than the first bond composition; and wherein the second bond composition is structurally configured to be at least one of weaker or more flexibly different than the first bond composition so as to provide enhanced optical fiber ribbon flexibility and reduced optical fiber bending stress during operation of the ribbon.

8. The ribbon of claim 7, wherein a first adjacent two of the optical fibers are intermittently connected by the plurality of first bond portions spaced apart along a first longitudinal reference line and wherein a second adjacent two of the optical fibers are intermittently connected by the plurality of second bond portions spaced apart along a second longitudinal reference line.

9. The ribbon of claim 8, wherein the second longitudinal reference line is positioned on the intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon at a location configured for acute bending and the second bond composition is structurally configured to form a more flexible bond than the first bond composition.

10. The ribbon of claim 7, wherein a first adjacent two of the optical fibers are intermittently connected along a first longitudinal reference line by the first bond portions and the second bond portions.

11. The ribbon of claim 10, wherein the second bond composition is structurally configured to form a weaker bond than the first bond composition.

12. The ribbon of claim 11 , wherein the second bond portions are structurally configured to mitigate the plurality of optical fibers from fanning out at a lateral cut line.

13. The ribbon of any of claims 10-12, wherein two or more of the second bond portions are positioned between two successive first bond portions along the first longitudinal reference line.

14. The ribbon of any of claims 7-12, wherein the second bond portions have an average bond portion length that is less than an average bond portion length of the first bond portions.

15. The ribbon of any of claims 7-12, wherein the second bond portions have an average bond portion length that is greater than or equal to an average bond portion length of the first bond portions.

16. An optical fiber ribbon configured to provide enhanced ribbon flexibility and reduced ribbon bending stress during operation of the ribbon, comprising: a first bond portion having a first bond composition that is configured to provide a first bond optical fiber attachment force and a first bond flexibility during optical fiber bending range; a second plurality of second bond portions having a second bond composition that is configured to provide a second bond portion optical fiber attachment force that is weaker than the first bond portion optical fiber attachment force and a second bond portion optical fiber flexibility during optical fiber bending range that is configured to provide greater optical fiber flexibility during optical fiber bending than provided by the first bond portion optical fiber flexibility during optical fiber bending range so as to provide enhanced ribbon flexibility and reduced ribbon bending stress during operation of the ribbon.

17. The ribbon of claim 16, further comprising a plurality of optical fibers arranged in parallel, a connecting portion comprising a plurality of bond portions configured to be spaced apart from one another in a longitudinal direction between adjacent optical fibers of the plurality of optical fibers, and wherein the plurality of bond portions comprise the first plurality of first bond portions and the second plurality of second bond portions.

18. The ribbon of claim 17, wherein a first adjacent two of the optical fibers are intermittently connected by the plurality of first bond portions spaced apart along a first longitudinal reference line and wherein a second adjacent two of the optical fibers are intermittently connected by the plurality of second bond portions spaced apart along a second longitudinal reference line.

19. The ribbon of claim 18, wherein the second bond composition is configured to form a more flexible bond than the first bond composition.

20. The ribbon of claim 19, wherein the second longitudinal reference line is positioned on the intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon at a location configured for acute bending.

21. The ribbon of claim 17, wherein a first adjacent two of the optical fibers are intermittently connected along a first longitudinal reference line by the first bond portions and by the second bond portions.

22. The ribbon of claim 21 , wherein the second bond composition is configured to form a weaker bond than the first bond composition.

23. The ribbon of claim 22, wherein the second bond portions are configured to reduce fanning out of the plurality of optical fibers at a lateral cut line.

23. The ribbon of any one of claims 20-22, wherein two or more of the second bond portions are positioned between two successive first bond portions along the first longitudinal reference line.

24. The ribbon of any one of claims 16-22, wherein the second bond portions have an average bond portion length that is less than an average bond portion length of the first bond portions.

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