Optical Fiber Ribbon Structure for Stable Central Fiber Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacture of optical-fiber ribbons faces challenges in maintaining consistent thickness of the common covering layer due to varying resin pressure and shear stress, leading to difficulties in forming stable cuts between optical fibers, especially at the central portion, which worsens at higher manufacturing speeds.
Innovation Solution
The optical-fiber ribbon design features alternating intermittent and continuous connection portions with varying thicknesses and a specialized die with specific opposing portions that control resin distribution, ensuring even resin pressure and facilitating easy cutting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If resin is applied to the optical-fiber ribbon at high manufacturing speed, then productivity increases, but the resin pressure difference between central and edge portions increases causing unstable cut formation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating different thickness characteristics in different regions of the common covering layer. Specifically, the central intermittent connection portion is designed with a smaller thickness than the adjacent continuous connection portions. This localized thickness variation compensates for the resin pressure difference that occurs during high-speed manufacturing, ensuring that cuts can be stably formed at the central portion while maintaining adequate coverage elsewhere.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the common covering layer thickness at the central portion is increased to prevent resin flow, then stability improves, but cutting difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by precisely controlling the thickness parameter of the common covering layer in different regions. The central intermittent connection portion is designed with a thickness of 0.01 to 0.05 times the fiber diameter, while adjacent continuous connection portions have a thickness of 0.05 to 0.1 times the fiber diameter. This parameter optimization enables both stable cut formation and ease of cutting by finding the optimal thickness range.
3Ease of manufacture
If the resin pressure at the central portion is reduced to facilitate cutting, then cutting ease improves, but resin flow into the central portion decreases causing instability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-forming the common covering layer with specific thickness characteristics before the cutting process. The manufacturing process is designed to create a thinner common covering layer at the central intermittent connection portion in advance, so that when cutting is performed, the material is already in an optimal state for clean separation without requiring additional pressure reduction or complex cutting adjustments.
Data Source
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AI summary
An optical-fiber ribbon includes a plurality of optical-fibers, and a common covering layer. There are formed a plurality of intermittent connection portions in which a first connection portion that is formed from the common covering layer and a non-connection portion are alternately formed between the optical-fibers. There are formed a plurality of continuous connection portions in which a second connection portion that is formed from the common covering layer is continuously formed between optical-fibers. The intermittent connection portions include a central intermittent connection portion at a central portion of the optical-fiber ribbon in a width direction. The continuous connection portions include adjacent continuous connection portions. A thickness of adjacent continuous connection portion is larger than a thickness of the central intermittent connection portion and is larger than a thickness of the continuous connection portion other than the adjacent continuous connection portions.