Optical-fiber ribbon with spaced optical-fiber units
An optical-fiber ribbon includes optical fibers (e.g., reduced-diameter optical fibers) arranged in parallel within optical-fiber units, wherein at least one adjacent pair of optical-fiber units is separated by a longitudinal adhesive-free spacing for a portion of the optical-fiber ribbon's length. Typically, each adjacent pair of optical-fiber units is separated by an adhesive-free spacing for a respective portion of the optical-fiber assembly's longitudinal length. In an exemplary embodiment, longitudinal adhesive-free spacings effectively increase the width of an optical-fiber ribbon formed of reduced-diameter optical fibers so that the optical-fiber ribbon achieves a more conventional optical-fiber ribbon width, thereby facilitating mass-fusion splicing using standard splicing equipment.
1. An optical-fiber ribbon, comprising:
(i) a plurality n of respectively adjacent optical fibers extending in a longitudinal direction and arranged in parallel to form an optical-fiber assembly having a width w extending crosswise to a longitudinal length of the optical-fiber assembly, wherein the n optical fibers are arranged in a plurality U of respectively adjacent optical-fiber units; and
(ii) bonding material deposited on a major surface of the optical-fiber assembly, the bonding material adhesively bonding adjacent optical-fiber units and the corresponding adjacent optical fibers in the optical-fiber assembly, wherein:
adjacent optical fibers within each optical-fiber unit are respectively contiguous to one another;
each adjacent pair of optical-fiber units is separated by an adhesive-free spacing for a respective portion of the optical-fiber assembly's longitudinal length, the respective adhesive-free spacings between adjacent optical-fiber units having a mean width S avg ,
the n optical fibers have a mean diameter d avg ; and
the respective adhesive-free spacings have a mean width S avg that is at least 50 percent of the mean diameter d avg of the n optical fibers.
2. The optical-fiber ribbon according to claim 1 , wherein:
the n optical fibers have a mean diameter d avg ; and
the respective adhesive-free spacings have a mean width S avg that is at least 75 percent of the mean diameter d avg of the n optical fibers.
3. The optical-fiber ribbon according to claim 1 , wherein:
the n optical fibers have a mean diameter d avg ; and
the respective adhesive-free spacings have a mean width S avg that is at least 100 percent of the mean diameter d avg of the n optical fibers.
4. The optical-fiber ribbon according to claim 1 , wherein the n optical fibers are uniformly distributed into the U optical-fiber units whereby each of the U optical-fiber units has the same number u n of optical fibers.
5. The optical-fiber ribbon according to claim 4 , wherein each of the U optical-fiber units has at least six optical fibers.
6. The optical-fiber ribbon according to claim 4 , wherein each of the U optical-fiber units has at least 12 optical fibers.
7. The optical-fiber ribbon according to claim 4 , wherein the n optical fibers are uniformly distributed into (i) two adjacent optical-fiber units whereby U=2, (ii) three respectively adjacent optical-fiber units whereby U=3, or (iii) four respectively adjacent optical-fiber units whereby U=4.
8. The optical-fiber ribbon according to claim 1 , wherein the optical-fiber assembly includes between 12 and 36 optical fibers whereby 12≥n≥36.
9. The optical-fiber ribbon according to claim 1 , wherein each of the n optical fibers has a nominal diameter d of between 180 microns and 200 microns.
10. The optical-fiber ribbon according to claim 1 , wherein the bonding material has (i) elongation at break of at least 150 percent as measured via ASTM D638-14 and (ii) Young's modulus of between 1 MPa and 15 MPa as measured via ASTM D638-14.
11. The optical-fiber ribbon according to claim 1 , wherein, for a portion of the optical-fiber assembly's longitudinal length, the bonding material comprises a continuous bead of bonding material.
12. The optical-fiber ribbon according to claim 1 , wherein, for a portion of the optical-fiber assembly's longitudinal length, the bonding material comprises a plurality of successive rectilinear beads arranged lengthwise along the optical-fiber assembly, wherein the beads are configured to form elongated bonds between adjacent optical fibers in the optical-fiber assembly.
13. An optical-fiber ribbon, comprising:
(i) a plurality n of respectively adjacent optical fibers extending in a longitudinal direction and arranged in parallel to form a substantially planar optical-fiber assembly having a width w extending crosswise to a longitudinal length of the optical-fiber assembly, wherein the n optical fibers have the same nominal diameter d of between 180 microns and 200 microns, wherein the n optical fibers are uniformly distributed into a plurality U of respectively adjacent optical-fiber units whereby each of the U optical-fiber units has the same number u n of optical fibers, and wherein adjacent optical fibers within each optical-fiber unit are respectively substantially contiguous to one another; and
(ii) bonding material deposited on a major surface of the optical-fiber assembly, the bonding material adhesively bonding adjacent optical-fiber units and the corresponding adjacent optical fibers in the optical-fiber assembly, wherein each adjacent pair of optical-fiber units is separated by a longitudinal adhesive-free spacing for a respective portion of the optical-fiber assembly's longitudinal length, the respective longitudinal adhesive-free spacings having a mean gap width S avg , wherein:
S avg ≥(0.1· n ·( d 250 −d ))÷( U− 1), where d 250 is 250 microns, the nominal width of a conventional optical fiber.
14. The optical-fiber ribbon according to claim 13 , wherein the respective longitudinal adhesive-free spacings have a mean gap width S avg , wherein:
S avg ≥(0.15· n ·( d 250 −d ))÷( U− 1), where d 250 is 250 microns, the nominal width of a conventional optical fiber.
15. The optical-fiber ribbon according to claim 13 , wherein the respective longitudinal adhesive-free spacings have a mean gap width S avg , wherein:
S avg ≥(0.25· n ·( d 250 −d ))÷( U− 1), where d 250 is 250 microns, the nominal width of a conventional optical fiber.
16. The optical-fiber ribbon according to claim 13 , wherein the mean gap width S avg of the respective adhesive-free spacings is at least 50 percent of the mean diameter d avg of the n optical fibers.
17. The optical-fiber ribbon according to claim 13 , wherein the mean gap width S avg of the respective adhesive-free spacings is at least 75 percent of the mean diameter d avg of the n optical fibers.
18. The optical-fiber ribbon according to claim 13 , wherein the mean gap width S avg of the respective adhesive-free spacings is at least 100 percent of the mean diameter d avg of the n optical fibers.
19. The optical-fiber ribbon according to claim 13 , wherein the n optical fibers are uniformly distributed into (i) two adjacent optical-fiber units whereby U=2, (ii) three respectively adjacent optical-fiber units whereby U=3, or (iii) four respectively adjacent optical-fiber units whereby U=4.
20. The optical-fiber ribbon according to claim 13 , wherein the optical-fiber assembly includes between 12 and 36 optical fibers whereby 12≥n≥36.
21. The optical-fiber ribbon according to claim 13 , wherein, for a portion of the optical-fiber assembly's longitudinal length, the bonding material comprises a continuous bead of bonding material deposited directly on the corresponding adjacent optical fibers within each optical-fiber unit.
22. The optical-fiber ribbon according to claim 13 , wherein, for a portion of the optical-fiber assembly's longitudinal length, the bonding material comprises a plurality of successive elongated rectilinear beads deposited on a major surface of the optical-fiber assembly and arranged lengthwise along the optical-fiber assembly, wherein the beads are configured to form elongated bonds between adjacent optical fibers in the optical-fiber assembly.