DESC:FIELD OF INVENTION
[0001] Embodiments of a present disclosure relate to optical fiber ribbon, more particularly, to an optical fiber ribbon structure.

BACKGROUND
[0002] Optical fiber cable, also known as an fiber optic cable is an assembly containing one or more optical fibers that are used to carry data or information in the form of light. In a conventional optical fiber cable, number of fibers may vary, due to which identification of individual fiber, especially at the ends of the cable becomes difficult. To address the identification problem, the fibers are colored with different colors for identification. Further the optical fiber cables with more than 12 or 24 fibers in a buffer tube, for example, more than 100 fibers in a buffer tube, the optical fiber ribbon is a preferred choice in place of individual fiber design. In a ribbon, the 4 to 16 colored fibers are arranged in a parallel and coated with a matrix material throughout the longitudinal length of the optical fibers which is also known as flat ribbon. However, in the conventional approach, folding or collapsing of the optical fiber ribbon is not possible, because of high density of matrix material used throughout the length of optical fiber as well as in the width direction of the ribbon. Such bonding lead to increase in attenuations and signal losses whenever there is folding and collapsing forces acts on the ribbons. These forces upon increasing further, results in physical breakage of the optical fiber ribbon matrix.
[0003] In order to avoid such breakage, a newer approach is used, wherein the ribbons are arranged in a form of stack for example a rectangular stack, in a buffer tube. However, the ribbon stack of the newer approach takes more space and increases a diameter of the buffer tube as well as the diameter of the optical fiber cable, thereby making the newer approach bulky.
[0004] Now optical fiber cable manufacturing industry is bullish over a new kind of ribbon which is free of any preferential bending, named ‘Intermittently bonded ribbon (IBR)’ in which the adjacent optical fibers are bonded at an interval or non- continuous bonding of adjacent fibers are done to make a more flexible ribbon structure. However, such intermittent bonding of fibers in ribbon form have adverse effects on the ribbon planetary and deteriorates the splicing performance of the ribbon. Hence, there is a need for an improved optical fiber ribbon structure to address the aforementioned issues.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION
[0005] In accordance with one embodiment of the disclosure, an optical fiber ribbon structure is disclosed. The structure includes a plurality of optical fibers. Each of the plurality of optical fibers are placed at a pre-defined distance to an adjacent plurality of optical fibers. The structure also includes a plurality of bonds. Each of the plurality of bonds are arranged in a pre-defined pattern. At least one of the plurality of bonds is configured to bind at least two of the plurality of optical fibers together to obtain an intermittently bonded ribbon (IBR). A bond length of each of the plurality of bonds between each pair of the plurality of optical fibers is maximum between a center pair of fibers, and sequentially reduces from the center pair of fibers towards the end pairs or edge fiber pairs in both directions in the IBR. The plurality of optical fibers is bounded together with the corresponding plurality of bonds to form an intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon.
[0006] To further clarify the advantages and features of the present disclosure, a more particular description of the disclosure will follow by reference to specific embodiments thereof, which are illustrated in the appended figures. It is to be appreciated that these figures depict only typical embodiments of the disclosure and are therefore not to be considered limiting in scope. The disclosure will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail with the appended figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The disclosure will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail with the accompanying figures in which:
[0007] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of an optical fiber ribbon structure in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0008] Further, those skilled in the art will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and may not have necessarily been drawn to scale. Furthermore, in terms of the construction of the device, one or more components of the device may have been represented in the figures by conventional symbols, and the figures may show only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present disclosure so as not to obscure the figures with details that will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the description herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0009] For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the figures and specific language will be used to describe them. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended. Such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated system, and such further applications of the principles of the disclosure as would normally occur to those skilled in the art are to be construed as being within the scope of the present disclosure.
[0010] The terms "comprises", "comprising", or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process or method that comprises a list of steps does not include only those steps but may include other steps not expressly listed or inherent to such a process or method. Similarly, one or more devices or sub- systems or elements or structures or components preceded by "comprises... a" does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other devices, sub-systems, elements, structures, components, additional devices, additional sub-systems, additional elements, additional structures or additional components. Appearances of the phrase "in an embodiment", "in another embodiment" and similar language throughout this specification may, but not necessarily do, all refer to the same embodiment.
[0011] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this disclosure belongs. The system, methods, and examples provided herein are only illustrative and not intended to be limiting.
[0012] In the following specification and the claims, reference will be made to a number of terms, which shall be defined to have the following meanings. The singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
[0013] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an optical fiber ribbon structure is provided. As used herein, the term “optical fiber cable” is defined as an assembly containing one or more optical fibers that are used to carry data or information via light.
[0014] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of an intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon structure (10) in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The structure (10) includes a plurality of optical fibers (20). Each of the plurality of optical fibers (20) are placed at a pre-defined distance to an adjacent plurality of optical fibers (20). In one embodiment, the plurality of optical fibers (20) may be identified using one or color, or the like.
[0015] The structure also includes a plurality of bonds (30). Size of each of the plurality of bonds (30) between each pair of the plurality of optical fibers (20) is maximum between a center pair of fibers (20), and sequentially reduces from the center pair towards the end pairs in both directions from the center pair. More specifically, the bond length at the center of the ribbon (10) is maximum and the bond length keeps reducing at the pre-defined size as we move towards the two extreme corners of the horizontally arranged plurality of optical fibers (20). In one exemplary embodiment, the plurality of optical fibers (20) may be arranged linearly on a horizontal plane before forming an intermittently bounded optical fiber ribbon (IBR) (10). Also, the area between each of the plurality of optical fibers (20) which are not bounded together are defined as unbounded region (40) on the plurality of optical fibers (20).
[0016] Furthermore, the plurality of optical fibers (20) is bounded together with the corresponding plurality of bonds (30) to form an intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon (IBR). In one embodiment, each of the plurality of optical fibers (20) is bonded with the plurality of bonds (30) in a pre-defined interval to obtain the optical fiber ribbon structure in a flat ribbon form. More specifically, the plurality of optical fibers (20) is bounded in a non-continuous manner. In one specific embodiment, the bonding material may be acrylic polymeric material or any other suitable polymeric material. In one exemplary embodiment, a set of 12 optical fibers (20) may be considered, so there will be 11 consecutive pairs of fibers (20) which needs to be bonded. In order to bond the 11 pairs of optical fibers (20), 11 jet nozzles may be arranged between 11 pair of fibers in the ribbon lines to bond the 11 pairs by the plurality of ribbons (30). Each of the 11 nozzles may be programmed to drop ultraviolet (UV) curable acrylic polymeric material intermittently between each pair of optical fibers (20) at a pre-defined distance in longitudinal direction to obtain the intermittently bonded ribbon (10). Then the IBR is passed through UV chamber to cure the acrylic polymeric material to form bonds (30) between each pair of the optical fibers (20).
[0017] In one exemplary embodiment, the bond length between each pair of the plurality of fiber (20) varies by a pre-defined value. In such embodiment, bond length between the each of the corresponding pairs of fibers (20) from the center pair varies in a same fashion to the corner pair at both end of the intermittently bonded ribbon (10). In one specific embodiment, for each pair of the plurality of optical fibers (20), the length of bonds (30a, 30b) is same throughout the length of that pair of optical fibers (20).
[0018] In some embodiment, each pair of the plurality of optical fibers (20) may include one or more of the plurality of bonds (30) across a length of the plurality of optical fibers (20). More specifically, each pair of the plurality of optical fibers (20) may be bounded together using the plurality of bonds (30) of a corresponding size based on the position of the corresponding pair of plurality of optical fibers (20). Each of such plurality of bonds (30) may be placed one after another at every pre-defined distance across the complete length of each pair of optical fibers (20).
[0019] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the plurality of optical fibers (20) bonded by the plurality of bonds (30) are arranged in form of the optical fiber ribbon to enhance splicing performance of the optical fiber in a cable. In such embodiment, the plurality of optical fiber ribbons (10) is rolled (in width direction) to obtain the bundle of the optical fiber ribbon which reduces spacing between each of the plurality of optical fibers (20) while enhancing the splicing performance by maintaining the planetary when unrolled.
[0020] In operation, the plurality of optical fibers (20) is arranged on the horizontal surface in a required pattern. Starting from the center optical fibers (20), every adjacent fiber is paired with the corresponding optical fiber (20) to make a pair of the plurality of optical fibers (20). More specifically, each of the plurality of optical fibers (20) is paired with two adjacent fibers (20) on either sides, thereby obtaining a plurality of pairs of the optical fibers (20). Consequently, each of the plurality of pairs of the optical fibers (20) are bounded using the corresponding plurality of bonds. The fiber pair at the center of ribbon (10) is bounded with the corresponding bonds (30) having the maximum bond length. For example, the bond length on the center pair of optical fiber may be ‘A’. The adjacent pairs from the center pair may have the bond length reduced by a value ‘D’, thereby the second pairs of optical fibers (20) which are adjacent to the center pair of fiber (20) may have the bond length ‘A-D’, wherein D < 40(millimeter). Similarly, as the corresponding pairs of fiber are considered along the width of the arranged plurality of optical fibers (20), the bond length keeps reducing. For example, considering 12 fibers, 6th and 7th fibers forms a pair, the bonded length between each fiber pair is X and the unbonded length between each fiber pair is L. Where 05 = X = 200 (millimeter) and L = X except for the center pair of fiber. However, for the centre pair of fiber, the bonded length X is greater than, equal to or less than the unbonded length L. Subsequently, the bond length at the extreme ends of the arranged plurality of optical fibers (20) is least as compared to that at the center pair of the plurality of pairs. Further, the plurality of optical fibers (20) is bonded to obtain the intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon (IBR) and a plurality of such IBRs are enclosed together in a jacket to obtain the optical fiber cable. Alternately, the plurality of rolled optical fiber ribbons (10) is enclosed in a buffer tube to obtain a cable.
[0021] Various embodiments of the present disclosure enable the structure to enhance splicing of the optical fiber ribbon due to the proposed design. Also, the planetary of the ribbon experiences minimal movement while splicing, thereby making the structure more reliable and efficient. In addition, when the optical fibers is rolled to obtain the bundle for optical fiber cables, the distance between each of the multiple bundles is almost eliminated, thereby making the structure compact and also saves the resources involved in fabrication, thereby also making the structure cost effective.
[0022] While specific language has been used to describe the disclosure, any limitations arising on account of the same are not intended. As would be apparent to a person skilled in the art, various working modifications may be made to the method in order to implement the inventive concept as taught herein.
[0023] The figures and the foregoing description give examples of embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that one or more of the described elements may well be combined into a single functional element. Alternatively, certain elements may be split into multiple functional elements. Elements from one embodiment may be added to another embodiment. For example, the order of processes described herein may be changed and are not limited to the manner described herein. Moreover, the actions of any flow diagram need not be implemented in the order shown; nor do all of the acts need to be necessarily performed. Also, those acts that are not dependent on other acts may be performed in parallel with the other acts. The scope of embodiments is by no means limited by these specific examples.
,CLAIMS:1. An intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon structure (10) comprising:
a plurality of optical fibers (20), wherein each of the plurality of optical fibers (20) are placed at a pre-defined distance to an adjacent plurality of optical fibers (20); and
a plurality of bonds (30), wherein each of the plurality of bonds (30) are arranged in a pre-defined pattern, wherein each of the plurality of bonds (30) are configured to bind at least two of the plurality of optical fibers (20) together,
wherein a bond length of each of the plurality of bonds (30) between each pair of the plurality of optical fibers (20) is maximum between a center pair of fiber pair, and sequentially reduces from the center pair towards at least two end pairs in one or both directions from the center pair,
wherein the plurality of optical fibers (20) is bounded together with the corresponding plurality of bonds (30) to form an intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon.
2. The structure (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of bonds (30) binds the corresponding plurality of optical fibers (20) in a pre-defined interval to obtain the intermittently bonded optical fiber ribbon structure in a flat ribbon form.
3. The structure (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bond length between each of the pair of the plurality of fibers (20) varies by a pre-defined value.
4. The structure (10) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the bond length between the each of the corresponding pairs of the plurality of fibers (20) from the center pair toward end pair varies in a same fashion.
5. The structure (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein for each pair of the plurality of optical fibers (20), the length of bonds (X) is same throughout the length of that pair of optical fibers (20).
6. The structure (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the optical fiber ribbons (10) is rolled into a compact structure.
7. The structure (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of optical fiber ribbons (10) are rolled and enclosed in one or more tubes to obtain a cable.
8. The structure (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein one or more of the optical fiber ribbons (10) are enclosed in a jacket to obtain a cable.
9. The structure (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bonding material is acrylic or any other polymeric material.