Rollable ribbon fibers with water-swellable coatings

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11280977-B2
Application number	US-202017032859-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2020
Priority date	Mar 27, 2018
Publication date	Mar 22, 2022
Grant date	Mar 22, 2022

Abstract

A fiber-optic cable having optical fibers that are arranged as a rollable ribbon. Water-swellable material (e.g., superabsorbent liquid, superabsorbent powder, superabsorbent adhesive, etc.) is applied directly to the rollable ribbon, thereby eliminating the need to incorporate conventional water-absorbing yarns, tapes, or other such similar materials. The rollable ribbon is surrounded by a tube, with a dielectric strength member positioned external to the tube and substantially parallel to the tube. A jacket, with a ripcord along a substantial length of the jacket, surrounds the tube. Also taught is a process for manufacturing a rollable-ribbon fiber-optic cable, in which a water-swellable material is applied directly to the rollable ribbon, thereby eliminating the need to incorporate conventional water-absorbing yarns, tapes, or other such similar materials.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process comprising:
applying a water-swellable material directly to rollable ribbon fibers;
cabling the rollable ribbon fibers without incorporating a water-blocking yarn; and
rewinding the rollable ribbon fibers onto a spool prior to cabling the rollable ribbon fibers.

2. The process of claim 1 , further comprising:
ribbonizing optical fibers using a ribbon-manufacturing process to produce the rollable ribbon fibers.

3. The process of claim 2 , wherein the step of applying the water-swellable material directly to the rollable ribbon fibers comprises:
applying the water-swellable material directly to the rollable ribbon fibers as part of the ribbon-manufacturing process.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the step of applying the water-swellable material directly to the rollable ribbon fibers comprises:
applying the water-swellable material directly to the rollable ribbon fibers during the rewinding of the rollable ribbon fibers onto the spool.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the step of applying the water-swellable material directly to the rollable ribbon fibers comprises:
applying the water-swellable material directly to the rollable ribbon fibers during the cabling of the rollable ribbon fibers.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the step of applying the water-swellable material directly to the rollable ribbon fibers comprises:
applying a superabsorbent liquid directly to the rollable ribbon fibers.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the step of applying the water-swellable material directly to the rollable ribbon fibers comprises:
applying a superabsorbent water-based acrylic polymer directly to the rollable ribbon fibers.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein the step of applying the water-swellable material directly to the rollable ribbon fibers comprises:
dipping the rollable ribbon fibers in a superabsorbent liquid.

9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the step of applying the water-swellable material directly to the rollable ribbon fibers comprises:
applying a superabsorbent powder directly to the rollable ribbon fibers.

10. The process of claim 9 , wherein the step of applying the superabsorbent powder directly to the rollable ribbon fibers comprises:
suspending the superabsorbent powder in a water-based solution; and
applying the water-based solution with the suspended superabsorbent powder to the rollable ribbon fibers.

11. The process of claim 10 , wherein the step suspending the superabsorbent powder in the water-based solution is one selected from the group consisting of:
suspending a sodium polyacrylate in the water-based solution;
suspending a potassium acrylate in the water-based solution;
suspending a potassium acrylamide in the water-based solution; and
suspending a combination of sodium polyacrylate, potassium acrylate, and potassium acrylamide in the water-based solution.

12. The process of claim 1 , wherein the step of applying the water-swellable material directly to the rollable ribbon fibers comprises:
mixing a superabsorbent powder into a hot melt material; and
applying the hot melt material to the rollable ribbon fibers.

13. The process of claim 12 , wherein the hot-melt material comprises a superabsorbent power selected from the group consisting of:
sodium polyacrylate;
potassium acrylate;
potassium acrylamide; and
a combination of sodium polyacrylate, potassium acrylate, and potassium acrylamide.

Assignees

• Ofs Fitel Llc

Inventors

• Debban Harold P
• Weimann Peter A
• Ly Heng

Classifications

• G02B6/44384

  the means comprising water blocking or hydrophobic materials (G02B6/4439, G02B6/4479 take precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/448 Primary

  Ribbon cables · CPC title

• G02B6/4403

  with ribbon structure (G02B6/4429, G02B6/4439, G02B6/4479 take precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/4494

  Physics · mapped topic