Multicore optical fiber and multicore optical fiber cable

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016011366-A1
Application number	US-201414770895-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 1, 2014
Priority date	Apr 2, 2013
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided is a multi-core optical fiber which is capable of achieving the same level of light receiving capacity as that of a single-core plastic optical fiber, while being reduced in bending loss. A multi-core optical fiber according to the present invention has a plurality of cores and sea portions that are formed around each core. This multi-core optical fiber satisfies at least condition (1) or condition (2) below: (Condition 1): The occupancy rate of the total cross-sectional area of cores is 80˜95% of the outer region in the cross section of a multicore optical fiber. (Condition 2): The occupancy rate of the total cross-sectional area of cores is 82˜93% of the cross section of a multicore optical fiber.

First claim

1 . A multicore optical fiber, comprising:
a plurality of cores; and a sea portion formed around each core, wherein the multicore optical fiber satisfies at least condition (1) or (2) below:
(Condition 1): The occupancy rate of the total cross-sectional area of cores is 80˜95% of the outer region in the cross section of a multicore optical fiber; and
(Condition 2): The occupancy rate of the total cross-sectional area of cores is 82˜93% of the cross section of a multicore optical fiber.

2 . The multicore optical fiber according to claim 1 , wherein both Condition (1) and Condition (2) are satisfied.

3 . The multicore optical fiber according to claim 1 , wherein the material for cores is a copolymer of polymethyl methacrylate or methyl methacrylate and at least one monomer other than methyl methacrylate.

4 . The multicore optical fiber according to claim 1 , wherein the material for the sea portion is a fluorine-based resin containing at least a vinylidene fluoride unit and having a crystal fusion heat of 70 mJ/mg or lower determined through differential scanning calorimetry.

5 . The multicore optical fiber according to claim 1 , wherein at least one layer of cladding is formed on the periphery of each core.

6 . The multicore optical fiber according to claim 5 , wherein the material for cladding contains at least a fluorinated methacrylate unit.

7 . A method for producing a multicore optical fiber by melt-spinning 82˜93 mass % of the core material and 7˜18 mass % of the sea material.

8 . A method for producing a multicore optical fiber by melt-spinning 82˜93 mass % of the core material, 0.1˜8 mass % of the cladding material, and 6.9˜17.9 mass % of the sea material.

9 . The method for producing a multicore optical fiber according to claim 7 by melt-spinning materials using a nozzle having nozzle holes arranged in a hexagonal array.

10 . A multicore optical fiber cable comprising a coating layer on the periphery of the multicore optical fiber according to claim 1 .

11 . An optical communication system comprising the multicore optical fiber according to claim 1 .

12 . An optical fiber sensor comprising the multicore optical fiber according to claim 1 .

13 . An optical fiber light comprising the multicore optical fiber according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Rayon Co

Inventors

• Tsukamoto Yoshihiro
• Kitayama Takeshi
• Kihara Hideki

Classifications

• G02B1/046

  characterised by the core material · CPC title

• G02B6/02042 Primary

  Multicore optical fibres · CPC title

• G02B1/048

  characterised by the cladding material · CPC title