Patent ID: 11886009
Assignee: CORNING RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Field: Materials, metallurgy (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC G  C | IPC C  G

Claim 12:
13. A method for protecting fusion spliced optical fiber ribbons, the method comprising:
splicing first and second optical fiber ribbons that each include a stripped section and a pre-coated section, wherein a first splice joint joins ends of the stripped sections of the first and second optical fiber ribbons to form a first fusion spliced optical fiber ribbon;
splicing third and fourth optical fiber ribbons that each include a stripped section and a pre-coated section, wherein a second splice joint joins ends of the stripped sections of the third and fourth optical fiber ribbons to form a second fusion spliced optical fiber ribbon;
coating the first fusion spliced optical fiber ribbon with a first polymeric overcoating, wherein the first polymeric overcoating coats the first splice joint, the stripped sections of the first and second optical fibers, and a portion of the pre-coated section of the first and second optical fibers;
coating the second fusion spliced optical fiber ribbon with a second polymeric overcoating, wherein the second polymeric overcoating coats the second splice joint, the stripped sections of the third and fourth optical fibers, and a portion of the pre-coated section of the third and fourth optical fibers;
bundling the first coated fusion spliced optical fiber ribbon and the second coated fusion spliced optical fiber ribbon such that the first coated fusion spliced optical fiber ribbon and the second coated fusion spliced optical fiber ribbon are adjacent to each other; and
curing the first and second polymeric overcoatings;
wherein curing the first and second polymeric overcoatings comprises curing under UV light at a temperature of about 25° C. for a curing time of between 1 second and 1 minute;
wherein the first and second polymeric overcoatings have a viscosity of greater than 10,000 centipoise (cP) at a temperature of about 25° C.