Patent ID: 6498883
Filing Date: 2002-12-24
Classification: C08K,G02B

Abstract:
An optical fiber ribbon comprising:a plurality of optical fibers embedded within a matrix, wherein the matrix is formed from a reactive mixture comprising: (a) about 80 to about 99.7 percent by weight of a base resin comprising one or more acrylated, methacrylated or vinyl functional oligomers and/or monomers; (b) about 0.1 to about 10 percent by weight of a photoinitiator that absorbs light in the wavelength region above about 400 nm (c) about 0.1 to about 10 percent by weight of an opacifier blend, unless the matrix, when cured, is black, in which case about 0 to about 10 percent by weight of an opacifier blend; and (d) about 0.01 to about 10 percent by weight of at least one color blend; wherein the foregoing percentages by weight are based on the total weight of (a), (b), (c) and (d); wherein, after curing, the matrix has a color selected from the group consisting of blue, orange, green, brown, slate, white, red, black, yellow, violet, rose and aqua; wherein, when a first 100 micron thick sample of the matrix, which is 80 mm wide and 120 mm long, is cured on a glass plate 6 mm thick with a radiation dose of about 0.2 J/cm2, the first 100 micron sample exhibits an inside degree of cure as an inside percent reacted acrylate unsaturation of more than about 70 percent as measured via FTIR-ATR; wherein, when placed under a clear 150 micron thick UV-curable coating which is substantially free of chromophores, a 25 micron thick by 75 mm wide by 180 mm long sample of the cured matrix exhibits, as determined by a means for spectrophotometrically analyzing, a hue angle range having the following values for each respectively colored matrix: blue is about 230 to about 270; orange is about 55 to about 80; green is about 120 to about 185; brown is about 35 to about 80; slate is about 0 to about 360; white is about 0 to about 360; red is about 325 to about 50; black is about 0 to about 360; yellow is about 80 to about 120; violet is about 270 to about 325; rose is about 0 to about 22; and aqua is about 184 to about 230; and wherein a second 100 micron thick by 80 mm wide by 120 mm long sample of the cured matrix exhibits a minimum contrast ratio, as measured via the measurement procedure portion of ASTM D2805-88, having the following values for each respectively colored matrix: blue is about 42; orange is about 30; green is about 8; brown is about 22; slate is about 24; white is about 36; red is about 30; black is about 3; yellow is about 27; violet is about 16; rose is about 37; and aqua is about 35.