Patent ID: 6160941
Filing Date: 2000-12-12
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
A method of manufacturing a multi-ribbon optical fiber structure which contains optical fibers, which has two substantially flat faces, and which can be separated into at least two optical fiber ribbons, said method comprising the steps of:forming a multi-ribbon structure from a plurality of optical fibers, each of which comprises an optical core, optical cladding and optionally a protective layer, said multi-ribbon structure containing said optical fibers disposed side-by-side, mutually parallel, substantially in the same plane which then defines two substantially flat faces of said multi-ribbon structure, and embedded in a common protective matrix, by coating all of the fibers making up the multi-ribbon structure with at least one matrix-forming covering layer of thermosettable resin, and then by thermosetting said layer; andforming at least one longitudinal score line between two adjacent optical fibers, the score line comprising at least one score in the covering layer, extending parallel to the axis X of the optical fibers of the multi-ribbon structure, and situated in a plane that is perpendicular to the faces of the multi-ribbon structure and parallel to the axis X, and that lies substantially midway between said adjacent optical fibers, the score line being formed by scoring apparatus for scoring at least one of the faces of the multi-ribbon structure;the multi-ribbon structure being designed to be subsequently separated almost exclusively along the score line formed in this way by scoring.