Patent ID: 7393881

Claim:
A telecommunication element having a color identifying coating thereon, the telecommunication element comprising: an elongated communication transmission medium; and a coating having an identifying color applied on at least a portion of the transmission medium, wherein said coating comprises a radiation cured, crosslinked polymeric network, wherein the identifying color in the coating is provided by a colored oligomer, wherein said colored oligomer comprises the reaction product of: (a) an isocyanate end-capped oligomer; and (b) a radiation-curable monomer having both (i) a reactive functionality which is reactive with isocyanate and (ii) ethylenic unsaturation, wherein said colored oligomer is end-capped with radiation-curable groups by covalent linkages formed by reacting said reactive functionality (i) of said radiation-curable monomer (b) with an isocyanate moiety of said isocyanate end-capped oligomer (a), wherein said isocyanate end-capped oligomer (a) is the reaction product of: (c) at least one polyfuctional compound having at least two isocyanate reactive groups; and (d) at least one polyisocyanate, wherein said polyfuctional compound (c) comprises at least one dye having at least two isocyanate reactive functionalities, wherein said at least one dye is an anthraquinone dye, and wherein said anthraquinone dye has the formula or said anthraquinone dye is selected from the group consisting of 1,5-bis((3-hydroxy-2,2-dimethylpropyl)amino)-9,10-anthracenedione; 2,2′-((9,10-dihydro-9,10-dioxo-1,5-anthracenediyl)bis(thio))bis-benzoic acid, 2-hydroxyethyl ester; and 1,5-bis((2,2-dimenthyl-3-hydroxypropyl)amino)-4,8-bis((4-methylphenyl)thio) anthraquinone.