Rollable optical fiber ribbon

Abstract

An optical ribbon is provided. The optical ribbon includes a plurality of optical transmission elements. The ribbon includes a ribbon body coupled to and supporting the plurality of optical transmission elements. The ribbon body is formed from a flexible polymeric material such that the plurality of optical transmission elements are reversibly movable between an aligned position in which the plurality of optical transmission elements are substantially parallel with each other and a curved position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An optical fiber ribbon comprising:
 a plurality of optical fibers;   a ribbon body coupled to and supporting the plurality of optical fibers, the ribbon body formed from a first polymeric material; and   a separation region, wherein the separation region is formed from a second polymer material having a lower modulus of elasticity than the first polymeric material.   
     
     
         2 . The optical fiber ribbon of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of optical fibers includes a central axis extending through a center point of an optical core such that when the optical ribbon is in an unrolled position, at least 90% of the first polymeric material of the ribbon body is located on one side of central axes of the plurality of optical fibers. 
     
     
         3 . The optical fiber ribbon of  claim 1 , wherein when the optical ribbon is in the unrolled position, all of the first polymeric material of the ribbon body is located on one side of central axes of the plurality of optical fibers. 
     
     
         4 . The optical fiber ribbon of  claim 1 , wherein the second polymer material has a modulus of elasticity that is between 0.5 and 1000 MPA. 
     
     
         5 . The optical fiber ribbon of  claim 1 , wherein the first polymeric material has a modulus of elasticity greater than 85 MPa and less than 1500 MPa. 
     
     
         6 . The optical fiber ribbon of  claim 1 , wherein the separation region is thinner than adjacent portions of the ribbon body. 
     
     
         7 . The optical fiber ribbon of  claim 1 , wherein the separation region extends an entire length of the optical fiber ribbon. 
     
     
         8 . The optical fiber ribbon of  claim 1 , wherein the separation region is located only along portions of an entire length of the optical fiber ribbon providing differing accessibility to the plurality of optical fibers along the entire length. 
     
     
         9 . The optical fiber ribbon of  claim 1 , wherein the separation region is a plurality of separation regions that separate the optical fiber ribbon into distinct groups of optical fibers. 
     
     
         10 . The optical fiber ribbon of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of separation regions separates a twelve-fiber ribbon into three groups of four optical fibers. 
     
     
         11 . The optical fiber ribbon of  claim 1 , wherein the separation region is colored differently from the ribbon body. 
     
     
         12 . An optical fiber ribbon comprising:
 a plurality of optical fibers;   a ribbon body coupled to and supporting the plurality of optical fibers, the ribbon body formed from upper webs and lower webs, each of the upper and lower webs comprising a polymer material that couples outer surfaces of adjacent fibers, wherein the upper webs and the lower webs are formed on alternating sides of the ribbon such that in a horizontal direction of the ribbon one of the upper or lower webs is positioned between an adjacent pair of the other of the upper or lower webs on the alternate side of the ribbon.   
     
     
         13 . The optical fiber ribbon of  claim 12 , wherein the upper and lower webs have a thickness between 5 and 150 microns. 
     
     
         14 . The optical fiber ribbon of  claim 12 , wherein the upper and lower webs are contiguous in a lengthwise direction and each of the upper and lower webs extends over at least two optical fibers. 
     
     
         15 . The optical fiber ribbon of  claim 12 , wherein the optical fiber ribbon defines a central fiber plane, and wherein the upper and lower webs are spaced from the central fiber plane such that outermost, planar surfaces of the upper and lower webs are substantially parallel to the fiber plane and are positioned tangentially to an outer surface of adjacent fiber pairs.