This invention concerns a method and apparatus for manufacturing a sheet and
a two-dimensional matrix of plastic optical fibers. The fibers may be of the step-index
or graded-index type. Co-extrusion through a specially designed die is used to
produce a sheet composed of a fiber array. The fiber sheet (ribbon) can be used
for transmitting optical signals. These arrays may also be stacked and fused at
high temperatures to form the two-dimensional matrix required for many applications
such as large area image transfer. In addition, a high-speed, continuous manufacturing
method is disclosed to produce a massive two-dimensional matrix of fibers. The
method of manufacture permits high quality image transfer at low manufacturing
cost in a wide array of geometries.
