Light waveguide welding device

US4548669A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Siemens Aktiengesellschaft · DE

Inventors

• Peter Steinmann · Durham, US
• Reinhard Engel · Regenstauf, DE
• Richard Parstorfer · Geltendorf, DE
• Rudolf Brugger · Puchheim, DE
• Gerhard Jonke · Gilching, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 7, 1983
• Grant date: Oct 22, 1985
• Expiry date: Dec 7, 2003

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02B6/2551
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A device for splicing light waveguides, such as optical fibers, having an internal sheath and an outer sheath, characterized by an arrangement for clamping each of the waveguides by engaging their sheaths and lowering the unsheathed end portion into a centering groove where the ends are heated and fused together by an alternating current discharge path. The required convergence and alignment of the light waveguide ends during the welding step are automatically controlled by an advanced arrangement which is sequentially controlled with the welding step. Subsequent to the gearing of the ends, the clamping element releases the waveguides adjacent to the fused joint and are moved by a restoring arrangement to stretch the joint into a straight line position.