Optical fiber mechanical splice and method for its use

US5029972A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Nortel Networks Limited · CA

Inventors

• Helmut H. Lukas · Carleton Place, CA
• Grant K. Pacey · Ottawa, CA
• Steve J. Lischynsky · Ottawa, CA

Key dates

• Filing date: May 31, 1990
• Grant date: Jul 9, 1991
• Expiry date: May 31, 2010

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02B6/3801
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An optical fiber mechanical splice comprises a pair of gripping members and a resilient biasing member. Each gripping member has a gripping surface. One of the gripping surfaces has a v-groove for receiving and aligning optical fiber ends. The v-groove is defined by walls of a plastically deformable material. The resilient biasing means acts between the gripping members to resiliently bias the gripping surfaces of the gripping members toward one another. In use of the mechanical splice, the gripping surfaces are urged toward one another with optical fiber ends in abutting alignment in the v-groove. The walls of the v-groove plastically deform around the fiber ends to provide a larger area of contact between the fiber ends and the walls of the v-groove.