Splicing aged optical fibers
US5649040A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 21, 1996 |
| Grant date | Jul 15, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 21, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S359/90
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
For improving mechanical characteristics of an aged optical glass fiber, the segment is retained between clamps, e.g. in a conventional splicing machine. Then the segment is heated to a high temperature in the vicinity of the softening temperature or melt temperature of the glass material of the fiber by means of an infrared light beam from a carbon dioxide laser or by an electric arc generated between the welding electrodes. In particular, the tensile strength is increased considerably by this procedure, what allows that the heated segment can be handled and exposed to the operative steps required for splicing the fiber to another optical fiber. Then also old fibers arranged in the ground can be repaired and spliced, and it is not necessary to replace whole lengths of old fibers.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.