US 10,895,696 B2Granted

Epoxy-free plastic optical fiber splice design and fabrication process

AssigneeThe Boeing Company

InventorsDennis G. Koshinz, Eric Y. Chan, Tuong K. Truong, Kim Quan Anh Nguyen

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An epoxy-free, high-durability and low-cost plastic optical fiber splice design and fabrication process which meets commercial airplane environmental requirements. The splice design: (1) does not require the use of epoxy to join the end faces of two plastic optical fibers together; (2) incorporates double-crimp rings to provide highly durable pull force for the plastic optical fibers that are joined together; (3) resolves any vibration problem at the plastic optical fiber end faces using a miniature stop inside a splice alignment sleeve; and (4) incorporates a splice alignment sleeve that can be mass produced using precision molding or three-dimensional printing processes.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A method for splicing first and second plastic optical fibers together, the method comprising:

(a) stripping a portion of a first jacket of a first plastic optical fiber cable from an end section of a first plastic optical fiber of the first plastic optical fiber cable;
(b) stripping a portion of a second jacket of a second plastic optical fiber cable from an end section of a second plastic optical fiber of the second plastic optical fiber cable;
(c) sliding a first terminus made of thermoplastic material onto the first plastic optical fiber cable to a position whereat a first longitudinal section of the first terminus surrounds the end section of the first plastic optical fiber and a second longitudinal section of the first terminus surrounds a portion of the first jacket;
(d) sliding a second terminus made of thermoplastic material onto the second plastic optical fiber cable to a position whereat a first longitudinal section of the second terminus surrounds the end section of the second plastic optical fiber and a second longitudinal section of the second terminus surrounds a portion of the second jacket;
(e) sliding a first crimp ring made of metallic material onto the first terminus to a position whereat a first longitudinal section of the first crimp ring surrounds a first portion of the second longitudinal section of the first terminus;
(f) sliding a second crimp ring made of metallic material onto the second terminus to a position whereat a first longitudinal section of the second crimp ring surrounds a first portion of the second longitudinal section of the second terminus;
(g) crimping the first longitudinal section of the first crimp ring onto the second longitudinal section of the first terminus;
(h) crimping the first longitudinal section of the second crimp ring onto the second longitudinal section of the second terminus;
(i) after step (g), inserting the first longitudinal section of the first terminus into an opening at one end of a splice alignment sleeve until a second longitudinal section of the first crimp ring surrounds one end section of the splice alignment sleeve;
(j) after step (h), inserting the first longitudinal section of the second terminus into an opening at another end of the splice alignment sleeve until a second longitudinal section of the second crimp ring surrounds another end section of the splice alignment sleeve;
(k) after step (i), crimping the second longitudinal section of the first crimp ring onto the one end section of the splice alignment sleeve;
and
(l) after step (j), crimping the second longitudinal section of the second crimp ring onto the other end section of the splice alignment sleeve.

10 more elements

A method for repairing a damaged plastic optical fiber cable onboard an airplane, the method comprising:

(a) severing first and second undamaged sections of the damaged plastic optical fiber cable from a damaged section of the damaged plastic optical fiber cable by cutting the plastic optical fiber cable at first and second positions on opposite sides of the damaged section of plastic optical fiber cable to form the first and second plastic optical fiber cables;
(b) stripping a portion of a first jacket of the first plastic optical fiber cable from an end section of a first plastic optical fiber of the first plastic optical fiber cable;
(c) stripping a portion of a second jacket of the second plastic optical fiber cable from an end section of a second plastic optical fiber of the second plastic optical fiber cable;
(d) sliding a first terminus made of thermoplastic material onto the first plastic optical fiber cable to a position whereat a first longitudinal section of the first terminus surrounds the end section of the first plastic optical fiber and a second longitudinal section of the first terminus surrounds a portion of the first jacket;
(e) sliding a second terminus made of thermoplastic material onto the second plastic optical fiber cable to a position whereat a first longitudinal section of the second terminus surrounds the end section of the second plastic optical fiber and a second longitudinal section of the second terminus surrounds a portion of the second jacket;
(f) sliding a first crimp ring made of metallic material onto the first terminus to a position whereat a first longitudinal section of the first crimp ring surrounds a first portion of the second longitudinal section of the first terminus;
(g) sliding a second crimp ring made of metallic material onto the second terminus to a position whereat a first longitudinal section of the second crimp ring surrounds a first portion of the second longitudinal section of the second terminus;
(h) crimping the first longitudinal section of the first crimp ring onto the second longitudinal section of the first terminus;
(i) crimping the first longitudinal section of the second crimp ring onto the second longitudinal section of the second terminus;
(j) polishing an end face of the first plastic optical fiber;
(k) polishing an end face of the second plastic optical fiber;
(l) after step (j), inserting the first longitudinal section of the first terminus into an opening at one end of a splice alignment sleeve until a second longitudinal section of the first crimp ring surrounds one end section of the splice alignment sleeve;
(m) after step (k), inserting the first longitudinal section of the second terminus into an opening at another end of the splice alignment sleeve until a second longitudinal section of the second crimp ring surrounds another end section of the splice alignment sleeve;
(n) after step (l), crimping the second longitudinal section of the first crimp ring onto the one end section of the splice alignment sleeve;
and
(o) after step (m), crimping the second longitudinal section of the second crimp ring onto the other end section of the splice alignment sleeve.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/664,751Filed 25 Oct 2019 · division
Priority: 26 Jul 2018
Published: US 2020/0057203 A120 Feb 2020
Granted: 19 Jan 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

G02B 6/02033
Optical fibres with cladding with or without a coating: core or cladding made from organic material, e.g. polymeric material
G02B 6/3803
Permanent connections, i.e. wherein fibres are kept aligned by mechanical means: adjustment or alignment devices for alignment prior to splicing
G02B 6/245
Coupling light guides: removing protective coverings of light guides before coupling
G02B 6/25
Coupling light guides: preparing the ends of light guides for coupling, e.g. cutting