System and method for protecting optical fibre splice
AssigneeADC Telecommunications (Shanghai) Distribution Co., Ltd.
InventorsLiming WANG, Xiaodong ZHANG
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a low-profile splice protection system for protecting multi-fibre fusion splice sites. The splice protection system comprises coating material to package the splice site and may comprise a protective housing.
Claims24
A splice protection system, for protecting fusion splice sites delimited between multiple first optical fibres and multiple second optical fibres, said splice protection system comprising:
- a splice protector, said splice protector comprising a sleeve, said sleeve comprising mutually perpendicular length, width, and thickness, said sleeve comprising a first main side and a second main side, which are opposite each other and are delimited by the sleeve length and width, the first main side and the second main side comprising separated main side walls separated from each other by a separating space extending along the thickness of the sleeve, said sleeve further comprising a first longitudinal secondary side and a second longitudinal secondary side positioned opposite each other and delimited by sleeve length and thickness, said sleeve further comprising first and second lateral secondary sides positioned opposite each other and delimited by width and thickness of the sleeve, the first and second lateral secondary sides being open lateral secondary sides;
- wherein said width is at least twice said thickness, wherein the fusion splice site is disposed inside the sleeve of the splice protector, wherein said multiple first optical fibres and second multiple second optical fibres extend outward from the first lateral secondary side and the second lateral secondary side of the splice protector sleeve;
- and
- wherein the splice protection system further comprises adhesive cement, the adhesive cement being disposed within the splice protector sleeve in order to fill the gaps within the splice protector sleeve.
A method for using a splice protector sleeve to protect a splice site, said splice site being delimited between multiple first optical fibres and multiple second optical fibres, the splice protector sleeve having a length, a width, and a thickness, the splice protector sleeve comprising a first side wall, a second side wall opposite the first side wall, a third wall connecting said first side wall and second side wall, and open ends, said method comprising the steps described below:
- (a) positioning the splice site within the splice protector sleeve;
- (b) injecting adhesive cement into the splice protector sleeve and filling the gaps between said optical fibres and the splice protector sleeve;
- and
- (c) curing the adhesive cement.
An optical fibre connector and optical cable assembly, comprising:
- a multi-fibre ferrule supporting multiple first optical fibres;
- an optical cable having multiple second optical fibres, said multiple second optical fibres being spliced to said multiple first optical fibres at the splice site;
- coating materials, said coating materials being sprayed or overmoulded onto the splice site when no permanent, external, protective housing structure is used;
- and
- a connector body with an open-side slot, the open-side slot being for allowing the ferrule and splice site to be installed in the connector body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.