Method of splicing optical fibres disposed in a layer in a cable

A method of splicing optical fibres which are previously disposed in a layer in a cable such as a layer unrolled into a flat tape configuration, said method including the following steps:

• (a) separating the upper and the lower parts of the tape between which the fibres are trapped;
• (b) cutting said upper and lower parts and moving them apart along a length which allows a fibre connection zone to be cleared;
• (c) laying the fibres to be spliced in positioning V-grooves in a plate;
• (d) applying adhesive or synthetic resin to a portion of the fibres to be spliced;
• and
• (e) hardening the adhesive or synthetic resin;
• the improvement wherein said method further includes the following steps:
• (f) before laying the fibres to be spliced in the positioning V-grooves of the plate, cutting their ends without taking special precautions;
• (g) applying the adhesive or the synthetic resin to at least a portion of the length of the fibres to be spliced which are disposed on the plate, up to their ends, then laying a pressing cover on the lengths of the fibres covered in adhesive or synthetic resin;
• (h) when the adhesive or the synthetic resin has hardened, sawing the assembly constituted by the plate, the fibres, the adhesive or synthetic resin and the pressing cover at a constant spacing in parallel planes and removing the zone which lies between the sawing planes;
• and
• (i) placing the remaining portions of the plate on either side of the sawing planes again end to end, the fibres ends coinciding, interposing a polymerisable liquid or resin with a refractive index close to that of the fibre cores between said coinciding fibre ends, and then pressing the remaining portions of the plate against each other and fixing them in position.