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US 8,408,817 B2Granted
Controlled radius splice protector and fabrication process
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsKenneth C. Noddings, Terry L. Holcomb, Mahmood A. Majid
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A controlled radius splice protector includes a first fiber optic fiber, a second fiber optic fiber, a fiber splice connecting the first fiber optic fiber and the second fiber optic fiber, a hot melted splice tubing extending over the fiber splice and a jacket tubing receiving the hot melted splice tubing and pre-formed to a selected bend radius.
Claims20
An apparatus, comprising:
- a first optic fiber;
- a second optic fiber;
- a fiber splice coupling the first optic fiber and said the second optic fiber;
- a melted splice tubing extending over the fiber splice;
- and
- a thermally conditioned assembly including a curved inflexible jacket tubing to receive the melted splice tubing, the jacket tubing being pre-formed to a bend radius, wherein the assembly is thermally conditioned by cycling the jacket tubing and the splice tubing at an expected operating temperature.
3 more elements
A method, comprising:
- curving a jacket tubing to a bend radius and forming the jacket tubing to be inflexible at the bend radius;
- coupling first and second optic fibers via a fiber splice;
- melting splice tubing over the fiber splice;
- extending the splice tubing through the curved inflexible jacket tubing;
- and
- thermally conditioning the splice tubing and the jacket tubing.
3 more elements
A method, comprising:
- curving heated tubing to a selected bend radius;
- cooling the tubing while curved to the selected bend radius to form an inflexible curved jacket having the selected bend radius;
- forming a fiber splice by connecting a first optic fiber and a second optic fiber;
- extending splice tubing over the fiber splice;
- extending the fiber splice into the inflexible curved jacket;
- and
- thermally conditioning the splice tubing and the jacket.
4 more elements
A controlled radius splice protector, comprising:
- a first optic fiber having a first fiber end;
- a second optic fiber having a second fiber end;
- a fiber splice connecting the first fiber end of the first optic fiber and the second fiber end of the second optic fiber;
- a melted splice tubing extending over the fiber splice and comprising an inner tubing layer and an outer tubing layer;
- and
- a curved rigid jacket tubing thermoformed to a selected bend radius, wherein the melted splice tubing is extended into the curved rigid jacket tubing to position the fiber splice within the curved rigid jacket tubing for a thermal conditioning of the curved rigid jacket tubing and the melted splice tubing.
3 more elements
A controlled radius splice protector fabrication method, comprising:
- thermoforming tubing into a curved inflexible jacket having a selected bend radius;
- forming a fiber splice by connecting a first fiber end of a first optic fiber and a second fiber end of a second optic fiber;
- extending splice tubing over the fiber splice;
- melting the splice tubing on the fiber splice;
- extending the splice tubing the curved inflexible jacket;
- and
- thermally conditioning the splice tubing and the jacket by cycling the splice tubing and the jacket at expected operating temperature ranges.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.