Epoxy-free plastic optical fiber splice design and fabrication process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10895696-B2
Application number	US-201916664751-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2019
Priority date	Jul 26, 2018
Publication date	Jan 19, 2021
Grant date	Jan 19, 2021

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.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. 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.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein upon completion of steps (k) and (l), the first and second end faces do not contact each other inside the splice alignment sleeve.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein upon completion of steps (k) and (l), an interior space of the splice alignment sleeve is free of epoxy.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
prior to step (i), polishing the first end face of the first plastic optical fiber; and
prior to step (j), polishing the second end face of the second plastic optical fiber.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
sliding a first rubber boot onto the first terminus to a position whereat a longitudinal section of the first rubber boot surrounds a second portion of the second longitudinal section of the first terminus;
sliding a third crimp ring made of metallic material onto the first rubber boot to a position whereat the third crimp ring surrounds a portion of the longitudinal section of the first rubber boot that surrounds the second portion of the second longitudinal section of the first terminus; and
crimping the third crimp ring onto the first rubber boot,
wherein the first and second portions of the second longitudinal section of the first terminus are compressed onto the first jacket of the first plastic optical fiber cable by the first and third crimp rings in respective crimped states.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 , further comprising:
sliding a second rubber boot onto the second terminus to a position whereat a longitudinal section of the second rubber boot surrounds a second portion of the second longitudinal section of the second terminus;
sliding a fourth crimp ring made of metallic material onto the second rubber boot to a position whereat the fourth crimp ring surrounds a portion of the longitudinal section of the second rubber boot that surrounds the second portion of the second longitudinal section of the second terminus; and
crimping the fourth crimp ring onto the second rubber boot,
wherein the first and second portions of the second longitudinal section of the second terminus are compressed onto the second jacket of the second plastic optical fiber cable by the second and fourth crimp rings in respective crimped states.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising the following step performed prior to steps (a) through (l):
severing first and second undamaged sections of a plastic optical fiber cable from a damaged section of the 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.

8. 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) pol

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Koshinz Dennis G
• Chan Eric Y
• Truong Tuong K
• Nguyen Kim Quan Anh

Classifications

• G02B6/3801 Primary

  Permanent connections, i.e. wherein fibres are kept aligned by mechanical means (splices by bonding G02B6/255; fusion splices G02B6/2551) · CPC title

• G02B6/3802

  Assembly tools, e.g. crimping tool or pressing bench (splicing machines G02B6/2553) · CPC title

• G02B6/3857

  Crimping, i.e. involving plastic deformation · CPC title

• G02B6/443 Primary

  Protective covering · CPC title

• G02B6/3806

  Semi-permanent connections, i.e. wherein the mechanical means keeping the fibres aligned allow for removal of the fibres (dismountable connectors G02B6/3807) · CPC title