Retained adhesion of a cable-connector using a plasma process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11467356-B2
Application number	US-202017060971-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 1, 2020
Priority date	Oct 9, 2019
Publication date	Oct 11, 2022
Grant date	Oct 11, 2022

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a plasma treatment (under atmospheric conditions or under vacuum conditions) of a jacketed cable comprising a cable jacket and a heat shrink tubing. The plasma treatment improves retention properties of an optical fiber cable assembly by imparting a permanent change on a polymer surface of the cable jacket by cross-linking, leading to eventual graphitization, that can result in a diffusion barrier layer at an interface of the cable jacket and the heat shrink tubing, which prevents or minimizes plasticizer migration and results in an environmental seal (e.g., a long-term water tight seal).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical fiber assembly comprising:
an optical fiber;
a cable jacket surrounding the optical fiber, the cable jacket comprising a polyvinylchloride (PVC) and a plasticizer;
a fiber optic connector comprising a rear housing; and
a heat shrink tubing surrounding and contacting the rear housing of the fiber optic connector and an outer surface of the cable jacket to create an environmental seal at an interface between the fiber optic connector and the cable jacket;
wherein the cable jacket receives a plasma treatment on a portion of the outer surface of the cable jacket, wherein the plasma treatment modifies the plasticizer and the outer surface such that migration of the plasticizer is reduced for enhancing the bonding at a second interface between the cable jacket and the heat shrink tubing;
wherein the plasma treatment modifies the portion of the outer surface by cross linking the PVC.

2. The optical fiber assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plasma treatment modifies a portion of the outer surface of the cable jacket to a depth between 1 nanometer (nm) and 5 nm.

3. The optical fiber assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plasma treatment modifies about 3 nm of the cable jacket.

4. The optical fiber assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plasma treatment uses at least one of inert gases, air, nitrogen, or oxygen.

5. The optical fiber assembly of claim 4 , wherein the plasma treatment uses nitrogen gas.

6. The optical fiber assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plasma treatment increases an unsaturation of the plasticizer.

7. The optical fiber assembly of claim 1 , wherein the heat shrink tubing at least partially surrounding the cable jacket about the portion that has been plasma treated, and wherein a bonding between the cable jacket and the heat shrink tubing can withstand an initial tensile load of up to 275 N.

8. The optical fiber assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bonding between the cable jacket and the heat shrink tubing can withstand an aged tensile load of up to 275 N after the plasma treatment and aging at 85° C. and a relative humidity of 85 for four weeks.

9. A method of improving adhesion of a cable comprising:
applying a cable jacket about an optical fiber, wherein the cable jacket comprises a plasticizer and an outer surface;
treating a portion of the outer surface of the cable jacket with a plasma treatment such that the plasma treatment modifies the portion of the cable jacket to reduce migration of the plasticizer for enhancing the bonding at the portion of the outer surface of the cable jacket, wherein the plasma treatment is applied absent a vacuum process at atmospheric conditions; and
applying a heat shrink tubing about the portion of the outer surface of the cable jacket;
wherein the plasma treatment is applied at a power between 200 Watts and 1000 Watts at a time interval between 10 seconds and 20 seconds.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the plasma treatment uses at least one inert gas and at least one of air, nitrogen, or oxygen.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the plasma treatment comprises a gas flow rate of between 40 standard cubic centimeters per minute (sccm) and 200 sccm of nitrogen.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the power is between 100 W to 500 W at a time interval between 10 seconds and 20 seconds.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the cable jacket is made of PVC and wherein after the plasma treatment, the cable jacket undergoes crosslinking and increasing unsaturation.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the plasma treatment is applied by atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD).

15. A method of improving adhesion of a cable connector comprising:
applying a cable jacket onto an optical fiber, wherein the cable jacket comprises a plasticizer and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), the cable jacket is configured to receive a heat shrink tubing; and
treating the cable jacket and the plasticizer with a plasma treatment such that the plasma treatment modifies the plasticizer and the outer surface of the cable jacket to minimize plasticizer migration, wherein the plasma treatment is applied onto the cable jacket at a depth between 1 nm and 5 nm from an outer surface of the cable jacket, wherein the plasma treatment is applied absent a vacuum process at atmospheric conditions and includes a first application of at least one inert gas and a second application of at least one of air, nitrogen, or oxygen; and
applying the heat shrink tubing after treating the cable jacket to create an environmental seal at an interface of the cable jacket and the heat shrink tubing;
wherein the plasma treatment comprises a gas flow rate of between 40 standard cubic centimeters per minute (sccm) and 200 sccm of nitrogen and between 40 standard liters per minute (SLM) and 200 SLM.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the plasma treatment modifies the cable jacket at a depth of about 3 nm from the outer surface of the cable jacket.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising coupling a boot and a connector onto the cable jacket.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the plasma treatment modifies the plasticizer by increasing unsaturation of the plasticizer.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the plasticizer is selected from the group consisting of: phthalate, Dimethyl phthalate (DMP), Diethyl phthalate (DEP), Dibutyl phthalate (DBP), Butyl octyl phthalate (BOP), diisohexyl phthalate (DHP), Diisoheptyl phthalate (DIHP), Heptyl nonyl phthalate (79P), Heptyl nonyl undecyl phthalate (711P), Diisooctyl phthalate (DIOP), di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DOP), (n-hexyl, octyl, decyl) phthalate (610), (n-octyl, decyl) phthalate (810P), Diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP), Diundecyl phthalate (DUP), Butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), and Alkyl benzyl phthalate.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the plasma treatment modifies the cable jacket by cross-linking the PVC or increasing unsaturation of the cable jacket.

21. An optical fiber assembly comprising:
an optical fiber;
a cable jacket surrounding the optical fiber, the cable jacket comprising a polyvinylchloride (PVC) and a plasticizer;
a fiber optic connector comprising a rear housing; and
a heat shrink tubing surrounding and contacting the rear housing of the fiber optic connector and an outer surface of the cable jacket to create an environmental seal at an interface between the fiber optic connector and the cable jacket;
wherein the cable jacket receives a plasma treatment on a portion of the outer surface of the cable jacket, wherein the plasma treatment modifies the plasticizer and the outer surface such that migration of the plasticizer is reduced for enhancing the bonding at a second interface between the cable jacket and the heat shrink tubing;
wherein the heat shrink tubing at least partially surrounding the cable jacket about the portion that has been plasma treated, and wherein a bonding between the cable jacket and the heat shrink tubing can withstand an initial tensile load of up to 275 N.

22. An optical fiber assembly comprising:
an optical fiber;
a cable jacket surrounding the optical fiber, the cable jacket comprising a polyvinylchloride (PVC) and a plasticizer;
a fiber optic connector comprising a rear housing; and
a heat shrink tubing surrounding and contacting the rear housing of the fiber optic connector and an outer surface of the cable jacket to create an environmental seal at an interface between the fiber optic connector and the cable jacket;
wherein the cable ja

Assignees

• Corning Res & Dev Corp

Inventors

• Baca Adra Smith
• Baker Linda Sue
• Huang Ming-Huang
• Fahey Christine Marie Mahoney
• Senaratne Wageesha

Classifications

• G02B6/3889 Primary

  using encapsulation for protection, e.g. adhesive, molding or casting resin · CPC title

• G02B6/2551

  using thermal methods, e.g. fusion welding by arc discharge, laser beam, plasma torch · CPC title

• G02B6/4486

  Protective covering · CPC title