EP0257841A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Reinforcement for optical-fiber joint
Assignee: NGK Insulators Ltd
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Filing: 1987-08-03
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-08-03
Abstract
Abstract A reinforcement for reinforcing a joint at which two lengths of an optical-fiber cable (30) consisting of at least one optical fiber (30a) are spliced by fusion welding, such that a spliced stripped part (3l) of each optical fiber and adjacent coated parts (32, 32) of the cable are secured to the reinforcement (l, 2) by an adhesive material. The reinforcement is formed of a transparent crystallized glass which has a major crystalline component consisting of Li₂O, Al₂O₃ and SiO₂ and which has a low coefficient of thermal expansion. The reinforcement has a rough contact surface (3, 4) which is a roughened by machining and at which the reinforcement contacts the optical-fiber cable. A strengthened layer is formed by ion exchange, on an entire surface (3, 4, 5, 6) of the reinforcement. An adhesive layer (7, 8) is formed on the rough contact surface, to secure the optical-fiber cable to the contact surface, upon heating of the adhesive layer, such that the adhesive material serves to smooth the rough contact surface, and thereby renders the rough contact surface transparent.
Inventors
- 👤 Takashi Ota
- 👤 Mikio Kariya
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 12:42
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/24; G02B6/255; G02B6/2558
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
195 words
A reinforcement for reinforcing a joint at which two lengths of an optical-fiber cable (30) consisting of at least one optical fiber (30a) are spliced by fusion welding, such that a spliced stripped part (3l) of each optical fiber and adjacent coated parts (32, 32) of the cable are secured to said reinforcement (l, 2) by means of an adhesive material, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT: a base (la, 2a) is formed of a transparent crystallized glass which has a major crystalline component consisting of Li₂O, Al₂O₃ and SiO₂ and which has a low coefficient of thermal expansion; said base has a rough contact surface (3, 4) which is roughened by machining and at which said base contacts said optical-fiber cable; a strengthened layer is formed by ion exchange, on an entire surface (3, 4, 5, 6) of said base including said rough contact surface; and an adhesive layer (7, 8) consisting of said adhesive material is formed on said rough contact surface, to secure said optical-fiber cable to said base, upon heating of said adhesive layer, such that said adhesive material serves to smooth said rough contact surface, and thereby renders said rough contact surface transparent.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
195 words
A reinforcement for reinforcing a joint at which two lengths of an optical-fiber cable (30) consisting of at least one optical fiber (30a) are spliced by fusion welding, such that a spliced stripped part (3l) of each optical fiber and adjacent coated parts (32, 32) of the cable are secured to said reinforcement (l, 2) by means of an adhesive material, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT: a base (la, 2a) is formed of a transparent crystallized glass which has a major crystalline component consisting of Li₂O, Al₂O₃ and SiO₂ and which has a low coefficient of thermal expansion; said base has a rough contact surface (3, 4) which is roughened by machining and at which said base contacts said optical-fiber cable; a strengthened layer is formed by ion exchange, on an entire surface (3, 4, 5, 6) of said base including said rough contact surface; and an adhesive layer (7, 8) consisting of said adhesive material is formed on said rough contact surface, to secure said optical-fiber cable to said base, upon heating of said adhesive layer, such that said adhesive material serves to smooth said rough contact surface, and thereby renders said rough contact surface transparent.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
39 words
A reinforcement according to claim l, wherein said rough contact surface (3) is substantially flat, and said base (la) further has an arcuate surface (5) opposite to said rough contact surface, so that said base provides a convex lens.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
A reinforcement according to claim l or 2, wherein said base (la) has a marking (9) formed on a surface thereof opposite to said rough contact surface (3), to identify said surface opposite to said rough contact surface.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
69 words
A reinforcement according to any one of claims l to 3, wherein said base is formed from a melt which includes l.7-6% by weight of Li₂O, l2-35% by weight of Al₂O₃, and 55-75% by weight of SiO₂, as said major crystalline component of said crystallized glass, and further includes 0-3% by weight of TiO₂, 0.l-5% by weight of ZrO₂, and 0-5% by weight of P₂O₅, as a nucleation agent.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
222 words
A reinforcement including a first reinforcement member (l) and a second reinforcement member (2), for reinforcing a joint at which two lengths of an optical-fiber cable (30) consisting of at least one optical fiber (30a) are spliced by fusion welding, such that a spliced stripped part (3l) of each optical fiber and adjacent coated parts (32, 32) of the cable are secured between said first and second reinforcement members (l, 2) by means of an adhesive material, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT each of said first and second reinforcement members comprises: a base (la, 2a) formed of a transparent crystallized glass which has a major crystalline component consisting of Li₂O, Al₂O₃ and SiO₂ and which has a low coefficient of thermal expansion; said base having a rough contact surface (3, 4) which is roughened by machining and at which said base contacts said optical-fiber cable; a strengthened layer formed by ion exchange, on an entire surface (3, 4, 5, 6) of said base including said rough contact surface; and an adhesive layer (7, 8) which consists of said adhesive material and which is formed on said rough contact surface, to secure said optical-fiber cable to said base, upon heating of said adhesive layer, such that said adhesive material serves to smooth in said rough contact surface, and thereby renders said rough contact surface transparent.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
222 words
A reinforcement including a first reinforcement member (l) and a second reinforcement member (2), for reinforcing a joint at which two lengths of an optical-fiber cable (30) consisting of at least one optical fiber (30a) are spliced by fusion welding, such that a spliced stripped part (3l) of each optical fiber and adjacent coated parts (32, 32) of the cable are secured between said first and second reinforcement members (l, 2) by means of an adhesive material, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT each of said first and second reinforcement members comprises: a base (la, 2a) formed of a transparent crystallized glass which has a major crystalline component consisting of Li₂O, Al₂O₃ and SiO₂ and which has a low coefficient of thermal expansion; said base having a rough contact surface (3, 4) which is roughened by machining and at which said base contacts said optical-fiber cable; a strengthened layer formed by ion exchange, on an entire surface (3, 4, 5, 6) of said base including said rough contact surface; and an adhesive layer (7, 8) which consists of said adhesive material and which is formed on said rough contact surface, to secure said optical-fiber cable to said base, upon heating of said adhesive layer, such that said adhesive material serves to smooth in said rough contact surface, and thereby renders said rough contact surface transparent.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
68 words
A reinforcement according to claim 5, wherein said rough contact surface (3, 4) of the base (la, 2a) of said each reinforcement member (l, 2) is substantially flat, and said base (la) of one of said first and second reinforcement members further has an arcuate surface (5) opposite to said rough contact surface (3) thereof, so that said base of said one reinforcement member provides a convex lens.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
49 words
A reinforcement according to claim 5 or 6, wherein said base (la) of one of said first and second reinforcement members (l,2) has a marking (9) formed on a surface thereof opposite to said rough contact surface (3) thereof, to identify said surface opposite to said rough contact surface.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
66 words
A reinforcement according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein said base (2a) of one (2) of said first and second reinforcement members (l, 2) has a groove (2ʹ) which has a bottom defined by said rough contact surface (4), the other (l) of said first and second reinforcement members being at least partially accommodated in said groove of said one reinforcement member (2).
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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