Patent ID: 6230522
Filing Date: 2001-05-15
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
Method for modifying welding parameters for the production of a thermal weld between two respective optical fibers, which are to be connected to one another, said method comprising the steps of:producing in at least one preliminary trial at least one test splice under the respectively present, prevailing welding conditions,said test splice being formed by positioning at least two optical test fibers relative to one another with a predetermined radial initial offset,contacting the end faces of these test fibers with said radial offset,heating the region around the contacting location of said two test fibers in at least one welding process in such a way that an offset-reducing effect between the two test fibers occurs, said heating including increasing a welding current intensity for the welding of the two test fibers until an offset-reducing effect of the contacting test fibers first occurs and then holding the welding current intensity constant from the start of the offset-reducing effect, andadapting at least one of the welding parameters for the present, prevailing welding conditions, which are selected from present, prevailing, apparatus conditions with the help of this offset-reduction caused by the heating during the preliminary trial and setting this adapted welding parameter for a later welding between the two optical fibers which are to be connected to one another, and only after said preliminary trial making the weld between the actual two optical fibers desired to be connected to one another using said individually set welding parameters adapted to the present, prevailing welding conditions in the preliminary trial before.