A SUPPORT FOR A SPLICE IN AN ELONGATE ELEMENT

Abstract: A support for a splice in an elongate element such as an optical fibre in which application of the support involves attainment of an elevated temperature, in which there are provided temperature indicator means for providing a visual indication of attainment of a selected temperature or temperature range whereby to assist in determining effective completion of a step in the application process.

Description: A SUPPORT FOR A SPLICE IN AN ELONGATE ELEMENT The present invention relates generally to a support for a splice in an elongate element, and to a method of applying such a support. The invention finds particular, but not exclusive, utility in connection with splicing of optical fibres. Optical fibres comprise an inner core of transparent material surrounded by an inner layer of a material having a close but different refractive index and in turn surrounded by a protective cladding layer. When it is necessary to join two optical fibres end-to-end these are spliced by baring the inner core of the end portions of the fibres to be spliced, cleaving the ends and placing them in a closely juxtaposed relationship using equipment capable of ensuring optical alignment of the fibres, and then applying localised heating, for example by appropriately positioned electrodes generating a spark at the junction region, whereby to fuse the end portions of the fibre to form a splice. Although a spliced region of optical fibre is coherent as far as its optical properties are concerned, the splicing operation leaves the fibre weaker at the junction than in the remaining portion of the fibre, and the fact that it has been bared in order to expose the core for formation of the splice results in a need for additional support to protect the splice against damage due to physical movement. This can be achieved by the application by a splice support sleeve which is preliminarily fitted over one of the fibres to be spliced, and then brought into position over the splice region after the fusion of the junction region has been effected. Splice support sleeves are known comprising a cylindrical body of a dimensionally heat recoverable material the physical dimensions of which can change significantly with changes in temperature (known as "heat-shrink" material). An adhesive which is responsive to temperature change (usually one which melts when the temperature is raised) is provided between the sleeve and the spliced fibres. Sleeves themselves are accurately made to predetermined dimensions such that, upon the application of heat, they shrink to a smaller size thereby applying a firm grip around the end portions of the optical fibres to either side of the splice. Additional reinforcement may be provided in the form of a needle or rod, typically of stainless steel, housed within the splice support sleeve and pressed against the optical fibre as the sleeve shrinks. The adhesive may be provided as an - 2 - inner element of adhesive sealant material which forms a liner within the sleeve to ensure intimate contact with the optical fibre and, in particular, increase the tensile strength of the bond between the sleeve and the fibre. The adhesive also acts as a sealant to encapsulate the ends of the fibres and protect them from moisture and dust. In order to effect heat shrinking of a sleeve onto a splice it is positioned within a suitable appliance which heats it to a temperature sufficient to bring the sleeve and the adhesive to the temperature range at which shrinkage takes place. This may be as high as 250°c. At such elevated temperatures, indeed above about 50°c, the heat shrink material and the adhesive are soft and plastic and it is therefore necessary for the sleeve (and the splice within it) to be allowed to cool for some considerable time, a matter of several minutes after heating has been discontinued, before the reinforced splice can be safely handled and positioned, for example, in a splice holder forming part of the installation. If the splice support sleeve is disturbed before it has cooled sufficiently it may be deformed upon fitting to the splice holder as a result of which the optical fibre within it may be flexed or bent, and will be placed under stress. This stress may, over time (with thermal cycling and other variations) result in breakage of the fibre at the splice. This may occur not immediately, but several days, weeks or even months after the splice was made. This is a considerable disadvantage, resulting in the need for service personnel to attend the site to remake a failed splice, as well as the downtime in the equipment the operation of which is affected by the failed splice. The present invention seeks to address this problem by providing means by which a splice can be made and reinforced with more accurate information on the temperature of the splice support sleeve and the hotmelt adhesive thereby allowing sufficient time for the sleeve to cool to a temperature at which it can be handled safely without risk of damage to the spliced fibre, but at the same time avoiding unnecessary delays in a procedure which is already somewhat time consuming. According to the present invention, therefore, there is provided a support for a splice in an elongate element such as an optical fibre, of a type in which application of the support involves attainment of an elevated temperature, in which there are provided temperature indicator means for providing a visual indication of attainment of a selected temperature or temperature range whereby to assist in determining effective completion of a step in the application process. In the specific application envisaged the attainment of the selected temperature or temperature range will be approached from a higher temperature during cooling although it is possible to envisage circumstances in which the attainment of a temperature from below during heating could also be indicated using a visual temperamre indicator as herein defined. The said means for providing a visual indication of attainment of a selected temperature or temperamre range may be or may include an element the colour of which changes at or in the region of the selected temperamre. Other physical properties may, of course, be employed such as the obscuration of a pattern (for example by surface tension as a fusion temperamre is approached) loss of transparency or other heat-influenced physical phenomenon. It is known, for example, that certain materials exhibit specific temperature-related phenomena such as a change in colour at fairly closely defined temperamre ranges. One such material is the so-called "liquid crystal" which comprises certain organic substances the molecules of which have an elongate form. This elongate form causes the molecules to align themselves in certain directions for example when low-intensity magnetic fields are applied. Liquid crystals have been widely used in the production of alphanumeric displays making use of the ability of the crystal to vary its reflective or transmissive properties by varying the anisotropy of the physical properties in dependence on applied fields. When used in a digital or alphanumeric display, a thin layer of liquid crystal material is sandwiched between two sheets of glass each having a thin, transparent, coating of conductive material with the viewing side etched into character-forming segments with leads extending to the edges of the display . Voltages applied between the front and back coatings disrupt the orderly arrangement of the molecules sufficient to cause the liquid crystal to change its reflective or transmissive properties whereby to form visible characters. - 4 - One particular form of liquid crystal, namely chiral nematic (cholesteric) liquid crystals also have the property that they can reflect light having a wavelength equal to the pitch of separation of the molecules. Because the pitch of separation, assuming the molecules are aligned, is dependent upon temperamre the apparent colour, that is the colour of light reflected therefrom, may also depend upon the temperamre of the crystal. This makes it possible to provide an indication of a temperamre or temperamre range by observation of the colour of the liquid crystal. Different specific materials act to reflect different wavelengths so that a wide range of temperatures can be indicated. In the present invention the said means for providing a visual indication of attainment of a selected temperamre may comprise or include an element of liquid crystal material, although other suitable materials may be used. Such material may be present as a separate element located within a body of the support (such as a sleeve) in such a way as to be visible from the outside thereof. Suitable materials are commercially available and have known temperamre ranges. The man skilled in this art would be able to identify and select an appropriate choice of material from among those commercially available and the materials themselves will not be described in more detail, although examples are given below of two such commercially available materials. For this purpose at least a part of the said body may be transparent to allow the said temperamre indicator means to be visible therethrough. Alternatively the said temperamre indicator means may comprise a temperature-sensitive coating on or on a part of the body of the support itself. If the said body is an elongate sleeve the said coating may be formed on the outside or the inside surface thereof or incorporated within the body such as to be visible at the surface. When utilising a known strucmre comprising a sleeve with an internal reinforcing rod, the said coating may be formed on the reinforcing rod. In embodiments having an elongate sleeve and a heat fusing adhesive sealant sleeve-like element within for bonding to the spliced fibre at a temperamre above the said selected - 5 - temperature, the temperamre-indicating material may be present as a coating on or inclusion in the said adhesive sleeve. The present invention also comprehends a method of splicing an elongate element such as an optical fibre, comprising the steps of fitting a tubular support element as hereinbefore defined over one end of an element to be spliced, aligning and fusing the ends of the element with another such element, positioning the tubular support element over the splice, heating the support element to a predetermined temperamre at which it shrinks and re-establishes a predetermined dimension, allowing the sleeve to cool to a selected temperamre by observing visual temperamre indicator means, and maintaining the sleeve undisturbed until the occurrence of an observable change in the temperamre indicator means. Various embodiments of the invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic sectional view of a prior art splice support sleeve; Figures 2A and 2B are respectively an axial section and a cross-section of a first embodiment of the present invention; Figures 3A and 3B are respectively an axial section and a cross-section of a second embodiment of the present invention; Figures 4A and 4B are respectively an axial section and a cross-section through a third embodiment of the invention; and Figures 5A and 5B are respectively an axial section and a cross-section through a fourth embodiment of the invention. Referring now to the drawings, in particular to Figure 1 which illustrates a conventional fusion splice in an optical fibre, supported by a known splice support sleeve. Two optical fibres, generally indicated A and B having bared end portions 11, 12 formed by removing outer cladding layers 13, 14 are positioned end to end in optical alignment and the contacting end faces of the bared ends 11 , 12 are fused at a junction point 15 by application of heat, for example via appropriate electrodes. - 6 - The splice region is protected by a support sleeve, generally indicated 21 and comprising an inner sleeve 16 of heat sensitive adhesive sealant material which, upon raising the temperamre of the support sleeve 21, is pressed against the splice region intimately by the reduction in diameter of an outer heat-shrink sleeve 17 having opposite ends 18, 19 of reduced diameter whereby, upon shrinking, the end portions grip tightly onto the cladding layers 13, 14 of the optical fibres A, B. within the shrink sleeve 17 there is positioned a reinforcing rod 20, typically of stainless steel, which acts to provide resistance to bending in the splice region. The splice assembly illustrated in Figure 1 is shown in the position after fusion of the splice 15, but before the application of heat to cause shrinking of the tube 17. Which causes the adhesive sleeve 16 to be pressed into intimate contact with both the bared ends 11, 12 and the cladding 13, 14 of the optical fibres A, B within the shrink tube 17. As explained in the preamble hereto, the risk of movement taking place whilst the assembly is still soft from the application of heat to cause shrinkage of the shrink tube 17 is militated against by the provision of means for providing a visual indication of the attainment of a temperamre or temperamre range to which the support sleeve must fall before it solidifies sufficiently firmly to be handled safely. Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 are in schematic form and illustrate four different configurations for the provision of such visual temperamre indication. In Figures 2-5 the same reference numerals are used as in Figure 1 to identify the same or corresponding components of the assembly. In Figure 2, the assembly is substantially as in Figure 1 with the addition of a temperamre indicator rod 22 made of or coated with a liquid crystal material the colour of which changes at or around 50°C which is the safe temperamre below which the splice protector sleeve can be handled. The only function of the temperamre indicator rod is to provide an indication of the attainment of the critical temperamre at which handling becomes safe. In order for the rod 22 to be visible the outer shrink sleeve 17 must be transparent or must include a transparent band through which the rod 22 can be seen. - 7 - In Figure 3 the strucmre is similar to that of Figure 1 , but here the heat shrinkable sleeve 17 has liquid crystal material incorporated within it such that the colour of the sleeve provides an immediate indication of whether the temperamre of the sleeve is above or below the critical temperamre. In this embodiment the sleeve does not need to be transparent nor to have any transparent bands as its temperamre will be directly indicative of the temperamre of the entire assembly. In as much as heat loss occurs from the exterior of the sleeve it may be appropriate to select a suitable liquid crystal material the colour of which changes at a temperamre somewhat lower that that of the liquid crystal material of the temperamre indicator rod 22 in the embodiment of Figure 2 in order to accommodate the temperamre gradient through the assembly bearing in mind that the interior portions will still be at a higher temperamre when the outer sleeve has reached the colour change temperamre. The embodiment of Figure 4 differs from that of the embodiment of Figure 3 in that the inner adhesive sleeve 16 has the liquid crystal material incorporated within it. In this embodiment the heat shrinkable sleeve 17 again needs to be transparent or to have a transparent band through which the adhesive sleeve is visible. As a further alternative the embodiment of Figure 5 shows a strucmre in which the reinforcing rod (often called a needle in view of its relatively small dimensions) has a coating of liquid crystal material as a dispersed polymer. In this embodiment the rod 20 may suitably be painted black to provide an absorbing background before a coating 24 of liquid crystal material is applied thereto. Suitable temperamre indicator materials are commercially available. For example, the material may be used in the form of tape or strips and one suitable product comprises an indicator strip sold by Thermochromic Liquid Crystals Ltd of Deeside Clwyd and the title RTTS (Reversible Temperamre Tape Strips). Another material found to be suitable is a reversible temperamre paint RP60 produced by Thermax Thermographic Measurements Ltd. This material must be used with care, however, as it contains a mercuric pigment.

Claims: - 8 - CLAEVIS 1. A support for a splice in an elongate element such as an optical fibre in which application of the support involves attainment of an elevated temperamre, in which there are provided temperamre indicator means for providing a visual indication of attainment of a selected temperamre or temperamre range whereby to assist in determining effective completion of a step in the application process. 2. A support as claimed in Claim 1, in which the said means for providing a visual indication of attainment of a selected temperamre is or includes an element the colour of which changes at or in the region of the selected temperamre. 3. A support as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the said means for providing a visual indication of attainment of a selected temperamre comprises or includes an element of liquid crystal material. 4. A support as claimed in Claim 3, in which the liquid crystal material comprises a separate element located within a body of the support in such a way as to be visible from the outside thereof. 5. A support as claimed in Claim 4, in which at least part of the said body is transparent to allow the said temperamre indicator means to be visible therethrough. 6. A support as claimed in Claim 5, in which the said temperamre indicator means comprise a temperature-sensitive material incorporated in or formed as a coating on an element of the support. 7. A support as claimed in Claim 6, in which the said body is an elongate sleeve and the said temperature-sensitive material is incorporated therein or formed as a coating thereon. - 9 - 8. A support as claimed in Claim 6 which includes an elongate sleeve and a reinforcing rod, and the said temperamre-sensitive material is formed as a coating on the said rod. 9. A support as claimed in Claim 6, in which the body is an elongate sleeve and there is a heat fusing adhesive sealant sleeve within it for bonding to the spliced fibre at a temperamre above the said selected temperamre, and the temperamre-sensitive material is incorporated in or formed as a coating on the said adhesive sleeve. 10. A support for a splice in a elongate element, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings. 11. A method of splicing an elongate element such as an optical fibre comprising the steps of fitting a tubular support element as claimed in any preceding claim over one end of the element to be spliced, fusing the ends of the element, positioning the sleeve over the splice, heating the sleeve to a predetermined temperamre and allowing the sleeve to cool, and determining the attainment of a selected temperamre by observing the visual temperamre indicator, maintaining the sleeve undisturbed until occurrence of an observable change in the temperamre indicator.

Inventors: DAEMS DANIEL, DAEMS, DANIEL
Applicants: DAEMS DANIEL, RAYCHEM LTD, RAYCHEM SA NV, DAEMS, DANIEL, N.V. RAYCHEM S.A., RAYCHEM LIMITED
Application year: 1999
Main classification: G02B6
IPC codes: G02B6