Patent Publication Number: US-2012045184-A1

Title: Installation assembly for splicing optical fibers and method for splicing optical fibers

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This present invention relates to a filed of optical fiber wiring, particularly to a simple installation tool capable of splicing optical fibers at site with easy and simple operations, and to a method for splicing optical fibers by means of the simple installation tool. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Generally, a Field Installable Connector is used to perform field splicing of optical fibers. At present, Field Installable Connectors available in the market have to be used together with special installation tools, such as LightCrimp Plus SC Simplex Connector Kits, during performing the field splicing of the optical fibers. Specifically, in the process of the field splicing of the optical fibers and field making of a connector, such installation tools are needed for a series of operations, such as fixing of an object connector, locating of an optical fiber cable, splicing of the optical fibers. Therefore, in order to achieve the field splicing of the optical fibers and the field making of the connector, an operator has to carry about the installation tools, which is much inconvenient to the operator. 
     Further, the operation of the installation tools is relatively complicated due to the specialty thereof; however, the installation tools must be used in the current field wiring of optical fibers, thus, a relative high installation cost is also resulted. 
     At the same time, the application of 8-shaped optical fiber cables (FIG. 8 optical fiber cables) is becoming more and more popular in the current optical fiber field, especially in installing optical network units for home consumers or office consumers, i.e. fiber to the home (FTTH). However, such current installation tools is restrictedly adapted to splice circular optical fiber cables, and thus is not suitable for splicing 8-shaped optical fiber cables. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the above technical problems mentioned in the Background, the invention is directed to solve at least one aspect of the aforesaid problems and defects existing in the prior arts. 
     At least one object of the present invention is to provide a simple installation assembly which is capable of splicing optical fibers with easy and simple operations at site, and thus achieving a tool-less field splicing of optical fibers. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a simple installation assembly which can be applied to various types of optical fibers. 
     At least one solution of the present invention is as follows: an installation assembly for connecting an optical fiber cable and an optical fiber connector, comprising: a fixing member adapted to fixing the optical fiber cable; a guiding member, the fixing member is movably provided in the guiding member so as to guide a bare fiber of the optical fiber cable into the optical fiber connector and to bring the bare fiber into effective contact with an inline optical fiber in the optical fiber connector; and a splicing member, the splicing member is fitted with the guiding member and the fixing member, and splices the bare fiber of the optical fiber cable and the inline optical fiber in the optical fiber connector. 
     Further, the installation assembly further comprises a fine tuning structure provided between the fixing member and the guiding member, the fine tuning structure adjusts the lead-in amount of the bare fiber of the optical fiber cable in the optical fiber connector by adjusting the displacement of the fixing member relative to the guiding member. 
     Specifically, the fine tuning structure comprises: first guiding teeth formed on the fixing member; and second guiding teeth formed on the guiding member, wherein through the engagement between the first guiding teeth and the second guiding teeth, the displacement and locating of the fixing member in the guiding member is achieved, thus the lead-in amount of the bare fiber of the optical fiber cable in the optical fiber connector is controlled, and wherein tooth pitch of the first guiding teeth and that of the second guiding teeth are determined based on a maximum flexible radius of the bare fiber of the optical fiber cable. Further, the optical fiber connector comprises an optical fiber fixing device, the splicing member acts on the optical fiber fixing device and fixes the bare fiber in the optical fiber connector via the optical fiber fixing device so that the bare fiber and the inline optical fiber are spliced. 
     According to one specific embodiment, the splicing member comprises a housing for locating the optical fiber connector and the guiding member; and a handle that is provided on the housing and movable with respect to the housing, wherein the handle is provided on the housing in manner of thread screwing, and wherein the bare fiber is fixed in the optical fiber connector by a front end of the handle in a manner that the front end presses the optical fiber fixing device. Preferably, the optical fiber fixing device is made of solid adhesive. 
     According to one specific embodiment, the fixing member comprises a receiving chamber adapted to receive the optical fiber cable; and fixing teeth formed in the receiving chamber and adapted to fix the optical fiber cable. 
     According to one specific embodiment, the guiding member further comprises a cover that covers the guiding member from outside and strengthens the locating of the fixing member in the guiding member, meanwhile the cover connects the fixing member and the guiding member including the optical fiber cable fixed therein to form a whole connector. 
     According to one specific embodiment of the present invention, the fixing member and the optical fiber connector are located at both ends of the guiding member respectively upon installation. The fixing member may be detachably connected with the guiding member, while the optical fiber connector may connect the guiding member in manner of interference fitting. The splicing member may be a disposable optical fiber splicing tool which can be discarded after one or more times of connection between the optical fiber cable and the optical fiber connector. 
     Preferably, the fixing member, the guiding member and the splicing member are made of plastic material. 
     The present invention also provides a method for splicing optical fibers by using the above installation assembly. Specifically, the method for splicing optical fibers comprises the steps of: providing a fixing member and fixing an optical fiber cable in the fixing member; providing a guiding member, and connecting an optical fiber connector and the fixing member having the optical fiber cable fixed therein to both ends of the guiding member respectively; pushing the fixing member along the guiding member and putting a bare fiber of the optical fiber cable into the optical fiber connector until the optical fiber cable bends slightly so that the bare fiber of the optical fiber cable is in effective contact with an inline optical fiber in the optical fiber connector; providing a splicing member to press an optical fiber fixing device in the optical fiber connector and thus to fix the bare fiber within the optical fiber connector, so that an effective splicing between the bare fiber of the optical fiber cable and the inline optical fiber in the optical fiber connector is achieved. 
     According to one specific embodiment of the present invention, in the above method, lead-in amount of the bare fiber of the optical fiber cable in the optical fiber connector is adjusted through adjusting displacement of the fixing member relative to the guiding member by means of a fine tuning structure. The bare fiber may be in line with the inline optical fiber upon installation, and the optical fiber connector may be connected to the guiding member in manner of interference fitting. In addition, the splicing member may be operated in manner of thread screwing. 
     According to one specific embodiment of the present application, after connecting the bare fiber and the inline optical fiber, a cover is provided to cover the guiding member from outside and strengthen the locating of the fixing member in the guiding member, wherein the cover connects the fixing member and the guiding member having the optical fiber cable fixed therein to form a whole connector. 
     The present invention provides a simple installation assembly which is capable of splicing optical fibers with easy and simple operations at site. The above solution can also be applied to splice various types of optical fibers. In addition, the present invention provides a method for splicing optical fibers by using the above installation assembly. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and/or other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which: 
         FIG. 1  shows an installation assembly according to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and shows schematically a state in which the splicing of optical fibers is performed by means of the installation assembly; 
         FIG. 2  is a sectional view of  FIG. 1  which shows schematically the inner structures of various components of the installation assembly and a state in which the optical fibers are spliced preliminarily; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic structure view of a guiding member and an optical fiber connector of the installation assembly according to the exemplary embodiment of the invention, which shows a state in which the guiding member is connected with the optical fiber connector; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic structure view of a fixing member of the installation assembly according to the exemplary embodiment of the invention, which shows schematically a state in which an optical fiber cable is fixed in the fixing member; 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic structure view of an fixing member of the installation assembly according to the exemplary embodiment of the invention, which shows schematically another state in which an optical fiber cable is also fixed in the fixing member; 
         FIG. 6  shows a state after the splicing of optical fibers is completed in the exemplary embodiment of the invention by using the installation assembly of the present invention, in which the splicing member in the installation assembly is removed while the fixing member and the guiding member in the installation assembly become constituent portions of a new connector for butt-jointing the optical fiber connector; and 
         FIG. 7  shows a another state after the splicing of optical fibers is completed in one further exemplary embodiment of the invention by using the installation assembly of the invention, in which the splicing member in the installation assembly is removed while the fixing member and the guiding member in the installation assembly are covered with a cover so that a whole connector for butt-jointing the optical fiber connector is formed. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described hereinafter in detail with reference to the attached drawings. The present disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiment set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. 
     The scope of the present invention will in no way be limited to the simply schematic views of the drawings, the number of constituting components, the materials thereof, the shapes thereof, the relative arrangement thereof, etc., and are disclosed simply as an example of an embodiment. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the present invention provides a simple installation assembly for connecting an optical fiber cable  10  to an optical fiber connector  20 .  FIG. 1  shows an installation assembly according to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. According to the present invention, the installation assembly mainly comprises a fixing member  30 , a guiding member  40  and a splicing member  60 . Further,  FIG. 1  shows the optical fiber cable  10  and the optical fiber connector  20  which are installation objects of the installation assembly of the present invention. 
     In the present invention, the optical fiber cable  10  as an installation object may be various types of optical fiber cables, comprising but not limited to, a circular optical cable, and an 8-shaped optical fiber cable the application which is more and more widely used. Specifically, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the optical fiber cable  10  according to the embodiment comprises, but not limited to, a bare fiber  10   a,  a cladding layer surrounding the bare fiber  10   a,  and an outer coating layer at the outermost; the optical fiber connector  20  may be used in optical fiber wiring, especially be of any type of optical fiber connector which is used in installing optical network units for home consumers or office consumers, i.e. fiber to the home (FTTH), an in the embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the optical fiber connector  20  substantially comprises a connector housing, an inline optical fiber  21  embedded in the connector housing, and an optical fiber fixing device  22  for fixing the inline optical fiber  21 . 
     According to the present invention, as shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , an installation assembly for connecting the optical fiber cable  10  and the optical fiber connector  20 , comprising: the fixing member  30  adapted to fixing the optical fiber cable  10 ; the guiding member  40 , in which the fixing member  30  is movably provided so as to guide the bare fiber  10   a  of the optical fiber cable  10  into the optical fiber connector  20  and bring the bare fiber  10   a  to be in effective contact with the inline optical fiber  21  in the optical fiber connector  20 ; and the splicing member  60 , the splicing member  60  is fitted with the guiding member  40  and the fixing member  30 , and splices the bare fiber  10   a  of the optical fiber cable  10  and the inline optical fiber  21  in the optical fiber connector  20 . 
     It should be noted that the splicing member of the installation assembly according to the present invention is in the form of a disposable mechanical part which is simple and practical, so that a tool-less field splicing of optical fibers is achieved. Preferably, the fixing member  30 , the guiding member  40  and the splicing member  60  are made of plastic material. 
     According to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the fixing member  30  comprises a receiving chamber  31  adapted to receive the optical fiber cable  10 ; and fixing teeth  32  formed in the receiving chamber  31  and adapted to fix the optical fiber cable  10 . Specifically, when the optical fiber cable  10  is put in the receiving chamber  31 , the fixing teeth  32  of the fixing member  30  bite the outer coating layer of the optical fiber cable  10  so as to fix the optical fiber cable  10 . It should be noted that in the embodiment, the fixing teeth  32  of the fixing member  30  can provide an axial bite force of at least  30  N acting on the optical fiber cable  10  fixed in the receiving chamber  31 , so that an excellent fixing effect is obtained. However, in other embodiments, the fixing member  30  may have other structures which can fix the optical fiber cable  10  effectively. 
     Based on the invention, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the installation assembly further comprises a fine tuning structure  50  provided between the fixing member  30  and the guiding member  40 , the fine tuning structure  50  adjusts lead-in amount of the bare fiber  10   a  of the optical fiber cable  10  in the optical fiber connector  20  by adjusting displacement of the fixing member  30  relative to the guiding member  40 . According to the exemplary embodiment, as shown in  FIGS. 1-6 , the fine tuning structure  50  comprises: first guiding teeth  51  formed on the fixing member  30 ; and second guiding teeth  52  formed on the guiding member  40 , wherein through engagement between the first guiding teeth  51  and the second guiding teeth  52 , the displacement and locating of the fixing member  30  in the guiding member  40  is achieved, thus the lead-in amount of the bare fiber  10   a  of the optical fiber cable  10  in the optical fiber connector  20  is controlled. Specifically, tooth pitch of the first guiding teeth  51  and the second guiding teeth  52  is determined based on a maximum flexible radius of the bare fiber  10   a  of the optical fiber cable  10 . However, in another embodiment, the fine tuning structure  50  of the present invention may be of any other structure or in any other form which can achieve optional locating of the fixing member  30  having the optical fiber cable therein relative to the guiding member  40 . 
     According to the present invention, as shown in  FIGS. 1-2 , the splicing member  60  comprises a housing  61  for locating the optical fiber connector  20  and the guiding member  40 ; and a handle  62  which is provided on the housing  61  and movable with respect to the housing  61 , wherein the handle  62  is provided on the housing  61  in manner of thread screwing. As shown in  FIG. 1 , a plurality of ribs  63  are provided at the inner side of the housing  61 , the ribs  63  are adapted to be engaged with the outer housing of the optical fiber connector  20  so as to locate the optical fiber connector  20  when the optical fiber connector  20  is detachably inserted into the housing  61 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , ribs  64  for locating the guiding member  40  are also provided inside the housing  61 . It should be noted that any other structure which can locate the optical fiber connector  20  and the guiding member  40  may be provided inside the housing  61 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , a circular wall  65  is formed at the front end of the handle  62 , the optical fiber connector  20  has a guiding portion  23  for receiving a inline optical fiber  21  therein and a pressure conduct portion  24 , wherein the guiding portion  23  is adapted to be fit in a hollow space formed by the circular wall  65 , and the circular wall  65  will be in contact with the pressure conduct portion  24  and will apply pressure to it by thread screwing of the handle  62 . 
     According to the invention, the splicing member  60  may be a disposable optical fiber splicing tool which can be discarded after one or more times of junction between the optical fiber cable  10  and the optical fiber connector  20 . In other words, in the installation assembly of the invention, the splicing member  60  is a throwaway mechanical part. 
     In the invention, the optical fiber connector  20  serving as a connecting object comprises therein an optical fiber fixing device  22 , wherein the splicing member  60  acts on the optical fiber fixing device  22  and fixes the bare fiber  10   a  in the optical fiber connector  20  via the optical fiber fixing device  22  so that the bare fiber  10   a  and the inline optical fiber  21  are spliced. 
     The bare fiber  10   a  may be fixed in the optical fiber connector  20  by a front end of the handle  60  in a manner that the front end presses the optical fiber fixing device  22 . According to the embodiment of the present invention, the optical fiber fixing device  22  is preferably made of a solid adhesive which can be solidified by itself after being pressed. Specifically, in the present embodiment and as shown in  FIG. 2 , the front end of the handle  62 , that is, the front end of the circular wall  65 , is in contact with the pressure conduct portion  24  of the optical fiber connector  20 , and applies pressure to the pressure conduct portion  24  by thread screwing of the handle  62 , then the pressure is conducted from the pressure conduct portion  24  to the solid adhesive  22 , thus, the solid adhesive  22  is deformed after being pressed by the front end of the handle  62 , thus the solid adhesive  22  is solidified at a position at which the bare fiber  10   a  is in contact with the inline optical fiber  21 , and thus the bare fiber  10   a  and the inline optical fiber  21  are fixed effectively, in this way, a stable splicing between the bare fiber  10   a  of the optical fiber cable  10  and the inline optical cable  21  in the optical fiber connector  20  is ensured. 
     Further, in the installation assembly of the present invention, the guiding member  40  further comprises a cover  45 , as shown in  FIGS. 6-7 , the cover  45  covers the guiding member  40  from outside and strengthens the locating of the fixing member  30  in the guiding member  40 , wherein the cover  45  connects the fixing member  30  the guiding member  40  having the optical fiber cable  10  fixed therein to form a whole connector. Thus, the optical fiber cable  10  and the optical fiber connector  20  are spliced effectively. According to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, upon installation, the fixing member  30  and the optical fiber connector  20  are located at both ends of the guiding member  40  respectively. According to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the fixing member  30  is detachably connected with the guiding member  40 . According to a further embodiment, the optical fiber connector  20  connects the guiding member  40  in manner of interference fitting. 
     The installation assembly of the present invention has been described above with respect to the exemplary embodiments; next, a method for splicing optical fibers will be described, taken in conjunction with the installation assembly mentioned above. Specifically, as shown in  FIGS. 3-7 , the method for splicing optical fibers at least comprises the steps of: 
     1) providing the fixing member  30  and fixing the optical fiber cable  10  in the fixing member; 
     2) providing the guiding member  40 , and connecting the optical fiber connector  20  and the fixing member  30  having the optical fiber cable  10  fixed therein to both ends of the guiding member  40  respectively; 
     3) pushing the fixing member  30  along the guiding member  40  and putting the bare fiber  10   a  of the optical fiber cable  10  into the optical fiber connector  20  until the optical fiber cable  10  bends slightly so that the bare fiber  10   a  of the optical fiber cable  10  is in effective contact with the inline optical fiber  21  in the optical fiber connector  20 ; 
     4) providing the splicing member  60  to press the optical fiber fixing device  22  in the optical fiber connector  20  and thus to fix the bare fiber  10   a  within the optical fiber connector  20 , so that an effective splicing between the bare fiber  10   a  of the optical fiber cable  10  and the inline optical fiber  21  in the optical fiber connector  20  is achieved. 
     Specifically, according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, in the above method for splicing optical fibers, first, as shown in  FIGS. 4-5 , the optical fiber cable  10 , for example, the 8-shaped optical fiber, to be connected is put in the receiving chamber  31  of the fixing member  30 , and is fixed by the fixing teeth  32  formed in the receiving chamber  31 , then a protective cover is covered on the receiving chamber  31 , wherein the optical fiber cable  10  to be connected which has been fixed in this manner can bear an axial force of at least 30 N after fixation, thus, unintentional pulling the optical fiber cable  10  out of the fixing member  30  is avoided effectively. Moreover, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the optical fiber connector  20  is connected to the guiding member  40  serving as a connecting object, in manner of interference fitting. 
     Then, the fixing member  30  is put in the guiding member  40 , and the bare fiber  10   a  of the optical fiber cable  10  is inserted into an inlet of the optical fiber connector  20 , and then the fixing member  30  is pushed along the guiding member  40  so as to insert the bare fiber  10   a  of the optical fiber cable  10  into the optical fiber connector  20  until the optical fiber cable  10  exposed outside the optical fiber connector  20  bends slightly, at this point, the bare fiber  10   a  of the optical fiber cable  10  is in preliminary contact with the inline optical fiber  21  of the optical fiber connector  20 . During the above operation, the bare fiber  10   a  is in line with the inline optical fiber  21 . 
     According to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, in the step 3) of the method, displacement of the bare fiber  10   a  of the optical fiber cable  10  in the optical fiber connector  20  is adjusted through adjusting displacement of the fixing member  30  relative to the guiding member  40  by means of the fine tuning structure  50  provided between the fixing member  30  and the guiding member  40 . Specifically, the movement and locating of the fixing member  30  in the guiding member  40  is achieved through biting engagement between the second guiding teeth  52  of the guiding member  40  and the first guiding teeth  51  of the fixing member  30 . 
     According to the exemplary embodiment, the optical fiber fixing device in the step 3) of the method is preferably a solid adhesive. In addition, according to the exemplary embodiment of the invention, in the step 3) of the method, the splicing member  60  is operated in manner of thread screwing. Specifically, as shown in  FIGS. 1-2 , the front end of the handle  62 , that is, the front end of the circular wall  65 , is in contact with the pressure conduct portion  24  of the optical fiber connector  20 , then the handle  62  of the splicing member  60  rotates relative to the housing  61  in manner of thread screwing, thus, the front end of the handle  62  applies pressure to the pressure conduct portion  24 , and then the pressure is conducted from the pressure conduct portion  24  to the solid adhesive  22 , in this manner, the front end of the handle  62  presses the solid adhesive  22  in the optical fiber connector  20 , so that the splicing of the bare fiber  10   a  of the optical fiber cable  10  and the inline optical fiber  21  received in the optical fiber connector  20  is achieved in the optical fiber connector  20 . 
     According to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, after the splicing member  60  has pressed the solid adhesive  22  in the process of splicing the optical fibers, the splicing member  60  may be detached from the optical fiber connector  20  for another use. That is, the splicing member  60  is a disposable optical fiber splicing tool which can be discarded after one or more times of connection between the optical fiber cable  10  and the optical fiber connector  20 . 
     According to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as shown in  FIGS. 6-7 , the above method for splicing optical fibers further comprises the following step: providing a cover  45 , after splicing the bare fiber and the inline optical fiber, the cover  45  covers the guiding member  40  from outside and strengthens the locating of the fixing member  30  in the guiding member  40 , wherein the cover  45  connects the fixing member  30  and the guiding member  40  having the optical fiber cable  10  fixed therein to form a whole connector. 
     Concerning the above, the invention provides a simple installation assembly which is capable of splicing optical fibers with easy and simple operations at site. Further, the installation assembly can be applied to splice various types of optical fibers. Correspondingly, the present invention also provides a method for splicing optical fibers. 
     Although several exemplary embodiments have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes or modifications may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the disclosure, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.