Fiber optic cable demarcations inhibiting movements of optical fibers relative to strength members, and related cable assemblies and methods, are disclosed. By bonding optical fibers to strength members with a bonding agent received into at least one cavity, a demarcation may be formed inside the cable jacket at a cable jacket interface. The at least one cavity may be disposed within a cable jacket of a fiber optic cable and at the cable jacket interface. The demarcation may bond at least one optical fiber and at least one strength member together to inhibit longitudinal movement of the at least one optical fiber relative to the at least one strength member. In this manner, the demarcation may inhibit optical fiber movement within the fiber optic connector, which may cause tensile forces and/or buckling of the optical fiber resulting in optical fiber damage and/or optical attenuation.

A cutting tool includes a cutting head integrated into a handle. The cutting tool can be used to make a window cut in a cable jacket by sliding the cutting tool along the cable jacket. The cutting tool includes guide surfaces to control the cutting depth into the jacket and to maintain the blade edge at a predetermined depth until the end of the stroke. The cutting tool also may direct a scrap portion of the jacket out of the cutting tool away from the cable. The blade of the cutting head is angled relative to a cable guide channel and is easily replaceable.

A cutting tool includes a cutting head integrated into a handle. The cutting tool can be used to make a window cut in a cable jacket by sliding the cutting tool along the cable jacket. The cutting tool includes guide surfaces to control the cutting depth into the jacket and to maintain the blade edge at a predetermined depth until the end of the stroke. The cutting tool also may direct a scrap portion of the jacket out of the cutting tool away from the cable. The blade of the cutting head is angled relative to a cable guide channel and is easily replaceable.

Beam combining optical systems include a fiber beam combiner having multiple inputs to which output fibers of laser diode sources are spliced. Cladding light stripping regions are situated at the splices and include exposed portions of fiber claddings that are at least partially encapsulated with an optical adhesive or a polymer. A beam combiner fiber that is optically downstream of a laser source has an exposed cladding secured to a thermally conductive support with a polymer or other material that is index matched to the exposed cladding. This construction permits attenuation of cladding light propagating toward a beam combiner from a splice.

Beam combining optical systems include a fiber beam combiner having multiple inputs to which output fibers of laser diode sources are spliced. Cladding light stripping regions are situated at the splices and include exposed portions of fiber claddings that are at least partially encapsulated with an optical adhesive or a polymer. A beam combiner fiber that is optically downstream of a laser source has an exposed cladding secured to a thermally conductive support with a polymer or other material that is index matched to the exposed cladding. This construction permits attenuation of cladding light propagating toward a beam combiner from a splice.

A beam combiner includes: a plurality of input optical fibers, a beam combination optical fiber and an output optical fiber; the input optical fiber includes an input fiber core and an optical fiber input cladding layer wrapping an outer wall of the input fiber core, the output optical fiber includes an output fiber core and an optical fiber output cladding layer wrapping an outer wall of the output fiber core, a cross section of the optical fiber input cladding layer is fan-shaped or hexagonal and is provided with a groove and/or a protrusion along an axial direction, the plurality of input optical fibers are nested with each other to form the beam combination optical fiber, fiber cores in the beam combination optical fiber are all connected to the output fiber core, and a beam combination cladding layer of the beam combination optical fiber is connected to the output fiber core.

A beam combiner includes: a plurality of input optical fibers, a beam combination optical fiber and an output optical fiber; the input optical fiber includes an input fiber core and an optical fiber input cladding layer wrapping an outer wall of the input fiber core, the output optical fiber includes an output fiber core and an optical fiber output cladding layer wrapping an outer wall of the output fiber core, a cross section of the optical fiber input cladding layer is fan-shaped or hexagonal and is provided with a groove and/or a protrusion along an axial direction, the plurality of input optical fibers are nested with each other to form the beam combination optical fiber, fiber cores in the beam combination optical fiber are all connected to the output fiber core, and a beam combination cladding layer of the beam combination optical fiber is connected to the output fiber core.

A ribbon handler assembly holds an optical fiber ribbon during thermal stripping, cleaving and mass fusion splicing. The handler assembly includes a body defining a ribbon channel in an upper surface, an array section of fiber grooves extending longitudinally a predefined length from one end of the ribbon channel, wherein a nominal spacing of each individual groove of the array section of fiber grooves is greater than a nominal fiber spacing of fibers in an optical fiber ribbon configured to be placed into the ribbon channel.

A method for manufacturing an optical fiber includes: exposing a glass fiber by stripping a fiber coating layer at an end portion, on a splicing side, of each of a pair of optical fibers; fusion-splicing the glass fibers; and recoating a protective resin on a periphery of exposed portions of the glass fibers. The fiber coating layer includes a primary resin layer on an inner peripheral side and having a Young's modulus of 0.5 MPa or less and a secondary resin layer on an outer peripheral side and having a Young's modulus of 800 MPa or greater, the exposing includes forming a shape of a coating edge of the fiber coating layer which includes the primary resin layer and the secondary resin layer into a tapered shape which becomes narrower toward the end portion side, and the recoating includes coating the protective resin to include the coating edge.

A method for manufacturing an optical fiber includes: exposing a glass fiber by stripping a fiber coating layer at an end portion, on a splicing side, of each of a pair of optical fibers; fusion-splicing the glass fibers; and recoating a protective resin on a periphery of exposed portions of the glass fibers. The fiber coating layer includes a primary resin layer on an inner peripheral side and having a Young's modulus of 0.5 MPa or less and a secondary resin layer on an outer peripheral side and having a Young's modulus of 800 MPa or greater, the exposing includes forming a shape of a coating edge of the fiber coating layer which includes the primary resin layer and the secondary resin layer into a tapered shape which becomes narrower toward the end portion side, and the recoating includes coating the protective resin to include the coating edge.