An embodiment of the present invention makes it possible provide a reinforcement structure which (i) makes it possible to reinforce an optical fiber in a simple manner and (ii) decreases the likelihood of degradation of a heat-shrinkable tube. A reinforcement structure (1) includes a tension-resistance member (13), a heat-shrinkable tube (16) which bundles a plurality of optical fibers (11, 12) and the tension-resistance member (13), and a radiator (15) which is in thermal contact with the tension-resistance member (13). The tension-resistance member (13) has a flat surface which faces respective circumferential surfaces of the plurality of optical fibers (11, 12).

An optical cable fixture includes a base and a cover. The base defines a receiving groove penetrating opposite sides of the base. The receiving groove includes a first receiving portion and a second receiving portion. The first receiving portion receives an optical cable. The second receiving portion receives first optical fibers extending from the optical cable. The cover covers the base and fixes the optical cable and the first optical fibers.

Certain splice arrangements include first and second laminate structures bonded around a splice location at which two or more optical fibers are spliced (e.g., fusion spliced) together. The first and second laminate structures each include a flexible polymeric sheet and a heat activated adhesive layer carried by the flexible polymeric sheet. Other splice arrangements include a protective barrier disposed about an optical splice. The protective barrier includes first and second protective layers bonded around the optical splice. Each protective layer include a film carrying an adhesive. The protective barrier may be sufficiently flexible to not restrict flexing the optical fibers at the splice location. Example splice arrangements have thicknesses of less than or equal to 1000 microns, or 900 microns, or 800 microns, or 700 microns, or 600 microns or 500 microns.

The application provides an optical fiber splice with an adjustable sleeve, which comprises: a carrier, an optical fiber cable and an adjustable sleeve. The carrier has a first fixed end and a second fixed end along an optical fiber extension direction. The optical fiber cable has a cable part and an optical fiber outlet part. The optical fiber outlet part extends from the cable part and is fixed to the first fixed end. The adjustable sleeve is sleeved on the cable part. An outer peripheral surface of the adjustable sleeve is provided with a plurality of positioning features. Wherein in the optical fiber extension direction, the positions of the positioning features disposed on the adjustable sleeve are deviated from each other by a distance. One of the positioning features is fixed to the second fixed end.

To provide an optical fiber cable having a protective structure of an optical fiber connecting part that allows easy fabrication of a protective structure part having a decreased diameter without use of a metal rod and a heat-shrinkable tube, and a method for manufacturing the same. The problem is solved by an optical fiber cable (30) comprising a connecting part (3) of two optical fibers (10A, 10B), each configured by an optical fiber core wire (1) and a coating material (2) coating the optical fiber core wire (1), formed by peeling off the coating material (2) at tip end portions thereof, abutting tip ends of the optical fiber core wires (1) thus exposed against each other, and fusing and splicing the tip ends together, a resin cured product (4) provided to an outer periphery of the connecting part (3) to have an outer diameter that is the same or substantially the same as an outer diameter of a portion of the optical fiber provided with the coating material (2), a metal pipe (6) provided to an outer periphery of the resin cured product (4) with an adhesive layer (5) interposed therebetween, and an outer sheath (7) composed of a resin tube or an extruded resin layer and covering an entire length including the metal pipe (6).

An optical connector includes: a ferrule that holds an end part of a fiber; and a holding member including: a holding part that slidably holds the ferrule; a fixing part through which the fiber extending from the ferrule is inserted and to which a sleeve for protecting a fusion splice point between the fiber and an optical fiber is fixed; and a housing part that houses the fiber between the holding part and the fixing part when the fiber is bent and the ferrule moves rearward of the housing part.

A fiber optic cable assembly includes first and second cable sections each having a jacket, at least one optical fiber, and multiple strength members. An intermediate cable section includes at least one splice joint as well as bundled sections of strength members of the cable sections formed into bundled sections that overlap and are adhered together. As adhered, the bundled strength members are shorter than the at least one spliced optical fiber in the intermediate section to ensure that the strength members bear tensile loads. A fabrication method includes binding unjacketed segments of strength members of two cable sections into bundled sections of strength members, fusion splicing ends of optical fibers, polymerically overcoating at least one splice joint, and adhering the bundled sections of strength members in an overlapping arrangement. An apparatus for thermoplastically coating cable assembly portions includes a trough for molten thermoplastic material, and a lateral insertion slot defined therein.

The present invention relates to a low-profile splice protection system for protecting multi-fibre fusion splice sites. The splice protection system comprises coating material to package the splice site and may comprise a protective housing.

A multi-fiber splice protector comprises a strength member including opposing first and second walls connected along only edge, and including unconnected opposing first and second wall extensions. The splice protector has a compact width that permits it to be incorporated with multiple fusion splice optical fibers in a multi-fiber push-on (MPO) type connector utilizing conventional MPO components. Protected splice joints may be provided between a multi-fiber ferrule and a boot of a connector, with at least a portion of a split jacket section of a fiber optic cable arranged within the boot. The jacket may have a split length of less than 25 mm and/or an entirety of the split jacket is within the boot. If provided, heat shrink tubing covering the split jacket may have a reduced length and/or may be confined within the boot.

A method of re-splicing a splice-on connector (“SOC”) includes at least five steps: (1) stripping insulation from an end portion of a first optic fiber; (2) stripping insulation from an end portion of a second optic fiber having a connector body fixed to an opposite end portion thereof. One end portion of the connector body is sized and configured to be inserted into an end portion of an elongated hollow member. The method also includes: (3) splicing together the first and second fiber optic end portions to produce either an SOC or a re-spliced splice-on connector (“RSSOC”). The SOC has a predetermined length to enable cutting at three predetermined locations spaced from the connector body. The method further includes: (4) if an operational fault is caused in a system using the SOC or RSSOC, cutting the SOC or the RSSOC at one of the three predetermined regions; and (5) repeating step (3).