FIBER-OPTIC CABLE AND ITS MANUFACTURING PROCESS (ALTERNATIVES) Russian patent published in 2003 - IPC

FIELD: multichannel fiber-optic communication lines. SUBSTANCE: fiber-optic cable designed according to first and second alternatives has optical fibers sequentially installed in three guide assemblies that may be made in the form of matrices with set of holes or in the form of assembly of calibrated glass tubes. Fibers are provided at input end with section stripped of protective sheath which is treated with solvent to produce serially disposed cylindrical and conical parts. First guide assembly is installed on fibers covered with protective sheath for displacement along fibers. Second assembly is rigidly fixed to fibers. Third mask in first design alternative has set of similar holes whose diameters are greater than or equal to diameter of fiber cylindrical part and axis-to-axis distance is smaller than that in set of holes in second and third masks. Assembly of calibrated glass tubes is proposed to be used in third design alternative of fiber-optic cable as third assembly. Cable of third design alternative has two fiber harnesses. The latter are joined together either tightly or in a spaced relation to each other through matching optical element. First harness is built of fibers whose input ends are assembled to ensure minimal size of input end of cable and axis-to- axis distance of their input ends equals that at input end of second harness. Proposed manufacturing process ensures maximal number of channels at minimal area of cable input end, minimal attenuation during radiation entrance in fiber, minimal cross-channel communications, and constant parameters of fiber-optic cables in unstable environment. EFFECT: facilitated manufacture, reduced cost. 29 cl, 4 dwg