Optical waveguide termination

Details Optical waveguide termination Optical waveguide termination

2002-11-19

2004-02-10

Prasad, Chandrika (Department: 2839)

Optical waveguides

Accessories

Splice box and surplus fiber storage/trays/organizers/ carriers

C385S136000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06690874

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention is based on a priority application DE 10157056.2 which is hereby incorporated by reference.
The invention relates to an optical waveguide termination of an optical waveguide phase conductor.
Described in DE 39 42 245 is an optical waveguide termination in which the end of the phase conductor is enclosed by a conductor clamp and at least one optical waveguide is routed out of the end of the phase conductor to the top fitting of the termination insulator, further within the latter to its bottom fitting and finally into a splice housing. The optical waveguide is encapsulated in the insulator and connected, in the splice housing, to a continuing optical waveguide. The insulator consists of a tube of glass-fibre-reinforced plastic, which is sheathed by a layer of silicone rubber and has a plurality of shields of silicone rubber disposed one above the other. The top and bottom fittings are flange-mounted on to the insulator and each comprise a splice housing. The optical waveguide is routed out of the upper splice housing in turns, via the glass-fibre-reinforced plastic tube of the insulator, to the lower splice housing. The interior of the insulator is filled with silicone rubber, the insulator thus being constructed as a post insulator.
The optical waveguide termination is fully works-prefabricated and it need only be set up and connected on site.
A disadvantage of this solution is that both the optical waveguides of the phase conductor and the continuing optical waveguides have to be spliced on site with the optical waveguides routed in the insulator and placed in the respective splice cassette.
This procedure is of considerable disadvantage particularly when more than one optical waveguide is accommodated in the phase conductor. Recently, up to 144 optical waveguides are provided in one phase conductor, a conductor wire being replaced in each case by a steel tube in the phase conductor. In the case of a phase conductor occupied by 144 optical waveguides, three tubes, each with 48 optical waveguides, have to be accommodated in one phase conductor. The splicing work, which has to be performed high up, including in unfavourable weather conditions, is very time-consuming and can extend over a period of up to a week.
The commissioning of a high-voltage installation is unnecessarily delayed as a result.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to improve the known optical waveguide termination such that the splicing work at the installation site is substantially reduced.
This object is achieved by an optical waveguide termination of an optical waveguide phase conductor, consisting of a tubular composite insulator, with a top fitting attached to one end and a bottom fitting attached to the opposite end, characterized by the following features:
a) an optical cable is routed in a fluid-tight manner into the bottom fitting,
b) the optical waveguides and/or cores of the optical cable are routed in the interior of the composite insulator to the top fitting,
c) the optical waveguides and/or cores lie as a spare length in the top fitting,
d) at least one splice cassette, for accommodating the splice joints of the optical fibres of the optical cable and of the optical fibres of the phase conductor, is disposed in the top fitting,
e) the interior of the composite insulator is filled, free from bubbles, with a liquid filling compound.
In addition to a substantial weight saving in comparison with the porcelain-based composite insulators used hitherto, the optical waveguide termination according to the invention also has the advantage that only one spliced joint need be produced high up for each optical fibre. Entry of the core or cores of the phase conductor into the bottom fitting, and of the optical waveguide connecting cable into the top fitting, is effected by means of standardized cable glands. Multiple seals are however also used for sealing of multifibre buffered tubes.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4619499 (1986-10-01), Gerber
patent: 4687289 (1987-08-01), DeSanti
patent: 5069523 (1991-12-01), Finzel et al.
patent: 5187766 (1993-02-01), Finzel et al.
patent: 5218664 (1993-06-01), O'Neill et al.
patent: 2002/0181925 (2002-12-01), Hodge et al.
patent: 3942245 (1991-06-01), None
patent: 19955271 (2001-06-01), None

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