Cold welding process for fiber optic/ferrule attachment

摘要

A cold welding technique for securing a fiber optic cable (10) to a ferrule (26). The fiber optic cable (10) is inserted into a sleeve (12). The fiber cable and sleeve assembly is then slid into a sleeve bore (24) through one end of the ferrule (26) so that the fiber (14) extends out of an opposite end (40) of the ferrule (26). The sleeve (12) is then retracted from the ferrule (26). A cold electroplating process is performed so that a layer (50) of a suitable plating material is deposited over the end (40) of the ferrule (26) through which the fiber (14) extends so that the fiber cable (10) is held within the ferrule (26) and the ferrule opening is hermetically sealed. The sleeve (12) is then slid back into the ferrule (26) and is soldered to the ferrule to hold it in the desired location.