APPARATUS FOR HEATING THERMAL SHRINKAGE TUBE

摘要

A thermal shrinkage tube 2 is heated for shrinking onto a splice portion 1 between optical fibres 3, for example, the heating being applied first to a central portion of the tube and then successively progressing towards end portions thereof, so that the tube 2 becomes closely adhered to the splice portion 1 along the whole of its length with no trapped air bubbles. Such heating is performed by a single heating device whose heating effect varies along the length of the tube 2, such that the greatest heating density occurs at a central portion 7 of the heating device. The heating device may comprise a wire heating element wound into a helical coil or bent into a saw-tooth shape, with the pitch of the windings or saw teeth decreasing from the central portion 7 to end portions 8 and 9 of the heating device.