Optical branching device for aircraft data transmission network - has optical fibres fused together by heating to melt outer sheaths

摘要

The device has at least one pair of optical fibres mechanically coupled with at least one further optical fibre. Each optical fibre comprises a core and a sheath with the core made of a material with a higher melting point than that of the sheath, at least for the initial pair of optical fibres, to allow the latter to be fused together within the branching region. The cross-sectional surface are of the pair of optical fibres after fusing them together is equal to the sum of their individual cross-sectional surface areas; the fused cross-section may be circular or elliptical.