1. A tight-buffered optical fiber unit, comprising:
an optical fiber comprising a glass fiber surrounded by a optical-fiber coating including one or more coating layers; and
a polymeric buffering layer tightly surrounding the optical fiber to define a fiber-buffer interface, the polymeric buffering layer including an aliphatic amide slip agent in an amount sufficient for at least some of the aliphatic amide slip agent to migrate to the fiber-buffer interface and thereby promote easy stripping of the polymeric buffering layer;
wherein at least about 15 centimeters of the polymeric buffering layer can be removed from the optical fiber in a single operation using a strip force of less than about 10 N.
2. An optical fiber unit according to claim 1, wherein the optical-fiber coating includes a primary coating layer surrounding the glass fiber and a secondary coating layer surrounding the primary coating layer.
3. An optical fiber unit according to claim 2, wherein the optical-fiber coating includes an ink layer surrounding the secondary coating layer.
4. An optical fiber unit according to claim 1, wherein the outer diameter of the optical fiber and the inner diameter of the polymeric buffering layer are essentially the same.
5. An optical fiber unit according to claim 1, wherein the polymeric buffering layer has a Shore A hardness of at least about 90.
6. An optical fiber unit according to claim 1, wherein:
the polymeric buffering layer predominately comprises a polyolefin; and
the aliphatic amide slip agent possesses low solubility within the polyolefin to facilitate the migration of the aliphatic amide slip agent to the fiber-buffer interface.
7. An optical fiber unit according to claim 1, wherein the aliphatic amide slip agent is incorporated into the polymeric buffering layer in an amount less than about 3000 ppm.
8. An optical fiber unit according to claim 1, wherein the aliphatic amide slip agent is incorporated into the polymeric buffering layer in an amount between about 750 ppm and 1250 ppm.
9. An optical fiber unit according to claim 1, wherein at least about 20 centimeters of the polymeric buffering layer can be removed from the optical fiber in a single operation using a strip force of less than about 5 N.
10. An optical fiber unit according to claim 1, wherein at least about 30 centimeters of the polymeric buffering layer can be removed from the optical fiber in a single operation using a strip force of less than about 10 N.
11. An optical fiber unit according to claim 1, wherein:
the optical fiber is a multimode optical fiber complying with the ITU-T G.651.1 recommendation; and
the optical fiber unit has, at a wavelength of 1300 nanometers, attenuation less than about 1 dBkm as measured at \u22125\xb0 C. after performing two temperature cycles from \u22125\xb0 C. to 60\xb0 C.
12. An optical fiber unit according to claim 11, wherein:
the multimode optical fiber has macrobending losses greater than 0.1 dB at a wavelength of 850 nanometers for a winding of two turns around a spool with a bending radius of 15 millimeters; and
the multimode optical fiber has macrobending losses greater than 0.3 dB at a wavelength of 1300 nanometers for a winding of two turns around a spool with a bending radius of 15 millimeters.
13. An optical fiber unit according to claim 1, wherein:
the optical fiber is a multimode optical fiber complying with the ITU-T G.651.1 recommendation; and
the optical fiber unit has, at a wavelength of 1300 nanometers, attenuation less than about 0.6 dBkm as measured at \u22125\xb0 C. after performing two temperature cycles from \u22125\xb0 C. to 60\xb0 C.
14. An optical fiber unit according to claim 13, wherein:
the multimode optical fiber has macrobending losses greater than 0.1 dB at a wavelength of 850 nanometers for a winding of two turns around a spool with a bending radius of 15 millimeters; and
the multimode optical fiber has macrobending losses greater than 0.3 dB at a wavelength of 1300 nanometers for a winding of two turns around a spool with a bending radius of 15 millimeters.
15. An optical fiber unit according to claim 1, wherein:
the optical fiber is a single-mode optical fiber; and
as measured at \u22125\xb0 C. after performing two temperature cycles from \u221240\xb0 C. to 70\xb0 C., the optical fiber unit has attenuation (i) less than about 0.5 dBkm at a wavelength of 1310 nanometers and (ii) less than about 0.3 dBkm at a wavelength of 1550 nanometers.
16. A method for manufacturing an optical fiber unit according to claim 1, comprising:
incorporating an aliphatic amide slip agent into a polymeric composition to form a polymeric buffering compound;
extruding the polymeric buffering compound continuously around the optical fiber to form the optical fiber unit.
17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the step of incorporating an aliphatic amide slip agent into a polymeric composition comprises incorporating into a polyolefin an aliphatic amide slip agent that has sufficiently low solubility within the polyolefin to promote the migration of the aliphatic amide slip agent to the fiber-buffer interface during andor after the extrusion step.
18. A semi-tight-buffered optical fiber unit, comprising:
an optical fiber comprising a glass fiber surrounded by a optical-fiber coating including one or more coating layers; and
a polymeric buffering layer surrounding the optical fiber to define an annular gap therebetween, the polymeric buffering layer including an aliphatic amide slip agent in an amount sufficient for at least some of the aliphatic amide slip agent to migrate to the annular gap and thereby promote easy stripping of the polymeric buffering layer;
wherein at least about 25 centimeters of the polymeric buffering layer can be removed from the optical fiber in a single operation using a strip force of less than about 10 N.
19. An optical fiber unit according to claim 18, wherein the optical-fiber coating includes a primary coating layer surrounding the glass fiber and a secondary coating layer surrounding the primary coating layer.
20. An optical fiber unit according to claim 19, wherein the optical-fiber coating includes an ink layer surrounding the secondary coating layer.
21. An optical fiber unit according to claim 18, wherein the inner diameter of the polymeric buffering layer is no more than about 30 microns greater than the outer diameter of the optical fiber.
22. An optical fiber unit according to claim 18, wherein the polymeric buffering layer has a Shore A hardness of at least about 90.
23. An optical fiber unit according to claim 18, wherein the polymeric buffering layer predominately comprises a polyolefin.
24. An optical fiber unit according to claim 18, wherein the aliphatic amide slip agent is incorporated into the polymeric buffering layer in an amount between about 200 ppm and 2000 ppm.
25. An optical fiber unit according to claim 18, wherein at least about 50 centimeters of the polymeric buffering layer can be removed from the optical fiber in a single operation using a strip force of less than about 5 N.
26. An optical fiber unit according to claim 18, wherein at least about 100 centimeters of the polymeric buffering layer can be removed from the optical fiber in a single operation using a strip force of less than about 10 N.
27. An optical fiber unit according to claim 18, wherein:
the optical fiber is a multimode optical fiber complying with the ITU-T G.651.1 recommendation; and
the optical fiber unit has, at a wavelength of 1300 nanometers, attenuation less than about 1 dBkm as measured at \u22125\xb0 C. after performing two temperature cycles from \u22125\xb0 C. to 60\xb0 C.
28. An optical fiber unit according to claim 27, wherein:
the multimode optical fiber has macrobending losses greater than 0.1 dB at a wavelength of 850 nanometers for a winding of two turns around a spool with a bending radius of 15 millimeters; and
the multimode optical fiber has macrobending losses greater than 0.3 dB at a wavelength of 1300 nanometers for a winding of two turns around a spool with a bending radius of 15 millimeters.
29. An optical fiber unit according to claim 18, wherein:
the optical fiber is a multimode optical fiber complying with the ITU-T G.651.1 recommendation; and
the optical fiber unit has, at a wavelength of 1300 nanometers, attenuation less than about 0.8 dBkm as measured at \u22125\xb0 C. after performing two temperature cycles from \u22125\xb0 C. to 60\xb0 C.
30. An optical fiber unit according to claim 29, wherein:
the multimode optical fiber has macrobending losses greater than 0.1 dB at a wavelength of 850 nanometers for a winding of two turns around a spool with a bending radius of 15 millimeters; and
the multimode optical fiber has macrobending losses greater than 0.3 dB at a wavelength of 1300 nanometers for a winding of two turns around a spool with a bending radius of 15 millimeters.
31. An optical fiber unit according to claim 18, wherein:
the optical fiber is a single-mode optical fiber; and
as measured at \u22125\xb0 C. after performing two temperature cycles from \u22125\xb0 C. to 60\xb0 C., the optical fiber unit has attenuation (i) less than about 0.5 dBkm at a wavelength of 1310 nanometers and (ii) less than about 0.3 dBkm at a wavelength of 1550 nanometers.
32. An optical fiber unit according to claim 31, wherein the single-mode optical fiber (i) complies with the ITU-T G.652.D recommendation but (ii) complies with neither the ITU-T G.657.A recommendation nor the ITU-T G.657.B recommendation.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. Device for securing an attachment device for a prosthesis andor a prosthesis adapter to a prosthesis shaft, comprising:
a first holder for the prosthesis shaft,
a second holder for the attachment device, said second holder being arranged in particular below the first holder,
means for relative sliding andor pivoting of the prosthesis shaft fixed in the first holder and of the attachment device fixed in the second holder, and
means for firmly connecting the fixed prosthesis shaft and the fixed attachment device in a desired relative position andor orientation.
2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the means for the firm connection comprise a flexible connecting sleeve that can be secured in particular on the attachment device, in particular by means of a web corresponding to a groove of the attachment device, and that seals off the free space between the prosthesis shaft fixed in the first holder and the attachment device fixed in the second holder.
3. Device according to claim 2, wherein the connecting sleeve has a configuration corresponding to the desired final shape of the connection, in particular a frustoconical shape andor a cylindrical shape, andor is made of a material that does not undergo any appreciable adhesive bonding to a filler.
4. Device according to claim 1, wherein the means for the relative pivoting andor sliding comprise a height-adjusting mechanism for the first holder andor at least one pivoting device for the first holder.
5. Device according to claim 1, wherein at least one measuring device is provided for indicating an adjusted relative positioning andor orientation.
6. Method for securing an attachment device for a prosthesis andor a prosthesis adapter to a prosthesis shaft, in particular using a device according to claim 1, wherein
the attachment device, in a second holder, and the prosthesis shaft, in a first holder, are fixed in a defined relative position andor orientation to each other,
a final relative position andor orientation is set by sliding andor pivoting the holders relative to each other, and
the fixed attachment device and the fixed prosthesis shaft are secured to each other to form a firm connection in the final relative position andor orientation.
7. Method according to claim 6, wherein the first holder, lying above the second holder, is pivoted andor adjusted in height andor the second holder is moved in a horizontal plane.
8. Method according to claim 6, wherein geometric data describing the final relative position andor orientation are measured andor read off by means of at least one measuring device.
9. Method according to claim 6, wherein a free space lying between the fixed attachment device and the fixed prosthesis shaft is filled with a filler, in particular a PU foam, which, in the hardened state, forms at least a part of the connection.
10. Method according to claim 9, wherein, as a mold for the filler, an in particular cylindrical andor frustoconical, elastic connecting sleeve is used for sealing the free space and is secured in particular to the attachment device, in particular by means of a web corresponding to a groove formed on the attachment device.
11. Method according to claim 9, wherein, in order to protect the filler, the latter is provided with a protective lining, in particular a preferably resin-impregnated hose or cone made of a flexible fabric is rolled onto the hardened filler at least, in particular also onto the holder andor at least part of the prosthesis shaft.
12. Method according to one of claim 6, wherein a prosthesis adapter, in particular a modular prosthesis adapter, is mounted on the attachment device.
13. Protective lining for a connection, comprising a hardened filler material, of a prosthesis shaft to an attachment device for a prosthesis andor a prosthesis adapter, which connection has been established in particular with the device according to claim 1, wherein the in particular hose-shaped or cone-shaped protective lining consisting of an elastic fabric can be pulled, in particular rolled, onto the connection.
14. Protective lining according to claim 13, wherein it is also dimensioned to cover at least part of the attachment device andor at least part of the prosthesis shaft.