Abstract: A string binder is disclosed which is useful for making reinforcing articles for use in the manufacture of molded composite articles. The string binder, in one embodiment, includes a fibrous carrier substrate material covered with a solidified coating comprising a binder resin material having an acid value of less than about 30 mg KOH/g of resin. Additionally, the coating may include a catalyst applied as a separate layer or in combination with the binder resin material. The string binder may be co-roved with one or more ends of a separate fibrous reinforcing material to make a product suitable for use in various molding applications.

Abstract: A wet-formed permeable mat composed of wet use chopped strands (WUCS), chopped roving, and potentially unidirectional roving coupled with an alkaline resistant binder are combined to create an randomly oriented open mat structure with a high degree of openness that can be used in cement backerboard applications. The cement backerboard that is subsequently formed from the wet-formed permeable mat has lower binder content, superior decorative finish, and better permeability control than known glass scrim systems and can be produced in a single continuous step.

Abstract: A fiber optic receptacle is provided that includes a receptacle housing and an adapter sleeve disposed therewithin and biased toward a first end of the receptacle housing through which a fiber optic plug is inserted. In an embodiment, the fiber optic receptacle includes the adapter sleeve is biased toward a first end of the receptacle housing through which a fiber optic plug is inserted in order to maintain physical contact between front faces of the plug ferrule and the receptacle ferrule without requiring that the fiber optic connector of the fiber optic plug be latched to the adapter sleeve, thereby increasing the float between the respective ferrules. In another embodiment, a fiber optic plug and receptacle assembly is provided in which either the plug or the receptacle includes an alignment stop while the other one includes an alignment feature and a stop feature to ensure alignment of the plug and receptacle and to limit insertion of the plug within the receptacle.

Abstract: A laminated shingle simulates a tiled roof when placed with other similar shingles on a roof deck. The laminated shingle includes an overlay member and an underlay member fixedly attached to each other. The overlay member includes an upper or headlap portion and a lower or exposed butt portion with one or more substantially identically shaped tabs with a cutout between each tab. The lower edge of the tabs may have a curving or negative contour. The tabs may taper in width from the butt edge to the lower edge of the headlap portion. The upper edge of the cutouts may have a generally straight contour or a generally curved contour. The lower edge of the underlay member may have a generally straight contour or a portion of the lower edge may have a generally curving contour. The overlay member and/or underlay member may include a darker shading area to enhance the tile simulating aspect of the shingle.

Abstract: An optical transmission system is provided. The system includes a series of consecutive blocks of optical fiber. Each block of the system includes a first, second and third series of spans of optical fiber, where the second series of spans compensates for accumulated dispersion in the first and third series in the wavelength range of transmission. Optionally either the first or third series can be omitted.

Abstract: A composition for reducing the buildup of snow and ice on a surface. The composition includes a sugar-water mixture having approximately 15 to 80 percent by weight of a sugar solid, wherein the sugar solid contains approximately 2-60 percent by weight of a monosaccharide.

Abstract: A sealing body (DK) for cable accessories is provided with cable entrance openings (KEU) in a separation plane (TE) of the sealing body (DK) and with cable entrances (KEN) outside of the separation plane (TE). In the cable entrances (KEN) outside of the separation plane (TE) is arranged a sealing system made of a pressure bushing (AH), a toothed disk (ZS), a sealing bushing (DH) and a thrust bearing bushing (GH).

Abstract: A method for manufacturing optical fiber preform and fiber. According to the method, a core cane segment is formed with a refractive index delta preferably between 0.2% and 3% that is most preferably formed by an OVD method. A sleeve is formed including at least one down-doped moat preferably having a refractive index delta between −0.1% and −1.2% and at least one up-doped ring preferably having a refractive index delta between 0.1% and 1.2%. The sleeve is formed by introducing glass precursor and dopant compounds into a cavity of a preferably silica glass tube (e.g., one of an MCVD and PCVD method). The core cane segment is inserted into the sleeve and the sleeve is collapsed onto the core cane segment to form a core-sleeve assembly. The core-sleeve assembly is again drawn into a cane and additional cladding is preferably formed thereon. Optical fiber may be drawn from the preform in a conventional draw apparatus.

Abstract: The present invention relates to reflective masks and their use for reflecting extreme ultraviolet soft x-ray photons to enable the use of extreme ultraviolet soft x-ray radiation projection lithographic methods and systems for producing integrated circuits and forming patterns with extremely small feature dimensions. The projection lithographic method includes providing an illumination sub-system for producing and directing an extreme ultraviolet soft x-ray radiation &lgr; from an extreme ultraviolet soft x-ray source; providing a mask sub-system illuminated by the extreme ultraviolet soft x-ray radiation &lgr; produced by the illumination sub-system and providing the mask sub-system includes providing a patterned reflective mask for forming a projected mask pattern when illuminated by radiation &lgr;.

Abstract: A ceramic including a first phase having a general formula R1+(x/2)Zr4P6-xSixO24 where R is selected from the group consisting of Ba, Ca, and Sr and 0≦x≦2, wherein the first phase has a volumetric heat capacity (Cp1), and at least 10 weight percent of a second phase having a volumetric heat capacity (Cp2), wherein Cp2>Cp1. The ceramic has a coefficient of thermal expansion from 22° to 1000° C. of −15×10−7/° C. to +15×10−7/° C., a permeability of at least 0.25×10−12 m2, a total porosity of at least 35% by volume, and a median pore diameter of at least 6 micrometers, and a volumetric heat capacity of the solid Cp(solid) of at least 3.15 J/cm3 K.

Abstract: An optical selector for an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) optical network, the said selector being capable of selecting ATM cells of bits having a frequency of arrival f less than or equal to a predetermined frequency (PCR), the said optical selector comprising: an input having a first device capable of blocking the entry of bits; an output having a second device capable of permitting the outflow of bits; an ATM cell recognition unit constructed in such a way that it recognizes the headers of ATM cells and connected to the said input and to the said output for the transit of bits from the said input to the said output; and an optical decision unit connected operationally to the said first device, to the said second device and the said ATM cell recognition unit.

Abstract: An article of relatively pure silica, and a furnace and method of producing the article. The article is produced by collecting molten silica particles in a refractory furnace in which at least a portion of the refractory has been exposed to a halogen-containing gas to react with contaminating metal ions in the refractory.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods of tuning the optical properties, such as the channel center wavelengths, of an integrated optical waveguide device by providing a device, such as a wavelength division multiplexer or demultiplexer, which contains an organic material, and fine tuning the device by exposing the organic material to at least one incremental step of UV irradiation.

Abstract: Low dielectric constant films with improved elastic modulus. The method of making such coatings involves providing a porous network coating produced from a resin containing at least 2 Si—H groups where the coating has been thermally cured and has a dielectric constant in the range of from about 1.1 to about 3.5, and plasma treating the coating to convert the coating into porous silica. Plasma treatment of the network coating yields a coating with improved modulus, but with a higher dielectric constant. The coating is plasma treated for between about 15 and 120 seconds at a temperature less than or about 350° C. The plasma treated coating can optionally be annealed. Rapid thermal processing (RTP) of the plasma treated coating reduces the dielectric constant of the coating while maintaining an improved elastic modulus as compared to the initial porous coating. The annealing temperature is preferably in excess of or about 350° C., and the annealing time is preferably at least or about 120 seconds.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to methods of applying an adhesion-promoting intermediary layer to an optical fiber using a carrier gas. The present invention is also directed to optical fibers and ribbons which have polymeric coatings with improved adhesion characteristics. The optical fibers comprise an adhesion-promoting intermediary layer between the cladding and primary polymeric coating which comprises a silane.

Abstract: The level of precious-metal inclusions in glass products, e.g., glass substrates for liquid crystal displays, is reduced by stirring molten glass in a stir chamber (11) under conditions such that the magnitude of the shear stress &tgr; on the chamber's wall (19) and on the surfaces of the stirrer (13) is reduced while at the same time, the Q•E product for the system is kept high, where Q is the flow of glass through the stirring system and E is the system's stirring effectiveness.

Abstract: An integrated electroabsorption modulated laser (EML) device includes a distributed feedback (DFB) laser and modulator. The DFB laser includes an active layer and a complex index grating. The modulator includes an active layer. The EML device includes a first electrical contact over the DFB laser and a second electrical contact over the modulator. The EML device includes a stop etch layer above the active layer of both the DFB laser and the modulator. An electroabsorption modulated partial grating laser (EMPGL) device includes a distributed feedback (DFB) laser, an amplifier and a modulator. An ion implantation region in the EML/EMPGL devices provides electrical isolation between the DFB laser/amplifier and the modulator.

Abstract: The invention provides a selectively absorbing optical fiber that is transparent at pump wavelengths, and highly absorbing at signal wavelengths. The selectively absorbing optical fiber includes selectively absorbing species, such as rare earth ions, in concentrations sufficient to provide the desired absorbance selectivity. The fiber is useful as a fiber pigtail for pump lasers in optical amplifiers, where it can reduce the effects of multi-path interference by absorbing stray light with wavelengths in the signal band.

Abstract: A method of modifying the spectral distribution of an optical signal includes the steps of splitting the signal among a plurality of optical paths, delaying the propagation of the signal through one or more of the optical paths by a time duration which results in the desired spectral distribution when the signals at the output ends of each optical path are recombined, and then recombining those outputs. An apparatus for changing the spectral profile of an optical signal includes an input waveguide and a plurality of tapped delay lines. Each of the tapped delay lines has a delay element configurable to impart a predetermined delay to the signal propagating down the delay line. Couplers split an optical signal, propagating on the input waveguide, among the tapped delay lines. The delays imparted to the signals on each line are chosen so as to effect the desired change to the spectral profile.

Abstract: The present invention includes a tool (300) for positioning optical waveguide fibers (310) on an adhesive coated substrate (302) including a holder (301) and a pressure source. The holder (301) includes a chamber (314) coupled to the pressure source and multiple recesses (308) configured to position the optical waveguide fibers (310). Each recess (308) includes a reference surface (312) and is connected to the chamber (314) by a passageway (316). The pressure source is configured to selectively increase and decrease the pressure in the chamber (314). The invention also includes a method of making optical waveguide fiber array blocks using the tool (300).