Patents Assigned to Corning
  • Patent number: 6570119
    Abstract: A method of making a honeycomb extrusion die by a) providing a die body incorporating an inlet face, a discharge face opposite the inlet face, a plurality of feedholes extending from the inlet face into the body, and an intersecting array of discharge slots extending into the body from the discharge face to connect with the feed holes at feed hole intersections within the die, the intersecting array of discharge slots being formed by side surfaces of an array of pins; b) providing an electrical discharge electrode of equal size to the die body and having multiple rows of parallel-aligned tabs; c) lowering the electrical discharge electrode into the array of pins on the discharge face of the die body; and, d) reducing alternate pins symmetrically in size by plunge electrical discharge machining to form an array of pins varying in size on the discharge face of the die body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventor: Johnny Marcher
  • Patent number: 6567202
    Abstract: A tunable liquid crystal switch is disclosed. An electronic controller provides an electronic drive scheme for achieving low intra-channel crosstalk of less than −40 dB using only electronic compensation. A cross-talk less than −50 dB is provided by combining coarse temperature tuning and electronic compensation. This is acheived by designing the thickness of the liquid crystal device to cause a minimum to occur at a wavelength longer than a longest operating wavelength and at a temperature greater than a maximum operating temperature. This ensures that the liquid crystal device is tunable over all operating wavelengths and temperatures using electronic compensation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: J. Michael Harris, Robert G. Lindquist
  • Patent number: 6567586
    Abstract: An optical fiber collimator (100) in an optical system, includes a pair of optical fibers (108) having emitting cleaved planes (112) to provide a substantially uniform angled side surface for forming a prescribed angle (101) relative to the optical axis (105) of the optical system. The pair of optical fibers (108) are disposed coplanarly in the object plane of the optical system for sharing the optical axis and separated from each other and from the optical axis on the same object plane. Optically coupled to the pair of fibers, a microlens (106) has a sloped rear surface (114) opposite a rotationally symmetric microlens surface (116) which bound a volume having a homogeneous index of refraction. The pair of fibers (108) are positioned near the focal plane containing the optical axis (105) of the microlens for the generation or reception of collimated beams at the prescribed angle (101) relative to the optical axis (105) of the microlens (106).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Christopher P. Brophy, Anita K. Thompson
  • Patent number: 6565022
    Abstract: An apparatus for and method of recycling the edge portion of a chopped strand mat are disclosed. The method includes the steps of trimming an edge portion of the chopped strand mat, transporting the edge portion to a shredder assembly, and shredding the edge portion into individual strands or filaments. The separated strands are introduced with new chopped strands into the chopped strand mat forming process. The apparatus for recycling the edge portion of the mat includes a shredder assembly for separating the edge portion into individual strands. The shredder assembly includes two pairs of rollers that engage the trimmed edge portion. The first and second pairs of rollers are driven at first and second rotational speeds, respectively. Preferably, the second speed is greater than the first speed. The mat is pinched between each pair of rollers and is thereby placed under tension due to the different rotational speeds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Owens Corning Canada Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher James Clements
  • Patent number: 6565262
    Abstract: A snag-reducing member is disclosed for an optical fiber cable connector having a housing for insertion into a receptacle and a latch pivotably extending from the housing for securing the housing to the receptacle. The snag-reducing member includes a body configured to radially receive the optical fiber cable and to be axially slid along the optical fiber cable into engagement with the housing, and a trigger having a proximal end attached to the body and a distal end extending from the body. The distal end is movable toward and away from the body for engaging and pivoting the latch to selectably release the connector from the receptacle when the body is engaged with the housing. The distal end extends in a direction so as to reduce snagging of the latch when the optical fiber cable and connector are moved in a direction away from the receptacle. Duplex embodiments and related methods of assembling connectors are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Corning Cable Systems LLC
    Inventors: Darrell R. Childers, Thomas Theuerkorn, Joel C. Rosson
  • Patent number: 6566443
    Abstract: A nonsagging and extrudable room temperature curable silicone rubber composition with excellent adherence to a variety of substrates comprising (A) diorganopolysiloxane having silicon-bonded alkoxy in molecular chain terminal position, (B) surface-hydrophobicized dry method silica, (C) non-surface-hydrophobicized dry method silica, (D) alkoxysilane, (E) an organotitanium compound, and (F) light stabilizer and/or UV absorber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Dow Corning Toray Silicone Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotoki Morimoto, Kazutoshi Okabe, Hiroshi Adachi
  • Patent number: 6565823
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for making fused silica glass. A liquid, preferably halide-free, silicon-containing compound capable of being converted by thermal oxidative decomposition to SiO2 is provided and introduced directly into the flame of a combustion burner, thereby forming finely divided amorphous soot. The amorphous soot is deposited on a receptor surface where, either substantially simultaneously with or subsequently to its deposition, the soot is consolidated into a body of fused silica glass. The invention further relates to an apparatus for forming fused silica from liquid, preferably halide-free, silicon-containing reactants which includes: a combustion burner which, in operation, generates a flame; an injector for supplying a liquid silicon-containing compound to the flame to convert the compound by thermal oxidative decomposition to a finely divided amorphous soot; and a receptor surface on which the soot is deposited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Daniel W. Hawtof, Danny L. Henderson, Greg E. Smith, Eric H. Urruti
  • Patent number: 6567592
    Abstract: A fiber optic cable (40) having at least one optical component (1,2,3) therein, and a cable jacket (8) surrounding the optical component. Strength sections (6,7) are defined between the optical-component and the cable jacket, the strength sections comprising generally crescent-like cross sections. The generally crescent-like cross sections have respective generally concave and generally convex faces (9,10). The generally concave face (9) has a general center that is preferably aligned with the longitudinal axis of the cable, and the generally convex face (10) has a general center that is preferably offset from a longitudinal.axis of the fiber optic cable. The convex faces subtend respective angles (∝) of about 45° to about 160°. The cable jacket (8) defining contact interfaces (11,12) with the optical component, the contact interfaces being respectively disposed between the strength sections (6,7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Corning Cable Systems LLC
    Inventors: Michael J. Gimblet, Kenneth F. Dunn, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6565789
    Abstract: Hydrophobic polymer surfaces whose level of protein binding is less than about 50-80 ng/cm2 are achieved by: (1) applying a coating solution composed of a solvent and a non-ionic surfactant having a HLB number of less than 5 to the surface; and (2) drying the surface to remove the solvent and thereby bring the surfactant into direct contact with the hydrophobic polymer. The combination of a low HLB number and the drying step have been found to produce low binding surfaces which can withstand multiple washes with water and/or protein-containing solutions. Alternatively, the low binding surfaces can be produced by applying the non-ionic surfactant to the mold surfaces which contact molten polymer and form the polymer into a desired shape, e.g., into a multi-well plate, a pipette tip, or the like. Further, the low binding surfaces may be produced by incorporating non-soluble, non-ionic surfactants having an HLB number of less than or equal to 10 into a polymer blend prior to molding the article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Dana Craig Bookbinder, Edward John Fewkes, Jr., James Arthur Griffin, Frances M. Smith, David L. Tennent
  • Patent number: 6566290
    Abstract: A ceramic article which consists essentially, by weight on the oxide basis, of 10-25% SiO2, 65-85% Al2O3, and 2-12% Li2O and comprises beta-eucryptite as a first phase having a negative component in thermal expansion and a melting point Tm1, and a second phase having a positive component in thermal expansion which is higher than the component in thermal expansion of the first phase and a melting point Tm2, wherein Tm2>Tm1, wherein the first phase is at most 50% by weight of the ceramic, and wherein the ceramic is characterized by microcracking. Tm2 is at least 1800° C. The ceramic article exhibits a near zero coefficient of thermal expansion from room temperature to 800° C., a high refractoriness, and a high resistance to thermal shock properties which make the inventive ceramic extremely desirable in high temperature applications, such as filters for diesel exhaust engines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Douglas M. Beall, George H. Beall
  • Publication number: 20030090636
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an optical device that includes an optically transparent mask blank that is characterized by a mask blank light transmission variation. An anti-reflective coating is disposed on the optically transparent component resulting in an optical device transmission variation that is less than the mask blank transmission variation. The present invention provides a simple solution to the problem of mitigating Fabry-Perot interference effects in a photomask. Disposing an anti-reflective coating on the light incident side of the photomask substantially reduces multiple reflections of the illuminating UV light. The illumination light propagates through the photomask only once. The AR coating also prevents any cumulative effects due to birefringence, surface roughness, or inhomogeneity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2001
    Publication date: May 15, 2003
    Applicant: Corning, Inc.
    Inventor: Michal Mlejnek
  • Publication number: 20030091081
    Abstract: An integrated semiconductor device comprising a laser on a substrate, the laser having an active layer and a current-induced grating, such as a current-injection complex-coupled grating, within a laser cavity producing a single-mode output light signal at high data rates (>622 Mb/sec) in isolator-free operation. The grating has a coupling strength product &kgr;L greater than 3, where &kgr; is the coupling coefficient and L is the length of the laser cavity. In certain embodiments, the laser is a distributed feedback (DFB) laser that emits light at a wavelength of about 1.5 &mgr;m. The strong current-induced grating prevents mode hopping between multiple degenerate Bragg modes. The laser is also characterized by excellent immunity from optical feedback, and can be operated without an isolator at high data rates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2001
    Publication date: May 15, 2003
    Applicant: Corning Lasertron, Inc
    Inventors: Richard T. Sahara, Angela Hohl-Abichedid, Hanh Lu
  • Publication number: 20030091086
    Abstract: An integrated semiconductor device comprising a wavelength-tunable laser, such as a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) laser, where the laser has a gain section that includes an active layer, and a grating section that includes an active layer and a current-induced grating. A first electrical contact is provided over the gain section to supply current to the gain section and control the output power of the light, and a second electrical contact is provided over the grating section to supply current to the grating section and control the wavelength of the emitted light. The current-induced grating of the present device causes gain in the active layer of the laser to be modulated spatially in the direction of light propagation, thus resulting in only one of the degenerate Bragg modes to oscillate. As the degeneracy of the Bragg modes is broken by current-injection, and not facet reflection, substantially continuous wavelength tuning is possible without the deleterious phenomenon of “mode hopping.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2001
    Publication date: May 15, 2003
    Applicant: Corning Lasertron, Inc
    Inventors: Richard T. Sahara, Randal A. Salvatore, Hanh Lu
  • Patent number: 6562257
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a pourable or blowable loose-fill insulation, and in particular to a loose-fill insulation comprising glass fibers which are compressed and packaged in relatively small containers for easier installation by consumers. Agents capable of chemically interacting with the glass fibers are used in order to increase recoverability of the compressed glass fibers when they are removed from their packaging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: Owens Corning Fiberglas Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Liang Chen, William E. Downey
  • Patent number: 6562119
    Abstract: In a method of improving the weathering of a bituminous coating, a microwave-produced carbon black is added to the coating. The microwave-produced carbon black is added in an amount sufficient to increase the cycles-to-failure of the coating by at least about 10% compared to the same coating without the added microwave-produced carbon black, when tested for weathering according to ASTM D 4799-00.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: Owens Corning Fiberglas Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: David R. Jones, IV, David C. Trumbore
  • Patent number: 6563990
    Abstract: Cables and an apparatus and methods for making cables having at least one messenger section, transmission sections, and at least two series of connecting webs. At least one series of webs can be intermittently formed. The messenger sectioncan include a messenger wire for supporting the cable, and the transmission sections can include electrical/electronic and/or optical transmission components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: Corning Cable Systems, LLC
    Inventors: William C. Hurley, John D. Coleman, Warren W. McAlpine
  • Patent number: 6562126
    Abstract: A method for producing below 200 nm transmitting optical fluoride crystals includes loading a fluoride raw material into a vertical stack having at least 6 crystal growth chambers, heating the vertical stack to a temperature sufficient to maintain the fluoride raw material in a molten condition, applying a crystal growth thermal gradient to the vertical stack to form optical fluoride crystals within the molten fluoride raw material, and cooling the crystals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventor: Michael W. Price
  • Patent number: 6563996
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical fiber including a glass fiber and a primary coating encapsulating and in contact with the glass fiber, the primary coating being the cured product of a polyrnerizable composition which includes a monomer with a pendant hydroxyl functional group which can bond with a surface of the optical fiber and is present in an amount effective to promote adhesion. The present invention also relates to methods of making such optical fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventor: Michael J. Winningham
  • Patent number: 6560997
    Abstract: An assembly of rib structures sandwiched between a dielectric glass layer and a glass substrate for use in a flat panel display, such as plasma addressed liquid crystal (PALC) displays, is formed by a number of methods. One method includes molding thermoplastic glass frit containing paste into rib structures, transferring the rib structures to a thin transparent layer of a thermoplastic dielectric glass frit containing composition on a drum, and transferring the rib structures with the thin transparent dielectric glass layer to a glass substrate having metallic electrodes already formed thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Jean-Pierre Themont, Jean-Jacques B. Theron
  • Patent number: 6563590
    Abstract: A system for measuring the state of polarization (SOP) of an optical signal. The system includes a tunable local oscillator providing a local optical signal. A polarization transformer is operatively connected to the local oscillator and transforms the local optical signal to a selected one of a plurality of polarizations. A coupler combines an optical signal from the polarization transformer with an input optical signal from an optical system. A heterodyne detector is operatively connected to the coupler to detect the beat frequency of the signal from the coupler and provide an output signal that can be utilized to determine the state of polarization of an input optical signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Dipakbin Q. Chowdhury, Ioannis Roudas, Richard S. Vodhanel