Patents by Inventor Steven Akin Dunwoody
Steven Akin Dunwoody has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11952305Abstract: In some embodiments, a method for processing an optical fiber includes: drawing an optical fiber through a draw furnace, conveying the optical fiber through a flame reheating device downstream from the draw furnace, wherein the flame reheating device comprises one or more burners each comprising: a body having a top surface and an opposing bottom surface, an opening within the body extending from the top surface through the body to the bottom surface, wherein the optical fiber passes through the opening, and one or more gas outlets within the body; and igniting a flammable gas provided by the one or more gas outlets to form a flame encircling the optical fiber passing through the opening, wherein the flame heats the optical fiber by at least 100 degrees Celsius at a heating rate exceeding 10,000 degrees Celsius/second.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2021Date of Patent: April 9, 2024Assignee: CORNING INCORPORATEDInventors: Ravindra Kumar Akarapu, Joel Patrick Carberry, David Alan Deneka, Steven Akin Dunwoody, Kenneth Edward Hrdina, John Michael Jewell, Yuanjie Jiang, Nikolaos Pantelis Kladias, Ming-Jun Li, Barada Kanta Nayak, Dale Robert Powers, Chunfeng Zhou, Vincent Matteo Tagliamonti, Christopher Scott Thomas
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Patent number: 11554979Abstract: A system for processing optical fiber includes a draw furnace, a fiber conveyance pathway extending between an upstream end positioned at the draw furnace and a downstream end positioned opposite the upstream end, where optical fiber is conveyed along the fiber conveyance pathway from the upstream end to the downstream end in a fiber conveyance direction, a muffle in communication with the draw furnace and positioned downstream of the draw furnace, a second cooling device annularly surrounding the fiber conveyance pathway downstream from the draw furnace, the second cooling device including one or more second cooling device heating elements and a first cooling device positioned between the draw furnace and the second cooling device, wherein the first cooling device directs a fluid to contact the optical fiber.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2020Date of Patent: January 17, 2023Assignee: Corning IncorporatedInventors: Steven Akin Dunwoody, Nikolaos Pantelis Kladias, Robert Clark Moore, Jason Roy Pace, Christopher Scott Thomas, Bryan William Wakefield, Chunfeng Zhou
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Publication number: 20220098085Abstract: In some embodiments, a method for processing an optical fiber includes: drawing an optical fiber through a draw furnace, conveying the optical fiber through a flame reheating device downstream from the draw furnace, wherein the flame reheating device comprises one or more burners each comprising: a body having a top surface and an opposing bottom surface, an opening within the body extending from the top surface through the body to the bottom surface, wherein the optical fiber passes through the opening, and one or more gas outlets within the body; and igniting a flammable gas provided by the one or more gas outlets to form a flame encircling the optical fiber passing through the opening, wherein the flame heats the optical fiber by at least 100 degrees Celsius at a heating rate exceeding 10,000 degrees Celsius/second.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 30, 2021Publication date: March 31, 2022Inventors: Ravindra Kumar Akarapu, Joel Patrick Carberry, David Alan Deneka, Steven Akin Dunwoody, Kenneth Edward Hrdina, John Michael Jewell, Yuanjie Jiang, Nikolaos Pantelis Kladias, Ming-Jun Li, Barada Kanta Nayak, Dale Robert Powers, Chunfeng Zhou, Vincent Matteo Tagliamonti, Christopher Scott Thomas
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Publication number: 20210269352Abstract: Optical fibers having low fictive temperature and methods of making such fibers are described. Management of the cooling rate of an optical fiber during fiber draw permits control over the fictive temperature of the fiber. Non-monotonic cooling rates are shown to promote reductions in fiber fictive temperature. The non-monotonic cooling includes slower cooling rates in upstream portions of the process pathway and faster cooling rates in downstream portions of the process pathway. Reduction in fiber fictive temperature is achieved by controlling the ambient temperature of the fiber to slow the cooling rate of the fiber in upstream portions of the process pathway that correspond to the fiber temperature regime in which the fiber viscosity is sufficiently low to permit efficient structural relaxation. Increases in cooling rate in downstream portions of the process pathway permit adjustment of fiber temperature as needed to meet entrance temperature requirements of downstream processing units.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 23, 2021Publication date: September 2, 2021Inventors: Steven Akin Dunwoody, Robert Clark Moore, Pushkar Tandon
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Publication number: 20210179477Abstract: A system for processing optical fiber includes a draw furnace, a fiber conveyance pathway extending between an upstream end positioned at the draw furnace and a downstream end positioned opposite the upstream end, where optical fiber is conveyed along the fiber conveyance pathway from the upstream end to the downstream end in a fiber conveyance direction, a muffle in communication with the draw furnace and positioned downstream of the draw furnace, a second cooling device annularly surrounding the fiber conveyance pathway downstream from the draw furnace, the second cooling device including one or more second cooling device heating elements and a first cooling device positioned between the draw furnace and the second cooling device, wherein the first cooling device directs a fluid to contact the optical fiber.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 3, 2020Publication date: June 17, 2021Inventors: Steven Akin Dunwoody, Nikolaos Pantelis Kladias, Robert Clark Moore, Jason Roy Pace, Christopher Scott Thomas, Bryan William Wakefield, Chunfeng Zhou
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Patent number: 10961145Abstract: Optical fibers having low fictive temperature and methods of making such fibers are described. Management of the cooling rate of an optical fiber during fiber draw permits control over the fictive temperature of the fiber. Non-monotonic cooling rates are shown to promote reductions in fiber fictive temperature. The non-monotonic cooling includes slower cooling rates in upstream portions of the process pathway and faster cooling rates in downstream portions of the process pathway. Reduction in fiber fictive temperature is achieved by controlling the ambient temperature of the fiber to slow the cooling rate of the fiber in upstream portions of the process pathway that correspond to the fiber temperature regime in which the fiber viscosity is sufficiently low to permit efficient structural relaxation. Increases in cooling rate in downstream portions of the process pathway permit adjustment of fiber temperature as needed to meet entrance temperature requirements of downstream processing units.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 2017Date of Patent: March 30, 2021Assignee: Corning IncorporatedInventors: Steven Akin Dunwoody, Robert Clark Moore, Pushkar Tandon
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Patent number: 10479720Abstract: A method of making optical fibers that includes controlled cooling to produce fibers having a low concentration of non-bridging oxygen defects and low sensitivity to hydrogen. The method may include heating a fiber preform above its softening point, drawing a fiber from the heated preform and passing the fiber through two treatment stages. The fiber may enter the first treatment stage at a temperature between 1500° C. and 1700° C., may exit the first treatment stage at a temperature between 1200° C. and 1400° C., and may experience a cooling rate less than 5000° C./s in the first treatment stage. The fiber may enter the second treatment stage downstream from the first treatment stage at a temperature between 1200° C. and 1400° C., may exit the second treatment stage at a temperature between 1000° C. and 1150° C., and may experience a cooling rate between 5000° C./s and 12,000° C./s in the second treatment stage.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 2014Date of Patent: November 19, 2019Assignee: Corning IncorporatedInventors: Steven Akin Dunwoody, Robert Clark Moore, Pushkar Tandon
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Publication number: 20180093915Abstract: Optical fibers having low fictive temperature and methods of making such fibers are described. Management of the cooling rate of an optical fiber during fiber draw permits control over the fictive temperature of the fiber. Non-monotonic cooling rates are shown to promote reductions in fiber fictive temperature. The non-monotonic cooling includes slower cooling rates in upstream portions of the process pathway and faster cooling rates in downstream portions of the process pathway. Reduction in fiber fictive temperature is achieved by controlling the ambient temperature of the fiber to slow the cooling rate of the fiber in upstream portions of the process pathway that correspond to the fiber temperature regime in which the fiber viscosity is sufficiently low to permit efficient structural relaxation. Increases in cooling rate in downstream portions of the process pathway permit adjustment of fiber temperature as needed to meet entrance temperature requirements of downstream processing units.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 20, 2017Publication date: April 5, 2018Inventors: Steven Akin Dunwoody, Robert Clark Moore, Pushkar Tandon
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Patent number: 9309143Abstract: A method of making optical fibers that includes controlled cooling to produce fibers having a low concentration of non-bridging oxygen defects and low sensitivity to hydrogen. The method may include heating a fiber preform above its softening point, drawing a fiber from the heated preform and passing the fiber through two treatment stages. The fiber may enter the first treatment stage at a temperature between 1500° C. and 1700° C., may exit the first treatment stage at a temperature between 1200° C. and 1400° C., and may experience a cooling rate less than 5000° C./s in the first treatment stage. The fiber may enter the second treatment stage downstream from the first treatment stage at a temperature between 1200° C. and 1400° C., may exit the second treatment stage at a temperature between 1000° C. and 1150° C., and may experience a cooling rate between 5000° C./s and 12,000° C./s in the second treatment stage.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 2014Date of Patent: April 12, 2016Assignee: Corning IncorporatedInventors: Steven Akin Dunwoody, Robert Clark Moore, Pushkar Tandon
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Publication number: 20150315062Abstract: A method of making optical fibers that includes controlled cooling to produce fibers having a low concentration of non-bridging oxygen defects and low sensitivity to hydrogen. The method may include heating a fiber preform above its softening point, drawing a fiber from the heated preform and passing the fiber through two treatment stages. The fiber may enter the first treatment stage at a temperature between 1500° C. and 1700° C., may exit the first treatment stage at a temperature between 1200° C. and 1400° C., and may experience a cooling rate less than 5000° C./s in the first treatment stage. The fiber may enter the second treatment stage downstream from the first treatment stage at a temperature between 1200° C. and 1400° C., may exit the second treatment stage at a temperature between 1000° C. and 1150° C., and may experience a cooling rate between 5000° C./s and 12,000° C./s in the second treatment stage.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 22, 2014Publication date: November 5, 2015Inventors: Steven Akin Dunwoody, Robert Clark Moore, Pushkar Tandon
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Publication number: 20150040614Abstract: A method of making optical fibers that includes controlled cooling to produce fibers having a low concentration of non-bridging oxygen defects and low sensitivity to hydrogen. The method may include heating a fiber preform above its softening point, drawing a fiber from the heated preform and passing the fiber through two treatment stages. The fiber may enter the first treatment stage at a temperature between 1500° C. and 1700° C., may exit the first treatment stage at a temperature between 1200° C. and 1400° C., and may experience a cooling rate less than 5000° C./s in the first treatment stage. The fiber may enter the second treatment stage downstream from the first treatment stage at a temperature between 1200° C. and 1400° C., may exit the second treatment stage at a temperature between 1000° C. and 1150° C., and may experience a cooling rate between 5000° C./s and 12,000° C./s in the second treatment stage.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 23, 2014Publication date: February 12, 2015Inventors: Steven Akin Dunwoody, Robert Clark Moore, Pushkar Tandon
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Patent number: 8317972Abstract: A method for removing a protective coating material from a portion of an optical fiber including a glass optical fiber having an outer surface surrounded by said protective coating material, said method comprising the steps of: (i) providing a fiber collection and support device having: (a) a coarse conical fiber collector having an input port and (b) a fine fiber centering collector including a fiber tube having an output port, said input port is larger then said output port; (ii) providing the fiber threaded through the course conical collector into the fiber collection tube of the fine fiber centering collector; (iii) contacting the fiber, as it exits from the output port of the fiber collection tube of the fiber collection and support device, with a stream of hot gas; and (iv) directing a stream of a hot gas onto the protective coating material that is to be removed.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2007Date of Patent: November 27, 2012Assignee: Corning IncorporatedInventors: Steven Akin Dunwoody, Oscar Palmer
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Publication number: 20080128084Abstract: A method for removing a protective coating material from a portion of an optical fiber, said optical fiber including a glass optical fiber having an outer surface surrounded by said protective coating material, said method comprising the steps of: (i) providing a fiber collection and support device having: (a) a coarse conical fiber collector having an input port and (b) a fine fiber centering collector including a fiber tube having an output port, wherein said input port is larger then said output port; (ii) threading the fiber through the course conical collector and providing the fiber from the course conical collector into the fiber collection tube of the fine fiber centering collector; (iii) contacting the fiber, as it exits from the output port of the fiber collection tube of the fiber collection and support device, with a stream of hot gas; and (iv) directing a stream of a hot gas onto the protective coating material that is to be removed, the temperature of said hot gas being sufficiently high to softType: ApplicationFiled: November 6, 2007Publication date: June 5, 2008Inventors: Steven Akin Dunwoody, Oscar Palmer