Synthetic Or Natural Resin Containing Coating Patents (Class 65/432)
  • Patent number: 11661375
    Abstract: Apparatus, systems, and methods that provide coats on a glass optical fiber including of an inner layer and an outer layer. The method includes two steps. First, a conductive polymer coating is applied to the optical fiber as it is being produced. Second, a protective coating is applied to that conductive polymer coating. The conductive polymer coating is applied immediately after the fiber is drawn from preform to fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
    Inventors: Nicholas P. Calta, Michael J. Messerly, Corie A. Horwood
  • Patent number: 10689544
    Abstract: Fiber coatings with low Young's modulus, low fiber pullout force for fibers in the as-drawn state, and small time-dependent increases in pullout force as the fiber ages. The fiber coatings are cured products of coating compositions that include an oligomer formed from an isocyanate, a hydroxy acrylate compound and a polyol. The oligomer includes a polyether urethane acrylate and a di-adduct compound. The reaction mixture used to form the oligomer includes a molar ratio of isocyanate:hydroxy acrylate:polyol of n:m:p, where when p is 2, n is in the range from 3.0 to 5.0 and m is in the range from 1.50n-3 to 2.50n-5. Control of the n:m:p ratio leads to compositions that, when cured, provide coatings and cured products having low Young's modulus, low pullout force on glass, and weak variations with time as the fiber ages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: John William Botelho, Ching-Kee Chien, Jill Ann Cummings, Pushkar Tandon, Ruchi Tandon
  • Patent number: 10611669
    Abstract: A method of controlling the temperature of an optical fiber is provided that includes the steps of: providing an energy transfer member configured to accept or provide thermal energy, the energy transfer member defines an energy transfer surface; passing an optical fiber proximate the energy transfer member such that a gap is defined between the optical fiber and the energy transfer surface; and transferring thermal energy between the optical fiber and the energy transfer member via conduction across the gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: John Christopher Thomas, Kevin Lee Wasson
  • Patent number: 10481182
    Abstract: There is described an optical fiber current sensor having an opto-electronic module part for detecting an optical phase shift induced by the measurand field in a sensing fiber, a sensor head including the sensing fiber, wherein the sensing fiber is a spun highly-birefringent fiber having a length L=? ds defined by the line integral along the space curve given by the sensing fiber coil such that the length L of the sensing fiber is sufficiently long to suppress thermal signal instabilities due to the spun character of the sensing fiber while the effective number of fiber windings is low enough to maintain a maximum sensitivity over the full measurement range of the fiber-optical sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Georg Müller, Klaus Bohnert, Andreas Frank, Lin Yang
  • Publication number: 20150072144
    Abstract: A radiation curable coating composition for an optical fiber comprising: at least one urethane (meth) acrylate oligomer, at least one reactive diluent monomer and at least one photo initiator is described and claimed. The composition is capable of undergoing photopolymerization when coated on an optical fiber and when irradiated by a light emitting diode (LED) light, having a wavelength from about 100 nm to about 900 nm, to provide a cured coating on the optical fiber, with the cured coating having a top surface, and the cured coating having a Percent Reacted Acrylate Unsaturation (% RAU) at the top surface of about 60% or greater. Also described and claimed are the process to coat an optical fiber with the LED curable coating for optical fiber and a coated optical fiber where the coating has been cured by application of LED light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2014
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Inventors: Timothy BISHOP, Keqi GAN
  • Patent number: 8661856
    Abstract: In an optical fiber manufacturing method, the cooling device and the coating device are connected in an airtight manner and by preventing a cooling gas, flowing inside the cooling device, from flowing into the coating device by a meniscus of resin inside of the coating device, a flow of the cooling gas inside the cooling device is discharged to an outside of an upper end of the cooling device as an upward stream; helium gas as the cooling gas flows into a lower portion of the cooling device and carbon dioxide gas as the cooling gas which is separated from the helium gas flows into a side lower than a position where the helium gas flows in, during the forcible cooling; and a flow rate of the helium gas and a flow rate of the carbon dioxide gas are individually controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Fujikura Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenji Okada
  • Patent number: 8588573
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing an optical fiber in which a flow of a cooling gas within a cooling device is made to be an upward flow and the cooling gas is discharged to outside from an upper end of the cooling device by connecting the cooling device and a coating device in an airtight manner, and closing a flow of the cooling gas which flows toward a coating device within the cooling device using a meniscus of resin within the coating device. A temperature of the cooling gas is increased toward an upper portion of the cooling device from a lower portion of the cooling device by adjusting the flow rate of the cooling gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Fujikura Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenji Okada
  • Patent number: 8573008
    Abstract: An optical fiber production system and method are provided for producing optical fiber. An optical fiber is drawn from a preform in a furnace and passes through a treatment device under a reduced pressure in the range of 0.01 to 0.80 atm. The treatment device cools the bare optical fiber as it cools to a temperature in the range of at least 1,600° C. to 1,300° C. A non-contact fiber centering device is located near an exit of the treatment device to provide centering of the optical fiber as it exits the treatment device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: James Henry Faler, Andrey V Filippov, Robert C Moore, Bruce Warren Reding
  • Publication number: 20130118208
    Abstract: This optical fiber manufacturing method includes: forming a bare optical fiber by drawing an optical fiber preform; forming an intermediate optical fiber by providing a coating layer, which is formed of resin, on the outer periphery of the bare optical fiber; performing primary curing of the coating layer which forms the intermediate optical fiber; pressing the outer periphery of the intermediate optical fiber; and performing secondary curing of the pressed coating layer of the intermediate optical fiber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2012
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: FUJIKURA LTD.
    Inventor: Fujikura Ltd.
  • Publication number: 20110274404
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing an optical fiber in which a flow of a cooling gas within a cooling device is made to be an upward flow and the cooling gas is discharged to outside from an upper end of the cooling device by connecting the cooling device and a coating device in an airtight manner, and closing a flow of the cooling gas which flows toward a coating device within the cooling device using a meniscus of resin within the coating device. A temperature of the cooling gas is increased toward an upper portion of the cooling device from a lower portion of the cooling device by adjusting the flow rate of the cooling gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2011
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Applicant: FUJIKURA LTD.
    Inventor: Kenji OKADA
  • Publication number: 20110239709
    Abstract: In an optical fiber manufacturing method, the cooling device and the coating device are connected in an airtight manner and by preventing a cooling gas, flowing inside the cooling device, from flowing into the coating device by a meniscus of resin inside of the coating device, a flow of the cooling gas inside the cooling device is discharged to an outside of an upper end of the cooling device as an upward stream; helium gas as the cooling gas flows into a lower portion of the cooling device and carbon dioxide gas as the cooling gas which is separated from the helium gas flows into a side lower than a position where the helium gas flows in, during the forcible cooling; and a flow rate of the helium gas and a flow rate of the carbon dioxide gas are individually controlled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2011
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: FUJIKURA LTD.
    Inventor: Kenji OKADA
  • Patent number: 8015847
    Abstract: An optical fiber apparatus and manufacturing method thereof includes: forming a bare optical fiber by melting and deforming an optical fiber preform; cooling the bare optical fiber after the bare optical fiber forming step by passing it through a flow channel of a cooling unit through which cooling gas flows; and forming a protective coating layer by supplying a molten resin to a periphery of the bare optical fiber after the cooling step thereby forming an optical fiber. The cooling gas flowing toward a vertically lower end of the flow channel is blocked by the molten resin used to form the protective coating layer, and carbon dioxide gas is supplied toward the flow channel from a position which is vertically below the supply position of the cooling gas and vertically above the blocking position of the molten resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Fujikura Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Okada, Shingo Matsushita
  • Patent number: 7886562
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing glass strands coated with a hot-melt size, whereby molten glass streams, flowing out of orifices located in the base of one or more bushings, are drawn in the form of one or more sheets of continuous filaments, the filaments are then assembled into one or more strands that are collected on one or more moving supports, this process consisting in depositing a first composition containing a coupling agent on the glass filaments and then in depositing a second composition comprising a hot-melt polymer in the melt state, at the latest during assembly of the filaments into one or more strands. It also relates to the glass strands obtained according to this process and to the composites containing said strands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Saint-Gobain Technical fabrics Europe
    Inventors: Bruno Gas, Herve Bourgeoisat, Yvan Besson, Daniel Richard
  • Patent number: 7832235
    Abstract: An apparatus for winding a fiber strand onto a former, wherein there is provided a separating means for fixing and separating the fiber strand at the end of an operation of winding on a finish-wound first former and for bringing the fixed fiber-strand end to a second former to be wound in order to begin a new winding operation. At least one thread buffer for temporary storage of a fiber-strand portion between the end of one winding operation and the beginning of a new winding operation is disposed upstream from the separating means in the feed direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Eha Spezialmaschinenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Mike Neubert, Johannes Weg
  • Patent number: 7496263
    Abstract: A method for making a panel comprising the steps of providing a plurality of waveguides including an optical core layer having a first and a second surface coated with a cladding material that forms a cladding layer, positioning a thermosetting adhesive between the plurality of waveguides, wherein the thermosetting adhesive includes a thermosetting resin, and curing the thermosetting adhesive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Fujifilm Manfacturing U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Ming Xie, Kenneth L. Strickland
  • Publication number: 20080141725
    Abstract: An optical fiber 1 comprising a glass portion 2 having a core 2a and a cladding 2b, and one or more covering layers 3 formed around the glass portion 2, in which an arrangement form of the covering layer 3 with respect to the glass portion 2 in cross section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction thereof is changed continuously in the longitudinal direction thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2008
    Publication date: June 19, 2008
    Applicant: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Koji Shimoda, Yuji Kubo, Makoto Shimizu
  • Patent number: 7201939
    Abstract: An optical member (for example, optical fiber) is dipped in a coating solution having a film forming material dissolved therein to form an antireflection film on the end surface of the optical member. When the optical member is pulled up from the coating solution, the angle formed by the level of the coating solution and the end surface of the optical member, or the pulling speed is varied to adjust the film thickness or reflectance of the antireflection film to be formed on the end surface of the optical member. The film forming material is a fluorine-containing compound. The antireflection film is formed by dipping. The film thickness of the antireflection film is uneven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2007
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
    Inventors: Takashi Takahashi, Masakazu Komine, Kazumii Kokubo, You Umeda
  • Patent number: 6923023
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses estimate and control optical fiber primary coating diameter for wet-on-wet optical fiber manufacturing. The primary coating diameter for a particular length of optical fiber is calculated based upon a measurement of the weight of primary and/or secondary coating material consumed during optical fiber manufacturing. Control of the primary coating diameter is effected by a coating controller which can increase or decrease the primary coating diameter through control of glass temperature, coating viscosity and/or other parameters during wet-on-wet fiber manufacture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Assignee: Fitel U.S.A. Corporation
    Inventors: Siu-Ping Hong, Jason W. Shiroishi, Nirupama Kenkare
  • Patent number: 6877344
    Abstract: An optical fiber is prepared by applying a liquid electron beam-curable resin composition to a bare optical fiber or a coated optical fiber having a primary or secondary coating on a bare optical fiber, irradiating electron beams to the resin composition on the optical fiber for curing while the optical fiber passes a zone under substantially atmospheric pressure, and providing a magnetic field and optionally an electric field in the zone for thereby improving the efficiency of electron irradiation. The method can comply with the increased drawing speed of the bare optical fiber and does not detract from the transmission properties of the optical fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshio Ohba, Nobuo Kawada, Masaya Ueno
  • Patent number: 6851282
    Abstract: A drawing apparatus 1 has a drawing furnace 11, a heating furnace 21, and a resin curing section 31. The drawing furnace 11 has a muffle tube 13 to which an He gas supply passage 15 from an He gas supply section 14 is connected so as to supply He gas. The optical fiber 3 drawn upon heating by the drawing furnace 11 is fed to the heating furnace 21, whereby a predetermined part of the optical fiber 3 is annealed at a predetermined cooling rate. The heating furnace 21 has a muffle tube 23 to which an N2 gas supply passage 25 from an N2 gas supply section 24 is connected so as to supply N2 gas. Thereafter, the optical fiber 3 is coated with a UV resin 39 by a coating die 38, and the UV resin 39 is cured in the resin curing section 31, whereby a coated optical fiber 4 is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuya Nagayama, Yuichi Ohga, Tatsuhiko Saitoh, Hiroshi Takamizawa
  • Publication number: 20040255622
    Abstract: Disclosed is an optical fiber coating device for coating the outer circumference of the optical fiber with the coating material, in which the coating device is provided with and a gas provider for providing an environmental gas within the coating device, and a cooler for cooling down the environmental gas provided to the coater from the gas provider.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2004
    Publication date: December 23, 2004
    Inventors: Sung-Koog Oh, Man-Seok Seo, Kyeong-Sup Kim
  • Publication number: 20040180137
    Abstract: A method of protecting a silica-containing article used in the manufacture of an optical fiber includes the step of applying to the silica-containing article a protective layer that facilitates removal of particulates that deposit on the protective layer and that ablates during or can be removed before subsequent processing of the silica-containing article. An intermediate product used in the manufacture of an optical fiber and protected against break-inducing particulates includes a silica-containing article, and a protective layer that facilitates removal of particulates-that have deposited on the protective layer and that can be ablated during or removed before subsequent processing of the intermediate product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2004
    Publication date: September 16, 2004
    Inventors: Dana C. Bookbinder, G. Scott Glaesemann, William B. Mattingly
  • Patent number: 6767579
    Abstract: A method of protecting a silica-containing article used in the manufacture of an optical fiber includes the step of applying to the silica-containing article a protective layer that facilitates removal of particulates that deposit on the protective layer and that ablates during or can be removed before subsequent processing of the silica-containing article. An intermediate product used in the manufacture of an optical fiber and protected against break-inducing particulates includes a silica-containing article, and a protective layer that facilitates removal of particulates that have deposited on the protective layer and that can be ablated during or removed before subsequent processing of the intermediate product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2004
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Dana C. Bookbinder, G. Scott Glaesemann, William B. Mattingly, III
  • Patent number: 6739157
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of applying a protective organic coating to an optical glass fiber, said glass fiber is drawn from a preform and passed through a liquid which contains the material for forming said organic coating, once the amount of liquid coating material to be applied to the fiber has been adjusted, said coating matrial is hardened, while a gas is passed along the liquid wherein nitrous oxide (an N2O-containing gas) is used as said gas. The invention also relates to the coated optical glass fiber, produced by that method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: Plasma Optical Fibre B.V.
    Inventors: Antonius Henricus Elisabeth Breuls, Marinus Jacob De Fouw
  • Publication number: 20030221457
    Abstract: A neutralization system for controlling the pH of the washwater used to clean and maintain polyacrylic bound glass forming equipment. The neutralization system introduces a base solution to a washwater solution when the pH of the washwater solution contained in a closed loop washwater recovery system falls below approximately 8.0, thereby substantially reducing the corrosion rate of the components of the equipment associated with acidic polyacrylic acid binder and washwater solution. A closed-loop hoodwall washwater recovery system may also be introduced in addition to the neutralization system that allows for the recovery and reuse of polyacrylic acid binder with a minimal amount of base solution, thereby minimizing degradation of insulation properties of polyacylic acid bound glass fiber products.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2002
    Publication date: December 4, 2003
    Inventors: Harry B. Cline, William E. Downey, Liang Chen, William R. Cooper
  • Publication number: 20030221458
    Abstract: A neutralization system for controlling the pH of the washwater used to clean and maintain polyacrylic bound glass forming equipment. The neutralization system introduces a base solution to a washwater solution when the pH of the washwater solution contained in a closed loop washwater recovery system falls below about 8.5, thereby substantially reducing the corrosion rate of the components of the equipment associated with acidic polyacrylic acid binder, maleic acid cobinder or maleic anhydride cobinder and washwater solution. A closed-loop hoodwall washwater recovery system may also be introduced in addition to the neutralization system that allows for the recovery and reuse of polyacrylic acid binder and maleic acid cobinder or maleic anhydride cobinder with a minimal amount of base solution, thereby minimizing degradation of insulation properties of polyacylic acid bound glass fiber products.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2002
    Publication date: December 4, 2003
    Inventors: Harry B. Cline, William E. Downey, Liang Chen, Kathleen M. Bullock, Kevin S. Guigley, Yadollah Delaviz, William R. Cooper, Bobby R. Gibson, Michael P. Lewis, Michael V. Mager
  • Patent number: 6612134
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of making an optical fiber product. In particular, this manufacturing method is characterized in that, between a drawing step in which a coated optical fiber comprising a glass fiber and a primary coating layer disposed around the outer periphery of the glass fiber is wound around a reel and a processing step in which the coated optical fiber wound around the reel is rewound around a bobbin, a control step is provided for holding the coated optical fiber wound around the reel in a place with a mean atmospheric temperature T (>0° C.) for at least 30,000/T2 (hr) and, in the case where a coloring layer or the like is disposed around the outer periphery of the coated optical fiber, for at least 30,000/T2 (hr) but not longer than 210,000/T2 (hr).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Shimoda, Haruhiko Aikawa, Motohide Yoshida, Takashi Hasegawa
  • Publication number: 20030126890
    Abstract: A method for fiber drawing of an optical fiber, which method comprises:
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2002
    Publication date: July 10, 2003
    Applicant: The Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuaki Orita, Shinpei Todo, Yasuhiro Naka
  • Patent number: 6550282
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing an optical fiber (100) having low PMD, comprises the steps of: a) heating at least one end portion (3a) of a preform (3); b) drawing an optical fiber (100) from a free end of said heated end portion (3a) along a fiber drawing axis (I—I); c) coating said optical fiber (100) with a suitable coating material; d) applying to said coated optical fiber (100) a torque about said fiber drawing axis (I—I), e) winding said coated optical fiber (100) onto a collecting spool (9). According to the invention, step d) is carried out by means of a pulley (16) supported upstream of said collecting spool (9) and rotated about the fiber drawing axis (I—I), said optical fiber (100) being wound up onto said pulley (16) for an angle of at least about 360°. Advantageously, such method also allows to notably increase the amount of optical fiber produced per unit of time with respect to the prior art.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: Pirelli Cavi e Sistemi S.P.A.
    Inventors: Giacomo Stefano Roba, Roberto Pata
  • Publication number: 20030051511
    Abstract: The present invention is a method of making a coated optical fiber comprising a first step of obtaining a glass optical fiber by drawing an optical fiber glass preform, a second step of forming the glass optical fiber with two layers of coating, and a third step of applying a twist to the glass optical fiber by using a swinging guide roller; wherein the glass optical fiber has a tension T of at least 2.2 (N/fiber) in the first step; and wherein T/R is 28 to 100, where R (m) is the barrel radius of the swinging guide roller, and the number of swinging movements of the swinging guide roller is 0.33 to 3.33 (s−1) in the third step. According to the present invention, the polarization mode dispersion (PMD value) of thus obtained coated optical fiber can reliably be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2002
    Publication date: March 20, 2003
    Inventors: Atsushi Suzuki, Tomoyuki Hattori
  • Patent number: 6530243
    Abstract: A method of drawing an optical fiber which can improve the efficiency in manufacture without deforming resin coatings is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2003
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuya Kuwahara, Ichiro Tsuchiya, Yasuhiro Naganuma
  • Publication number: 20020184924
    Abstract: A recoating method for an optical fiber recoats a uniform thickness of resin on a covering-resin-removed-area of an optical fiber. The covering-resin-removed-area is rotated relatively to a resin supplying device while supplying the resin to the covering-resin-removed-area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2002
    Publication date: December 12, 2002
    Inventors: Yun Jong Choi, Yoshinori Kanai, Junichi Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20020112508
    Abstract: An optical fiber is prepared by applying a liquid electron beam-curable resin composition to a bare optical fiber or a coated optical fiber having a primary or secondary coating on a bare optical fiber, irradiating electron beams to the resin composition on the optical fiber for curing while the optical fiber passes a zone under substantially atmospheric pressure, and providing a magnetic field and optionally an electric field in the zone for thereby improving the efficiency of electron irradiation. The method can comply with the increased drawing speed of the bare optical fiber and does not detract from the transmission properties of the optical fiber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2002
    Publication date: August 22, 2002
    Inventors: Toshio Ohba, Nobuo Kawada, Masaya Ueno
  • Patent number: 6387454
    Abstract: A method of stabilizing a glass-ceramic body, particularly an aluminosilicate body, for use as a telecommunications component in a humid atmosphere, comprises coating the body with an aqueous solution of an alkali metasilicate, with a solution of a silane that is strongly non-polar with respect to water, or with successive applications of the metasilicate and the silane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Russell A. Crook, James E. Webb
  • Publication number: 20020054744
    Abstract: Coating for an optical fiber and method of manufacturing thereof, the coating comprising at least one partly crosslinked polymer having a level of crosslinking which increases according to a radial distance as one moves from the internal surface (3) of the coating (4) which interfaces with a cladding section (2) to the external surface of the coating (4). The coating comprises a single resin which is composed of a volatile, multifunctional and moderately reactive monomer dissolved in a fast curable oligomer, having a low modulus when polymerized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2001
    Publication date: May 9, 2002
    Applicant: ALCATEL
    Inventors: Sophie Vanpoulle, Stanislas Galaj, Xavier Andrieu
  • Patent number: 6327876
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for forming a optical fiber (102) which includes a furnace (104) for softening an optical fiber blank (106); a tractor (114) for drawing the optical fiber (102) from the softened optical fiber blank (106); and a first applicator (110) for applying a coating of a first coating material to the optical fiber (102), the first applicator having a rotatable die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2001
    Assignee: Fibre Ottiche Sud F.O.S. S.p.A.
    Inventors: Franco Cocchini, Antonio Schiaffo
  • Patent number: 6322888
    Abstract: A process for producing sized glass yarns, which entails: a) drawing streams of molten glass from orifices located at a bottom of one or more dies, in a form of one or more fans of continuous filaments, b) assembling the filaments into one or more moving supports, wherein a first stable composition having a viscosity of between 0.5 and 250 cP is deposited onto the surface of the continuous filaments, and a second stable composition, supplied separately from the first and having a viscosity of between 0.5 and 300 cP, is deposited onto the surface of the filaments of the yarns, at the earliest during deposition of the first composition and at the latest during collection of the years, the difference in viscosity between the two compositions deposited being less than 150 cP, the mixture of the deposited compositions functioning as a sizing composition and being polymerizable at room temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Assignee: Vetrotex France
    Inventors: Patrick Moireau, Bruno Gibello, Marc Roubin
  • Patent number: 6189343
    Abstract: An apparatus for forming a optical fiber which includes a furnace for softening an optical fiber blank; a tractor for drawing the optical fiber from the softened optical fiber blank; and a first applicator for applying a coating of a first coating material to the optical fiber, the first applicator having a rotatable die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Fibre Ottiche Sud F.O.S. S.p.A.
    Inventors: Franco Cocchini, Antonio Schiaffo
  • Patent number: 6185962
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for forming coated fibers suitable for making a composite article. A plurality of fibers are coated with an aqueous- or non-aqueous-based chemical treatment containing a curable resin such that the resin on the fibers is in a partially cured or uncured state. The coated fibers may then be formed into a composite article in a subsequent forming operation, for example, by filament winding, pultrusion, weaving, knitting, or extrusion coating. The strand of fibers may also be shaped into a preform which can be used in resin transfer molding (RTM) and injection molding processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2001
    Assignee: Owens Corning Fiberglas Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: David R. Hartman, David L. Shipp, Andrew B. Woodside, Joan T. Muellerleile
  • Patent number: 5974837
    Abstract: In the process of drawing optical fibers, a protective plastic coating is applied to the fiber by applying a curable liquid coating material thereto and the subsequently curing the liquid coating to a protective plastic layer. At high fiber draw speeds, air entrained with the fiber enters the liquid coating material and causes bubbles in the cured coating. The incidence of bubbles in the coating is reduced by replacing air adjacent the fiber surface with helium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: John S. Abbott, III, Richard R. Williams
  • Patent number: 5961684
    Abstract: A glass yarn sizing composition consisting of a solution having a viscosity of at most 400 cP and including less than 5 wt. % of solvent and at least one basic heat-polymerisable system which includes at least 60 wt. % of components having a molecular weight of less than 750, and at least 60 wt. % of a mixture of one or more components having at least one epoxy reactive function, and one or more components having at least one (preferably primary or secondary) amine reactive function, wherein the amount of components having at least one amine reactive function represents at least 6 wt. % of the composition. A method using said composition, and the resulting yarns coated with said composition, are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1999
    Assignee: Vetrotex France
    Inventors: Patrick Moireau, Christelle Pousse
  • Patent number: 5942020
    Abstract: The invention provides a device for blocking the ingress of air on the surface of a moving member such as an optical fiber. The blocking of air is achieved by the establishment of a low pressure zone at the entry point of the fiber, the lower pressure zone being created by the injection of an inert gas in a direction opposite the direction of travel of the fiber. The invention is particularly useful in preventing the ingress of air into a UV curing apparatus for curing the ink on an optical fiber. There is also provided a method for reducing such ingress of air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1999
    Assignee: Tensor Machinery Limited
    Inventor: John T. Marcelissen
  • Patent number: 5903690
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for changing the refractive index in an element comprising germanium silicate glass by irradiating the germanium silicate glass with laser radiation having an associated wavelength in the range of 270 nm to 390 nm for exciting an absorption band in the glass centered at 330 nm. The element may be polymer coated in which instance the glass is irradiated through the polymer coating. In addition, the glass may have been exposed to a hydrogen atmosphere before being irradiated. In either instance, the laser radiation is directed at an angle to the surface of the element or along an optical axis of the element or both. The element may comprise a portion of an optical light guide, such as an optical fiber, or such as an integrated optical waveguide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1999
    Assignee: D-Star Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Dmitry S. Starodubov, Evgeny M. Dianov, Artem A. Frolov
  • Patent number: 5858053
    Abstract: An improved method of coating an optical fiber is disclosed. A transducer is submerged in a container of liquid coating material and activated so that it causes the formation of a wave of coating material within the container. The optical fiber is then drawn through the container and through the wave, the wave counterbalancing the negative meniscus produced by drawing the fiber through the container. A curved housing also may be placed in the container and surrounding the transducer for controlling the size, amplitude, shape, or direction of the wave. A plurality of transducers also advantageously may be used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1999
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Valerie Jeanne Kuck, Mark Anthony Paczkowski, Peter Gerald Simpkins
  • Patent number: 5701376
    Abstract: An optical fiber comprises a core line, which includes a core and a cladding, and a cover. The core line is twisted 90.degree. clockwise and counterclockwise alternately at predetermined intervals (for example, every 30 meters). The twisted portion in the core line is equal to or shorter than 1 m, and is more preferably only several centimeters long. Since the optical fiber has residual birefringence, there exist two principal axes of birefringence, that is, a fast axis f and a slow axis s in the core line. Since the core line is 90.degree. twisted at the twisted portion, the two principal axes of the consequent portion exchange their direction compared with the two principal axes of the antecedent portion. Thus, twisting the core line effectively shortens the sustaining distance of the birefringence of the optical fiber, and exchanging the directions of the two principal axes successfully suppresses the polarized wave dispersion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 23, 1997
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Masataka Shirasaki
  • Patent number: 5647884
    Abstract: A capstan belt (80) is mounted on a pair of pulleys (82,83) for engagement with the surface of a draw capstan (75), the capstan belt (80) being driven for rotation on the pair of pulleys (82,83) by rotational movement of the capstan (75). A coated optical fiber (35) is drawn between the capstan (75) and the capstan belt (80). At least a surface of the capstan belt (80) is manufactured of a very low modulus material which easily deforms when contacting the coated optical fiber (35) such that the belt material deforms rather than the coating on the fiber during contact between the belt and the coated fiber. An idler belt (78) may surround the capstan (75) and an idler pulley (79), at least the surface of the idler belt (78) being manufactured of the same or similar material as the capstan belt (80). The belt material has a modulus of elasticity in the range of 10 to 200 PSI (0.07 to 1.38 MPa) at 10% strain and 200 to 5000 PSI (1.38 to 34.5 MPa) at 100% strain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 15, 1997
    Assignee: Alcatel NA Cable Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Bob J. Overton, Robert L. Roach, Adolphe R. Lopez
  • Patent number: 5581647
    Abstract: In a method of fabricating DCF, the fiber is drawn while rotating said optical fiber preform, wherein a rotational speed of said optical fiber preform is 10 to 1,000 rpm, a drawing speed is 50 to 1,000 m/min, and a drawing tension is 2.4 to 13 kg/mm.sup.2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 3, 1996
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masashi Onishi, Koji Amemiya, Chie Fukuda, Hiroo Kanamori
  • Patent number: 5567219
    Abstract: A method of making a polyimide coated heavy metal fluorinated fiber includes the steps of drawing an optical fiber through a low-temperature curing polyimide solution to form a polyimide coating which cures in a range of about 200.degree. and 390.degree. C. A low curing temperature enables a low temperature profile to be used for curing the coating. The low-temperature curing conditions provide a maximum fiber exposure temperature above the glass transition temperature of the fiber but minimize crystallization of the fiber during curing. The method is also applicable to chalcogenide fibers which carry optical signals in the infrared region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 22, 1996
    Assignee: Galileo Electro-Optics Corporation
    Inventors: Lubos Vacha, Peter J. Melling
  • Patent number: 5444808
    Abstract: An optical fibre, comprising a glass core 10 surrounded by a glass cladding (11) of lower refractive index, is provided with inner and outer relatively high modulus plastics layers (12 and 14) spaced apart by a relatively low modulus layer 13. The low modulus layer is applied from an aqueous dispersion, and is dried but not sintered. This leaves the layer (13) in a form in which it has little adherence to the underlying inner plastics layer (12), thereby enabling the outer layer (14) to be readily peeled by mechanical means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 22, 1995
    Assignee: Northern Telecom Limited
    Inventors: Nigel Shackleton, Laura E. Pears
  • Patent number: 5418881
    Abstract: The presence of (typically unintended) birefringence in single mode optical fiber can severely limit the usefulness of the fiber for, e.g., high bit rate or analog optical fiber communication systems, due to the resulting polarization mode dispersion (PMD). It has now been discovered that PMD can be substantially reduced if, during drawing of the fiber, a torque is applied to the fiber such that a "spin" is impressed on the fiber. Desirably the torque is applied such that the spin impressed on the fiber does not have constant spatial frequency, e.g., has alternately clockwise and counterclockwise helicity. At least a portion of optical fiber according to the invention has spin alternately clockwise and counterclockwise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1995
    Assignee: AT&T Corp.
    Inventors: Arthur C. Hart, Jr., Richard G. Huff, Kenneth L. Walker