Corning Incorporated

Bruce Warren Reding

Andrey V Filippov

Pushkar Tandon

Robert Clark Moore

David Andrew Tucker

Nikolaos Pantelis Kladias

Chunfeng Zhou

Bradley Kent Shepard

James Henry Faler

Dana Craig Bookbinder

Ming-Jun Li

David Andrew Pastel

Douglas Gregg Neilson

Kirk Patton Bumgarner

Aditya Kaimal

Samir Khanna

Thomas A Pedersen

Massoud Rahiminejad

Gary Alan Cummings

Yacob Mesfin Argaw

Michael Terry Murphy

Thomas J Atwood

Jerald B Dotson

John Christopher Thomas

Steven Joseph Gregorski

Hazel Benton Matthews, Iii

John Joseph Costello, Iii

John Michael Jewell

Leslie J Button

John S Abbott

Michael James Todt

David Andrew Bednarczyk

Robert Walter Nason

Allen E Allegretto

Gregory E Smith

Daniel Paul Veber

Sharon Jones

Kirk A Hoover

Chester A Chang

Donald L Knasel

Robert M Trusty

Jerry D Nease

Christopher W Wightman

Roger D Bighouse

Edward Barry Richter

Hazel B Iii Matthews

Steven J Gregorski

John J Iii Costello

A system for processing an optical fiber includes: a draw furnace, the draw furnace containing an optical fiber preform; a bare optical fiber drawn from the optical fiber preform, the bare optical fiber extending from the draw furnace along a process pathway; and a slow cooling device operatively coupled to and downstream from the draw furnace, the slow cooling device exposing the bare optical fiber to a slow cooling device process temperature in the range from 1000° C. to 1400° C., wherein the bare optical fiber passes through the slow cooling device at least two times.

Systems and methods for processing optical fiber

A method of processing an optical fiber includes drawing the optical fiber from a heated glass source, reheating the optical fiber, and cooling the optical fiber under vacuum at a cooling rate less than the cooling rate of the optical fiber in air at 25&#xb0; C. and 1 atm. Cooling the optical fiber under vacuum is conducted after reheating the optical fiber. Cooling the optical fiber under vacuum reduces the rate of heat transfer from the optical fiber, which may enable further relaxation of the glass and reduction in the fictive temperature of the optical fiber. A system for processing an optical fiber includes a furnace containing a fiber preform, a first positioner, a reheating device, and a treatment device downstream of the reheating device, the treatment device operable to cool the optical fiber under vacuum to reduce the rate of heat transfer from the optical fiber.

Vacuum slow cooling device for optical fiber draw

A system for processing an optical fiber includes: a draw furnace, the draw furnace containing an optical fiber preform; a bare optical fiber drawn from the optical fiber preform, the bare optical fiber extending from the draw furnace along a process pathway; and a slow cooling device operatively coupled to and downstream from the draw furnace, the slow cooling device exposing the bare optical fiber to a slow cooling device process temperature in the range form 1000&#xb0; C. to 1400&#xb0; C., wherein the bare optical fiber passes through the slow cooling device at least two times.

A system and method for processing an optical fiber includes a treatment device disposed downstream of a furnace and including a treating zone. The treating zone includes a fiber inlet and fiber outlet and is configured to cool the optical fiber at a reduced pressure below ambient pressure and at a slow cooling rate less than an ambient cooling rate. A nozzle assembly is disposed at one or more of the fiber inlet, the fiber outlet, upstream of the treating zone, and downstream of the treating zone. The nozzle assembly includes multiple baffle plates defining a number of nozzle chambers, each nozzle chamber having a nozzle chamber pressure, wherein each baffle plate includes an orifice having a predetermined effective orifice diameter through which the optical fiber passes. Each nozzle chamber is configured to sequentially change a nozzle chamber pressure between the reduced pressure and ambient pressure.

Systems and methods for processing an optical fiber

An optical fiber production system is provided which includes a slow-cooling device and a purge device positioned above the slow-cooling device. The purge device includes a tube defining an inlet. An optical fiber extends through the slow-cooling device and the purge device. The purge device is configured to inject a purge gas through the inlet and against the optical fiber.

Purge device for an optical fiber draw system

An optical fiber with low fictive temperature along with a system and method for making the optical fiber are provided. The system includes a reheating stage that heats the fiber along the process pathway to a temperature sufficient to lower the fictive temperature of the fiber by relaxing the glass structure and/or driving the glass toward a more nearly equilibrium state. The fiber is drawn from a preform, conveyed along a process pathway, cooled and subsequently reheated to increase the time of exposure of the fiber to temperatures conducive to lowering the fictive temperature of the fiber. The process pathway may include multiple reheating stages as well as one or more fiber-turning devices.

Optical fiber with low fictive temperature

An optical fiber with low attenuation is provided. The fiber is produced under conditions that reduce fictive temperature. Processing includes maintaining the fiber at temperatures at or near the glass transition temperature (T) for an extended period of time. For silica-based fibers, the preferred temperatures are temperatures between 1000&#xb0; C. and 1700&#xb0; C. The extended residence times are achieved in a continuous fiber manufacturing process by increasing the path length of the fiber through a processing region maintained at temperatures between 1000&#xb0; C. and 1700&#xb0; C. The increased path length is achieved by including one or more fluid bearing devices in the processing region. The extended residence time in the processing region allows the structure of the glass fiber to relax more completely and to more closely approach the equilibrium state. The more relaxed glass structure leads to a lower fictive temperature and provides fibers with lower attenuation.

Low attenuation optical fiber

In one embodiment, an apparatus for screen testing an optical fiber includes a fiber conveyance pathway, a capstan having an outer circumference and a fiber contact region extending around the outer circumference, the fiber contact region having a durometer hardness of less than or equal to about 40 Shore A, where the capstan is positioned adjacent to the fiber conveyance pathway such that when the optical fiber is directed over the fiber conveyance pathway, the optical fiber engages with the fiber contact region, and a pinch belt positioned adjacent to the fiber conveyance pathway such that the fiber conveyance pathway extends between the pinch belt and the fiber contact region, where the pinch belt is engagable with the fiber contact region such that, when the optical fiber is directed over the fiber conveyance pathway, the optical fiber is impinged between the pinch belt and the fiber contact region.

Apparatuses for screen testing an optical fiber and methods for using the same

In one embodiment, an apparatus for screen testing an optical fiber includes a fiber conveyance pathway, a capstan having an outer circumference and a fiber contact region extending around the outer circumference, the fiber contact region having a durometer hardness of less than or equal to about 40 Shore A, where the capstan is positioned adjacent to the fiber conveyance pathway such that when the optical fiber is directed over the fiber conveyance pathway, the optical fiber engages with the fiber contact region, and a pinch belt positioned adjacent to the fiber conveyance pathway such that the fiber conveyance pathway extends between the pinch belt and the fiber contact region, where the pinch belt is engageable with the fiber contact region such that, when the optical fiber is directed over the fiber conveyance pathway, the optical fiber is impinged between the pinch belt and the fiber contact region.

In one embodiment, an optical fiber cooling system includes a first cooling tube oriented substantially in parallel with and spaced apart from a second cooling tube such that an optical fiber pathway is positioned between the first cooling tube and the second cooling tube. The first cooling tube includes a plurality of cooling fluid outlets positioned along an axial length of the first cooling tube which are oriented to direct a flow of cooling fluid across the optical fiber pathway towards the second cooling tube. The second cooling tube includes a plurality of cooling fluid outlets positioned along an axial length of the second cooling tube which are oriented to direct a flow of cooling fluid across the optical fiber pathway towards the first cooling tube.

Method for cooling optical fiber

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 controlled reduced pressure or partial vacuum in the range of 0.01 to 0.8 atm. The treatment device cools the bare optical fiber as it cools to a temperature range of at least 1,600&#xb0; C. to 1,300&#xb0; C. A non-contact fiber centering device is located near an exit of the treatment device to provide linear centering of the optical fiber as it exits the treatment device.

Method for producing optical fiber using linear non-contact fiber centering

A method and device for continuously testing the tensile strength of an optical fiber, wherein the incoming optical fiber is wrapped at least partially around a payout capstan, to an intermediate payout pulley, at least partially around the intermediate payout pulley, and back to the payout capstan. The optical fiber is then wound from the payout capstan to a tensile testing measurement component, and then to an uptake capstan. The optical fiber is wrapped at least partially around the uptake capstan, to an intermediate uptake pulley, at least partially around the intermediate uptake pulley, and back to the uptake capstan. The payout capstan and uptake capstan are operated at a desired rotational speed to continuously advance the optical fiber for tensile strength testing.

Optical fiber tensile screening method and device

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&#xb0; C. to 1,300&#xb0; 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.

Method for producing optical fiber at reduced pressure

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Wilmington, NC, United States of America

Bruce Warren Reding