The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 11, 1983
Filed:
Jan. 27, 1982
Charles J Aloisio, Jr, Chamblee, GA (US);
Terrence A Lenahan, Chamblee, GA (US);
James V Smith, Jr, Decatur, GA (US);
Carl R Taylor, Lawrenceville, GA (US);
Western Electric Co., Inc., New York, NY (US);
Bell Telephone Laboratories, Inc., Murray Hill, NJ (US);
Abstract
A coating material is applied to drawn lightguide fiber in a manner which substantially prevents the inclusion of bubbles and which causes the fiber to be disposed substantially concentrically within the coating layer. The lightguide fiber is advanced through a continuum of coating material, which extends from a free surface of a reservoir and through first and second dies that are arranged in tandem, at a velocity which causes air to be entrained in the coating material. A pressure gradient is established between portions of the first die adjacent to its exit orifice. The first die communicates with the reservoir and is spaced from the second die to provide a chamber which communicates with a pressurized supply of the coating material. The pressurized flow sufficiently enhances the pressure gradient in the first die and establishes sufficient volumetric flow of coating material upwardly through the first die to cause any bubbles in the coating material on the advancing fiber to be removed by recirculating streamlines and to be moved upwardly into the reservoir. Not only is the coating in the fiber substantially free of entrained air as it leaves the second die, but the fiber is disposed concentrically within the coating because of a precentering effect of the first die and enhanced self-centering caused by pressure in the chamber.