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:
Nov. 02, 1999
Filed:
Jul. 07, 1998
Daniel D Uhm, Vinton, VA (US);
Robert A Spencer, Roanoke, VA (US);
Alcatel, Paris, FR;
Abstract
An optical fiber furnace having an access port for a preform is disclosed. The access port includes a gas pressure generation and sensing device and an automatic shutter door assembly. The gas pressure generation and sensing device responds to a sensed gas pressure built up around a new preform being inserted into the optical fiber furnace, for providing an automatic shutter door opening signal. The gas pressure generation and sensing device also responds to a sensed outwardly flowing purge gas pressure escaping around an exhausted preform being removed from the optical fiber furnace, for providing an automatic shutter door closing signal. The automatic shutter door assembly responds to the automatic shutter door opening signal, for opening the automatic shutter door assembly for inserting the new preform into the optical fiber furnace. The automatic shutter door assembly also responds to the automatic shutter door closing signal, for closing the automatic shutter door assembly after removing the exhausted preform from the optical fiber furnace.