Patent · US Expired

Process and apparatus for manufacturing optical cable elements

US4541979A · kind A · utility

8Cited by
4References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 20, 1982
Grant dateSep 17, 1985
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 20, 2002

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB29L2011/0075
  • WIPO fieldOther special machines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

In the manufacture, for use in an optical cable element, of a tube of polymeric material, the drawn down extruded polymeric tube is annealed by causing it to travel through at least one elongate oven into which is injected, at a position intermediate of the ends of the oven, air or other gas which will have no deleterious effect on, and which is at a temperature sufficient to effect annealing of, the drawn down polymeric tube, and by directing the injected hot air or other gas on to the advancing drawn-down tube at a plurality of positions spaced along the length of the oven in such a way that turbulent flow and substantially even distribution of hot gas is provided around the advancing drawn-down tube. Use of this method of annealing enables the speed of manufacture to be at least twice the speed of manufacture hitherto achieved.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.