Patent · US Expired

Method of making a glass fiber preform with adjusting a spacing while increasing acceleration of a starting glass powder

US6202447A · kind A · utility

28Cited by
7References
4Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 1, 1998
Grant dateMar 20, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 1, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
  • CPC primaryC03B37/01291
  • WIPO fieldOther special machines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

The invention relates to manufacturing glass fiber preforms. It relates to a method comprising rotating preform about its own axis, and displacing a plasma torch in translation relative to the preform in a direction parallel to the axis of the preform, the axes of the flame and of the preform and being offset by a certain distance, and then inserting glass powder into the plasma flame under gravity. According to the invention, the glass powder is accelerated before penetrating into the plasma flame by means of an accelerator gas, and the offset distance between the axes is reduced with increasing acceleration of the powder. The invention is applicable to manufacturing glass fibers, and in particular optical fibers.

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