Patent · US Expired

Semicontinuous method of drawing fibers from preforms, the method including a preheating step

US6209358A · kind A · utility

1Cited by
1References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 21, 1999
Grant dateApr 3, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 21, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02P40/57
  • WIPO fieldOther special machines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

In the fiber-drawing method, a first preform is lowered along a fiber-drawing axis through a fiber-drawing oven so as to be heated and drawn down into an optical fiber, and a second preform is lowered along the fiber-drawing axis through the fiber-drawing oven so as to be heated and drawn down in turn after the first preform has been withdrawn. While the first preform is being drawn down into a fiber, the second preform is heated in a preheating oven disposed adjacent to the fiber-drawing oven so as to raise the second preform to a temperature which is slightly below the fiber-drawing temperature, and the preheated second preform is transferred quickly onto the fiber-drawing axis after the first preform has been withdrawn therefrom. This method contributes to increasing the capacity for producing optical fibers.

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