# US 10,501,370 B2 · Method of applying an ink layer onto an optical fiber > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,501,370 B2 - Document ID: US10501370B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/184,069 - Filed: 2018-11-08 - Published: 2019-06-13 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-07 - Assignees: Corning Incorporated - Applicants: Corning Incorporated - Inventors: Dana Craig Bookbinder; Robert Clark Moore; Darren Andrew Stainer; Pushkar Tandon; Ruchi Tandon; Michael James Todt - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10501370B2 ## CPC - C03C 25/1065: Multiple coatings - C03B 37/025: from reheated softened tubes, rods, fibres or filaments {, e.g. drawing fibres from preforms (draw-down of tubes, rods or preforms to reduced diameter preforms C03B37/0124)} - C03C 25/285: Acrylic resins - G02B 6/02395: {Glass optical fibre with a protective coating, e.g. two layer polymer coating deposited directly on a silica cladding surface during fibre manufacture (G02B6/02052, G02B6/02057, G02B6/024, G02B6/032, G02B6/105, G02B6/14 take precedence; coating on fibre gratings G02B6/02104; multilayer core or cladding G02B6/036; reinforcing splice joints G02B6/2558; optical cables, i.e. comprising protective structures external to the protective coating such as a jacket or plural coated optical fibres G02B6/44; coating of glass to obtain optical fibres C03C25/104)} - G02B 6/036: core or cladding comprising multiple layers {(multicore optical fibres G02B6/02042; microstructured properties G02B6/02295; omniguide fibres G02B6/023)} - G02B 6/443: {Protective covering} - C03C 2217/78: Coatings specially designed to be durable, e.g. scratch-resistant - C03C: CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF GLASSES, GLAZES OR VITREOUS ENAMELS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF GLASS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF FIBRES OR FILAMENTS MADE FROM GLASS, MINERALS OR SLAGS; JOINING GLASS TO GLASS OR OTHER MATERIALS - C03B: MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS ## Abstract An optical fiber and its manufacture are provided. The optical fiber includes an optical waveguide and a cured primary coating layer surrounding the optical waveguide. The optical fiber further includes a cured secondary coating layer surrounding the cured primary coating layer. The optical fiber further includes a cured tertiary ink coating layer surrounding the cured secondary coating layer. The cured tertiary ink coating layer has a glass transition temperature (Tg-ink) of greater than or equal to 75° C. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An optical fiber comprising: an optical waveguide; and a cured secondary coating layer surrounding the optical waveguide, the cured secondary coating layer having a glass transition temperature (Tg-sec) that is greater than or equal to 75° C.; and a cured ink coating layer surrounding the secondary coating layer; wherein the cured ink coating layer comprises a coloring agent and has a glass transition temperature (Tg-ink) greater than or equal to 75° C. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The optical fiber of claim 1, wherein the glass transition temperature (Tg-ink) of the cured ink coating layer is greater than or equal to 90° C. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The optical fiber of claim 1, wherein the cured secondary coating layer has a glass transition temperature (Tg-sec) that is greater than or equal to 75° C. and less than or equal to 120° C. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The optical fiber of claim 1, further comprising a cured primary coating layer surrounding the optical waveguide, wherein the cured secondary coating layer surrounds the cured primary coating layer. ### Claim 5 An optical fiber comprising: an optical waveguide; a cured primary coating layer surrounding the optical waveguide; a cured secondary coating layer surrounding the cured primary coating layer wherein the cured secondary coating layer has a glass transition temperature (Tg-sec) greater than or equal to 75° C.; and a cured tertiary ink coating layer surrounding the cured secondary coating layer, the cured tertiary ink coating layer comprising a coloring agent, wherein the cured tertiary ink coating layer has a glass transition temperature (Tg-ink) of greater than or equal to 75° C. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The optical fiber of claim 5, wherein the glass transition temperature (Tg-ink) is less than or equal to 120° C. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The optical fiber of claim 5, wherein the glass transition temperature (Tg-sec) is less than or equal to 120° C. ### Claim 8 A method for manufacturing an optical fiber, the method comprising: drawing an optical waveguide from a glass preform at a rate greater than 30 m/s, the drawing comprising: applying a first coating material to surround the optical waveguide; curing the first coating material to form a cured first coating layer; applying an ink coating material to surround the cured first coating layer, the ink layer coating material comprising a coloring agent, the cured first coating layer having a temperature (Tsec) greater than or equal to 50° C. during the applying ink coating material; and curing the ink coating material to form a cured ink coating layer, the cured ink coating layer having a glass transition temperature (Tg-ink) greater than or equal to 75° C.; wherein the temperature of the cured first coating layer (Tsec) is less than or equal to Tg-ink+40° C. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the first coating material comprises an acrylate compound. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the temperature of the cured first coating layer (Tsec) is less than or equal to Tg-ink+20° C. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the temperature of the cured first coating layer (Tsec) is less than or equal to Tg-ink. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the ink layer material has a heat of cure reaction (ΔHr×n) less than −70 J/g. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: applying a second coating material to surround the optical waveguide; and curing the second coating material to form a cured second coating layer; wherein the cured first coating layer surrounds the cured second coating layer. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the second coating material has a heat of cure reaction (ΔHr×n) less than −70 J/g. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the first coating material has a heat of cure reaction (ΔHr×n) less than −80 J/g. ### Claim 16 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the cured first coating layer has a glass transition temperature (Tg-sec) greater than or equal to 65° C. ### Claim 17 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the optical waveguide is drawn at a rate greater than 40 m/s.