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US 11,661,375 B2Granted
Applying protective coatings to optical fibers
AssigneeLawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
InventorsNicholas P. Calta, Michael J. Messerly, Corie A. Horwood
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Abstract
Apparatus, systems, and methods that provide coats on a glass optical fiber including of an inner layer and an outer layer. The method includes two steps. First, a conductive polymer coating is applied to the optical fiber as it is being produced. Second, a protective coating is applied to that conductive polymer coating. The conductive polymer coating is applied immediately after the fiber is drawn from preform to fiber.
Claims2
An apparatus for making an optical fiber, comprising:
- a starting preform glass,
- a fiber draw tower for drawing said starting preform glass into a fiber,
- a first furnace that receives said starting preform glass and produces said fiber,
- a coating die located below said first furnace,
- a liquid suspension of a conductive polymer within said coating die wherein said fiber is drawn through said coating die and said liquid suspension of a conductive polymer leaving said conductive polymer as a coating on said fiber,
- a second furnace wherein said fiber with said conductive polymer as a coating is drawn into said second furnace and polymerized by said second furnace resulting in in said fiber being coated with a conductive polymer protective coating, and
- an electroplating chamber containing a metal salt dissolved in an aqueous solution wherein said fiber coated with a conductive polymer protective coating is inserted into said electroplating chamber resulting in said fiber coated with a conductive polymer protective coating being coated with a metal coating.
4 more elements
An apparatus for making an optical fiber, comprising:
- a starting preform glass,
- a fiber draw tower for drawing said starting preform glass into a fiber,
- a furnace that receives said starting preform glass and produces said fiber,
- a coating die containing a liquid suspension of a conductive polymer wherein said fiber is drawn through said coating die leaving said conductive polymer as a coating on said fiber,
- a bank of ultraviolet lamps wherein said fiber with said conductive polymer as a coating is drawn into said ultraviolet lamps and polymerized by said ultraviolet lamps and results in said fiber being coated with a conductive polymer protective coating, and
- an electroplating chamber containing a metal salt dissolved in an aqueous solution wherein said fiber coated with a conductive polymer protective coating is inserted into said electroplating chamber resulting in said fiber coated with a conductive polymer protective coating being coated with a metal coating.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.