Methods and apparatuses for forming optical preforms from glass soot
AssigneeCorning Incorporated
InventorsDaniel Robert Boughton, Christopher Scott Thomas, Ji Wang
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Abstract
Methods and apparatuses for forming optical preforms from silica glass soot are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a method for forming an optical preform may include loading silica glass soot in a mold cavity of a mold body. The mold body may be rotated at a rotational speed sufficient to force the silica glass soot towards an inner wall of the mold body. Thereafter the silica glass soot is compressed in an inward radial direction as the mold body is rotated to form a soot compact layer.
Claims20
A method for forming an optical preform, the method comprising:
- loading silica glass soot in a mold cavity of a mold body;
- rotating the mold body at a rotational speed sufficient to force the silica glass soot towards an inner wall of the mold body;
- and
- compressing the silica glass soot in an inward radial direction as the mold body is rotated to form a soot compact layer.
A method for forming an optical preform, the method comprising:
- loading a first amount of silica glass soot in a mold cavity of a mold body;
- rotating the mold body at a rotational speed sufficient to force the first amount of silica glass soot towards an inner wall of the mold body;
- compressing the first amount of silica glass soot in an inward radial direction as the mold body is rotated to form a first soot compact layer;
- loading a second amount of silica glass soot in the mold cavity of the mold body around the first soot compact layer;
- rotating the mold body at a rotational speed sufficient to force the second amount of silica glass towards the inner wall of the mold body;
- and
- compressing the second amount of silica glass soot in an inward radial direction as the mold body is rotated to form a second soot compact layer around the first soot compact layer.
An apparatus for forming an optical preform, the apparatus comprising:
- a mold body comprising a mold cavity and an elastically deformable bladder, wherein the elastically deformable bladder is disposed within and lines the mold cavity adjacent to an inner wall of the mold body;
- a fluid source coupled to the mold cavity between the inner wall of the mold body and the elastically deformable bladder, the fluid source supplying a compressing fluid to the mold cavity to compress the elastically deformable bladder in a radially inward direction;
- and
- a rotary device attached to at least one of a first end of the mold body and a second end of the mold body, the rotary device rotating the mold body about a rotational axis of the mold body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.