US 2018/0016180 A1Published application

Method and apparatus for continuous or batch preform and optical fiber production

OwnerDavid Browninventor

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Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for fiber and/or fiber perform production and in particular, optical fiber and optical fiber preform production in which a fiber substrate and a multilayered preform can be continuously produced. The layered preform is constructed from particles deposited from one or more aerosol streams containing multicomponent particles wherein individual particles have the ratio of components as desired in the perform layer. Preferably, the components of the aerosol particles have a sub-particle structure in which the subparticle structure dimensions are smaller than the particle diameter and more preferably smaller than the wavelength of light and more preferably on the molecular scale. Preferably, the particles are deposited on the perform substrate via one or more deposition units. Multiple deposition units can be operated simultaneously and/or in series. As the preform is synthesized, it can be simultaneously fed into a drawing furnace for continuous production of fiber. The method can also be used for batch production of fiber preforms and fiber.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for the production of performs and/or fiber comprising the steps of:

a) Introducing a preform substrate material in molten, pellet or powder form into an extruder or mold so as to form a preform substrate when desired;
b) Inserting a preform substrate into a preform reactor;
c) Introducing one or more carrier gases and one or more deposition particles or deposition particle precursor particles and/or particle precursor gases into the perform reactor wherein the particles and/or particle precursors contain a matrix material and one or more doping agents to alter one or more properties of the matrix material;
d) Forming and/or conditioning the deposition particle precursor particles if desired;
e) Applying a force to the deposition particles essentially in the direction of the preform substrate to enhance the deposition particles in a deposition enhancer;
f) Depositing all or part of the deposition particles on the substrate to form a deposition particle layer;
g) Evacuating all or part of the deposition aerosol particle carrier gas and all or part of the remaining undeposited deposition particles and/or deposition particle precursor particles and or particle precursors from the preform reactor;
h) Applying an energy source to the deposition particle layer to fully or partially sinter the deposition particles when desired;
i) Repeating any or all of steps c) to h) so as to form a multilayered doped preform when desired;
j) Removing all or part of the preform substrate when desired;
k) Introducing the multilayered doped fiber preform into a drawing furnace to form a fiber when desired.

8 more elements

An apparatus comprising:

a) a means configured to introduce a preform substrate material in molten, pellet or powder form into an extruder or mold so as to form a preform substrate when desired;
b) a means configured to insert a preform substrate into a preform reactor;
c) a means configured to introduce one or more carrier gases and one or more deposition particles or deposition particle precursor particles and/or particle precursor gases into the perform reactor wherein the particles and/or particle precursors contain a matrix material and one or more doping agents to alter one or more properties of the matrix material;
d) a means configured to form and/or condition the deposition particle precursor particles if desired;
e) a means configured to apply a force to the deposition particles essentially in the direction of the preform substrate to enhance the deposition particles in a deposition enhancer;
f) a means configured to deposit all or part of the deposition particles on the substrate to form a deposition particle layer;
g) a means configured to evacuate all or part of the deposition aerosol particle carrier gas and all or part of the remaining undeposited deposition particles and/or deposition particle precursor particles and or particle precursors from the perform reactor;
h) a means configured to apply an energy source to the deposition particle layer to fully or partially sinter the deposition particles when desired;
i) a means configured to repeat any or all of components c) to h) so as to form a multilayered doped preform when desired;
j) a means configured to remove all or part of the preform substrate when desired;
k) a means configured to introduce the multilayered doped optical fiber preform into a drawing furnace to form a fiber when desired.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/663,833Filed 31 Jul 2017
Priority: 30 Jan 2006
Published: 18 Jan 2018
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

C03B 37/027
From reheated softened tubes, rods, fibres or filaments , e.g. drawing fibres from preforms: fibres composed of different sorts of glass, e.g.…
C03B 37/01294
By progressive melting, e.g. melting glass powder during delivery to and adhering the so-formed melt to a target or preform, e.g. the Plasma…: by…
C03B 2205/30
Fibre drawing or extruding details: means for continuous drawing from a preform
C03B
Manufacture, shaping, or supplementary processes

Family

Application60/762,853Us provisional application · filed 30 Jan 2006
Application11/699,162Continuation · filed 29 Jan 2007
Application15/663,833Continuation
US 2007/0240454 A1Published application
US 2018/0016180 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.