In-tower optical fiber bending
OwnerBadri Gomataminventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to an optical fiber draw tower and a processing/drawing method thereof. The draw tower (100) comprises a top end zone (108) and a bottom end zone (110), a preform (104) inserted at the top end zone and is melted into an optical fiber (106) that exits from the bottom end zone(110). In particular, the fluid is inserted into the draw tower from the top end zone. Moreover, the draw tower further includes a plurality of air knives (112) distorting optical fiber path such that partially uncooled optical fiber deviates from a vertical path and follows a bended path. Further, the bended path length is greater than a vertical path length and is defined by laminar flow for at least 70% of the bended path length.
Claims20
An optical fiber draw tower (100) configured to melt a preform (104) into an optical fiber (106), the optical fiber draw tower (100) comprising:
- a top end zone (108) and a bottom end zone (110), wherein the preform (104) is inserted at the top end zone (108) and is melted into the optical fiber (106) that exits from the bottom end zone (110), wherein a fluid is inserted into the optical fiber draw tower (100) from the top end zone (108);
- and
- a plurality of air knives (112) that distorts an optical fiber path such that partially uncooled optical fiber deviates from a vertical path and follows a bended path,
- wherein a bended path length is greater than a vertical path length, wherein the bended path length is defined by laminar flow for at least 70% of the bended path length.
A method of drawing an optical fiber (106) in an optical fiber draw tower (100), the method comprising:
- drawing the optical fiber (106) from a preform (104);
- and
- modifying a vertical path length of the optical fiber (106) by subsequent partial turns,
- wherein a bended path length is defined by laminar flow for at least 70% of the bended path length, thereby modifying the vertical path length of the optical fiber (106) into the bended path length.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.