Method and apparatus for forming an optical waveguide fiber
AssigneeCorning Glass Works
InventorDale R. Powers
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A porous glass optical waveguide preform is formed by depositing a coating of glass particulate material on the lateral surface of a core which may be a porous glass body produced by the axial deposition of glass particulate material. The core rotates and moves longitudinally in one direction with respect to a flame hydrolysis burner. In addition, the burner oscillates longitudinally with respect to a portion of the length of the core.
Claims17
In a method of forming a porous glass preform comprising the steps of
- providing an elongated cylindrical core member, directing a first stream of glass particulate material toward a lateral surface of said core member to build up a first coating of given thickness thereon,
- rotating said core member with respect to said stream of particulate material, and longitudinally moving said core member in one direction with respect to said stream of particulate material,
- the step of directing being characterized in that it comprises continuously reciprocating said stream of particulate material with respect to a portion of the length of said core member to deposit and build up in the region of reciprocating movement of said stream a coating of thickness which tapers from said given thickness to zero thickness.
A method of forming a cylindrically-shaped porous glass preform comprising the steps of
- providing an elongated cylindrical core member,
- directing a first stream of glass particulate material toward a lateral surface of said core member to build up a first coating thereon,
- rotating said core member,
- longitudinally moving said core member, and
- reciprocatingly moving said stream of particulate material with respect to a portion of the length of said core member to deposit a particulate material coating, each cycle of reciprocating movement spanning a different portion of the length of said core member than the preceding cycle, whereby continuous reciprocation of said stream causes a tapered coating to be built up.
In a method of forming a porous glass preform comprising the steps of
- providing a substrate, and
- directing a stream of glass particulate material toward said substrate to form a porous coating thereon, the improvement comprising
- reciprocatingly moving said stream of glass particulate material with respect to a portion of said substrate, the concentration of a dopant constituent within said stream of glass particulate material varying as a function of the position of said stream along the path of its reciprocating movement, the portion of said porous coating along which said stream is being reciprocatingly moved is conically-shaped, the change in concentration of said dopant constituent being such that the refractive index of said particulate material is greatest when said stream is directed toward the region of said conically-shaped coating having the smallest radius.
An apparatus for forming a porous cylindrically-shaped glass preform, comprising
- means for supporting an elongated cylindrical core member,
- means for rotating said core member,
- means for longitudinally moving said core member in a first direction,
- means for depositing on said core member a coating of particulate material which has a given thickness throughout a portion of its length and a thickness which tapers from said given thickness to zero thickness at one end thereof, said means for depositing comprising means for directing a first stream of glass particulate material toward a lateral surface of said core member and means for reciprocatingly moving said particulate material directing means with respect to that portion of the length of said core member along which the tapered portion of said coating extends.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.