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US 4,396,409 AGranted
Method of improving fatigue resistance of optical fibers
AssigneeCorning Glass Works
InventorsAlan C. Bailey, Robert D. Maurer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed are a method and apparatus for improving the fatigue characteristics of a glass optical waveguide fiber. After the fiber is drawn and before it is provided with a protective coating it is heated to a temperature within the annealing temperature range. A filtered gas may be flowed over the fiber during the step of heating.
Claims3
In the method of forming a low loss optical waveguide fiber comprising the steps of
- drawing from a source of molten non-devitrifiable glass a fiber having a core and an outer cladding layer, said fiber having a hydroxyl ion content less than 100 ppm, and
- applying a protective coating of plastic material to said fiber,
- the improvement comprising
- heating said fiber, while said fiber is being drawn and prior to applying a coating thereto, to a temperature within the annealing temperature range of the cladding glass to improve the fatigue characteristics of said fiber without devitrifying said core or cladding glass.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.