Back to results
US 4,410,561 AGranted
Method of forming coated optical fiber
AssigneeBell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated
InventorArthur C. Hart, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of coating uncoated portions of a coated optical fiber is disclosed. In this method a grooved split mold apparatus is used. This fiber, including coated portions of the fiber are placed within the groove and appropriately tensioned so as to prevent contact between the uncoated portions of the fiber and the mold. Injection molding techniques are then used to recoat the uncoated portions of the fiber.
Claims7
A method of fabricating a continuously coated optical fiber comprising,
- aligning an uncoated portion of a coated optical fiber with a groove in an open, grooved, split mold, the groove extending beyond the uncoated portions of the fiber to the coated portion of the fiber which adjoins the end of the uncoated portion of the fiber, the groove having a diameter, D, greater than the diameter, d, of the coated portion of the optical fiber,
- tensioning the optical fiber,
- reducing the distance between the open mold and the fiber so that the coated portion of the fiber contacts the groove surface while the uncoated portions of the fiber do not contact the groove surface,
- aligning the groove in the second half of the split mold with the optical fiber,
- closing the split mold,
- injecting a curable coating material into the groove until the coating material flows at least to the coated portion of the fiber and,
- curing the coated material,
- whereby a continuously coated optical fiber is obtained.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.