US 5,294,260 AGranted

Apparatus for curing coatings on drawn optical fiber

AssigneeAT&T Bell Laboratories

InventorsLisa M. Larsen-Moss, Vernon W. Pidgeon, Jr.

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Abstract

A curing apparatus which is supported from a base plate (68) includes a housing which includes guide members for holding a magnetron and one portion of an elliptical chamber in which is disposed a longitudinally extending bulb. Outside the housing are triangular shaped gusset plates which are adapted to mate with a pivotally moveable portion (95) in which is disposed a mating portion of the elliptical chamber and a center tube through which the drawn optical fiber extends. An exhaust system is supported from the gusset plates. Advantageously, the pivotally moveable portion may be opened pivotally to expose the center tube and facilitate removal of the center tube and its replacement. Also advantageously, the entire curing apparatus may be aligned with the fiber by moving the base plate until the drawn fiber is centered within the center tube. In yet another advantage, the present invention incorporates a plurality of slidable plates to provide easy access to the magnetrons.

Claims13

Dependent claims

Apparatus for curing drawn optical fiber, said apparatus including:

a housing which is closed on a top and bottom, sides and rear face thereof and which has openings in a front face thereof, said housing including a plurality of members extending from the front face thereof;
a pivotally moveable portion which is hingedly connected to said housing and adapted to be moved pivotally to expose an interior of said housing and an interior of said pivotally moveable portion;
an elliptical chamber which has a portion disposed in said housing and a separable portion disposed in said pivotally moveable portion;
a longitudinally extending bulb disposed at the focal point of the portion of the elliptical chamber which is disposed in said housing;
a longitudinally extending center tube disposed at the other focal point of the elliptical chamber such that the pivotal movement of the pivotally moveable portion facilitates lateral removal of the center tube from the elliptical chamber, the center tube adapted to have drawn optical fiber extend therethrough;
means disposed in said housing for exciting said bulb to cause said bulb to emit radiation to cure curable coating material which has been applied to the fiber;
and
exhaust means attached to said housing for exhausting gases from within said housing.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.