US 5,393,470 A · Process for manufacturing optical fibers

Abstract

A process for manufacturing optical fibers includes extruding a transparent thermoplastic plastic sheet having plurality of transversely shaped and spaced parallel grooves extending in the longitudinal direction of extrusion. The thermoplastic sheet is rolled between polished rollers having upstanding circumferential ribs matching the shape and spacing of the grooves in the thermoplastic sheet. The rollers separate the extruded thermoplastic sheet into a plurality of elongated fibers and polish and cool the separated fibers. A preferred embodiment includes a first extruding die extruding said thermoplastic sheet having an index of refraction and a second extrusion die applying a co-extruded coating of plastic having an index of refraction lower than the index of refraction of the transparent sheet. The ribs of the polished rollers form various channel shapes that may produce optical fibers in both circular and non-circular cross-sectional shapes.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A process for manufacturing optical fibers including:

a step of extruding using extrusion die means producing transparent thermoplastic material in the form of a sheet extrusion having first and second surfaces wherein at least one of said surfaces includes a plurality of transversely shaped and spaced parallel grooves extending in the longitudinal direction of the extrusion and forming a planar array of connected fibers having geometrically-shaped cross-sections;
a step of rolling using polished roller means including first and second polished rollers rolling and imparting a polished surface to the extrusion, at least one of said rollers having upstanding circumferential ribs matching the shape and spacing of the grooves in the extrusion, each rib of said first roller contacting the second roller, thereby forming a geometrically-shaped channel imparting a polished surface to the fibers and parting the connected fibers into a plurality of separate elongated fibers having polished and geometrically-shaped cross-sections.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Process for manufacturing optical fibers

Life of this patent

Process for manufacturing optical fibers

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14