Method and device for fire-polishing a lengthwise extended glass body
AssigneeAlcatel Kabel AG & Co.
InventorsHans-Jurgen Lysson, Frank Lisse, Robert Fenner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
During the fire-polishing of a lengthwise extended glass body (3), for example a preform for drawing optical fibers, the glass body (3) is held by a holding device (5, 7), and is heated by a burner (23) moving at a variable advancing speed parallel to the lengthwise axis (19). The surface temperature of the glass body (3) is determined with a temperature measuring device (25). The mechanical stress condition of the glass body (3) is detected with an optical device (29) and can be controlled by varying the burner temperature and/or the advancing speed of the burner. The invention makes it possible to counteract the occurrence of high mechanical stresses in the glass body (3).
Claims10
A method for fire-polishing a lengthwise extended glass body, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) holding a glass body with a holding device;
- (b) heating the glass body by a burner having a burner temperature, the burner travels parallel to a lengthwise axis of the glass body at an advancing speed;
- (c) determining a surface temperature of the glass body with a temperature measuring device;
- (d) detecting a mechanical stress condition of the glass body;
- and
- (e) varying at least one of the advancing speed of the burner and the burner temperature as a function of at least one of the mechanical stress condition of the glass body and the surface temperature of the glass body.
A device for fire-polishing a lengthwise extended glass body, the device comprising:
- (a) a holding device for the lengthwise extended glass body;
- (b) a burner which can travel along the glass body at an advancing speed;
- (c) a temperature measuring device to determine a surface temperature of the glass body;
- (d) a device to detect a mechanical stress condition of the glass body;
- and
- (d) means for varying at least one of the advancing speed of the burner and the burner temperature as a function of at least one of the mechanical stress condition of the glass body and the surface temperature of the glass body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.