Multi-electrode system with vibrating electrodes
Assignee3SAE Technologies, Inc.
InventorsRobert G. Wiley, Brett Clark, Jared C. Meitzler, Clyde J. Troutman
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Abstract
A multi-electrode system includes a fiber holder that holds at least one optical fiber, a plurality of electrodes arranged to generate a heated field to heat the at least one optical fiber, and a vibration mechanism that causes at least one of the electrodes from the plurality of electrodes to vibrate. The electrodes can be disposed in at least a partial vacuum. The system can be used for processing many types of fibers, such processing including, as examples, stripping, splicing, annealing, tapering, and so on. Corresponding fiber processing methods are also provided.
Claims30
A multi-electrode system comprises:
- a fiber holder that holds at least one optical fiber;
- a plurality of electrodes arranged to generate at least one arc providing a heated field;
- and
- a vibration mechanism that causes at least one of the electrodes from the plurality of electrodes to vibrate to generate a broadened heated field having a substantially uniform distribution of heat around a circumference of the at least one optical fiber,
- wherein the plurality of electrodes are configured to generate the at least one arc with an oscillation period shorter than a thermal time constant of the at least one fiber, and
- wherein the vibration causes a non-circle motion of a center of the at least one arc.
A multi-electrode system comprises:
- a fiber holder that holds at least one optical fiber;
- a plurality of electrodes arranged to generate at least one arc providing a substantially uniform heated plasma field to heat the at least one optical fiber;
- and
- a vibration mechanism that causes at least one of the electrodes from the plurality of electrodes to vibrate,
- wherein the vibration mechanism broadens a width of a full, half max portion of a Gaussian thermal profile of the substantially uniform heated field, and
- wherein the vibration causes a non-circle motion of a center of the at least one arc.
A method of generating a heated field for processing at least one optical fiber, comprising:
- holding the at least one optical fiber in a fiber holder;
- using a plurality of electrodes, generating at least one arc providing the heated field to heat the at least one optical fiber;
- and
- vibrating at least one of the electrodes from the plurality of electrodes to generate a broadened heated field having a substantially uniform distribution of heat around a circumference of the at least one optical fiber,
- wherein the plurality of electrodes are configured to generate the at least one arc with an oscillation period shorter than a thermal time constant of the at least one fiber, and
- wherein the vibration causes a non-circle motion of a center of the at least one arc.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.