Systems and methods for coating optical fiber

• US 6,958,096 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2003
• Issued: 10/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Furukawa Electric North America Incorporated (Furukawa Electric Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Furukawa Electric North America Incorporated (Furukawa Electric Company Limited)
• Inventors: Lindholm, Eric A.
• Primary Examiner(s): EDWARDS, LAURA ESTELLE
• Application Number:
  US10/633,734
• Publication Number:
  US 20050028731A1
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 118/407, 118/420, 427/163.2, 654/91, 655/29
• US Class Current: 118/407
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 3/12 for treating work of indefinite length
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 25/18 Extrusion

Abstract

A fiber coating applicator includes a chamber and a cup positioned over the chamber. The cup is connected to the chamber by an entrance aperture. The chamber includes an exit aperture opposite the entrance aperture. The cup, entrance aperture, chamber, and exit aperture define a pathway for a fiber, such as an optical fiber, to be coated. The chamber further includes an input port for pumping a coating material into the chamber. The entrance aperture is dimensioned such that as a fiber travels along the pathway and coating material is pumped into the chamber, coating material travels upward through the entrance aperture around the fiber into the cup, the upward flow of coating material being restricted by the fiber and entrance aperture such that there is a hydrostatic pressure in the chamber. The exit aperture is dimensioned to shape coating material around a fiber traveling along the pathway.

Claims

1. A fiber coating applicator, comprising:

a chamber,

a cup positioned over the chamber, and

an entrance die assembly mounted into a chamber entrance opening between the cup and the chamber,

the entrance die assembly including an entrance die insert mounted into an entrance fitting, the entrance fitting held in position by an entrance set screw that is screwed into the chamber entrance opening,

the entrance die insert having an entrance aperture therethrough connecting the cup to the chamber,

the chamber including an exit aperture opposite the entrance aperture, the cup, entrance aperture, chamber, and exit aperture defining a pathway for a fiber to be coated,

the chamber further including an input port for pumping a coating material into the chamber,

the entrance aperture being dimensioned such that as the fiber travels along the pathway and coating material is pumped into the chamber, coating material travels upward through the entrance aperture around the fiber into the cup, the upward flow of coating material being restricted by the fiber and entrance aperture such that there is a hydrostatic pressure in the chamber,

the exit aperture being dimensioned to shape coating material around the fiber.

2. The applicator of claim 1, wherein the cup further includes a drain port for draining excess coating material out of the cup.

3. The applicator of claim 1,

wherein the entrance aperture has a diameter of 30 mils and the exit aperture has a diameter of 9.3 mils,

wherein the coating material has a viscosity of 40 centipoises,

wherein the fiber has a diameter of 200 microns,

and wherein the applicator is used to apply a coating having a thickness of 10–

20 microns onto the fiber.

4. A fiber coating applicator, comprising:

a chamber,

a cup positioned over the chamber, the cup connected to the chamber by an entrance aperture, and

a shaping die assembly mounted into a chamber exit opening in the chamber opposite the entrance aperture,

the shaping die assembly including an exit die insert mounted into an exit fitting, the exit fitting held in position by an exit set screw that is screwed into the chamber exit opening,

the exit die insert having an exit aperture therethrough opposite the entrance aperture, the cup, entrance aperture, chamber, and exit aperture defining a pathway for a fiber to be coated,

the chamber further including an input port for pumping a coating material into the chamber,

the entrance aperture being dimensioned such that as the fiber travels along the pathway and coating material is pumped into the chamber, coating material travels upward through the entrance aperture around the fiber into the cup, the upward flow of coating material being restricted by the fiber and entrance aperture such that there is a hydrostatic pressure in the chamber,

the exit aperture being dimensioned to shape coating material around the fiber.

5. The applicator of claim 4, wherein the cup further includes a drain port for draining excess coating material out of the cup.

6. The applicator of claim 4,

wherein the entrance aperture has a diameter of 30 mils and the exit aperture has a diameter of 9.3 mils,

wherein the fiber has a diameter of 200 microns,

and wherein the applicator is used to apply a coating having a thickness of 10–

20 microns onto the fiber.

7. A fiber coating applicator, comprising:

a chamber, and

a cup positioned over the chamber, the cup connected to the chamber by an entrance aperture,

the chamber including an exit aperture opposite the entrance aperture, the cup, entrance aperture, chamber, and exit aperture defining a pathway for a fiber to be coated,

the chamber further including an input port for pumping a coating material into the chamber,

the entrance aperture being dimensioned such that as the fiber travels along the pathway and coating material is pumped into the chamber, coating material travels upward through the entrance aperture around the fiber into the cup, the upward flow of coating material being restricted by the fiber and entrance aperture such that there is a hydrostatic pressure in the chamber,

the exit aperture being dimensioned to shape coating material around the fiber,

the chamber including a flexible gooseneck, the applicator further including at least one translation stage for adjusting the relative positions of the entrance and exit apertures.

8. A fiber coating applicator, comprising:

a body in which there is formed a cup positioned over a chamber, the cup and chamber connected to each other by a chamber entrance opening,

the body further including a chamber exit opening at a base of the chamber opposite the chamber entrance opening,

the chamber entrance opening being threaded to receive an entrance set screw to hold an entrance die assembly in position, and the chamber exit opening being threaded to receive an exit set screw to hold a shaping die assembly in position,

the body further including an input port into the chamber for pumping a coating material into the chamber, and a drain port leading out of the cup for draining coating material out of the body,

the cup, chamber entrance opening, chamber, and chamber exit opening defining a coating pathway in which a fiber enters the body through the cup, passes through an entrance aperture in an entrance die mounted into the entrance die assembly, passes through the chamber, and exits the body through an exit aperture in an exit die mounted into the shaping die assembly,

the entrance aperture being dimensioned such that as the fiber travels along the coating pathway and coating material is pumped into the chamber, coating material travels upward through the entrance aperture around the fiber into the cup, with excess coating material being drained out of the cup through the drain port,

the upward flow of coating material being sufficiently restricted by the fiber and the entrance aperture such that there is a hydrostatic pressure in the chamber.

9. A fiber coating applicator, comprising:

a body in which there is formed a cup positioned over a chamber, the cup and chamber connected to each other by a chamber entrance opening,

the body further including a chamber exit opening at a base of the chamber opposite the chamber entrance opening,

the body further including first and second input ports leading into the chamber, the first and second input ports having different dimensions, for pumping a coating material into the chamber, and a drain port leading out of the cup for draining coating material out of the body,

the cup, chamber entrance opening, chamber, and chamber exit opening defining a coating pathway in which a fiber enters the body through the cup, passes through an entrance die mounted into the chamber entrance opening, passes through the chamber, and exits the body through a shaping die mounted into the chamber exit opening,

the entrance die having an entrance aperture dimensioned such that as the fiber travels along the coating pathway and coating material is pumped into the chamber, coating material travels upward through the entrance die around the fiber into the cup, with excess coating material being drained out of the cup through the drain port,

the upward flow of coating material being sufficiently restricted by the fiber and entrance die such that there is a hydrostatic pressure in the chamber.