Coating processes – Optical element produced – Polarizer – windshield – optical fiber – projection screen – or...
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-01
2001-02-13
Edwards, Laura (Department: 1734)
Coating processes
Optical element produced
Polarizer, windshield, optical fiber, projection screen, or...
C427S169000, C427S304000, C427S305000, C427S312000, C427S431000, C427S433000, C118S695000, C118S696000, C118S420000, C118S423000, C118S429000, C118S503000, C118SDIG001, C118SDIG001
Reexamination Certificate
active
06187378
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to electroless metallization or plating of optical fibers, and in particular, to an automated system for electroless plating of optical fibers having increased plating accuracy and repeatability.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Optical fibers are used extensively in modern telecommunications systems and sensing systems. In many of these systems, optical fibers guide light signals to and from optoelectronic devices located in hostile environmental media such as water, oil, high pressure, or vacuum. Such environments necessitate that the fibers be housed in hermetically sealed enclosures. The fibers must enter the enclosure through hermetically sealed feed-throughs. The hermetic seal typically is provided by metallizing the fibers and soldering them to the feed-throughs.
The fibers are typically metallized using conventional manual electroless plating. An operator physically immerses batches of fibers in the various processing solutions to plate the fibers. The properties and quality of the plating depends upon many factors, especially the rate of entry into the solutions, the duration in the solutions, and the rate of withdrawal from the solutions.
Unfortunately, it is very difficult for even highly skilled operators to immerse each batch of fibers in the processing solutions in a consistent and repeatable manner. The manual process results in variation of quality from one batch of fibers to the next and low production yields. Hence, an automated system for electroless metallization of optical fibers is needed that eliminates the inconsistencies associated with manual methods.
SUMMARY
An automated system for electroless metallization of optical glass fibers comprises a plurality of spaced apart plating stations having different solutions for electroless metallization of optical fibers. A motor-driven fiber transport and dipping apparatus is used in the system for shuttling optical glass fibers to the plating stations and immersing the optical glass fibers in the solutions. A programmable controller directs the transport and dipping apparatus to the plating stations in a selected order and at selected time intervals, and directs the apparatus at each of the stations to immerse the fibers into the solutions at a selected entry rate, for a selected duration, and at a selected withdrawal rate.
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Edwards Laura
Lucent Technologies - Inc.
Mathews, Collins Shepherd & Gould P.A.
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