Glass manufacturing – Processes of manufacturing fibers – filaments – or preforms – Process of manufacturing optical fibers – waveguides – or...
Patent
1994-10-12
1996-10-01
Hoffmann, John
Glass manufacturing
Processes of manufacturing fibers, filaments, or preforms
Process of manufacturing optical fibers, waveguides, or...
C03B 2320
Patent
active
055607608
ABSTRACT:
A method and apparatus for splicing optical fibers. A fluorescing solder glass frit having a melting point lower than the melting point of first and second optical fibers is prepared. The solder glass frit is then attached to the end of the first optical fiber and/or the end of the second optical fiber. The ends of the optical fibers are aligned and placed in close proximity to each other. The solder glass frit is then heated to a temperature which is lower than the melting temperature of the first and second optical fibers, but which is high enough to melt the solder glass frit. A force is applied to the first and second optical fibers pushing the ends of the fibers towards each other. As the solder glass flit becomes molten, the layer of molten solder glass is compressed into a thin layer between the first and second optical fibers. The thin compressed layer of molten solder glass is allowed to cool such that the first and second optical fibers are bonded to each other by the hardened layer of solder glass.
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patent: 4877303 (1989-10-01), Caldwell
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patent: 5134470 (1992-07-01), Ravetti
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"Hoya Laser Glass" Brochure, Aug. 1978, Hoya Corp.
Applied Optics, p. 1284, vol. 20, No. 8, 15 Apr. 1981.
Eickhoff et al, "Optical Fiber Splicing Using Low-Melting Point Glass Solder," 1979, pp. 63-67, Fiber & Integrated Optics vol. 2, No. 1.
Miller, "Optical Fiber Splicing", Feb. 1977, WA3-(1-6) Topical Meeting on Optical Fiber TransMission II.
Daubenspeck William C.
Hoffmann John
Moser William R.
Padilla Robert M.
The United States of America as represented by the United States
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