System and method for manufacturing optical fiber

Abstract

A system for precoating a preform for drawing optical fiber including a diameter sensor to determine a diameter of pulled optical fiber, a cooling system to cool the optical fiber once it is pulled from a furnace, a coating system to apply a coating to the optical fiber once it has cooled and an ultra-violet lamp to cure the coating.

I/We claim: 
     
         1 . A system for drawing an optical fiber from a preform material in microgravity, the system comprising:
 a furnace to heat a preform material to separate an optical fiber from the preform material;   a grabber to at least one of grab and release the optical fiber;   a motor to provide movement of the grabber during manufacturing of the optical fiber;   an optical sensor to determine placement of the grabber on the optical fiber;   a spooling assembly to house the optical fiber once manufactured; and   a forceps extendable from the spooling assembly to pull the optical fiber to the spooling assembly.   
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a redirection assembly to change a direction in which the forceps travels during manufacturing of the optical fiber. 
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 2 , wherein the redirection assembly is secured at a single location to allow the redirection assembly to move about the single location during manufacturing the optical fiber. 
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the grabber is configured to also grab the preform material from which the optical fiber is pulled by the grabber. 
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the grabber comprises a heater at an end that at least one of grabs and releases the optical fiber. 
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the grabber releases an electrostatic charge at an end of the grabber that at least one of grabs and releases the optical fiber. 
     
     
         7 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the grabber has a forceps arrangement to grab an end of the optical fiber as it forms from the preform material. 
     
     
         8 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the grabber is a needle. 
     
     
         9 . The system according to  claim 1 , further comprising an alignment device to align the grabber in response to the optical sensor sensing that placement of the grabber is in error. 
     
     
         10 . The system according to  claim 9 , wherein the alignment device comprises electromagnets. 
     
     
         11 . The system according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a diameter sensor to sense a diameter of the optical fiber;   an initial iris;   pinch wheels to guide the forceps into the furnace to draw the optical fiber from the preform material and to guide the optical fiber into the diameter sensor through the initial iris that centers the optical fiber within the diameter sensor;   a secondary iris, located after the diameter sensor, to center the optical fiber as the optical fiber exits the diameter sensor; and   a waste bin to hold excess material from the preform material that does not form the optical fiber.   
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a control assembly to control extension and retraction of the forceps to and from the spooling assembly. 
     
     
         13 . A method for drawing an optical fiber from a preform material in microgravity, comprising:
 melting a tip of the preform material to create a semi-molten globule within a furnace;   securing the tip of the preform material with a grabber;   pulling the tip of the preform material to form a fiber from the semi-molten globule which is secured with the grabber; and   releasing the fiber from the grabber once the fiber is at a storage location.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising redirecting a direction the grabber travels during manufacturing the optical fiber with a redirection assembly. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 13 , further heating the preform material with a heater located at an end of the grabber that at least one of grabs and releases the optical fiber. 
     
     
         16 . A method for drawing an optical fiber from a preform material in microgravity, the method comprising:
 heating the preform material, within a furnace, in the middle so that weight of the preform material causes the preform material to neck in a molten portion;   extending a grabber into the furnace to connect to the preform material at a hotspot in the furnace by applying a constant force to simulate 1 G of gravity;   retracting the grabber from the furnace to cause the optical fiber to form;   removing excess material from the optical fiber with at least one of an iris and a pinch wheel; and   applying forceps to the optical fiber to direct the optical fiber to a spool for storage.   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , further comprising depositing the excess material in a waste bin. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 16 , further comprising controlling, by a forceps control assembly, extension and retraction of the forceps from a spooling assembly. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 16 , further comprising:
 guiding the forceps with pinch wheels into the furnace to draw the optical fiber from the preform material;   guiding by the pinch wheels the optical fiber into a diameter sensor through an initial iris that centers the optical fiber within the diameter sensor; and   centering, by a secondary iris located after the diameter sensor, the optical fiber as the optical fiber exits the diameter sensor.   
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , further comprising:
 passing the optical fiber through an optical sensor to monitor a quality of the optical fiber.