Claims
- 1. A method for manufacturing an optical fiber comprising:
setting a heating condition for heating a glass rod, which is a parent material of said optical fiber, and an elongating speed of said glass rod based on a prescribed numerical value which changes with a progress of elongation of said glass rod; heating and elongating said glass rod to generate a preform based on said heating condition and said elongating speed which are set by said setting; and drawing said preform to a filament-like form by further heating said preform to generate said optical fiber.
- 2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said setting sets said heating condition and said elongating speed based on a progress time of said elongation as said numerical value.
- 3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein:
said heating and elongating includes end drawing for reducing a diameter of an end of said glass rod; and said end drawing end-draws said end of said glass rod with heat and elongation based on said progress time of said end drawing.
- 4. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said setting sets a location of a burner, which heats said glass rod, and an amount of gas supplied to said burner as said heating condition based on said progress time of said elongation.
- 5. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said setting sets a moving speed of a chuck, which holds said glass rod, as said elongating speed based on said progress time of said elongation.
- 6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said setting sets said heating condition and said elongating speed based on an elongation length of said glass rod in said elongation as said numerical value.
- 7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein:
said heating and elongating includes end drawing for reducing a diameter of an end of said glass rod; and said end drawing end-draws said end of said glass rod with heat and elongation based on said elongation length of said glass rod.
- 8. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said setting sets a moving distance of a burner, which heats said glass rod, and an amount of gas supplied to said burner as said heating condition based on said elongation length of said glass rod.
- 9. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said setting sets a moving speed of a chuck, which holds said glass rod, as said elongating speed based on said elongation length of said glass rod.
- 10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said setting uses a encoder, which is provided on a motor that drives said chuck, to measure a moving distance of said chuck by measuring a rotation angle of said motor.
- 11. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said setting sets said heating condition and said elongating speed based on a tensile stress generated on said glass rod in said elongation as said numerical value.
- 12. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein a heating source, which heats said glass rod, moves along a longitudinal direction of said glass rod with a progress of said elongation, and
said heating and elongating controls said elongating speed so that said tensile stress before said heating source moves prescribed distance becomes substantially 110 percent or below an average value of said tensile stress after said heating source moves said prescribed distance.
- 13. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said heating and elongating controls said tensile stress so that said tensile stress before said heating source moves said prescribed distance become substantially from 80 to 110 percent of an average value of said tensile stress after said heating source moves said prescribed distance.
- 14. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said prescribed distance is substantially between 50 mm to 150 mm.
- 15. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said heating and elongating controls said elongating speed to be a constant speed when said heating source moves said prescribed distance.
- 16. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said setting sets a moving speed of a chuck, which holds said glass rod, as said elongating speed based on said tensile stress.
- 17. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said setting sets said heating condition and said elongating speed based on a location of a mark provided on a connection between said glass rod and each of dummy rods, which are welded to each of ends of said glass rod, as said numerical value.
- 18. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein:
said heating and elongating includes end drawing for reducing a diameter of an end of said glass rod; and said end drawing end-draws said end of said glass rod with heat and elongation based on said location of a mark.
- 19. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein said setting sets said heating condition and said elongating speed based on a location of a cut provided on a connection between said glass rod and each of said dummy rods as said location of a mark.
- 20. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein said setting sets said heating condition and said elongating speed based on a location of a fluorescent paint applied on a connection between said glass rod and each of said dummy rods as said location of a mark.
- 21. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said setting sets said elongating speed at a plurality of locations along axial direction of said glass rod based on a diameter at said plurality of locations along axial direction of said glass rod as said numerical value and said heating condition based on an average value of a diameter at said plurality of locations of said glass rod.
- 22. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a end of said glass rod is end-drawn of which diameter is reduced, and said setting has:
detecting a location of an end-drawn region where said glass rod is end-drawn based on a diameter at a plurality of locations along axial direction of said glass rod and a change of a length of said glass rod along axial direction of said glass rod by said elongation as said numerical value; and setting a polishing range where said glass rod is polished by a flame based on said location of said end-drawn region and also setting a heating power condition of said flame based on a diameter of said end-drawn region, and said heating and elongating polishes said polishing range of said glass rod by said flame of said heating power condition.
- 23. A method for manufacturing an optical fiber comprising:
heating and elongating a glass rod, which is a parent material of an optical fiber, to generate a preform, drawing said preform with further heating to a filament-like form to generate an optical fiber; and said heating and elongating has:
pre-heating said glass rod until prescribed region of said glass rod softens; and end drawing said prescribed region for reducing a diameter of said prescribed region and for making an end of said glass rod by further heating and elongating said prescribed region.
- 24. A method as claimed in claim 23, wherein said end drawing further includes second heating which heats by a flame a region which is more towards a middle side of said glass rod than a center of said prescribed region, a thickness of said flame being smaller than a thickness of said flame of said pre-heating.
- 25. A method for manufacturing a preform, which is a parent material of an optical fiber, comprising:
setting a heating condition for heating a glass rod, which is a parent material of said optical fiber, and an elongating speed of said glass rod based on a prescribed numerical value which changes with a progress of elongation of said glass rod; heating and elongating said glass rod to generate a preform based on said heating condition and said elongating speed which are set by said setting.
- 26. A method as claimed in claim 25, wherein said setting sets said heating condition and said elongating speed based on a progress time of said elongation as said numerical value.
- 27. A method as claimed in claim 26, wherein:
said heating and elongating includes end drawing for reducing a diameter of an end of said glass rod; and said end drawing end-draws said end of said glass rod with heat and elongation based on said progress time of said end drawing.
- 28. A method as claimed in claim 25, wherein said setting sets said heating condition and said elongating speed based on an elongation length of said glass rod in said elongation as said numerical value.
- 29. A method as claimed in claim 28, wherein:
said heating and elongating includes end drawing for reducing a diameter of an end of said glass rod; and said end drawing end-draws said end of said glass rod with heat and elongation based on said elongation length of said glass rod.
- 30. A method as claimed in claim 25, wherein said setting sets said heating condition and said elongating speed based on a tensile stress generated on said glass rod in said elongation as said numerical value.
- 31. A method as claimed in claim 30, wherein a heating source, which heats said glass rod, moves along a longitudinal direction of said glass rod with a progress of said elongation, and
said heating and elongating controls said elongating speed so that said tensile stress before said heating source moves prescribed distance becomes substantially 110 percent or below an average value of said tensile stress after said heating source moves said prescribed distance.
- 32. A method as claimed in claim 31, wherein said heating and elongating controls said tensile stress so that said tensile stress before said heating source moves said prescribed distance become substantially from 80 to 110 percent of an average value of said tensile stress after said heating source moves said prescribed distance.
- 33. A method as claimed in claim 31, wherein said prescribed distance is substantially between 50 mm to 150 mm.
- 34. A method as claimed in claim 31, wherein said heating and elongating controls said elongating speed to be a constant speed when said heating source moves said prescribed distance.
- 35. A method as claimed in claim 25, wherein said setting sets said heating condition and said elongating speed based on a location of a mark provided on a connection between said glass rod and each of dummy rods, which are welded to each of ends of said glass rod, as said numerical value.
- 36. A method as claimed in claim 35, wherein:
said heating and elongating includes end drawing for reducing a diameter of an end of said glass rod; and said end drawing end-draws said end of said glass rod with heat and elongation based on said location of a mark.
- 37. A method as claimed in claim 25, wherein said setting sets said elongating speed at a plurality of locations along axial direction of said glass rod based on a diameter at said plurality of locations along axial direction of said glass rod as said numerical value and said heating condition based on an average value of a diameter at said plurality of locations of said glass rod.
- 38. A method as claimed in claim 25, wherein a end of said glass rod is end-drawn of which diameter is reduced, and said setting has:
detecting a location of an end-drawn region where said glass rod is end-drawn based on a diameter at a plurality of locations along axial direction of said glass rod and a change of a length of said glass rod along axial direction of said glass rod by said elongation as said numerical value; and setting a polishing range where said glass rod is polished by a flame based on said location of said end-drawn region and also setting a heating power condition of said flame based on a diameter of said end-drawn region, and said heating and elongating polishes said polishing range of said glass rod by said flame of said heating power condition.
- 39. A method for manufacturing a preform, which is a parent material of an optical fiber, comprising:
pre-heating said glass rod until a prescribed region of said glass rod softens; and end drawing said prescribed region for reducing a diameter of said prescribed region and for making an end of said glass rod by further heating and elongating said prescribed region.
- 40. A method as claimed in claim 39, wherein said end drawing further includes second heating which heats by a flame a region which is more towards a middle side of said glass rod than a center of said prescribed region, a thickness of said flame being smaller than a thickness of said flame of said pre-heating.
- 41. An apparatus for manufacturing a preform, which is a parent material of an optical fiber, comprising:
a heating source which heats a glass rod, which is a parent material of said preform; an elongating unit which elongates said glass rod; a measurement device for measuring a numerical value which changes with a progress of elongation of said glass rod; and a control unit which controls a heating condition of said heating source and a elongating speed of said elongating unit based on said numerical value measured by said measurement device.
- 42. An apparatus as claimed in claim 41, wherein said measurement device measures a progress time of said elongation as said numerical value, and
said control unit controls said heating condition and said elongating speed based on said progress time of said elongation measured by said measurement device.
- 43. An apparatus as claimed in claim 41, wherein said measurement device measures a moving distance of said elongating unit which changes with a progress of said elongation as said numerical value, and
said control unit controls said heating condition and said elongating speed based on said moving distance of said elongating unit measured by said measurement device.
- 44. An apparatus as claimed in claim 41, wherein said measurement device measures a tensile stress generated on said glass rod by said elongation as said numerical value, and
said control unit controls said heating condition and said elongating speed based on said tensile stress generated on said glass rod measured by said measurement device.
- 45. An apparatus as claimed in claim 44, wherein said heating source moves along a longitudinal direction of said glass rod with a progress of said elongation, and
said control unit controls said elongating speed so that said tensile stress before said heating source moves prescribed distance becomes substantially 110 percent or below an average value of said tensile stress after said heating source moves said prescribed distance.
- 46. An apparatus as claimed in claim 45, wherein said control unit controls said tensile stress so that said tensile stress before said heating source moves said prescribed distance becomes substantially from 80 to 110 percent of an average value of said tensile stress after said heating source moves said prescribed distance.
- 47. An apparatus as claimed in claim 45, wherein said prescribed distance is substantially between 50 mm to 150 mm.
- 48. An apparatus as claimed in claim 45, wherein said control unit controls said elongating speed to be a constant speed when said heating source moves said prescribed distance.
- 49. An apparatus as claimed in claim 41, wherein said measurement device measures a location of a mark provided on a connection between said glass rod and each of dummy rods, which are welded to each of ends of said glass rod, as said numerical value, and
said control unit controls said heating condition and said elongating speed based on said location of a mark measured by said measurement device.
- 50. An apparatus as claimed in claim 41, wherein said measurement device measures a diameter at a plurality of locations along axial direction of said glass rod as said numerical value, and
said control unit controls said elongating speed at said plurality of locations along axial direction of said glass rod based on a diameter at said plurality of locations along axial direction of said glass rod, and said heating condition based on an average value of a diameter at said plurality of locations.
Priority Claims (17)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
10-314553 |
Nov 1998 |
JP |
|
10-314564 |
Nov 1998 |
JP |
|
10-314574 |
Nov 1998 |
JP |
|
10-315849 |
Nov 1998 |
JP |
|
10-315856 |
Nov 1998 |
JP |
|
11-010197 |
Jan 1999 |
JP |
|
11-015293 |
Jan 1999 |
JP |
|
11-016840 |
Jan 1999 |
JP |
|
11-044902 |
Feb 1999 |
JP |
|
11-046141 |
Feb 1999 |
JP |
|
11-064994 |
Mar 1999 |
JP |
|
11-067199 |
Mar 1999 |
JP |
|
11-067366 |
Mar 1999 |
JP |
|
11-065819 |
Mar 1999 |
JP |
|
11-075129 |
Mar 1999 |
JP |
|
11-112354 |
Apr 1999 |
JP |
|
11-118094 |
Apr 1999 |
JP |
|
Parent Case Info
[0001] This patent application claims priority based on Japanese patent applications, H11-067366 filed on Mar. 12, 1999, H11-075129 filed on Mar. 19, 1999, H10-315856 filed on Nov. 6, 1998, H10-314564 filed on Nov. 5, 1998, H11-015293 filed on Jan. 25, 0.1999, H11-16840 filed on Jan. 26, 1999, H10-314574 filed on Nov. 5, 1998, H11-067199 filed on Mar. 12, 1999, H11-315849 filed on Nov. 6, 1998, H11-010197 filed on Jan. 19, 1999, H11-112354 filed on Apr. 20, 1999, H11-046141 filed on Feb. 24, 1999, H10-314553 filed on Nov. 5, 1998, H11-065819 filed on Mar. 12, 1999, H11-118094 filed on Apr. 26, 1999, H11-044902 filed on Feb. 23, 1999, and H11-064994 filed on Mar. 11, 1999, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09434280 |
Nov 1999 |
US |
Child |
10158904 |
Jun 2002 |
US |