Apparatus and methods for marking optical fibers using an ink stream

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11287597-B2
Application number	US-201916715234-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2019
Priority date	Jan 9, 2019
Publication date	Mar 29, 2022
Grant date	Mar 29, 2022

Abstract

A method of marking an optical fiber is disclosed, wherein the method includes forming an ink stream, moving an optical fiber over a fiber path that resides adjacent the ink stream, and periodically changing the position of the fiber path so that the optical fiber at least partially enters the ink stream so that the ink from the ink stream forms spaced apart marks on the outer surface of the optical fiber. An optical fiber marking apparatus is also disclosed that includes payout and take modules that move the optical fiber over the fiber path, a marking unit configured to form an ink stream adjacent the fiber path, and a fiber positioning device that causes the optical fiber to periodically intersect the ink stream so that ink from the ink stream forms spaced apart marks on the outer surface of the optical fiber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of marking an optical fiber having an outer surface, comprising:
forming from ink an ink stream;
moving the optical fiber over a fiber path that resides adjacent the ink stream; and
periodically changing the position of the fiber path so that the optical fiber at least partially enters the ink stream so that the ink forms spaced apart marks on the outer surface of the optical fiber.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the optical fiber at least partially entering the ink stream comprises the optical fiber passing through the ink stream in a first direction and passing back through the ink stream in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said periodically changing comprises pushing the optical fiber with at least one position adjustment feature at a perimeter of a rotating roller.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the rotating roller has a generally circular shape with the perimeter and wherein the at least one position adjustment feature comprises a protrusion at the perimeter.

5. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the rotating roller has an eccentric shape and wherein the at least one position adjustment feature comprises an eccentric portion of the perimeter.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the marks have an axial length between 1 mm and 10 mm.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the marks have a center-to-center spacing of between 5 mm and 500 mm.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the marks are initially formed as wet marks, and further comprising drying the wet marks to form dry marks.

9. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising forming a protective overcoat over the outer surface of the optical fiber and the dry marks.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the moving of the optical fiber over the fiber path includes moving the optical fiber at a line speed of at least 10 meters per second.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the ink stream flows continuously while forming at least two of the spaced apart marks.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the ink stream has a diameter DS in the range 20 μm≤DS≤5000 μm.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the marks are wet marks and the method further comprises:
drying the wet ink marks at a drying location to form dried ink marks; and
applying a substantially transparent protective coating over the dried ink marks and the outer surface of the optical fiber, wherein the dried ink marks are visible through the substantially transparent protective coating.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein before the periodically changing, the ink stream flows past the fiber path.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein after the forming spaced apart marks, the ink stream flows past the fiber path.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the periodically changing comprises two incursions of the optical fiber into the ink stream to form at least two marks and wherein the ink stream comprises a flow that is continuous for at least a time required for the two incursions.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the marks are ring marks that extend all the way around a circumference of the optical fiber.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ink stream has a diameter DS and the optical fiber has a diameter DF such that the ink stream diameter DS is at least as large as half of the fiber diameter DF.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the diameter DS and the diameter DF are such that DF≤DS≤5·DF.

20. The method of claim 1 , further comprising collecting ink from the ink stream that is not used to form the spaced apart marks.

21. An optical fiber marking apparatus for marking an optical fiber having an outer surface, comprising relative to a fiber path:
a payout module and a take-up module respectively configured to pay out and take up the optical fiber while moving the optical fiber over the fiber path at a fiber speed;
a marking unit disposed downstream of the payout module and at a marking location, the marking unit configured to form an ink stream adjacent the fiber path; and
a fiber positioning device operably disposed relative to the marking unit and that is adapted to periodically position the optical fiber to intersect the ink stream so that ink from the ink stream forms spaced apart marks on the outer surface of the optical fiber at the marking location.

22. The optical fiber marking apparatus according to claim 21 , wherein the fiber positioning device comprises a roller having a perimeter and at least one position adjustment feature at the perimeter.

23. The optical fiber marking apparatus according to claim 22 , wherein the roller comprises a circular roller having a circular perimeter, and wherein the at least one position adjustment feature comprises at least one protrusion.

24. The optical fiber marking apparatus according to claim 22 , wherein the roller comprises an eccentric roller having an eccentric perimeter portion that comprises the at least one position adjustment feature.

Assignees

• Corning Inc

Inventors

• Kaimal Aditya
• Nguyen Kelvin
• Keshavamurthy Krishna Prasad Ambuga

Classifications

• G02B6/4482 Primary

  Code or colour marking · CPC title

• B41J3/4073

  Printing on three-dimensional objects not being in sheet or web form, e.g. spherical or cubic objects (B41J3/283, B41J3/286 take precedence; building up a 3D object using individual droplets from jetting heads B29C64/112) · CPC title

• H01B13/345

  by spraying, ejecting or dispensing marking fluid · CPC title

• H01B13/341

  using marking wheels, discs, rollers, drums, balls or belts · CPC title