US 11,840,473 B2
Translating fluid bearings during an optical fiber draw process
Steven Joseph Gregorski, Painted Post, NY (US); Kenneth Spencer Morgan, Painted Post, NY (US); Richard Alan Quinn, Horseheads, NY (US); Bradley Kent Shepard, Wilmington, NC (US); John Christopher Thomas, Elmira, NY (US); and David Andrew Tucker, Wilmington, NC (US)
Assigned to Corning Incorporated, Corning, NY (US)
Filed by CORNING INCORPORATED, Corning, NY (US)
Filed on Aug. 25, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/411,148.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/075,983, filed on Sep. 9, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 2026551 (NL), filed on Sep. 28, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0073408 A1, Mar. 10, 2022
Int. Cl. C03B 37/03 (2006.01); B29D 11/00 (2006.01); C03B 37/025 (2006.01); C03B 37/027 (2006.01); B29L 11/00 (2006.01)
CPC C03B 37/032 (2013.01) [B29D 11/00721 (2013.01); C03B 37/0253 (2013.01); C03B 37/02718 (2013.01); B29L 2011/0075 (2013.01); C03B 2205/56 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of manufacturing an optical fiber, the method comprising:
drawing a bare optical fiber from an optical fiber preform along a draw pathway;
during the drawing step, moving a first fluid bearing from a first position of the first fluid bearing to a second position of the first fluid bearing,
the first position of the first fluid bearing being removed from the draw pathway and the second position of the first fluid bearing being disposed in the draw pathway such that the movement of the first fluid bearing to the second position of the first fluid bearing causes at least a first portion of the draw pathway to change direction; and
during the drawing step, moving a second fluid bearing from a first position of the second fluid bearing to a second position of the second fluid bearing,
the first position of the second fluid bearing being removed from the draw pathway and the second position of the second fluid bearing being disposed in the draw pathway such that the movement of the second fluid bearing to the second position of the second fluid bearing causes at least a second portion of the draw pathway to change direction,
wherein the second fluid bearing is moved to the second position of the second fluid bearing after the first fluid bearing moves to the second position of the first fluid bearing.