US PATENT SUBCLASS 65 / 385
.~ Process of manufacturing optical fibers, waveguides, or preforms thereof

Current as of: June, 1999
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65 /   HD   GLASS MANUFACTURING

376  DF  PROCESSES OF MANUFACTURING FIBERS, FILAMENTS, OR PREFORMS {18}
385.~ Process of manufacturing optical fibers, waveguides, or preforms thereof {29}
386  DF  .~.~> Planar waveguides
387  DF  .~.~> Forming lens integral with optical fiber
388  DF  .~.~> Nonoxygen halide glass (e.g., metal halide, etc.)
389  DF  .~.~> Nonoxygen chalcogenide glass containing
390  DF  .~.~> Scandium (Sc), yttrium (Y), or rare earth doped core or preform (i.e., atomic numbers 21, 39, 57-72)
391  DF  .~.~> Plasma utilized
392  DF  .~.~> Laser utilized
393  DF  .~.~> Hollow optical fibers or waveguides
394  DF  .~.~> Ion implantation
395  DF  .~.~> Sol-gel or liquid phase route utilized {1}
397  DF  .~.~> Fluorine doping {1}
399  DF  .~.~> Incorporating dopant into porous body
400  DF  .~.~> Ion exchange utilized
401  DF  .~.~> Extruding
402  DF  .~.~> Producing bent, crimped, twisted, textured, or curled optical fibers or waveguides
403  DF  .~.~> Producing noncircular optical fibers or waveguides (e.g., particular cross section, etc.)
404  DF  .~.~> With step of casting or forming nonfiber workpiece (e.g., molding liquid preform, shaping molten glass against a forming surface, etc.)
405  DF  .~.~> Utilizing multiple crucibles or multiple feed streams of molten glass
406  DF  .~.~> Joining or bonding optical fibers, waveguides, or preforms (e.g., coupling, etc.) {3}
413  DF  .~.~> With step of vapor deposition {4}
424  DF  .~.~> Inert, nonoxidizing, or reducing environment
425  DF  .~.~> Electromagnetic, magnetic, wave, or particulate energy utilized
426  DF  .~.~> Drying, dehydration, OH removal or prevention
427  DF  .~.~> Consolidating preform (e.g., sintering, etc.) {1}
429  DF  .~.~> With etching or leaching
430  DF  .~.~> With significant coating step {2}
433  DF  .~.~> With cutting or severing
434  DF  .~.~> With quench cooling (e.g., forced air or cryogenic immersion, etc.)
435  DF  .~.~> With fiber stretching, drawing, or pulling (e.g., from rod, etc.)

DEFINITION

Classification: 65/385

Process of manufacturing optical fibers, waveguides, or preforms thereof:

(under subclass 376) Processes directed to producing (a) fibers having light transmitting regions, (b) waveguides which transmit radiation (light) in the visible and near-visible portions of the spectrum, or (c) stock materials intended to be used in optical fiber or waveguide making.

(1) Note. Optical fibers are considered to be light transmitting waveguides, formed in a generally cylindrical form, often of extremely small diameter and of great length, which confine transmitted radiation therewithin by means of the principle of total reflection. Optical fibers are usually comprised of a central light transmitting core of relatively high refractive index, surrounded by a concentric cladding of relatively low refractive index.

(2) Note. An optical waveguide is considered to be a thin dielectric guide film of high refractive index formed adjacent to a substrate or support region of lower refractive index. The thin-film relies upon modal transmission to transmit light along its length.

SEE OR SEARCH THIS CLASS, SUBCLASS:

436, and below, for processes of manufacturing glass fibers, filaments, or preforms which are not optical.

SEE OR SEARCH CLASS

359, Optics: Systems (Including Communication) and Elements, appropriate subclasses, especially

227+, for elements controlling light movement through or in a path, 237+ for optical elements which vary the characteristics of a traversing optical light beam in proportion to an applied time varying signal. 385, Optical Waveguides, appropriate subclasses for optical fibers and optical waveguides, especially

15+, for optical waveguides in combination with interface elements which enable efficient transfer of light.