Patent ID: 6272886
Filing Date: 2001-08-14
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
A continuous process of manufacturing a plurality of optical fiber Bragg gratings, which comprises the following steps:(a) pulling a continuous length of a coated optical fiber having a thermally removable coating into an apparatus comprising a coating removal station, a grating writing station and a recoating station sequentially arranged in a process line;(b) advancing the continuous length of the coated optical fiber through the apparatus until a first section of the coated optical fiber is in the coating removal station and exposing the first section to a heated gaseous stream to remove the thermally removable coating therefrom;(c) advancing the optical fiber through the apparatus until the first section is in the grating writing station and a second section is in the coating removal station, wherein(i) in the grating writing station, gripping a first end of the first section and a second end of the first section to immobilize the first section, and directing optical radiation into the optical fiber and writing at least one Bragg grating in the first section, and,(ii) in the coating removal station, exposing the second section to a heated gaseous stream to remove the thermally removable coating therefrom;(d) advancing the optical fiber through the apparatus until the first section is in the recoating station, the second section is in the grating writing station, and a third section is in the coating removal station, wherein(i) in the recoating station, recoating the first section with a second coating different from the thermally removable coating, and(ii) in the grating writing station, gripping a first end of the second section and a second end of the second section to immobilize the second section, and directing optical radiation into the optical fiber and writing at least one Bragg grating in the second section, and,(iii) in the coating removal station, exposing the third section to a heated gaseous stream to remove the thermally removable coating therefrom; and(e) continuously advancing the optical fiber through the apparatus until a desired number of Bragg gratings are written in the optical fiber.