Patent ID: 7963124

Claim:
A method for producing an optical fiber, said method comprising: drawing a bare optical fiber from a preform along a first pathway at a draw speed of at least 20 m/sec; contacting said bare optical fiber with a region of fluid cushion in a fluid bearing and redirecting said bare optical fiber along a second pathway as said bare optical fiber is drawn across said region of fluid cushion; coating the bare optical fiber; irradiating said coated fiber in at least one irradiation zone to at least partially cure said coating, while subjecting the optical fiber to UV light, wherein said irradiation zone has a total length L, and wherein L is at least 1.5 meters; and wherein the step of drawing the fiber occurs along a first pathway and the method further comprises: contacting the bare optical fiber with a region of fluid in a fluid bearing, said fluid bearing comprising a channel, said channel defined by two sidewalls, the fiber being retained between said two sidewalls during said drawing step, said two sidewalls defining an inlet below said fiber, said fiber positioned a distance one or more fiber diameters from said inlet, causing said fiber to be levitated within the channel substantially as a result of a pressure differential which is present below the fiber within the channel, said pressure differential caused by a higher pressure caused by said fluid being supplied below the fiber within the channel compared to the pressure which is present above the fiber, and redirecting the fiber along a second pathway as said bare optical fiber is drawn across said region of fluid cushion.