A wire-drawing optical fiber base material manufacturing method of heating an optical fiber base material by a heater and forming a drawing shape portion at an end portion. The manufacturing method includes: forming, by a flow-regulating member disposed adjacent to the heater, a gas flow such that formation, along a surface of the optical fiber base material, of a flow of a gas containing a Si compound generated from the optical fiber base material heated by the heater is inhibited; and forming, while maintaining the gas flow, the drawing shape portion by pulling part of the optical fiber base material softened by being heated by the heater.

A radiation pumped heater includes a ceramic substrate which is heated by a laser beam to a steady state temperature. An optical fiber is heated by conduction and radiation emitted from the ceramic substrate.

A radiation pumped heater includes a ceramic substrate which is heated by a laser beam to a steady state temperature. An optical fiber is heated by conduction and radiation emitted from the ceramic substrate.

A variable seal for shielding from contaminants both an object to be heated in, and the heating element of, a high-temperature furnace. The seal has a first support ring and a second support ring separated by a distance. One or more components control the distance between the two support rings. A high-temperature fabric cylinder is attached to the support rings, is located where the object enters or exits the furnace, and surrounds at least a portion of the object. A mechanism engages the approximate center of the fabric cylinder to close the fabric cylinder as the one or more components decrease the distance between the two support rings and to open the fabric cylinder as the one or more components increase the distance between the two support rings, whereby the fabric cylinder continuously contacts the circumference of the object regardless of the diameter of the object.

A variable seal for shielding from contaminants both an object to be heated in, and the heating element of, a high-temperature furnace. The seal has a first support ring and a second support ring separated by a distance. One or more components control the distance between the two support rings. A high-temperature fabric cylinder is attached to the support rings, is located where the object enters or exits the furnace, and surrounds at least a portion of the object. A mechanism engages the approximate center of the fabric cylinder to close the fabric cylinder as the one or more components decrease the distance between the two support rings and to open the fabric cylinder as the one or more components increase the distance between the two support rings, whereby the fabric cylinder continuously contacts the circumference of the object regardless of the diameter of the object.

A system for precoating a preform for drawing optical fiber including a diameter sensor to determine a diameter of pulled optical fiber, a cooling system to cool the optical fiber once it is pulled from a furnace, a coating system to apply a coating to the optical fiber once it has cooled and an ultra-violet lamp to cure the coating.

A system for precoating a preform for drawing optical fiber including a diameter sensor to determine a diameter of pulled optical fiber, a cooling system to cool the optical fiber once it is pulled from a furnace, a coating system to apply a coating to the optical fiber once it has cooled and an ultra-violet lamp to cure the coating.

A wire-drawing optical fiber base material manufacturing method of heating an optical fiber base material by a heater and forming a drawing shape portion at an end portion. The manufacturing method includes: forming, by a flow-regulating member disposed adjacent to the heater, a gas flow such that formation, along a surface of the optical fiber base material, of a flow of a gas containing a Si compound generated from the optical fiber base material heated by the heater is inhibited; and forming, while maintaining the gas flow, the drawing shape portion by pulling part of the optical fiber base material softened by being heated by the heater.

A wire-drawing optical fiber base material manufacturing method of heating an optical fiber base material by a heater and forming a drawing shape portion at an end portion. The manufacturing method includes: forming, by a flow-regulating member disposed adjacent to the heater, a gas flow such that formation, along a surface of the optical fiber base material, of a flow of a gas containing a Si compound generated from the optical fiber base material heated by the heater is inhibited; and forming, while maintaining the gas flow, the drawing shape portion by pulling part of the optical fiber base material softened by being heated by the heater.

A system and method for processing an optical fiber includes a treatment device disposed downstream of a furnace and including a treating zone. The treating zone includes a fiber inlet and fiber outlet and is configured to cool the optical fiber at a reduced pressure below ambient pressure and at a slow cooling rate less than an ambient cooling rate. A nozzle assembly is disposed at one or more of the fiber inlet, the fiber outlet, upstream of the treating zone, and downstream of the treating zone. The nozzle assembly includes multiple baffle plates defining a number of nozzle chambers, each nozzle chamber having a nozzle chamber pressure, wherein each baffle plate includes an orifice having a predetermined effective orifice diameter through which the optical fiber passes. Each nozzle chamber is configured to sequentially change a nozzle chamber pressure between the reduced pressure and ambient pressure.