US3856494A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Light-conducting glass structures made by vaporization
Assignee: Nippon Selfoc Co Ltd
•
Filing: 1972-06-05
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Granted: 1974-12-24
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Expires: 1992-06-05
Abstract
Abstract A glass body containing a dissolved vaporizable component is heated under conditions whereby some of this component can vaporize off from the surface of the glass body to cause the concentration of the residual component dissolved in the glass body to vary with a continuous gradient toward the surface from the axis along which light is to advance through the glass body, whereby a light-conducting glass structure is produced wherein the refractive index thereof varies with a continuous gradient in directions transverse to the above mentioned axis.
Inventors
- 👤 I Kitano
- 👤 Y Ikeda
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 11:22
CPC Classifications
C; C03; C03C; C03C25/00; C03C25/002; C03B; C03B32/00; C03B37/00; C03B37/01; C03B37/02; C03B37/022; C03B37/023; C03C13/00; C03C13/04; C03C23/00; C03C3/00; C03C3/04; C03C3/076; C03C3/078; C03C3/102; C03C3/12; C03C3/16; C03B2201/00; C03B2201/06; C03B2201/20; C03B2203/00; C03B2203/10; C03B2203/22; G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/02; G02B6/028; G02B6/0281; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S501/00; Y10S501/90; Y10S501/901; Y10S501/903
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
183 words
A METHOD OF PRODUCING A LIGHT-CONDUCTING GLASS STRUCTURE HAVING A CENTER AXIS IN THE PRINCIPAL DIRECTION OF LIGHT CONDUCTION AND HAVING A REFRACTIVE INDEX GRADIENT WHICH DECREASES CONTINUOUSLY FROM THE CENTER AXIS TOWARD THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID STRUCTURE IN ANY CROSS-SECTION THEREOF PERPENDICULAR OF THE AXIS, WHICH COMPRISES; PREPARING A FIBER GLASS BODY CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A SUBSTANTIALLY HOMOGENEOUS MIXTURE OF GLASS AND WATER SAID WATER BEING DISSOLVED IN SAID BODY IN A UNIFORM CONCENTRATION THROUGHOUT AND SAID BODY THEREBY HAVING A UNIFORM REFRACTIVE INDEX THROUGHOUT AND HEATING SAID GLASS BODY FOR A PERIOD OF TIME SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE VAPORIZATION OF SAID WATER FROM THE SURFACE OF SAID GLASS BODY AND TO REDUCE THE CONCENTRATION TO SAID WATER NEAR THE SURFACE SUBSTANTIALLY MORE THAN THE CONCENTRATION OF SAID WATER IN THE DEEPER REGIONS OF SAID GLASS BODY, WHEREBY THE CONCENTRATION OF SAID WATER IN SAID GLASS BODY DECREASES CONTINUOUSLY TOWARD SAID SURFACE FROM THE CENTER AXIS OF THE BODY, THEREBY DUE TO THE VARYING CONCENTRATION OF WATER THE REFRACTIVE INDEX GRADIENT CONTINUOUSLY DECREASES IN THE BODY FROM SAID AXIS TOWARD THE SURFACE.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
183 words
A METHOD OF PRODUCING A LIGHT-CONDUCTING GLASS STRUCTURE HAVING A CENTER AXIS IN THE PRINCIPAL DIRECTION OF LIGHT CONDUCTION AND HAVING A REFRACTIVE INDEX GRADIENT WHICH DECREASES CONTINUOUSLY FROM THE CENTER AXIS TOWARD THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID STRUCTURE IN ANY CROSS-SECTION THEREOF PERPENDICULAR OF THE AXIS, WHICH COMPRISES; PREPARING A FIBER GLASS BODY CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A SUBSTANTIALLY HOMOGENEOUS MIXTURE OF GLASS AND WATER SAID WATER BEING DISSOLVED IN SAID BODY IN A UNIFORM CONCENTRATION THROUGHOUT AND SAID BODY THEREBY HAVING A UNIFORM REFRACTIVE INDEX THROUGHOUT AND HEATING SAID GLASS BODY FOR A PERIOD OF TIME SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE VAPORIZATION OF SAID WATER FROM THE SURFACE OF SAID GLASS BODY AND TO REDUCE THE CONCENTRATION TO SAID WATER NEAR THE SURFACE SUBSTANTIALLY MORE THAN THE CONCENTRATION OF SAID WATER IN THE DEEPER REGIONS OF SAID GLASS BODY, WHEREBY THE CONCENTRATION OF SAID WATER IN SAID GLASS BODY DECREASES CONTINUOUSLY TOWARD SAID SURFACE FROM THE CENTER AXIS OF THE BODY, THEREBY DUE TO THE VARYING CONCENTRATION OF WATER THE REFRACTIVE INDEX GRADIENT CONTINUOUSLY DECREASES IN THE BODY FROM SAID AXIS TOWARD THE SURFACE.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
51 words
A method of producing a light-conducting glass structure as claimed in claim 1 in which said glass is phosphate glass containing water, and said glass is prepared using phosphoric acid as one of the raw materials, wherein said water is deposited within the glass body by decomposition of said phosphoric acid.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
62 words
A method of producing a light-conducting glass structure as claimed in claim 1 in which said step of preparing the fiber glass body comprises maintaining a mass of molten glass in an atmosphere of said component under pressure thereby causing the component to dissolve into the mass of molten glass and thereafter forming the mass of glass thus treated into a fiber.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
67 words
A method of producing a light-conducting glass structure as claimed in claim 1 in which said refractive index substantially satisfies the equation n no(1 - ar2), wherein r is a radial distance from said center axis, no is the refractive index of the glass fiber at said center axis, n is the refractive index of the glass fiber at said distance r, and ais a positive constant.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method of producing a light-conducting glass structure as claimed in claim 4 in which said positive constant a is from 2 X 10 4mm. 2 to 2 X 102mm.2 when said r is expressed in terms of millimeter(mm.).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method according to claim 1 in which said heating is carried out below atmospheric pressure.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method according to claim 1 in whIch said heating is carried out in an atmosphere having a low partial pressure of water.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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US3298811A
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-12-23 | 1978-06-24 | 1978-12-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-12-23 | 1982-06-24 | 1982-12-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-12-23 | 1986-06-24 | 1986-12-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |