IP Library Granted Patent US 10,981,257
Granted Patent B2
US 10,981,257 · App. 16/803,471 · Granted Apr 20, 2021

Optical fiber polisher with ramping features

Inventors: Jill B. Christie (St. Charles, MN); Dennis J. Anderson (Zumbro Falls, MN); John P. Hagen (Plainview, MN); Gregory A. Schumacher (Plainview, MN); Dean A. Krueger (Dodge Center, MN); Timothy E. Kanne (Rochester, MN)
Assignee: Domaille Engineering, LLC
B24B19/226B24B51/00G02B6/3863
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,981,257
App. No.
16/803,471
Granted
Apr 20, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

An optical fiber polisher includes a polishing mechanism, a platen, and a memory for storing operational parameters entered by a user. The optical fiber polisher includes a processor to control a pressure applied by the polishing mechanism and a rotational speed of the platen, including causing a ramping down of at least one of the pressure and the rotational speed based on the operational parameters.

Claims (27)

1. An optical fiber polisher, comprising:

a polishing mechanism;

a platen;

a memory for storing operational parameters entered by a user; and

a processor to control a pressure applied by the polishing mechanism and a rotational speed of the platen, including causing a ramping down of at least one of the pressure and the rotational speed based on the operational parameters.

2. The optical fiber polisher of claim 1 , wherein the processor causes a ramping down of the pressure based on the operational parameters.

3. The optical fiber polisher of claim 1 , wherein the processor causes a ramping down of the rotational speed based on the operational parameters.

4. The optical fiber polisher of claim 1 , wherein the processor causes a ramping down of both the pressure and the rotational speed based on the operational parameters.

5. The optical fiber polisher of claim 4 , wherein the operational parameters include a speed ramp down time, and wherein the processor causes the ramping down of the rotational speed over a time period defined by the speed ramp down time.

6. The optical fiber polisher of claim 4 , wherein the operational parameters include a pressure ramp down time, and wherein the processor causes the ramping down of the pressure over a time period defined by the pressure ramp down time.

7. The optical fiber polisher of claim 4 , wherein the operational parameters include a delay parameter, and wherein the processor causes an ending of the ramping down of the rotational speed to occur later in time than an ending of the ramping down of the pressure based on the delay parameter.

8. The optical fiber polisher of claim 1 , wherein the processor causes a ramping up of the pressure and the rotational speed based on the operational parameters.

9. The optical fiber polisher of claim 8 , wherein the operational parameters include a delay parameter, and wherein the processor causes a beginning of the ramping up of the pressure to occur later in time than a beginning of the ramping up of the rotational speed based on the delay parameter.

10. The optical fiber polisher of claim 1 , wherein the operational parameters include a rotational motion direction parameter, and wherein the processor controls a rotational motion direction of the platen based on the rotational motion direction parameter.

11. The optical fiber polisher of claim 1 , wherein the optical fiber polisher is configured to perform a polishing process in a plurality of polishing steps, and wherein each of the polishing steps includes a set of operational parameters that may vary from operational parameters of other ones of the polishing steps.

12. The optical fiber polisher of claim 11 , wherein the set of operational parameters for each of the polishing steps includes a rotational motion direction parameter, and wherein the processor selects, for each of the polishing steps, either a clockwise rotation or a counterclockwise rotation of the platen based on the rotational motion direction parameter for that polishing step.

13. The optical fiber polisher of claim 11 , wherein the set of operational parameters for at least a subset of the polishing steps includes an auto start parameter indicating whether that polishing step should start automatically upon completion of an immediately preceding polishing step.

14. A method, comprising:

storing, in a memory, operational parameters entered by a user; and

controlling, with a processor, a pressure applied by a polishing mechanism of an optical fiber polisher and a rotational speed of a platen of the optical fiber polisher, including causing a ramping down of at least one of the pressure and the rotational speed based on the operational parameters.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the operational parameters include a speed ramp down time, and wherein the method further comprises:

causing, with the processor, the ramping down of the rotational speed over a time period defined by the speed ramp down time.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the operational parameters include a pressure ramp down time, and wherein the method further comprises:

causing, with the processor, the ramping down of the pressure over a time period defined by the pressure ramp down time.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the operational parameters include a rotational motion direction parameter, and wherein the method further comprises:

controlling, with the processor, a rotational motion direction of the platen based on the rotational motion direction parameter.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the optical fiber polisher is configured to perform a polishing process in a plurality of polishing steps, and wherein each of the polishing steps includes a set of operational parameters that may vary from operational parameters of other ones of the polishing steps, and wherein the set of operational parameters for at least a subset of the polishing steps includes an auto start parameter indicating whether that polishing step should start automatically upon completion of an immediately preceding polishing step.

Assignments (4)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 24, 2025
From: ALLY BANK, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DOMAILLE ENGINEERING, LLC
Reel/Frame 072355/0130 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 23, 2025
From: DOMAILLE ENGINEERING, LLC
To: STELLUS CAPITAL INVESTMENT CORPORATION, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 072342/0612 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 1, 2021
From: DOMAILLE ENGINEERING, LLC; TECH MANUFACTURING, LLC; ADDMAN ENGINEERING, LLC
To: ALLY BANK, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 058293/0252 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 27, 2020
From: CHRISTIE, JILL B.; ANDERSON, DENNIS J.; HAGEN, JOHN P.; SCHUMACHER, GREGORY A.; KRUEGER, DEAN A.; KANNE, TIMOTHY E.
To: DOMAILLE ENGINEERING, LLC
Reel/Frame 051954/0136 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62812661 · Mar 1, 2019
Related Publication 20200278500A1 · Sep 3, 2020
Cited By (1)
US 12,271,039