Optical Preform Horizontal Lathe Chucking for Thermal Expansion Relief

The patent applies thermal expansion principle by designing the chuck jaw from a material with a higher thermal expansion coefficient than the target rod material. As the target rod heats up during deposition, it expands axially, and the chuck jaw expands more, creating a clearance that allows the target rod to expand freely without generating lateral forces that would cause whirling or warping. This resolves the contradiction by accommodating thermal expansion to maintain manufacturing precision while preserving productivity.

The patent changes the material parameter (thermal expansion coefficient) of the chuck jaw to be higher than that of the target rod. This parameter change allows the chuck jaw to expand more than the target rod during heating, creating axial clearance that prevents lateral displacement. This resolves the technical contradiction by modifying material parameters to eliminate thermal expansion-induced precision errors while maintaining high-speed horizontal rotation for productivity.

The patent utilizes thermal expansion by selecting a chuck jaw material with a higher thermal expansion coefficient than the target rod. During heating, the chuck jaw expands more axially, creating clearance that allows the target rod to expand freely. This converts the harmful thermal expansion force into a beneficial clearance mechanism, preventing whirling and warping while maintaining position stability through the elastic member's controlled flexibility.

The elastic member acts as an intermediary between the chuck jaw and the target rod. It provides controlled flexibility that allows axial movement to accommodate thermal expansion while maintaining sufficient holding force to prevent excessive movement. This intermediary element balances the contradiction by mediating between firm holding for precision and flexibility to release thermal expansion forces.

The patent selects a chuck jaw material with high thermal expansion coefficient to reduce thermal expansion forces on the target rod. The high expansion creates axial clearance that prevents lateral forces. The holding force is maintained through the elastic member's mechanical properties and the normal clamping pressure, separating the thermal expansion function from the holding function to resolve this contradiction.

The chuck jaw is segmented into different functional zones: the contact surface that expands axially to reduce thermal forces, and the structural body that maintains holding force through the elastic member mechanism. This segmentation allows different parts of the chuck jaw to fulfill different functions - one for thermal expansion accommodation and another for mechanical holding.