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(11)

EP 3 523 686 A1

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(43) Date of publication: 14.08.2019 Bulletin 2019/33 (21) Application number: 17860540.8 (22) Date of filing: 05.10.2017

(51) International Patent Classification (IPC):  G02B 6/245(2006.01) G02B 6/036(2006.01) G02B 6/02(2006.01) G02B 6/04(2006.01) (86) International application number: PCT/US2017/055257 (87) International publication number: WO 2018/071259 (19.04.2018 Gazette 2018/16)

(84) Designated Contracting States: AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR Designated Extension States: BA ME Designated Validation States: MA MD (30) Priority: 10.10.2016 US 201615289943 (71) Applicant: Corning Optical Communications LLC Hickory, NC 28601 (US)

(72) Inventors: BLAZER, Bradley Jerome Granite Falls, North Carolina 28630 (US) BURNS, Rodney Maurice Conover, North Carolina 28613 (US) DEWELL, James Garrett Union Grove, North Carolina 28689 (US) GREENWOOD, III, Julian Latelle Hickory, North Carolina 28602 (US) GREER, Keith Aaron Morganton, North Carolina 28655 (US) MCALPINE, Warren Welborn Hickory, North Carolina 28601 (US) (74) Representative: Epping - Hermann - Fischer  Patentanwaltsgesellschaft mbH Schloßschmidstraße 5 80639 München 80639 München (DE)