A fiber stack array profiling tool

Abstract

The application provides a fiber stacking array profiling tool, which is provided with a profiling groove meeting the minimum allowable radius requirement of the fiber on a substrate according to the required arrangement direction of the fiber, so as to fix the stacked and arranged fiber in the concave profiling groove, and the arrangement direction of the fiber is constrained by the substrate and the profiling groove structure. The profiling tool provided by the application integrates the profiling, bending and stacking functions of the fiber, and can solve the problem of multi-process separation in the fiber assembly process. The application further provides a bending groove and a dispensing groove on the profiling groove, which are matched with the bending and branch structure of the fiber, can release the stress of the bending part of the fiber, and effectively ensure the consistency of the bending structure of the fiber. The application is suitable for mass production of dense fiber devices, and can effectively improve the stacking efficiency of the fiber.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of optical fiber communication technology, and in particular to a conformal tooling for optical fiber stacking arrays. Background Technology

[0002] In existing multi-channel fiber arrays, increasing the number of fibers can lead to a disordered fiber structure arrangement, which is prone to cross-entanglement, thereby increasing transmission loss, reducing signal strength, or introducing polarization mode dispersion (PMD), resulting in signal distortion, increasing nonlinear effects, and causing interference to communication signals.

[0003] Furthermore, existing fiber optic deployment methods cannot accurately limit the bending shape of the fibers, thus existing fiber optic arrays are prone to additional losses due to insufficient control over the bending radius. Existing positioning technologies typically rely on manual alignment and stacking, which is inefficient and inaccurate. In particular, the consistency of bending radius control achieved through manual operation is difficult to guarantee.

[0004] In addition, existing fiber positioning structures inevitably cause uneven interlayer pressure during fiber stacking, leading to fiber microbending or end-face misalignment.

[0005] While existing technologies can solve the problem of inconsistent wiring through V-grooves, they are only applicable to single-layer fiber optic arrangements and cannot actually meet market demands. Utility Model Content

[0006] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the purpose of this application is to provide a fiber optic stacking array contouring fixture. This application is applicable to the fiber arrangement and stacking contouring process of high-density fiber optic arrays (such as FA, 2DFA, 90-degree FA), and can achieve highly consistent fiber arrangement and stacking contouring positioning through a dedicated fixture.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the fiber stacking array conforming fixture provided in this application includes: a substrate; a conforming groove recessed on the surface of the substrate, with an elongated groove arranged along the fiber arrangement direction; and a sheath fitted around the outer periphery of the stacked fiber and embedded and fixed in the conforming groove; wherein the bending radius of the conforming groove is not less than the minimum allowable radius of the fiber.

[0008] Optionally, in the fiber stacking array conforming fixture described above, the conforming groove is formed by extending the bending groove outward from the bending section of the fiber; the bending groove is a fan-shaped groove arranged along the bending direction of the fiber, the width of the fan-shaped groove is greater than the width of the bending groove, and the depth of the fan-shaped groove is greater than the depth of the bending groove; the stacked fibers are bent and fixed with adhesive in the bending groove.

[0009] Optionally, in the fiber stacking array conforming fixture described above, the conforming groove extends outward at the branching position of the fiber to form a dispensing groove, and a branch guiding structure is provided between the starting point of the fiber branch and the dispensing groove; the branch guiding structure is a wedge-shaped block with a height close to the depth of the conforming groove, and the branches of the fiber are respectively arranged in the conforming groove along the two side walls of the wedge; the width of the dispensing groove is greater than the distance between the two sides of the fiber branch, and the depth of the dispensing groove is greater than the depth of the conforming groove on either side; the branches of the stacked fiber are separated from each other and fixed with adhesive in the dispensing groove.

[0010] Optionally, in any of the above-described fiber stacking array conforming fixtures, the conforming groove is further extended outward to form a sheath embedding groove at the front and back of the straight section of the fiber, the bending groove, and the dispensing groove; the width of the sheath embedding groove is greater than the width of the conforming groove, and the depth of the sheath embedding groove is greater than the depth of the conforming groove; the sheath is embedded in the sheath embedding groove to fix the fiber.

[0011] Optionally, in the fiber stacking array conformal tooling described above, the width of the sheath embedding groove does not exceed the width of the sheath, and the depth of the sheath embedding groove is close to the height of the sheath; the stacked fiber layers are aligned or staggered, and elastic pads are provided between the fiber layers.

[0012] Optionally, as described in any of the above fiber stacking array contouring fixtures, the sheath is an internally through hollow cuboid structure with sheath connection ports on both sides for fiber optic cables to enter. In the installed state, the stacked fiber optic cables enter the sheath through the sheath connection ports and are bound by the sheath, remaining within the sheath embedding groove and contouring groove.

[0013] Optionally, in the fiber stacking array conformal tooling described above, the sheath further contracts inward at the center of its through hole to form a sheath clamping part; in the sheath, the sidewall thickness of the sheath clamping part is greater than the sidewall thickness of the sheath connection port, and the inner sidewall of the sheath clamping part abuts against the periphery of the stacked fiber structure.

[0014] Optionally, in any of the fiber stacking array conformal fixtures described above, the depth difference between the bottom of the sheath embedding groove and the bottom of the conformal groove is not less than the sidewall thickness of the sheath clamping part.

[0015] Optionally, in the fiber stacking array conforming fixture described above, a positioning protrusion extending upward parallel to the opening direction of the conforming groove is provided on the outer side of the conforming groove on the substrate. The opening of the conforming groove is at least partially closed by a pressure plate inserted and fixed on the positioning protrusion, and the bottom surface of the pressure plate is pressed and fixed on the top surface of the stacked fiber structure to restrict the fiber structure from detaching from the conforming groove.

[0016] Optionally, the fiber stacking array conformal tooling as described above, wherein the substrate is a polymer material, the positioning protrusion is a spring screw, and the sheath is made of silicone.

[0017] Compared with existing solutions, this application has the following technical advantages: This application provides a fiber optic stacking array conforming fixture, which has conforming grooves on the substrate according to the required fiber arrangement direction, conforming to the minimum allowable radius requirement of the fiber. This allows the stacked fibers to be pressed and fixed within the recessed conforming grooves, using the substrate and conforming groove structure to constrain the fiber arrangement direction. The fixture provided in this application integrates fiber conforming, bending, and stacking functions, solving the problem of multiple process separation during fiber optic assembly. This application also includes bending grooves and dispensing grooves on the conforming grooves to accommodate fiber bending and branching structures, enabling stress relief at the fiber bending points and effectively ensuring the consistency of the fiber bending structure. This application is suitable for mass production of dense fiber optic devices and can effectively improve fiber stacking efficiency.

[0018] Other features and advantages of this application will be set forth in the following description, and will be apparent in part from the description, or may be learned by practicing this application. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the present application and form part of the specification. Together with the embodiments of the present application, they serve to explain the present application but do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings: Figure 1 The optical fiber bending branch contour structure according to this application; Figure 2 The optical fiber bending contour structure according to this application; Figure 3 Positioning cover plate used in fiber optic bending branch conformal structure; Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the sheath structure used in the above-mentioned contouring structure; Figure 5 This is a fiber optic straight branch contour structure according to this application.

[0020] In the figure, 1 represents the substrate; 2 represents the sheath; 21 represents the sheath connection port; 22 represents the sheath clamping part; 3 represents the sheath embedding groove; 4 represents the contouring groove; 5 represents the dispensing groove; 6 represents the branch guide structure; 7 represents the bending groove; 8 represents the optical fiber; 9 represents the pressure plate; and 10 represents the positioning protrusion. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The preferred embodiments of this application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the preferred embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit this application.

[0022] The meaning of "and / or" as used in this application includes situations where each exists alone or both exist simultaneously.

[0023] In this application, "inner" and "outer" refer to directions pointing towards the central axis of the molding groove relative to the molding groove itself, with the direction pointing away from it being "inner" and the direction pointing away from it being "outer," rather than being a specific limitation on the device mechanism of this application.

[0024] The terms "upper" and "lower" as used in this application refer to the direction from the bottom of the substrate to the opening of the contour groove when the user is facing the substrate, which is considered "upper" and vice versa, and are not a specific limitation on the device mechanism of this application.

[0025] The term "connection" as used in this application can mean a direct connection between components or an indirect connection between components through other components.

[0026] The fiber optic stacking array conformal fixture provided in this application mainly consists of a layered guiding module and a stacking alignment module. The layered guiding module includes, for example: Figure 1 Shown: The substrate 1 can be made of polymer materials (such as POM, PEEK) by CNC machining. In order to achieve the positioning of the optical fiber arrangement, this application has multiple sets of contour grooves on the substrate. The aforementioned contouring groove 4 is recessed on the surface of the substrate 1 and arranged as a long strip groove structure along the fiber arrangement direction. In order to meet the wiring requirements of the fiber, in this application, the groove structure of the contouring groove 4 can generally be set to include a corresponding straight section and a gradually curved section that matches the bending direction of the fiber, according to the fiber routing direction. To ensure stable cabling after the optical fibers are stacked and arranged, and to prevent interference such as the optical fibers tangling with each other, this application further provides several sheaths 2 around the stacked optical fibers 8. The sheath 2, together with the stacked and fixed optical fiber, is embedded and fixed in the groove structure of the contour groove 4.

[0027] Therefore, this application can set the bending radius of the contour groove 4 to be no less than the minimum allowable radius of the optical fiber (e.g., 5mm) based on the minimum allowable radius index of the optical fiber. In this way, by designing the curvature of the bending section, the excessive bending of the optical fiber can be avoided, which would affect the propagation mode of the optical signal inside the optical fiber, thereby minimizing the interference of the optical signal in the optical fiber.

[0028] To facilitate fiber optic installation and avoid excessive compression of the fiber optic cable by the sidewalls of the groove, this application generally sets the width of the conformal groove 4 to be slightly larger than the size of the superimposed fiber diameter, and customizes the radius of curvature of the curved section of the conformal groove 4 according to the fiber optic cable specifications.

[0029] refer to Figure 2 In a preferred implementation, this application further innovates the bending molding process of the molding groove 4: In the fiber stacking array contouring fixture, the contouring groove 4 can be expanded outward at the bending section of the fiber to form a concave bending groove 7 with a fan-shaped bottom surface. The fan-shaped groove is arranged along the bending direction of the optical fiber. The width of the fan-shaped groove is greater than the width of the bending groove 7, and the depth of the fan-shaped groove is greater than the depth of the bending groove 7. Therefore, after the optical fiber is embedded along the bending groove of the tooling, the pre-formed guide wire can be fixed by the groove itself. At this time, the stacked optical fibers are bent in the bending groove 7 with a curvature not less than the minimum allowable radius of the optical fiber and fixed by adhesive.

[0030] During fiber optic deployment, the fiber can be first inserted into the groove of the straight section. The sheath 2 in the groove stabilizes the stacked fiber structure, allowing each layer and each fiber to transition naturally along the curved groove without tangling. Therefore, this application allows for fixing the fiber with adhesive at both ends, achieving the shaping effect of embedding the fiber into the conformal groove.

[0031] against Figure 3 In the case shown, where a bundle of optical fibers needs to be split into two or more paths for transmission, this application can design the bending arc of the profile groove 4 at the branch position according to the minimum allowable radius of the optical fiber, and expand the profile groove 4 at the branch position of the optical fiber to form a corresponding dispensing groove 5, and set one or more branch guiding structures 6 between the bending start point of the optical fiber branch and the dispensing groove 5. The branch guiding structure 6 is a wedge-shaped block with a height close to the depth of the contour groove 4. Its bottom is flush with the bottom of the contour groove 4, and its height is close to the groove opening height of the contour groove 4. Thus, each branch of the optical fiber can be arranged in the contour groove 4 along the two side walls of the wedge, and the branch guiding structure 6 of the wedge shape can be used to realize the splitting and splitting of the optical fiber.

[0032] The width of the dispensing groove 5 can generally be set to be greater than the distance between the two sides of the optical fiber branch, and the depth of the dispensing groove 5 can be referenced to the depth of the fan-shaped groove, and set to be greater than the depth of the contour groove 4 on any side. Thus, after the stacked optical fibers are split through the wedge-shaped branch guide structure 6, each branch can be separated from each other in the dispensing groove 5 and fixed by dispensing.

[0033] To prevent the stacked optical fibers from misaligning at the bending position due to uneven stress, and to further ensure that the relative positions of the optical fibers arranged in each layer do not intersect, this application also preferably expands the sidewall of the conforming groove 4 at the position corresponding to the middle of the straight section of the optical fiber, the front and back of the bending groove 7, and the front and back of the dispensing groove 5, respectively, to form a sheath embedding groove 3 that matches the size of the outer wall of the sheath 2. The width of the sheath embedding groove 3 can be slightly larger than the width of the contour groove 4, and the depth of the sheath embedding groove 3 generally needs to be increased so that its bottom is deeper than the bottom depth of the contour groove 4. Therefore, after the optical fibers are positioned sequentially in the tooling groove, they can be inserted into the fixing sleeves at each position in sequence. The sheath 2, which is embedded in the sheath embedding groove 3, fixes the optical fiber bundle, avoiding uneven force between the optical fibers and causing positional twisting between them, which would cause unnecessary transmission interference to the internal optical signal.

[0034] To prevent the optical fiber inside the sheath from bending in the direction perpendicular to the groove height, this application can further set the width of the sheath embedding groove 3 of the tooling to not exceed the width of the sheath 2, and correspondingly set the depth of the sheath embedding groove 3 to be close to the height of the sheath 2; the stacked optical fibers can be arbitrarily arranged in an aligned or staggered manner, and only the addition of corresponding elastic pads between adjacent layers of optical fibers is needed to achieve vertical support between the optical fibers, avoiding unnecessary bending or stress. This buffer layer can add elastic pads made of silicone between the stacked layers to absorb mechanical stress.

[0035] Reference Figure 4 As shown in this application, the sheath 2 can specifically be configured as a hollow cuboid structure with internal penetration, and sheath connection ports 21 for optical fibers to enter on both sides. In the installed state, the stacked optical fibers 8 enter the sheath 2 through the sheath connection port 21 on one side and are bound by the sheath 2, and exit the sheath 2 through the sheath connection port 21 on the other side. The sheath 2 and the stacked optical fibers bound inside it are restricted and held within the sheath embedding groove 3 and the contour groove 4. The side wall structure of the groove body provides guidance and protects the optical fibers, reducing stress deformation caused by external interference.

[0036] To improve the stability of the sheath when holding each layer of optical fiber, the sheath 2 in this application may be further provided with an inwardly tapering structure in the middle of its through hole, forming a sheath clamping part 22 through the thickened sheath sidewall; In the sheath 2, the sidewall thickness of the sheath clamping part 22 is greater than the sidewall thickness of the sheath connection port 21. As a result, after the optical fiber enters the sheath clamping part 22 through the sheath connection port 21, it can abut against the surrounding area of ​​the stacked optical fiber 8 structure through the inner sidewall of the clamping part, thus restricting the spread or rotation of the optical fiber structure.

[0037] To accommodate the thickened sidewalls of the sheath clamping part 22, this application can further set the depth difference between the bottom of the sheath embedding groove 3 and the bottom of the contour groove 4 to be no less than the sidewall thickness of the sheath clamping part 22. Thus, the thickened sidewalls of the sheath clamping part 22 are compensated for by the depth of the bottom of the sheath embedding groove 3, thereby ensuring that the optical fiber inside remains at the same height, thus reducing the bending of the optical fiber in the vertical direction.

[0038] In other implementations, for example, refer to Figure 5 The fiber array profiling fixture shown can be configured to include: A substrate with a contouring groove, wherein the contouring groove is continuously composed of straight sections and curved sections; A detachable pressure plate secures the optical fiber via a pressure adjustment mechanism; And the side positioning holes used to fix the pressure plate.

[0039] This structure, on the aforementioned substrate 1, further includes a positioning protrusion 10 extending upward parallel to the opening direction of the contour groove 4 on the outer side of the contour groove 4. Thus, a pressure plate can be inserted into the positioning protrusion 10, allowing the opening of the contour groove 4 to be at least partially closed by the pressure plate 9, which is inserted and fixed to the positioning protrusion 10. Consequently, the bottom surface of the pressure plate 9 can be pressed down and fixed onto the top surface of the fiber optic 8 structure stacked in the contour groove 4, thereby preventing the fiber optic structure from directly detaching from the contour groove 4 in a swaying working environment.

[0040] The resulting stack alignment module can: Precision positioning pin holes are provided on the side of the tooling to ensure that the slots of the upper and lower layers are aligned when stacking multiple layers. A removable pressure plate is configured on the top of the substrate, and the positioning protrusion 10, which is implemented by means of spring screws, adjusts the pressure on the substrate and the optical fiber in the groove to avoid damaging the optical fiber. The substrate 1 in this structure can be flexibly selected from appropriate polymer materials according to the requirements of fixing strength and working environment, and the sheath 2 can be made of silicone to provide further buffer for the optical fiber inside.

[0041] The advantages of this application are: Dynamic bending control can be achieved by releasing the pre-shaped stress of the optical fiber through the conformal groove and then fixing it with glue. The fiber optic structure can be fixed by layer-by-layer stacking through the constraint of the positioning sleeve, and glue can be added in the tooling for fixation and buffering. This application allows for flexible slotting according to the needs of optical fiber cabling, enabling bending and branching of optical fibers, dispersing the stress on the optical fibers, and through a simple assembly method, it can not only effectively maintain the cabling shape of the optical fibers, but also ensure that each bundle of optical fibers does not interfere with each other, reducing the impact of integrated cabling on optical signal transmission.

[0042] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the above descriptions are merely preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A fiber optic stacked array contouring fixture, characterized in that, include: substrate(1); The contour groove (4) is recessed on the surface of the substrate (1) and has a long groove arranged along the direction of the fiber arrangement. Sheath (2) is fitted around the outer periphery of the stacked optical fibers (8) and is embedded and fixed in the contour groove (4); The bending radius of the contour groove (4) is not less than the minimum allowable radius of the optical fiber.

2. The fiber stacking array contouring fixture as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The contour groove (4) is formed by extending the bending groove (7) outward from the bending section of the optical fiber. The bending groove (7) is a fan-shaped groove arranged along the bending direction of the optical fiber. The width of the fan-shaped groove is greater than the width of the bending groove (7), and the depth of the fan-shaped groove is greater than the depth of the bending groove (7). The stacked optical fibers are bent and fixed with adhesive in the bending groove (7).

3. The fiber stacking array contouring fixture as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The molding groove (4) extends outward at the branch position of the optical fiber to form a dispensing groove (5), and a branch guiding structure (6) is provided between the starting point of the optical fiber branch and the dispensing groove (5). The branch guide structure (6) is a wedge-shaped block with a height close to the depth of the contour groove (4), and the branches of the optical fiber are respectively arranged in the contour groove (4) along the two side walls of the wedge. The width of the dispensing groove (5) is greater than the distance between the two sides of the optical fiber branch, and the depth of the dispensing groove (5) is greater than the depth of the contour groove (4) on either side. The individual branches of the stacked optical fibers are separated from each other and fixed by dispensing in the dispensing groove (5).

4. The fiber optic stacking array contouring fixture as described in any one of claims 2-3, characterized in that, The molding groove (4) also has sheath embedding grooves (3) that are extended outwards at the straight section of the optical fiber, at the front and back of the bending groove (7), and at the front and back of the dispensing groove (5). The width of the sheath embedding groove (3) is greater than the width of the contour groove (4), and the depth of the sheath embedding groove (3) is greater than the depth of the contour groove (4). The sheath (2) is embedded in the sheath embedding groove (3) to fix the optical fiber.

5. The fiber stacking array contouring fixture as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The width of the sheath embedding groove (3) does not exceed the width of the sheath (2), and the depth of the sheath embedding groove (3) is close to the height of the sheath (2); The stacked optical fibers are aligned or staggered, and elastic spacers are provided between the layers of optical fibers.

6. The fiber stacking array contouring fixture as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The sheath (2) is a hollow cuboid structure with an internal through-hole. Sheath connection ports (21) for optical fibers to enter are provided on both sides. In the installed state, the stacked optical fibers (8) enter the sheath (2) through the sheath connection ports (21) and are bound by the sheath (2), and are kept in the sheath embedding groove (3) and the contour groove (4).

7. The fiber stacking array contouring fixture as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The sheath (2) also contracts inward at the middle of its through hole to form a sheath clamping part (22). In the sheath (2), the side wall thickness of the sheath clamping part (22) is greater than the side wall thickness of the sheath connection port (21), and the inner side wall of the sheath clamping part (22) abuts against the periphery of the stacked optical fiber (8) structure.

8. The fiber stacking array contouring fixture as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The depth difference between the bottom of the sheath embedding groove (3) and the bottom of the contour groove (4) is not less than the side wall thickness of the sheath clamping part (22).

9. The fiber stacking array contouring fixture as described in claim 1, characterized in that, On the substrate (1), a positioning protrusion (10) extending upward parallel to the opening direction of the molding groove (4) is provided on the outside of the molding groove (4). The opening of the molding groove (4) is at least partially closed by a pressure plate (9) inserted and fixed on the positioning protrusion (10), and the bottom surface of the pressure plate (9) is pressed down and fixed on the top surface of the stacked optical fiber (8) structure, restricting the optical fiber structure from leaving the molding groove (4).

10. The fiber stacking array contouring fixture as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The substrate (1) is made of polymer material, the positioning protrusion (10) is a spring screw, and the sheath (2) is made of silicone.

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