Bent Optical Fiber Connector with Arc Discharge Surface Treatment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for producing bent optical fibers result in surface defects, reduced strength, and inaccurate bending angles, which compromise the optical propagation characteristics and reliability of the fibers.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a bending process using a heater with an arbitrary shape to form bent optical fibers, followed by a cooling step and a removal step using a non-contact heat source, such as arc discharge or laser light, to remove inner surface defects and chemically etch the bent portion, ensuring a precise and strong bent shape with good optical propagation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If the optical fiber is bent by pressing against a cartridge heater, then the bending shape is formed, but minute scratches are produced on the surface reducing fiber strength
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical contact bending method (pressing against cartridge heater) with a thermal field-based bending method using arc discharge. This substitution eliminates mechanical contact and the associated surface scratches, thereby maintaining fiber strength while achieving the desired bent shape.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the bending method from mechanical contact to thermal field action. By using arc discharge to heat and soften the optical fiber, the fiber becomes pliable and can be bent without mechanical contact, thus avoiding surface damage and strength reduction.
2Temperature
If arc discharge is used to bend the optical fiber, then the fiber is heated to high temperature, but it is difficult to obtain accurate bent shapes with desired angles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a support member as an intermediary between the arc discharge heating zone and the bending formation zone. The support member provides mechanical support and geometric constraints that guide the fiber into the desired bent shape with precise angles, while the arc discharge continues to provide thermal softening in the background.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary heating through arc discharge to soften the optical fiber before the actual bending operation. This preliminary thermal preparation makes the fiber pliable and easier to shape, while the subsequent bending is controlled by the support member geometry to achieve precise angles.
3Shape
If the optical fiber is bent using conventional methods, then the bent shape is achieved, but surface defects reduce optical propagation characteristics
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical contact bending with thermal field-based bending using arc discharge. This substitution eliminates mechanical scratches and surface defects that would otherwise degrade optical propagation characteristics, thereby maintaining both the desired bent shape and high optical reliability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method achieves highly accurate bent shapes with enhanced strength and improved optical propagation characteristics, reducing the likelihood of fiber breakage and maintaining desired optical performance.
Implementation Method 1
a portion of an optical fiber 110 from which a covering 102 has been removed is placed on a cylindrically shaped cartridge heater 104
Implementation Method 2
bending the optical fiber 201 with a predetermined radius. The bent portion of this optical fiber 201 is bent while it is in a high-temperature state
Implementation Method 3
a removal step of removing a defect in an inner surface of a bent portion of the bent optical fiber
Implementation Method 4
after having been bent, it is brought to room temperature. Therefore, a strain caused by the bending is removed from the bent portion
Data Source
AI summary
A connector with built-in bent optical fibers includes an optical fiber array including a plurality of bent optical fibers each having a bent portion and a linear portion formed integrally with the bent portion, a ferrule having a plurality of positioning mechanisms that align end portions of the plurality of bent optical fibers, and a resin portion disposed at an outer periphery of the bent portion. The resin portion is filled in the ferrule. The bent portion has a bending angle of 85°-150°. When the bent portion of one bent optical fiber is divided into a plurality of regions along a longitudinal direction at 10°, a variation in bend radius among the plurality of regions excluding regions corresponding to 10° at both ends is 0.3 mm or less, an outer diameter of the bent portion of the bent optical fiber is smaller than an outer diameter of the linear portion.