Optical Connector Notch Prevents Fiber Rotation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing method of fixing tensile strength fibers to optical connectors using interposed screws can result in the fibers being twisted, leading to insufficient tensile strength when force is applied to the optical cable, especially in small-diameter connectors like LC connectors.
Innovation Solution
An optical connector design featuring a male screw with a notch extending across the screw thread, preventing the rotation of tensile strength fibers during assembly, which are interposed between the male and female screws, ensuring secure fixation without sacrificing ease of assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the male screw and female screw are screwed with each other to fix the tensile strength fibers, then the assembly process becomes simple and does not require special tools, but the tensile strength fibers may be rotated and twisted during the screwing process
Solution Approach 1:
A groove is introduced as an intermediary structure on the male screw that interacts with the tensile strength fibers during assembly. The groove acts as a mediator that guides and constrains the fibers, preventing rotation while maintaining the simple screwing operation. This resolves the contradiction by adding a structural element that enables both easy assembly and fiber stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The groove is pre-formed on the male screw before assembly, creating a predetermined path for the tensile strength fibers. This preliminary structural preparation ensures that during the screwing operation, the fibers naturally follow the groove path without rotating, thus maintaining tensile strength while preserving ease of assembly.
2Reliability
If the tensile strength fibers are interposed between the male screw and female screw, then the fibers can be fixed to the optical connector, but the fibers become twisted from the root part toward the tip part
Solution Approach 1:
The groove serves as an intermediary guide structure that the tensile strength fibers follow during insertion and fixation. By constraining the fibers within the groove path, the male screw prevents lateral displacement and rotation, ensuring the fibers remain straight and undistorted while achieving reliable fixation between the male and female screws.
3Volume of moving object
If a small diameter connector like LC connector is used, then the device size is reduced, but the pitch of the screw is also small causing significant fiber rotation
Solution Approach 1:
The groove is designed with specific local geometric characteristics including depth, width, and orientation optimized for small-diameter connectors. The local structure of the groove provides enhanced constraint for the tensile strength fibers within the limited space of LC connectors, preventing rotation despite the small screw pitch. This localized structural optimization resolves the contradiction between miniaturization and maintaining fiber stability.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides an optical connector capable of fixing the tensile strength fibers of the optical cable to the optical connector while keeping the tensile strength sufficiently without sacrificing the easiness of assembling the optical connector. The optical connector The optical connector is configured to be attached to an optical cable having an optical fiber and tensile strength fibers extending along a longitudinal direction of the optical fiber, having: a connector body having a male screw; and a fixing member used for fixing the tensile strength fibers to the connector body, the fixing member having a female screw, wherein the tensile strength fibers are configured to be interposed between the male screw and the female screw and fixed to the connector body when the male screw formed on the connector body and the female screw formed on the fixing member are screwed with each other, and the male screw has a notch extending in a direction crossing a screw thread of the male screw.