Curved Fiber Routing Substrate for Compact Optical Signal Transmission
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for routing optical fibers in communication systems are inefficient in managing space, as they require excessive space due to the need for substrates that hold optical fibers in fixed positions, which can lead to signal attenuation if bent too sharply.
Innovation Solution
The use of an organizer tray with a base and receiving walls that form a circuit channel to hold a fiber-routing substrate and optical fibers, ensuring the fibers are maintained within a predetermined bend radius, reducing space requirements while allowing for flexible routing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If optical fibers are affixed to a flexible substrate in fixed positions, then the optical fibers can be routed along predetermined paths, but the substrate requires an excessive amount of space within the communication system
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional planar substrate to a three-dimensional curved substrate that conforms to the bend radius of optical fibers. The curved surface allows fibers to be positioned in fixed locations while following natural bend paths, reducing the overall space required in the communication system.
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate is designed with a specific curved geometry that matches the bend radius parameter of optical fibers. By changing the substrate from flat to curved with a radius of curvature equal to or greater than the fiber bend radius, the system achieves both fixed fiber positioning and reduced space requirements.
2Volume of moving object
If optical fibers are bent sharply to reduce space, then space requirements are reduced, but signal attenuation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate is designed with a curved surface having a radius of curvature that is equal to or greater than the minimum bend radius of the optical fibers. This parameter matching ensures that fibers can be routed in a compact three-dimensional space without being bent sharply, thereby preventing signal attenuation and maintaining transmission reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a curved substrate surface instead of a flat one, allowing optical fibers to follow a curved path that respects their minimum bend radius. This curvature enables compact routing while preventing sharp bends that would cause signal loss.
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
This solution effectively reduces space usage in communication systems by allowing optical fibers to be routed with a curved contour that satisfies the bend radius, preventing signal attenuation and enabling more compact system designs.
Implementation Method 1
Optical fibers are flexible, thin fibers of transparent material that transmit light signals (called optical signals) through total internal reflection
Data Source
AI summary
Organizer tray including a base wall and a receiving wall that is coupled to the base wall. The base and receiving walls extend parallel to each other along a lateral axis. The receiving wall extends away from the base wall along an elevation axis that is perpendicular to the lateral axis such that the base and receiving walls define a circuit channel. The receiving wall has a curved shape. The base and receiving walls are shaped to hold a flex circuit assembly within the circuit channel, in which the flex circuit assembly includes a fiber-routing substrate and corresponding segments of optical fibers that extend within the fiber-routing substrate. The base and receiving walls are configured to hold the fiber-routing substrate such that the fiber-routing substrate satisfies a bend radius of the optical fibers.