Elastic Optical Fiber Guide for Low-Loss Waveguide Connection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional optical fiber guide structures require complex and costly manufacturing processes and precise alignment to achieve low-loss connections between optical waveguide devices and fibers, with existing methods often resulting in increased connection loss due to diameter mismatches between guide holes and optical fibers.
Innovation Solution
An optical fiber guide structure featuring a guide member formed from an elastically deformable material, with specific regions having an inscribed circle diameter smaller than the optical fiber's outer diameter, allowing for compressive stress application and precise alignment to minimize axial deviation and connection loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional optical fiber guide structures with fixed diameter guide holes are used, then manufacturing is simpler, but connection loss increases due to diameter mismatch between guide holes and optical fibers
Solution Approach 1:
The guide member is designed with elastic deformability, transitioning from a static fixed-diameter structure to a dynamic adaptive structure. The guide member deforms elastically under compression to match the optical fiber diameter, enabling adaptive fitting that minimizes connection loss while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through material selection rather than complex multi-component design
Solution Approach 2:
The inner diameter parameter of the guide member is changed from a fixed value to a variable that can adapt to the optical fiber diameter. By using an elastically deformable material, the guide member's diameter parameter can dynamically adjust during insertion to achieve precise matching with the optical fiber, resolving the contradiction between fixed manufacturing and adaptive fitting
2Loss of energy
If precise alignment with submicron accuracy is required, then connection loss is reduced, but alignment difficulty and manufacturing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The guide member performs self-alignment through elastic deformation. When the optical fiber is inserted, the guide member automatically deforms to match the fiber's position and diameter, eliminating the need for complex external alignment mechanisms or submicron precision manufacturing. The system self-adjusts to achieve low connection loss without requiring difficult detection and measurement processes
Solution Approach 2:
The positional parameters of the guide member are made changeable through elastic deformation. Instead of requiring fixed submicron precision in manufacturing, the guide member's position and shape parameters can dynamically adjust during insertion to achieve precise alignment with the optical fiber, significantly reducing alignment difficulty
3Manufacturing precision
If elastically deformable guide members with adaptive diameter are used, then alignment precision improves, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide member's diameter parameter is designed to be changeable through elastic deformation rather than fixed during manufacturing. This allows the use of standard manufacturing processes for creating the guide member, while the elastic material property enables post-manufacturing adaptation to achieve precise alignment, effectively decoupling manufacturing precision requirements from material selection
Solution Approach 2:
The guide member is made from elastically deformable materials that combine the structural integrity needed for manufacturing with the flexibility required for precise alignment. This material property allows the guide member to be manufactured using conventional processes while still achieving submicron-level alignment precision through elastic deformation during insertion
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 solution enables simple and accurate formation of optical fiber guide structures directly on optical waveguide end surfaces, achieving low-loss connections without axial deviation and reducing manufacturing complexity.
Implementation Method 1
The guide member is formed of an elastically deformable material, and in a specific region along a longitudinal direction of the guide member, a diameter of an inscribed circle in contact with an inner wall of the guide member in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is smaller than an outer diameter of the optical fiber
Data Source
AI summary
An optical fiber guide structure includes a guide member that is configured to be erected on a connection end surface of an optical waveguide device and forms a space for accommodating a leading end portion of an optical fiber to be connected to the optical waveguide device. The guide member is formed of an elastically deformable material, and in a specific region a longitudinal direction of the guide member, and a diameter of an inscribed circle in contact with an inner wall of the guide member in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is smaller than an outer diameter of the optical fiber.