Ferrule Pin Clamp Arc Geometry for Parallel Guide Pin Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
In multi-fiber optical connectors, guide pins are often deformed due to mismatched pitch widths between the ferrule and the pin clamp, leading to poor optical characteristics such as increased insertion loss due to non-parallel alignment of the ferrules.
Innovation Solution
A ferrule pin clamp with a main body featuring a pin holder that includes a pair of arcs, which are smaller than the maximum shaft diameter of the guide pin but larger than the shaft diameter of its groove portion, is used to securely hold the guide pin and prevent deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the shaft diameter of the guide pin is reduced to accommodate more optical fibers, then the number of optical fibers that can be aligned increases, but the guide pin becomes difficult to design with a flange and requires attachment to a pin clamp
Solution Approach 1:
The guide pin structure is divided into two separate components: a thin guide pin (enabling more fiber alignment) and a pin clamp ( providing mechanical support and flange function). This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the guide pin can be made thin to accommodate more fibers while the pin clamp provides the necessary structural support.
Solution Approach 2:
The thin guide pin is inserted into and held by the pin clamp, creating a nested structure where the guide pin fits within the pin clamp body. This nesting allows the thin guide pin to benefit from the structural support of the pin clamp while maintaining its reduced diameter for higher fiber capacity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the pitch width of guide pin holes in the ferrule differs from the pitch width of guide pins held by the pin clamp, then manufacturing flexibility increases, but the guide pins become obliquely deformed and non-parallel
Solution Approach 1:
The pin clamp is designed with a specific pitch width that can be adjusted or selected to match the ferrule's guide pin hole pitch width. By changing the pitch width parameter of the pin clamp to match the ferrule, the system achieves both adaptability to different ferrule designs and maintains guide pin parallelism, eliminating oblique deformation.
Solution Approach 2:
The pin clamp acts as an intermediary component between the ferrule and the guide pins. It provides a transition interface that accommodates pitch width differences while maintaining guide pin parallelism. The pin clamp's internal structure holds the guide pins at the correct pitch and orientation, ensuring they remain parallel even when interfacing with ferrules of varying pitch specifications.
3Productivity
If the guide pins are deformed due to pitch width mismatch, then manufacturing tolerance increases, but the ferrules are not fitted on a unified plane causing poor optical characteristics
Solution Approach 1:
The pin clamp pre-aligns and holds the guide pins in a parallel, correctly positioned state before insertion into the ferrule. This preliminary action of positioning ensures that even if manufacturing tolerances vary, the guide pins maintain their parallelism and the ferrules will fit on a unified plane, preserving optical characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The pin clamp provides a cushioning or compensating mechanism that absorbs pitch width variations and manufacturing tolerances. By designing the pin clamp with appropriate clearance and flexibility, it compensates for dimensional variations, ensuring that guide pins remain parallel and ferrules achieve proper alignment, thereby maintaining reliable optical characteristics despite manufacturing variations.
Data Source
AI summary
A ferrule pin clamp used for a ferrule into which a guide pin is inserted includes: a main body including a pin holder that holds a groove portion of the guide pin. The pin holder includes a pair of arcs. A diameter of the pair of arcs: is smaller than a maximum shaft diameter of the guide pin, and is larger than a shaft diameter of the groove portion of the guide pin.