Ferrule Connector Assembly with Split Sleeve
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ferrule type optical connectors are cumbersome and expensive to manufacture, requiring active alignment and securement with welds or adhesives, which is time-consuming and costly.
Innovation Solution
A ferrule connector assembly comprising a housing with a base member and a nose member, a split sleeve that varies in outer diameter with applied forces, a fiber stop for optical alignment, and a stiffening member for secure optical fiber positioning, allowing for precise alignment and limited fiber movement without adhesives or welds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If ferrule connectors include many parts that are assembled and secured with welds or adhesives to maximize optical coupling efficiency, then alignment precision is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple alignment and securing functions into a single integrated ferrule connector body. The connector body includes an internal cavity with a precisely positioned ferrule holder that directly secures the ferrule without requiring separate alignment components, welds, or adhesives. This integration eliminates the need for multiple parts while maintaining precise optical alignment through the built-in ferrule holder geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the complex assembly processes (welding, adhesive bonding, active alignment) from the connector manufacturing workflow. By designing the ferrule holder as an integral part of the connector body with pre-positioned ferrule retention features, the invention removes the need for these secondary securing operations while preserving alignment precision.
2Reliability
If ferrule connectors are assembled with multiple parts requiring active alignment and securement with welds or adhesives, then optical coupling efficiency is improved, but production time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates preliminary alignment features directly into the connector body design. The ferrule holder is pre-positioned within the connector body with precise dimensional tolerances that automatically align the ferrule in the correct orientation and position. This preliminary structuring eliminates the need for time-consuming active alignment procedures during assembly, as the alignment is built-in from the start.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the ferrule holder and connector body into a single integrated component, eliminating the need for separate assembly steps involving multiple parts, welds, or adhesives. This merging of functions allows the connector to be manufactured as a single piece or pre-assembled unit, dramatically reducing production time while maintaining reliable optical coupling through the integrated ferrule retention geometry.
3Stability of the object's composition
If ferrule connectors use welds or adhesives to secure parts, then structural stability is improved, but manufacturing cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the ferrule holder and connector body into an integrated structure where the ferrule is retained by the built-in holder geometry rather than by separate securing mechanisms. This integration eliminates the need for welds or adhesives to attach separate holder components, simplifying manufacturing while maintaining structural stability through the monolithic design and precise geometric features that mechanically retain the ferrule.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the welding and adhesive bonding processes from the manufacturing workflow by designing the ferrule retention system as an integral part of the connector body. The ferrule holder is formed as a permanent feature of the connector structure, eliminating the need for secondary securing operations and their associated costs and complexities.
Data Source
AI summary
A ferrule connector assembly including a housing having a base member and a nose member is disclosed. The base member includes a bore having a first diameter portion that receives the nose member and a second diameter portion. A split sleeve cooperates with the base member and has first and second ends. The split sleeve has an outer diameter that varies based upon forces applied thereto. A fiber stop is disposed within the split sleeve and includes an optical path for light propagating through the assembly. A member mounts within the second diameter portion of the bore and is fixed within the second diameter portion by the nose member. The member mounts to the first end of the split sleeve and fixes the outer diameter of the split sleeve at the first end and allows the outer diameter of the second end to vary based upon forces applied thereto.