Fiber Clip With Elastic Lid And Stacker Block
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for installing optical fibers into MT ferrules require cleaving and stripping, which necessitate holding loose fibers in position, often using ribbonizing with tape or adhesive, leading to potential damage and quality issues during handling.
Innovation Solution
A clip with a rotatable lid and stacker block that aligns and secures optical fibers without ribbonizing, using an elastic member to maintain fiber alignment and position for processing, allowing direct insertion into ferrules without tape or adhesive.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If loose optical fibers are held in position using ribbonizing with tape or adhesive, then the fibers can be maintained for processing, but the quality of fibers deteriorates due to potential damage during handling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful element (tape/adhesive ribbonizing process) from the fiber handling system and replaces it with a mechanical clamping device that holds fibers without adhesive, thereby eliminating damage caused by ribbonizing while maintaining fiber positioning capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a clamping device with jaws as an intermediary between the operator and the optical fibers, providing a safe interface that grips fibers mechanically without the need for adhesive ribbonizing, thus protecting fiber quality during handling and processing
2Adaptability or versatility
If a clamping device is designed to fit into both cleaver and stripper, then versatility is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping device is designed with universal jaws that can interface with multiple types of processing equipment (cleavers, strippers, and field install ferrule assembly tools), allowing a single device to perform multiple functions across different stages of fiber preparation without requiring multiple specialized tools
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 clip effectively maintains fiber alignment and integrity during stripping and cleaving, eliminating the need for ribbonizing, thus reducing handling-induced damage and improving the quality of fiber installation into MT ferrules.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic member disposed on the lid to secure the optical fibers in the clip for further processing
Data Source
AI summary
A clip holds a plurality of optical fibers in an array to be inserted into a fiber optic ferrule. The clip has a base member and a lid to hold the optical fibers therebetween. A stacker block assists in making the array by aligning them in a single plane. The optical fibers are then held in alignment for stripping, cleaving and inserting into the fiber optic ferrule.