Field Installed Optical Fiber Connector with Mechanical Splice
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Solution Overview
Problem
Commercially available optical fiber connectors are not well-suited for field installations, requiring adhesives and skilled labor for assembly, and hybrid splice connectors are not compatible with standard formats, leading to potential assembly errors and fiber damage.
Innovation Solution
An optical fiber connector with a backbone that includes guide channels for wrapping strength members and a mechanical splice device, allowing for straightforward field termination of jacketed optical fiber cables without adhesives, using a boot to actuate the cable jacket clamping portion and secure strength members.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional optical fiber connectors are used for field installations, then standard connector formats are maintained, but assembly requires adhesives and skilled labor, increasing installation time and complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is divided into modular components: a pre-assembled unit containing the ferrule, fiber stub, and mechanical splice device, and a separate backbone with clamping mechanism. This segmentation allows the complex splice assembly to be pre-manufactured with precision, while field installation only requires attaching the pre-assembled unit to the backbone, dramatically simplifying field operations without sacrificing installation standards
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical splice device and fiber stub are pre-assembled and pre-positioned within the connector body before field deployment. The backbone includes pre-formed clamping portions and guide channels that direct cable components during installation. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for skilled craftsmen to perform complex assembly operations in the field, reducing both installation time and skill requirements while maintaining connection quality
2Ease of manufacture
If hybrid splice connectors are used in the field, then assembly can be performed without adhesives, but multiple small pieces require significant piecewise assembly, leading to incorrect assembly and potential fiber damage
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple critical components (ferrule, fiber stub, mechanical splice device, and alignment features) are merged into a single pre-assembled connector unit. This integration ensures that all components are correctly positioned and secured together before field installation, eliminating the risk of incorrect assembly. The unified design maintains the advantage of adhesive-free assembly while guaranteeing assembly accuracy through factory-prepared integration
Solution Approach 2:
The backbone serves as an intermediary structure that receives and secures the pre-assembled connector unit. It includes guide channels that mediate the insertion process, ensuring the connector unit is positioned correctly relative to the cable components. This intermediary structure provides mechanical guidance and constraint, preventing misalignment or incorrect assembly while enabling straightforward field installation
3Productivity
If mechanical splice devices are used without pre-polished fiber stubs, then simpler connector structures can be used, but post-assembly polishing requires higher skill levels and more time
Solution Approach 1:
The fiber stub is pre-polished at the factory to the required optical specifications before being integrated into the connector unit. This preliminary action ensures that the critical optical interface is already prepared with the correct surface quality, eliminating the need for field technicians to perform polishing operations. The pre-polished stub is mechanically secured in the connector, allowing rapid field installation without requiring skilled polishing while maintaining high optical performance
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical splice device replaces the need for fusion splicing equipment and complex alignment procedures. Combined with the pre-polished fiber stub, it provides a purely mechanical assembly method that achieves reliable optical connections through simple insertion and clamping actions, dramatically reducing both the skill level required and the time needed for field installation while maintaining connection quality
4Strength
If strength members are not properly secured during field termination, then simpler connector designs can be used, but pull-out forces are reduced and connection reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The backbone is designed as a multi-functional component that simultaneously provides structural support, guides cable components through its channels, clamps the cable jacket, and secures the strength members. This universal design integrates multiple functions into a single structure, achieving high pull-out force through proper strength member securing without proportionally increasing overall connector complexity. The integrated approach ensures mechanical strength while maintaining field-installability
Data Source
AI summary
An optical fiber connector includes a housing configured to mate with a receptacle, a collar body that includes a fiber stub and a mechanical splice device, a backbone to retain the collar body within the housing, and a boot. The backbone includes at least one guide channel to facilitate wrapping strength members of an optical fiber cable around the backbone and a cable jacket clamping portion to clamp the cable jacket of the cable. The boot actuates the cable jacket clamping portion of the backbone upon attachment to the backbone.