Optical Fiber Connector Slit Reinforcement Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional Lucent optical fiber connectors are not durable and have low resistance to external transverse pulling forces due to the exposure of slits, which can easily split under such stress.
Innovation Solution
An optical fiber connector design featuring a rear housing with slits covered entirely by a front housing and a reinforcing sleeve, which includes a ferrule assembly and spring for enhanced durability and resistance to transverse pulling forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the front housing has slits defined through the top and bottom to allow resilient enlargement, then the rear housing can extend easily into the front housing, but the slits are easily split under external transverse pulling force
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcing sleeve is nested within the rear housing, creating a layered structure where the sleeve's rigid wall reinforces the slit areas. This nested configuration allows the slits to remain functional for extension while gaining structural support from the surrounding reinforcing sleeve material, preventing split under pulling force.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector combines different material properties by integrating the reinforcing sleeve (made of stronger material) with the housing structure. The reinforcing sleeve's material composition and structural integration create a composite system that maintains the slit functionality while significantly improving resistance to transverse pulling forces.
2Ease of manufacture
If the rear housing is mounted around the front housing with partial coverage of slits, then assembly is simplified, but the exposed slit boundaries become initial failure points under external force
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcing sleeve is nested within the rear housing structure, creating a protected internal environment. This nesting arrangement ensures that the slit boundaries are fully enclosed and supported by the reinforcing sleeve, eliminating exposed boundaries that would otherwise serve as failure initiation points under external loading.
Solution Approach 2:
The reinforcing sleeve is installed beforehand to provide pre-protective reinforcement to the slit areas. This prior cushioning effect creates a protective barrier that prevents the slit boundaries from becoming stress concentration points, thereby improving durability before any external force is applied.
3Strength
If the slits are completely covered by the front housing, then resistance to pulling force is maximized, but the rear housing extension becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcing sleeve is segmented into sections that correspond to the slit locations, providing targeted reinforcement only where needed. This segmentation allows the slits to remain open for extension functionality while the reinforcing sleeve material provides structural support at the critical slit boundaries, balancing both requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The reinforcing sleeve provides localized reinforcement specifically at the slit areas rather than uniformly strengthening the entire housing. This local quality approach maintains the slits' functionality for extension while providing enhanced strength precisely where the pulling forces are applied, optimizing both ease of extension and resistance to force.
Data Source
AI summary
An optical fiber connector has a rear housing, a reinforcing sleeve and a front housing. The rear housing has a front end, a rear end, a top, a bottom, two opposite sides and two slits longitudinally defined respectively through the top and the bottom at the front end. The reinforcing sleeve is mounted in the rear housing. The front housing is mounted around and the rear housing from the front end of the rear housing and completely covers the slits of the rear housing. The optical fiber connector with the slits has high resistance to the external transverse pulling force and is excellently durable.