Fiber Optic Array Consolidation via Sliding Contact Blades
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Solution Overview
Problem
The expansion of fiber optic networks requires efficient management and installation of cables, with a need for tools and methods that facilitate the transition of fiber optic signals and the consolidation of optical fibers for easier accessibility and connectivity.
Innovation Solution
The development of tooling and methods for manufacturing a fiber optic array that includes a substrate with channels and contact blades to consolidate discrete fibers into a layered arrangement, secured by a fiber clamp, allowing for further processing into flexible optical circuits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If discrete optical fibers are managed individually, then each fiber can be handled separately, but the complexity of cable management and installation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple discrete optical fibers into a single integrated array structure that can be handled as one unit. The fibers are consolidated within a common housing and substrate assembly, allowing the entire fiber group to be installed and managed together rather than individually, thereby reducing installation complexity while maintaining individual fiber accessibility.
2Ease of operation
If optical fibers are consolidated into an array, then accessibility and connectivity are improved, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process is segmented into distinct modular steps: first forming the substrate with embedded channels, then positioning fibers within those channels, and finally securing them with clamps. This segmentation allows each step to be performed independently with standard tools, reducing overall manufacturing complexity despite the sophisticated final array structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate acts as an intermediary component that simplifies fiber consolidation. Rather than directly manipulating and securing multiple individual fibers, the substrate provides pre-formed channels that guide and position fibers, and the fiber clamp then secures the entire array as a single unit, reducing manufacturing complexity.
3Productivity
If fibers are arranged in a consolidated array structure, then signal transmission efficiency improves, but the flexibility of the optical circuit decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible substrate and housing structure that allows the consolidated fiber array to bend and adapt to different spatial configurations. The thin-film nature of the substrate maintains structural integrity while enabling flexibility, allowing the fiber array to be installed in various orientations and conform to different mounting surfaces without compromising signal transmission efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A fixture is for forming a fiber optic array that defines a plurality of discrete fibers extending from a spaced-apart arrangement to a consolidated arrangement wherein the fibers are layered next to each other for a further ribbonizing process. The fixture includes a pair of contact blades that are configured to slide along a direction transverse to the longitudinal axes of the fibers for consolidating the fibers.