Fiber Optic Cable Connector With Air Gap Sleeve
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fibre optic cable tube connectors face conflicting requirements of minimizing bulk, ensuring visibility of the fibre bundle, and providing high impact resistance, which are typically addressed by using opaque plastic with external ribs, leading to brittleness and dirt trapping issues.
Innovation Solution
The connector employs an inner sleeve spaced from an outer sleeve to define a gap, providing impact protection without external ribs, and uses a web structure to absorb impacts while maintaining visibility and reducing bulk.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If connectors are made from opaque plastic with external ribs for impact resistance, then impact resistance is improved, but visibility of the fibre bundle deteriorates and dirt accumulation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connector body is segmented into an outer sleeve and an inner sleeve separated by a gap, with the inner sleeve being translucent/transparent while the outer sleeve is opaque. This segmentation allows the inner sleeve to provide visibility of the fibre bundle while the outer sleeve provides impact resistance, resolving the contradiction between these two requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner translucent/transparent sleeve is nested within the outer opaque sleeve, creating a layered structure. This nesting allows the inner sleeve to be visible through the outer sleeve, enabling fibre bundle visibility while maintaining the protective function of the opaque outer sleeve against impacts.
2Strength
If external ribs are added to reinforce the connector for impact resistance, then impact resistance is improved, but device complexity increases and dirt trapping occurs
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of adding external ribs to a single connector body, the structure is segmented into two sleeves (outer and inner) separated by a gap. This segmentation provides impact resistance through the layered structure without requiring additional reinforcing ribs, thereby reducing structural complexity while maintaining strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The gap between the outer and inner sleeves acts as a cushioning space that absorbs impact energy before it reaches the inner sleeve containing the fibre bundle. This beforehand cushioning provides impact resistance without requiring complex reinforcing structures.
3Volume of moving object
If the connector outer diameter is minimized to reduce bulk, then volume is reduced, but impact resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The inner translucent/transparent sleeve is nested within the outer opaque sleeve, creating a compact layered structure. This nesting allows the connector to maintain a small outer diameter (reducing bulk) while the双层 structure provides enhanced impact resistance compared to a single-layer connector of the same size.
Solution Approach 2:
The gap between the sleeves provides a cushioning space that absorbs impact energy, allowing the connector to achieve good impact resistance without increasing its outer diameter. The cushioning effect is achieved within the compact nested structure rather than requiring additional external space.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C
AI summary
A fibre optic cable connector comprising a body (1) made of a plastic, defining a through bore (8) and having a connector (2) at either end for connection to a respective tube. The body comprising an outer sleeve (5) and an inner sleeve 6 configured to receive the distal end of a respective tube. The inner sleeve is spaced from the outer sleeve to define an air gap (12). The inner sleeve is supported on the outer sleeve by at least one discrete web (7) of material, which maintains the air gap. The outer face of the connector body (1) is devoid of ribs.