Small Form Factor Fiber Optic Connector With Crossed Angle Polished Ferrules
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Solution Overview
Problem
Polishing and mating of small form factor duplex connectors with angled fiber optic ferrules are challenging due to their small dimensions and lack of a spring for maintaining ferrule positioning, which complicates the polishing process and requires stricter tolerances for proper seating and orientation.
Innovation Solution
A fiber optic connector housing design that includes a first portion for receiving rotatable and stationary ferrule holders, with removable portions having projections and engagement surfaces to secure the ferrules in place during polishing and mating, ensuring correct orientation and positioning without a spring mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If smaller duplex connectors are used to reduce size, then the connector fits tight spaces better, but polishing becomes more difficult due to lack of spring and smaller dimensions
Solution Approach 1:
The polishing cap is designed to be removable and replaceable with different caps (polishing cap vs. mating cap), allowing the system to dynamically adapt between polishing mode and mating mode. This resolves the contradiction by enabling proper polishing mechanics in a small connector through temporary structural modification rather than permanent small-size constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The polishing cap acts as an intermediary component that provides the necessary spring mechanism and positioning structure during polishing, then is removed to allow mating operations. This mediator component enables polishing of small ferrules without requiring the main connector housing to be large, thus resolving the size vs. polishing difficulty contradiction.
2Reliability
If angled ferrules are used to improve mating performance, then connection reliability improves, but polishing and seating require stricter tolerances
Solution Approach 1:
The polishing cap with its spring mechanism pre-positions the ferrules in the correct angular orientation before polishing occurs. This preliminary positioning action ensures that the angled ferrules are held at the precise required angle during polishing, reducing the stringency of tolerance requirements for both polishing and subsequent mating operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring-loaded polishing cap dynamically adjusts the positioning parameters of the ferrules during polishing, maintaining optimal angular orientation and contact pressure. This parameter control enables reliable angled ferrule mating while managing polishing tolerance requirements through active compensation rather than relying solely on tight manufacturing tolerances.
3Device complexity
If a single housing is used for both polishing and mating, then device complexity is reduced, but ferrule positioning during polishing becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The connector housing is segmented into two functional modes using removable caps: a polishing cap that provides spring-loaded ferrule positioning for polishing operations, and a mating cap for connection operations. This segmentation allows each cap to be optimized for its specific function while sharing the same housing structure, resolving the contradiction between single-housing simplicity and polishing operation ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically switches between polishing and mating functions by removing or installing different caps. The polishing cap with its spring mechanism is installed only when polishing is needed, providing easy ferrule positioning during that operation, then removed to allow mating. This dynamic configuration maintains simple housing structure while enabling easy ferrule positioning when required.
Data Source
AI summary
A fiber optic connector housing has a first portion to receive fiber optic ferrule holders and fiber optic ferrules. The fiber optic connector housing also includes a second portion for use during polishing and before one of the fiber optic ferrule holders is rotated 180°. The second portion is, removed to allow for rotation and a third portion is attached to the first portion for connection with another fiber optic connector or assembly.