Fiber Optic Duct Coupling Device with Smooth Guide Channel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods fail to effectively repair damaged fiber optic cable ducts, leading to transmission disruptions and high replacement costs, as existing connections often result in edges or overhangs that damage the fiber optic cables during insertion or blowing, and lack a reliable seal against moisture and air pressure.
Innovation Solution
A connecting device with a carrier unit and cover unit that form a guide channel with a specific inner diameter, allowing for seamless connection of fiber optic cable ducts without edges or overhangs, and a sealing mechanism to prevent moisture and air pressure issues, enabling the reuse of repaired ducts for fiber optic cable insertion or blowing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If a damaged fiber optic cable conduit is repaired by removing the damaged section and replacing it with a connection, then the conduit can be restored for use, but edges and protrusions form at the connection points that can damage fiber optic cables during pulling or blowing
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting device features a guide channel with a specific inner diameter that is smaller than the receiving openings, creating a localized smooth transition zone. This local quality difference ensures that while the connection structure exists, the critical fiber optic cable path maintains smooth surfaces without edges or protrusions that could cause damage during cable installation
Solution Approach 2:
The guide channel acts as an intermediary structure between the receiving openings and the fiber optic cable path. It mediates the transition from the larger receiving openings to the cable passage by providing a tapered, smooth surface that eliminates sharp edges, thereby protecting the fiber optic cable while still enabling the connection function
2Ease of operation
If the connection device uses receiving openings with the same inner diameter as the fiber optic cable conduit, then cable insertion is easy, but edges or overhangs may form at the transition area causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting device features a guide channel with a specific inner diameter that is smaller than the receiving openings, creating a localized smooth transition zone. This local quality difference ensures that while the connection structure exists, the critical fiber optic cable path maintains smooth surfaces without edges or protrusions that could cause damage during cable installation
Solution Approach 2:
The guide channel is designed with a tapered, curved geometry that transitions smoothly from the receiving openings to the cable passage. This curvature eliminates sharp edges and protrusions, providing a smooth surface that guides the fiber optic cable through the connection without causing mechanical damage
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the connecting device uses a guide channel with a smaller inner diameter than the receiving openings, then edges and overhangs are eliminated, but the clear inner diameter is reduced in the transition area
Solution Approach 1:
The guide channel is designed with a tapered, curved geometry that transitions smoothly from the receiving openings to the cable passage. This curvature eliminates sharp edges and protrusions, providing a smooth surface that guides the fiber optic cable through the connection without causing mechanical damage
Solution Approach 2:
The guide channel's inner diameter is intentionally varied along its length, transitioning from a larger diameter at the receiving openings to a smaller, controlled diameter in the cable passage section. This parameter change is precisely engineered to eliminate edges while maintaining sufficient clearance for the fiber optic cable, resolving the contradiction between edge elimination and diameter consistency
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the connecting device provides a sealed connection to prevent moisture and foreign matter ingress, then conduit protection is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function is merged with the structural components of the connecting device. The cover unit and carrier unit themselves form the sealing boundaries, and the guide channel structure provides both the cable pathway and the sealed enclosure. This integration eliminates the need for separate, complex sealing mechanisms while maintaining effective protection against moisture and foreign matter
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a connecting device for joining one end of a first optical fiber conduit to one end of a second optical fiber conduit, wherein the first optical fiber conduit and the second optical fiber conduit are configured to receive an optical fiber. The connecting device comprises a support unit with a bottom and a top. The connecting device also comprises a cover unit with a bottom and a top. The support unit and the cover unit each have a first and a second receiving opening at their respective end faces, which are for receiving the ends of the first optical fiber conduit and the second optical fiber conduit.Furthermore, the carrier unit has a first groove on its upper side extending longitudinally from the first receiving opening to the second receiving opening, and the cover unit has a further groove on its underside extending longitudinally from the first receiving opening to the second receiving opening. A cover device encompasses this further groove and is mounted in a second groove in the cover unit (120). The cover unit can also be mounted on the carrier unit, and in the assembled state, the first and second grooves form a guide channel for receiving an optical fiber cable.The connecting device is characterized in that the guide channel has an inner diameter that is smaller than the formed inner diameter of the first receiving opening and the second receiving opening in the mounted state of the cover unit on the carrier unit.