Fiber Connector Plug Front Cover for Dense Port Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge of arranging more fiber connection ports in a limited space within fiber management trays in fiber to the home networks, while ensuring miniaturization and reliable optical signal transmission.
Innovation Solution
A fiber connector plug design featuring a ferrule protected by a front cover, with guide structures for direct insertion and removal, and a compact assembly that includes limiting and stop structures to facilitate miniaturization and prevent damage during connection, allowing for dense packing of fiber connectors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the fiber connector plug structure is simplified for miniaturization, then the radial size is reduced allowing more ports in limited space, but the protection of the ferrule front end face may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The front cover integrates multiple functions: it protects the ferrule front end face from damage during handling and insertion, provides a fitting interface for the ferrule sleeve of the fiber adapter, and eliminates the need for separate protective components. This merging of protection and fitting functions into a single component enables miniaturization while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The front cover serves as a multi-functional component that simultaneously provides mechanical protection for the ferrule and creates the slot interface for ferrule sleeve accommodation. This universal design allows a single component to fulfill multiple critical roles, reducing overall connector size while ensuring reliable optical signal transmission.
2Quantity of substance
If more fiber connection ports are arranged in limited space, then space utilization is improved, but the complexity of arrangement and connection management increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fiber connector plug is segmented into distinct functional components (ferrule, front cover, main housing) with clearly defined interfaces. The front cover specifically segments the protection and fitting functions, allowing each component to be optimized independently while maintaining overall system compactness for dense port arrangement.
Solution Approach 2:
The ferrule is nested within the front cover, which itself is integrated with the main housing. The ferrule sleeve of the fiber adapter nests into the slot formed between the front cover and ferrule. This nested arrangement maximizes space utilization and enables compact positioning of multiple connection ports.
3Device complexity
If the front cover protects the ferrule and fits the ferrule sleeve, then no other components are needed reducing size, but the precision of the slot-ferrule sleeve interface must be high
Solution Approach 1:
The front cover merges the protection function and the fitting function into a single integrated component. By eliminating separate protective elements and combining them with the fitting structure, the design reduces component count while the slot geometry is precisely defined to accommodate the ferrule sleeve with appropriate clearance and alignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The front cover exhibits local quality differentiation: the region forming the slot has precise geometric dimensions and surface finish to ensure proper ferrule sleeve accommodation, while other regions provide robust protection. This localized precision ensures high-quality interface without requiring the entire component to be manufactured with high precision, facilitating miniaturization.
Data Source
AI summary
A fiber connector plug, a fiber adapter, a connector assembly, and a communications device, where the fiber connector plug includes a ferrule fastened to a fiber, and a main housing and a front cover that encircle the fiber. The front cover is fastened to the main housing and encircles the ferrule. A front end face of the ferrule is flush with a front end face of the front cover, or in an axial direction, a front end face of the ferrule is located between a front end face of the front cover and a rear end face of the front cover. A slot is formed between the front cover and the ferrule, and the slot is used to accommodate an end face of a ferrule sleeve of a fiber adapter. The ferrule is used to be inserted into the ferrule sleeve.