Optical Fiber Reinforcing Member with Merged Adhesive Tubes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for reinforcing fusion-spliced optical fibers require large and costly heating mechanisms due to the need for uniform melting of multiple heat-fusible adhesive tubes, and result in oversized clamping parts, making high-density reinforcement costly.
Innovation Solution
A reinforcing member comprising a heat-shrinkable tube, a rod-shaped tensile strength body, and tube-shaped heat-fusible adhesive members arranged in a single space portion between the tensile strength body and the heat-shrinkable tube, allowing for collective reinforcement of multiple optical fibers using a simple planar heater and preventing erroneous insertion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple heat-fusible adhesive tubes are arranged separately on both sides of the tensile strength body, then each fusion-splicing portion can be reinforced individually, but the heating mechanism becomes complex and costly requiring V-groove or U-groove shaped heater platforms
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple heat-fusible adhesive tubes are arranged in one space portion on one side of the tensile strength body rather than being distributed on both sides. This merging of adhesive tubes into a single concentrated group allows the use of a simple planar heater platform instead of complex V-groove or U-groove shaped heaters, thereby reducing heating mechanism complexity while maintaining reinforcement quality
Solution Approach 2:
The space portion between the tensile strength body and heat-shrinkable tube is utilized to segment and organize multiple adhesive tubes in a controlled manner. By confining all adhesive tubes to one space portion on one side, the arrangement enables simplified heating while ensuring each tube receives adequate heat for uniform melting
2Reliability
If heat-fusible adhesive tubes are arranged on both sides of the tensile strength body, then coverage is improved, but the clamping part size increases
Solution Approach 1:
All heat-fusible adhesive tubes are merged into a single group located in one space portion on one side of the tensile strength body. This consolidation reduces the overall spatial footprint required for clamping, thereby decreasing clamping part size while maintaining effective adhesive coverage for multiple fusion-splicing portions
3Productivity
If adhesive tubes are arranged in one space portion, then high-density reinforcement is achieved, but uniform melting becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive tubes in the one space portion arrangement are positioned to maintain appropriate spacing between them. This local quality control ensures that heat can penetrate uniformly to each tube while still achieving high-density reinforcement. The planar heater platform provides even heat distribution across the concentrated group of tubes
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesive tubes are pre-positioned in the one space portion with optimized spacing before the heating process. This preliminary arrangement ensures that when heating occurs, all tubes receive uniform heat distribution, enabling simultaneous and uniform melting of all adhesive tubes in the concentrated group
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables high-density reinforcement of optical fibers at a lower cost by using a standard planar heater and reducing the size of clamping parts, while ensuring efficient assembly and protection of fusion-splicing portions.
Implementation Method 1
The reinforcing member is heated by heat from a recess-shaped wall surface constituted by the V-groove 7 or the U-groove 8, and the heat-shrinkable tube 3 shrinks with heat thereby to decrease the vacant space volume in the tube
Implementation Method 2
the heat-fusible adhesive tube 5 melts thereby to infill the vacant space portion in the heat-shrinkable tube 3, and encloses the exposed fusion-splicing portion and the peripheral portion thereof
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2C
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A reinforcing member of optical fiber fusion-splicing portion and a reinforcing method thereof are provided, in which plural coated optical fibers can be collectively reinforced in the high density, and a heating mechanism for collective reinforcement can be configured at a low cost. A reinforcing member 12 which reinforces collectively fusion-splicing portions 12a of plural coated optical fibers 11 includes a heat-shrinkable tube 13, a rod-shaped tensile strength member 14 arranged so that a part of its surface comes into contact with an inner surface of the heat-shrinkable tube, and plural tube-shaped heat-fusible adhesive members 15 arranged in the heat-shrinkable tube and into which the fusion-splicing portions of the single-core coated optical fibers are individually inserted. All of the plural tube-shaped heat-fusible adhesive members 15 are arranged in one of space portions formed between the tensile strength body 14 and the heat-shrinkable tube.