Optical Fiber Storage Tray with Lateral Walls for Bend Protection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Optical fibers connected to optoelectronic devices are prone to damage during handling and transportation due to bending beyond their minimum radius and exposure to mechanical and thermal stresses, particularly during solder reflow processes, when conventionally wrapped around spools without adequate protection.
Innovation Solution
A storage tray designed to securely hold optical fibers in a plate-like optoelectronic device, featuring a fiber storage portion with lateral walls to prevent bending and exposure, eliminating the need for tension clips, and providing heat protection through a cover plate or heat-resistant materials, allowing for safe storage and transportation without spooling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If optical fibers are wrapped around a spool for transportation and handling, then the fibers can be held in place under tension, but the fibers are exposed to the surrounding environment and may be easily damaged by mechanical influences and heat
Solution Approach 1:
The storage tray is divided into distinct functional segments: a fiber receiving portion with a rounded corner for gentle fiber entry, a fiber storage portion for coiled fiber storage maintaining minimum bend radius, and lateral walls providing protective enclosure. This segmentation allows each portion to address specific protection needs while maintaining overall handling ease
Solution Approach 2:
The storage tray acts as an intermediary protective structure between the optical fibers and the external environment. The lateral walls and cover plate create a protective barrier that shields fibers from mechanical damage and heat exposure during solder reflow processes, while still allowing the fibers to be securely held without tension clips
2Stability of the object's composition
If optical fibers are wrapped around a spool, then the fibers can be held under tension to prevent unraveling, but care must be taken not to bend the fibers beyond their minimum radius
Solution Approach 1:
The storage tray provides different local qualities for fiber protection: the rounded corner of the receiving portion provides a large radius of curvature for gentle fiber entry, the lateral walls provide lateral support and positioning stability, and the cover plate provides overall enclosure. This localized quality distribution ensures fibers are held stably without experiencing excessive bending at any point
Solution Approach 2:
The rounded corner design in the fiber receiving portion provides beforehand cushioning by creating a gradual, large-radius entry path for the fibers before they enter the storage portion. This prevents sharp bends and stress concentrations that would occur with abrupt edges, cushioning the fibers against mechanical damage before handling stresses are applied
3Ease of manufacture
If optical fibers are exposed to the surrounding environment during handling and transportation, then the handling process is simple, but the fibers are vulnerable to mechanical influences and thermal stresses during solder reflow processes
Solution Approach 1:
The storage tray merges multiple protective functions into a single integrated component: the lateral walls provide mechanical protection and positioning, the cover plate provides thermal protection during solder reflow processes, and the overall structure provides a clean top surface for pick and place vacuum chuck holders. This merging maintains handling simplicity while comprehensively protecting fibers from both mechanical and thermal stresses
Solution Approach 2:
The enclosed structure of the storage tray with lateral walls and cover plate creates a protected, inert environment for the optical fibers during critical processes. This enclosure shields fibers from harmful external factors including heat from solder reflow processes and mechanical influences during handling, while still allowing simple integration into the manufacturing process
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a storage tray for protecting one or more optical fibers mechanically coupled to an optoelectronic device, characterized in that it is configured to be capable of coupling with the optoelectronic device, and comprising a fiber storage portion which is configured to receive and store the one or more optical fibers. The present invention also relates to an assembly comprising a storage tray according to the invention, and an optoelectronic device, wherein one or more optical fibers are coupled to the optoelectronic device, and wherein the one or more optical fibers are stored in the fiber storage portion of the storage tray.