Hermetic Optical Fiber Stub Venting Gas Traps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional optical fiber stubs face issues with gas entrapment during the sealing process, which weakens the hermetic seal and increases manufacturing costs, necessitating a solution to allow gas escape without compromising seal integrity.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a vent or slot between the ferrule and stub body to enable gases generated during the low melting glass sealing process to escape, thereby creating a stronger and more resilient hermetic seal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a hermetic glass sealing process is used to create a strong seal, then seal strength is improved, but gas entrapment occurs during the sealing process which weakens the seal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of gas generation during sealing into a beneficial outcome by incorporating a dedicated vent channel. This channel provides a controlled pathway for gases to escape, transforming the potential defect (gas entrapment) into a managed process feature that actually improves seal quality by preventing bubbles from forming in the seal joint.
Solution Approach 2:
The vent channel acts as an intermediary element between the sealing zone and the external environment. It provides a controlled intermediate pathway that allows gases to be diverted away from the seal interface, mediating between the conflicting requirements of maintaining hermeticity and allowing gas escape during the sealing process.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional sealing without venting is used, then manufacturing process is simpler, but gas entrapment reduces seal reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the sealing system by introducing a separate vent channel functionally distinct from the seal joint itself. This segmentation allows the sealing process to be divided into two independent pathways: one for creating the hermetic seal and another for gas evacuation, thereby improving reliability without significantly complicating the manufacturing process.
3Productivity
If gases are forced into molten glass during sealing, then sealing process completes, but seal strength and resilience are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful gases from the sealing process by providing a dedicated escape route through the vent channel. This extraction prevents gases from being forced into the molten glass, allowing the sealing process to complete successfully while maintaining seal strength and resilience by keeping the seal zone free of gas bubbles.
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
The vent slot allows gases to escape safely, enhancing the strength and reliability of the hermetic seal, reducing manufacturing costs and improving the overall performance of the optical fiber stubs.
Implementation Method 1
gases generated from the low melting glass sealing process
Implementation Method 2
creating a stronger and more resilient seal between the optical fiber and low melting point glass and the stub body
Data Source
AI summary
A vent or slot is provided between the ferrule and stub body that enables gases generated from the low melting glass sealing process of an optical fiber to the ferrule stub to escape, thus creating a stronger and more resilient and reliable seal between the optical fiber and low melting point glass and the stub body, creating the hermetic seal. Without such a vent, which is the conventional configuration, generated gases are forced into the molten glass during the sealing process, thus reducing the strength or resilience of the hermetic seal.