Field-Installable Optical Connector With Pre-Mounted Fiber Stub
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Solution Overview
Problem
Commercially available optical connectors are not well-suited for field installations, requiring adhesives and skilled labor for assembly, and hybrid splice connectors are not compatible with standard formats, leading to potential performance issues and fiber damage.
Innovation Solution
An optical connector with a housing, collar body, and fiber boot that includes a pre-assembled fiber stub, mechanical splice, and buffer clamp, allowing for straightforward field termination without adhesives or complex assembly, and is compatible with standard formats like SC, ST, and FC.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If adhesive mounting process is used for optical connectors, then connection reliability is improved, but installation time and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The fiber stub is pre-mounted in the ferrule at the factory before the connector assembly is finalized. This preliminary action allows the fiber to be positioned and secured in advance, eliminating the need for adhesive application and complex alignment procedures during field installation. The pre-positioned fiber stub can be directly spliced to the field fiber, dramatically reducing installation time while maintaining connection reliability.
2Ease of operation
If hybrid splice connectors are used, then field installation capability is improved, but compatibility with standard formats deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is designed with a universal housing that accepts standard connector types (SC, ST, FC, LC) while incorporating field-installation features. The standardized interface allows compatibility with existing connector infrastructure, while the integrated collar body with pre-mounted fiber stub provides ease of field installation. This multi-functional design enables the connector to serve both standard compatibility and simplified field termination requirements.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple small pieces are assembled in field, then adaptability is improved, but risk of incorrect assembly and fiber damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fiber stub, ferrule, and collar body are combined into a single pre-assembled unit manufactured at the factory. This merging of components eliminates the need for field technicians to handle and assemble multiple small pieces, thereby reducing the risk of incorrect assembly and fiber damage. The integrated design maintains adaptability while significantly improving assembly reliability through reduced complexity.
4Manufacturing precision
If post-assembly polishing is required, then connection precision is improved, but skill requirement and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The fiber stub is pre-polished and pre-positioned in the ferrule at the factory with high precision equipment and skilled technicians. This preliminary polishing action ensures optimal connection precision is achieved before field installation. During field installation, the pre-polished fiber stub requires no additional polishing, eliminating the need for craftsman skill in polishing operations and reducing installation time while maintaining high connection precision.
Data Source
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AI summary
An optical connector for terminating an optical fiber comprises a housing configured to mate with a receptacle and a collar body disposed in the housing. The collar body also includes a mechanical splice disposed in a second portion of the collar body, the mechanical splice configured to splice the second end of the fiber stub to a second optical fiber. The collar body also includes a buffer clamp configured within a third portion of the collar body, the buffer clamp configured to clamp at least a portion of a buffer cladding of the second fiber upon actuation. A field termination platform and method for field termination of an optical fiber in the optical fiber connector are also provided. The field termination platform includes a base configured to hold the optical fiber connector. An actuation mechanism is disposed on the base to actuate the splice element of the optical connector and to actuate the buffer clamping portion of the optical connector. A fiber holder is provided to hold the optical fiber in the termination platform during termination.