Floating Optical Connector Assembly for Faster Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional optical connectors experience slow assembly due to individual part installation and lack of floating capability, leading to increased optical alignment errors and signal loss.
Innovation Solution
An optical connector design with a terminal portion that moves in multiple degrees of freedom, allowing pre-assembly with communication wires to form a modular structure, and features a buckle structure for secure connection with the structural body, enhancing alignment accuracy and reducing signal loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the terminal portion is rigidly fixed to the structural body, then the assembly structure is simple, but the optical alignment precision deteriorates due to inability to compensate for positioning errors
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal portion is designed to move relative to the structural body through a spring mechanism, transforming the rigid fixed connection into a dynamic adjustable connection. This allows the terminal portion to float and compensate for alignment errors in multiple directions, improving optical alignment precision while maintaining manageable structural complexity through the use of elastic elements.
2Productivity
If the elements are assembled individually during installation, then the device complexity is low, but the installation speed deteriorates significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The optical connector is divided into two main segments: a pre-assembled terminal portion containing the communication wire and coupling structure, and a structural body containing the positioning and buckling mechanisms. This segmentation allows the terminal portion to be pre-assembled and tested separately, then quickly installed as a complete module into the structural body, significantly improving installation speed while keeping the overall device complexity manageable through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The terminal portion and communication wire are pre-assembled into an integrated module before final installation. This preliminary assembly allows for pre-positioning and pre-alignment of critical components, so that during final installation, the pre-assembled module can be quickly positioned and secured without requiring separate assembly steps for each component, thereby improving installation speed.
3Manufacturing precision
If the terminal portion can only move along the spring axis, then the structure is simple, but the optical alignment precision deteriorates due to limited movement freedom
Solution Approach 1:
The spring mechanism is designed to provide elastic support that allows the terminal portion to move not only along the spring axis but also in lateral directions through controlled deformation of the spring structure. This dynamic elastic connection enables multi-directional adjustment for optical alignment while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure through the use of elastic elements that naturally provide movement freedom in multiple directions.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides an optical connector, comprising: a structural body, having a first top surface, a first bottom surface, a first lateral surface, and a second lateral surface, wherein the first lateral surface and the second lateral surface are connected to the first top surface and the first bottom surface, the first lateral surface has a first opening slot, and the second lateral surface has a first buckle structure; and a terminal portion, coupled with a communication wire, having a second top surface, a second bottom surface, a third lateral surface, and a fourth lateral surface, wherein the third lateral surface and the fourth lateral surface are connected to the second top surface and the second bottom surface, the fourth lateral surface has a second buckle structure, the terminal portion is movably connected to the structural body.