Floating Quad Fiber Connector for Variable Adapter Spacing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current fiber optic connection systems lack a standard for the distance between the two middle ports of quad adapters, making it challenging to design compatible quad connectors.
Innovation Solution
A quad connector assembly that aggregates multiple simplex fiber optic connectors, allowing the distance between duplex groups to vary while maintaining standardized spacing within each duplex group, ensuring compatibility with quad adapters of varying spacings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a quad connector is designed with fixed spacing between ports, then manufacturing is simplified, but compatibility with quad adapters of varying spacings is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The connector employs a floating mechanism that allows the connector body to move dynamically within the housing, adjusting its position to accommodate different port spacings in quad adapters. This dynamic adjustment capability enables a single fixed-manufacturing design to work with variable-spacing adapters.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the positional parameter of the connector within the housing, allowing it to float and adjust its location. This parameter change enables the same connector design to adapt to different spacing requirements without requiring multiple manufacturing variants.
2Productivity
If multiple simplex connectors are aggregated into a quad connector, then connectivity density is improved, but the complexity of accommodating varying port spacings increases
Solution Approach 1:
The quad connector is segmented into a fixed housing and a floating connector body, allowing independent adjustment. This segmentation simplifies the overall design by separating the structural support function from the positioning adjustment function.
Solution Approach 2:
The floating mechanism serves multiple functions: it accommodates varying port spacings, maintains alignment during insertion, and enables a single connector design to work with multiple adapter types. This multi-functionality reduces the need for multiple specialized connector designs.
Data Source
AI summary
A floating quad connector assembly is designed to hold two pairs of simplex connecters in a quad formation and to permit the two pairs of connectors to float within the assembly, thereby rendering the quad connector assembly compatible with different quad adapters having different spacings between the two middle simplex ports. Also, a segmental switch module is configured to aggregate multiple category-rated connectors in an array formation while permitting the spacings between the connectors to float, thereby rendering the switch module compatible with port arrays of different port-to-port spacings.