Grooved Alignment Structures for Wear-Resistant Optical Connectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing alignment structures for optical connectors and bridge structures in photonic integrated circuits (PICs) face challenges such as wear and damage, high manufacturing complexity, and misalignment due to vibrations, making them unsuitable for small form factor applications and difficult to inspect for quality control.
Innovation Solution
The use of grooved alignment elements in optical connectors and bridge structures, with differing depths and materials to minimize wear and misalignment, and a connector holder to facilitate precise alignment, ensuring reliable optical path formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional alignment structures are used in optical connectors, then alignment function is provided, but wear and damage occur reducing reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the alignment function from traditional contact-based structures and implements it through grooves that receive alignment pins from the bridge structure. This separation eliminates direct contact and friction between connector and bridge structure, preventing wear and damage while maintaining alignment functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having protruding alignment features on the connector that contact the bridge structure, the patent inverts the approach by creating recessed grooves in the connector body. The alignment pins from the bridge structure pass through these grooves, reversing the traditional contact mechanism and eliminating wear.
2Manufacturing precision
If complex alignment structures are used to improve precision, then alignment accuracy improves, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment function is segmented into two independent components: grooves in the connector body and alignment pins on the bridge structure. This segmentation simplifies manufacturing as each component can be produced separately with standard precision, avoiding the need for complex integrated alignment structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the grooves (depth, width, orientation) to optimize alignment accuracy. By carefully controlling groove dimensions and positions, high precision alignment is achieved through simple geometric features rather than complex mechanisms.
3Reliability
If robust alignment structures are used to prevent misalignment under vibration, then alignment stability improves, but device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent provides enhanced alignment stability locally through strategically positioned grooves that receive alignment pins, rather than using bulky overall structures. The grooves are precisely located to constrain critical degrees of freedom, achieving vibration resistance in a compact form factor.
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment pins extend through the bridge structure in the vertical dimension, passing through grooves in the connector. This three-dimensional arrangement provides robust alignment and vibration resistance without increasing the horizontal footprint of the connector.
Data Source
AI summary
An optical connector includes a body with a first connector interface and a second connector interface opposite the first connector interface. The body includes a first alignment structure and a second alignment structure, and the first and second alignment structure extend between the first connector interface and the second connector interface. The first alignment structure and the second alignment structure differ in a dimension.