Multi-Core Optical Fiber Ribbon for Stable Connector Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The attachment of connectors to multi-core fibers is hindered by the relative rotation of the multi-core with respect to the coating portion after rotational alignment, requiring significant effort and time due to variations in rotation angle.
Innovation Solution
An optical fiber ribbon with helical and non-helical parts, where the coating is partially removed in non-helical regions and fixed with a high-modulus resin, ensuring rotational alignment and stability, and a low-modulus resin for easy cutting, facilitating connector attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If rotational alignment work is performed on multi-core fiber, then the rotation angle of the multi-core fiber can be adjusted, but the multi-core may rotate relative to the coating portion after alignment, requiring re-alignment and increasing work effort
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-aligning the multi-core fiber rotation angle during the ribbon manufacturing process before connector attachment. The non-helical part is positioned at a predetermined location during manufacturing, so that when the coating is removed and connector is attached, the alignment is already established, eliminating the need for post-manufacturing rotational alignment work.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the non-helical part as an intermediary element between the helical multi-core structure and the connector. This non-helical section serves as a stable reference zone that maintains the rotational alignment, allowing the connector to be attached without causing rotation of the multi-core relative to the coating portion.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the coating portion is fixed to prevent rotation, then rotational stability is improved, but the connector attachment process becomes more difficult due to the need for re-alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs the rotational alignment action preliminarily during ribbon manufacturing, positioning the non-helical part at a predetermined location. This preliminary alignment ensures that when the connector is later attached, no additional alignment time is needed, thus reducing connector attachment time while maintaining rotation stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the non-helical part from the helical structure to create a dedicated alignment reference zone. By separating this non-helical section and positioning it specifically, the patent enables stable alignment without requiring the entire coating portion to be fixed, thus maintaining stability while reducing attachment time.
3Manufacturing precision
If rotational alignment work is performed, then the position of each core can be adjusted, but significant time is required for the alignment process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs rotational alignment as a preliminary action during the ribbon manufacturing process rather than during connector attachment. The non-helical part is positioned at a predetermined location during manufacturing, so alignment is completed beforehand, eliminating time loss during subsequent connector attachment operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the optical fiber ribbon self-aligning by incorporating the non-helical part at a predetermined position. This design feature automatically provides the alignment reference, allowing the system to self-align without requiring external alignment work during connector attachment, thus reducing alignment time.
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 solution suppresses relative rotation of the multi-core with respect to the coating, enabling easier and more stable connector attachment, reducing the time and effort required for alignment and replacement.
Implementation Method 1
a first resin that adheres and fixes the cladding and the coating portion to each other is provided in the coating-removed region
Data Source
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AI summary
An optical fiber ribbon includes an optical fiber that has a plurality of cores inside a cladding and that has a helical part in which positions of the plurality of cores in a longitudinal direction of the cladding helically change, a non-helical part in which the positions of the plurality of cores in the longitudinal direction do not helically change, and a coating layer that covers the cladding, and a fixing portion configured to fix the coating layers of a plurality of the optical fibers to each other such that the plurality of optical fibers are arranged in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction, in which the coating layer has a coating region in which a coating portion that coats the cladding is provided, and a coating-removed region that is provided at a position corresponding to the non-helical part and from which the coating portion is removed, and a first resin that adheres and fixes the cladding and the coating portion to each other is provided in the coating-removed region.