Multicore Fiber Fabrication Holder Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for fabricating multicore fibers face challenges in handling large-volume base bodies with many through-holes, where the holder's connection to the base body is unstable due to mechanical and thermal stresses, and the holder's design often limits the fitting of core rods, leading to potential deformation and sublimation issues during the welding process.
Innovation Solution
A holder with an elongate hollow part having an inner contour larger than the through-holes' circumference, allowing for a larger welding contact surface that can be formed on the base body's lateral area, enabling stable holding and insertion of core rods from above even after the holder is welded, preventing deformation and sublimation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a large-volume base body is processed to reduce production costs, then production cost decreases, but the connection stability between base body and holder deteriorates due to increased weight and mechanical stress
Solution Approach 1:
The welding contact surface is extended from the traditional end-face location to the lateral area of the base body. This dimensional shift allows the holder to connect to the side of the base body rather than only the top, distributing mechanical stress across a larger area and improving connection stability for heavy, large-volume base bodies while maintaining cost-effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The welding contact surface is prepared in advance on the lateral area of the base body before the holder is attached. This preliminary preparation ensures that the surface is ready for welding, allowing for proper surface treatment, alignment, and positioning that enhances connection reliability without adding complex assembly steps
2Device complexity
If the holder's inner contour is reduced to fit mounting constraints, then device complexity decreases, but core rod fitting becomes impossible due to coverage of through-holes
Solution Approach 1:
The holder's inner contour is positioned in a different spatial dimension relative to the through-holes. By locating the inner contour outside the circumference of the hole region, the holder design maintains simplicity while leaving the through-holes fully accessible for core rod insertion from above
3Reliability
If the welding contact surface is formed on the base body lateral area, then connection stability improves, but the base body geometry becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The base body maintains its simple cylindrical overall shape, but a localized welding contact surface is created on the lateral area where needed. This local modification provides the necessary welding surface without fundamentally changing the base body's geometry, keeping manufacturing simple while improving connection stability
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
This solution provides a stable connection for large-volume component ensembles, prevents core rod deformation, and ensures effective evacuation of the annular gap, facilitating the production of high-quality multicore fibers with improved mechanical guidance and light conduction.
Implementation Method 1
a holder made of glass, which is welded to the base body in the region of the first end to form a welding contact surface
Implementation Method 2
In order to avoid the inclusion of gas, a negative pressure is applied to the annular gap and the gap volume is evacuated
Data Source
AI summary
A method for fabricating a multicore fiber comprised of an elongate base body containing a glass cladding material and having at least two through-holes, inserting a core rod into the through-holes so as to form a component ensemble, drawing the component ensemble to form the multicore fiber, wherein the component ensemble is held from above by a holder made of glass, which is connected to the base body so as to form a welding contact surface. The fitting of the base body with core rods is not limited by the layout of the holder, and which in particular allows placement of all core rods from above even after the holder has been welded on, a holder with an elongate hollow part is used, having a hollow channel with an inner contour that is larger than a hole area circumference within which the through-holes lie at least 90% of their diameter.