Multifiber Optical Connector Protrusion Profile
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Multifiber optical connectors with physical contact (PC) connections face instability due to differences in polishing and surface accuracy, leading to easy disconnection under external forces like vibrations, affecting stable optical characteristics.
Innovation Solution
A multifiber optical connector design where optical fibers protrude from a ferrule with longer side portions and shorter central portions, ensuring that side optical fibers' tips are closer to a reference plane, allowing for increased pressure forces during connection and maintaining stability under external forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If polishing is carried out to obtain a formation where optical fibers protrude from the junction-end-face, then the optical fibers can be arranged with substantially equal protruding lengths, but the optical fibers are apt to be polished such that polished amounts of the optical fibers disposed on both side portions of the junction-end-face are larger than those of the optical fibers disposed on a central portion
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by making the protruding length of optical fibers different depending on their position. Specifically, optical fibers disposed on both side portions of the junction-end-face are made to have longer protruding lengths than those disposed on the central portion. This local differentiation compensates for the polishing unevenness that occurs during manufacturing, ensuring that all fiber ends achieve substantially equal heights after polishing, thereby maintaining connection stability.
2Ease of manufacture
If the surface accuracy of the junction-end-face deteriorates or the junction-end-face does not intersect orthogonally to the central axis of the ferrule, then the PC connection can be established, but when an external force is exerted on the optical connector due to vibrations or the like, the PC connection is easily disconnected
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies preliminary anti-action by pre-adjusting the protruding lengths of optical fibers during the manufacturing process. By making side portion fibers longer than central portion fibers, the design creates a compensatory mechanism that counteracts the effects of junction-end-face surface inaccuracies and orthogonal deviations. This preliminary adjustment ensures that even when external forces like vibrations are applied, the PC connection maintains sufficient contact pressure and does not easily disconnect.
3Device complexity
If optical fibers are arranged with equal protruding lengths, then the polishing process can be simplified, but the pressure distribution during connection becomes uneven, leading to connection instability
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by differentiating the protruding lengths of optical fibers based on their position in the ferrule. Optical fibers on the side portions are made longer than those in the central portion, creating a non-uniform initial arrangement. This deliberate local differentiation ensures that after polishing and during connection, the pressure is distributed more evenly across all fiber ends, preventing connection instability while maintaining a relatively simple overall device structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A multifiber optical connector is provided comprising: a ferrule including a junction-end-face and a plurality of optical-fiber-insertion holes which open in the junction-end-face; openings of the optical-fiber-insertion holes arranged on the junction-end-face in a line or row or in plural parallel lines or rows; and optical fibers received in the optical-fiber-insertion holes such that they protrude from the junction-end-face. The lengths of optical fibers disposed on both side portions of the junction-end-face are greater than the lengths of optical fibers disposed on a central portion of the junction-end-face.