Optical Collimator Mechanical Fiber Fixation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional optical collimators require complex adhesive operations to fix optical fibers, which can be unreliable due to temperature changes and involve multiple adhesion steps, making it difficult to maintain the fiber's position accurately.
Innovation Solution
An optical collimator design that uses a metal holding member with recesses to securely sandwich the plastic optical fiber, eliminating the need for adhesives and ensuring tight fixation by deforming the member, while optionally using an adhesive to enhance strength and positioning accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If adhesive agents are used to fix the optical fiber to the ferrule and holding member, then the optical fiber can be fixed, but the adhesion strength is reduced due to temperature changes and the operation becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the adhesive agent from the fixation system. Instead of using adhesives to bond the optical fiber to the ferrule and holding member, the design uses a mechanical interference fit where the ferrule is inserted into a precision hole in the holding member, removing the adhesive layer that degrades with temperature changes and simplifying the assembly operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the chemical bonding mechanism (adhesive agents) with a mechanical fixation mechanism. The ferrule is secured through precise dimensional design and interference fit, where the holding member's precision hole provides mechanical constraint, eliminating the need for adhesive chemistry and its associated temperature sensitivity.
2Reliability
If multiple adhesive operations are used to fix the optical fiber, then the optical fiber can be secured, but the positioning accuracy is difficult to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the fixation function into distinct mechanical interfaces: the precision hole in the holding member provides positioning, while the ferrule's external dimensions provide mechanical constraint. This separation of positioning and fixation functions maintains accuracy while ensuring reliable fixation without relying on adhesive layers that can shift or degrade.
3Strength
If adhesive agents are used to fix the ferrule to the holding member, then the components can be joined, but the adhesion strength is reduced due to temperature changes
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the adhesive layer entirely from the ferrule-holding member interface. The joining is achieved through a precision interference fit where the ferrule's external dimensions are carefully designed to match the holding member's internal precision hole, creating a temperature-stable mechanical bond that eliminates the thermal degradation issues of adhesive-based bonding.
Data Source
AI summary
In order to fix an optical fiber to a desired position in a holding member easily and tightly, provided is an optical collimator (10) having a plastic optical fiber (13) and a cylindrical holder (11). The holder (11) is configured to hold a collimator lens (12) at an end and has an insertion hole (11a) at an opposite end for inserting the plastic optical fiber (13). The plastic optical fiber (13) is sandwiched by an inner surface of a recess (11e) which is formed at a part of the holder (11) in proper alignment with the collimator lens (12).