Optical Connection Component Molded Resin Coating
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing optical connection components face challenges in reliably protecting bent optical fibers, especially when they are densely arranged, as the exposed glass portions are prone to strength reduction due to resin removal and bending, necessitating effective resin coating methods to enhance mechanical strength and durability.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a mold with spaced walls to form a resin layer around bent optical fibers, ensuring uniform thickness and coverage, which includes preparing optical fibers with exposed glass cores, bending them, and applying a resin layer that cures to form a protective coating between the fibers and mold walls, thereby improving the strength of the bent optical fibers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If bent optical fibers are densely arranged to reduce the size of optical connection components, then the height and overall size are reduced, but the exposed glass portions become more prone to strength reduction and require more reliable protection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by forming the resin layer around the bent optical fibers before final assembly and connection. The resin coating is applied to the exposed glass portions of the bent fibers in advance, creating a protective layer that prevents strength reduction during subsequent handling, mounting, and operation. This preliminary protection ensures reliability is established before the component is subjected to operational stresses.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by combining the glass optical fibers with a resin matrix. The resin layer coats the exposed glass portions of the bent optical fibers, creating a composite structure where the resin provides mechanical protection and strength enhancement to the fragile glass regions. This composite approach allows the component to maintain both compact size and high reliability.
2Strength
If resin coating is applied to protect bent optical fibers, then mechanical strength is improved, but the complexity of the manufacturing process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the resin coating process with the existing manufacturing workflow by integrating it into the assembly process. The resin is applied to the bent optical fibers as part of the standard fabrication sequence, combining the protection function with the structural assembly steps rather than adding a separate, complex coating operation. This integration maintains strength improvement while controlling manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The resin coating process is designed to be self-service in nature, where the resin automatically flows and conforms to the bent optical fiber geometry without requiring complex masking or positioning fixtures. The liquid resin self-adjusts to cover the exposed glass portions uniformly, simplifying the application process and reducing manufacturing complexity while ensuring adequate protection.
3Volume of moving object
If the mold walls are positioned close to the fiber array to maintain compact size, then the component size is reduced, but the resin layer cannot form uniformly around all fibers including those at both sides
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by positioning the mold walls at specific locations that are optimized for resin flow and uniform coating formation. The walls are placed at distances that allow adequate resin penetration and uniform layer formation around all fibers, including those at both sides of the array. This localized positioning ensures manufacturing precision is maintained in the critical coating regions while keeping the overall component compact.
Solution Approach 2:
The resin itself acts as an intermediary that mediates between the compact mold geometry and the requirement for uniform coating. The liquid resin flows and distributes uniformly around all fibers during the coating process, bridging the gap between the constrained mold space and the need for consistent protective layer thickness. This intermediary role of the resin enables both compact size and uniform coating quality.
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 method effectively enhances the mechanical strength of bent optical fibers by forming a resin layer with a specified thickness, providing uniform resistance and protection against loads, while maintaining a reduced size profile suitable for densely mounted optical modules.
Implementation Method 1
supplying resin into the mold, forming the resin layer by curing the resin
Data Source
AI summary
A method of producing an optical connection component in which a surrounding of a plurality of bent glass fibers is integrally coated with resin. The method includes a step of preparing upper and lower molds for molding around a fiber array in which the plurality of glass fibers are arranged in a specified arrangement direction. The molds have two walls spaced apart from each other by a larger distance than the width of the fiber array. The method also includes a step of providing around the fiber array the molds such that each of the walls is disposed outside a corresponding one of two glass fibers that are included in the plurality of glass fibers and that are located at respective sides of the fiber array. The method also includes a step of supplying the resin into the molds.