Optical Connector Elastic Housing for Fiber Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Optical connectors without ferrules face issues with optical connection loss due to potential shifts in the axes of abutting optical fiber end faces, leading to increased connection loss.
Innovation Solution
An optical connector design featuring a first housing with an elastically deformable cylindrical hole and protrusion section, and a second housing with a pressing section that deforms the hole to maintain precise alignment and contact between the optical fibers, preventing axis shifts and incorporating slits for uniform pressure and excess fiber management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a clearance is provided in the optical fiber insertion hole to enable fiber insertion, then ease of operation is improved, but axis alignment precision deteriorates causing increased optical connection loss
Solution Approach 1:
The optical fiber insertion hole is designed to be elastically deformable, transitioning from a rigid clearance structure to a dynamic conforming structure. The hole deforms elastically under pressing section force to eliminate clearance and ensure precise axis alignment, while still allowing easy insertion during the deformable state.
Solution Approach 2:
The diameter parameter of the optical fiber insertion hole is made variable through elastic deformability. The hole can change its diameter from a larger initial state (allowing easy insertion) to a smaller deformed state (ensuring precise alignment and suppressing optical connection loss).
2Manufacturing precision
If a ferrule is used to hold the optical fiber with high accuracy, then axis alignment precision is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the ferrule component from the optical connector structure. Instead of using a ferrule to hold and align the optical fiber, the patent uses a housing with an elastically deformable insertion hole that conforms to the fiber diameter, achieving alignment without the ferrule.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastically deformable insertion hole acts as an intermediary mechanism between the housing and the optical fiber. It provides the necessary alignment function that would traditionally be achieved by a ferrule, but through a simpler direct conforming contact rather than a separate holding component.
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 design effectively suppresses optical connection loss by maintaining precise alignment and contact between optical fibers, even with backlash, ensuring reliable fiber connection without the need for ferrules.
Implementation Method 1
a cylindrical hole in which a front end portion of the first optical fiber is accommodated and a front end portion of the second optical fiber is insertable and which is elastically deformable to have a decreased diameter
Implementation Method 2
a pressing section which presses the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical protrusion section so that the cylindrical hole is deformed to have a decreased diameter
Data Source
AI summary
An optical connector is provided with a first housing, a first optical fiber accommodated in the first housing, a second housing to which the first housing fits, and a second optical fiber accommodated in the second housing. An end face of the first optical fiber abuts on an end face of the second optical fiber due to fitting the first housing to the second housing so that the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber are optically connected.