Optical Connector Manufacturing with Spiral Core Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing manufacturing methods for optical connectors with spirally formed multi-core fibers face challenges in reducing connection loss due to positional misalignment caused by oblique polishing, especially when there is a discrepancy between expected and actual rotational offset amounts.
Innovation Solution
A manufacturing method that involves inserting and fixing a multi-core fiber with spirally formed cores into a ferrule, aligning the cores with a housing, obliquely polishing the ferrule while rotating the housing to compensate for expected positional misalignment, and then fixing the ferrule to the housing to accurately align the cores, thereby reducing connection loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If the ferrule is obliquely polished to form an APC connector, then reflection of the end surface is reduced, but positional misalignment of the core occurs resulting in increased connection loss
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is rotated by a predetermined rotational offset amount before oblique polishing to compensate for the expected core positional misalignment. This preliminary rotational adjustment ensures that when the ferrule is subsequently obliquely polished, the core remains aligned with the housing, preventing connection loss while still achieving the reflection reduction benefit of APC connectors.
2Manufacturing precision
If a rotational offset amount is provided before oblique polishing, then positional misalignment due to polishing is compensated, but connection loss increases when there is a difference between expected and actual polished amounts
Solution Approach 1:
After the ferrule undergoes oblique polishing, the actual core position is detected, and the housing is rotated by a second rotational offset amount to re-align the core with the housing. This feedback-based adjustment compensates for any discrepancies between the expected and actual polished amounts, ensuring optimal alignment and minimizing connection loss.
3Manufacturing precision
If the core position is aligned before oblique polishing, then alignment precision is maintained, but the harmful effect of reflection cannot be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is rotated by a predetermined rotational offset amount before oblique polishing to compensate for the expected core positional misalignment. This preliminary rotational adjustment ensures that when the ferrule is subsequently obliquely polished, the core remains aligned with the housing, preventing connection loss while still achieving the reflection reduction benefit of APC connectors.
Data Source
AI summary
A manufacturing method for an optical connector includes inserting and fixing a multi-core fiber into a ferrule, wherein at least one of a plurality of cores of the multi-core fiber is a spiral core, inserting the ferrule into a housing and aligning the cores with the housing around a central axis of the multi-core fiber, obliquely polishing the ferrule while the housing rotates with respect to the central axis to have a rotational offset amount that compensates for positional misalignment of the cores expected due to the oblique polishing of the ferrule, and fixing the ferrule to the housing after the aligning of the cores.