Optical Connector Member Aligning Waveguide and Fiber
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing optical connector technologies face issues such as increased production costs due to polishing requirements, potential damage to optical waveguide ends, and reduced positioning accuracy due to cumulative tolerances, leading to optical connection losses, especially when using PMT ferrules and passive alignment methods.
Innovation Solution
An optical connector member with a housing featuring an optical waveguide retaining cavity and an optical fiber retaining through-hole, allowing for precise alignment and optical coupling without the need for polishing, thereby reducing connection losses and maintaining accurate positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If polishing is performed on the distal end face of the PMT ferrule body to ensure proper optical coupling, then optical coupling quality is improved, but production costs increase and the end face of the optical waveguide may be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The optical waveguide is pre-positioned in the PMT ferrule body using a positioning structure (such as a positioning hole or positioning protrusion) before adhesive application. This preliminary positioning ensures accurate alignment without requiring subsequent polishing of the ferrule end face, thereby reducing production costs and preventing damage to the optical waveguide end face.
2Reliability
If the optical waveguide end face is polished to remove adhesive burrs and ensure clean coupling surface, then optical coupling quality is improved, but the optical waveguide end face may be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The optical waveguide is pre-positioned in the PMT ferrule body using a positioning structure (such as a positioning hole or positioning protrusion) before adhesive application. This preliminary positioning ensures accurate alignment without requiring subsequent polishing of the ferrule end face, thereby reducing production costs and preventing damage to the optical waveguide end face.
3Adaptability or versatility
If two optical connectors are used for connection between boards, then adaptability is improved, but positioning accuracy decreases due to cumulative tolerances
Solution Approach 1:
The invention integrates the optical waveguide retention function and optical fiber retention function into a single unified connector member. The PMT ferrule body directly retains both the optical waveguide (in a retention cavity) and the optical fiber (in a retention hole), eliminating the need for separate connectors. This merging of functions reduces the number of components and eliminates cumulative tolerances between multiple connectors, thereby improving positioning accuracy while maintaining adaptability through standardized interfaces.
Data Source
AI summary
An optical connector member is provided, which includes an optical waveguide retaining portion provided on one of opposite sides of an optical coupling portion and having a cavity for retaining an end portion of an optical waveguide, and an optical fiber retaining portion provided on the other side and having a through-hole for retaining an end portion of an optical fiber. A distal end face of the end portion of the optical waveguide retained in the cavity of the optical waveguide retaining portion and a distal end face of the end portion of the optical fiber retained in the through-hole of the optical fiber retaining portion are positioned in opposed relation to each other in the optical coupling portion with an optical axis of the optical waveguide in alignment with an optical axis of the optical fiber.