Optical Ferrule Grooves for Foreign Material Collection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Multimode optical fibers experience significant connection loss due to foreign materials, especially in long-distance communication, where the high damping rate of these fibers exacerbates issues with axis misalignment and foreign material deposition, leading to increased connection loss.
Innovation Solution
An optical ferrule design featuring grooves on the connection end face with guide pin insertion holes and foreign material collecting portions, which prevents foreign materials from entering the connection gap during butt-connection by collecting them in the grooves and adapter spaces, maintaining a stable PC connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If foreign materials are wiped off during connection, then connection loss is reduced, but foreign materials may be gathered and deposited around base portions of guide pins
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of foreign material deposition around guide pins into a beneficial design feature by creating grooves that intentionally collect and contain foreign materials. The grooves are positioned to receive foreign materials during the wiping process, preventing them from depositing on the connection end face and guide pin base portions, thus transforming a harmful phenomenon into a controlled collection mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The grooves act as an intermediary structure between the connection end face and the guide pins. They serve as a mediator that intercepts foreign materials during the wiping process, preventing direct contact with the guide pin base portions and connection end face. The grooves collect foreign materials in a controlled manner, acting as a buffer zone that protects critical areas from contamination.
2Ease of manufacture
If multimode optical fibers are used for long-distance communication, then cost is reduced, but connection loss increases due to higher damping rate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by creating grooves on the connection end face before the connection process. These grooves are pre-formed to collect foreign materials that may be introduced during handling and connection. By having this protective structure in place beforehand, the patent prevents foreign material deposition from increasing connection loss in multimode fiber connections, enabling cost-effective long-distance communication without excessive connection loss.
3Reliability
If guide pin insertion holes are formed in bottom surfaces of grooves, then foreign materials are prevented from interfering PC connection, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into the groove structure. The grooves serve dual purposes: they collect foreign materials that would otherwise interfere with the connection, and they provide the structural feature for forming guide pin insertion holes in their bottom surfaces. This merging of functions - foreign material collection and guide pin positioning - into a single structural element reduces the need for separate components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while maintaining improved PC connection reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
An optical ferrule butt-connected in an optical adapter, includes: a ferrule main body; a connection end face in a front surface of the main body; a pair of grooves on the connection end face of the main body; guide pin insertion holes in bottom surfaces of the respective grooves; optical fiber insertion holes in the connection end face, the holes being arranged in a line; and foreign material collecting portions at least at a pair of corresponding sides of the connection end face. The groove has a width larger than a diameter of the guide pin insertion hole. The foreign material collecting portions respectively have a wall for connecting the connection end face with a side surface of the ferrule main body to form a space for collecting a foreign material with an opposite connection end face of a corresponding optical ferrule and an inner wall of the optical adapter.