Optical Connector Ferrule With Thinned Portion For Lateral Force Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Optical connectors face issues with ferrule breakage and connection state disruption due to excessive force exerted when the optical fiber is laterally pulled, as the housing's movement is not adequately regulated during butt-connection.
Innovation Solution
The optical connector design incorporates a ferrule with a base portion and a thinned portion, where the base portion regulates movement in the thickness direction when the ferrule moves forward and releases regulation when it moves backward, using a housing with protruding regulating portions to prevent excessive force on the ferrule.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the housing regulates ferrule movement rigidly to ensure reliable guide pin fitting, then connection reliability improves, but the ferrule becomes vulnerable to breakage under lateral pulling forces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the ferrule structure adaptable rather than rigid. The thinned portion allows the ferrule to dynamically adjust its position and absorb lateral forces, while the base portion maintains structural integrity. This dynamic design enables the ferrule to remain stable during connection while flexing under lateral pull to prevent breakage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by creating different structural properties in different portions of the ferrule. The base portion has full thickness for strength and stability, while the thinned portion has reduced thickness to allow controlled movement and force absorption. This localized differentiation resolves the contradiction by providing both rigidity where needed and flexibility where required.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the housing provides strong lateral support to prevent ferrule displacement, then connection stability improves, but excessive force is exerted on the ferrule during side-pull
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the thickness parameter of the ferrule in specific regions. The thinned portion changes the mechanical parameters of the ferrule, allowing it to accommodate lateral forces without transmitting excessive stress to the connection interface. This parameter modification enables the ferrule to maintain positional stability while reducing force transmission.
3Strength
If the ferrule is made thicker to increase strength, then resistance to lateral pull improves, but movement regulation in the thickness direction becomes overly restrictive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the ferrule into functionally distinct portions: the base portion with full thickness for strength, and the thinned portion with reduced thickness for movement freedom. This segmentation allows each portion to fulfill its specific function without compromising the other, resolving the contradiction between strength and operational freedom.
Data Source
AI summary
An optical connector comprises a housing, a regulating portion which is protrudes toward an inner surface of the housing, a ferrule which is secured to an optical fiber and which is accommodated inside the housing so as to be movable. The ferrule includes a base portion and a thinned portion that has a thickness smaller than that of the base portion. If the ferrule moves forward in the butt-connection direction, the regulating portion and the base portion approach each other, so that the regulating portion regulates the movement of the ferrule in the thickness direction. If the ferrule moves backward in the butt-connection direction, the ferrule reaches a position where the thinned portion faces the regulating portion, so that the movement of the ferrule in the thickness direction is not regulated by the regulating portion.