Optical Fiber Adhesive Bonding on Substrates

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Solution Overview

Problem

Optical fibres are fragile and require heavy, bulky protective sleeving, making it difficult to attach them securely to supporting structures without risking damage.

Innovation Solution

Applying an adhesive-coated optical fibre material to a substrate and curing the adhesive to adhere the fibre, potentially with additional protective coating, eliminating the need for bulky sleeving and providing support and protection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If heavy and bulky protective sleeving is used to protect optical fibres, then the likelihood of damage is reduced, but the weight and bulk of the structure increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection of optical fibreVSAvoidweight of protective structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the protective function from the traditional bulky sleeving and integrates it directly into the substrate structure. The substrate itself is designed to provide mechanical protection to the optical fibre, eliminating the need for separate protective sleeves and thereby reducing overall weight and bulk while maintaining protection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges the support function and protection function into a single integrated substrate structure. The substrate simultaneously provides mechanical support for mounting the optical fibre and acts as a protective element, combining multiple functions into one component to reduce overall system complexity and weight.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If heavy and bulky protective sleeving is used to protect optical fibres, then the likelihood of damage is reduced, but the ease of attachment to supporting structure deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection of optical fibreVSAvoidease of attachment

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the separate protective sleeving component and integrates protection directly into the substrate. This simplifies the attachment process by eliminating the need to separately install bulky sleeves, making the attachment of optical fibres to supporting structures more straightforward and easier to perform.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of adding protective sleeving around the optical fibre after it's positioned, the patent inverts the approach by making the substrate itself protective from the outset. The substrate is designed with inherent protective characteristics, so the optical fibre is protected by being mounted on the substrate rather than by adding external protective layers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Device complexity

If adhesive-coated optical fibre material is applied to substrate, then the need for bulky protective sleeving is eliminated, but the strength of substrate may be reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesimplicity of structureVSAvoidstrength of substrate

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent modifies the substrate parameters by incorporating reinforcement elements or optimizing the substrate material composition and thickness. These parameter changes allow the substrate to maintain adequate mechanical strength while being thin and lightweight enough to eliminate the need for bulky protective sleeving, thus resolving the contradiction between simplicity and strength.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs composite material structures for the substrate, combining materials with different properties to achieve both lightweight simplicity and adequate strength. By using composite materials, the substrate can be made thinner and simpler in structure while maintaining the necessary mechanical strength to protect the optical fibre without requiring additional bulky protective layers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

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 method allows for a secure, lightweight attachment of optical fibres to structures, reducing the risk of damage and enhancing the strength of the substrate, while eliminating the need for bulky protective sleeving.

Implementation Method 1

applying an adhesive-coated optical fibre material onto a substrate

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAdhesion: Adhesive

Implementation Method 2

curing the adhesive to adhere the optical fibre material to the substrate

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCuring: Photopolymerisation

Implementation Method 3

protectively coating the adhesive-coated optical fibre material on the substrate

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectProtective coating: Coatings

Data Source

PatentUS9017509B2Optical fibre fixed on substrates

Publication Date: 2015.04.28 BAE SYSTEMS PLC

AI summary

A method and apparatus are disclosed for the formation of optical fiber structures. An exemplary fiber laying head houses a source of optical fiber material to which an adhesive coating is applied prior to laying the adhesive-coated optical fiber material onto a substrate. The fiber laying head can also house a radiation source that generates a radiation beam to cure the adhesive in the adhesive-coated optical fiber material to form a bond between the adhesive-coated optical fiber material and the substrate.