Optical Fiber Unit Bonding for Easy Branch Detachment

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing optical fiber units with spirally wound bundle materials bonded at intersections face difficulties in easy detachment during branching operations, requiring time-consuming unwinding and potential damage to the optical fibers.

Innovation Solution

An optical fiber unit design where bundle materials are twisted around the optical fibers in alternating directions and bonded at intersections, allowing for easy detachment of the bonding portion without rewinding, with a bonding length between 5 mm and 20 mm and peeling strength between 0.01 N and 2.0 N, using resin tape bonded by heat fusion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If bundle materials are spirally wound around optical fibers and bonded at intersections, then the optical fiber unit maintains structural stability during manufacturing and handling, but the bonding portions become difficult to detach during branching operations, requiring time-consuming unwinding

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoidease of detachment

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The bonding structure is segmented into discrete bonding portions at intersections rather than continuous spiral bonding. This allows the bundle materials to be detached by simply pulling at the bonding portions without requiring unwinding of the entire spiral structure, thus maintaining structural stability during manufacturing while enabling easy detachment during branching operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of making the bundle materials detachable by unwinding the spiral, the invention inverts the approach by creating localized bonding portions that can be detached by pulling. The bundle materials are twisted and bonded at intersections, so detachment is achieved by pulling the bundle materials apart at the bonding portions rather than by unwinding, reversing the traditional detachment mechanism

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Strength

If the bonding portion length is increased to ensure secure bonding during manufacturing, then the bonding strength is improved, but the optical fibers may come off during handling if the bonding portion is too long

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebonding strengthVSAvoidfiber retention

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The bonding portions have locally optimized properties with specific length (5-20 mm) and peeling strength (0.01-2.0 N) characteristics. This local quality control ensures that the bonding is strong enough to maintain structural stability during manufacturing and handling, while the controlled dimensions prevent the optical fibers from coming off during normal operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Stability of the object's composition

If traditional spiral winding with bonding at intersections is used, then the bundle materials provide continuous support, but the branching operation becomes time-consuming due to the need to unwind and remove bundle materials

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontinuous supportVSAvoidbranching operation time

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The continuous spiral structure is segmented into discrete bonding portions at intersections. This segmentation allows the bundle materials to provide continuous support through the twisted structure while enabling rapid detachment by simply pulling at the bonding portions, eliminating the time-consuming unwinding process required in traditional spiral winding configurations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The bonding portions are pre-formed at the intersections during manufacturing, creating predetermined detachment points. This preliminary action ensures that during branching operations, the bundle materials can be quickly removed by pulling at these pre-formed bonding portions without requiring any unwinding or complex removal procedures, significantly reducing operation time

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

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

Facilitates efficient branching operations by allowing easy detachment of the bonding portion and preventing optical fibers from coming off, while ensuring the bonding remains secure during manufacturing and handling.

Implementation Method 1

The bundle material may be resin tape and the bonding portion of the bundle materials may be bonded by heat fusion

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat fusion: Melting

Data Source

PatentUS10859780B2Optical fiber unit, optical fiber cable, and method for manufacturing optical fiber unit

Publication Date: 2020.12.08 FURUKAWA ELECTRIC CO LTD

AI summary

Two bundle materials are provided on the outer periphery of a plurality of optical fibers. The bundle materials are twisted back while reversing the winding from front to back and vice versa to thus wind the bundle materials around the plurality of optical fibers. That is, the bundle materials are not wound spirally around the plurality of optical fibers. The bundle materials are bonded at a bonding portion where both bundle materials intersect. The bonding portion is provided along a center line of an optical fiber unit. The bundle materials are arranged in ranges which are each approximately 180° and partitioned by the center line.