Optical Module Ferrule Holder With Clearance-Based Floating Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing optical modules face challenges with complex assembly processes and increased tolerances due to multiple components, leading to potential optical loss and reduced accuracy when external forces are applied, and existing floating structures complicate the assembly process further.
Innovation Solution
An optical module design featuring a ferrule holder with a retaining portion and position restriction, allowing for a floating structure through a clearance between holder-side and housing-side fitting portions, and a rough guide mechanism for precise positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the ferrule is fixed directly to the housing without a floating structure, then the assembly process is simplified and manufacturing precision is improved, but optical loss increases when external forces are applied to the connector
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a floating structure that allows the ferrule holder to move dynamically relative to the housing. This is achieved by providing a retaining portion that can rotate or move within the housing, enabling the ferrule to adjust its position in response to external forces while maintaining optical connection stability.
2Reliability
If a separate member is provided between the ferrule holder and the housing to create a floating structure, then optical connection stability is improved, but the number of components increases and manufacturing precision deteriorates due to tolerance accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the floating structure functionality directly into the ferrule holder by providing a retaining portion that can rotate or move within the housing. This eliminates the need for separate floating members while still achieving the desired optical connection stability, thereby reducing the number of components and avoiding tolerance accumulation from multiple assembly steps.
3Reliability
If multiple holders are used to fix the ferrule, the housing, and the connector, then the floating structure is achieved, but the number of components increases and cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into the ferrule holder by providing a retaining portion that can rotate or move within the housing. This single component achieves both the floating structure functionality and the retention function, eliminating the need for separate holders and reducing overall component count.
Solution Approach 2:
The ferrule holder is designed with multi-functionality, serving as both the retention mechanism and the floating structure. The retaining portion can rotate or move within the housing to provide the necessary degrees of freedom while maintaining the ferrule's position, thereby reducing the need for additional specialized components.
Data Source
AI summary
Holder-side fitting portions are provided on both sides of a ferrule holder. Also, housing-side fitting portions are provided on inner surfaces of front sidewall portions of a housing. The housing-side fitting portions are grooves formed on the inner surfaces of both sidewalls of the housing. The groove-shaped housing-side fitting portions provided on the inner surfaces of the ferrule holder and the protrusion-shaped holder-side fitting portions provided on outer surfaces of the ferrule holder fit together so that the ferrule holder is disposed at a predetermined position in the housing. Here, a clearance is formed between the holder-side fitting portion and the housing-side fitting portion. Thus, when the ferrule holder is attached to the housing, the ferrule holder is movable with respect to the housing.