Optical Connector Plug with Nested Coil Spring for Compact Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing optical connector plugs face challenges in providing sufficient spring force and stroke while maintaining a compact design, especially when incorporating a coil spring to ensure safety by shielding the front end of optical fibers, which is crucial for preventing exposure to high-output communication light.
Innovation Solution
The optical connector plug features a housing with a grip member and a shutter holding member that move axially, incorporating a coil spring biasing member to maintain an extension state and prevent accidental reduction, allowing for secure coupling with an optical connector adapter while minimizing the overall length and ensuring safety by shielding the fiber end.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a large coil spring is provided to ensure sufficient spring force and stroke, then the desired biasing force can be obtained, but the entire length of the optical connector plug increases
Solution Approach 1:
The coil spring is nested within the stop ring's hollow cylindrical body, allowing the spring to be contained within the existing structural space rather than requiring additional external space. This nesting arrangement enables the spring to provide sufficient force while maintaining a compact overall length of the connector plug.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of extending the length of the connector plug to accommodate a large spring, the invention utilizes the radial dimension by creating a stop ring with a hollow cylindrical body that can contain the spring. This dimensional transition from linear extension to radial containment resolves the contradiction between spring size and connector length.
2Length of moving object
If a minute diameter coil spring is incorporated into the limited space, then the connector length is maintained, but it is difficult to obtain the desired spring force and stroke
Solution Approach 1:
The stop ring's hollow cylindrical body serves as a container for the coil spring, allowing the spring to achieve its full diameter and provide adequate force without increasing the overall connector length. The nesting structure enables the spring to be housed within the stop ring's internal space.
3Length of moving object
If the optical connector plug is designed to be compact, then it can engage in the same space as related art, but it is difficult to incorporate a large coil spring with stop ring
Solution Approach 1:
The stop ring is designed with dual functionality: it serves as both a positioning element and a housing for the coil spring. The hollow cylindrical body of the stop ring simultaneously provides structural support and contains the biasing mechanism, eliminating the need for separate components and reducing overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the stop ring and coil spring into an integrated assembly where the stop ring's hollow body contains the spring. This combination reduces the number of separate parts and simplifies the overall structure while maintaining the necessary functions of both components.
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 design effectively provides the necessary spring force and stroke while maintaining a compact size, preventing inadvertent movement and ensuring high safety by consistently shielding the optical fiber end, even when connected or disconnected from the adapter.
Implementation Method 1
a biasing member (90) that biases the shutter holding member (22) to the front side with respect to the plug frame (30) is disposed in the housing (20)
Data Source
AI summary
An optical connector plug incorporates a coil spring to bias a shutter holding member to the front side of an axial direction with respect to a plug frame and minimizes the entire length. The plug has a housing that includes a grip member and a shutter holding member that move relatively in the axial direction and the plug frame has an extension state in which the grip member moves to the rear side of the axial direction of the shutter holding member and a reduction state in which the grip member moves to the front side of the axial direction of the shutter holding member. A biasing member that biases the shutter holding member to the front side of the axial direction with respect to the plug frame and a biasing member receiving member that is connected to the plug frame are provided.