Optical Receptacle Compliance Support for Connector Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fiber optic connectors require compliance mechanisms and moving parts to achieve alignment, which increases complexity and size, making them less suitable for consumer electronics applications where simplicity and durability are essential.
Innovation Solution
The optical receptacle assembly includes a compliance support interface between the housing and the optical receptacle, allowing for rotational and translational movement during insertion, thereby aligning the ferrule of the connector without the need for compliance features in the connector itself, using a monolithic design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If compliance mechanisms and moving parts are included in fiber optic connectors to achieve alignment, then alignment precision is improved, but device complexity and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional approach by placing compliance mechanisms in the receptacle rather than in the connector. The connector becomes a simple, rigid component while the receptacle contains the compliant elements that enable alignment during insertion. This inversion resolves the contradiction by achieving alignment precision through the receptacle's compliance features while keeping the connector simple and compact.
2Measurement precision
If compliance mechanisms and moving parts are included in fiber optic connectors to achieve alignment, then alignment precision is improved, but the size of the connector increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the compliance mechanisms from the connector and relocates them to the receptacle. This extraction allows the connector to be reduced to a simple, compact component without moving parts, while the receptacle assumes the role of providing alignment compliance. The alignment precision is maintained through the receptacle's compliant elements, but the connector size is significantly reduced.
3Device complexity
If a monolithic connector design is used without compliance features, then device simplicity and durability are improved, but alignment precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by inverting where compliance features are located. The connector is designed as a simple, monolithic component without compliance features, while the receptacle contains the compliant elements. During insertion, the receptacle's compliance mechanisms enable the connector to self-align, achieving alignment precision without compromising connector simplicity or durability.
Data Source
AI summary
Optical receptacles having compliance for facilitating alignment with fiber optic connectors during insertion, and related components, systems and methods are disclosed. In one example, an optical receptacle disposed in a receptacle optical assembly optically connects to a fiber optic component, for example, a ferrule, for facilitating transmission of an optical signal from the optical receptacle to the exemplary ferrule. A support interface between the optical receptacle and receptacle housing contains a compliance feature that permits the optical receptacle to move with respect to the receptacle housing during insertion of the fiber optic connector. An insertion force of the fiber optic connector causes the optical receptacle to be able to move into optical alignment with the connector during insertion of the fiber optic connector, thereby moving ferrule(s) of the fiber optic connector into optical alignment with the ferrule(s) of the optical receptacle.