Overmolded Optical Coupler for LED-Fiber Alignment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In the automotive industry, connecting a light-emitting diode (LED) to a bundle of optical fibers while isolating the LED from the external environment is challenging, especially when using existing connection boxes that do not facilitate easy assembly and disassembly or ensure a waterproof seal.
Innovation Solution
A connection box made of thermoplastic or thermosetting material with cylindrical sleeves for the LED and ferrule, featuring an overmolded optical coupler that aligns with the sleeves' axis to distribute light uniformly and adjust the light angle, ensuring effective light propagation and mechanical alignment without requiring additional assembly of the optical coupler.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a separate mounting process for the optical coupler is used, then the alignment precision between LED and fiber bundle is improved, but the device complexity and assembly steps increase
Solution Approach 1:
The optical coupler is integrated directly into the connection box housing through overmolding, merging two previously separate components (housing and optical coupler) into a single unified structure. This eliminates the need for separate mounting of the optical coupler while maintaining precise alignment, as the optical coupler is permanently fixed in the correct position during the housing manufacturing process itself.
2Reliability
If the connection box isolates the LED from external environment, then the reliability is improved, but the assembly and disassembly ease deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The connection box is divided into separable components: the housing containing the optical coupler remains fixed and sealed, while the LED assembly and fiber bundle assembly can be independently inserted and removed through their respective sleeves. This segmentation allows the housing to maintain its waterproof seal while enabling easy assembly and disassembly of the removable components without compromising the sealed enclosure.
3Ease of operation
If cylindrical sleeves are used for LED and ferrule connection, then the ease of operation is improved, but the manufacturing precision of alignment may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The optical coupler acts as an intermediary component that ensures precise alignment between the LED and fiber bundle. The cylindrical sleeves provide easy insertion and removal operations, while the optical coupler, fixed in the housing, serves as the alignment reference that guarantees accurate optical axis alignment between the LED and fiber bundle during the assembly process.
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
The solution allows for easy assembly and disassembly of the LED and ferrule, maintains alignment, and provides a waterproof seal, ensuring efficient light distribution and propagation while isolating the LED from external environmental factors.
Implementation Method 1
The function of the optical coupler is to homogeneously distribute a luminous flux produced by the light-emitting diode over all the fibers making up the bundle
Implementation Method 2
adjust below a pre-established threshold an angle of penetration of light rays into the fibers so as to ensure good propagation of the light by successive reflection on internal walls of each of the fibers
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
Figure 6~7
AI summary
Connection housing (1) made of thermoplastic or thermosetting material comprising, on one of its walls (10), a first cylindrical connecting sleeve (110), with axis XX', for receiving, from a first face (11) of said wall (10) of the housing (1), a light-emitting diode (3), and a second cylindrical connecting sleeve (120), with the same axis (XX') as the first connecting sleeve (110), for receiving, from a second face (12) of said wall (10) of the housing (1) opposite the first face (11), a ferrule (20) cleaved around one end of a bundle (2) of fibers (200), characterized in that an optical coupler (4), whose optical axis coincides with the axis (XX') of the first (110) and the second (120) connecting sleeve, is overmolded in the housing (1) between the first (110) and the second (120) connecting sleeve.