Secure SC Optical Connector Anti-Snag Guide and Removal Tool
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Solution Overview
Problem
Optical connectors face issues with unauthorized disconnection and snagging during installation or removal, particularly in civilian and military applications, where security and prevention of accidental disconnection are critical.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates an anti-snag guide and color-coded features on the connector body, requiring a specific removal tool with matching keyway configuration to unlock and remove the optical plug, ensuring secure connection and preventing unauthorized access or snagging by utilizing a single-body push-pull mechanism with apertures and prongs for secure locking and unlocking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a standard SC connector with outer shroud is used, then ease of operation is improved, but security against unauthorized disconnection deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
A removal tool serves as an intermediary device between the operator and the connector. The tool must be inserted through apertures in the back plate to actuate the release mechanism, preventing direct access to the latch arms while enabling controlled removal by authorized personnel with the proper tool.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector is segmented into distinct functional components: a back plate with apertures, latch arms, and a release mechanism. This segmentation allows the release mechanism to be protected from direct access while maintaining functional independence, requiring the intermediary removal tool to bridge the gap between external access and internal mechanism actuation.
2Ease of operation
If direct access to latch arms is provided, then ease of operation is improved, but prevention of forced de-latching deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The removal tool acts as an intermediary that transmits force from the operator to the release mechanism through the apertures. This intermediary structure prevents direct manual manipulation of the latch arms while allowing controlled actuation of the release mechanism, thereby preventing forced de-latching attempts.
Solution Approach 2:
The apertures in the back plate preliminarily block access to the release mechanism, creating a protective barrier before any de-latching attempt occurs. This preliminary anti-action prevents both unauthorized removal and forced de-latching by requiring the proper removal tool to be inserted through the apertures to access the internal mechanism.
3Ease of operation
If optical plug has exposed surfaces, then ease of operation is improved, but snagging on edges and corners deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The boot acts as a flexible protective shell that covers and smooths the transition zones of the optical plug. This flexible covering prevents snagging on edges and corners during cable movement while maintaining the structural integrity and operational functionality of the connector components.
Solution Approach 2:
The boot provides a curved, streamlined exterior that eliminates sharp edges and corners on the optical plug. This spheroidal or curved surface profile allows the cable and connector to move smoothly around bends and corners without snagging, while the boot maintains its shape to protect the underlying components.
4Reliability
If color-coded features and specific removal tools are used, then security against unauthorized removal is improved, but device complexity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Color-coded features on the connector body and corresponding removal tools provide visual identification and matching codes. This color-coding system enables authorized personnel to quickly identify the correct removal tool for each connector type, enhancing security against unauthorized removal while maintaining relative simplicity through intuitive visual cues rather than complex mechanical keying systems.
Data Source
AI summary
An optical plug having an anti-snag guide to prevent the plug from being caught on corners and edges when an attached cable is being pulled around corners and edges during installation and removal of the optical plug. The optical plug includes a unique arrangement of different width apertures corresponding to a removal tool having corresponding different width prongs to be received by the apertures to release the optical plug from an optical receptacle.