Splice Module Guide Pins for Fiber Optic Cable Stress Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fiber optic cable splicing modules face mechanical loading issues, particularly with pivotable designs, which can cause undesirable tensile and bending stresses on fiber optic cables, leading to potential losses and damage.
Innovation Solution
A splice module design featuring guide pins arranged at an angle to the fiber optic cable direction, providing a comb-like structure with spaced pins that allow patch cables to be inserted perpendicular to their longitudinal direction, reducing severe curvature and tensile stresses, while also offering protection against light signals and easy management of cables.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If pivotable splice modules are used to provide access to patch points, then ease of operation is improved, but mechanical stress on fiber optic cables increases causing tensile and bending stresses
Solution Approach 1:
Guide pins are introduced as intermediary elements between the pivotable drawer mechanism and the fiber optic cables. These guide pins constrain the movement path of the drawer, ensuring that cables are guided along a controlled trajectory that minimizes bending radius violations and tensile stress during extension and retraction operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide pins extend in a direction perpendicular to the drawer movement plane, creating a three-dimensional guiding structure. This vertical arrangement of guide pins (with different heights) provides spatial constraints that prevent excessive cable bending while allowing smooth drawer operation.
2Strength
If guide structures with elements moving at reduced speed are used, then cable bending protection is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide pins serve multiple functions simultaneously: they guide cable movement, constrain drawer motion, prevent excessive bending, and reduce tensile stress. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate dedicated cable protection mechanisms, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining cable protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide pins are positioned at specific heights and spacings that optimize cable protection. The vertical spacing between guide pins at different heights is carefully controlled to ensure cables maintain adequate bend radius during drawer movement, while the horizontal spacing is optimized to guide cables smoothly without excessive tension.
3Ease of operation
If patch points are arranged side by side at an angle to cable direction, then ease of operation for cable management is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patch points are arranged asymmetrically relative to the drawer movement direction, with the row of patch points oriented at an angle to the cable transmission direction. This asymmetric arrangement, combined with the angled guide pin configuration, optimizes cable routing efficiency and reduces cable stress while maintaining compact module dimensions.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a splice module 1 for fiber optic cables with bend protection guide pins 7a-12b for patch cables 3.