Selective UV Curing of Epoxy in Multi-Core Fiber Ferrules
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge lies in precisely clocking and affixing multi-core fibers within connectors, particularly in array type connectors, where slight misalignment leads to significant attenuation and increased production costs due to defective connectors.
Innovation Solution
A method using a UV light source and light guide to partially cure epoxy around each clocked multi-core fiber, ensuring precise angular positioning and secure attachment within the ferrule, allowing for individual alignment and fixation of each fiber before moving to the next.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional flooding epoxy method is used, then the process is simple and fast, but alignment precision deteriorates due to inability to selectively cure individual fibers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the curing process into individual fiber-level segments. Instead of curing all fibers simultaneously with flood epoxy, the system enables selective curing of each fiber core independently through the cladding, allowing precise alignment verification and adjustment between fibers while maintaining a relatively simple overall process.
Solution Approach 2:
The cladding layer serves as an intermediary medium that transmits UV curing energy from the epoxy-cured fiber to the uncured epoxy surrounding adjacent fibers. This intermediary mechanism enables indirect, selective curing without requiring direct UV access to each fiber, resolving the contradiction between precision and complexity.
2Manufacturing precision
If selective individual fiber curing is implemented, then alignment precision improves, but production time increases due to sequential processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by first embedding all fibers in epoxy before any curing occurs. This preliminary epoxy application establishes the physical framework and allows subsequent selective curing without requiring re-positioning or re-application steps, maintaining efficiency while enabling precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The curing process employs periodic action by sequentially activating UV sources for individual fibers or groups of fibers rather than continuous flood curing. This periodic selective curing allows verification and adjustment between steps while maintaining overall process efficiency through systematic progression.
3Productivity
If flood epoxy with simultaneous curing is used, then production efficiency is high, but reliability deteriorates due to misalignment risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the curing operation into controllable individual fiber events while maintaining efficient batch epoxy application. This segmentation allows verification of each fiber's alignment and clocking independently, ensuring connection reliability without sacrificing the efficiency benefits of batch processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The selective curing mechanism provides feedback capability, allowing verification of proper curing and alignment for each fiber before proceeding to the next. This feedback loop ensures that misalignment issues are detected and corrected early, maintaining high reliability while preserving production efficiency through systematic verification.
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 approach enhances the precision and efficiency of multi-core fiber connectorization, reducing the likelihood of misalignment and subsequent attenuation, thereby minimizing resource wastage and production costs.
Implementation Method 1
transmitting UV energy through the fiber cladding
Implementation Method 2
selective UV curing of epoxy adjacent to optical fibers
Implementation Method 3
A light source and light guide are provided
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for affixing multi-core fiber (MCF) within a ferrule includes a UV light source and a light guide. MCFs are placed into epoxy filled holders, e.g., channels or v-grooves, of a ferrule. A first MCF in a first holder is clocked to orient its cores to a desired position. The light source is activated, and the light from the light guide is launched into an outer layer of the first MCF, like the cladding layer or a dedicated light carrying layer. The light in the outer layer will stay in the outer layer until it reaches the portion of the first MCF in contact with the epoxy, even if the light is launched from the far end of the fiber remote from the holder. At the holder, the light will leak out due to the similarity in the index of refraction. The leaking light will at least partially cure the epoxy to affix the first MCF within the first holder. The process may then be repeated for the remaining MCFs, so that each MCF may be clocked and affixed selectively rather than collectively.