JP2005010508A - Optical waveguide package - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical waveguide package capable of reducing a fluctuation in optical power. <P>SOLUTION: The optical waveguide package 10 is equipped with a housing 11, an optical waveguide coupler 12, and an elastic guide members 51, 62. The optical waveguide coupler 12 is provided with a waveguide device 20 and fiber arrays 21, 22 which are coupled with both end faces of the waveguide device 20. In the housing 11, a coupler storage part 15 for storing the optical waveguide coupler 12 is formed. The elastic guide members 51, 62 are composed of a material having rubber elasticity such as silicone and has notches 56, 66 formed so that optical fiber members 25, 35 can be inserted thereto from the peripheral side. Inside the housing 11, a sealing agent is filled. The elastic guide members 51, 62 are stored in the guide member storage parts 41, 42 at the end of the housing 11, for the purpose of stopping the leakage of the unhardened liquid sealing agent from the housing 11. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an optical waveguide package applied to an optical branching device or the like for optical communication.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In order for the optical waveguide assembly formed by joining the waveguide device and the fiber array to withstand temperature changes, vibrations, etc., the optical waveguide assembly is accommodated in the housing and filled with resin. By doing so, it has been proposed to seal the optical waveguide assembly. (For example, see Patent Document 1 below)
In the optical waveguide module described in Patent Document 1, the module main body is accommodated in the housing, and a jelly-like resin or the like is filled in the housing. Cylindrical protective covers are integrally formed at both ends of the housing, and optical fibers are inserted through through holes formed in these protective covers.
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-7-92342 [0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the case where the module main body is accommodated in the housing and filled with liquid resin as in the conventional example, if the diameter of the through hole is large, the resin in the housing leaks from the through hole to the outside. is there.
[0005]
If the diameter of the through hole is reduced, resin leakage can be prevented. However, if the diameter of the through hole is small, a part of the optical fiber is constrained by the inner surface of the through hole, and the optical waveguide coupling body is deformed by temperature change. It has been found that this causes the optical power to fluctuate. Further, it takes time to insert the optical fiber into the through hole, and there is a concern that the optical fiber may be broken or damaged during the operation.
[0006]
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an optical waveguide package that can suppress fluctuations in optical power and that is easy to manufacture.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
An optical waveguide package according to the present invention includes an optical waveguide combination formed by bonding a fiber array to an end face of a waveguide device on which an optical waveguide is formed, and a housing having a combined body accommodating portion in which the optical waveguide coupling is accommodated. And having a fiber insertion hole for inserting an optical fiber member made of an elastic material and being fixed to the fiber array, and having a notch capable of inserting the optical fiber member into the fiber insertion hole from the peripheral surface side. An elastic guide member accommodated in the housing and a sealing material filled in the housing are provided.
[0008]
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the elastic guide member is provided in a guide member accommodating portion at an end portion of the housing in order to prevent the sealing material from leaking from the housing.
[0009]
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the end portion of the elastic guide member protrudes to the outside of the housing, and the end portion has a tapered shape that becomes narrower toward the tip. The elastic guide member and the sealing material are made of, for example, a material having a hardness of not more than 50 ° durometer and an elastic modulus change in a temperature range of −40 ° C. to + 85 ° C. of not more than 30%, for example, silicone. The viscosity of the encapsulant before curing is desirably 1 Pa · s or less.
[0010]
When the optical fiber member is a tape-shaped optical fiber member in which a plurality of optical fibers are arranged in parallel to each other, the cut is formed along the direction in which the optical fibers of the optical fiber member are aligned, Alternatively, it is formed in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the optical fibers are arranged.
[0011]
The elastic guide member and the optical fiber member are preferably fixed to each other with an adhesive having the same hardness as the elastic guide member. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sealant is made of a material having the same rubber elasticity as that of the elastic guide member.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.
An optical waveguide package 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes a housing 11 and an optical waveguide combined body 12 accommodated in the housing 11.
[0013]
The housing 11 includes a housing main body 11a and a lid 11b. The housing body 11a and the lid 11b are both molded products of synthetic resin, but may be formed by machining a metal.
[0014]
The housing main body 11a is formed with a coupling body accommodating portion 15 formed of a recess having a size capable of accommodating the optical waveguide coupling body 12. The lid 11b is superimposed on the housing main body 11a so as to cover the combined body accommodation portion 15, and is fixed to the housing main body 11a with an adhesive or the like.
[0015]
As shown in FIG. 2, the optical waveguide combination 12 includes a waveguide device 20 in which an optical waveguide 19 is formed, a first fiber array 21, and a second fiber array 22. The optical waveguide 19 is formed so that the multi-core waveguide core 19b branches from the single-core waveguide core 19a, and the light incident from the single-core waveguide core 19a is equally applied to the multi-core waveguide core 19b. Can be distributed.
[0016]
The first fiber array 21 is bonded to one end face of the waveguide device 20 with a light curable adhesive having translucency. 1 and 2 indicates the joint. The second fiber array 22 is bonded to the other end face of the waveguide device 20 with a light curable adhesive having translucency. 1 and 2 indicates the joint.
[0017]
A single-core optical fiber member 25 is attached to the first fiber array 21. The optical fiber member 25 includes a single optical fiber 26 and a covering material 27 that covers the optical fiber 26.
[0018]
The end portion of the optical fiber member 25 is fixed to the first fiber array 21 with an adhesive 28 at a portion covered with the covering material 27. The distal end surface of the optical fiber 26 is optically connected to the waveguide core 19 a of the waveguide device 20.
[0019]
A tape-shaped multi-core optical fiber member 35 is attached to the second fiber array 22. The optical fiber member 35 includes a plurality of (for example, eight) optical fibers 36 arranged in parallel with each other and a covering material 37 that covers the optical fibers 36.
[0020]
The end portion of the optical fiber member 35 is fixed to the second fiber array 22 with an adhesive 38 at a portion covered with the covering material 37. The end face of each optical fiber 36 is optically connected to each waveguide core 19 b of the waveguide device 20.
[0021]
This optical waveguide coupling body 12 is accommodated in a coupling body accommodating portion 15 formed in the housing body 11a as shown in FIG. Guide member accommodating portions 41 and 42 are formed at both ends of the housing main body 11a, that is, at one end side and the other end side of the combined body accommodating portion 15, respectively.
[0022]
A spacer 40 (shown in FIG. 1) for positioning the optical waveguide assembly 12 in the thickness direction may be provided between the housing body 11a and the optical waveguide assembly 12. The spacer 40 preferably has mechanical properties equivalent to those of the sealing material 70 described later.
[0023]
A first weir 43 is formed between the one guide member housing part 41 and the combined body housing part 15. The first weir 43 is formed with a slit 44 through which the single-core optical fiber member 25 can be inserted from above in FIG. A second weir 45 is formed between the other guide member housing portion 42 and the combined body housing portion 15. The second weir 45 is formed with a recess 46 into which the multi-core optical fiber member 35 can be inserted from above in FIG.
[0024]
The first elastic guide member 51 is accommodated in one guide member accommodating portion 41. The elastic guide member 51 is made of a material having rubber elasticity such as silicone. The elastic guide member 51 is inserted between the first weir 43 and the end wall 52 of the housing body 11a, so that the elastic guide member 51 is held at a predetermined position without using an adhesive, and the slit 44 is guided to the guide member. The housing 41 is closed from the side.
[0025]
The first elastic guide member 51 has a fiber insertion hole 55 through which the single-core optical fiber member 25 can pass, and a notch 56 in which the optical fiber member 25 can be inserted into the fiber insertion hole 55 from the peripheral surface side. Is formed.
[0026]
After the optical fiber member 25 is inserted into the fiber insertion hole 55 from the cut 56, the inner surface of the cut 56 is fixed with an adhesive so that the cut 56 does not spread. Further, the outer peripheral surface of the optical fiber member 25 and the inner peripheral surface of the fiber insertion hole 55 are fixed to each other by an adhesive. The adhesive used here preferably has an elastic modulus (hardness) equivalent to that of the elastic guide member 51.
[0027]
An end portion 57 of the first elastic guide member 51 projects outward from an opening 58 on one end side of the housing 11. The end portion 57 has a tapered shape (for example, a truncated cone shape) that narrows toward the tip.
[0028]
A second elastic guide member 62 is accommodated in the other guide member accommodating portion 42. The elastic guide member 62 is made of the same material as the first elastic guide member 51. The elastic guide member 62 is inserted between the second weir 45 and the end wall 63 of the housing body 11a, so that the elastic guide member 62 is held at a predetermined position without using an adhesive, and the recess 46 is guided by the guide member. The housing 42 is closed from the side.
[0029]
The second elastic guide member 62 has a fiber insertion hole 65 through which the multi-core optical fiber member 35 can pass, and the optical fiber member 35 is inserted into the fiber insertion hole 65 from the peripheral surface side of the elastic guide member 62. A possible incision 66 is formed. This cut 66 is formed in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the optical fibers 36 of the multi-core optical fiber member 35 are arranged.
[0030]
After the optical fiber member 35 is inserted into the fiber insertion hole 65 from the notch 66, the inner surface of the notch 66 is fixed with an adhesive so that the notch 66 does not spread. Further, the outer peripheral surface of the optical fiber member 35 and the inner peripheral surface of the fiber insertion hole 65 are fixed to each other by an adhesive. The adhesive used here preferably has an elastic modulus (hardness) equivalent to that of the elastic guide member 62.
[0031]
The end portion 67 of the second elastic guide member 62 projects outward from the opening 68 on the other end side of the housing 11. The end 67 has a tapered shape that becomes narrower toward the tip.
[0032]
These elastic guide members 51 and 62 expand or contract when subjected to a temperature change, but it is necessary to apply as little stress as possible to the optical fibers 26 and 36 due to the temperature change. This is because, when stress is applied to the optical fibers 26 and 36, the optical fibers 26 and 36 are deformed and the optical power fluctuates.
[0033]
When a hard material is used for the elastic guide members 51 and 62, a large stress is applied to the optical fibers 26 and 36 when the elastic guide members 51 and 62 expand and contract. Therefore, it is desirable to use a soft material. Epoxy resins, synthetic rubbers, urethane resins, and the like have high elastic modulus at low temperatures, and give large stress to the optical fiber when contracted.
[0034]
For these reasons, the elastic guide members 51 and 62 are preferably made of a material such as silicone having a durometer of 50 ° or less and a change in elastic modulus in a temperature cycle of [−40 ° C. to + 85 ° C.] of 30% or less. ing.
[0035]
According to experiments conducted by the present inventors, when the durometer hardness of the elastic guide members 51 and 62 is 70 °, the fluctuation range of the optical power in the temperature cycle [−40 ° C. to + 85 ° C.] is 0. It was 7 dB. The fluctuation range when the durometer hardness was 50 ° was 0.4 dB, and when the durometer hardness was 30 °, it was 0.3 dB. From these facts, it was found that durometer hardness of 50 ° or less is necessary to satisfy the allowable value (within 0.4 dB) of the fluctuation range of optical power.
[0036]
The adhesive for fixing the first elastic guide member 51 and the optical fiber member 25 and the adhesive for fixing the second elastic guide member 62 and the optical fiber member 35 are also used for the optical fibers 26 and 36 due to temperature changes. In order to reduce the stress, for example, a material having a durometer of 50 ° or less and an elastic modulus change of 30% or less in a temperature range of [−40 ° C. to + 85 ° C.] such as silicone is used.
[0037]
As shown in FIG. 4, the inside of the housing body 11a is filled with the sealing material 70 without a gap. When the sealing material 70 is cured inside the housing 11, the optical waveguide assembly 12 is sealed at a predetermined position in the housing main body 11a. By this sealing material 70, the influence of the temperature change outside the housing 11, the influence of vibration, etc. on the optical waveguide coupler 12 is alleviated.
[0038]
The sealing material 70 is made of a rubber elastic material having the same hardness as the elastic guide members 51 and 62 in order to reduce the stress of the waveguide device 20 and the optical fibers 26 and 36 when a temperature change occurs. The For example, a material such as silicone (silicon rubber) having a durometer of 50 ° or less and a change in elastic modulus in a temperature cycle of [−40 ° C. to + 85 ° C.] of 30% or less is suitable.
[0039]
In addition, the viscosity before the sealing material 70 is cured is suitably low viscosity (1 Pa · s or less) so that the sealing material 70 is sufficiently dispersed inside the housing 11. If the sealing material 70 has a low viscosity, bubbles are not mixed when injected into the housing body 11a, and the inside of the housing body 11a can be evenly filled.
[0040]
Next, the manufacturing process of the optical waveguide package 10 will be described.
In this case, since the optical fiber members 25 and 35 are fixed to the housing 11 via the elastic guide members 51 and 62, even if the optical fiber members 25 and 35 are pulled, excessive tension is applied to the optical waveguide assembly 12. In addition, the optical waveguide combination 12 does not move inside the housing 11.
[0041]
Further, since the end portions 57 and 67 of the elastic guide members 51 and 62 are formed in a tapered shape, when the optical fiber members 25 and 35 are bent, the end portions 57 and 57 of the elastic guide members 51 and 62 are bent. By bending 67 with an appropriate curvature radius, the optical fiber members 25 and 35 can be prevented from being bent or broken.
[0042]
As shown in FIG. 4, a liquid sealing material 70 before curing is filled in the housing body 11a. The elastic guide members 51 and 62 are accommodated in the guide member accommodating portions 41 and 42 at the end portion of the housing 11 in order to prevent the sealing material 70 before curing from leaking from the combined body accommodating portion 15. Even the liquid sealing material 70 having a low density can be uniformly filled in the housing 11 without leaking.
[0043]
After the sealing material 70 is filled, the housing body 11a is covered with a lid 11b as shown in FIG. 5, and the lid 11b is fixed to the housing body 11a with an adhesive or the like. When the sealing material 70 is a thermosetting type, a curing process is performed by an oven.
[0044]
6, the notch 66 of the elastic guide member 62 may be formed along the direction in which the optical fibers 36 of the multi-core optical fiber member 35 are arranged. With such an elastic guide member 62, the optical fiber member 35 can be easily inserted into the fiber insertion hole 65 from the notch 66.
[0045]
In practicing the present invention, the constituent elements of the present invention such as the waveguide device, the fiber array, the elastic guide member, and the sealing material constituting the optical waveguide combined body as well as the housing of the optical waveguide package are summarized in the gist of the present invention. Needless to say, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.
[0046]
【The invention's effect】
ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it can suppress that a stress arises in an optical fiber by a temperature change etc., and can reduce the change of optical power. Moreover, it can prevent that a sealing material leaks from a housing.
[0047]
In addition, since the elastic guide member is formed with a notch that allows the optical fiber member to be inserted from the peripheral surface side, the optical fiber member can be easily passed through the fiber insertion hole of the elastic guide member, and light can be guided into the housing. The assembly of the waveguide coupled body can be easily performed.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an optical waveguide package showing an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of an optical waveguide combination of the optical waveguide package shown in FIG.
3 is a perspective view showing a state in which an optical waveguide combined body is accommodated in a casing body of the optical waveguide package shown in FIG. 1. FIG.
4 is a perspective view of a state where a casing body of the optical waveguide package shown in FIG. 1 is filled with a sealing material. FIG.
5 is a perspective view of the optical waveguide package shown in FIG. 1 with a cover on the casing body. FIG.
FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of an optical waveguide package showing another embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Optical waveguide package 11 ... Housing 12 ... Optical waveguide coupling body 19 ... Optical waveguide 20 ... Waveguide device 21,22 ... Fiber array 25 ... Optical fiber member 26 ... Optical fiber 35 ... Optical fiber member 36 ... Optical fiber 51 ... Elasticity Guide member 56 ... notch 62 ... elastic guide member 66 ... notch 70 ... sealing material

Claims (11)

An optical waveguide combination formed by bonding a fiber array to an end face of a waveguide device in which an optical waveguide is formed;
A housing having a coupling body accommodating portion in which the optical waveguide coupling body is accommodated;
The housing has a fiber insertion hole made of a material having elasticity and through which an optical fiber member fixed to the fiber array is inserted, and has a notch into which the optical fiber member can be inserted into the fiber insertion hole from the peripheral surface side. An elastic guide member housed in
A sealing material filled in the housing;
An optical waveguide package comprising: The optical waveguide package according to claim 1, wherein the elastic guide member is provided in a guide member accommodating portion at an end of the housing so as to prevent the sealing material from leaking from the housing. 3. The optical waveguide package according to claim 1, wherein an end portion of the elastic guide member protrudes to the outside of the housing, and the end portion is tapered toward the tip thereof. 4. The elastic guide member according to claim 1, wherein the elastic guide member is made of a material having a durometer of 50 [deg.] Or less and an elastic modulus change in a temperature range of -40 [deg.] C. to +85 [deg.] C. of 30% or less. 2. An optical waveguide package according to item 1. The optical waveguide package according to claim 4, wherein the elastic guide member is made of silicone. The optical fiber member is a tape-like optical fiber member in which a plurality of optical fibers are arranged in parallel to each other, and the cut of the elastic guide member into which the optical fiber member is inserted is an optical fiber of the optical fiber member The optical waveguide package according to claim 1, wherein the optical waveguide package is formed along a direction in which the two are arranged. The optical fiber member is a tape-like optical fiber member in which a plurality of optical fibers are arranged in parallel to each other, and the cut of the elastic guide member into which the optical fiber member is inserted is an optical fiber of the optical fiber member The optical waveguide package according to claim 1, wherein the optical waveguide package is formed in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the two are arranged. 2. The optical waveguide package according to claim 1, wherein the elastic guide member and the optical fiber member are fixed to each other with an adhesive having a hardness equivalent to that of the elastic guide member. 2. The optical waveguide package according to claim 1, wherein the sealing material is made of a material having a durometer of 50 ° or less and an elastic modulus change in a temperature range of −40 ° C. to + 85 ° C. of 30% or less. . The optical waveguide package according to claim 9, wherein the sealing material is made of silicone. The optical waveguide package according to claim 9, wherein the sealing material has a viscosity before curing of 1 Pa · s or less.

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