JP2013140210A - Optical module - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical module that prevents a circuit board and a component in a housing from being damaged due to the vibration of the circuit board when external force is applied.SOLUTION: Inside a housing 31, a vibration regulation member 44 is provided near a face on one end side of a circuit board 33, so that, when application of external force makes the circuit board 33 vibrate, the vibration regulation member 44 comes into contact with the circuit board 33 to regulate vibration. Thus, the vibration can be suppressed without damage to the circuit board 33, to prevents the circuit board 33 and a component in the housing 31 from being damaged due to the vibration of the circuit board 33.

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical module in which a connector portion is provided at an end portion of an optical cable.

2. Description of the Related Art An optical module is known in which an optical signal transmitted through an optical cable is photoelectrically converted and an electrical connector that can be connected to an external device is provided (for example, see Patent Document 1).
In such an optical module described in Patent Document 1, there is one in which an electrical connector is attached to one end side of a circuit board provided with an element for photoelectrically converting an optical signal.

JP 2010-010254 A

By the way, in the optical module as described above, when the electrical connector is supported by the housing portion of the optical module such as a housing, for example, when vibration is generated in the housing portion by applying an external force, the vibration is generated. May propagate to the circuit board through the electrical connector.
At this time, the other end side of the circuit board may vibrate with a larger amplitude than the one end side provided with the electrical connector, and the circuit board comes into contact with other components in the housing. There is a risk that damaged parts will be damaged.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an optical module capable of preventing damage to a circuit board, components in a housing, and the like due to vibration of the circuit board when an external force is applied.

  The optical module of the present invention capable of solving the above-described problems is an optical module in which a connector portion is provided at an end portion of an optical cable including an optical fiber, and the connector portion is optically connected to the optical fiber. A circuit board having an electrical connector attached to one end thereof, a housing that supports the electrical connector so that it can be connected to an external device, and a housing provided inside the housing, And a vibration regulating member arranged to regulate vibration amplitude on the other end side of the circuit board caused by a position variation of the electrical connector provided on one end side of the circuit board while being spaced apart from each other. It is characterized by.

  Further, in the optical module of the present invention, a separation width between the vibration regulating member and the circuit board is 100 μm or more from the circuit board, and is the highest member mounted on the other end side of the circuit board. It is preferable that the width is smaller than the distance between the housing and the housing.

  In the optical module of the present invention, it is preferable that the vibration regulating member is formed by folding a part of the wall surface of the housing.

  In the optical module of the present invention, it is preferable that the vibration regulating member is provided so as to be elastically deformable when the one surface of the other end side of the circuit board comes into contact.

  In the optical module according to the aspect of the invention, the vibration regulating member may include a facing portion that faces the one surface on the other end side of the circuit board, and a surface on the other end side of the circuit board that contacts the facing portion. It is preferable to have an elastically deformable support portion.

  In the optical module of the present invention, it is preferable that the electrical connector is supported by the housing via an elastically deformable sealing member.

  Furthermore, in the optical module of the present invention, it is preferable that an elastic body is provided between the vibration regulating member and the one surface on the other end side of the circuit board.

  According to the optical module of the present invention, even when the circuit board vibrates due to an external force applied, the vibration of the circuit board can be suppressed by the vibration restricting member. Etc. can be prevented from being damaged.

1 is a perspective view of an optical module according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing of an optical cable. It is a disassembled perspective view of a connector module. It is sectional drawing along the longitudinal direction of an optical module. (A) is a top view of the connection part of an optical cable and a connector module, (B) is a side view of a circuit board. It is sectional drawing to which the rear end side of the housing in the optical module which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention was expanded.

Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of an optical module according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
(First embodiment)
As shown in FIG. 1, the optical module 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes an optical cable 20 and a connector module (connector unit) 30 attached to an end of the optical cable 20.
The optical module 10 can be used for transmission of signals (data) in optical communication technology and the like, and is electrically connected to an electronic device such as a connected personal computer, and converts input / output electric signals into optical signals. The optical signal is transmitted.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the optical cable 20 has an optical fiber ribbon 21 at the center seen in the cross section. The optical fiber ribbon 21 is obtained by integrating a plurality (four in this example) of optical fibers 22 (optical fibers) 22 in parallel on a plane and integrating them in a tape shape with a coating resin. The optical fiber ribbon 21 is accommodated inside the inner tube 23.
An intervening layer 24 is provided around the inner tube 23 along with a bundle of tensile strength fibers 241. A metal layer 25 made of a plurality of metal strands is provided on the outer periphery of the intervening layer 24. A jacket 26 made of an insulating resin is provided on the outer periphery of the metal layer 25.

As the optical fiber core 22, an optical fiber (AGF: All Glass Fiber) whose core and clad are quartz glass, an optical fiber (HPCF: Hard Plastic Clad Fiber) whose clad is made of hard plastic, and the like can be used. When a thin HPCF having a glass core diameter of 80 μm is used, it is difficult to break even if the optical fiber core wire 22 is bent to a small diameter.
The plurality of optical fiber core wires 22 can be accommodated in the inner tube 23 as a single core without being taped. However, when the optical fiber core wires 22 are taped, the single optical fiber core wires 22 cross each other and the lateral pressure is increased. The occurrence of microbend loss due to this can be prevented. A plurality of optical fiber ribbons 21 may be provided.

The inner tube 23 is made of an insulating resin such as PVC (Polyvinylchloride) which is a non-halogen flame retardant resin. For example, the inner tube 23 has an outer diameter of 2.0 mm and a thickness of 0.55 mm.
The intervening layer 24 is, for example, an ultrafine-diameter aramid fiber, and is built in the optical cable 20 in a bundled state. The intervening layer 24 has a tensile strength function in the optical cable 20.

The metal layer 25 is formed by braiding a plurality of tin-plated conductive wires, for example, and has a function as a heat dissipation layer. The braid density of the metal layer 25 is 70% or more, and the knitting angle is 45 ° to 60 °. The outer diameter of the metal wire constituting the metal layer 25 is about 0.05 mm. The thermal conductivity of the metal layer 25 is 400 W / m · K, for example. The metal layer 25 is preferably arranged at a high density in order to ensure good heat conduction. For example, the metal layer 25 is preferably composed of a rectangular tin-plated lead wire.
The jacket 26 is made of an insulating resin such as polyolefin. The jacket 26 has, for example, an outer diameter of 4.2 mm and a thickness of 0.5 mm.
The optical cable 20 having such a configuration is excellent in lateral pressure characteristics of the optical fiber core wire 22 and flexibility as a cable, and is also excellent in heat dissipation.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the connector module 30 includes a housing 31, an electrical connector 32 provided on the front end (left end in FIG. 1) side of the housing 31, and a circuit board 33 (see FIG. 3) accommodated in the housing 31. It has.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the housing 31 includes a metal housing 311 and a resin housing 312. A fixing member 35 that fixes the optical cable 20 is attached to the rear end of the metal housing 311.

  The metal housing 311 includes a housing portion main body 311a having a U-shaped section opened downward and a base plate (wall surface) 311b having a U-shaped section opened upward, and has an internal space S for housing the circuit board 33 and the like. Form. An electrical connector 32 is provided on the front end side of the metal housing 311, and a fixing member 35 is attached on the rear end side of the metal housing 311. In the present embodiment, the metal housing 311 is made of a metal material having high thermal conductivity (preferably 100 W / m · K or more) such as steel (Fe-based), tin (tin-plated copper), stainless steel, copper, brass, and aluminum. It is formed and plays a role of radiating heat generated from the circuit board 33 and the like to the outside.

The resin housing 312 is made of a resin material such as polycarbonate and covers the metal housing 311.
The boot 36 is connected to the rear end portion of the resin housing 312 and covers the fixing member 35 attached to the rear end portion of the metal housing 311. The rear end portion of the boot 36 and the outer cover 26 of the optical cable 20 are bonded with an adhesive (not shown).

  The fixing member 35 has a plate-like base portion 351 and a cylindrical tube portion 352. The cylindrical portion 352 has a substantially cylindrical shape and is provided so as to protrude rearward from the base portion 351. The cylindrical portion 352 holds a part (the jacket 26 and the metal layer 25) of the optical cable 20 with the caulking ring 353 (see FIG. 4) extending rearward from both sides of the base portion 351.

  The fixing member 35 holds and fixes the optical cable 20 in which the outer cover 26 is removed from the end surface to a certain length and the inner metal layer 25 is exposed. More specifically, the intervening layer 24 of the optical cable 20, the inner tube 23, and the optical fiber ribbon 21 are inserted into the cylindrical portion 352 of the fixing member 35, and outside the cylindrical portion 352, The jacket 26 and the metal layer 25 are disposed along the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 352. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the extra length portion of the metal layer 25 extending from the end surface of the outer cover 26 is folded back at the end surface of the outer cover 26 and arranged along the outer surface of the outer cover 26.

  The caulking ring 353 extending from both sides of the base portion 351 is pressed against the tubular portion 352 (caulked against the tubular portion 352). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the jacket 26 and the metal layer 25 are sandwiched between the cylindrical portion 352 and the caulking ring 353.

  The electrical connector 32 is a component that is inserted into an external device (such as a personal computer) and electrically connects the device and the optical module 10, and extends forward from the front end (left end in FIG. 4) of the housing 31. It is provided to protrude. In this example, the electrical connector 32 is in contact with the housing 31 via the sealing member 45. The sealing member 45 is a rectangular frame member made of an elastically deformable material such as rubber, and is provided between the electrical connector 32 and the resin housing 312. Both the metal housing 311 and the electrical connector 32 are provided in contact with the sealing member 45. With this configuration, dust is prevented from entering between the metal housing 311 and the resin housing 312 and an external force is applied to the optical module 30 in a state where the electrical connector 32 is connected to an external device. Even so, since the external force is absorbed by the sealing member 45 having a small Young's modulus, damage to the metal housing 311 can be prevented.

  A contact terminal 321 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) is provided on the rear end side of the electrical connector 32. The contact terminal 321 is soldered to the front end side of the circuit board 33. Thereby, the electrical connector 32 is electrically connected to the circuit board 33.

  The circuit board 33 is accommodated in the internal space S of the metal housing 311. As shown in FIG. 5, a control semiconductor 38 and a light emitting / receiving element 39 (optical element) are mounted on the circuit board 33. The circuit board 33 electrically connects the control semiconductor 38 and the light emitting / receiving element 39. The circuit board 33 has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view and has a predetermined thickness. The circuit substrate 33 is an insulating substrate such as a glass epoxy substrate or a ceramic substrate, and circuit wiring is formed on the surface or inside thereof by gold (Au), aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), or the like. . The control semiconductor 38 and the light emitting / receiving element 39 constitute a photoelectric conversion unit. A heat radiation sheet 43 (see FIG. 3) is disposed between the circuit board 33 and the metal housing 311.

  The control semiconductor 38 includes a drive IC (Integrated Circuit) 381, a CDR (Clock Data Recovery) device 382 that is a waveform shaper, and the like. The control semiconductor 38 is disposed on the front end side of the mounting surface 331 on the circuit board 33. The control semiconductor 38 is electrically connected to the electrical connector 32.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the light emitting / receiving element 39 includes a plurality (two in this example) of light emitting elements 391 and a plurality (two in this example) of light receiving elements 392. The light emitting element 391 and the light receiving element 392 are disposed on the rear end side of the mounting surface 331 on the circuit board 33. As the light emitting element 391, for example, a light emitting diode (LED), a laser diode (LD), a surface emitting laser (VCSEL) can be used. As the light receiving element 392, for example, a photodiode (PD: Photo Diode) can be used.

  The light receiving / emitting element 39 is optically connected to the optical fiber core wire 22 of the optical cable 20. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5B, a lens array component 41 is arranged on the circuit board 33 so as to cover the light emitting / receiving element 39 and the driving IC 381. A connector part 42 is positioned and fixed to the lens array part 41. The connector part 42 is fixed with the end portions of a plurality (four in this example) of the optical fiber cores 22 separated from the optical fiber tape core 21 into a single core.

  More specifically, the end portion of the optical fiber core wire 22 inserted into each of a plurality of (four in this example) through holes provided in the connector part 42 is formed on the surface of the connector part 42. It is bonded and fixed in a provided recess (not shown). Note that at least a portion of the end portion 221 of the optical fiber core wire 22 inserted into the through hole of the connector part 42 has the coating resin removed to expose the optical fiber.

  The lens array component 41 has a plurality of lens surfaces 412 formed on a surface facing the connector component 42 and on a surface facing the light emitting element 391 and the light receiving element 392. In addition, a reflection surface 411 is formed in the center of the upper surface of the lens array component 41 along the width direction. The light emitted from the light emitting element 391 enters the lens array component 41 through the lens surface 412 formed on the opposing surface. The light incident on the lens array component 41 is reflected by the reflecting surface 411, and then the corresponding optical fiber core fixed to the connector component 42 by the lens surface 412 formed on the surface facing the connector component 42. Optically coupled to the end face of line 22.

  On the other hand, the light emitted from the end face of the optical fiber core wire 22 enters the lens array component 41 through the corresponding lens surface 412. The light incident on the lens array component 41 is reflected by the reflecting surface 411 and then received by the light receiving element 392 through the lens surface 412 formed on the surface facing the light receiving element 392. That is, the plurality of optical fiber core wires 22 fixed to the connector part 42 and the light emitting / receiving element 39 are optically connected via the lens array part 41. The plurality of lens surfaces 412 formed on each surface of the lens array component 41 are, for example, collimating lenses that emit incident diffused light as parallel light and collect and emit incident parallel light. . Such a lens array component 41 is integrally molded by, for example, resin injection molding.

  In the optical module 10 having the above configuration, when an electrical signal is input via the electrical connector 32, the control semiconductor 38 receives the electrical signal via the wiring of the circuit board 33. The electric signal input to the control semiconductor 38 is output to the light emitting / receiving element 39 from the control semiconductor 38 via the wiring of the circuit board 33 after the level is adjusted and the waveform shaping is performed by the CDR device 382. . The light emitting / receiving element 39 to which the electric signal is input converts the electric signal into an optical signal and emits the optical signal from the light emitting element 391 to the optical fiber core wire 22.

  The optical signal transmitted through the optical cable 20 is incident on the light receiving element 392. The light emitting / receiving element 39 converts the incident optical signal into an electrical signal, and outputs this electrical signal to the control semiconductor 38 via the wiring of the circuit board 33. The control semiconductor 38 performs a predetermined process on the electrical signal and then outputs the electrical signal to the electrical connector 32.

  By the way, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the optical module 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention has an opposing portion 441 and a support on the inner side (upper surface) of the base plate 311 b of the metal housing 311 inside the housing 31. A vibration regulating member 44 composed of a portion 442 is provided. In the vibration regulating member 44, the facing portion 441 is close to the back surface of the rear end side (the other end side) of the circuit board 33 in the normal state, that is, the facing portion 441 is spaced from the back surface of the circuit board 33. Facing each other. For this reason, even if the housing 31 vibrates due to an external impact or the like, the vibration is not transmitted from the vibration regulating member 44 to the circuit board 33. In addition, when an external force is applied to the optical module 30 in a state where the electrical connector 32 is connected to an external device, the rear end side of the circuit board 33 may be violated in the vertical direction. At this time, by forming a predetermined gap between the vibration regulating member 44 and the circuit board 33, it is possible to prevent excessive stress from being concentrated on the circuit board 33 and being damaged. From such a viewpoint, it is preferable that the vibration regulating member 44 and the circuit board 33 are separated from each other by 100 μm or more.

  On the other hand, even when the circuit board 33 vibrates up and down due to, for example, an external force applied, if the amplitude of vibration exceeds a certain width, the rear surface of the rear end of the circuit board 33 contacts the opposing portion 441 of the vibration regulating member 44. Therefore, the vibration of the circuit board 33 is regulated by the vibration regulating member 44. At this time, the support portion 442 of the vibration regulating member 44 preferably absorbs the vibration of the circuit board 33 while being elastically deformed, so that excessive stress can be prevented from being concentrated on the circuit board 33 and being damaged. it can. Further, since the amplitude due to the vibration of the circuit board 33 is regulated by the separation width between the vibration regulating member 44 and the circuit board 33, the lens array component 41 and the connector component 42 mounted on the circuit board are attached to the metal housing 311. It is possible to prevent the optical coupling portion from changing due to contact. From the above viewpoint, the separation width between the vibration regulating member 44 and the circuit board 33 is such that the rear end of the circuit board 33 having the largest amplitude when the front end side of the circuit board 33 is supported by the electrical connector 32. It is preferably smaller than the separation width between the metal housing 311 and the tallest member (in the present embodiment, the lens array component 41 and the connector component 42) mounted on the end side. As an example, the separation width is 400 μm or less.

  In this example, the vibration regulating member 44 is formed by cutting and folding a part of the base plate 311b as a wall surface. Therefore, the number of parts can be reduced as compared to providing separate parts. In addition, the vibration regulating member 44 of the present example is configured so that the facing portion 441 facing the rear surface on the rear end side of the circuit board 33 and the support portion 442 that supports the facing portion 441 have an L-shaped longitudinal section. Has been placed.

  As described above, the optical module 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is provided with the vibration regulating member 44 as described above on the base plate 311b of the metal housing 311. For example, when the external force is applied, the circuit board 33 is provided. Even when the amplitude of vibration exceeds a certain width, the back surface of the rear end portion of the circuit board 33 comes into contact with the opposing portion 441 of the vibration regulating member 44, so that the vibration regulating member 44 causes the circuit board 33 to vibrate. Be regulated. At this time, the support portion 442 of the vibration regulating member 44 absorbs the vibration of the circuit board 33 while being elastically deformed. Thereby, since the rear end side of the circuit board 33 does not contact the vibration restricting member 44 in a slight vibration, concentration of stress on the circuit board 33 due to contact with the vibration restricting member 44 can be prevented. In addition, when the rear end side of the circuit board 33 vibrates more than a certain amount due to a change in the position of the electrical connector or the like, the rear end side comes into contact with the vibration regulating member 44, so that the vibration regulating member 44 can suppress the vibration of the circuit board 33. . Therefore, it is possible to prevent the circuit board 33 from being damaged by coming into contact with other components in the housing 31 due to vibration.

  Further, since the vibration regulating member 44 is formed by cutting and folding a part of the base plate 311b of the housing 31, the vibration regulating member 44 can be provided without increasing the number of parts.

  Further, since the vibration regulating member 44 is provided so as to be elastically deformed when the rear surface on the rear end side of the circuit board 33 comes into contact, the circuit board 33 can be prevented from being damaged due to a cushion effect.

The vibration regulating member 44 includes a facing portion 441 that faces the back surface on the rear end side of the circuit board 33 and a support portion 442 that can be elastically deformed when the back surface on the rear end side of the circuit board 33 comes into contact with the facing portion 441. And having.
For this reason, when the opposed portion 441 comes into surface contact with the vibrating circuit board 33, the support portion 442 is elastically deformed to suppress the vibration of the opposed portion 441, so that the circuit substrate 33 can be more effectively prevented from being damaged.

  Furthermore, since the electrical connector 32 is supported by the housing 31 via the elastically deformable sealing member 45, when the electrical connector 32 vibrates, the sealing member 45 absorbs the vibration and vibrates to the housing 31. Propagation can be prevented.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, an optical module according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the site | part which is common in the optical module 10 which concerns on 1st Embodiment mentioned above, and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 7, in the optical module 11 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, an elastic body 46 is provided between the facing portion 441 of the vibration regulating member 44 and the back surface on the rear end side of the circuit board 33. ing.

  The elastic body 46 is a plate-like member formed of an elastic material such as rubber, and is attached to the upper surface of the facing portion 441 in the vibration regulating member 44, for example. By providing such an elastic body 46 between the facing portion 441 and the back surface on the rear end side of the circuit board 33, even if the circuit board 33 vibrates and the back surface collides with the vibration regulating member 44, the elastic body The impact of the collision is absorbed by 46. Further, the vibration of the circuit board 33 is absorbed by the elastic body 46 after the collision of the circuit board 33.

  As described above, according to the optical module 11 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the elastic body 46 is provided between the vibration regulating member 44 and the back surface on the rear end side of the circuit board 33. The vibration regulating member 44 regulates the vibration of the back surface of the circuit board 33 through the elastic body 46 and can absorb the vibration even when the circuit board 33 contacts the elastic body 46 by the vibration. Therefore, the vibration can be suppressed without damaging the circuit board 33.

  The optical module of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and appropriate modifications or improvements can be made.

10, 11: Optical module, 20: Optical cable, 21: Optical fiber ribbon, 22: Optical fiber (optical fiber), 221: End, 23: Inner tube, 24: Intervening layer, 241: Tensile fiber, 25: Metal layer, 26: Jacket, 30: Connector module (connector part), 31: Housing, 311: Metal housing, 311a: Housing main body, 311b: Base plate (wall surface), 312: Resin housing, 32: Electrical connector 321: Contact, 33: Circuit board, 331: Mounting surface, 35: Fixing member (optical cable holding portion), 351: Base, 352: Tube portion, 353: Caulking, 36: Boot, 38: Control semiconductor, 381: Drive IC, 382: CDR device, 39: Light emitting / receiving element (optical element), 391: Light emitting element, 392: Light receiving element, 41: Lens Array part, 411: Reflective film, 412: Lens surface, 413: Positioning pin, 42: Connector part (optical fiber fixing part), 421: End face, 43: Heat radiation sheet, 44: Vibration restricting member, 441: Opposing part, 442 : Support part, 45: sealing member, 46: elastic body

Claims (7)

An optical module in which a connector portion is provided at an end of an optical cable including an optical fiber,
The connector part is
An optical element optically connected to the optical fiber, and a circuit board having an electrical connector attached to one end side;
A housing that supports the electrical connector so that it can be connected to an external device;
A vibration on the other end side of the circuit board that is provided inside the housing and is spaced apart from one surface of the circuit board and caused by a position change of an electrical connector provided on one end side of the circuit board. A vibration regulating member arranged to regulate the amplitude;
An optical module comprising:   The separation width between the vibration regulating member and the circuit board is 100 μm or more from the circuit board, and the separation width between the highest member mounted on the other end side of the circuit board and the housing. The optical module according to claim 1, wherein the optical module is smaller.   The optical module according to claim 1, wherein the vibration regulating member is formed by folding a part of a wall surface of the housing.   4. The optical module according to claim 1, wherein the vibration regulating member is provided so as to be elastically deformable when one surface of the other end side of the circuit board contacts. 5. The vibration regulating member is
A facing portion facing one surface of the other end of the circuit board;
A support portion that is elastically deformable when one surface of the other end of the circuit board comes into contact with the facing portion;
The optical module according to claim 4, further comprising:   The optical module according to claim 1, wherein the electrical connector is supported by the housing via an elastically deformable sealing member.   The optical module according to claim 1, wherein an elastic body is provided between the vibration regulating member and the one surface on the other end side of the circuit board.

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