JP3270309B2 - Receptacle type optical module - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a receptacle type optical module.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional receptacle type optical module is shown in FIG. Into the receptacle type optical module, a connector with a ferrule equipped with an optical fiber in the axial direction is inserted, and a lens is interposed between the light-emitting elements such as LEDs and laser diodes, and the photoelectric conversion elements of the light-receiving elements such as photodetectors and phototransistors. The optical signals are converted into electric signals.

In FIG. 3, a ferrule stopper 101, a lens 102, and a photoelectric conversion element 103 are arranged on the same optical axis AA. An end surface of a ferrule (not shown) having an optical fiber in the axial direction is brought into contact with the ferrule stopper portion 101, and the intersection between the end surface and the optical axis AA is set as a light collecting or light receiving point 104. On the other hand, the photoelectric conversion element 1
The light condensing or light receiving point 03 is indicated by reference numeral 112.

A ferrule stopper 101 is positioned inside a cylindrical ceramic sleeve 105, and the ferrule is fitted and received therein. The ferrule stopper 101, the lens 102, and the photoelectric conversion element 103 are accommodated in a resin body 106. By the way, when the temperature of the resin receptacle is changed due to a large thermal expansion coefficient of the resin, the position of the ferrule stopper portion when the connector is fitted and the dimensional change of the photoelectric conversion element or the lens mounting portion due to the contraction of the resin. As a result, there is a problem that optical characteristics change significantly.

Further, a sleeve 205 and a metal housing 211 are arranged on the same optical axis AA in a resin body 206 of the receptacle type optical module as shown in FIG. Then, the intersection between the end face of the metal container 211 and the optical axis AA is set as a light collecting or light receiving point 204, and the end face of the metal container 211 is used as the ferrule stopper portion 2.
01.

According to this receptacle type optical module, the resin body 206 and the metal container 2
Due to the difference in thermal expansion between the sleeve 205 and the metal housing 211, that is, the ferrule accommodated in the sleeve 205 and the metal housing 211 are misaligned, and the optical characteristics are varied. Further, a ferrule 321 held by a sleeve (not shown) of the receptacle type optical module as shown in FIG.
The ferrule 321 of the ferrule 321 is in contact with the end surface of the ferrule stopper 301 of the metal container 311 having the through-hole 324.

When the end surface of the convex spherical surface 323 of the ferrule 321 is brought into contact with the ferrule stopper portion 301 of the metal container 311, if the through hole 324 is large, the end surface of the optical fiber 322 enters L inside the ferrule stopper portion 301. Then, the distance from the lens or the optical conversion element is shifted. On the other hand, the lens holder portion of the metal container needs a through hole of a certain size to hold the lens.

Further, a ball lens or a self-fox lens has been used for a conventional receptacle.
However, when these lenses are used, the optical fiber of the connector and the element of the receptacle cannot be optically coupled with high coupling efficiency.

[0009]

In a receptacle type optical module having a ferrule stopper, a lens holder, a sleeve, and a photoelectric conversion element in a resin body, a temperature change occurs due to a large thermal expansion coefficient of the resin. In addition, there has been a problem that the optical characteristics greatly change due to the shrinkage of the resin, the position of the ferrule when the connector is fitted, and the dimensional change of the photoelectric conversion element or the lens mounting portion.

When the ferrule stopper is located at the end face of the sleeve, when the temperature changes, the ferrule stopper is housed in the sleeve and the metal housing, that is, in the sleeve due to a difference in thermal expansion between the resin body and the metal housing. There was a possibility that the misalignment between the ferrule and the metal container occurred. Furthermore, since the end surface of the ferrule held by the sleeve is formed as a convex spherical surface, if the through hole of the ferrule stopper is large, the end surface of the optical fiber will enter the inside and the distance between the lens and the photoelectric conversion element will be shifted. Would.

On the other hand, the lens holder portion of the metal container needs a through hole of a certain size to hold the lens.

[0012]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above circumstances, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and in a case where a temperature change occurs due to a large thermal expansion coefficient of a resin, a resin receptacle is required to be fitted to a connector when the connector is fitted due to shrinkage of the resin. And the position of the ferrule stopper
Holds the sleeve for inserting the ferrule of the optical connector, the ferrule stopper and the lens for contacting the tip of the ferrule, so that the optical characteristics do not significantly change due to the dimensional change of the photoelectric conversion element or the lens mounting part. The optical module is a receptacle-type optical module in which a metal container in which a lens holder unit to be formed is integrally formed and a photoelectric conversion element are arranged inside a resin body with their optical axes aligned.

When the ferrule stopper is located at the end face of the sleeve, the misalignment between the ferrule and the metal container due to a difference in thermal expansion between the body and the metal container when there is a thermal change is made. The ferrule stopper is inserted inside the sleeve. Further, when a ferrule having a convex spherical end surface is brought into contact with the ferrule stopper portion of the metal container, the end surface of the optical fiber enters from the ferrule stopper portion, and the distance between the lens and the photoelectric conversion element shifts. The portion is a through hole large enough to accommodate the lens, and the portion where the end surface of the convex spherical surface of the ferrule abuts is a small diameter hole. The central through hole in the ferrule stopper portion of the metal container was formed to have a smaller diameter than the lens holder portion.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described in detail below based on specific embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. In FIG. 1, a connector having an optical fiber in an axial direction is inserted into a receptacle type optical module, and an optical signal is converted into an electric signal by interposing a lens between photoelectric conversion elements.

In FIG. 1, a lens 2 and a photoelectric conversion element 3 as a light emitting element or a light receiving element are arranged on the same optical axis AA. Here, the housing portions of the ferrule stopper portion 1 and the lens holder portion are formed by an integral metal housing 11. The right end face of the metal container 11 is used as a contact end face of the ferrule,
The intersection between the end face and the optical axis AA is set as a light condensing or light receiving point 4. The light emitting or light receiving point of the photoelectric conversion element 3 is indicated by reference numeral 12. Reference numeral 5 denotes a sleeve, reference numeral 6 denotes a resin body, reference numeral 7 denotes a housing, and reference numeral 8 denotes a claw member.

In the case of manufacturing this receptacle type optical module, the sleeve 5 is attached to the metal container 11, these are pressed into the resin body 6, and the resin body 6 and the housing 7 are ultrasonically welded. Or the resin body 6 is integrally formed so as to cover the metal container 11. According to the present invention, since the ferrule stopper portion 1 and the housing portion of the lens holder portion are formed of the integral metal housing body 11 and are covered and joined by the resin body 6, a strong joining strength can be obtained and in a short time. The process is completed, and an inexpensive receptacle-type optical module can be supplied.

As described above with reference to FIG. 4, when the metal housing 211 and the end faces of the sleeve 205 are housed in the resin body 6 in contact with each other, the misalignment between the ferrule and the metal housing 211 is achieved. May occur. So Figure 1
As shown in (1), the joint portion between the metal container 11 and the sleeve 5 is formed such that the ferrule stopper 1 enters the inside of the sleeve 5 without abutting the end faces.

By inserting the ferrule stopper 1 inside the sleeve 5, the sleeve 5 and the metal container 11 are firmly fixed, and the ferrule stopper 1 is protected by the sleeve 5. Never. Further, as described in FIG. 5 described above, when the ferrule 321 having an end surface formed in a hemispherical surface is brought into contact with the ferrule stopper portion 301 of the metal container 311, the end surface of the ferrule 322 enters inside the ferrule stopper portion 301. Therefore, the distance between the lens and the photoelectric conversion element is shifted. Therefore, as shown in FIG.
The ferrule stopper 1 is formed to have a small diameter 21 in comparison with the lens holder 2 having a diameter of 2. Then, as shown in FIG. 5, the convex spherical surface 322 of the ferrule hardly enters from the ferrule stopper portion 301, and the distance between the lens 2 and the photoelectric conversion element 3 in FIG.

Further, as the lens, a ball lens or a self-fox lens has been used. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and an aspheric lens 51 can be used as shown in FIG. When a ball lens or self-fox lens is used, the optical fiber of the connector and the light emitting / receiving element of the receptacle cannot be optically coupled with high coupling efficiency.
As shown in FIG. 2, when the aspheric lens 51 is used, the optical fiber of the connector and the photoelectric conversion element of the receptacle can be coupled with high coupling.

As described above, the present invention provides a metal container in which a sleeve for inserting a ferrule of an optical connector, a ferrule stopper for abutting the tip of the ferrule, and a lens holder for holding a lens are integrally formed. When,
Since it is a receptacle-type optical module in which the photoelectric conversion element and the optical axis are aligned inside the resin body,
Even when the temperature changes, the optical characteristics do not significantly change due to the shrinkage of the resin and the position of the ferrule at the time of fitting the connector and the dimensional change of the photoelectric conversion element or the lens mounting portion.

Further, since the ferrule stopper portion of the metal container enters the inside of the sleeve, the sleeve and the metal container are firmly fixed, and the misalignment occurs because the ferrule stopper portion is protected by the sleeve. Never. Furthermore, since the central through-hole in the ferrule stopper portion of the metal container is smaller in diameter than the lens holder portion, the convex spherical surface of the end surface of the ferrule hardly enters from the ferrule stopper portion, and the distance between the lens and the photoelectric conversion element is reduced. There is no gap.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a specific embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of another specific embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a conventional receptacle type optical module.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part of the receptacle type optical module.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part of the receptacle type optical module.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Ferrule stopper part 2 ... Lens 3 ... Photoelectric conversion element 4 ... Light emission or focusing point 5 ... Sleeve 6 ... Resin body 7 ... Housing 8 ... Claw member 11 ... Metal container 12 ... Light emission or focusing point 21 ... Small diameter 22: Central through-hole 51: Aspherical lens

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Mikio Kyomasu 1126-1 Nomachi, Hamamatsu-shi, Shizuoka Prefecture Inside Hamamatsu Photonics Co., Ltd. In-company (56) References JP-A-9-80270 (JP, A) JP-A-3-293605 (JP, A) JP-A-60-1554211 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. . ^7, DB name) G02B 6/26 - 6/27 G02B 6/30 - 6/35 G02B 6/42 - 6/43

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A metal container in which a sleeve for inserting a ferrule of an optical connector, a ferrule stopper portion for abutting the tip of the ferrule and a lens holder portion for holding a lens are integrally formed, and a photoelectric conversion element. A receptacle type optical module, wherein an optical axis is arranged inside a resin body, and a ferrule stopper of the metal container is inserted into a sleeve. 2. The receptacle type optical module according to claim 1, wherein a central through hole in the ferrule stopper portion of the metal container has a smaller diameter than the lens holder portion.