JP6979381B2 - Optical connector module - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an optical connector module that optically couples an optical transmission line and an optical connector.

Conventionally, an optical connection connector for optically coupling optical transmission lines to each other is known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that a lens member is provided in order to suppress a coupling loss between an optical fiber and an optical waveguide.

JP 2016-009081

When optical coupling between different optical transmission lines, it is desirable to reduce the coupling loss as much as possible. However, in an optical connection connector as described in Patent Document 1, for example, in the lens member, a lens is formed on an outer surface opposite to the surface facing the optical transmission path, and light is diffracted over a longer distance. The effect is produced. This could increase the coupling loss.

Further, in order to reduce the size of the entire module including the optical transmission line and the optical connection connector, it is desirable to make the optical connection connector as small as possible. However, in an optical connection connector as described in Patent Document 1, for example, the distance between the lens that optically adjusts to a desired beam state and the optical transmission line is long. Therefore, such an arrangement hinders miniaturization.

An object of the present invention made in view of such problems is to provide an optical connector module that can contribute to miniaturization while reducing coupling loss.

In order to solve the above problems, the optical connector module according to the first aspect is
An optical transmission line having a core and a cladding laminated on a substrate,
It has a base, a notch notched in the inner surface of the base, and a first side surface formed in the notch and facing the end face of the optical transmission path and the end face of the substrate, and has the optical transmission path and optics. With an optical connector that connects
A refractive index adjusting agent that is interposed between the end face of the optical transmission path and the end face of the substrate and the first side surface to adjust the refractive index.
Equipped with
The first side surface is provided with a first lens portion that is curved at a position facing the core and is formed as a concave lens.
The refractive index adjusting agent is filled in the concave lens in the notch and the first side surface.
The inner surface of the base is separated from the end surface of the substrate .

In the optical connector module according to the second aspect,
In the light propagation direction, the optical connector has a second side surface opposite to the first side surface.
A second lens portion that is curved and formed as a convex lens may be provided on the second side surface.

In the optical connector module according to the third aspect,
The refractive index adjusting agent may fix the optical connector and the optical transmission line.

In the optical connector module according to the fourth aspect,
The end face of the optical transmission line may be a curved surface protruding toward the optical connector side.

In the optical connector module according to the fifth aspect,
The end face of the core may be a curved surface protruding toward the optical connector side from the end face of the clad.

According to the optical connector module according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to contribute to miniaturization while reducing the coupling loss.

It is a perspective view which shows the optical connector module which concerns on 1st Embodiment. FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing a single optical transmission line of FIG. 1. It is a perspective view which shows the optical connector single body of FIG. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the optical connector module of FIG. 1 in an exploded manner. It is sectional drawing which follows the VV arrow line of FIG. It is an enlarged view corresponding to the VI part of FIG. It is an enlarged view corresponding to the part VII of FIG. It is an enlarged view corresponding to FIG. 7 which showed the state of the end face of the optical transmission line which concerns on a modification. It is a perspective view which shows the optical connector module which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the optical connector single body of FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing the optical connector module of FIG. 9 in an exploded manner. It is sectional drawing which follows the XII-XII arrow line of FIG. It is an enlarged view corresponding to the XIII part of FIG. It is an enlarged view corresponding to the XIV part of FIG. It is an enlarged view corresponding to FIG. 14 which showed the state of the end face of the optical transmission line which concerns on a modification. It is a perspective view which shows the optical connector module which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. 16 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a part of the cross section along the XVII-XVII arrow line of FIG.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The front-back, left-right, and up-down directions in the following explanation are based on the directions of the arrows in the figure.

(First Embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an optical connector module 1 according to the first embodiment. The optical connector module 1 adjusts the refractive index to adjust the refractive index of the optical transmission path 10, the optical connector 20 optically coupled to the optical transmission path 10, and the void S between the optical transmission path 10 and the optical connector 20. It has an agent 30 and. In the first embodiment, the optical transmission line 10 will be described as being an optical waveguide formed on the substrate.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the optical transmission line 10 of FIG. 1 alone.

As shown in FIG. 2, the optical transmission line 10 is formed on the upper surface of a substrate 40 composed of, for example, a rigid printed wiring board. In particular, the optical transmission line 10 is arranged so as to project upward from the recess formed on the upper surface of the substrate 40. The optical transmission line 10 is formed so that the front end surface coincides with the front end surface of the substrate 40 for optical coupling with the optical connector 20. That is, the front end surface of the optical transmission path 10 is formed in a substantially planar shape along the front end surface of the substrate 40. The waveguide mode of the optical transmission line 10 may be either a single mode or a multi-mode. Hereinafter, the optical transmission line 10 will be described as being formed on the upper surface of the substrate 40, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the optical transmission line 10 may be embedded inside the substrate 40. In this case, the front end surface of the optical transmission path 10 may be formed so as to coincide with the front end surface of the substrate 40 and the end surface of the core 12, which will be described later, is exposed from the substrate 40.

The optical transmission line 10 has a clad 11 formed so as to be laminated on the upper surface of the substrate 40, and a plurality of cores 12 separated from each other at predetermined intervals in the left-right direction. The clad 11 and the core 12 are formed of, for example, quartz-based glass. The refractive index of the core 12 is higher than that of the clad 11. Hereinafter, the optical transmission line 10 will be described as, for example, an embedded optical waveguide, but the optical waveguide 10 is not limited to this, and may be an appropriate optical waveguide such as a slab type or a semi-embedded type.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a single optical connector 20 of FIG.

As an example, the optical connector 20 is made of a material having a refractive index substantially equal to that of the core 12 of the optical transmission line 10. The optical connector 20 has a substantially L-shape. The optical connector 20 has a first base portion 21 extending in the front-rear direction. The first base portion 21 has a recess 21b that is recessed inward from a substantially central portion of the lower surface 21a. The optical connector 20 has a second base portion 22 that projects forward of the first base portion 21 and is formed so as to be continuous with the first base portion 21. The second base 22 is formed so as to project downward from the first base 21. The optical connector 20 has a pair of through holes 22a penetrating from the front surface to the rear surface of the second base portion 22. A pair of through holes 22a are formed at both left and right ends of the second base portion 22.

The optical connector 20 has a first lens portion 23 provided on the first side surface A1 forming a part of the inner surface of the second base portion 22. The first lens unit 23 is composed of a plurality of curved lenses 23a. The number of lenses 23a constituting the first lens unit 23 is equal to or greater than the number of cores 12 of the optical transmission line 10.

The optical connector 20 has a second lens portion 24 provided on the second side surface A2 opposite to the first side surface A1 in the light propagation direction. The second lens unit 24 is composed of a plurality of curved lenses 24a. The number of lenses 24a constituting the second lens unit 24 is equal to or greater than the number of cores 12 of the optical transmission line 10.

The optical connector 20 has a notch 25 in which the inner surface of the second base 22 is cut out to the first side surface A1. That is, the notch 25 is formed as a concave shape. The optical connector 20 has an adhesive portion 26 composed of four upper, lower, left, and right side surfaces constituting the notch portion 25, a first side surface A1, and an outer surface of a second base portion 22 located directly below the notch portion 25.

The refractive index adjusting agent 30 is made of a material having a refractive index substantially equal to that of the core 12 of the optical transmission line 10. The refractive index adjusting agent 30 may serve as an adhesive.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the optical connector module 1 of FIG. 1 in an exploded manner. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VV of FIG. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view corresponding to the VI portion of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 4, the optical connector 20 is mounted on the substrate 40 from above the optical transmission line 10. That is, the optical connector 20 is arranged in a state where the lower surface 21a of the first base 21 abuts on the upper surface of the substrate 40 and covers a part of the optical transmission path 10. The second base portion 22 is arranged so as to project forward from the front end portion of the substrate 40 and project downward from the first base portion 21. That is, the second base portion 22 projects so that its lower surface is located further below the vertical position of the optical transmission line 10.

At this time, a gap S is formed between the optical transmission path 10 and the substrate 40 and the adhesive portion 26 of the optical connector 20 (see FIG. 5). The refractive index adjusting agent 30 is filled from below so as to fill the void S. That is, the refractive index adjusting agent 30 adjusts the refractive index of the void S between the core 12 and the first side surface A1. At this time, the adhesive portion 26 of the optical connector 20 and the refractive index adjusting agent 30 are adhered to each other. Similarly, the front end surface of the optical transmission line 10 and the substrate 40 and the refractive index adjusting agent 30 adhere to each other. In particular, the refractive index adjusting agent 30 is in close contact with the end faces of the first lens portion 23 and the core 12. As a result, the optical transmission line 10 and the optical connector 20 are fixed by the refractive index adjusting agent 30.

The refractive index adjusting agent 30 is not limited to the configuration that fills only the void S, and may be filled, for example, between the lower surface 21a of the optical connector 20 and the upper surface of the substrate 40. Similarly, the refractive index adjusting agent 30 may be filled so as to fill the recess 21b of the optical connector 20 that covers the optical transmission path 10. At least one of the substrate 40 and the optical transmission line 10 and the optical connector 20 may be fixed by the refractive index adjusting agent 30 in this way.

Upon attachment to the substrate 40, the optical connector 20 may be positioned by an appropriate method. For example, the optical connector 20 may be positioned by contacting at least one of the inner side surfaces of the recess 21b along the front-rear direction with the left-right end surface of the optical transmission path 10 protruding from the substrate 40. For example, the optical connector 20 may have a recess having a shape corresponding to a stud pin formed on the substrate 40. At this time, the optical connector 20 may be positioned by engaging the concave portion with the stud pin. For example, the optical connector 20 may have a convex portion having a shape corresponding to the concave portion formed on the substrate 40. At this time, the optical connector 20 may be positioned by fitting the convex portion into the concave portion.

This completes the assembly of the optical connector module 1.

As shown in FIG. 6, in the completed state of the optical connector module 1, the first side surface A1 faces the front end surface of the core 12. In particular, the first lens unit 23 faces the front end surface of the core 12. The refractive index adjusting agent 30 is interposed between the first lens portion 23 and the front end surface of the core 12. As an example, the lens 23a constituting the first lens portion 23 is formed as a concave shape on the first side surface A1. That is, the lens 23a is formed as a concave lens. In particular, the lens 23a may be formed in a substantially semicircular shape in a plan view as shown in FIG. 6 along the light propagation direction, that is, the front-back direction. The vertical half width r ₁ of the lens 23a may be larger than the radius of the core 12 of the optical transmission line 10. In the lens 23a, the ratio of the width d along the propagation direction to _{the total width 2r 1 in the vertical direction may be 1/2 or less.} That is, d ≦ (2r ₁ ) / 2 = r ₁ .

On the other hand, the second lens portion 24 faces the first lens portion 23 via the second base portion 22 of the optical connector 20. As an example, the lens 24a constituting the second lens portion 24 is formed as a convex shape on the second side surface A2. That is, the lens 24a is formed as a convex lens. In particular, the lens 24a may be formed in a substantially semicircular shape in a plan view as shown in FIG. 6 along the light propagation direction, that is, the front-back direction. The vertical half width r ₂ of the lens 24a may be larger than the radius of the core 12 of the optical transmission line 10.

With reference to FIG. 6, as an example, a state of light propagation when light is emitted from the front end surface of the optical transmission line 10 will be described. That is, the optical transmission path 10 will be described as transmitting the light from the light emitting element. Not limited to this, the optical transmission path 10 may transmit light to the light receiving element. In this case, it should be understood that the following explanation can be applied with the light propagation direction reversed.

When the refractive index adjuster 30 is composed of a material having a refractive index substantially equal to that of the core 12, the Frenell reflection of light incident on the interface between the refractive index adjuster 30 and the core 12 is of the refractive index. Suppressed by alignment. Therefore, the light incident on the boundary surface is emitted to the inside of the refractive index adjusting agent 30 with high transmittance. The emitted light is incident on the lens 23a while spreading due to the diffraction effect inside the refractive index adjusting agent 30. When the optical connector 20 is made of a material having a refractive index substantially the same as the refractive index of the refractive index adjuster 30, the Frenell reflection of light incident on the interface between the optical connector 20 and the refractive index adjuster 30 is refracted. Suppressed by rate matching. Therefore, the light incident on the boundary surface is emitted to the inside of the optical connector 20, particularly the second base portion 22, with high transmittance. When the lens 23a is formed as a concave lens, the light emitted into the inside of the second base 22 is incident on the lens 24a while further spreading. When the lens 24a is formed as a convex lens, the light incident on the boundary surface between the outside and the optical connector 20 is collimated by the lens 24a. In this way, the optical connector module 1 propagates the light emitted from the optical transmission path 10 to the outside in a collimated state.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view corresponding to part VII of FIG. FIG. 7 shows the state of the end face of the optical transmission line 10 of FIG. FIG. 8 is an enlarged view corresponding to FIG. 7, showing the state of the end face of the optical transmission line 10 according to the modified example.

As shown in FIG. 7, the front end surface of the optical transmission line 10 coincides with the front end surface of the substrate 40. That is, the front end faces of the clad 11 and the core 12 are formed on the same plane along the front end faces of the substrate 40. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and as shown in FIG. 8, the end face of the optical transmission line 10, particularly the end face of the core 12, may be a curved surface protruding toward the optical connector 20. In particular, the end face of the core 12 may be a curved surface that protrudes toward the optical connector 20 from the end face of the clad 11.

The optical connector module 1 according to the first embodiment as described above can contribute to miniaturization while reducing the coupling loss. That is, in the optical connector module 1, the first lens portion 23 is provided at a position facing the core 12 on the first side surface A1, so that the distance at which the light diffraction effect occurs can be shortened and the coupling loss can be reduced. The optical connector module 1 has a short distance between the first lens unit 23 and the optical transmission line 10, and can contribute to overall miniaturization. In particular, the optical connector module 1 can reduce the width along the light propagation direction.

The optical connector module 1 can reduce the coupling loss by interposing the refractive index adjusting agent 30. That is, the optical connector module 1 can reduce the loss due to the diffraction effect, the loss due to scattering or absorption of light due to foreign matter from the outside, and the loss due to Fresnel reflection.

Specifically, in the optical connector module 1, a refractive index adjusting agent 30 having a refractive index substantially the same as that of the core 12 is arranged in the optical path, so that the optical connector module 1 has a diffraction effect as compared with the case of being in the air. The spread of light can be suppressed. As a result, the optical connector module 1 can reduce the proportion of light that does not combine with the first lens unit 23 due to the diffraction effect.

The refractive index adjusting agent 30 also plays a role of preventing foreign matter from being mixed. That is, in the optical connector module 1, the void S is filled with the refractive index adjusting agent 30, so that foreign matter can be prevented from being mixed from the outside. As a result, the optical connector module 1 can prevent the loss due to scattering or absorption of light due to foreign matter from the outside, and can reduce the coupling loss.

Further, in the optical connector module 1, since the refractive index of the refractive index adjusting agent 30 is substantially the same as the refractive index of the core 12, Fresnel reflection at the interface between the two can be suppressed. That is, the optical connector module 1 can emit light from the core 12 with a high transmittance and improve the coupling efficiency.

By having the second lens portion 24 having a curvature, the optical connector module 1 enables optical adjustment by two lens portions combined with the first lens portion 23. That is, the optical connector module 1 can improve the degree of freedom of optical adjustment by the two lens portions. Thereby, the optical connector module 1 can easily provide the emitted light having a desired beam state.

In the optical connector module 1, the first lens portion 23 is formed as a concave lens, so that the light emitted from the core 12 can be forcibly expanded. In particular, the optical connector module 1 is provided with a concave lens at a position facing the core 12 on the first side surface A1, so that the light whose spread is suppressed by the refractive index adjusting agent 30 is forcibly spread at an early stage after emission. be able to.

The optical connector module 1 can convert the light spread by the first lens portion 23 of the concave lens into collimated light by forming the second lens portion 24 as a convex lens. In particular, the optical connector module 1 can provide collimated light having a large aperture by combining a concave lens and a convex lens by the first lens unit 23 and the second lens unit 24. As a result, the optical connector module 1 can provide collimated light that can be efficiently focused on a smaller spot. That is, the optical connector module 1 can emit collimated light having good characteristics. Further, the optical connector module 1 can expand the allowable range of optical coupling by collimating light having a large diameter. In other words, the optical connector module 1 enables optical coupling within a predetermined allowable range even if the optical axis is deviated from other modules to be optical coupled.

In the optical connector module 1, the refractive index adjusting agent 30 is in close contact with the end faces of the first lens portion 23 and the core 12, so that the spread of light due to the diffraction effect can be suppressed more effectively. As a result, the optical connector module 1 can further reduce the proportion of light that does not combine with the first lens unit 23 due to the diffraction effect. Further, the optical connector module 1 can reduce the width of the gap S along the light propagation direction by the configuration. As a result, the optical connector module 1 can contribute to the overall miniaturization, particularly the reduction of the width along the light propagation direction.

In the optical connector module 1, the optical transmission path 10 and the optical connector 20 are fixed by the refractive index adjusting agent 30, so that the optical axis shift due to use, deterioration over time, or the like can be suppressed. Therefore, the optical connector module 1 can maintain substantially the same optical characteristics for a long period of time in a state where the relative positions with respect to each other are determined by the initial positioning. In this way, the optical connector module 1 can improve the quality as a product.

The optical connector module 1 contributes to the improvement of productivity by maintaining the end surface of the optical transmission path 10 as a curved surface protruding toward the optical connector 20. That is, the optical connector module 1 does not need to polish the end face of the optical transmission line 10, and a part of the production process can be omitted. As a result, the optical connector module 1 also contributes to the reduction of production cost. In this case, Fresnel reflection tends to increase at the end face of the optical transmission line 10 as compared with the case where the flatness is small. However, the optical connector module 1 can suppress Fresnel reflection by bringing the end face of the optical transmission path 10 into contact with the refractive index adjusting agent 30. Since the end face of the optical transmission path 10 is a curved surface protruding toward the optical connector 20, the optical connector module 1 can exert a lens effect even on the end face.

The optical connector module 1 has a curved surface in which the end face of the core 12 protrudes toward the optical connector 20 from the end face of the clad 11, so that the above-mentioned related effect is more remarkably exhibited.

_{Since the half width r 1} of the first lens portion 23 is larger than the radius of the core 12, the optical connector module 1 can receive the light emitted from the end face of the core 12 and spread by the first lens portion 23 without leakage. .. As a result, the optical connector module 1 can suppress the coupling loss due to diffraction. The optical connector module 1 has the same configuration as the second lens portion 24, so that the coupling loss due to diffraction can be further suppressed.

In the optical connector module 1, the optical connector 20 together with the refractive index adjusting agent 30 is made of a material having a refractive index substantially the same as the refractive index of the core 12, so that Frenel reflection can be suppressed and the coupling loss can be reduced.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the optical connector module 1 according to the second embodiment. The optical connector module 1 according to the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the optical transmission line 10 is composed of the optical fiber 13. In the following, in the optical connector module 1 according to the second embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the components common to the first embodiment. The description of the common components and their functions will be omitted, and the differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

As shown in FIG. 9, the optical transmission line 10 is composed of a plurality of optical fibers 13. Each optical fiber 13 has a clad 11 and a core 12 (see FIG. 14), and, if necessary, a coating. The clad 11 may be made of glass or resin. Similarly, the core 12 may be made of glass or resin. The waveguide mode of each optical fiber 13 may be either a single mode or a multi-mode. Each optical fiber 13 may be any kind of optical fiber such as a general-purpose single mode fiber, a distributed shift single mode fiber, and a step index multimode optical fiber. The plurality of optical fibers 13 may or may not be bundled so as to be covered by a sheath. The plurality of optical fibers 13 are arranged in a row in the left-right direction, for example, inside the optical connector 20.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a single optical connector 20 of FIG.

The optical connector 20 may be made of a material having a refractive index substantially equal to that of the core 12 of the optical transmission line 10. The optical connector 20 has a base 51 and an opening component 52 formed so as to be continuous with the base 51 in the front.

An opening 53 for inserting the optical transmission line 10 is formed in the opening configuration portion 52. The optical connector 20 has a holding portion 54 for holding a plurality of optical fibers 13 in the base portion 51. The optical connector 20 has a plurality of guide grooves 55 in the holding portion 54. The plurality of guide grooves 55 are grooves for holding each of the plurality of optical fibers 13 constituting the optical transmission line 10. The number of guide grooves 55 is equal to or greater than the number of optical fibers 13 constituting the optical transmission line 10.

The optical connector 20 has a plurality of continuous through holes 56 behind the plurality of guide grooves 55, respectively. The optical connector 20 includes a holding hole 57 for holding the guide pin 60. A pair of holding holes 57 are formed on the left and right ends of the optical connector 20 so as to penetrate the left and right ends of the base 51 and the opening component 52.

The optical connector 20 has a notch 25 having a notch on the upper surface of the base 51. That is, the notch 25 is formed in a substantially concave shape. The optical connector 20 has a first lens portion 23 provided on the first side surface A1 forming a part of the inner surface of the notch portion 25. The optical connector 20 has a second lens portion 24 provided on the second side surface A2 opposite to the first side surface A1 in the light propagation direction.

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view showing the optical connector module 1 of FIG. 9 in an exploded manner. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along the XII-XII arrow line of FIG. FIG. 13 is an enlarged view corresponding to the XIII portion of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 11, the optical transmission line 10 is inserted into the optical connector 20 from the front. The optical transmission line 10 is held by the optical connector 20 in a state where the end portions of the clad 11 and the core 12 of the optical transmission line 10 are exposed behind the through hole 56. The refractive index adjusting agent 30 is filled from above so as to fill the notch 25. A pair of left and right guide pins 60 are inserted into the holding holes 57 of the optical connector 20 that holds the optical transmission path 10.

This completes the assembly of the optical connector module 1.

As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, in a state where the optical connector module 1 is completed, the first lens unit 23, the second lens unit 24, and the refractive index adjusting agent 30 are configured in the same manner as in the first embodiment. The same applies to the state of light propagation when light is emitted from the rear end surface of the optical transmission line 10. The same applies to the state of light propagation when light is incident from the second lens unit 24, and it should be understood that the description in the first embodiment can be applied with the light propagation directions reversed.

FIG. 14 is an enlarged view corresponding to the XIV portion of FIG. FIG. 14 shows the state of the end face of the optical transmission line 10 of FIG. FIG. 15 is an enlarged view corresponding to FIG. 14, showing the state of the end face of the optical transmission line 10 according to the modified example.

As shown in FIG. 14, the end surface of the optical transmission line 10 is a curved surface protruding toward the optical connector 20 side, particularly the first side surface A1 side. As an example, the end face of the optical transmission line 10 is configured so that the end faces of the clad 11 and the core 12 have the same curved surface. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and as shown in FIG. 15, the end face of the optical transmission line 10, particularly the end face of the core 12, may be a curved surface protruding toward the first side surface A1 side from the end face of the clad 11.

The optical connector module 1 according to the second embodiment as described above has the same effect as that of the first embodiment.

(Third Embodiment)
FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing the optical connector module 1 according to the third embodiment. FIG. 17 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a part of the cross section taken along the XVII-XVII arrow line of FIG. The optical connector module 1 according to the third embodiment is a combination of the optical system according to the first embodiment and the optical system according to the second embodiment. In the following, in the optical connector module 1 according to the third embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the components common to the first embodiment and the second embodiment. The description of the common components and their functions will be omitted, and the differences from the first embodiment and the second embodiment will be mainly described.

As shown in FIG. 16, the optical connector module 1 according to the third embodiment connects the optical connector 20a according to the first embodiment and the optical connector 20b according to the second embodiment, and the optical connector module 1 according to the first embodiment is connected. The transmission line 10a and the optical transmission line 10b according to the second embodiment are optically coupled.

More specifically, the optical connector 20a and the optical connector 20b are arranged in the front-rear direction so that the positions in the up-down, left-right directions are substantially the same. In this state, the pair of guide pins 60 are inserted into the through holes 22a. As a result, the optical connector 20a and the optical connector 20b are connected. At this time, the position of the optical connector 20b with respect to the optical connector 20a is determined by the through hole 22a. As a result, as shown in FIG. 17, the end face of the optical transmission line 10a and the end face of the optical transmission line 10b are arranged on substantially the same optical axis, and the optical waveguide constituting the optical transmission line 10a and the optical transmission line 10b are configured. The corresponding plurality of optical fibers 13 are optically coupled to each other.

For example, the light emitted from the optical transmission path 10a passes through the refractive index adjusting agent 30a, the first lens unit 231 and the second lens unit 241 and is emitted as collimated light. The collimated light passes through the second lens portion 242, the first lens portion 232, and the refractive index adjusting agent 30b, and is incident on the optical fiber 13. The same explanation shall be applied even when the light propagation direction is exactly the opposite.

The optical connector module 1 according to the third embodiment as described above has the same effects as those of the first embodiment and the second embodiment. The optical connector module 1 according to the third embodiment illuminates two different optical transmission lines 10a and 10b in a state where efficient light collection possibility and a wide range of optical coupling tolerance are realized by collimated light having a large diameter. Can be combined.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention can be realized in certain embodiments other than those described above, without departing from its spirit or its essential features. Therefore, the above description is exemplary and is not limited thereto. The scope of the invention is defined by the added claims, not by the earlier description. Any changes that are within their equality shall be included therein.

For example, in the above description, the refractive index adjusting agent 30 is described as being filled in the entire void S, but the present invention is not limited to this. The refractive index adjusting agent 30 may be disposed only in a part of the void S as long as it is interposed between the first side surface A1 and the end surface of the core 12 and the desired optical characteristics can be obtained.

In the above, the shapes of the first lens portion 23 and the second lens portion 24 have been described as being substantially semicircular in a plan view, but the shape is not limited thereto. The shapes of the first lens portion 23 and the second lens portion 24 may be spherical or aspherical.

The first lens unit 23 is not limited to a configuration that satisfies the condition of _{d ≦ (2r 1} ) / 2 = r _1. In the first lens unit 23, the ratio of the width d to the _{total width 2r 1} may be larger than 1/2 as long as the desired optical characteristics can be obtained.

The first lens unit 23 has been described as being a concave lens, but the present invention is not limited to this. The first lens unit 23 may be any type of lens such as a convex lens as long as the desired optical characteristics can be obtained.

The optical connector 20 may not have the second lens portion 24 as long as the desired optical characteristics can be obtained. Further, the second lens unit 24 is not limited to a convex lens, and may be any type of lens such as a concave lens.

The end face of the optical transmission line 10 composed of the optical waveguide or the optical fiber 13 may be a flat surface or a curved surface. When the end face is formed by a curved surface, the end face may be a concave surface or a convex surface. In particular, the shapes and positions of the end faces of the clad 11 and the core 12 of the optical transmission line 10 are not limited to those shown in FIGS. 7, 8, 14 and 15. The end faces of the clad 11 and the core 12 of the optical transmission line 10 may be arranged in any shape and at any position as long as the desired optical characteristics can be obtained. For example, if the core 12 and the first lens portion 23 are separated from each other and the refractive index adjusting agent 30 is filled between them, the clad 11 comes into contact with the optical connector 20, particularly the first side surface A1. May be good.

1 Optical connector module 10, 10a, 10b Optical transmission path 11 Clad 12 Core 13 Optical fiber 20, 20a, 20b Optical connector 21 First base 21a Bottom surface 21b Recess 22 Second base 22a Through hole 23, 231, 232 First lens unit 23a Lens 24, 241, 242 Second lens part 24a Lens 25 Notch part 26 Adhesive part 30, 30a, 30b Refractive index adjuster 40 Base 51 Base 52 Opening component 53 Opening 54 Holding 55 Guide groove 56 Through hole 57 Holding Hole 60 Guide pin A1 First side surface A2 Second side surface S Air gap

Claims (4)

An optical transmission line having a core and a cladding laminated on a substrate,
A base, said optical transmission path end face and the end face opposite to the notch the inner face of a notched to the first side surface of the base of said substrate, said first side surface which is formed on the notch portion, the in the base An optical connector having a second side surface provided on the opposite side to the first side surface and optically coupled to the optical transmission line.
The refractive index control agent that Mashimasu through between the first side surface and the end face of the end face and the base of the optical transmission line,
Equipped with
The first side surface is provided with a first lens portion that is formed as a concave lens by being curved as a concave shape at a position facing the core.
The second side surface is provided with a second lens portion that is curved as a convex shape at a position facing the first lens portion and is formed as a convex lens.
The refractive index adjusting agent is filled in the concave shape of the concave lens on the notch and the first side surface.
The surface of the inner surface of the base, which is located closest to the substrate, is separated from the end surface of the substrate and adheres to the refractive index adjusting agent.
Optical connector module. The refractive index adjusting agent fixes the optical connector and the optical transmission line.
The optical connector module according to claim 1. The end face of the optical transmission line is a curved surface protruding toward the optical connector side.
The optical connector module according to claim 1 or 2. The end face of the core is a curved surface that protrudes toward the optical connector side from the end face of the clad.
The optical connector module according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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