JPH04304684A - Optical module - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to reduce an occupancy area on a board and simplify assembly work with said board by providing a board clamping section which clamps the end of the board. CONSTITUTION:Hollow receptacle structure is adopted. There are formed a board clamping section which clamps a printed wiring board 2 on one end and a connector holding section B which allows an optical connector to be inserted and held on the other end respectively. There is installed a notch section C into which a terminal section 2a of the printed circuit baord 2 is inserted on the baord clamping section A. There are fixed a pair of U-shaped clips 4c and 4d formed by a conductive panel material inside the board clamping section A in such a fashion that it may clamp the notch section C. This construction makes it possible to reduce an occupancy area on the board and mount as many electronic component as possible on the board 2.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical module connected to an electronic circuit formed on a substrate.

0002

[Prior Art] When interconnecting an optical connector connected to an optical fiber or the like and an electronic circuit formed on a printed circuit board, an optical module is used which has a photoelectric conversion element inside and optically couples these to each other. used. FIG. 5 is a side view showing a conventional optical module. This optical module 1
is fixed via a stud pin 1a onto a printed circuit board 2 on which an electronic circuit is formed, and a module pin 1b is fixed to one side of the printed circuit board 2 with solder or the like. The optical connector 3 is inserted into an insertion hole 1d provided on the opposite side of the module pin 1b, and an optical fiber (not shown) connected to the optical connector 3 is connected to an electronic circuit.

0003

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, since the conventional optical module 1 is disposed on one surface of the printed circuit board 2, it occupies a large area on the printed circuit board 2, and the circuits that can be mounted on the printed circuit board 2 are There was a drawback that the number of elements was reduced.

Furthermore, when fixing the module pin 1b to the printed circuit board 2, it is necessary to align the socket (not shown) and the module pin 1b, making the assembly work troublesome.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an optical module that can reduce the area occupied on a substrate.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an optical module that is easy to assemble with a substrate.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides an optical module connected to an electronic circuit formed on a substrate, which is characterized in that it includes a substrate holding portion for holding an end of the substrate.

In this case, a conductive terminal may be formed at the connection portion between the substrate and the substrate holding portion.

[0009]

[Operation] In the optical module according to the present invention, since the optical module is fixed to the edge portion of the substrate, the area occupied by the optical module on the substrate can be saved.

Furthermore, if a conductive terminal is formed at the connecting portion between the substrate and the substrate holding part, the electronic circuit and the optical transmitting/receiving circuit are connected when the board is held by the board holding part.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An optical module according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description, the same reference numerals are used for the same elements, and duplicate descriptions will be omitted.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an optical module according to a first embodiment, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged side sectional view showing the optical module. The optical module 4 is fixed to the periphery of the opening of the front panel 5 of the electronic device via a rubber cushion 6. The optical module 4 has a hollow receptacle structure, with a board holding part A for holding the printed wiring board 2 at one end and a connector holding part B for inserting and holding the optical connector 3 at the other end. has been done. A notch C is formed in the board holding part A of the optical module 4, into which the end 2a of the printed circuit board 2 is inserted. A pair of U-shaped clips 4 made of conductive spring material
c and 4d are fixed.

Furthermore, a transmitting circuit and a receiving circuit are formed inside the optical module 4. Specifically, a substrate 4a on which electronic circuit components constituting a transmitting circuit are mounted is fixed at the top, and a substrate 4b on which electronic circuit components constituting a receiving circuit are mounted is fixed at the bottom (see FIG. 2). ). The clip 4c and the transmitting circuit described above and the clip 4d and the receiving circuit are respectively connected via wires. moreover,
On the connector holding portion B side of the boards 4a and 4b, a light emitting element and a light receiving element are arranged along the printed circuit board 2 (in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper) and are connected to the above-mentioned transmitting circuit and receiving circuit. . These light emitting elements and light receiving elements are held by ferrules 4e and 4f, making optical coupling with the optical connector 3 easy.

An insertion hole into which the optical connector 3 is inserted is formed in the connector holding portion B, and an engagement hole D for holding the optical connector 3 is formed in the side surface of the insertion hole. On the other hand, the optical connector 3 is formed with a triangular engagement claw 3c projecting from the side surface (see FIG. 4), and when inserted into the connector holding part B, the engagement claw 3c and the engagement hole D are formed. engage with each other,
The optical connector 3 is held by the optical module 4.

[0015] At the end 2a of the printed circuit board 2, printed wirings 2b and 2c forming a part of the electronic circuit formed on the printed circuit board 2 extend to a region where the board holding portion A holds the printed wirings 2b and 2c. . In this embodiment, clips 4c and 4d
Since conductive material is used as the clips 4c and 4d,
By simply sandwiching the printed wirings 2b and 2c, the printed wiring 2b is connected to the light emitting element, and the printed wiring 2c is connected to the light receiving element.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing an optical module according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the optical module according to the second embodiment. A holding portion 4g is formed on the side surface of the optical module 4, and is fixed onto the printed circuit board 2 via a fixing pin or the like. Furthermore, four pins 4h are fixed inside the optical module 4 along the printed circuit board 2, and plate-shaped clips 4c and 4d formed of two conductive spring materials are attached to the printed circuit board 2. They are stretched across the board 2. Since these clips 4c and 4d are formed so as to face each other with convex surfaces, the printed circuit board 2 is held by the elastic force of the clips 4c and 4d. In this case as well, since the clips 4c and 4d are made of a conductive material, the clips 4c and 4d connect the printed wiring 2b.
, 2c, the printed wirings 2b and 2c are connected to the light emitting element and the light receiving element.

As described above, according to the optical module according to this embodiment, the area occupied by the optical module on the printed circuit board is about half that of the conventional one (see FIGS. 4 and 5), and the space on the printed circuit board is saved. You can save money. Further, since a portion of the optical module is substantially disposed on both sides of the printed circuit board, connection with electronic circuits formed on both sides of the printed circuit board is facilitated.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, but can be modified in a wide variety of ways.

For example, the substrate holding part may have any mechanical structure that can hold the substrate, and is not limited to the U-shaped or plate-shaped clips used in the above embodiments.

Further, in the above embodiment, the transmitting circuit or the receiving circuit is connected to the printed circuit board via a conductive clip, but the board holding part does not need to be made of a conductive material.
For example, it may be an insulator. In this case, the transmitting circuit or receiving circuit and the printed circuit board may be directly connected using wires, pins, or the like.

Furthermore, although this embodiment shows an example of connecting an optical connector and a board, it is also possible to connect a board on which an optical component is mounted and a board (not limited to a PCB) on which an electronic circuit component is mounted. The present invention is also applicable to In this case, substrate holding parts may be formed at both ends of the optical module.

[0022]

As described above, according to the optical module according to the present invention, the area occupied on the substrate can be reduced, and more electronic circuit components can be mounted on the substrate.

Furthermore, it is easy to attach the optical module to the substrate, and it is easy to connect it to electronic circuits formed on both sides or one side of the substrate.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an optical module according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing an enlarged internal structure of the optical module shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view showing an optical module according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the optical module shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a side view showing a conventional optical module.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 4...Optical module, 2...Printed circuit board, 3...Optical connector, 5...Front panel, 6...Cushion, A...
Board holding part, B... Connector holding part, C... Notch part, D
...Engagement hole.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An optical module connected to an electronic circuit formed on a substrate, the optical module comprising a substrate holding portion for holding an end portion of the substrate. 2. The substrate holding part is configured to include a conductive terminal connected to an optical transmitting/receiving circuit, and the conductive terminal connected to the electronic circuit is formed at an end of the substrate. The optical module according to claim 1.