JPH06167637A - Multi-fiber optical connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To decrease man-hours for assembly by tapering the outside shapes of the ferrules of optical fibers, thereby lowering the optical coupling loss at the time of assembly and decreasing the adjustment points of optical axes. CONSTITUTION:The tapered ferrule 1b is provided with grooves 3 to be arrayed with an optical fiber array 2 with high accuracy. The tapered ferrule 1a on a pressing side is provided with a ferrule groove 16 for preventing rotation in the upper part thereof. The tapered ferrules 1a, 1b are finished to the outside shape sizes with high accuracy. While the optical fiber array 2 is held inserted into these grooves 3, the optical fiber array is fixed by a binder A, such as adhesive. The tapered ferrules 1a, 1b are press-fitted into a sleeve 7 which is partly tapered in a part of the outside surface. A pin 19 is inserted from a hole 18 provided in the sleeve 7 and is aligned to a ferrule groove 16, by which the ferrules are fixed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multicore optical connector of an optical semiconductor module used for optical communication.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 are block diagrams of a multi-core optical connector. In FIG. 7, the ferrule of this multi-core optical connector has a fitting pin 34 at one end of the ferrule 30.
To the other ferrule 31, the mating pin 3 of the ferrule 30
The optical fiber 32 is provided with a fitting hole 35 into which 4 is inserted.
It is of the type that connects with. Incidentally, as the related one as the main multi-core optical connector, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No.
There is 257406 publication.

[0003]

In the above-mentioned prior art, the pin spacing of the mating pins and the pins themselves had to be highly accurate, and there were a plurality of components.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art and to provide a multi-core optical connector in which the components are omitted and the outer shape of the ferrule has accuracy.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the following technical means were adopted.

(1) The outer shape of the ferruled optical fiber array is tapered to finish the outer shape with high accuracy.

(2) When assembling the ferrule and the optical fiber array, when fixing with a fixing agent such as solder or an adhesive, a groove is provided so that the fixing agent does not protrude to the outside.

(3) Non-reflective coating glass for suppressing reflected return light is fixed to the tip of the ferrule with an optical adhesive.

(4) When the sleeve guide for fixing the optical fiber array and the optical fiber array are fitted together, a taper is formed so that the outer shape of the optical fiber array has a press-fitting relationship with the inner shape of the sleeve guide.

(5) A lens holder holding the optical lens array in optical communication with the optical fiber array is fixed to the front surface of the sleeve guide.

[0011]

In the present invention, the outer shape of the ferrule is tapered and finished with high precision, and the internal shape of the sleeve guide into which the ferrule is inserted has a press-fitting relationship with the outer shape of the ferrule. And the number of assembly steps can be reduced by eliminating the need for optical axis adjustment.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a multi-core optical connector showing an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1a is a holding side of the tapered ferrule, and 1b is provided with a groove 3 for arranging the optical fiber array 2 with high precision in the tapered ferrule. The outer shapes of the tapered ferrules 1a and 1b are finished with high precision, and 1a and 1b are the optical fiber array 2
Is fixed with a fixing agent A such as a solder or an adhesive. Further, a ferrule groove 16 for preventing rotation is provided on the upper side of the holding side of the tapered ferrule 1a.
FIG. 2 shows another embodiment, in which the optical fibers 2 are provided in the plurality of grooves 3.
When the fixing agent A is fixed with the fixing agent A, the groove 4 is provided so that the fixing agent A does not overflow. FIG. 3 is an example in which a non-reflective coating glass 3 that suppresses reflected return light is fixed to the front surfaces of the ferrules 1a and 1b with an optical adhesive B. FIG. 4 is a view in which the tapered ferrules 1a and 1b are press-fitted into a sleeve 7 whose outer shape is partially tapered, and a hole 1 is formed in the sleeve 7 to rotate the tapered ferrules 1a and 1b. In order to prevent the above, the pin 1 is fitted and fixed to the ferrule groove 16. FIG. 5 is a diagram in which the ferrule 1 is fixed to the sleeve with a lens. The optical lens array 8 is provided on the front surface of the sleeve 7 with the lens holder 9
Is fixed by low melting point glass B at
The distance between the ferrule and the ferrule is set to a value designed in advance, and is adjusted and fixed by the solder D. FIG. 6 shows a state in which the multicore optical connector is optically coupled to the optical element array 11 housed in the case 13. An optical element array 11 and an IC 12 for driving the optical element array 11 are built in the case 13, and the sleeve 7 is press-fitted into the sleeve guide 10 fixed in advance in the case 13, and the pin 2 is inserted into the hole 2 for rotation. It can be prevented by fixing. The adjustment is performed by driving the optical element array 11 and adjusting the block 15 with the optical fiber array 2.

[0014]

According to the present invention, the optical lens array is formed by forming the outer shape of the ferrule into a tapered shape and finishing it with high precision, and by making the inner shape of the sleeve guide into which the ferrule is inserted into a press-fitting relationship with the outer shape of the ferrule. Alternatively, when optically coupling with the light emitting / light receiving element array, the optical coupling loss at the time of assembly can be reduced, and the number of assembling steps can be reduced by reducing the number of optical axis adjustment points.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a multi-core optical connector showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state of a groove in which a fixing agent is prevented from protruding outside during assembly of a multi-core optical connector showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a multi-core optical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention with a non-reflective coating glass on the front surface.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a multi-core optical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention is press-fitted into a sleeve.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a multi-core optical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention is press-fitted into a sleeve with an optical lens array.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a multi-core optical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention is optically coupled to an optical element array housed in a case.

FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram of a conventional multi-core optical connector.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional multi-core optical connector.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1a, 1b ... Tapered ferrule, 2 ... Optical fiber array, 3 ... Optical fiber holding groove, 4 ... Fixing agent groove, 5 ... Optical fiber jacket holding groove, 6 ... Non-reflective coating glass, 7 ... Sleeve, 8 ... Optical lens array, 9 ... Lens array holder, 10 ... Sleeve guide, 11 ... Optical element array, 12 ... Driving IC, 13 ... Case, 14 ... Lead electrode, 15 ... Block, 16 ... Ferrule groove, 17 ... Holder groove, 18 ... Hole 1, 19 ... Pin 1, 20 ... Hole 2, 21 ... Pin 2, 30, 31 ... Ferrule, 32, 33 ... Optical fiber, 34 ... Fitting pin, 35 ... Fitting hole, A ... Fixing agent, B ... Optical adhesive, C ... Low melting point glass, D ... Solder.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An optical fiber array having a plurality of grooves, which are arranged in the grooves with high accuracy and whose ends are ferrules, an optical lens array and a light-emitting or light-receiving element array in optical transmission relationship with the optical fiber array. In a multi-core optical module, the ferrule of the optical fiber array has a tapered outer shape, which is a multi-core optical connector. 2. When the optical fibers are fixed to both ends of the plurality of grooves by a fixing agent such as solder or adhesive,
The multi-core optical connector according to claim 1, wherein the fixing agent has a groove that does not protrude to the outside. 3. The multicore according to claim 1, wherein a glass plate coated with a non-reflective coating that suppresses reflected return light is fixedly arranged at the tip of the optical fiber array via an optical adhesive. Optical connector 4. A sleeve guide for fixing the optical fiber array, when fitted with the optical fiber array, has a taper so that an outer shape of the optical fiber array is in a press-fitting relationship with an inner shape of the sleeve guide. The multi-core optical connector according to claim 1. 5. The multi-core optical connector according to claim 3, wherein a lens holder holding the optical lens array in optical communication with the optical fiber array is fixed to the front surface of the sleeve guide.