JPS5938564B2 - coupler - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention allows a light emitting element, such as a light emitting diode, or a light receiving element, such as a phototransistor, and an optical fiber, such as a plastic optical fiber, to be easily and efficiently coupled without the need for mutual alignment. This invention relates to a coupler for combining light.

FIG. 1 shows a conventional example of a coupler that makes light from a light emitting diode enter a plastic fiber.

An optical fiber 2 with a metal cylinder 1 attached to its tip is inserted from one of the holes 3 made of resin, and a light emitting diode 5 is inserted from the other hole 4 so as to butt each other and are coupled to each other.

Here, the protrusion 6 on the metal cylinder 1 and the recess 7 on the inner surface of the hole 4 are for fixing the optical fiber 2 to the hole 4. However, in this conventional configuration, the positional relationship between the light emitting diode 5 and the optical fiber 2 is unstable, and the light emitted from the light emitting diode 5 is scattered, making it difficult for light to enter the optical fiber 2 effectively. There is. Furthermore, when the light emitting diode 5 generates heat, the heat is trapped in the resin hole 4, resulting in a disadvantage that the light emitting output and life of the light emitting diode 5 are reduced. In view of the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks, the present invention provides an insertion section that is made of a light-transmissive material and into which a light emitting element or the like is inserted, an insertion section into which an optical fiber is inserted, and a lens body provided between the insertion sections. The present invention provides a coupler characterized in that it is configured by integrating the above. An embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. In this patent specification, the same numbers shown in the drawings indicate the same parts. The configuration shown in FIG. 2 will be explained below.

2 is an optical fiber, for example, a plastic optical fiber; 1 is a metal cylinder fixed to the tip of the optical fiber 2; 5 is a light emitting element or a light receiving element, here a light emitting diode; 9 is a light emitting diode 5 fixed therein; A metal cylinder 10 having a heat dissipating effect is a coupling member integrally molded with a light-transmissive material such as transparent acrylic resin, and includes a groove 11 for inserting the original fiber 2, a groove 12 for inserting the light emitting diode 5, and a lens 13. It consists of

The grooves 11 and 12 are configured in a positional relationship such that the light emitted from the light emitting diode 5 is effectively incident on the original fiber 2 simply by inserting the original fiber 2 and the light emitting diode 5, and the lens 13 is light emitting diode 5
Even if the light from the grooves 11 and 12 is scattered, it is collected and guided to the optical fiber 2, and is molded integrally with the grooves 11 and 12 from a light-transmissive material. Note that when the lens 13 has a light-receiving element, such as a phototransistor, inserted in the groove 12,
Needless to say, the configuration is such that the light from the optical fiber 2 is effectively incident on the phototransistor. 14 is a material that reflects light, such as a metal plate or a vapor deposited film;
It is provided on the inner surface 15 of the groove between the light emitting diode 5 and the insertion part of the optical fiber 2, and prevents the light from the light emitting diode 5 from leaking to the outside and guides it to the optical fiber 2 by a reflection effect. Since it is optical, it is intended to prevent light from the outside from entering the optical fiber 2.

The structure shown in FIG. 2 is characterized by a groove 12 into which a light emitting element is inserted;
By integrally forming the groove 11 into which the optical fiber 2 is inserted and the lens 13 using a light-transmitting material, the effect obtained by this structure is that the positional relationship between the light emitting element or light receiving element 5 and the optical fiber 2 In addition to being stable and easy to couple, the effect of the lens 13 provides high light coupling efficiency, and the coupling member 10 can be integrally molded.

Furthermore, another feature of this configuration is that the metal cylinder 9 is used to cover the inner surfaces of the grooves 11 and 12 with metal, into which the light emitting element or the light receiving element is inserted. The purpose is to assist heat dissipation, stabilize the light emitting efficiency or light receiving efficiency of the device, and increase the life of the device. Another feature of this configuration is that the inner surface 15 between the grooves into which the light emitting or light receiving element and the optical fiber are inserted is covered with a light reflecting film 14, which prevents light from leaking to the outside and This has the effect of increasing light coupling efficiency and preventing light from entering from outside. FIG. 3 shows an example of the shape of the grooves 11 and 12 into which the light emitting element, light receiving element and optical fiber are inserted in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. The element 5 and the optical fiber 2 may be fixed and aligned with each other by the groove 16 that matches the cross-sectional shape of the optical fiber 2.

Furthermore, if a V-shaped groove 17 is used as shown in FIG. 3b, the center axes of the element and the optical fiber can be easily aligned with each other. FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the present invention in which two of the coupling members shown in the embodiment of FIG. 2 are integrally molded.

Here, 2 and 2' are optical fibers, 5 is a light emitting element such as a light emitting diode, 5' is a light receiving element such as a phototransistor, 13 and 13' are lenses, and the other numbers are those of the embodiment shown in FIG. is the same as The lenses 13 and 13' are provided so that the light from the light emitting diode 5 effectively enters the optical fiber 2, and the light emitted from the optical fiber 2' effectively enters the phototransistor 5/. . The coupling member 10' is made of a light-transmissive material, but as explained in the embodiment of FIG. 2, since the light-reflecting film 14 is used, there is no influence of light on each other between the two coupling parts. None. A feature of the structure of this embodiment is that two or more of the coupling members shown in FIG. 2 are integrally molded, and it goes without saying that it is possible to mold even more.

FIG. 5 shows that elements 5, 5' and optical fibers 2, 2' are pressed and fixed from above to the coupling member 10' shown in the embodiment of FIG. 4, and a lid is provided to prevent outside light from entering inside. This is an example in which 18 is covered.

Note that the lid 18 may have a shape symmetrical to that of the connecting member 10' shown in FIG. 4. Here, 19 is a screw for fixing the lid. FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of an embodiment in which the coupling member 10' and the lid 18 shown in FIG. 5 are integrally molded.

Here, 20 is a coupler made of a light transmitting material such as transparent acrylic, and 21 and 22 are holes into which the optical fiber 2 and the light emitting or light receiving element 5 are inserted, respectively, so that the light from the light emitting element can be effectively transmitted to the optical fiber 2. It is placed in a position that allows people to shoot. 13 is a lens, and the other numbers are the same as the corresponding ones in the embodiment shown in FIG.

This configuration is characterized by a hole 21 into which the optical fiber 2 is inserted;
A hole 22 into which a light emitting or light receiving element 5 is inserted, and a lens 13
The effect obtained by integrally molding is that the structure is simpler and easier to assemble than the embodiment shown in FIG. In FIG. 6, 23 and 24 are protrusions for positioning the distance between the optical fiber 2 and the light emitting or light receiving element 5. As described above, according to the present invention, it is easy to assemble the light emitting or light receiving element and the optical fiber, the mutual positional relationship can be stabilized, the light coupling efficiency is high due to the effect of the lens, and the coupler can be molded into one piece, making it easy and inexpensive to manufacture.

Furthermore, when the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element are covered with a heat-radiating metal piece or metal film, the light-emitting efficiency or light-receiving efficiency of the element is stabilized, and the life of the element can be increased. In addition, by covering the inner surface of the groove or hole between the element and the optical fiber with a material that reflects light, it is possible to prevent light from leaking to the outside.
It is possible to prevent light from entering the optical fiber or the light-receiving element from the outside, and therefore, it is possible to provide a very useful coupler, in which two or more couplers can be lined up and molded together.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a main part to explain a conventional coupler, Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 3 is a side view to show the shape of the groove, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view of main parts to explain a conventional coupler. The drawings are a plan view showing another embodiment of the invention, FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing still another embodiment of the invention. 2, 2ζ... Optical fiber, 5... Light emitting element, 5ζ... Light receiving element, 9... Metal tube, 10, 10'...・Connection member, 11, 12...
... Groove, 13, 13ζ ... Lens, 14 ...
...Reflection film, 21, 22...hole.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A first insertion section made of a material that transmits light, into which a light emitting element or a light receiving element is inserted, and a second insertion section, which is provided opposite to the first insertion section and into which an optical fiber is inserted.
A coupler characterized in that an insertion portion and a lens provided between the first and second insertion portions are integrally molded.