JP2006184782A - Optical connector, and optical transmitting and receiving apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technique of achieving a multi-fiber structure without causing inconvenience such as increase in transmission loss, as regards an optical connector for connecting optical fibers to a surface mounted optical transceiver. <P>SOLUTION: In the optical connector 1, a recessed part 11 for changing the optical axis having the reflection surfaces 10a, 10b for directing the light incident/exiting axis of the optical fibers 3a to be attached to a connector body 2 to the optical input/output end 5 on the internal surface is formed in the block-shaped connector body 2 having a mounting face 2a to be connected to an optical input/output end 5. In the connector body 2, the plurality of the optical fibers 3a are installed, with the inclined angle adjusted to the mounting face 2a, in a manner that each tip end is situated as close as possible to the mounting face 2a. Consequently, the length of an optical path which is formed between the optical fiber 3a and the optical input/output end 5 via the reflection surfaces 10a, 10b can be shortened. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical connector that is attached to a front end portion of an optical fiber and is installed facing a light input / output end mounted directly or indirectly on a circuit board to optically connect between the optical fiber and the light input / output end. And an optical transceiver.

An optical transceiver currently used in an optical LAN (LAN) system or the like is generally a modularized optical transceiver. This type of optical transceiver has a structure such as a semiconductor laser on a circuit board inside the transceiver case. A light-emitting element or an optical chip module such as a photodiode (optical element serving as a light input / output end) is mounted along the direction of the circuit board, and the end of the circuit board or lead frame on which these optical elements are mounted In general, a method of attaching an optical connector to an external optical fiber is used (for example, Patent Document 1).
As the ferrule of the optical connector used here, a well-known single-core (for example, MU type, SC type) optical ferrule or a multi-core (for example, MT type, MINI-MT type) optical ferrule is used. The optical transceiver used is already standardized. However, as the demand for photoelectric composite circuits and opto-electric hybrid boards increases recently, optical transceivers with connection methods that use the board direction as the optical axis have various restrictions on the mounting positions of optical connectors. The degree of freedom of route and circuit board design is limited, and there is a problem that the board cannot be reduced in size.
In an optical connection structure for optically connecting an optical waveguide formed on a substrate and a photoelectric conversion element installed on the substrate, a mirror surface inclined at 30 to 60 degrees with respect to the central axis of the optical waveguide is provided in the optical waveguide. A technique has been proposed in which the optical axis of the incident / exited light of the optical waveguide is directed to the photoelectric conversion element by the mirror surface (for example, Patent Document 2).
JP-A-6-273461 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-183761

By the way, in recent years, an optical transceiver in which an optical element is surface-mounted on a circuit board to form a module has attracted attention. In this case, the optical axis direction of the optical element is perpendicular to the circuit board. For this reason, in order to optically connect the optical fiber guided in parallel with the circuit board to the optical element, it is necessary to direct the optical axis direction of the incoming and outgoing light of the optical fiber toward the optical element side of the surface mount optical transceiver. .
However, with regard to the optical connector assembled at the tip of the optical fiber, a practical structure that realizes optical connection between the optical fiber guided in parallel with the circuit board and the optical element of the surface mount optical transceiver has been provided so far. There is no situation. In addition, this optical connector is required to be able to accurately change the optical axis that directs the optical axis direction of the incoming and outgoing light of the optical fiber to the optical element, and to be downsized to avoid interference between the optical connector and the wiring pattern. An appropriate structure that can be met is required.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an optical connector that enables optical connection between an optical fiber constituting an optical line and an optical element mounted directly or indirectly on a substrate, and an optical axis direction of incoming and outgoing light of the optical fiber. It is possible to provide an optical connector and an optical transmission / reception apparatus that can be directed to an optical element with high accuracy, can be easily miniaturized, and require a small installation space on a substrate.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following configuration.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, the optical fiber is installed at the front end portion of the optical fiber, and is installed facing the light input / output end mounted directly or indirectly on the substrate. An optical connector to be connected, having a block-shaped connector main body that is installed on the substrate facing the light input / output end, and the connector main body is installed with the connector main body facing the light input / output end And having a mounting surface disposed opposite to the substrate surface so as to be bonded to the substrate surface of the substrate, and an optical fiber insertion opening opening on a side surface of the connector body, and is guided along the substrate surface. An optical fiber holding hollow portion for holding the coating portion of the optical fiber, a positioning portion for positioning the distal end portion of the optical fiber, and a distal end of the optical fiber positioned in the positioning portion face each other to face the optical fiber. An optical axis changing recess having an optical axis changing reflecting surface that forms an optical path between a tip and the optical input / output end, and the positioning portion includes the optical axis changing recess in the connector body. Are formed in multiple stages on the wall facing the optical axis changing reflecting surface so that the distance from the mounting surface is different from each other, and the step closest to the mounting surface is excluded from the positioning portions of each step The positioning part of each stage supports the optical fiber to be inclined with respect to the mounting surface so that the distance from the mounting surface increases as it goes from the recess for changing the optical axis to the hollow part for holding the optical fiber. In addition, the positioning portion farther from the mounting surface is formed such that the inclination angle with respect to the mounting surface of the optical fiber supported to be inclined becomes larger.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the optical connector according to the first aspect, the recesses for changing the optical axis have distances from the recess openings that open to the mounting surface of the recesses for changing the optical axis. A plurality of different reflecting surfaces for changing the optical axis are formed so as to be farther from the recess opening so that the inclination angle with respect to the mounting surface is larger and closer to the wall, and the positions are shifted by the positioning unit. As for the optical fiber to be positioned, the farther the distance from the mounting surface of the step of the positioning portion that positions the optical fiber is, the farther the optical axis changing reflecting surface is located farther from the recess opening. It is characterized by becoming.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the optical connector according to the first or second aspect, the inclination angle of the optical axis of the optical fiber to be positioned with respect to the mounting surface is determined by one or more of the steps of the positioning portions provided in multiple stages. A plurality of the same positioning portions are arranged side by side.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the optical connector according to the third aspect, a multi-core optical fiber ribbon is housed in the hollow portion for holding an optical fiber, and is led out to an end of a single multi-fiber ribbon. The plurality of bare optical fibers thus formed are positioned at a plurality of positioning portions constituting one stage.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the optical connector according to any one of the first to fourth aspects of the present invention, for positioning on the both sides of the connector width direction of the optical axis changing recess of the connector main body, respectively, on the board side A positioning pin that fits into the pin hole or a positioning pin hole into which a positioning pin protruding from the substrate is fitted is provided.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, an optical input / output end mounted on a substrate and an optical fiber are attached to the tip of the optical fiber, and are placed on the substrate so as to face the optical input / output end. An optical transceiver comprising the optical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which optically connects between ends.

According to the present invention, the positioning portion for positioning the optical fiber and the optical axis changing reflecting surface are provided in the block-shaped connector body, and the mutual positional relationship between the optical fiber tip and the optical axis changing reflecting surface is high. Since the accuracy is fixed, it is possible to accurately realize the optical axis change in which the optical axis of the incoming / outgoing light of the optical fiber is directed to the optical input / output end side. Thereby, the loss of the optical connection between an optical fiber and an optical input / output end can be reduced.
In particular, in the present invention, the positioning of each stage formed in multiple stages in the connector body so that the distances from the mounting surface are different from each other, the positioning part of all the stages, or the stage closest to the mounting surface is excluded. The positioning portion of each stage is supported with an inclination with respect to the mounting surface so that the distance from the mounting surface increases as the optical fiber to be positioned moves from the recess for changing the optical axis toward the hollow portion for holding the optical fiber. In addition, the position of the positioning part farther from the mounting surface is such that the inclination angle with respect to the mounting surface of the optical fiber supported by tilting increases, so that the tips of all optical fibers attached to the optical connector are close to the mounting surface. (In detail, it is arranged close to a recess opening which is an opening in the mounting surface of the optical axis changing recess). Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the optical path length of the optical path connecting the optical fiber and the light input / output end from being unnecessarily long via the reflecting surface for changing the optical axis, and thus there is an advantage that low loss can be realized. . Further, since shortening the optical path length is advantageous for preventing interference between adjacent optical paths, it is possible to realize noise reduction (or avoidance of noise generation) due to interference. Therefore, even when each optical path formed via the optical axis changing reflecting surface between a plurality of optical fibers attached to the optical connector and the optical input / output end is present in a narrow area at high density, the noise is excellent. There is an advantage that communication quality can be ensured.
In addition, since the positioning portion and the reflection surface for changing the optical axis are provided on the block-shaped connector body, it is possible to easily reduce the size, and the wiring pattern formed on the circuit board (an example of the board) It is easy to avoid interference. In particular, a configuration in which a plurality of optical fibers that are stacked in layers at different distances from the mounting surface can be optically connected to the optical input / output end in a lump is extremely advantageous in reducing the number of optical connectors on the board. Thus, there is an advantage that the degree of freedom in designing the wiring pattern on the board or the circuit board can be improved.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a connector main body 2 of an optical connector 1 according to the present invention turned upside down, FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B in a state where the positioning pin 13 is fitted into the positioning pin hole 14 of FIG. 5 and shows the optical fiber holes of the two positioning stages, and FIG. 5 shows the positioning pin hole 14 of the connector main body 2 in FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line C-C in a state where the positioning pin 13 is fitted in FIG. 6, and schematically shows the guiding groove of the two positioning steps, and FIG. 6 shows a state in which the optical fiber ribbon is inserted into the connector main body 2 7 is a sectional view showing the optical connector 1 configured using the connector main body 2 in use, and FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG.

The optical connector 1 of this embodiment is for optically connecting an optical fiber 3 constituting an optical line and an optical element 5 of an optical transceiver 4 that transmits and receives an optical signal, as shown in FIGS. is there. The optical transceiver 4 is mounted on a circuit board 6 inside the electronic device connected to the optical line. The optical element 5 includes both a light emitting element and a light receiving element. A light-emitting element such as a so-called surface-emitting laser diode (VCSEL) can be used as the light-emitting element, and a light-receiving element such as a photodiode can be used as the light-receiving element.
The optical transceiver 4 is, for example, a chip-shaped or array-shaped piece in which an optical element 5 (an element having a photoelectric conversion function) is formed on a mount 41. In an optical transceiver, a light emitting element or a light receiving element is a light input / output end from which an optical signal is emitted or incident.
The circuit board functions as an example of the board according to the present invention. The description of the circuit board can be read as “board” according to the present invention. The substrate according to the present invention refers to a member on which an optical input / output end such as the optical transceiver 4 is mounted, and is not limited to a circuit board, and may be, for example, a trapezoidal piece. In this respect, the mount 41 can also function as a substrate according to the present invention. The light input / output end according to the present invention is not limited to a light emitting element or an optical element that is a light receiving element, and may be, for example, an end of an optical fiber that is drawn into a circuit board and fixed.

The optical connector 1 has a main structure of a connector body 2 made of a synthetic resin such as an epoxy resin having a rectangular parallelepiped block shape that is installed facing the optical element 5. The connector body 2 is preferably an integrally molded product made of a synthetic resin, but is not limited to this, and may be an assembled product assembled from a plurality of parts.
The upper surface of the connector main body 2 in FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and 5 is a mounting surface 2a facing the optical transceiver 4, and the optical connector 1 is bonded to the mount 41 as shown in FIGS. In this manner, the optical transceiver 4 is mounted. The connector main body 2 is approximately the same size as the optical transceiver 4 or slightly smaller than the optical transceiver 4, and does not bulge outward from the transceiver main body 4.

  The connector body 2 includes an optical fiber holding hollow portion 8 for holding the covering portion 3b of the optical fiber 3 guided along the substrate surface 6a (hereinafter also referred to as a circuit board surface), and the vicinity of the tip of the optical fiber 3 ( Specifically, an optical fiber hole 9 for inserting and fixing a bare optical fiber 3 a) led to the tip of the optical fiber 3 and an optical axis of incident / exit light of the optical fiber 3 formed in front of the outlet of the optical fiber hole 9 are arranged. The optical axis changing reflecting surface 10 facing the optical element 5 has an optical axis changing recess 11 formed on the inner surface. 4 and 5, the optical fiber hole 9 is exaggerated and enlarged.

  The optical fiber hole 9 allows the bare optical fiber 3a to be desired with respect to the reflecting surface 10 for changing the optical axis (specifically, any one of the reflecting surfaces 10a and 10b of the reflecting surface 10 for changing the optical axis). It functions as a positioning portion for positioning (alignment) with high accuracy so as to form an angle, and is formed in the wall portion 7 between the optical fiber holding hollow portion 8 and the optical axis changing recess 11. . The wall 7 is formed at a position facing the reflecting surface 10 for changing the optical axis via the recess 11 for changing the optical axis.

  The optical connector 1 of this embodiment is specifically for an optical fiber ribbon, and the optical fiber 3 described above is a multi-fiber ribbon. 6-8, the code | symbol 3a is the bare optical fiber pierced to the terminal of the optical fiber tape core wire 3. In FIG. The optical fiber hole 9 is a fine hole for positioning the bare optical fiber 3a.

Positioning steps 9A and 9B ("steps" according to the present invention) in which a plurality of optical fiber holes 9 are arranged side by side are provided in the wall portion 7 in multiple stages (here, 2 steps) such that the distances from the mounting surface 2a are different from each other. Step). In one positioning stage, a plurality of optical fiber holes 9 having the same inclination angle with respect to the mounting surface 2a of the optical axis of the optical fiber 3 to be positioned (specifically, the bare optical fiber 3a) with respect to the mounting surface 2a are arranged side by side. Has been.
In the illustrated optical connector 1, the optical fiber hole 9 of the positioning stage 9A on the side close to the mounting surface 2a (hereinafter also referred to as the first positioning stage) of the two positioning stages 9A and 9B is parallel to the mounting surface 2a. The optical fiber hole 9 of the second positioning step 9B farther from the mounting surface 2a than the first positioning step 9A extends from the optical fiber holding hollow 8 side to the optical axis changing recess 11 side. It is inclined with respect to the mounting surface 2a so that the distance from the mounting surface 2a becomes closer as it goes.

  Here, the inclination angle α with respect to the optical axis of the bare optical fiber 3a positioned by the optical fiber hole 9 is, in other words, with respect to the mounting surface 2a of the alignment axis line where the optical fiber hole 9 aligns the bare optical fiber 3a. The inclination angle, which is determined by the inclination angle of the central axis of the optical fiber hole 9 with respect to the mounting surface 2a. Hereinafter, the inclination angle of the central axis of the optical fiber hole 9 with respect to the mounting surface 2 a is also referred to as the inclination angle of the optical fiber hole 9. In FIG. 8, the inclination angle of the optical fiber hole 9 of the first positioning step 9A is denoted by α1, and the inclination angle of the optical fiber hole 9 of the second positioning step 9B is denoted by α2.

The number of positioning steps formed on the connector body 2 may be three or more.
Of the positioning stages formed in the connector body 2 in multiple stages, the optical fiber holes 9 of all the positioning stages or the optical fiber holes 9 of each positioning stage except the stage closest to the mounting surface 2a are the bare optical fibers to be positioned. 3a is inclined with respect to the mounting surface 2a so that the distance from the mounting surface 2a increases as it goes from the optical axis changing recess 11 toward the optical fiber holding hollow portion 8 side. Formed. The optical fiber hole 9 of the positioning step closest to the mounting surface 2a may be parallel to the mounting surface 2a (the inclination angle α1 of the optical fiber hole 9 is 0 degree). In this case, the positioning step closest to the mounting surface 2a The optical fiber holes 9 of each positioning stage except for the optical fiber (bare optical fiber 3a) are formed so as to be inclined so that the optical fiber (bare optical fiber 3a) can be inclined and supported with respect to the mounting surface 2a. Here, the inclination angle of the optical fiber hole 9 is set to be larger as the optical fiber hole 9 is positioned farther from the mounting surface 2a.
As illustrated in FIG. 8, in the optical connector 1 of this embodiment, since the optical fiber hole 9 of the first positioning step 9A is parallel to the mounting surface 2a, the inclination angle α1 is 0 degree, and the first positioning step 9A. In comparison with the positioning step 9B, the positioning step 9B farther from the mounting surface 2a has a larger inclination angle of the optical fiber hole 9 with respect to the mounting surface 2a, and the inclination angles α1, α2 of the optical fiber holes 9 of the positioning steps 9A, 9B are α1 < The relationship of α2 is established.
As described above, if the optical fiber hole 9 at the positioning stage farther from the mounting surface 2a has a configuration in which the inclination angle of the optical fiber hole 9 is larger, the optical fiber 3 supported by the optical fiber hole 9 at each positioning stage (in detail). Can concentrate the tip of the bare optical fiber 3a) close to the mounting surface 2a.

  The optical connector 1 of this embodiment is assembled at the tip of two optical fiber ribbons 3, and one optical fiber ribbon 3 corresponds to one of the two positioning stages 9A and 9B. Then, the plurality of bare optical fibers 3a of the optical fiber 3 terminal, which is an optical fiber ribbon, are inserted into the plurality of optical fiber holes 9 in one positioning stage, positioned, and fixed.

Each positioning stage 9A, 9B has a plurality of guide grooves 12 on the optical fiber holding hollow portion 8 side for guiding the bare optical fiber 3a from the optical fiber holding hollow portion 8 side to each optical fiber hole 9. The guide groove 12 is formed so as to be continuous with each optical fiber hole 9, and is formed in two stages corresponding to the two positioning stages 9A and 9B. The guiding groove 12 is formed so that the alignment accuracy of the bare optical fiber 3 a is slightly lower than that of the optical fiber hole 9. The bare optical fiber 3a led out to the end of the optical fiber 3 (here, specifically, an optical fiber ribbon) inserted into the optical fiber holding hollow portion 8 is placed in the guiding groove 12, and the optical fiber 3 is placed on the wall. When pushed toward the portion 7, the bare optical fiber 3a can be smoothly inserted into the optical fiber hole 9.
The invitation groove 12 is preferably a V-groove (FIG. 5 illustrates a V-groove), but is not limited thereto, and may be, for example, a round groove (a groove having a semicircular cross section) or a U-groove.

As shown in FIG. 8, the reflecting surface 10 for changing the optical axis is composed of two reflecting surfaces 10a and 10b having different inclination angles with respect to the mounting surface 2a. In the illustrated example, the reflecting surface 10 for changing the optical axis has an inclination angle θ1 with respect to the mounting surface 2a (in other words, the substrate surface 6a of the substrate 6 and the mount 41 when the optical connector 1 is installed with respect to the optical transceiver 4). The first reflecting surface 10a has an inclination angle 45 with respect to the upper surface 41a, and the second reflecting surface 10b has a larger inclination angle θ2 with respect to the mounting surface 2a than the first reflecting surface 10a. Further, the second reflecting surface 10b is from the end on the side opposite to the mounting surface 2a of the first reflecting surface 10a (the side far from the recess opening 11a opened in the mounting surface 2a of the optical axis changing recess 11). The optical axis changing recess 11 is formed so as to extend toward the back side of the optical axis changing recess 11 when viewed from the mounting surface 2a (the depth direction back side of the optical axis changing recess 11 having a shape recessed from the mounting surface 2a). The formation position in the optical axis changing recess 11 is shifted to the wall 7 side as compared with the first reflecting surface 10a.
A portion that does not function as a reflective surface may exist between the first reflective surface 10a and the second reflective surface 10b. However, the second reflecting surface 10b has an optical axis changing recess 11 when viewed from the mounting surface 2a from the end opposite to the mounting surface 2a of the first reflecting surface 10a (the side far from the recess opening 11a). If it is the structure currently formed so that it may extend toward the back side (the depth direction back side of the concave part 11 for the optical axis change of the shape depressed from the mounting surface 2a), the reflective surface 10 for optical axis change will be used. The formation accuracy of the inclined wall surface of the recess 11 for changing the optical axis to be formed (molding accuracy and / or processing accuracy by resin molding) and the formation accuracy of the plurality of reflecting surfaces 10a and 10b formed on the inclined wall surface are easy. There is an advantage such as.

  The first and second reflecting surfaces 10 a and 10 b are arranged above the optical element 5 on the transceiver body 4 when the optical connector 1 is installed on the transceiver body 4, and the light emitting surface or the light receiving surface of the optical element 5. By facing each other, the light emitted from the tip of the optical fiber 3 (specifically, the bare optical fiber 3a) is bent and applied to the optical element 5, or the light emitted from the optical element 5 is bent and the optical fiber 3 is bent. To enter. The optical connector 1 has a positioning pin hole 14 opened in the mounting surface 2a on the left and right sides of the optical axis changing recess 11 of the connector body 2, and an optical transceiver 4 (specifically, a mount 41). The positioning pins 13 are fitted between positioning pin holes 4a (see FIG. 7) opened in the upper surface 41a of the mount 41 and spanned between the optical connector 1 and the mount 41, so that the first, The second reflecting surfaces 10a and 10b are positioned with high accuracy so as to face the light emitting surface or the light receiving surface of the optical element 5.

  As a specific example of the structure (positioning structure) for positioning the optical connector 1 with respect to the optical element 5 of the optical transceiver 4 using the positioning pins 13, for example, as shown in FIGS. An optical connector 1 having a structure in which one end side in the direction is fitted and fixed to the positioning pin hole 14 and the other end side in the longitudinal direction of the positioning pin 13 is protruded from the mounting surface 2a is assembled. The portion of the positioning pin 13 that protrudes from the mounting surface 2a on the other end in the longitudinal direction is pushed into and fitted into the positioning pin hole 4a on the optical transceiver 4 side, and the mounting surface 2a is brought into contact with the upper surface 41a of the mount 41. By doing so, it is possible to adopt a structure in which positioning of the optical connector 1 with respect to the optical element 5 can be achieved. On the other hand, the positioning pin hole 14 (positioning pin) of the optical connector 1 is formed in the portion of the positioning pin 13 that has been fitted and fixed in the positioning pin hole 4a on the optical transceiver 4 side and protruded from the upper surface 41a of the mount 41. It is also possible to employ a structure in which an empty positioning pin hole (13) is not inserted and is fitted. For example, a metal pin such as stainless steel is employed as the positioning pin.

In the present invention, the positioning between the optical connector 1 and the optical transceiver 4 is realized by using positioning pins separate from the connector main body 2 of the optical connector 1 and the mount 41 of the optical transceiver 4 as the connector main body 2 or the mount 41. The optical connector 1 is not limited to the configuration used for positioning the optical connector 1 and the optical transceiver 4 in advance. For example, the optical connector 1 in which the resin connector main body 2 is insert-molded so that the positioning pins are embedded. Is also possible.
Further, the positioning pin hole on the optical transceiver 4 side is not limited to the one drilled in the mount 41. For example, when the optical transceiver 4 is mounted so as to be embedded in the substrate 6, it is formed in the substrate 6 itself. A positioning pin hole is drilled, or the mount 41 mounted on the substrate 6 is surrounded by a trapezoidal protrusion protruding on the substrate 6 or a trapezoidal member fixed on the substrate 6. When a receiving seat against which the connector 1 is abutted is provided, a positioning pin hole can be formed in the receiving seat.

As shown in FIG. 8, of the two reflecting surfaces 10a and 10b (optical axis changing reflecting surfaces), the first reflecting surface 10a is a bare optical fiber 3a positioned in the optical fiber hole 9 of the first positioning stage 9A. The second reflecting surface 10b is an optical path between the bare optical fiber 3a positioned in the optical fiber hole 9 of the second positioning stage 9B and the optical element 5. Is formed. In the illustrated example, when the optical connector 1 is attached to the optical transceiver 4 while ensuring the positioning accuracy with respect to the optical element 5 by the positioning pin 13, the tip of the bare optical fiber 3a positioned in the optical fiber hole 9 of the first positioning stage 9A. The optical path H1 between the surface and the optical element 5 (the optical path formed via the first reflecting surface 10a), and the end surface of the bare optical fiber 3a positioned in the optical fiber hole 9 of the second positioning stage 9B and the light In the optical path H2 between the element 5 (the optical path formed via the second reflecting surface 10b), the portions located between the first and second reflecting surfaces 10a and 10b and the optical element 5 are parallel to each other, Moreover, it is perpendicular to the mounting surface 2a. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the portion of the optical paths H1 and H2 located between the first and second reflecting surfaces 10a and 10b and the optical element 5 has an angle other than perpendicular to the mounting surface 2a. The inclination angle with respect to the mounting surface 2a may be different depending on the optical paths H1 and H2.
The optical axis changing reflecting surface 10 can be formed on the inclined wall surface of the optical axis changing recess 11 by metal vapor deposition or the like, but it can also be configured to incorporate a film-formed chip into the inclined wall surface, In addition, the means for forming the reflecting surface is arbitrary.
The inclination angle of the first reflecting surface 10a is appropriately 45 ° with respect to the optical axis direction of the bare optical fiber 3a, but is not necessarily limited to 45 °. In short, any angle may be used as long as the light emitted from the optical fiber 3 can be reflected so as to enter the optical element 5 or the reverse path.

  The optical element 5 of the optical transceiver 4 may be a single component, but may be a separate component provided corresponding to each of the plurality of optical paths H1 and H2. For example, an optical element corresponding to one of the two optical paths H1 and H2 is one of the light emitting element and the light receiving element, and the other of the light emitting element and the light receiving element is an optical element corresponding to the other of the two optical paths H1 and H2. It is also possible to adopt a configuration using.

  The optical fiber holding hollow portion 8 includes an optical fiber insertion opening portion 8a that opens in a direction parallel to the mounting surface 2a of the connector body 2 with respect to the optical transceiver 4 (parallel to the circuit board surface 6a) on the side surface 2b of the connector body 2. This is a hollow portion that communicates with an adhesive filling opening 8b that opens in a direction orthogonal to the circuit board surface 6a (in the illustrated example, opens on the mounting surface 2a side). The optical fiber 3 in which the bare optical fiber 3a is inserted and fixed in the optical fiber hole 9 of each positioning stage 9A, 9B ensures a gentle curve in the optical fiber holding hollow portion 8 (or passes linearly). Then, it is accommodated so as not to be bent so as to affect the optical transmission characteristics, and extends out of the connector body 2 from the optical fiber insertion opening 8a. The plurality of optical fibers 3 passed through the optical fiber insertion opening 8a are housed in a boot 19 fitted in the optical fiber insertion opening 8a and held together. The boot 19 is a flexible sleeve-like member formed of rubber or the like so that the optical fiber 3 is not bent suddenly so as to affect the optical transmission characteristics in the vicinity of the optical fiber insertion opening 8a. Serves protecting function. The plurality of optical fibers 3 passed through the optical fiber insertion opening 8a are accommodated in the boot 19 in a laminated state.

  When the optical fiber 3 (optical fiber tape core) is attached to the connector body 2 described above, the coating of the end of the optical fiber 3 is removed to expose the bare optical fiber 3a, and the optical fiber 3 is exposed to the bare optical fiber 3a. The bare optical fiber 3a inserted into the optical fiber insertion opening 8a from the end of the optical fiber 3 and exposed to the end of the optical fiber 3 is inserted into the guide groove 12, and the bare optical fiber 3a is guided to the guide groove 12 while being guided by the optical fiber. Insert it by pushing it into the hole 9. The bare optical fiber 3a is slightly projected from the exit of the optical fiber hole 9 into the recess 11 for changing the optical axis. In this case, since the guiding groove 12 is visible from the window (the adhesive filling opening 8b), it can be seen that the vicinity of the leading end of the bare optical fiber 3a gets on the guiding groove 12, and each of the naked optical fibers 3a has its intended purpose. It can be confirmed visually that the groove 12 is guided. The guide groove 12 has two stages corresponding to the two positioning stages 9A and 9B. However, compared to the guide groove 12 for the positioning stage 9A, the guiding groove 12 is for the positioning stage 9B far from the adhesive filling opening 8b. The guiding groove 12 protrudes to the optical fiber insertion opening 8a side from the guiding groove 12 for the positioning step 9A, and when the optical fiber holding hollow portion 8 is viewed from the adhesive filling opening 8b, 2 It is possible to visually observe both of the guiding grooves 12 which are two steps corresponding to the positioning steps 9A and 9B. For this reason, the bare light exposed to the end of the optical fiber 3 can be obtained by performing the work of inserting the bare optical fiber 3a into the optical fiber hole 9 of the second positioning stage 9B prior to the work of the first positioning stage 9A. The workability of inserting the fiber 3a into the guiding groove 12 for the positioning step 9B and pushing the positioning step 9B into the optical fiber hole 9 can be ensured.

  Next, the optical fiber holding hollow portion 8 is filled with the adhesive 16, and the bare optical fiber 3 a is fixed to the connector body 2 together with the coating portion of the optical fiber 3. Further, the optical axis changing recess 11 is filled with a transparent adhesive 17, and a transparent plate 18 such as a resin plate or a glass plate is covered and fixed thereon. The portion where the transparent plate 18 is arranged is provided with a shallow glass arrangement recess 15 so as to surround the optical axis changing recess 11, and the transparent plate 18 does not protrude from the mounting surface 2 a of the connector body 2. , It does not directly contact the optical element 5.

  The transparent adhesive 17 and the transparent plate 18 have optical characteristics that do not cause adverse effects such as light loss. However, an adhesive or glass having optical characteristics that are transparent to light of a specific wavelength can be used. . The adhesive 17 and the transparent plate 18 can prevent the reflecting surface 10 for changing the optical axis due to the entry of dust or the like. Thus, the optical connector 1 is assembled at the tip of the optical fiber 3.

7 and 8 show the usage state of the optical connector 1 described above, and the upper surface of the connector main body 2 in FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and 5 is the mounting surface 2a facing the optical transceiver 4. FIG. 7, when the optical connector 1 is turned over and the portion protruding from the mounting surface 2 a of the positioning pin 13 fixed to the connector body 2 is inserted into the positioning pin hole 14 as shown in FIG. Are positioned with respect to the optical transceiver 4, whereby the position of the reflecting surface 10 for changing the optical axis is correctly positioned with respect to the optical element 5 of the optical transceiver 4 and positioned in the optical fiber holes 9 of the positioning stages 9A and 9B. The optical axis direction of the incoming / outgoing light of the bare optical fiber 3a (more precisely, the optical axis direction of the distal end surface of the bare optical fiber 3a) forms optical paths H1 and H2 for optical connection with the optical element 5 of the optical transceiver 4. Positive Ku is changed. As a result, the light emitted from the distal end surface of the bare optical fiber 3a is reflected by the reflecting surfaces 10a and 10b for changing the optical axis and correctly enters the light receiving element (optical element 5) of the optical transceiver 4, or the light emitting element (light The light emitted from the element 5) is reflected by the reflecting surfaces 10a and 10b for changing the optical axis so as to be correctly incident on the end face of the bare optical fiber 3a, and the bare optical fiber 3a of the optical fiber 3 and the optical element 5 are connected. Optically connected. At this time, the optical connector 1 and the optical transceiver 4 constitute an optical transceiver.
As described above, in the connector 1 of the present invention, the optical fiber hole 9 and the optical axis changing reflection surface 10 are provided on the block-like integrated component (connector body 2). Since the mutual positional relationship with the axis changing reflecting surface 10 is fixed with high accuracy, the loss of optical connection between each bare optical fiber 3a of the optical fiber 3 and the optical element 5 can be reduced.

  Further, in the optical connector 1 according to the present invention, the positioning steps 9A and 9B formed in multiple stages so that the distance from the mounting surface 2a is different are positioned so that the positioning steps located on the side farther from the mounting surface 2a are positioned. Since the inclination angle of the optical axis of the optical fiber 3a with respect to the mounting surface 2a of the optical axis is large, the ends of the bare optical fibers 3a positioned at the positioning stages 9A and 9B are brought close to each other and concentrated in a narrow range. Can be installed. For this reason, the end position of the bare optical fiber 3a positioned in the optical fiber hole 9 of the positioning stage far from the mounting surface 2a among the positioning stages formed in multiple stages in the connector main body 2 is set to the recess opening. 11a can be installed at a location close to the optical element 5, and the optical path length between the optical element 5 and the optical element 5 formed through the optical axis changing reflecting surface 10 can be shortened. There is. By shortening the optical path length, effects such as loss reduction and communication quality improvement (noise reduction, etc.) can be obtained.

  In the optical connector 1 according to the present invention, a plurality of differences in the distance (arrangement pitch) from the mounting surface 2a at the tip of the bare optical fiber 3a positioned at a plurality of positioning stages are superimposed on the optical fiber holding hollow portion 8. It can be made narrower than the arrangement pitch of the optical fibers 3 that are the optical fiber ribbons housed in a heated state. For example, even when an optical fiber tape core having a thickness of the covering portion 3b of about 400 μm is adopted as the optical fiber 3, the bare optical fiber 3a positioned at the positioning stage 9A and the bare core positioned at the positioning stage 9B are used. The distance from the tip of the optical fiber 3a (difference in distance from the mounting surface 2a) can be made 100 μm or less. As a result, in this optical connector 1, it is easy to make the tip position of the bare optical fiber 3a positioned by the second positioning stage 9B approach the mounting surface 2a. That is, in this optical connector 1, bare light is positioned by the optical fiber hole 9 in a positioning step (positioning step farther from the mounting surface 2a than the first positioning step 9A) other than the first positioning step 9A closest to the mounting surface 2a. It is easy to make the tip position of the fiber 3a approach the mounting surface 2a, and it is easy to shorten the length of the optical path (optical path length) formed between the optical element 5 and the optical surface changing reflective surface 10. realizable.

7 illustrates the optical connector 1 having two positioning stages. However, as described above, the connector main body may be formed with three or more positioning stages. It can be said that the optical connector 1 according to the present invention is advantageous for increasing the number of cores (increasing the number of corresponding cores) because the tip of the bare optical fiber 3a positioned at the center of the optical connector 1 can be centrally arranged near the mounting surface 2a.
Since the number of optical axis changing reflection surfaces corresponds to the positioning step, the number of optical axis changing reflecting surfaces increases as the number of positioning steps increases.

  In the present invention, among the positioning stages formed in multiple stages so that the distance from the mounting surface is different from each other on the connector body, all the positioning stages or each positioning stage except the stage closest to the mounting surface The positioning portion can support the optical fiber (bare optical fiber 3a) with respect to the mounting surface in an inclined manner. The positioning portion of the positioning step closest to the mounting surface may support the optical fiber in parallel with the mounting surface.In this case, the positioning portion of each positioning step except the positioning step closest to the mounting surface is The optical fiber (bare optical fiber 3a) is formed so as to be inclined and supported with respect to the mounting surface. Here, the inclination with respect to the mounting surface of the optical fiber supported to be tilted by the positioning portion is an inclination in which the distance from the mounting surface increases from the recess for changing the optical axis toward the hollow portion for holding the optical fiber. In addition, the tilting angle of the optical fiber supported by tilting with respect to the mounting surface is increased as the positioning portion is farther from the mounting surface. Thereby, the front-end | tip of the optical fiber supported by the positioning part of each positioning step can be concentrated and arrange | positioned in the place near a mounting surface.

  In addition, the optical connector 1 of the present invention has a configuration in which an optical connector changing reflecting surface is provided integrally with an optical connector ferrule that performs optical connection between optical fibers, and can be easily downsized. It is also easy to avoid interference with the wiring pattern of the circuit board 6. In addition, since it is assembled at the tip of a plurality (two in this case) of the optical fiber ribbons and can be collectively connected to the optical element 5 of the plurality of optical fiber ribbons, for example, one optical fiber tape Compared to the case where the optical connector assembled at the tip of the core wire is connected to the optical element 5 of the optical transceiver 4 mounted at a plurality of locations on the substrate such as a circuit board, a significant space saving, Needless to say, higher density can be realized.

  In the present invention, the optical fiber holding hollow portion is not limited to the optical fiber holding hollow portion 8 as in the embodiment, and may be, for example, a hollow portion that opens to the side opposite to the mounting surface 2 a of the connector body 2. Moreover, it may be a hollow portion that does not have an opening in a direction orthogonal to the circuit board surface 6a, or may be a simple hollow portion. In short, any material that can hold the covering portion of the optical fiber 3 may be used.

  In addition, the optical fiber attached to the optical connector in the present invention is not limited to the case of the optical fiber ribbon as in the embodiment. The optical connector according to the present invention can also be applied to attachment of a plurality of single-core optical fibers 3 (optical fiber core wires, optical fiber strands, etc., which have a covering portion for covering bare optical fibers). The configuration of the optical fiber 3 itself is not limited to UV rays, and various configurations can be employed.

In addition, if sufficient fixing cannot be obtained simply by fitting the positioning pins into the positioning pin holes formed in the optical transceiver 4 as in the above-described embodiment, the circuit board 6 is also provided with positioning pin holes. A fixing means for inserting the positioning pins into the positioning pin holes of both the optical transceiver 4 and the circuit board 6 or a connector holder formed by bending a metal plate such as a stainless steel plate is separately attached to the circuit board side. A fixing means for holding the optical connector 1 so that the connector holder holds the optical connector 1 and other fixing means can be employed.
In the embodiment, the module-mounted optical transceiver 4 is mounted on the circuit board 6, but the optical element, various devices, and components for realizing the optical transceiver function are provided on the circuit board 6. Applicable. In this case, fixing means for holding the optical connector 1 is directly provided on the circuit board 6 so that the optical connector 1 faces the optical element on the circuit board 6.

Further, the light input / output end provided directly or indirectly on the circuit board is not limited to the optical element, and various configurations such as a structure in which the end portion of the optical fiber is drawn into the circuit board 6 and fixed can be adopted. is there.
The positioning part for positioning the bare optical fiber is not limited to the optical fiber hole (round hole, etc., which has a limited cross-sectional shape) drilled through the connector body components. Is possible. For example, the connector main body is an assembly product that is assembled by a plurality of members, and among the constituent members of the connector main body, an optical fiber (bare optical fiber) that is inserted between members that constitute an adjacent pair is replaced with the adjacent pair. It is also possible to employ a configuration in which positioning (alignment) is performed with high accuracy by positioning grooves formed in one or both of the constituent members. Further, a member in which an optical fiber aligning means such as an optical fiber hole and a positioning groove in the positioning portion is formed, and a guiding means for guiding an optical fiber (bare optical fiber) from the optical fiber holding hollow portion to the aligning means ( It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the member in which the guide groove or the like is formed is separated.

  In the above-described embodiment, for each positioning stage, a configuration in which the inclination angles with respect to the mounting surface of the optical axis of the incoming and outgoing light of the optical fiber positioned by the plurality of positioning portions (optical fiber holes) constituting one positioning stage is illustrated. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and there are a plurality of positioning portions having different inclination angles with respect to the mounting surface of the optical axis of the input / output light of the optical fiber to be positioned, and the optical fibers positioned by these positioning portions are: An optical path that faces each of the plurality of optical axis changing reflecting surfaces of the optical axis changing recess and is optically connected to the optical input / output end via the optical axis changing reflecting surface is formed. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the configuration having the positioning step.

In any embodiment, the adhesive is not limited to a completely transparent adhesive. Even if it is translucent, it can be used as long as it is an adhesive that allows the light passing through the optical fiber to pass with an acceptable transmittance.
Further, in FIG. 2 and the like, one or more optical fibers (bare optical fiber 3a in the illustrated example) located on one end side in the width direction are used for transmission, and one or more optical fibers (in the illustrated example) located on the other end side. The configuration may be such that the bare optical fiber 3a) is used for reception, and one or more fibers (the bare optical fiber 3a in the illustrated example) located at the center in the width direction are not used. In this case, since there is a fiber that is not used at the center, an optical path between the optical fiber located at one end in the width direction and the light input / output end (optical element 5), and an optical fiber located at the other end in the width direction Since the distance between the light input / output end (optical element 5) and the optical path increases, problems such as interference due to scattered light can be further reduced.

The positioning pin is a general term for protruding members that position the optical connector and the substrate. The positioning pin is preferably a metal round bar pin as exemplified in the above-described embodiment, but is not limited thereto. For example, it may be a protrusion formed by integral molding on a resin optical connector or a protrusion formed by integral molding on a resin substrate. It can be said that it corresponds to the positioning pin in the present invention as long as it projects from the optical connector side or the board side toward the mating side and functions to position the optical connector and the board. For example, if the projecting portion projecting from the optical connector fits with the other side (substrate) and performs the function of positioning between the substrate and the optical connector, the projecting portion projecting from the optical connector Can be referred to as a “positioning pin” according to the present invention. In addition, if the projecting part projecting on the board side is engaged with a recess (fitting part) on the optical connector side to fulfill the function of positioning between the board and the optical connector, this It can be called a “positioning pin” in the invention. As described above, the positioning pin is preferably a round bar pin having a circular cross section, but the cross sectional shape may be, for example, an ellipse, a rectangle, or a square. The cross-sectional shape may be hollow. Further, the number of positioning pins is preferably two, but may be a number other than two (one or three or more) for the purpose of improving positioning accuracy.
On the other hand, the “pin hole (positioning pin hole)” in this specification is a general term for a portion into which a positioning pin is fitted, and is not limited to a pin hole that is a round hole corresponding to a round bar pin. . If the positioning pin is fitted so that the positioning pin can be positioned with high accuracy to perform the function of positioning between the substrate and the optical connector, this is referred to as a pin hole according to the present invention. be able to.

1 is a perspective view of a connector body in an optical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention (however, it is a reverse view). FIG. It is a top view of the connector main body of FIG. It is AA sectional drawing of FIG. It is BB sectional drawing of the state which inserted the positioning pin in the positioning pin hole in FIG. It is CC sectional drawing of the state which made the positioning pin fit in the positioning pin hole in FIG. It is a figure of the state which inserted the optical fiber in the connector main body in FIG. It is sectional drawing shown in the use condition of the optical connector of one Embodiment of this invention comprised using the above-mentioned connector main body. (FIG. 3 is turned upside down). It is an enlarged view of the principal part of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Optical connector, 2 ... Connector main body, 2a ... Mounting surface, 2b ... Side surface, 3 ... Optical fiber, 3a ... Optical fiber (bare optical fiber), 3b ... Covering part, 4 ... Optical transceiver, 41 ... Board | substrate (mount) 41a ... substrate surface (top surface), 4a ... positioning pin hole, 5 ... optical element, 6 ... substrate (circuit board), 6a ... substrate surface, 7 ... wall portion, 8 ... hollow portion for holding optical fiber, 8a ... Optical fiber insertion opening, 9 ... Positioning portion (optical fiber hole), 9A, 9B ... Positioning stage, 10 ... Optical axis changing reflecting surface, 10a ... Optical axis changing reflecting surface (first reflecting surface), 10b ... Optical axis changing reflecting surface (second reflecting surface), 11... Optical axis changing recess, 11 a... Recess opening, 13.

Claims (6)

The optical fiber (3) is attached to the tip of the optical fiber (3) and is installed facing the optical input / output end (5) mounted directly or indirectly on the substrate (6, 41). An optical connector for optically connecting between
A block-shaped connector body (2) installed on the substrate facing the light input / output end,
The connector main body has a mounting surface (2a) disposed opposite to the substrate surface so that the connector main body is joined to the substrate surface (6a, 41a) of the substrate when the connector main body is installed facing the light input / output end. And an optical fiber holding hollow portion (8) for holding an optical fiber insertion opening (8a) opened in the side surface (2b) of the connector body and holding the optical fiber covering portion guided along the substrate surface. ), A positioning portion (9) for positioning the tip portion of the optical fiber, and the tip of the optical fiber positioned at the positioning portion face each other to form an optical path between the tip of the optical fiber and the light input / output end An optical axis changing recess (11) having an optical axis changing reflecting surface (10, 10a, 10b);
The positioning portion has a multi-stage structure in which the distance from the mounting surface is different from the wall portion (7) on the side facing the reflection surface for changing the optical axis through the recess for changing the optical axis in the connector body. Formed into
Among the positioning parts of each stage (9A, 9B), the positioning parts of all stages, or the positioning parts of each stage excluding the stage closest to the mounting surface, the optical fiber to be positioned, the recess for changing the optical axis From the mounting surface so that the distance from the mounting surface increases as it goes to the optical fiber holding hollow portion side, and the position of the positioning portion farther from the mounting surface is inclined and supported. An optical connector (1), wherein the optical connector (1) is formed so that an inclination angle with respect to a mounting surface is increased. In the recess for changing the optical axis, a plurality of reflection surfaces for changing the optical axis having different distances from the recess opening (11a) opening in the mounting surface of the recess for changing the optical axis are provided in the recess. It is formed by shifting the position so that the farther from the opening, the larger the angle of inclination with respect to the mounting surface and the closer to the wall,
In the optical fiber positioned by the positioning unit, the farther the distance from the mounting surface of the positioning unit step for positioning the optical fiber is, the farther the reflecting surface for changing the optical axis is located farther from the recess opening. The optical connector according to claim 1, wherein the optical connector is positioned.   One or more of the stages of the positioning parts provided in multiple stages have a structure in which a plurality of positioning parts having the same inclination angle with respect to the mounting surface of the optical axis of the optical fiber to be positioned are arranged side by side. The optical connector according to claim 1 or 2.   A plurality of optical fiber tape cores are accommodated in the optical fiber holding hollow part, and a plurality of bare optical fibers led to the end of one multi-fiber optical fiber ribbon constitute a single stage. 4. The optical connector according to claim 3, wherein the optical connector is positioned at a positioning portion.   Positioning pins (13) that fit into positioning pin holes (4a) drilled on the board side, or projecting on the board side, on both sides in the connector width direction of the optical axis changing recesses of the connector body, respectively. The optical connector according to claim 1, wherein a positioning pin hole (14) into which the positioning pin is fitted is provided.   An optical input / output end mounted on the substrate (6, 41) and an optical fiber are attached to the tip of the optical fiber, and are placed on the substrate so as to face the optical input / output end (5). An optical transmission / reception apparatus comprising: the optical connector according to claim 1, which optically connects between ends.

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