阅读说明：本技术 光连接器模块 (Optical connector module ) 是由 角田胜健 中水流和美 铃木贵大 于 2017-06-16 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明提供一种光连接器模块,既能够降低耦合损失,又能够有助于小型化。本发明的光连接器模块(1)具有：光传输通路(10),具有芯体(12)以及包层(11)；光连接器(20),设置有与芯体(12)的端面相对的第一侧面(A1),与光传输通路(10)光耦合；以及折射率调节剂(30),对芯体(12)与第一侧面(A1)之间的空隙(S)的折射率进行调节,折射率调节剂(30)介于第一侧面(A1)与端面之间,在第一侧面(A1)上与芯体(12)相对的位置设置有具有曲率的第一透镜部(23)。(An optical connector module is provided with an optical transmission path (10) having a core (12) and a cladding (11), an optical connector (20) provided with a -th side surface (A1) facing the end surface of the core (12) and optically coupled to the optical transmission path (10), and a refractive index adjuster (30) for adjusting the refractive index of a gap (S) between the core (12) and a -th side surface (A1), the refractive index adjuster (30) being interposed between a -th side surface (A1) and the end surface, and an -th lens portion (23) having a curvature being provided at a position facing the core (12) on a -th side surface (A1).)

An optical connector module of , wherein,

comprising:

a light transmission path having a core and a cladding;

an optical connector provided with an th side surface facing the end surface of the core body and optically coupled with the optical transmission path,

a refractive index adjuster that adjusts a refractive index of a gap between the core body and the th side surface,

the refractive index adjuster is interposed between the th side face and the end face,

a th lens portion having a curvature is provided at a position opposite to the core on the th side surface.

2. The optical connector module of claim 1,

the optical connector has a second side surface on a side opposite to the th side surface in a traveling direction of light,

a second lens portion having a curvature is provided on the second side surface.

3. The optical connector module according to claim 1 or 2,

the th lens part is formed in a concave shape on the th side surface.

4. The optical connector module according to claim 2 or 3,

the second lens portion is formed in a convex shape on the second side surface.

5. The optical connector module of any of claims 1-4,

the refractive index adjuster is in close contact with the th lens portion and the end face.

6. The optical connector module of claim 5,

the refractive index adjuster fixes the optical connector and the optical transmission path.

7. The optical connector module of any of claims 1-6,

the end surface of the optical transmission path is a curved surface protruding toward the optical connector.

8. The optical connector module of any of claims 1-7,

the end surface of the core is a curved surface that protrudes further toward the optical connector than the end surface of the cladding.

Technical Field

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

Background

Conventionally, an optical connector having optical connection paths for optically coupling optical transmission paths is known. For example, patent document 1 discloses a technique of providing a lens member for suppressing a coupling loss between an optical fiber and an optical waveguide.

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

However, in the optical connector described in patent document 1, for example, a lens is formed on the outer surface of the lens member on the opposite side from the facing surface of the optical transmission path, and a diffraction effect of light is generated over a longer distance.

In order to miniaturize the entire module including the optical transmission path and the optical connector, it is desirable to miniaturize the optical connector as much as possible. However, in the optical connector described in patent document 1, for example, the distance between the lens for optically adjusting to a desired light flux state and the optical transmission path is long. Therefore, miniaturization of such a configuration is hindered.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide kinds of optical connector modules that can contribute to downsizing while reducing coupling loss.

Means for solving the problems

To solve the above problems, an optical connector module according to claim , wherein,

comprising:

a light transmission path having a core and a cladding;

an optical connector provided with an th side surface facing the end surface of the core body and optically coupled with the optical transmission path,

a refractive index adjuster that adjusts a refractive index of a gap between the core body and the th side surface,

the refractive index adjuster is interposed between the th side face and the end face,

a th lens portion having a curvature is provided at a position opposite to the core on the th side surface.

In the optical connector module of the second aspect,

the optical connector may also have a second side at a side opposite to the th side in the propagation direction of light,

the second lens portion having a curvature may be provided on the second side surface.

In the optical connector module of the third aspect,

the th lens part may be formed in a concave shape on the th side surface.

In the optical connector module of the fourth aspect,

the second lens portion may be formed in a convex shape on the second side surface.

In the optical connector module of the fifth aspect,

the refractive index adjuster may be in close contact with the th lens portion and the end face.

In the optical connector module of the sixth aspect,

the refractive index adjuster may fix the optical connector and the optical transmission path.

In the optical connector module of the seventh aspect,

the end surface of the optical transmission path may be a curved surface protruding toward the optical connector.

In the optical connector module of the eighth aspect,

the end surface of the core may be a curved surface that protrudes further toward the optical connector than the end surface of the cladding.

Effects of the invention

According to the optical connector modules of the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to contribute to downsizing while reducing coupling loss.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an optical connector module according to embodiment .

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the optical transmission path shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the optical connector unit of fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the optical connector module of fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along line V-V of fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view corresponding to section VI of fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged view corresponding to section VII of fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged view corresponding to fig. 7 showing a state of an end face of the optical transmission path according to a modification.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing an optical connector module of the second embodiment.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing the optical connector unit of fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the optical connector module of fig. 9.

Fig. 12 is a sectional view taken along line XII-XII in fig. 9.

Fig. 13 is an enlarged view corresponding to XIII in fig. 12.

Fig. 14 is an enlarged view corresponding to the XIV portion of fig. 13.

Fig. 15 is an enlarged view corresponding to fig. 14 showing a state of an end face of the optical transmission path according to the modification.

Fig. 16 is a perspective view showing an optical connector module according to a third embodiment.

Fig. 17 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the cross-section taken along line XVII-XVII of fig. 16.

Detailed Description

The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings, and the directions of the front-back, left-right, and up-down in the following description are based on the directions of the arrows in the drawings.

(embodiment )

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an optical connector module 1 according to embodiment , the optical connector module 1 having an optical transmission path 10, an optical connector 20 optically coupled to the optical transmission path 10, and a refractive index adjuster 30 for adjusting the refractive index of a space S between the optical transmission path 10 and the optical connector 20, and in embodiment , the optical transmission path 10 is an optical waveguide formed on a substrate.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the optical transmission path 10 of fig. 1 alone.

As shown in fig. 2, the optical transmission path 10 is formed on the upper surface of the base 40 formed of, for example, a rigid printed wiring board, and in particular, the optical transmission path 10 is disposed so as to protrude upward from a recess formed on the upper surface of the base 40, and the distal end surface of the optical transmission path 10 is formed so as to be aligned with the distal end surface of the base 40 for optical coupling with the optical connector 20, that is, the distal end surface of the optical transmission path 10 is formed in a substantially planar shape along the distal end surface of the base 40, the guided wave mode of the optical transmission path 10 may be any of single mode and multi mode , and hereinafter, the optical transmission path 10 is formed on the upper surface of the base 40 as an example, but is not limited thereto, and for example, the optical transmission path 10 may be embedded in the base 40, in this case, the distal end surface of the optical transmission path 10 may be aligned with the distal end surface of the base 40, and the end surface of the core 12 described later may.

The optical transmission path 10 includes a clad 11 formed to be laminated on the upper surface of the base 40 and a plurality of cores 12 separated from each other at predetermined intervals in the left-right direction. The clad 11 and the core 12 are made of, for example, quartz glass. The refractive index of the core 12 is higher than that of the cladding 11. Hereinafter, the optical transmission path 10 is described as an example of a buried optical waveguide, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be a flat-type or semi-buried optical waveguide.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the optical connector 20 of fig. 1 alone.

As an example, the optical connector 20 is made of a material having a refractive index substantially equal to that of the core 12 of the optical transmission path 10, the optical connector 20 is substantially L-shaped, the optical connector 20 has -th base portions 21 extending in the front-rear direction, the -th base portions 21 have recesses 21b depressed steps from substantially the center of the lower surface 21a toward the inside, the optical connector 20 has second base portions 22 formed to protrude forward of the -th base portions 21 and to be continuous with the -th base portions 21, the second base portions 22 are formed to protrude downward from the -th base portions 21, the optical connector 20 has pairs of through holes 22a penetrating from the front surface to the rear surface of the second base portions 22, and the through holes 22a form pairs at both left and right ends of the second base portions 22.

The optical connector 20 has a lens unit 23 provided on a side surface A1 of an portion constituting an inner surface of the second base 22. the lens unit 23 is constituted by a plurality of lenses 23a having curvature. the number of lenses 23a constituting the lens unit 23 is equal to or greater than the number of cores 12 of the optical transmission path 10.

The optical connector 20 has a second lens portion 24 provided on a second side surface A2 opposite to the side surface A1 of the side surface in the propagation direction of light, the second lens portion 24 is constituted by a plurality of lenses 24a having curvature, and the number of lenses 24a constituting the second lens portion 24 is equal to or greater than the number of cores 12 of the optical transmission path 10.

The optical connector 20 has a notch 25 that cuts the inner surface of the second base 22 to the th side surface A1. that is, the notch 25 is formed in a concave shape, and the optical connector 20 has an adhesive portion 26 that is formed by four side surfaces that constitute the notch 25, the upper, lower, left and right sides, the th side surface A1, and the outer surface of the second base 22 located directly below the notch 25.

The refractive index adjuster 30 is made of a material having a refractive index substantially equal to the refractive index of the core 12 of the optical transmission path 10. The refractive index adjuster 30 may also function as an adhesive.

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the optical connector module 1 of fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along line V-V of fig. 1. Fig. 6 is an enlarged view corresponding to section VI of fig. 5.

As shown in fig. 4, the optical connector 20 is attached to the base 40 from above the optical transmission path 10, that is, the optical connector 20 is disposed in a state where the lower surface 21a of the th base 21 abuts on the upper surface of the base 40 and covers the portion of the optical transmission path 10, and the second base 22 is disposed so as to protrude forward from the front end portion of the base 40 and protrude downward from the th base 21, that is, the lower surface of the second base 22 protrudes downward from the upper and lower positions of the optical transmission path 10.

At this time, a space S (see fig. 5) is formed between the optical transmission path 10 and the base 40 and the bonding portion 26 of the optical connector 20, the refractive index adjuster 30 is filled from below so as to fill the space S, that is, the refractive index adjuster 30 adjusts the refractive index of the space S between the core 12 and the -th side face a1, at this time, the bonding portion 26 of the optical connector 20 is bonded to the refractive index adjuster 30, similarly, the front end faces of the optical transmission path 10 and the base 40 are bonded to the refractive index adjuster 30, particularly, the refractive index adjuster 30 is in close contact with the -th lens portion 23 and the end face of the core 12, and thereby, the optical transmission path 10 and the optical connector 20 are fixed by the refractive index adjuster 30.

The refractive index adjuster 30 is not limited to the structure in which only the void S is filled, and may be filled between the lower surface 21a of the optical connector 20 and the upper surface of the base 40, for example, and similarly, the refractive index adjuster 30 may be filled so as to fill the recess 21b of the optical connector 20 covering the optical transmission path 10, and at least of the base 40 and the optical transmission path 10 and the optical connector 20 may be fixed by the refractive index adjuster 30 by such a method.

The optical connector 20 may be positioned by an appropriate method when attached to the base 40, for example, the optical connector 20 may be positioned by at least of the inner side surfaces of the concave portion 21b in the front-rear direction abutting against the end surfaces of the optical transmission path 10 protruding from the base 40 in the left-right direction, for example, the optical connector 20 may have a concave portion having a shape corresponding to a stud pin formed on the base 40.

Through the above steps, the assembly of the optical connector module 1 is completed.

As shown in FIG. 6, in the completed state of the optical connector module 1, the th side surface A1 faces the front end surface of the core 12, specifically, the th lens portion 23 faces the front end surface of the core 12. the refractive index adjuster 30 is interposed between the th lens portion 23 and the front end surface of the core 12. As example, the lens 23a constituting the th lens portion 23 is formed in a concave shape at the th side surface A1. that is, the lens 23a is formed as a concave lens. in particular, the lens 23a may be formed in a substantially semicircular shape in a plan view as shown in FIG. 6 along the front-rear direction which is the propagation direction of light, and the half width r in the vertical direction of the lens 23a₁Or may be larger than the radius of the core 12 of the optical transmission path 10. In the lens 23a, a width d along the propagation direction and a full width 2r in the up-down direction₁The ratio of (c) may be 1/2 or less. Namely d is less than or equal to (2 r)₁)/2＝r₁。

, the second lens 24 faces the lens 23 via the second base 22 of the optical connector 20. As an example of , the lens 24a constituting the second lens 24 is formed to be convex on the second side A2, that is, the lens 24a is formed to be convex, in particular, the lens 24a may be formed to be approximately semicircular in plan view as shown in FIG. 6 along the front-rear direction which is the light propagation direction, and the half width r in the vertical direction of the lens 24a₂Or may be larger than the radius of the core 12 of the optical transmission path 10.

As an example, the case of light propagation when light is emitted from the distal end surface of the light transmission path 10 will be described with reference to fig. 6, that is, the case of light from the light emitting element being transmitted through the light transmission path 10.

When the refractive index adjuster 30 is made of a material having a refractive index substantially equal to that of the core 12, fresnel reflection of light entering an interface between the refractive index adjuster 30 and the core 12 is suppressed by refractive index matching, and therefore, light entering the interface is emitted into the refractive index adjuster 30 with high transmittance, and the emitted light enters the lens 23a while being diffused by a diffraction effect in the inside of the refractive index adjuster 30, when the optical connector 20 is made of a material having a refractive index substantially equal to that of the refractive index adjuster 30, fresnel reflection of light entering the interface between the optical connector 20 and the refractive index adjuster 30 is suppressed by refractive index matching, and therefore, light entering the optical connector interface is emitted into the lens 24a with high transmittance, particularly the inside of the second base 22, when the lens 23a is formed as a concave lens, light emitted into the inside of the second base 22 is emitted into the lens 24a while being diffused , and light entering the interface between the lens 24a is transmitted to the outside through the optical connector 10 in a collimated state.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged view corresponding to section VII of fig. 6. Fig. 7 shows an end face of the optical transmission path 10 of fig. 1. Fig. 8 is an enlarged view corresponding to fig. 7 showing a state of an end face of the optical transmission path 10 according to a modification.

As shown in fig. 7, the end surface of the optical transmission path 10 is flush with the end surface of the base 40, that is, the end surfaces of the cladding 11 and the core 12 are formed on the same plane along the end surface of the base 40, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and as shown in fig. 8, the end surface of the optical transmission path 10, particularly the end surface of the core 12, may be a curved surface that protrudes toward the optical connector 20 side, and particularly, the end surface of the core 12 may be a curved surface that protrudes toward the optical connector 20 side rather than the end surface of the cladding 11.

The optical connector module 1 according to the described above can contribute to reduction in size while reducing coupling loss, that is, the optical connector module 1 can reduce coupling loss by providing the th lens portion 23 at a position facing the core 12 on the th side surface a1, and thus can shorten the distance at which the diffraction effect of light is generated, and can contribute to reduction in size as a whole because the distance between the th lens portion 23 of the optical connector module 1 and the optical transmission path 10 is short, and in particular, the optical connector module 1 can reduce the width of light in the propagation direction.

The optical connector module 1 can reduce coupling loss by providing the refractive index adjuster 30 in the middle. That is, the optical connector module 1 can reduce loss due to diffraction effect, loss accompanying scattering or absorption of light due to foreign matter from the outside, and loss due to fresnel reflection.

Specifically, in the optical connector module 1, the refractive index adjuster 30 having a refractive index substantially equal to the refractive index of the core 12 is disposed in the optical path, whereby the diffusion of light due to the diffraction effect can be suppressed as compared with the case of the air, and thereby the optical connector module 1 can reduce the proportion of light that is not coupled to the th lens portion 23 due to the diffraction effect.

In addition, the refractive index adjuster 30 also functions to prevent foreign matter from being mixed in. That is, the optical connector module 1 can prevent foreign substances from entering from the outside by filling the gap S with the refractive index adjuster 30. Thus, the optical connector module 1 can prevent loss accompanying scattering or absorption of light by foreign matter from the outside, and can reduce coupling loss.

In the optical connector module 1, since the refractive index of the refractive index adjuster 30 is substantially the same as the refractive index of the core 12, fresnel reflection at the interface between the refractive index adjuster and the core can be suppressed. That is, the optical connector module 1 can emit light from the core 12 with high transmittance, and can improve coupling efficiency.

The optical connector module 1 can perform optical adjustment by the two lens portions combined with the th lens portion 23 by the second lens portion 24 having curvature, that is, the optical connector module 1 can improve the degree of freedom of optical adjustment by the two lens portions, whereby the optical connector module 1 can easily provide outgoing light having a desired light flux state.

The optical connector module 1 can make the light emitted from the core 12 diffuse with certainty by forming the th lens portion 23 as a concave lens, and particularly, the optical connector module 1 can forcibly diffuse the light whose diffusion is suppressed by the refractive index adjuster 30 at an early stage after the emission by providing a concave lens at a position facing the core 12 in the th side surface a 1.

The optical connector module 1 can convert light diffused by the th lens part 23 of the concave lens into collimated light by forming the second lens part 24 into a convex lens, and particularly, the optical connector module 1 can provide collimated light of a large aperture by a combination of the th lens part 23 and the concave and convex lenses of the second lens part 24, whereby the optical connector module 1 can provide collimated light capable of efficiently condensing light at a smaller light spot, that is, the optical connector module 1 can emit collimated light with good characteristics, and the optical connector module 1 can expand the allowable range of optical coupling by using collimated light of a large aperture.

The optical connector module 1 can more effectively suppress the diffusion of light due to the diffraction effect by the refractive index adjuster 30 coming into close contact with the th lens part 23 and the end face of the core body 12, whereby the optical connector module 1 can further reduce the proportion of light that is not coupled to the th lens part 23 due to the diffraction effect by .

The optical connector module 1 can suppress optical axis deviation due to use, deterioration over time, and the like by fixing the optical transmission path 10 and the optical connector 20 with the refractive index adjuster 30. Therefore, the optical connector module 1 can maintain substantially the same optical characteristics for a long period of time in a state where the relative positions of the optical connector modules are determined by the initial positioning. Thus, the optical connector module 1 can improve the quality as a product.

The optical connector module 1 contributes to improvement of productivity by maintaining the end face of the optical transmission path 10 as a curved surface protruding toward the optical connector 20, that is, the optical connector module 1 does not need to grind the end face of the optical transmission path 10, and parts of the production process can be omitted, and thus the optical connector module 1 also contributes to reduction of production cost, in this case, fresnel reflection tends to increase on the end face of the optical transmission path 10 as compared with the case of a flat surface having a small flatness, however, fresnel reflection can be suppressed by bringing the end face of the optical transmission path 10 into contact with the refractive index adjuster 30, and the optical connector module 1 can exhibit a lens effect also on the end face by bringing the end face of the optical transmission path 10 into contact with a curved surface protruding toward the optical connector 20.

The optical connector module 1 can more significantly achieve the above-described effects by forming the end surface of the core 12 into a curved surface protruding toward the optical connector 20 side than the end surface of the cladding 11.

In the optical connector module 1, the half width r of the th lens part 23 is set₁The radius of the core 12 is larger than that of the -th lens unit 23, and light emitted from the end face of the core 12 and diffused can be received without leakage, whereby the optical connector module 1 can suppress coupling loss due to diffraction, and the optical connector module 1 can suppress coupling loss due to diffraction by making the second lens unit 24 have the same structure, and thus the coupling loss due to diffraction can be further suppressed .

In the optical connector module 1, the optical connector 20 and the refractive index adjuster 30 are both made of a material having a refractive index substantially equal to the refractive index of the core 12, so that fresnel reflection can be suppressed and coupling loss can be reduced.

(second embodiment)

Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing an optical connector module 1 according to the second embodiment, and the optical connector module 1 according to the second embodiment differs from the embodiment in point that the optical transmission path 10 is constituted by the optical fiber 13, and hereinafter, in the optical connector module 1 according to the second embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as those of the embodiment, and the description of the common components and their functions is omitted, and the point differing from the embodiment will be mainly described.

As shown in fig. 9, the optical transmission path 10 is constituted by a plurality of optical fibers 13, each of the optical fibers 13 has a clad 11 and a core 12 (see fig. 14), and if necessary has a coating, the clad 11 may be constituted by glass or resin, similarly, the core 12 may be constituted by glass or resin, the guided wave mode of each of the optical fibers 13 may be any of types of single mode and multi-mode, each of the optical fibers 13 may be any type of optical fiber such as a general-purpose single mode optical fiber, a dispersion shift type single mode optical fiber, a graded index type multi-mode optical fiber, and the plurality of optical fibers 13 may be bundled with a sheath covered or not, and the plurality of optical fibers 13 may be arranged in rows in the left-right direction inside the optical connector 20, for example.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing the optical connector 20 of fig. 9 alone.

The optical connector 20 may be made of a material having a refractive index substantially equal to the refractive index of the core 12 of the optical transmission path 10. The optical connector 20 includes a base 51 and an opening configuration portion 52 formed to be continuous with the base 51 in the front direction.

The opening structure 52 has an opening 53 through which the optical transmission line 10 is inserted. The optical connector 20 has a holding portion 54 for holding the plurality of optical fibers 13 in the base portion 51. The optical connector 20 has a plurality of guide grooves 55 in the holding portion 54. The plurality of guide grooves 55 are grooves for holding the plurality of optical fibers 13 constituting the optical transmission path 10, respectively. The number of guide grooves 55 is equal to or greater than the number of optical fibers 13 constituting the optical transmission path 10.

The optical connector 20 has a plurality of through holes 56 each continuing to the rear of the guide groove 55, the optical connector 20 has a holding hole 57 for holding the guide pin 60, and the holding hole 57 is formed pairs at the left and right ends of the optical connector 20 so as to penetrate through the left and right ends of the base 51 and the opening constituting portion 52.

The optical connector 20 has a cut-out portion 25 formed by cutting out the upper surface of the base portion 51, that is, the cut-out portion 25 is formed in a substantially concave shape, the optical connector 20 has a lens portion 23 provided on a side surface A1 constituting an portion of the inner surface of the cut-out portion 25, and the optical connector 20 has a second lens portion 24 provided on a second side surface A2 on the opposite side of from the side surface A1 in the propagation direction of light.

Fig. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the optical connector module 1 of fig. 9. Fig. 12 is a sectional view taken along line XII-XII in fig. 9. Fig. 13 is an enlarged view corresponding to XIII in fig. 12.

As shown in fig. 11, the optical transmission path 10 is inserted into the optical connector 20 from the front, the optical transmission path 10 is held by the optical connector 20 in a state where the end portions of the clad 11 and the core 12 of the optical transmission path 10 are exposed rearward from the through hole 56, the refractive index adjuster 30 is filled from above so as to fill the notch 25, and the left and right are inserted into the holding hole 57 of the optical connector 20 holding the optical transmission path 10 with respect to the leader pin 60.

Through the above steps, the assembly of the optical connector module 1 is completed.

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

Fig. 14 is an enlarged view corresponding to the XIV portion of fig. 13. Fig. 14 shows an end face of the optical transmission path 10 of fig. 9. Fig. 15 is an enlarged view corresponding to fig. 14 showing a state of an end face of the optical transmission path 10 according to a modification.

As shown in fig. 14, the end face of the optical transmission path 10 is a curved surface protruding toward the optical connector 20, particularly toward the th side face a1 side, and as an example , the end face of the optical transmission path 10 is configured such that the end faces of the clad 11 and the core 12 are the same curved surface, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and as shown in fig. 15, the end face of the optical transmission path 10, particularly the end face of the core 12 may be a curved surface protruding toward the th side face a1 side than the end face of the clad 11.

The optical connector module 1 according to the second embodiment as described above achieves the same effects as those of the th embodiment.

(third embodiment)

Fig. 16 is a perspective view showing an optical connector module 1 of the third embodiment, fig. 17 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion enlarged in a cross section taken along line XVII-XVII in fig. 16, the optical connector module 1 of the third embodiment is a combination of the optical system of embodiment and the optical system of the second embodiment, and hereinafter, in the optical connector module 1 of the third embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to components common to embodiment and the second embodiment, descriptions of common components and functions thereof are omitted, and the points different from embodiment and the second embodiment are mainly described.

As shown in fig. 16, the optical connector module 1 according to the third embodiment connects the optical connector 20a according to the th embodiment and the optical connector 20b according to the second embodiment, and optically couples the optical transmission path 10a and the optical transmission path 10b according to the second embodiment.

More specifically, the optical connector 20a and the optical connector 20b are arranged in the front-rear direction so as to be approximately degrees in the vertical and horizontal directions, in this state, inserts the guide pin 60 into the through hole 22a, thereby connecting the optical connector 20a and the optical connector 20b, and at this time, the position of the optical connector 20b with respect to the optical connector 20a is determined by the through hole 22a, whereby the end face of the optical transmission path 10a and the end face of the optical transmission path 10b are arranged on approximately the same optical axis, and the optical waveguide constituting the optical transmission path 10a and the corresponding optical fibers 13 constituting the optical transmission path 10b are optically coupled with each other, as shown in fig. 17.

For example, the light emitted from the light transmission path 10a passes through the refractive index adjuster 30a, the -th lens unit 231, and the second lens unit 241, and is emitted as collimated light, the collimated light passes through the second lens unit 242, the -th lens unit 232, and the refractive index adjuster 30b, and is incident on the optical fiber 13, and the same description applies even when the propagation directions of the light are completely opposite.

The optical connector module 1 according to the third embodiment as described above achieves the same effects as those of the th and second embodiments, and the optical connector module 1 according to the third embodiment can optically couple two different optical transmission paths 10a and 10b in a state where efficient light collection is possible by collimated light having a large diameter and an allowable range of optical coupling is wide.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention can be carried out in other prescribed ways than the above-described embodiments without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Therefore, the foregoing description is illustrative, and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is defined not by the foregoing description but by the appended claims. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.

For example, the refractive index adjuster 30 is described above as being filled in the entire space S, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the refractive index adjuster 30 may be disposed only in the portion of the space S as long as it is interposed between the th side surface A1 and the end surface of the core 12 and desired optical characteristics can be obtained.

In the above description, the th lens unit 23 and the second lens unit 24 have been described as being approximately semicircular in shape in plan view, but the shape is not limited thereto, and the th lens unit 23 and the second lens unit 24 may be spherical or aspherical.

The th lens part 23 is not limited to satisfy d ≦ (2 r)₁)/2＝r₁The th lens unit 23 has a width d and a full width 2r as long as desired optical characteristics can be obtained₁The ratio may also be greater than 1/2.

The th lens unit 23 is a concave lens, but the invention is not limited to this, and the th lens unit 23 may be any type of lens such as a convex lens as long as desired optical characteristics can be obtained.

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

The end face of the optical transmission path 10 formed by the optical waveguide or the optical fiber 13 may be a flat surface or a curved surface, and when the end face is formed by a curved surface, the end face may be a concave surface or a convex surface, and particularly, the shape and position of the end face of the clad 11 and the core 12 of the optical transmission path 10 are not limited to the shape and position shown in fig. 7, 8, 14, and 15, and the end face of the clad 11 and the core 12 of the optical transmission path 10 may be arranged at any position in any shape as long as desired optical characteristics can be obtained, and for example, if the core 12 is separated from the lens part 23 and the refractive index adjuster 30 is filled therebetween, the clad 11 may be brought into contact with the optical connector 20, particularly, the side face a 1.

Description of the reference numerals:

1 optical connector module

10. 10a, 10b optical transmission path

11 cladding

12 core body

13 optical fiber

20. 20a, 20b optical connector

21 st th base

21a lower surface

21b concave part

22 second base

22a through hole

23. 231, 232 st th lens part

23a lens

24. 241, 242 second lens part

24a lens

25 cut-out part

26 bonding part

30. 30a, 30b refractive index modifiers

40 base body

51 base

52 opening forming part

53 opening part

54 holding part

55 guide groove

56 through hole

57 holding hole

60 guide pin

th side of A1

A2 second side

S gap