Optical device for an optical element and apparatus employing the device

• US 6,578,989 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2001
• Issued: 06/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Osumi, Yoshimasa, Matsui, Akira, Kiyomoto, Hironobu
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alavi, Ali
• Application Number:
  US09/967,846
• Publication Number:
  US 20020057571A1
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• Field of Search: 362/298, 362/299, 362/300, 362/800, 362/310, 362/311, 362/240, 362/545, 362/241, 359/248, 257/98, 257/100, 257/99, 313/512
• US Class Current: 362/298
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48247 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/54 having a particular shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/60 Reflective elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02255 using beam deflecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0232 Lead-frames
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

An optical device for an optical element to control a light path about emission light emitted from the optical element to external or incident light entered from external to the optical element, which includes a light reflecting member, a resin member covering a light reflection surface of the light reflecting member, and a bumper member interposed between the light reflecting member and the resin member. The resin member is provided with a boundary surface for almost totally reflecting light deviated from a predetermined region in front of the optical element, and the boundary surface of the resin member or the light reflecting member is so disposed that light deviating from the predetermined region in front of the optical element and passing between the optical element and an external of the optical device is reflected more than once with each of the boundary surface and the light reflecting member.

Claims

1. An optical device for an optical element to control a light path about emission light emitted from the optical element to external or incident light entered from external to the optical element, comprising:

a light reflecting member,

a resin member covering a light reflection surface of said light reflecting member, and

a bumper member interposed between said light reflecting member and said resin member,

said resin member including a boundary surface for almost totally reflecting light deviated from a predetermined region in front of said optical element, said boundary surface of the resin member or said light reflecting member being disposed such that light deviating from said predetermined region in front of said optical element and passing between said optical element and an external of said optical device is reflected more than once with each of said boundary surface and said light reflecting member.

2. An optical device according to claim 1, in which said resin member further includes a lens portion for emitting or collecting light reaching said predetermined region in front of said optical member.

3. An optical device according to claim 1, in which said bumper member is disposed on a concentrated portion of stresses produced by the thermal expansion or shrinkage of said light reflecting member and said resin member.

4. An optical device according to claim 1, in which said bumper member is disposed at least on a light reflection surface of said light reflecting member.

5. An optical device according to claim 1, in which said bumper member comprises a soft layer having low degree hardness, a gas layer, a fluid layer or a cavity layer produced by shrinkage.

6. An optical device according to claim 1, in which said bumper member has hardness of 50 or less as measured with JISK6249.

7. An optical device according to claim 1, in which said bumper member is configured to have a substantially uniform thickness.

8. An optical device according to claim 1, in which said bumper member has a thickness of 100 μ

m or less.

9. An optical device according to claim 1, in which said bumper member has a thickness in a range of 30 μ

m to 100 μ

m.

10. An optical device array comprising a plurality of optical devices in the array,

wherein each of the plurality of optical devices for an optical element comprise:

a light reflecting member,

a resin member covering a light reflection surface of said light reflecting member, and

a bumper member interposed between said light reflecting member and said resin member,

said resin member including a boundary surface for reflecting light deviated from a predetermined region in front of said optical element, said boundary surface of the resin member or said light reflecting member being disposed such that light deviating from said predetermined region in front of said optical element and passing between said optical element and an external of said optical device is reflected more than once with each of said boundary surface and said light reflecting member disposed.

11. An optical apparatus comprising:

An optical device array comprising a plurality of optical devices, each of the plurality of optical devices for an optical element comprise;

a light reflecting member,

a resin member covering a light reflection surface of said light reflecting member, and

a bumper member interposed between said light reflecting member and said resin member,

said resin member including a boundary surface for reflecting light deviated from a predetermined region in front of said optical element, said boundary surface of the resin member or said light reflecting member being disposed such that light deviating from said predetermined region in front of said optical element and passing between said optical element and an external of said optical device is reflected more than once with each of said boundary surface and said light reflecting member disposed in which said optical elements are so disposed that light deviating from said predetermined region in front of each of said optical elements and passing between each of said optical element and an external of each of said optical devices is reflected more than once with each of said boundary surface and said light reflecting member.

12. An optical apparatus comprising an optical element and an optical device for the optical element to control a light path about emission light emitted from the optical element to an external or incident light entered from an external to the optical element, said optical device comprising:

a light reflecting member,

a resin member covering a light reflection surface of said light reflecting member, and

a bumper member interposed between said light reflecting member and said resin member,

said resin member including a boundary surface for almost totally reflecting light deviated from a predetermined region in front of said optical element, said boundary surface of the resin member or said light reflecting member being so disposed that light deviating from said predetermined region in front of said optical element and passing between said optical element and an external of said optical device is reflected more than once with each of said boundary surface and said light reflecting member.

13. An optical apparatus according to claim 12, in which said optical element comprises a light emitting element composed of a light emitting element chip or a light emitting element module in which said light emitting element chip is sealed by a mold resin.

14. An optical apparatus according to claim 13, in which said boundary surface of the resin member includes a region where a total reflection point of said boundary surface for totally reflecting first light emitted from said light emitting element has the same location as that of a passing point of said boundary surface passed by second light which is emitted from said light emitting element and totally reflected on a point of said boundary surface closer to said light emitting element than said total reflection point to be reflected by said light reflecting member for emission to an external of the apparatus.

15. An optical apparatus according to claim 12, in which said optical element is a light receiving element which is a light receiving element chip or a light receiving element module in which the light receiving element chip is sealed by a mold resin.

16. An optical apparatus according to claim 15, including a first light path where first external light entering through said boundary surface of the resin member to be reflected by said light reflecting member is totally reflected on a total reflection point of said boundary surface to enter into said light receiving element, and a second light path where second external light entering through said total reflection point of the boundary surface to be reflected by said light reflecting member is totally reflected on a point of said boundary surface closer to said light receiving element than said total reflection point to enter into said light receiving element.

17. An optical apparatus according to claim 12, in which said optical element is disposed near a mirror image position of a focal point of said light reflecting member over said boundary surface of the resin member.

18. A method for manufacturing an optical device for an optical element to control a light path about emission light emitted from the optical element to an external or incident light entered from an external to the optical element, the method comprising:

putting a bumper member on a light reflecting member, and

covering said light reflection with a resin member so that light deviating from a predetermined region in front of said optical element and passing between said optical element and an external of said optical device is reflected more than once with each of said boundary surface and said light reflecting member.

19. A method for manufacturing an optical apparatus including an optical element within the apparatus to control a light path about emission light emitted from the optical element to an external or incident light entered from an external to the optical element, the method comprising:

putting a bumper member on a light reflecting member, and

covering said optical element and said light reflecting member with a resin member so that light deviating from a predetermined region in front of said optical element and passing between said optical element and an external of said optical apparatus is reflected more than once with each of said boundary surface and said light reflecting member.

20. A method for controlling a light path about emission light emitted from an optical element to an external or incident light entered from an external to the optical element in an optical apparatus including a light reflecting member and a resin member covering the light reflecting member provided with a boundary surface, the method comprising:

directing light deviating from a predetermined region in front of said optical element and passing between said optical element and an external of said optical apparatus so as to be reflected more than once with each of said boundary surface and a light reflecting member, and

directing light reflected by said light reflecting member to pass through a bumper member disposed on at least a portion of said light reflecting member.

21. An optical apparatus including a plurality of light emitting elements composed of light emitting element chips or light emitting element modules in which said light emitting element chips are sealed by mold resins, and a plurality of optical devices controlling light paths about emission light emitted from said light emitting elements to externals, said optical devices each comprising

a light reflecting member,

a resin member covering a light reflection surface of said light reflecting member, and

a bumper member interposed between said light reflecting member and said resin member,

said resin member including a boundary surface for almost totally reflecting light deviated from a predetermined region in front of said light emitting element, said boundary surface of the resin member or said light reflecting member being so disposed that light deviating from said predetermined region in front of said light emitting element and passing from said light emitting element to an external of said optical device is reflected more than once with each of said boundary surface and said light reflecting member.