Internal-reflection optical path changing member

• US 8,165,432 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2009
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujikura Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujikura Limited
• Inventors: Ohta, Tatsuya, Fujiwara, Kunihiko, Nishimura, Akito, Sasaki, Kenji, Hayashi, Yukio
• Primary Examiner(s): Ullah, Akm
• Application Number:
  US12/416,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20090252455A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 385/15, 385/16, 385/31, 385/39, 385/88, 385/147, 385/901
• US Class Current: 385/15
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4214 the intermediate optical element having redirecting reflective means, e.g. mirrors, prisms for deflecting the radiation from horizontal to down- or upward direction toward a device G02B6/4246 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/43 Arrangements comprising a plurality of opto-electronic elements and associated optical interconnections

Abstract

An optical path changing member is assembled at ends of optical fibers and placed to face a substrate including an optical input/output terminal having optical axes inclined with respect to optical axes of the ends. The optical path changing member is made of a transparent material and includes a member body having a reflection surface for optically connecting the ends to the optical input/output terminal. The member body has optical fiber insertion holes and an end placement portion to which the insertion holes are open and in which the end faces of the optical fibers are placed. The reflection surface is formed so that light entering from the end faces of the optical fibers into the member body will be internally reflected toward the optical input/output terminal in the member body. The end placement portion is filled with an adhesive by which the ends are fixed to the member body.

Claims

1. An optical path changing member to be assembled at ends of optical fibers and placed to face a substrate including an optical terminal having optical axes inclined with respect to optical axes of the ends, the optical path changing member comprising:

a member body being made of a transparent material,

the member body comprising

optical fiber insertion holes into which the optical fibers are inserted;

a reflection-surface-formation recess including a reflection surface in an inner surface thereof, the reflection surface optically connecting the optical fibers to the optical terminal, the reflection surface being inclined with respect to the optical axes of the optical fibers and the optical terminal for light entering into the member body from one of the optical terminal and any of end faces of the optical fibers to be internally reflected toward the other in the member body; and

an end placement space to which the optical fiber insertion holes are open, having an inside wall facing openings of the optical fiber insertion holes and contacting with the ends of the optical fibers, and the end placement space being filled with an adhesive to fix the optical fibers therein; and

a cover covering the reflection-surface-formation recess.

2. The optical path changing member according to claim 1, wherein the reflection surface is a continuous concave surface as seen in an incident direction of light propagating through the member body, and has a curvature and a curved shape so as to position converging points of light reflected from the reflection surface at the end faces of the optical fibers and the optical terminal.

3. The optical path changing member according to claim 1, wherein

the reflection surface comprises a plurality of inclination surfaces having different inclination angles, the inclination surfaces collectively forming a substantially concave surface as seen in an incident direction of light propagating through the member body, and

the inclination angles are set so that light reflected from the plurality of inclination surfaces is collected on the end faces of the optical fibers and the optical terminal.

4. The optical path changing member according to claim 1, wherein the reflection-surface-formation recess is substantially hermetically sealed by the cover.

5. The optical path changing member according to claim 1, further comprising:

lenses and a protrusion formed on a substrate-side surface of the member body in a protruding manner, the lenses facing the optical terminal, the protrusion surrounding the lenses,

wherein the protrusion protrudes further than the lenses.

6. The optical path changing member according to claim 1, further comprising:

two fitting pins protruding from a substrate-side surface of the optical path changing member,

wherein the fitting pins are disposed with light entry/exit portions in the substrate-side surface interposed therebetween, and the positions of the fitting pins are symmetric about a line segment connecting the light entry/exit portions.

7. The optical path changing member according to claim 6, wherein the two fitting pins are made of resin and molded integrally with the member body.

8. The optical path changing member according to claim 7, wherein the fitting pins are arranged at positions which are point-symmetric about a center of the line segment.