Optical connector module

• US 9,033,592 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2013
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Arao, Hajime, Shimazu, Takayuki, Sekiguchi, Tomoki, Yokochi, Toshihisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Radkowski, Peter
• Application Number:
  US13/860,776
• Publication Number:
  US 20130272664A1
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 385/89, 385/59
• US Class Current: 385/89
• 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 6/4284 of optical modules with disconnectable electrical connectors latching arms for electrical connectors H01R13/627
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/43 Arrangements comprising a plurality of opto-electronic elements and associated optical interconnections

Abstract

As only either of light emitting side wirings and light receiving side wirings crossover each other, the same connectors 30 may be mounted at opposite ends of an optical fiber. Thus, it is possible to provide an optical connector module at low cost. Further, as the optical fiber is connected straight from one side to the other side, an assembly process is easy.

Claims

1. An optical connector module comprising:

a pair of connectors including

a substrate,

a plurality of light emitting elements adjacently arranged next to one another and a plurality of light receiving elements adjacently arranged next to one another, the plurality of light emitting elements and the plurality of light receiving elements mounted on the substrate,

a plurality of light emitting side metal terminals adjacently arranged next to one another and a plurality of light receiving side metal terminals adjacently arranged next to one another, the plurality of light emitting side metal terminals and the plurality of light receiving side metal terminals mounted on the substrate and respectively electrically connected to the light emitting elements and the light receiving elements,

a plurality of light emitting side wirings that connect the light emitting elements and the light emitting side metal terminals one to one, and

a plurality of light receiving side wirings that connect the light receiving elements and the light receiving side metal terminals one to one; and

an optical cable including

a plurality of first optical fibers that optically connect the plurality of light emitting elements of one connector and the plurality of light receiving elements of the other connector, and

a plurality of second optical fibers that optically connect the plurality of light emitting elements of the other connector and the plurality of light receiving elements of the one connector,

wherein a plurality of first signal lines formed by the light emitting side wirings of the one connector, the first optical fibers, and the light receiving side wirings of the other connector crossover each other so that an arrangement sequence of the plurality of first signal lines at the light emitting side metal terminals of one connector is reversed to an arrangement sequence of the plurality of first signal lines at the light receiving side metal terminals of the other connector, and

wherein a plurality of second signal lines formed by the light receiving side wirings of the one connector, the second optical fibers, and the light emitting side wirings of the other connector crossover each other so that an arrangement sequence of the plurality of second signal lines at the light emitting side metal terminals of the other connector is reversed to an arrangement sequence of the plurality of second signal lines at the light receiving side metal terminals of the one connector.

2. The optical connector module according to claim 1,

wherein the plurality of first signal lines crossover each other between the plurality of light emitting elements of the one connector and the plurality of light emitting side metal terminals of the one connector, or between the plurality of light receiving elements of the other connector and the plurality of light receiving side metal terminals of the other connector.

3. The optical connector module according to claim 2,

wherein each connector includes:

a control circuit configured to perform input of an electrical signal output from the light receiving elements and to perform output of an electrical signal input to the light emitting elements, and

a waveform shaping circuit configured to shape the waveform of electrical signals input and output in the control circuit,

wherein the light emitting side wirings and the light receiving side wirings include;

primary wirings that electrically connect the control circuit and the waveform shaping circuit, and

secondary wirings that connect the waveform shaping circuit, and the light emitting side metal terminals or the light receiving side metal terminals, and

wherein the primary wirings crossover each other.

4. The optical connector module according to claim 1,

wherein the light emitting side metal terminals and the light receiving side metal terminals are arranged on different surfaces of the substrate.

5. The optical connector module according to claim 2,

wherein the substrate includes a plurality of layers, and

wherein the light emitting side wirings crossover each other or the light receiving side wirings crossover each other and include through-electrodes formed through the layers, and are provided over different layers.

6. The optical connector module according to claim 1,

wherein the plurality of first optical fibers are connected to the connectors in the state of being twisted between the one end side and the other end side thereof so that the arrangement sequence of the plurality of first signal lines at the light emitting side metal terminals of one connector is reversed to the arrangement sequence of the plurality of first signal lines at the light receiving side metal terminals of the other connector, and

wherein the plurality of second optical fibers are connected to the connectors in the state of being twisted so that the arrangement sequence of the plurality of second signal lines at the light emitting side metal terminals of the other connector is reversed to the arrangement sequence of the plurality of second signal lines at the light receiving side metal terminals of one connector.

7. The optical connector module according to claim 6,

wherein both of the plurality of first optical fibers and the plurality of second optical fibers are twisted on the one end side or

wherein the plurality of first optical fibers are twisted on the one end side and the plurality of second optical fibers are twisted on the other end side.

8. The optical connector module according to claim 6,

wherein the plurality of first optical fibers and the plurality of second optical fibers are accommodated in the optical cable in the state of being arranged with a first pitch in a predetermined direction and are connected to the connectors in the state of being arranged in parallel with a second pitch wider than the first pitch in the predetermined direction,

wherein the plurality of first optical fibers crossover each other and the plurality of second optical fibers crossover each other and are connected to the connectors in a state where a first optical fiber and a second optical fiber positioned at the outermost positions are twisted inward, and have a bending portion formed in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction when extending over a first optical fiber and a second optical fiber positioned on the inside.

9. The optical connector module according to claim 8,

wherein a region where the optical fibers are arranged with the first pitch and a region where the optical fibers are arranged with the second pitch are offset in the direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction, and the bending portion is formed in the offset direction.

10. The optical connector module according to claim 1,

wherein the plurality of second signal lines crossover each other between the plurality of light emitting elements of the other connector and the plurality of light emitting side metal terminals of the other connector, or between the plurality of light receiving elements of the one connector and the plurality of light receiving side metal terminals of the one connector.

11. The optical connector module according to claim 1,

wherein the plurality of light emitting side wirings of the one connector crossover each other, the plurality of light receiving side wirings of the one connector are in parallel, the plurality of light emitting side wirings of the other connector crossover each other, and the plurality of light receiving side wirings of the other connector are in parallel.

12. The optical connector module according to claim 1,

wherein the plurality of light receiving side wirings of the one connector crossover each other, the plurality of light emitting side wirings of the one connector are in parallel, the plurality of light receiving side wirings of the other connector crossover each other, and the plurality of light emitting side wirings of the other connector are in parallel.

13. The optical connector module according to claim 10,

wherein each connector includes:

a control circuit configured to perform input of an electrical signal output from the light receiving elements and to perform output of an electrical signal input to the light emitting elements, and

a waveform shaping circuit configured to shape the waveform of electrical signals input and output in the control circuit,

wherein the light emitting side wirings and the light receiving side wirings include;

primary wirings that electrically connect the control circuit and the waveform shaping circuit, and

secondary wirings that connect the waveform shaping circuit, and the light emitting side metal terminals or the light receiving side metal terminals, and

wherein the primary wirings crossover each other.

14. The optical connector module according to claim 11,

wherein each connector includes:

a control circuit configured to perform input of an electrical signal output from the light receiving elements and to perform output of an electrical signal input to the light emitting elements, and

a waveform shaping circuit configured to shape the waveform of electrical signals input and output in the control circuit,

wherein the light emitting side wirings and the light receiving side wirings include;

primary wirings that electrically connect the control circuit and the waveform shaping circuit, and

secondary wirings that connect the waveform shaping circuit, and the light emitting side metal terminals or the light receiving side metal terminals, and

wherein the primary wirings crossover each other.

15. The optical connector module according to claim 12,

wherein each connector includes:

a control circuit configured to perform input of an electrical signal output from the light receiving elements and to perform output of an electrical signal input to the light emitting elements, and

a waveform shaping circuit configured to shape the waveform of electrical signals input and output in the control circuit,

wherein the light emitting side wirings and the light receiving side wirings include;

primary wirings that electrically connect the control circuit and the waveform shaping circuit, and

secondary wirings that connect the waveform shaping circuit, and the light emitting side metal terminals or the light receiving side metal terminals, and

wherein the primary wirings crossover each other.

16. The optical connector module according to claim 10,

wherein the substrate includes a plurality of layers, and

wherein the light emitting side wirings crossover each other or the light receiving side wirings crossover each other and include through-electrodes formed through the layers, and are provided over different layers.

17. The optical connector module according to claim 11,

wherein the substrate includes a plurality of layers, and

wherein the light emitting side wirings crossover each other or the light receiving side wirings crossover each other and include through-electrodes formed through the layers, and are provided over different layers.

18. The optical connector module according to claim 12,

wherein the substrate includes a plurality of layers, and

wherein the light emitting side wirings crossover each other or the light receiving side wirings crossover each other and include through-electrodes formed through the layers, and are provided over different layers.