Optical waveguides – With disengagable mechanical connector – Optical fiber to a nonfiber optical device connector
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-11
2003-12-09
Kim, Robert H. (Department: 2871)
Optical waveguides
With disengagable mechanical connector
Optical fiber to a nonfiber optical device connector
C385S076000, C385S088000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06659657
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transceiver module, and more particularly to an easily assembled optoelectronic transceiver module with high yield rate.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An optoelectronic transceiver module is used to transform an optical signal coming from an optical fiber connector to an electrical signal, or transform an electrical signal to an optical signal. A photo diode contained by the optoelectronic transceiver transforms the optical signal to the electrical signal and then sends the electrical signal to a processing circuit. A laser diode contained by the optoelectronic transceiver transforms the electrical signal coming from the processing circuit to the optical signal and then outputs.
As shown in FIG.
1
(
a
), the conventional single mode transceiver includes a lower housing
10
, an upper housing
20
, a laser diode subassembly
30
, a photo diode subassembly
60
, a board
70
and a clamp
80
. The laser diode subassembly
30
and the photo diode subassembly
60
are mounted on the board
70
. The lower housing
10
is used to accommodate the laser diode subassembly
30
and the photo diode subassembly
60
and support the board
70
. The lower housing
10
further includes two grooves
15
formed in one terminal of the lower housing. Each groove
15
has a semi-circular portion used to fix the laser diode subassembly
30
and the photo diode subassembly
60
. Besides, the laser diode subassembly
30
and the photo diode subassembly
60
pass through the holes of the clamp
80
. In this manner, the laser diode subassembly
30
and the photo diode subassembly
60
are optically coupled and connected with an optical fiber connector (not shown).
As shown in the assembling flowchart of the laser diode subassembly
30
illustrated in the FIG.
1
(
b
), the laser diode subassembly
30
consists of a laser diode pack
40
and a sleeve
50
. Among these, for the single mode transceiver, the sleeve
50
is composed of an upper sleeve
51
and a lower sleeve
53
. In addition, the upper sleeve
51
has an upper flange
52
and the lower sleeve
53
has a lower flange
55
. In general, the radius of the lower flange
55
is larger than the radius of the upper flange
52
. The radius of the lower flange
55
is substantially the same with the radius of the semi-circular portion of the groove
15
.
Referring to FIG.
1
(
a
)-FIG.
1
(
c
), for the single mode transceiver, the core of the single mode optical fiber has a radius of 9 &mgr;m. Hence, it is strict with the requirement for the alignment of the optical. The optical axis of the laser diode pack
40
has to be aligned to the single mode optical fiber accurately. For this purpose, the cap
41
(e.g. To-can) of the laser diode pack
40
is plugged into the lower sleeve
53
through the terminal opposite to the lower flange
55
of the lower sleeve during assembling. Then, the lower flange
55
of the resultant structure is connected with the upper flange
52
of the upper sleeve
51
using laser-welding method.
During the laser-welding process, an optical fiber (not shown) and a testing device (not shown) are connected with the terminal opposite to the upper flange
52
of the upper sleeve
51
. Besides, the lower sleeve
53
slightly moves on the interface between the lower flange
55
and the upper flange
52
. Meanwhile, the testing device measures the optical coupling efficiency of the laser beam, emitting from the laser diode pack
40
, respective to the optical fiber. Once the lower sleeve
53
moves to a position relative to the upper sleeve
51
and thus the optimum optical coupling efficiency is available for the testing device, a laser-welding apparatus forms several welding joints on the interface between the lower flange
55
and the upper flange
52
. In this manner, the upper sleeve
51
is connected with the lower sleeve
53
.
However, prior art encountered great difficulties in aligning the optical axis of the laser diode pack
40
to the central axis
56
of the lower sleeve
53
due to numerous reasons. As a result, the central axis
56
of the lower sleeve
53
fails to be aligned with the central axis
57
of the upper sleeve
51
. For example, as shown in FIG.
1
(
b
), the central axis
57
of the upper sleeve
51
is above the central axis
56
of the lower sleeve
53
. Under these conditions, the laser diode pack
40
cannot be positioned in the lower housing
10
and cannot be fixed in the groove
15
. This causes the lower housing
10
and the upper housing
20
to fail in tight fit. As shown in FIG.
1
(
c
), this is because the height of resultant structure consisting of the lower sleeve
53
and the lower flange
55
exceeds the tolerance T provided by the lower housing
10
and the upper housing
20
. As a result, the transceiver fails to be assembled and which leads to lower yield rate. The laser diode subassembly
30
is thus scrapped or reworked, and the manufacturing cost of the conventional transceiver is raised due to the lower yield rate.
Accordingly, there is a strongly felt need for an easily assembled optoelectronic transceiver module with high yield rate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Consideration of the disadvantages of the conventional transceiver module described above, the main object of the present invention is to provide an easily assembled optoelectronic transceiver module with high yield rate.
The present transceiver module is coupled to a single mode optical fiber. The transceiver module includes a lower housing, a board, a transmitting subassembly, a receiving subassembly, a lower housing, and a clamp. The lower housing further includes at least one groove provided at one terminal of the lower housing. The groove is used to fix the transmitting subassembly and the receiving subassembly. The transmitting subassembly may be a laser diode subassembly and is used to emit laser beam. The receiving subassembly may be a photo diode subassembly and is used to accept the optical signal from the optical fiber coupled to the transceiver module. The received optical signal is sent to the board. The board is formed on the lower housing and electrically coupled to the transmitting subassembly and the receiving subassembly. Besides, there are other electrical devices, processing the optical signal, formed on the board. However, they are not illustrated since they are not features of the present invention.
The transmitting subassembly is formed in the lower housing and electrically coupled to the board. It should be noted that the transmitting subassembly further includes a laser diode pack, an upper sleeve and a lower sleeve. Among these, the laser diode pack emits laser beam. The upper sleeve includes a flange formed at a middle of the upper sleeve. The radius of the flange is substantially the same with the radius of the groove described above. Therefore, the groove can fix the flange. In addition, the respective terminal of the transmitting subassembly and the receiving subassembly passes through the preformed holes of the clamp. The clamp is used to clamp an optical fiber connector and make the transmitting subassembly and the receiving subassembly be coupled to the optical fiber.
The cap of the laser diode pack is plugged into one terminal of the lower sleeve. Then, the laser diode pack is connected with the upper sleeve via another terminal of the lower sleeve. For example, the upper sleeve is connected with the lower sleeve using laser-welding method. When the relative position of the upper sleeve and the lower sleeve can make a measuring device obtain the optimum optical coupling efficiency, the laser-welding apparatus forms several welding joints on the joint interface between the upper sleeve and the lower sleeve.
The receiving subassembly is positioned in the lower housing and electrically coupled to the board. The receiving subassembly responds to the optical signal of the optical fiber. The upper housing combined with the lower housing encapsulates the board, the transmitting subassembly and the receivi
Hsieh Chuan-Chung
Lin You-Nain
Caley Michael H
Delta Electronics , Inc.
Kim Robert H.
LandOfFree
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