Radiant energy – Photocells; circuits and apparatus – Housings
Patent
1995-09-25
1997-02-25
Allen, Stephone
Radiant energy
Photocells; circuits and apparatus
Housings
385 89, 385 92, H01J 502, G02B 636
Patent
active
056061617
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to electro-optical modules in general and more particularly to the type of electro-optical module which includes a housing and at least one electro-optical component, to whose optical active surface a connecting element that is insertable into a housing opening is capable of being optically coupled.
Electro-optical modules are understood, for example, to be the modules and, in particular, what are referred to as transceivers, for example, in the Siemens AG prospectus "Fiber Optic Components", issue EC 0291. These known electro-optical modules have a housing, in or on which at least one electro-optical component is retained. The electro-optical component can be a laser transmitting diode, for example, whose optical active surface--i.e., the output face of the light transmitted by the component--is capable of being optically coupled to a connecting element. For this purpose, the housing has an opening into which the connecting element is insertable. In addition or alternatively, the housing can also contain a component designed as a receiver, which converts light energy acting on its optical active surface into electrical signals.
So long as a connecting element has not been inserted into the housing opening and coupled to the electro-optical component, impurities can intrude into the housing and adversely affect the optical active surfaces; also light can unintentionally strike the active surface, so that, in such a case, a receiver would supply unwanted output signals. Electro-optical components, which are designed as high-energy light transmitters (e.g. laser diodes), pose a special danger, because the radiation they emit can do permanent damage, for example, to the eyes (especially to the retinas) of living beings. This danger is especially prevalent when the driving circuit for the transmitter is defective, as this results in a lasting or periodic uncontrolled transmission signal.
Therefore, there is a need to create an electro-optical module, whose electro-optical component(s) is or are protected from impurities and damage from the outside and/or where, when unconnected an unintentional incidence of light on the component or emergence of light from the component is reliably prevented.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention this need is fulfilled in an electro-optical module of the general type described above by a spring element, which is disposed in the housing, which is displaceable out of a position of rest, and which, when viewed from the housing opening, covers the optical active surface of the component. When the connecting element is inserted, it opposes the restoring force of the spring, displacing it into a position that clears the active surface. In the position of rest of the spring element, the optical active surface can be covered by a radiation-impervious body arranged in the spring element or preferably by a section of the spring element itself. An important advantage of the present invention resides in the fact that, because of the spring restoring force, as a general principle, the spring element is forced back into its position of rest covering the active surface of the component. This guarantees that, immediately upon removal of the connecting element, the active surface of the component is reliably protected and, if applicable, the surrounding area is protected from the uncontrolled emergence of light out of a component designed as a transmitter. Thus, when a laser transmitter is used, the design of the electro-optical module according to the present invention enables a Class 1 rating pursuant to DIN VDE 0837 (German translation of the corresponding European Standard IEC Standard 825), which requires that, without the user taking specific precautions for his or her protection, damage caused by the laser device is always ruled out. The guarantee that is decisive for this classification, that the radiation from a laser device cannot reach the user, is achieved in accordance with the present invention by
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Prospectus "Fiber Optic Components" by Siemens A. G., Munich Germany, Edition EC 0291.
Allen Stephone
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
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