Optical waveguides – With disengagable mechanical connector – Structure surrounding optical fiber-to-fiber connection
Reexamination Certificate
2002-08-07
2004-07-27
Hyeon, Hae Moon (Department: 2839)
Optical waveguides
With disengagable mechanical connector
Structure surrounding optical fiber-to-fiber connection
C439S577000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06767137
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical connector that is used to input/output an optical signal in various types of digital equipments including a DVD, an MD, a CD, an amplifier, a TV, an STB (set-top box: an adapter device for satellite broadcasting) and a personal computer and the like, and an optical element used for the optical connector. More particularly, the present invention relates to an optical connector whose jack side into which a plug is inserted is improved, and an optical element used for the optical connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
A box-shaped optical connector has been conventionally used for stationary digital audio equipment. A compact connector which is referred to as an optical mini jack and used for circular mini plug is widely used for a portable type digital audio equipment. The optical connector is disclosed in, e.g., Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-109189. A structure of the optical connector disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-109189 will be described with reference to FIG.
16
.
The optical connector disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-109189 comprises a jack type body
1
into which a circular mini plug is inserted and contact piece members
3
a
through
3
e
mounted to the body
1
. A plug insertion hole
2
into which a plug is inserted is formed at a front surface of the body
1
. The contact piece members
3
a
through
3
e
elastically contact the plug inserted into the plug insertion hole
2
of the body
1
from opposite sides. At the same time, parts of them protrude from the opposite sides of the body
1
as connecting terminals and are electrically connected to a main substrate on which the body
1
is mounted, so that transmission of electric signals is performed. An optical device
4
is built in a back end portion of the body
2
so as to oppose the mini plug inserted into the plug insertion hole
2
.
The optical device
4
disclosed herein has a structure that a chip mounted to a lead frame is sealed, together with a part of the lead frame, within a transparent resin package
4
a
. The other portion of the lead frame protrudes, as a connecting terminal
4
b
for the main substrate, from the transparent resin package
4
a
, and is extended backward from the body
1
in a state that the optical device
4
is incorporated into body
1
.
Such conventional optical connector has the following problems mainly about the structure of the optical device
4
.
When the optical connector is mounted to the main substrate, the connecting terminal
4
b
of the optical device
4
is soldered together with the contact piece members
3
a
through
3
e
to the main substrate. At this time, a coefficient of thermal expansion of the transparent resin package
4
a
of the optical device
4
is significantly different from that of the connecting terminal
4
b
(lead frame). Thus, there is a danger that cracks or peeling may occur in the transparent resin package
4
a
. In the worst case, there is a danger that a lead wire connecting the chip to the lead frame is broken.
For this reason, soldering with high efficiency, high temperature and short time or reflow soldering is impossible as a soldering step. Even if such soldering is possible, baking or moisture-proof packaging that is one of moisture removal treatments for the transparent resin package
4
a
is required, resulting in an increase in steps.
Further, the connecting terminal
4
b
of the optical device
4
protrudes backward from the body
1
. This causes an increase in mounting area.
Moreover, in accordance with this optical connector, an external force is applied to the body
1
and the optical device
4
when the plug is inserted or removed. An external force generated by the plug inserted into the body
1
being wrenched is also applied. Thus, high soldering strength relative to the main substrate is required for the optical device
4
as well as the body
1
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was developed in light of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an optical connector which enables soldering with high efficiency, high temperature and short time or reflow soldering without using baking or moisture-proof packaging, and a reduction in mounting area.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an optical element for optical connector which enables the soldering with high efficiency, high temperature and short time or the reflow soldering without using the baking or the moisture-proof packaging, and a reduction in mounting area.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an optical element for optical connector which can ensure sufficient soldering strength for insertion/removal of plug or wrench thereof.
In order to accomplish aforementioned objects, the optical connector of the present invention is characterized in that an optical connector comprising: a body into which a plug is inserted; and an optical device which is disposed within the body so as to be placed at a side of the distal end of the plug inserted into the body, wherein the optical device is mounted to a surface of a printed wiring board which is placed within the body so as to make substantially a right angle, and is connected via the printed wiring board to a main substrate to which the optical connector is mounted.
The optical element for optical connector relating to the present invention is an optical element for optical connector which is mounted to a body into which a plug is inserted, comprising: a printed wiring board which is placed within the body so as to make substantially a right angle and in which wiring patterns are provided at a lower end surface thereof such that the lower end surface is soldered to a main substrate in a state of the optical connector being mounted to the main substrate; and an optical device which is mounted to a front surface of the printed wiring board so as to be disposed at the side of the distal end of plug inserted into the body.
In accordance with the optical connector of the present invention, the optical device is connected to the main substrate by directly soldering wiring patterns of the printed wiring board to which the optical device is mounted to the main substrate. Namely, the optical device is mounted to the main substrate without using a lead frame. Since the printed wiring board is made of resin, a difference of coefficient of thermal expansion between the transparent resin package of the optical device and the printed wiring board is much smaller than a difference of coefficient of thermal expansion between the transparent resin package and the lead frame. For this reason, there is little danger that cracking or peeling occurs at the transparent resin package. As a result, soldering with high efficiency, high temperature and short time or reflow soldering is possible. The printed wiring board needs not to be protruded from the body for connection to the main substrate as the lead frame. Consequently, a reduction in mounting area is possible.
If the printed wiring board is made of the same material as the transparent resin package of the optical device, cracking or peeling of the transparent resin package is particularly effectively prevented.
As the structure for fixing the printed wiring board, a structure that the printed wiring board is inserted into the body from the rear surface side opposite to the side into which plug is inserted and fixed thereto, or a structure that the printed wiring board is inserted into the body from the upper surface side opposite to the surface to which the optical connector is mounted is preferable. In accordance with such fixing structures, the optical device mounted on the surface of the printed wiring board is shielded by a part of the body at the side at which the optical connector is mounted. Thus, it is possible to prevent a flux from attaching to the transparent resin package of the optical device, which is a problematic matter w
Mine Keiji
Nakagawa Hiroshi
Ohbayashi Yoshiaki
Hosiden Corporation
Hyeon Hae Moon
LandOfFree
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