Optical waveguides – With optical coupler – Plural
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-08
2001-12-25
Sanghavi, Hemang (Department: 2874)
Optical waveguides
With optical coupler
Plural
C385S088000, C385S089000, C385S092000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06334012
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical connector module incorporated between devices for transmitting optical signals from one device to another by optical transmission, and more particularly, to an optical connector module for electrically connecting light emitting devices and/or light receiving devices which are integrated with an optical transmitting portion.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an optical connector module is installed between devices for transmitting information signals from one device to another. For example, a module is installed between the motherboard of a computer and a bus, the motherboard of a computer and a monitor or buses, and permits information to be transmitted optically between the devices. To this end, the optical connector module is employed in a multi-channel optical transmission module, having an array structure so that each element of the optical connector module can transmit a light beam independently, and couples optical elements consisting of light emitting devices and/or light receiving devices to optical fibers in order to guide the light beams.
Referring to
FIG. 1
, a conventional optical connector module comprises: a first connector
3
incorporated with a device
1
so as to form a transmitting and/or receiving port; an optical element
5
installed in the first connector
3
for emitting a light beam or receiving incident light beams; a second connector
7
having a shape corresponding to the first connector
3
and joined to the first connector
3
in a plugged-in manner; and, an optical fiber cable
9
having one end installed at the second connector
7
for transmitting the incident light beams to the other device. Here, another optical connector (not shown) having a same or similar structure to the first and second connectors
3
and
7
is installed to be interconnected between the other end of the optical fiber cable
9
and the other device to be connected to the device
1
.
The optical element
5
comprises light emitting devices and/or light receiving devices. Here, the light emitting devices convert electrical signals, input from a driving circuit formed on a circuit board (not shown) of the device
1
, into optical signals, and the light receiving devices convert optical signals transmitted through the optical fiber cable
9
into electrical signals and transmit the converted signals to a controller (not shown) mounted on the circuit board.
One end of the optical fiber cable
9
is installed at the second connector
7
so that the end of the optical fiber cable
9
may face the optical element
5
when the first and second connectors
3
and
7
are assembled to each other, and the optical fiber cable
9
transmits the light beams input through the optical element
5
to the other device.
Since the optical connector module as described above is configured so that the devices can be connected or disconnected by connecting or disconnecting the first and second connectors
3
and
7
where the optical element
5
and the optical fiber cable
9
are installed, respectively, data errors, variation in optical power, etc., may result when the first and second connectors
3
and
7
are repeatedly connected and disconnected from each other. In addition, the reliability of moisture-proof and vibration-proof characteristics cannot be assured. Further, as connections and disconnections between the first and second connectors
3
and
7
are repeated, problems can occur in which optical alignment errors between the optical element
5
and the optical fiber cable
9
become larger.
In addition, there is a problem in that when the conventional optical connector module is applied to a device intended to transmit signals to another device through typical electrical connections, is the port structures of typical devices must be modified since the conventional optical connector module is incompatible with the typical devices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To solve the above problems, it is an objective of the present invention to provide an optical connector module in which the connections between optical element portions and an optical fiber cable are hermetically sealed so that the reliability concerning optical alignments between optical devices and optical fibers, and moisture-proof and vibration-proof characteristics can be improved, the optical connector module being electrically connected between devices so that the optical connector module can be used in typical devices.
Accordingly, to achieve the above objective, there is provided an optical connector module for connecting between a first device and a second device and transmitting information signals from one device to the other, comprising: a first connector module for being connected to a first device, for being electrically detachable, and for converting electrical signals from the first device into optical information signals; an optical fiber cable, one end of which is disposed to face the first connector module for transmitting the input optical information signal to the other end; and a second connector module for being connected to a second device, for being electrically detachable, and for converting the optical information signals transmitted through the optical fiber cable into electrical information signals and applying the electrical information signals to the second device.
Further, there is provided an optical connector module for connecting between a first device outputting electrical information signals and a second device receiving optical information signals, comprising: a first connector module for being connected to the first device, for being electrically detachable, and for converting electrical signals from the first device into optical information signals; an optical fiber cable one end of which is disposed to face the first connector module for transmitting the input optical information signal to the other end; and a second connector module installed at the other end of the optical fiber cable for connecting the optical fiber cable to the second device.
Furthermore, there is provided an optical connector module for connecting a first device outputting optical information signals and a second device having a port for receiving electrical information signals, comprising: an optical fiber cable, one end of which is disposed to face the first connector module, for transmitting the input optical information signal to the other end; a first connector module for connecting the optical fiber cable to the first device; and a second connector module for being connected to the second device, for being electrically detachable, and for converting the optical signals transmitted through the optical fiber cable into electrical information signals and supplying the is electrical information signals to the second device.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3792284 (1974-02-01), Kaelin
patent: 3878397 (1975-04-01), Robb et al.
patent: 4595839 (1986-06-01), Braun et al.
patent: 4767168 (1988-08-01), Grandy
patent: 4916689 (1990-04-01), Bielinski
patent: 5239605 (1993-08-01), Shimada
patent: 5448676 (1995-09-01), White et al.
Kim Il
Shin Hyun-kuk
Yoon Eung-yeoul
Knauss Scott
Samsung Electronics Co,. Ltd.
Sanghavi Hemang
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
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