Optical waveguide component

Details Optical waveguide component Optical waveguide component

2000-01-25

2001-07-10

Sanghavi, Hemang (Department: 2874)

Optical waveguides

With disengagable mechanical connector

C385S049000, C385S050000, C385S059000, C385S080000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06257769

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an optical waveguide component formed with an optical waveguide adapted to be connected to an optical fiber, and more particularly, to an optical waveguide component which facilitates an accurate connection between an optical waveguide formed in the waveguide component and an optical fiber formed in an optical connector plug.
2. Related Art
Optical waveguide components formed with optical waveguides are employed to construct an optical communication system. In general, an optical waveguide is connected at each of opposite end faces with a single fiber or multi fibers. A technical art for connecting an optical waveguide with optical fibers is known, in which an optical waveguide component and optical fibers are moved three-dimensionally relatively to one another and fixed together at their relative positions where a light beam output from an output-side optical fiber provides a maximum power when a light beam is input to an input-side optical fiber. However, the aforesaid alignment adjusting operation in this technique requires much time and labor.
To eliminate such an adjustment, another connecting technique is known, in which an optical waveguide component is connected to an optical connector plug with use of guide pins that are fitted into guide pin holes formed in both the waveguide component and the connector plug. According to this technique, an optical fiber connected in advance with the connector plug can be connected to an optical waveguide formed in the waveguide component, without the need of making a particular alignment operation.
In
FIGS. 1-5
, an optical waveguide component of this kind proposed by the present applicant is exemplarily shown. This optical waveguide component comprises an optical waveguide chip (waveguide component body)
1
formed with an optical waveguide pattern (more generally, one or more optical waveguides), and connecting end members
2
,
3
respectively mounted on opposite ends of the waveguide chip
1
. By connecting the connecting end members
2
,
3
to optical connector plugs
23
to which respective one end portions of optical fiber ribbons
21
are connected, optical fibers of the optical fiber ribbons
21
are connected to the optical waveguide pattern of the waveguide component.
As best shown in
FIG. 2
, the waveguide chip
1
comprises an elongated plate-like substrate
4
on which a clad
5
and a core
6
embedded therein are formed longitudinally of the waveguide chip. A pair of positioning guides
9
are formed in an upper face of the waveguide chip
1
longitudinally thereof at locations just inside lateral edge portions
8
a
,
8
b
of the clad
5
.
Each of the connecting end members
2
,
3
is formed with a recess
16
in which a corresponding end portion of the waveguide chip
1
is closely received. As best shown in
FIG. 4
, two pairs of projecting strips are formed in a horizontal inner face
11
of the connecting end member at two corner portions of the recess
16
. Two projecting strips forming each projecting-strip pair are laterally adjacent to each other and are each formed into a triangular shape in transverse cross section, thereby forming a positioning guide groove
14
or
15
therebetween.
By inserting one end portion of the waveguide chip
1
into the recess of the connecting end member
2
as shown in
FIG. 4
, the positioning guides
9
are fitted into the positioning guide grooves
14
, whereby the one end portion of the waveguide chip
1
is positioned in the recess
16
and fixed to the connecting end member
2
in a state that a connecting end face
25
a
of the waveguide chip is exposed, by means of adhesive applied to the horizontal inner face
11
and vertical inner faces of the connecting end member
2
. Similarly, another end portion of the waveguide chip
1
is fixed in the recess
16
of the connecting end member
3
, with its connecting end face
25
b
exposed.
Next, opposite end portions of a protective member
18
are engaged with stepped portions
27
formed in outer faces of inner end portions of the connecting end members
2
and
3
, whereby the assemblage of the waveguide component is completed (FIG.
1
). Between the connecting end members
2
and
3
, the upper and side faces of the waveguide chip
1
are surrounded and protected by the protective member
18
.
Prior to connecting optical fiber ribbons
21
(
FIG. 5
) and the waveguide component, tip end portions of the optical fiber ribbons
21
are connected to optical connector plugs
23
, and respective one halves of guide pins
19
and
20
are inserted into guide-pin fitting holes
12
and
13
formed in each connecting end member
2
or
3
.
After the connector plugs
23
are disposed such that their tip end faces
30
oppose the tip end faces
28
,
29
of the connecting end members
2
,
3
and that through holes
22
formed in the connector plugs
23
are aligned with the guide pins
19
,
20
projecting from the tip end faces of the connecting end members, the tip end portions of the guide pins
19
,
20
of the connecting end members are inserted into the through holes
22
of the connector plugs
23
, and the connector plugs
23
are moved toward the connecting end members until their connecting end faces
30
are brought in contact with the tip end faces
28
,
29
of the connecting end members
2
,
3
. The connecting end faces
30
of the connecting end members and the tip end faces of the optical fiber ribbons
21
are disposed to oppose the tip end faces
28
,
29
of the connecting end members and the connecting end faces
25
a
,
25
b
of the waveguide chip
1
, respectively, through refractive-index matching agent applied in advance thereto.
Finally, engaging portions of spring clamps
24
are engaged with rear end faces of the connector plugs
23
and with stepped portions
31
of the protective member
18
, so that each spring clamp
24
is bridged between a corresponding one of the connector plugs
23
and the waveguide component
1
, whereby the connector plugs and the waveguide component are brought in axially urged contact with and fixed to one another.
According to the aforementioned optical waveguide component, an accurate connection between the waveguide pattern and the optical fibers can be achieved without a particular alignment operation, by simply connecting the waveguide component and the optical fiber ribbons
21
through the guide pins
19
,
20
projecting from the end members
2
,
3
and inserted into the through holes
22
formed in the connector plugs
23
. In order to insert the guide pins
19
,
20
into the through holes
22
, however, the positioning of the connector plugs
23
relative to the connecting end members
2
,
3
must be made precisely, and it is difficult for an operator to carry out a manual positioning operation accurately and promptly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an optical waveguide component capable of easily establishing an accurate connection between an optical waveguide formed in the optical waveguide component and an optical fiber formed in an optical connector plug.
In order to achieve the object, the present invention provides an optical waveguide component adapted to be connected to an optical connector plug through a guide pin. The optical waveguide component comprises an optical waveguide chip formed with an optical waveguide, a connecting end member mounted on a tip end portion of the optical waveguide chip and having a guide-pin fitting hole, a protective member for protecting the optical waveguide chip, and a receptacle connected to the optical connector plug and disposed on a tip end side of the protective member.
According to the optical waveguide component of this invention, by pushing an optical connector plug into a connector-plug accommodation hole of the receptacle of the waveguide component after a tip end portion of the connector plug is inserted into the connector-plug accommodation hole, the connector plug is guided by and i

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