Light transmission module

Details Light transmission module Light transmission module

1999-03-08

2001-11-06

Spyrou, Cassandra (Department: 2874)

Optical waveguides

With disengagable mechanical connector

Optical fiber to a nonfiber optical device connector

C385S094000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06312167

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light transmission module, and more particularly, to a light transmission module for transmitting a light signal through an optical fiber coupled to a light device and/or receiving a light signal transmitted through the optical fiber.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to
FIG. 1
, a conventional light transmission module includes light devices
1
, a plurality of optical fibers
3
for transmitting a light signal, an optical connector
5
for supporting the optical fiber
3
, and focusing lenses
2
installed between the light device
1
and the optical fiber
3
.
The light device
1
is a semiconductor laser array for converting an electrical signal into a light signal. As the semiconductor laser array, an edge emitting laser is generally employed. A light receiving module for receiving the light signal has the same configuration as that of the light transmission module with the exception of a photodetector array for converting the received light signal into an electrical signal being employed as the light device, instead of a laser array.
The light emitted from the light device
1
is focused by the focusing lens
2
and is incident into the optical fiber
3
to then be transmitted. In the light receiving configuration, the light transmitted through the optical fiber
3
is focused by a focusing lens (not shown) provided at a light emission side to then be received in a photodetector (not shown). Instead of the focusing lens
2
, a flat-type waveguide (not shown) may be provided between the light device
1
and the optical fiber
3
.
An optical connector
5
for supporting the plurality of optical fibers
3
includes a ferrule
6
, and a plurality of alignment slots
6
a
on which the optical fibers are aligned are formed in the ferrule
6
. The ferrule
6
is formed of a ceramic substrate. The surface of the ferrule
6
is mechanically fabricated to form the alignment slots
6
a
on which the optical fibers
3
each having a diameter of 50~125 &mgr;m are seated.
Since the conventional light transmission module employs the ferrule
6
which is expensive, the fabrication cost is high. Also, it is not easy to align the optical fibers
3
and the light devices
1
. Also, since the focusing lenses
2
or a flat-type waveguide are necessary for coupling the light devices
1
and the optical fibers
3
, the number of necessary parts increases and the system becomes complex.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To solve the above problems, it is an objective of the present invention to provide an inexpensive light transmission module which can facilitate alignment between optical fibers and light devices.
Accordingly, to achieve the above objective, there is provided a light transmission module including a light device module having a socket member having a plurality of leads for transmitting an electrical signal, and a light device installed within the socket member to be electrically connected to the leads, for converting the electrical signal into a light signal or converting the light signal into an electrical signal, a connector module having a holder coupled to the socket member, and at least one optical fiber installed in the holder to face the light device, for transmitting the light signal, and a coupling means for slidably coupling the light device module and the connector module and packaging the same.
Here, the coupling means includes a pair of guide slots formed at one portion of both side walls of the socket member and both sides of the holder, and a pair of guide protrusions protruding at the other portion of both side walls of the socket member and both sides of the holder and slidably inserted into the respective guide slots.
Also, the light transmission module preferably further includes at least one electrical wire installed at the connector module, for transmitting an electrical signal, and an electric connection means having a pair of first electrode layers formed at the respective guide slots to be electrically connected to the leads and a pair of second electrode layers formed at the respective guide protrusions to be electrically connected to the electrical wires.
The light transmission module preferably further includes a reference hole formed at one side of the socket member, and a guide member inserted into the reference hole so that the connector module coupled to the light device module is aligned. Also, the light transmission module may further include an elastic biasing means installed in the light device module, for elastically biasing the connector module coupled to the light device module to the guide member.
Here, the light device is preferably a surface emitting laser array including at least one surface emitting laser for emitting laser beams in the stacked direction of a semiconductor material layer according to an input electrical signal and/or a photodetector array including at least one photodetector for receiving an incident light signal and converting the same into an electrical signal.
Also, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a light transmission module including a light device module having a base, a plurality of pins installed at one side of the base, for transmitting an electrical signal, and a light device installed on a surface of the base and electrically connected to the plurality of pins, for converting the electrical signal into a light signal and/or converting the light signal into an electrical signal, a connector module having a holder coupled to the light device module, and at least one optical fiber installed in the holder to face the light device, for transmitting the light signal, and a coupling means for slidably coupling the light device module and the connector module and packaging the same.
Here, the light transmission module may further include at least one electrical wire installed in the holder, for transmitting an electrical signal, and a contact-type electrode member installed in the holder, electrically connected to the pins by an elastic force when coupling the light device module and the connector module and electrically connected to the electrical wires, and electrically connects the light device module with the connector module, to allow transmission of an electrical signal.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4993803 (1991-02-01), Suverison et al.
patent: 7-174910 (1995-07-01), None
patent: 63-26608 (1988-02-01), None
patent: 6-250052 (1994-09-01), None
patent: 8-75956 (1996-03-01), None

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