Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 022167~9 1997-10-16
Optoelectronic Component
This invention relates to an optoelectronic component
having at least one electrical connection and at least
one optical connection.
Such components are increasingly needed in large
numbers in optical communications systems.
Accordingly, the technical problem to be solved by the
invention is to design such an optoelectronic
component in such a way that it can be manu~actured
and assembled e~ficiently and at low cost.
According to the invention, this technical problem is
solved by forming the at least one electrical
connection by means o~ external contacts on an SMD
package and the at least one optical connection by
means o~ a socket which is compatible with an MT plug.
Such an optoelectronic component can be manu~actured
at low cost and is easy to assemble.
Advantageous details of the invention are recited in
claims 2 to 9.
The invention will be now explained in more detail
with re~erence to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 shows a top view o~ an embodiment o~ the
optoelectronic component according to the
invention;
CA 022167~9 1997-10-16
Fig. 2 shows a longitudinal section of the
component o~ Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 shows details of the component in a
perspective view;
Fig. 4 shows a longitudinal section of the
socket; and
Fig. 5 shows a top view of the socket.
In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the optoelectronic
component is assumed to include an optoelectronic
interface, i.e., the component can be coupled to an
optical fiber whose optical signals are converted in
the component to electric signals.
As can be seen in Fig. 1, the component has a housing
1 which is provided with external contacts 2. The
housing shown is implemented in SMD technology, i.e.,
it can be placed on a plane printed-circuit board and
the external contacts 2 can be soldered to conductive
tracks on the printed-circuit board. Connected to the
ends (not shown in Fig. 1) of the external contacts 2
which project into the housing 1 is a printed-circuit
board 3 which contains an electronic circuit 4 (Fig.
2) necessary for the operation of the optical
component.
Part of the inner ends of the external contacts 2 may
also be connected to a thermally highly conductive
plate or the like and serve to transfer the heat away
from a device disposed above the plate.
CA 022167~9 1997-10-16
. ~
Fixed in the housing 1 is a socket 5 which contains
the end portion of an optical fiber 6. The socket 5 is
the mate of an MT plug. MT plugs are known. They are
offered, for example, by EUROPTICS Ltd., Whiston,
Merseyside L35 IRZ, England. MT plugs are designed to
couple at least one optical fiber to another device
which also contains an optical fiber. To this end, the
optical fiber is fixed in a bore of the MT plug in
such a way that its end is flush with the external
surface of the MT plug. For precise alignment of the
MT plug, the latter has two guide pins at the external
surface at which the optical fiber ends.
The optical fiber 6 terminates at an optical component
7, e.g., a laser diode, in which the optical signal
transmitted by the optical fiber is converted to an
electric signal.
In Fig. 2, parts identical to parts shown in Fig. 1
are designated by like reference numerals. It can be
seen that the plug 5 has a substrate 8 fixed therein
on which the end portion of the optical fiber 6 is
held in place and which supports the optical component
7 as well as the electrical components necessary for
the operation of the optical component.
In Fig. 3, the substrate 8 with the optical component
7 disposed thereon and the optical fiber 6 coupled to
the optical component is shown in greater detail. The
optical fiber 6 is firmly confined in the substrate 8
in a V-groove, for example. The substrate 8 is
inserted into and fixed in a recess 9 in the socket 5
such that the free end of the optical fiber 6 lies in
a bore 11 extending from the recess 9 to the end face
CA 022167~9 1997-10-16
-- 4
10 of the socket 5, and that the end is flush with the
end face 10. Further bores 12 ending at the end face
10 of the socket 5 serve to receive the guide pins of
the MT plug.
The end of the socket 5 remote from the end face 10 is
provided, at the sides and below, with steps 13
corresponding to recesses 14 in the housing 1. These
serve to positively fix the socket 5 in the housing 1.
The socket 5 may additionally be bonded to the housing
1. It is also possible to only bond the socket 5 to
the housing.
Figs. 4 and 5 show details of the socket 5. They show
the shape of the recess 9 in which the substrate 8 is
fixed. A step 15 is provided for limiting the
longitudinal motion of the substrate 8. The bore 11
for receiving the optical fiber and the shape of the
step 13 are also clearly visible.
