An integrated optical communication transmitter and its housing manufacturing method

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of visible light communication technology, and more particularly to an integrated optical communication transmitter and its housing manufacturing method. Technical solution: The manufacturing method includes smoothing the inner wall of a connecting cylinder to form a continuous, smooth curved surface; wrapping a covering material around the outer wall of the connecting cylinder, and then curing the covering material to form a mounting cylinder with a microporous structure; electroplating the inner wall to form a refractive layer, thereby obtaining the housing. Technical effect: The housing obtained by this method avoids the problem in existing technologies where heat generated by the light source substrate is conducted to the transmitting cylinder, and the heat accumulates in the transmitting cylinder, causing the operating temperature of the light source substrate to rise, thus reducing the efficiency and stability of the transmitter.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of visible light communication technology, and in particular to an integrated optical communication transmitter and a method for manufacturing its housing. Background Technology

[0002] Visible light communication transmitters are common devices that use light wave signals to transmit data, and are widely used in fields such as remote control of swimming pool robots, underwater detection, and military communications. In cross-medium applications (such as surface-to-underwater transmission), the transmitter needs to overcome the differences in medium propagation characteristics by modulating the optical wave frequency. However, existing technologies require a reflective layer inside the transmitter to achieve accurate beam transmission. The reflective layer is set on the inner wall of the transmitter tube, and the transmitter tube is made of a single piece of metal (such as by CNC cutting or precision die casting) to form a continuous rigid body with the reflective layer and the transmitter tube, so as to improve the shock resistance and thus ensure the transmission accuracy. If the reflective layer is fixed to the transmitter tube as an independent component (such as a cylindrical structure) by an interference fit or bolt connection, micro-displacement or stress concentration is likely to occur at the interface under the vibration environment of equipment operation, resulting in loose assembly and optical path deviation. However, when the transmitter is working, the light source substrate (i.e., the LED chip) generates a lot of heat, which is conducted to the transmitter tube and accumulates in the transmitter tube. It is difficult to dissipate the heat effectively, which causes the operating temperature of the light source substrate to rise, thereby reducing the efficiency and stability of the transmitter. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide an integrated optical communication transmitter and a method for manufacturing its housing, thereby solving the problem in the prior art where heat accumulates in the transmitter tube, leading to an increase in the operating temperature of the light source substrate and reducing the efficiency and stability of the transmitter.

[0004] To achieve this objective, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a method for manufacturing an integrated optical communication transmitter housing, the method comprising: The inner wall of the connecting cylinder is smoothed to form a continuous and smooth curved surface. The coating material is wrapped around the outer wall of the connecting cylinder, and then the coating material is cured to form an installation cylinder with a microporous structure. The inner wall is electroplated to form a refractive layer, thereby obtaining the outer shell; The covering material is a sintered material; the manufacturing method of the mounting cylinder includes: Place the connecting cylinder inside the preset mold, and ensure that there is a gap between the outer wall of the connecting cylinder and the preset mold; The sintered material is prepared, the sintered material is filled into the voids, and the sintered material in the preset mold is vibrated by a vibrating table. The pre-set mold is sintered using sintering equipment to shape the sintered material into an installation cylinder.

[0005] The present invention also provides an integrated optical communication transmitter, including a housing as described above, a heat sink, and optical components; The optical component is disposed within the housing and is used to generate optical communication signals; The radiator is located on one side of the housing and is used to guide the heat inside the housing to be quickly dissipated.

[0006] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: The shell made by the method avoids the problem in the prior art where heat generated by the light source substrate is conducted to the emission tube, and the heat accumulates in the emission tube, causing the operating temperature of the light source substrate to rise, thus reducing the efficiency and stability of the transmitter. The transmitter works in conjunction with the heat sink and the outer casing to drive airflow, so that the heat from the transmitter can be dissipated more quickly. Attached Figure Description

[0007] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0008] The structures, proportions, sizes, etc., shown in the accompanying drawings of this specification are only for the purpose of assisting those skilled in the art in understanding and reading the content disclosed in the specification, and are not intended to limit the conditions under which the present invention can be implemented. Therefore, they have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in the proportions, or adjustments to the size, without affecting the effects and objectives that the present invention can produce, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed in the present invention.

[0009] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a method for manufacturing the housing of an integrated optical communication transmitter; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the outer shell 100 structure; Figure 3 This is a sectional view of the outer shell 100 structure; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an integrated optical communication transmitter structure. Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of an integrated optical communication transmitter structure. Figure 6 This is a partial cross-sectional view of a first type of integrated optical communication transmitter; Figure 7 This is a second partial cross-sectional view of an integrated optical communication transmitter; Illustration: Outer shell 100, connecting cylinder 1, mounting cylinder 2. 3. Heat sink; 4. Optical components First lens 41, second lens 42, light source 43 Example end cap 001, sealing layer 002, airflow 003. Detailed Implementation

[0010] To make the objectives, features, and advantages of this invention more apparent and understandable, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described below are only some embodiments of this invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0011] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper," "lower," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the invention. It should be noted that when a component is considered to be "connected" to another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or there may be a component positioned centrally in the connection.

[0012] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0013] Example 1: like Figures 1-3 As shown, this embodiment of the invention provides an integrated optical communication transmitter and a method for manufacturing its housing, the manufacturing method comprising: S1. The inner wall of the connecting cylinder 1 is smoothed to form a continuous and smooth curved surface. Specifically, through a smoothing process, the inner wall of the connecting cylinder 1 is made into a continuous and smooth reflective surface, with the surface roughness controlled below 0.08μm.

[0014] S2. Wrap the covering material around the outer wall of the connecting cylinder 1, and then cure the covering material to form an installation cylinder 2 with a microporous structure. Specifically, by increasing the heat dissipation area through the microporous structure of the mounting cylinder 2, the heat generated by the light source substrate (LED chip) during operation can be quickly conducted and dissipated. This avoids the problem in the prior art where the heat generated by the light source substrate is conducted to the emitting cylinder, and the heat accumulates in the emitting cylinder, causing the operating temperature of the light source substrate to rise and reducing the working efficiency and stability of the emitter. Furthermore, the mounting cylinder 2 formed by the curing process has a strong connection with the connecting cylinder 1. Even under vibration, there will be no slight displacement or loosening of the mounting cylinder 2 and the connecting cylinder 1, and the optical path will not be deviated.

[0015] S3. Electroplating is performed on the inner wall to form a refractive layer, thereby obtaining the outer shell 100. Specifically, to ensure the beam transmission efficiency, the inner wall of the connecting cylinder 1 is further electroplated using electroplating equipment. After the mounting cylinder 2 has completely solidified and cooled to room temperature, the inner wall of the connecting cylinder 1 is first electroplated with cyanide-free copper. On this basis, a high-reflectivity layer (such as aluminum-based, silver-based, etc.) is then electroplated to finally form a refractive layer with a thickness of 5-7μm and a reflectivity greater than 95% to improve the refraction efficiency of the light beam. Furthermore, this step is performed after the curing of the mounting cylinder 2 to avoid volatile impurities during the curing process from contaminating the coating, thus ensuring the cleanliness and high reflectivity of the refractive layer.

[0016] Preferably, the coating material is a sintered material; step S2 includes: S21. Place the connecting cylinder 1 into the preset mold, and make a gap between the outer wall of the connecting cylinder 1 and the preset mold; Specifically, the connecting cylinder 1 is placed coaxially in a preset mold (the mold is made of ceramic or graphite material), and a uniform annular gap is formed between the outer wall of the connecting cylinder 1 and the inner wall of the mold by the positioning structure (such as an annular step or positioning pin) on the inner wall of the mold. Furthermore, the width of the gap is designed according to the final required wall thickness of the mounting cylinder 2 (e.g., controlled between 0.5mm and 7mm).

[0017] S22. Obtain sintered material, fill the gaps with sintered material, and vibrate the sintered material in the preset mold using a vibrating table. The sintered material (such as metal-based composite powder) used as the coating material is filled into the gaps, and a vibrating table is used to assist in filling to ensure that the powder fills the entire gap evenly and densely, so as to ensure that there are no voids or loose areas.

[0018] S23. The preset mold is sintered using sintering equipment to form the sintered material into the mounting cylinder 2.

[0019] The mold filled with material is transferred to sintering equipment (such as a vacuum sintering furnace or an atmosphere-protected sintering furnace) for sintering. The sintering process typically includes heating, holding, and cooling stages. The furnace temperature is raised to the sintering temperature of the sintering material at a preset heating rate (e.g., 5-10℃ / min), and then held at the sintering temperature for a sufficient time (e.g., 1-3 hours) to allow the powder particles to form a strong metallurgical or ceramic bond through diffusion, flow and other mechanisms. A uniform microporous structure can also be formed inside the material by adding pore-forming agents or controlling process parameters. After sintering, demolding yields a mounting cylinder 2 with a microporous structure that is tightly bonded to the outer wall of the connecting cylinder 1. The microporous structure greatly increases the heat dissipation surface area, effectively conducting and dissipating the heat generated by the light source substrate during operation to the external environment, while significantly reducing the weight of the overall structure.

[0020] Preferably, the sintering material includes a main material and a pore-forming agent; the method for preparing the sintering material is as follows: S221, the main material is screened by screening equipment to remove large particles and fine powder, so that the particle size of the main material is between 1–5 μm; S222, a pore-forming agent is added to the main material, and the two are mixed evenly by a mixing device to obtain a sintered material.

[0021] Preferably, the main material is alumina powder; Specifically, to ensure the high thermal stability of the mounting cylinder 2, this embodiment uses high-purity alumina (Al2O3) as the main material to construct the outer microporous mounting cylinder 2; Specifically, after the sintering of the material is completed, it is cooled to room temperature in the furnace and demolded to obtain an alumina-based microporous mounting cylinder 2 that achieves mechanical interlocking and interfacial bonding with the outer wall of the connecting cylinder 1; this structure also has excellent thermal conductivity (greater than 25 W / m·K) and coefficient of thermal expansion (less than 8.2×10⁻⁶). -6 / K) and has low electrical conductivity, effectively isolating the thermal stress and electromagnetic interference of the light source substrate, while achieving efficient radiation heat dissipation through the microporous structure; Furthermore, the sintering material includes pore-forming agents (such as ammonium bicarbonate, urea, etc.). During the sintering process, the pore-forming agents decompose and generate gas during the heating process of sintering. The gas is discharged from the exhaust channel set in the preset mold, forming pores between the metal particles, thereby making the mounting cylinder 2 form a microporous structure.

[0022] Preferably, step S221 includes: S2211. Large particles with a diameter of 5μm or larger are separated and removed by an air classifier; S223. Using a centrifugal sedimentation device, fine powder with a particle size of less than 1 μm is removed, thus retaining powder in the target range of 1–5 μm.

[0023] Specifically, large particles should be controlled to be ≤5μm and fine powder to be ≥1μm. Fine particles fill the gaps between large particles to increase the packing density, while avoiding abnormal grain growth caused by the high surface energy of excessively fine powder (<1μm).

[0024] Specifically, 3–5μm particles serve as a framework, forming 50–200μm main pore channels during sintering, which promotes air convection and heat dissipation. 1–3 μm particles fill the gaps, and 10–50 μm secondary pores are generated during sintering, increasing the specific surface area and enhancing radiative heat dissipation; the dual-scale pores improve thermal conductivity while maintaining porosity at 45% ± 3%; Furthermore, fine powders <1μm are removed to prevent local overheating induced by high surface energy, which could lead to abnormal grain growth (>10μm) or merging of closed pores. In summary, this particle size design achieves a balance between heat dissipation efficiency (open area > 60%), structural strength (pore wall thickness > 5 μm), and reliability (tested for > 100 thermal shock cycles without cracking) in porous alumina, thus meeting the operational requirements of optical communication transmitter housings.

[0025] Preferably, the sintering method described in step S2 includes: S231. Heat to the first preset temperature at a rate of ≤5℃ / min, and maintain the temperature for the first preset time; S232, Heat to the second preset temperature at a rate of ≤10℃ / min, and hold for the second preset time; S233. The temperature is increased to the third preset temperature at a rate of ≤10℃ / min, and the temperature is maintained for the third preset time to obtain the mounting cylinder 2, wherein the porosity of the mounting cylinder 2 is 30%-70% and the proportion of through holes in the pores is greater than 60%.

[0026] Specifically, when the porosity of mounting cylinder 2 is less than 30%, the material is too dense. Although the mechanical strength is improved, the heat conduction path is limited, and heat is difficult to effectively diffuse through convection and radiation through the pores, resulting in an insignificant decrease in the chip junction temperature. When the porosity exceeds 70%, the risk of fracture of the ceramic or metal skeleton increases sharply, and the impact resistance is significantly reduced, which cannot meet the long-term reliability requirements of optical communication modules in vibration environment. Specifically, by adjusting the sintering curve of alumina powder, the uniform distribution of pore structure and pore pathway characteristics are achieved. Specifically, sintering treatment is divided into: Low-temperature pre-decomposition stage: Heat to the first preset temperature (e.g., 200℃) at a rate of ≤5℃ / min, and hold for the first preset time (e.g., 60 minutes) to allow the pore-forming agent to fully decompose and generate gas, forming the initial pore nuclei. Slow heating avoids instantaneous gas release that could cause pore wall rupture.

[0027] Medium-temperature adhesive removal stage: Heat to the second preset temperature (e.g., 600℃) at a rate of 10℃ / min, and hold for the second preset time (e.g., 120 minutes) to completely remove organic adhesives and residual decomposition products and prevent carbon residue from clogging the pores; High-temperature sintering stage: The temperature is increased to the third preset temperature (e.g., 1450℃, which is the α phase transformation point) at a rate of 10℃ / min, and held for the third preset time (e.g., 30 minutes). After that, when the temperature rises to the target temperature (e.g., 1650℃), it is held for a preset time (e.g., 180 minutes). At this time, the growth rate of the particle neck is greater than the grain boundary migration rate, so that adjacent pores and nuclei are connected to form channels. By controlling the sintering stages of low-temperature hole making, medium-temperature obstacle removal, and high-temperature shaping, the porosity of the mounting cylinder 2 is 45%±3%, and the proportion of through holes is greater than 60%, which meets the requirements of efficient convection heat dissipation. Within this porosity range, the mounting cylinder 2 ensures heat dissipation efficiency, while also guaranteeing bending strength and a stable coefficient of thermal expansion, matching the thermal matching requirements of the connecting cylinder 1. It also ensures that the mounting cylinder 2 does not experience microcrack propagation during assembly, transportation, and operation.

[0028] Preferably, step S1 includes: S11. Polish the inner wall of the connecting cylinder 1 using a polishing device to make its inner wall smooth.

[0029] Specifically, the surface finishing process involves polishing the inner wall of the finished connecting cylinder 1 using polishing equipment. Specifically, the inner wall is first rough polished with a coarse abrasive belt to remove defects such as sprues and scratches. Then, polishing compound is used in conjunction with a soft polishing wheel to fine polish the inner wall, ultimately forming a continuous and smooth reflective surface, which also provides an ideal base for subsequent electroplating work.

[0030] Preferably, the connecting cylinder 1 is made of a metal material with a thermal conductivity greater than 200 W / (m·K).

[0031] Specifically, the material selection of the connecting cylinder 1, as the direct load-bearing structure of the refractive layer, directly determines the stability of the optical performance of the refractive layer and the reliability of the system's long-term operation. In this embodiment, the connecting cylinder 1 uses copper alloy (tungsten-nickel-copper alloy, chromium-zirconium copper, etc.) as the core material. Such materials can maintain excellent dimensional stability and mechanical strength at high temperatures, and have a small coefficient of thermal expansion (e.g., tungsten-nickel-copper alloy has a coefficient of thermal expansion of 5.0-7.0 × 10⁻⁶). -6 / K), with excellent thermal compatibility with the mounting cylinder 2 made of alumina, effectively avoiding micro-cracks in the inner wall or peeling of the coating caused by thermal stress.

[0032] Example 2: like Figures 2-7 As shown, this embodiment of the invention provides an integrated optical communication transmitter, including a housing 100, a heat sink 3, and an optical component 4; Optical component 4 is disposed within housing 100 and is used to generate optical communication signals; The radiator 3 is located on one side of the housing 100 and is used to guide the heat inside the housing 100 to be dissipated quickly.

[0033] Specifically, during the operation of the transmitter, the optical component 4 (which has a substrate for generating the light source) is the primary source of heat. Only 30%-40% of the energy is converted into light energy, while the remaining 60%-70% is directly converted into heat energy. This heat is then accumulated within the outer casing 100 through heat transfer. The outer casing 100 has a microporous structure, allowing heat to flow through the micropores for dissipation. To further improve heat dissipation efficiency, the device is also equipped with a radiator 3. Specifically, such as Figure 4 As shown, when the radiator 3 is working, it drives the air to flow outside the outer casing 100, forming a flowing airflow 003. Through negative pressure, it drives the heat inside the outer casing 100 to flow further with the air, so that the heat in the outer casing 100 can be discharged more quickly.

[0034] Preferably, the optical component 4 includes a first lens 41 and a second lens 42, which are respectively fixedly connected to one end of the housing 100 so that the inner wall of the housing 100 is isolated from the external environment. The light source 43 for generating the light medium is disposed on one side of the second lens 42; The first lens 41 and the second lens 42 are both fixedly connected to the end of the housing 100 by adhesive.

[0035] Specifically, such as Figure 5 As shown, in the prior art, the first lens 41 and the second lens 42 are often installed and pressed together by an example end cap 001 so that the first lens 41 and the second lens 42 abut against the end of the housing 100. Due to the microporous structure of the outer casing 100, external environmental pollutants (such as water vapor and fine dust) can more easily enter the outer casing 100 through the micropores and into the mounting cavity of the first lens 41 and the second lens 42. They then travel along the contact gaps between the first lens 41 and the second lens 42 and the outer casing 100, eventually reaching the inner wall of the outer casing 100. Therefore, the first lens 41 and the second lens 42 are fixedly connected to the housing 100 by an adhesive, such as Figure 6 and 7 As shown, such an adhesive (such as epoxy resin) forms a sealing layer 002 after fixing, thereby preventing air from the external environment from entering the inner wall of the housing 100.

[0036] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a housing for an optical communication transmitter, characterized in that, The outer casing (100) includes a connecting cylinder (1), and the manufacturing method includes: The inner wall of the connecting cylinder (1) is smoothed to form a continuous and smooth curved surface; The coating material is wrapped around the outer wall of the connecting cylinder (1), and then the coating material is cured to form an installation cylinder (2) with a microporous structure. The inner wall is electroplated to form a refractive layer, thereby obtaining the outer shell (100). Wherein, the covering material is a sintered material; the manufacturing method of the mounting cylinder (2) includes; Place the connecting cylinder (1) into the preset mold, and make a gap between the outer wall of the connecting cylinder (1) and the preset mold; The sintered material is prepared, the sintered material is filled into the voids, and the sintered material in the preset mold is vibrated by a vibration table. The pre-set mold is sintered using sintering equipment to form the sintered material into an installation cylinder (2).

2. The method for manufacturing the housing of an optical communication transmitter according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method for obtaining the sintered material is as follows: The sintering material includes a main material and a pore-forming agent; The main material is screened using a screening device to remove large particles and fine powder, so that the particle size of the main material is between 1 and 5 μm. The pore-forming agent is added to the main material, and the two are mixed evenly using a mixing device to obtain the sintered material.

3. The method for manufacturing the housing of an optical communication transmitter according to claim 2, characterized in that, The main material is alumina powder.

4. The method for manufacturing the housing of an optical communication transmitter according to claim 3, characterized in that, The method involves sieving the main material using a sieving device to remove large particles and fine powder. Large particles with a diameter of 5 μm or larger are separated and removed by an air classifier. By using a centrifugal sedimentation device, fine powder with a particle size of less than 1 μm is removed, thus retaining powder in the target range of 1–5 μm.

5. The method for manufacturing the housing of an optical communication transmitter according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pre-set mold is sintered using a sintering device to shape the sintered material into an installation cylinder (2). The sintering process includes... Heat to the first preset temperature at a rate of ≤5℃ / min, and hold for the first preset time; The temperature is increased to the second preset temperature at a rate of ≤10℃ / min, and then held for the second preset time. The temperature is increased to the third preset temperature at a rate of ≤10℃ / min, and then kept at the temperature for the third preset time to obtain the mounting cylinder (2), and the porosity of the mounting cylinder (2) is 30%-70% at this time; and the proportion of through holes in the pores is greater than 60% at this time.

6. The method for manufacturing the housing of an optical communication transmitter according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method of performing a smoothing treatment on the inner wall of the connecting cylinder (1) to form a continuous and smooth curved surface includes polishing the inner wall of the connecting cylinder (1) with a polishing device to make the inner wall flat.

7. The method for manufacturing the housing of an optical communication transmitter according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connecting cylinder (1) is made of a metal material with a thermal conductivity greater than 200 W / (m·K).

8. An integrated optical communication transmitter, characterized in that, The transmitter is assembled using the housing (100) manufactured according to any one of claims 1-7, and the transmitter includes the housing (100), a heat sink (3) and an optical component (4). The optical component (4) is disposed inside the housing (100) and is used to generate optical communication signals; The radiator (3) is disposed on one side of the outer casing (100) and is used to guide the heat inside the outer casing (100) to be quickly discharged.

9. The integrated optical communication transmitter according to claim 8, characterized in that, The optical component (4) includes a first lens (41) and a second lens (42), which are respectively fixedly connected to one end of the housing (100) so that the inner wall of the housing (100) is isolated from the external environment; The light source (43) for generating the light medium is disposed on one side of the second lens (42); The first lens (41) and the second lens (42) are both fixedly connected to the end of the housing (100) by adhesive.

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