Optical module and optical communication assembly including connector holder

Abstract

This invention provides an optical transmission assembly comprising a substrate, an optical transmission element group, a support frame, a plurality of multi-pin connectors, and a plurality of adapters. The support frame is coupled to the substrate and includes a plurality of support portions. The multi-pin connectors are optically coupled to the optical transmission element group. The adapters respectively accommodate the multi-pin connectors and are respectively coupled to the support portions.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to an optical transmission component and an optical module. [Previous Technology]

[0002] Optical modules can transmit and / or receive optical signals for applications such as, but not limited to, data centers, cable TV, and fiber-to-the-home (FTTH). Using optical modules for transmission can provide higher transmission rates and signal bandwidth over longer transmission distances. To promote the compatibility of global optical internet products and reduce maintenance burdens, organizations such as the Multi-Source Agreement (MSA), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and the Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF) have developed several form factors suitable for different signal transmission rates. These form factors include, but are not limited to, XFP, SFP, QSFP (Quad Small Form Factor Pluggable), QSFP-DD (Double Density), OSFP (Octal Small Form Factor Pluggable), and CPO (Co-Packaged Optics).

[0003] Existing optical modules face challenges such as optical power, space management, thermal management, insertion loss, and manufacturing yield. [Summary of the Invention]

[0004] The present invention provides an optical module that helps to solve the problems of existing optical modules. The present invention also provides an optical transmission component suitable for the optical module.

[0005] An embodiment of the present invention discloses an optical transmission component comprising a substrate, an optical transmission element group, a support frame, a plurality of multi-pin connectors, and a plurality of adapters. The support frame is coupled to the substrate and includes a plurality of support portions. The multi-pin connectors are optically coupled to the optical transmission element group. The adapters respectively accommodate the multi-pin connectors and are respectively coupled to the support portions.

[0006] Another embodiment of the present invention discloses an optical module comprising a housing, a substrate, an optical transmission element assembly, a support frame, a plurality of multi-pin connectors, and a plurality of adapters. The substrate, the optical transmission element assembly, and the support frame are located within the housing. The support frame includes a plurality of support portions. These multi-pin connectors are optically coupled to the optical transmission element assembly. These adapters respectively accommodate these multi-pin connectors, and these adapters are respectively coupled to these support portions.

[0007] According to the optical transmission component and optical module disclosed in the embodiments of the present invention, a support frame is provided that can be housed inside the optical module, and an adapter for accommodating optical connectors is coupled to the support frame. Before assembling the optical connectors with the housing of the optical module, the orientation and position of these optical connectors are pre-fixed by the additionally provided support frame to conform to the optical port specifications of the optical module, thereby facilitating the operator to quickly complete the assembly of the optical connectors and the housing. In addition, in application scenarios where optical modules are assembled using automated equipment, since the optical connectors that are optically coupled to the fiber are coupled to the support frame by the adapter, when the circuit board assembly is picked up or flipped, the fiber will also be tilted or flipped together, thereby avoiding damage or twisting. Therefore, the support frame helps to maintain a neat distribution of fiber positions, thereby improving the reliability of the fiber.

[0008] The above description of the disclosure and the following description of the embodiments are intended to demonstrate and explain the spirit and principles of the present invention, and to provide a further explanation of the scope of the patent application of the present invention.

Implementation Method

[0010] The following disclosure describes the principles of the present invention and exemplary embodiments thereof, and may be illustrated with drawings as necessary. However, any description and drawings are not exhaustive enumerations of all embodiments of the present invention, nor are they intended to limit the present invention to a specific particular form. Those skilled in the art will understand from the disclosure that many modifications and variations are possible, and thus various implementations can be reasonably derived.

[0011] An optical module includes an optical emitting unit and an optical receiving unit, which are optically coupled to optical connectors, and external fiber optic connectors can be coupled to the corresponding optical connectors. Typically, during the assembly of an optical module, the operator places the optical connectors into the module's housing. However, as the transmission rate and number of channels of the optical module increase, the number of optical connectors also increases. For example, a high-speed optical module may include optical connectors optically coupled to the optical emitting unit and optical connectors optically coupled to the optical receiving unit. In this case, when placing the optical connectors into the housing, the operator needs to manually adjust the orientation of the optical connectors, making the entire assembly process very time-consuming.

[0012] In addition, in application scenarios where optical modules are assembled using automated equipment, when the automated equipment picks up or flips the printed circuit board assembly (PCBA), the optical fiber used to optically couple the optical connector to the optical transmitting unit or optical receiving unit may be damaged or twisted, thereby affecting the optical transmission quality.

[0013] The technical problems listed above make it difficult to achieve automated assembly of optical modules.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a support frame is provided that can be housed inside an optical module, and an adapter for accommodating optical connectors is coupled to the support frame. Thereby, the orientation and position of the optical connectors are pre-fixed before assembling the optical connectors with the housing of the optical module, thereby facilitating the operator to quickly complete the assembly of the optical connectors with the housing.

[0015] In addition, in applications where optical modules are assembled using automated equipment, since the optical connectors that are optically coupled to the optical fiber are coupled to the support frame via an adapter, the optical fiber will also be tilted or flipped when the circuit board assembly is picked up or flipped, thereby avoiding damage or twisting.

[0016] This enables automated assembly between the adapter and the support frame, and the support frame also facilitates automated assembly between the substrate and the optical transmission element assembly, as well as automated testing of the optical transmission component before assembly with the housing.

[0017] Those skilled in the art can reasonably combine and configure the following disclosed technical features to achieve the corresponding technical effects.

[0018] The terms “coupled” or “coupled” refer to any connection, link or similar relationship, and “optical coupling” or “optical linking” refers to the relationship in which light is impparted from one element to another. Unless otherwise stated, elements that are coupled or linked to each other do not need to be directly connected to each other and may be separated by intermediate elements.

[0019] The term "substantially" refers to a degree of precision within an acceptable range of error, where the acceptable range of error is considered to reflect and reflects minute real-world variations resulting from material composition, material defects, and / or limitations / peculiarities during the manufacturing process. Such variations can therefore be described as achieving the stated characteristics to a large extent, but not necessarily achieving them completely.

[0020] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an optical transmission component according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is another perspective view of the optical transmission component of Figure 1; Figure 3 is an exploded view of the optical transmission component of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a front view of the optical transmission component of Figure 1; and Figure 5 is a perspective view of the support frame of the optical transmission component of Figure 2. According to one embodiment, the optical transmission component 1 may include a substrate 10, an optical transmission element group 20, a support frame 30, a plurality of multi-core connectors 40, and an adapter 50.

[0021] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, in one embodiment, the substrate 10 is a circuit board assembly. In one embodiment, the substrate 10 is a metal shell. In one embodiment, the substrate 10 is a base for carrying optical passive components, and the base is coupled to the circuit board assembly.

[0022] In one embodiment, the optical transmission element group 20 is coupled to the substrate 10. In one embodiment, the optical transmission element group 20 includes one or more optical emitting units 210 and one or more optical receiving units 220, wherein each optical emitting unit 210 includes one or more laser diodes, and each optical receiving unit 220 includes one or more photodiodes. In one embodiment, each optical emitting unit 210 and optical receiving unit 220 further includes optical passive elements, such as, but not limited to, optical isolators, fiber arrays, wavelength division multiplexers, dewavelength division multiplexers, and focusing lenses. In one embodiment, each optical emitting unit 210 can be understood as a transmitter optical subassembly (TOSA), and each optical receiving unit 220 can be understood as a receiver optical subassembly (ROSA).

[0023] In one embodiment, all light emitting units 210 and all light receiving units 220 are located on the upper surface 110 of the substrate 10. In one embodiment, at least one light emitting unit 210 and at least one light receiving unit 220 are located on the upper surface 110 of the substrate 10, and the other light emitting units 210 and other light receiving units 220 are located on the lower surface 120 of the substrate 10. In one embodiment, all light emitting units 210 and all light receiving units 220 are located on the lower surface 120 of the substrate 10. In one embodiment, referring to Figures 1 and 2, all light emitting units 210 are located on the upper surface 110 of the substrate 10, and all light receiving units 220 are located on the lower surface 120 of the substrate 10. Referring to Figure 8, a perspective view of an optical transmission component according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown, wherein two light emitting units 210 and two light receiving units 220 are located on the upper surface 110 of the substrate 10.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the support frame 30 may be coupled to the substrate 10. In one embodiment, referring to FIG2, the support frame 30 is locked to the substrate. In one embodiment, the support frame 30 is adhered to the upper surface 110 or the lower surface 120 of the substrate 10.

[0025] According to one embodiment, these adapters 50 can respectively accommodate these multi-core connectors 40. In one embodiment, each multi-core connector 40 may include a body 410 and multiple optical fibers 420 coupled to the body 410. In one embodiment, the body 410 is a plastic shell of the multi-core connector 40. In one embodiment, the optical fibers 420 pass through the corresponding body 410. In one embodiment, the optical fibers 420 of each multi-core connector 40 are optically coupled to the optical transmission element group 20. In one embodiment, the multi-core connector 40 is an MPO connector. In one embodiment, referring to FIG3, the multi-core connector 40 is an MPO male connector. In one embodiment, the optical fiber 420 optically coupled to the optical transmitting unit 210 is used to transmit the optical signal generated by the optical transmitting unit 210 to the corresponding multi-core connector 40, and the optical fiber 420 optically coupled to the optical receiving unit 220 is used to transmit the optical signal from the corresponding optical fiber 420 to the optical receiving unit 220. In one embodiment, referring to FIG3, the adapter 50 covers the body 410 of the multi-core connector 40.

[0026] According to one embodiment, these adapters 50 may be coupled to a support frame 30. In one embodiment, the support frame 30 may include a plurality of support portions 310, and the adapters 50 are coupled to the support portions 310. In one embodiment, referring to Figures 3 and 5, each support portion 310 may be a retaining ring, and the adapter 50 is snapped into the retaining ring. In one embodiment, each support portion 310 may include a support platform, and the adapter 50 is fixed to the support platform. In one embodiment, each support portion 310 may include a recess, and the adapter 50 is received in the recess. In one embodiment, referring to Figure 2, the optical transmission assembly 1 includes a first multi-pin connector 41 optically coupled to one of the optical emitting units 210 and one of the optical receiving units 220, respectively, and a second multi-pin connector 42 optically coupled to another optical emitting unit 210 and another optical receiving unit 220.

[0027] In one embodiment, referring to FIG4, these multi-pin connectors 40 may be arranged substantially along the lateral direction D2 of the optical transmission component 1. In one embodiment, these multi-pin connectors 40 are arranged substantially along the vertical direction of the optical transmission component 1. FIG9 is a perspective view of an optical transmission component according to yet another embodiment of the present invention, wherein a plurality of multi-pin connectors 40 are arranged substantially along the vertical direction D3 of the optical transmission component 1.

[0028] According to one embodiment, the support frame 30 may include positioning posts 330, and the positioning posts 330 may be located between the substrate 10 and the multi-core connectors 40. The specific use of the positioning posts 330 is described below.

[0029] According to one embodiment, the support frame 30 may include a connecting arm 320 between the substrate 10 and the multi-core connectors 40. In one embodiment, the connecting arm 320 is located between the substrate 10 and the multi-core connectors 40. In one embodiment, a support portion 310 of the support frame 30 is coupled to the connecting arm 320. In one embodiment, the connecting arm 320 has a bend 321. In one embodiment, referring to Figures 2 and 5, a positioning post 330 is located between the bend 321 and the substrate 10. The specific use of the bend 321 is described below.

[0030] According to one embodiment, the support frame 30 may include at least one cable management slot 350, and the optical fiber 420 of the multi-core connector 40 may be located within the cable management slot 350. In one embodiment, the cable management slot 350 is coupled to the connecting arm 320. In one embodiment, referring to FIG5, the support frame 30 includes four cable management slots 350, wherein the optical fiber 420 optically coupled to the optical transmitting unit 210 is located within two of the cable management slots 350, and the optical fiber 420 optically coupled to the optical receiving unit 220 is located within the other two cable management slots 350. In one embodiment, the support frame 30 further includes a retaining structure 360 ​​adjacent to the cable management slot 350, wherein the retaining structure 360 ​​prevents the optical fiber 420 from detaching from the cable management slot 350. In one embodiment, referring to FIG5, the retaining structure 360 ​​includes a hook located above the cable management slot 350.

[0031] According to one embodiment, each adapter 50 may include a stop portion 510, and the corresponding support portion 310 may spatially interfere with the stop portion 510 in the longitudinal direction D1 of the optical transmission component 1. In one embodiment, referring to Figures 1 and 3, for a set of corresponding adapters 50 and support portions 310, the support portion 310 and the stop portion 510 of the adapter 50 are substantially spatially interfered with in the longitudinal direction D1, thereby restricting the movement of the adapter 50 covering the multi-core connector 40 along the longitudinal direction D1.

[0032] According to one embodiment, each support portion 310 of the support frame 30 may include a stop portion 322, and the stop portion 322 spatially interferes with the body 410 of the multi-core connector 40 in the longitudinal direction D1 of the optical transmission component 1. In one embodiment, referring to Figures 1 and 3, for a corresponding set of multi-core connectors 40 and support portions 310, the stop portion 322 and the body 410 are substantially spatially interfered with in the longitudinal direction D1, thereby restricting the movement of the multi-core connector 40 along the longitudinal direction D1.

[0033] Figures 6 and 7 are schematic diagrams of assembling the optical transmission assembly of Figure 1. Referring first to Figure 6, the multi-core connector 40 is housed within the adapter 50, the adapter 50 is snapped into the corresponding support portion 310, and the optical fiber 420 of the multi-core connector 40 is placed within the cable management groove 350. Next, referring to Figure 7, the optical transmission element group 20 (optical emitting unit 210 and optical receiving unit 220) is placed on the substrate 10 along the vertical direction D3. In one embodiment, the optical emitting unit 210 and the optical receiving unit 220 are adhered to the substrate 10. In one embodiment, the adapter 50 may also accommodate an optical connector (e.g., an MPO female connector, not shown) to optically couple the optical connector to the multi-core connector 40.

[0034] To improve assembly ease, a fixture (not shown) coupled to the support portion 310 can be provided, and this fixture can be used to support the optical transmission element assembly 20. When the optical fiber 420 is to be placed in the cable management groove 350, the optical transmission element assembly 20 can be supported by the fixture. Then, the optical transmission element assembly 20 is moved from the fixture to the substrate 10, and the fixture is removed. More directly, the fixture can serve as a temporary carrier before the optical transmission assembly 20 is installed onto the substrate 10. In one embodiment, the fixture is coupled to the support frame 30. In one embodiment, the positioning post 330 of the support frame 30 is inserted into the fixture, and the fixture is snapped into the bend 321 of the support frame 30, thereby realizing detachable assembly between the fixture and the support frame 30.

[0035] FIG10 is an exploded view of an optical module according to an embodiment of the present invention. According to one embodiment, the optical module 2 may include a housing 20a and an optical transmission component 20b. The optical transmission component 20b may be the optical transmission component 1 of FIG1 or any other optical transmission component of other embodiments.

[0036] In one embodiment, the housing 20a is a single housing, and the optical transmission component 20b is housed within the housing 20a. In another embodiment, the housing 20a is a multi-part housing comprising an upper housing 20a1 and a lower housing 20a2, and the upper housing 20a1 and the lower housing 20a2 are assembled to house the optical transmission component 20b. In one embodiment, the substrate 10, the optical transmission element group 20, and the support frame 30 of the optical transmission component 20b are located within the housing 20a. In one embodiment, the support frame 30 is separate from the substrate 10, and the support frame 30 is supported on the inner wall surface of the housing 20a.

[0037] In summary, the optical transmission component and optical module disclosed in the embodiments of the present invention provide a support frame that can be housed inside the optical module, and an adapter for accommodating optical connectors is coupled to the support frame. Before assembling the optical connectors with the housing of the optical module, the orientation and position of these optical connectors are pre-fixed by the additionally provided support frame to conform to the optical port specifications of the optical module, thereby facilitating the operator to quickly complete the assembly of the optical connectors and the housing.

[0038] Furthermore, in applications where optical modules are assembled using automated equipment, since the optical connectors that are optically coupled to the fiber optic cable are coupled to the support frame via adapters, the fiber optic cable is also tilted or flipped when the circuit board assembly is picked up or flipped, thereby preventing damage or twisting. Therefore, the support frame helps maintain a neat distribution of fiber optic positions, thereby improving the reliability of the fiber optic cable. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0009] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an optical transmission component according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is another perspective view of the optical transmission component of Figure 1. Figure 3 is an exploded view of the optical transmission component of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a front view of the optical transmission component of Figure 1. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the support frame of the optical transmission component of Figure 2. Figures 6 and 7 are schematic diagrams of assembling the optical transmission component of Figure 1. Figure 8 is a perspective view of an optical transmission component according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 9 is a perspective view of an optical transmission component according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 10 is an exploded view of an optical module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. An optical transmission assembly, comprising: a substrate; an optical transmission element group; a support frame coupled to the substrate, the support frame including a plurality of support portions; a plurality of multi-core connectors, each including a main body and a plurality of optical fibers coupled to the main body, the optical fibers being optically coupled to the optical transmission element group; and a plurality of adapters, each accommodating the main body of the multi-core connectors, the adapters being respectively coupled to the support portions.

2. The optical transmission assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support frame is locked to the substrate.

3. The optical transmission assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support frame further includes a positioning post, and the positioning post is located between the substrate and the body of the multi-core connectors.

4. The optical transmission assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support frame further includes a connecting arm between the substrate and the body of the multi-core connectors, the supports being coupled to the connecting arm, and the connecting arm having a bend.

5. The optical transmission assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support frame further includes at least one cable management groove, and the optical fibers of the multi-core connectors are located within the at least one cable management groove.

6. The optical transmission assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the supports is a snap-fit, and the adapters are snapped into the snap-fits respectively.

7. The optical transmission assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein each of the adapters includes a stop portion, and the fastener spatially interferes with the stop portion in a longitudinal direction of the optical transmission assembly.

8. The optical transmission assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the support portions includes a stop portion, and the stop portion interferes with the body space of the multi-core connector in a longitudinal direction of the optical transmission assembly.

9. The optical transmission assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body of each of the multi-core connectors is an MPO connector.

10. An optical module comprising: a housing; a substrate located within the housing; an optical transmission element assembly located within the housing; a support frame coupled to the substrate and located within the housing, the support frame including a plurality of support portions; a plurality of multi-core connectors, each including a main body and a plurality of optical fibers coupled to the main body, the optical fibers being optically coupled to the optical transmission element assembly; and a plurality of adapters, each accommodating the main body of the multi-core connectors, the adapters being respectively coupled to the support portions.

11. The optical module as claimed in claim 10, wherein the support frame further includes a positioning post, and the positioning post is located between the substrate and the body of the multi-core connectors.

12. The optical module as claimed in claim 10, wherein the support frame further includes a connecting arm between the substrate and the body of the multi-core connectors, the supports being coupled to the connecting arm, and the connecting arm having a bend.

13. The optical module as claimed in claim 10, wherein the support frame further includes at least one cable management groove, and the optical fibers of the multi-core connectors are located within the at least one cable management groove.

14. The optical module as claimed in claim 10, wherein each of the supports is a snap ring and the adapters are snapped into the snap rings respectively.

15. The optical module as claimed in claim 14, wherein each of the adapters includes a stop portion, and the fastener spatially interferes with the stop portion in a longitudinal direction of the optical module.

16. The optical module as claimed in claim 10, wherein each of the support portions includes a stop portion, and the stop portion interferes with the main body space of the multi-core connector in a longitudinal direction of the optical module.

17. The optical module as claimed in claim 10, wherein the body of each of the multi-core connectors is an MPO connector.

Images