Optical transmission assembly comprising optical socket support frame and optical module

Abstract

The invention provides an optical transmission assembly and an optical module. The optical transmission assembly comprises a substrate, an optical transmission element group, a support frame, a plurality of optical sockets and a plurality of optical fibers. The support frame is coupled to the substrate, and the support frame comprises a plurality of support parts. The optical sockets are respectively coupled to the supporting parts. The optical fibers are respectively coupled to the optical sockets and optically coupled to the optical transmission element group.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an optical transmission component and an optical module. Background 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] This invention provides an optical module that helps solve the problems of existing optical modules. This 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 optical sockets, and a plurality of optical fibers. The support frame is coupled to the substrate and includes a plurality of support portions. The optical sockets are respectively coupled to the support portions. The optical fibers are respectively coupled to the optical sockets and optically coupled to the optical transmission element group.

[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 optical sockets, and a plurality of optical fibers. 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. The optical sockets are respectively coupled to these support portions. The optical fibers are respectively coupled to these optical sockets and optically coupled to the optical transmission element assembly.

[0007] 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 optical sockets, and an adapter. The substrate, the optical transmission element assembly, and the support frame are located within the housing. The optical sockets are coupled to the support frame. The optical sockets are coupled to the adapter.

[0008] According to the optical transmission assembly and optical module disclosed in the embodiments of the present invention, before assembling the optical sockets and adapter, the optical sockets are pre-arranged to conform to the optical port specifications of the optical module by means of an additionally provided support frame. In this way, the relative positions of the optical sockets are pre-fixed, thereby facilitating the operator to quickly complete the assembly of the optical sockets and adapter.

[0009] Furthermore, in applications where automated equipment is used to assemble optical modules, because the optical sockets coupled to the optical fibers are attached to the support frame, the optical fibers are tilted or flipped along with the circuit board assembly when it is picked up or flipped, thus preventing damage or twisting. Therefore, the support frame helps maintain a neat distribution of optical fiber positions, thereby improving the reliability of the optical fibers.

[0010] The above description of the content of this invention and the following description of the embodiments are used to demonstrate and explain the spirit and principle of this invention, and to provide a further explanation of the scope of protection of this invention. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an optical transmission component according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 2 for Figure 1 An exploded view of the optical transmission component.

[0013] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A front view schematic diagram of the optical transmission component.

[0014] Figure 4 for Figure 2 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the support frame for the optical transmission component.

[0015] Figure 5 and Figure 6 For assembly Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the optical transmission component.

[0016] Figure 7 This is a side view schematic diagram of an optical transmission component according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 8 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an optical transmission component according to yet another embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 9This is an exploded view of an optical module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 10 for Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the assembly of the optical module's adapter and support frame.

[0020] [Explanation of Labels in the Attached Image]

[0021] Optical transmission component 1

[0022] Substrate 10

[0023] upper surface 110

[0024] Lower surface 120

[0025] Positioning hole 130

[0026] Optical Module 2

[0027] Casing 20a

[0028] Upper shell 20a1

[0029] Lower shell 20a2

[0030] Optical transmission component 20b

[0031] Adapter 20c

[0032] Optical transmission element group 20

[0033] Optical emitting unit 210

[0034] Optical receiver unit 220

[0035] support frame 30

[0036] Support part 310

[0037] 320 extension arm

[0038] Opening 321

[0039] Positioning post 330

[0040] Optical socket 40

[0041] Main body 410

[0042] Flange 420

[0043] First optical socket 41

[0044] Second optical socket 42

[0045] Fiber 50

[0046] Directional direction D1 Detailed Implementation

[0047] The following disclosure describes the principles of the present invention and exemplary embodiments thereof, and may be illustrated with accompanying drawings as necessary. However, any description and drawings are not exhaustive enumeration of all embodiments of the invention, nor are they intended to limit the 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.

[0048] An optical module includes an optical transmitter and an optical receiver, each optically coupled to an optical socket. External fiber optic connectors can be inserted into the corresponding optical sockets. Typically, during assembly, operators place the optical sockets into the adapter. However, as the transmission rate and number of channels in an optical module increase, the number of optical sockets also increases. For example, a high-speed optical module might include multiple optical sockets optically coupled to the optical transmitter and several other optical sockets optically coupled to the optical receiver. In this case, the operator needs to first determine whether a particular optical socket corresponds to an optical transmitter or receiver before placing it in the corresponding position on the adapter, making the entire assembly process very time-consuming.

[0049] Furthermore, in applications where automated equipment is used to assemble optical modules, the optical fibers used to optically couple optical sockets to optical transmitting or receiving units may be damaged or twisted when the automated equipment picks up or flips the printed circuit board assembly (PCBA), thereby affecting the quality of optical transmission.

[0050] The technical problems listed above make it difficult to achieve automated assembly of optical modules.

[0051] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a support frame is provided that can accommodate an optical module, and optical sockets are coupled to the support frame. Wherein, the optical sockets are coupled to the support frame before assembling the optical sockets and adapter, so that the relative positions of these optical sockets are predetermined, thereby facilitating the operator to quickly complete the assembly of the optical sockets and adapter.

[0052] Furthermore, in applications where automated equipment is used to assemble optical modules, since the optical socket that is coupled to the optical fiber is coupled to the support frame, the optical fiber will also be tilted or flipped when the circuit board assembly is picked up or flipped, thus avoiding damage or twisting.

[0053] This enables automated assembly between the optical socket and the support frame, automated assembly between the support frame and the adapter after the optical socket is assembled, and automated testing of the optical transmission component before it is assembled with the housing.

[0054] Those skilled in the art can reasonably combine and configure the following disclosed technical features to achieve the corresponding technical effects.

[0055] 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.

[0056] The term "substantially" refers to a degree of precision within an acceptable margin of error, where the acceptable margin of error is considered to reflect 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 completely.

[0057] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an optical transmission component according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 for Figure 1 An exploded view of the optical transmission component. Figure 3 for Figure 1 A front view schematic diagram of the optical transmission component. Figure 4 for Figure 2 A perspective view of the support frame for the optical transmission component. According to one embodiment, the optical transmission component 1 may include a substrate 10, an optical transmission element group 20, a support frame 30, and a plurality of optical sockets 40.

[0058] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 In one embodiment, substrate 10 is a circuit board assembly. In another embodiment, substrate 10 is a metal shell. In yet another embodiment, substrate 10 is a base for carrying optical passive components, and the base is coupled to the circuit board assembly.

[0059] According to one embodiment, the optical transmission element group 20 can be 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, de-wavelength 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).

[0060] In one embodiment, reference is made to Figure 1 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 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. (Refer to...) Figure 7 This is a side view of an optical transmission component according to another embodiment of the present invention, wherein two optical emitting units 210 are located on the upper surface 110 of the substrate 10, and two optical receiving units 220 are located on the lower surface 120 of the substrate 10.

[0061] According to one embodiment, the support frame 30 may be coupled to the substrate 10. In one embodiment, refer to... Figure 2 and Figure 4 The support frame 30 includes positioning posts 330, which are inserted into positioning holes 130 of the substrate 10. In one embodiment, the support frame 30 is adhered to the upper surface 110 or the lower surface 120 of the substrate 10.

[0062] According to one embodiment, the optical socket 40 may be coupled to the support frame 30. In one embodiment, the support frame 30 includes a plurality of support portions 310, and the optical sockets 40 are respectively coupled to these support portions 310. In one embodiment, referring to... Figure 2 and Figure 4Each support portion 310 may be a buckle, and the optical socket 40 is snapped into the buckle. In one embodiment, each support portion 310 may include a support platform, and the optical socket 40 is attached to the support platform. In one embodiment, each support portion 310 may include a groove, and the optical socket 40 is accommodated in the groove. In one embodiment, the optical transmission assembly 1 includes two first optical sockets 41 that are optically coupled to two optical emitting units 210 respectively, and two second optical sockets 42 that are optically coupled to two optical receiving units 220 respectively.

[0063] According to one embodiment, the optical transmission assembly 1 may further include a plurality of optical fibers 50. In one embodiment, these optical fibers 50 are respectively coupled to the optical sockets 40, and these optical fibers 50 are optically coupled to the optical transmission element group 20. In one embodiment, the optical socket 40 includes a socket body 410 and a stub housed within the socket body 410. In one embodiment, referring to... Figure 2 The optical socket 40 is an LC connector socket. In one embodiment, the optical fiber 50 optically coupled to the optical emitting unit 210 is used to transmit the optical signal generated by the optical emitting unit 210 to the corresponding optical socket 40, and the optical fiber 50 optically coupled to the optical receiving unit 220 is used to transmit the optical signal from the corresponding optical socket 40 to the optical receiving unit 220.

[0064] According to one embodiment, the support frame 30 may include two extension arms 320. In one embodiment, refer to... Figure 2 and Figure 4 Two extension arms 320 are coupled together and extend gradually away from each other from the substrate 10, such that the support frame 30 is generally U-shaped or V-shaped. In one embodiment, the two extension arms 320 together form an opening 321, and the support portion 310 of the support frame 30 is coupled to the two extension arms 320 and adjacent to the opening 321. In one embodiment, two optical sockets 40 are coupled to one of the extension arms 320, and the other two optical sockets 40 are coupled to the other extension arm 320. In one embodiment, at least one of the two extension arms 320 is resilient, allowing the size of the opening 321 to be adjusted. In one embodiment, as... Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, both extension arms 320 are elastic and can open up substantially away from each other along the straight direction D1 of the optical transmission component 1 to adjust the size of the opening 321.

[0065] According to one embodiment, the two first optical sockets 41 (optical sockets optically coupled to the optical emitting unit) and the two second optical sockets 42 (optical sockets optically coupled to the optical receiving unit) of the optical transmission element group 20 can be alternately configured. In one embodiment, referring to... Figure 3The support frame 30 comprises a plurality of stacked support portions 310, and the aforementioned plurality of optical sockets 40, including two first optical sockets 41 and two second optical sockets 42, are arranged in a generally 2x2 array. In one embodiment, one first optical socket 41 and one second optical socket 42 are arranged in the upper row, one first optical socket 41 and one second optical socket 42 are arranged in the lower row, one first optical socket 41 and one second optical socket 42 are arranged in the left column, and one first optical socket 41 and one second optical socket 42 are arranged in the right column. In one embodiment, the two first optical sockets 41 and the two second optical sockets 42 may be staggered but not stacked. See also Figure 8 Two first optical sockets 41 and two second optical sockets 42 are arranged in a single row, wherein the first optical socket 41, the second optical socket 42, the first optical socket 41 and the second optical socket 42 are arranged sequentially from left to right. In one embodiment, the two first optical sockets 41 and the two second optical sockets 42 conform to the optical port interface of the Duplex LC specification.

[0066] According to one embodiment, the optical socket 40 may include two flanges 420, and the support portion 310 may be located between the two flanges 420. In one embodiment, referring to... Figure 1 and Figure 2 Each optical socket 40 includes a plurality of flanges 420 formed on the socket body 410, and a support portion 310 serving as a clasp is located between two of the flanges 420.

[0067] Figure 5 and Figure 6 For assembly Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the optical transmission component. First, refer to... Figure 5 The two first optical sockets 41 can be substantially snapped into the support portion 310 located at the lower left and the support portion 310 located at the upper right, respectively, along the horizontal direction. Next, refer to... Figure 6 The two second optical sockets 42 can be substantially snapped into the support portion 310 located at the upper left and the support portion 310 located at the lower right along the horizontal direction, respectively.

[0068] Figure 9 This is an exploded view of an optical module according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 10 for Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the adapter and support frame assembly of the optical module. 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 aforementioned... Figure 1 The optical transmission component 1 or any other optical transmission component of the embodiment.

[0069] In one embodiment, housing 20a is a single housing, and optical transmission component 20b is housed within housing 20a. In another embodiment, housing 20a is a multi-part housing comprising an upper housing 20a1 and a lower housing 20a2, and the upper and lower housings are assembled to house optical transmission component 20b. In one embodiment, substrate 10, optical transmission element group 20, and support frame 30 of optical transmission component 20b are located within housing 20a. In one embodiment, support frame 30 is separate from substrate 10, and support frame 30 is supported on the inner wall surface of housing 20a.

[0070] According to one embodiment, the optical module 2 may further include an adapter 20c coupled to the optical socket 40. In one embodiment, the adapter 20c is integrally formed with the housing 20a. In one embodiment, referring to... Figure 9 The adapter 20c and the housing 20a are independent components. In one embodiment, the adapter 20c has multiple recesses for receiving the optical socket 40. In another embodiment, the recesses of the adapter 20c may also receive a fiber optic connector (not shown) for optical coupling between the fiber optic connector and the optical socket 40.

[0071] According to one embodiment, the adapter 20c can extend between the two extension arms 320 via an opening 321 in the support frame 30. In one embodiment, refer to... Figure 4 and Figure 10 The two extension arms 320 can open, so that the opening 321 is large enough for the adapter 20c to pass through. The assembled adapter 20c and the optical transmission component 20b are placed inside the housing 20a, thereby completing the assembly of the optical module 2.

[0072] In summary, according to the optical transmission assembly and optical module disclosed in the embodiments of the present invention, before assembling the optical sockets and adapter, the optical sockets are pre-arranged to conform to the optical port specifications of the optical module by means of an additionally provided support frame. In this way, the relative positions of the optical sockets are pre-fixed, thereby facilitating the operator to quickly complete the assembly of the optical sockets and adapter.

[0073] Furthermore, in applications where automated equipment is used to assemble optical modules, because the optical sockets coupled to the optical fibers are attached to the support frame, the optical fibers are tilted or flipped along with the circuit board assembly when it is picked up or flipped, thus preventing damage or twisting. Therefore, the support frame helps maintain a neat distribution of optical fiber positions, thereby improving the reliability of the optical fibers.

Claims

1. An optical transmission assembly, characterized by, Include: One substrate; One optical transmission element group; A support frame is coupled to the substrate, and the support frame includes a plurality of support portions; Multiple optical sockets are respectively coupled to multiple of the support portions; as well as Multiple optical fibers are respectively coupled to multiple optical sockets and optically coupled to the optical transmission element group.

2. The optical transmission assembly of claim 1, wherein, The support frame further includes a positioning post, which is inserted into a positioning hole in the substrate.

3. The optical transmission assembly of claim 1, wherein, The support frame further includes two extension arms, a plurality of support portions coupled to the two extension arms, the two extension arms together forming an opening, and the plurality of support portions adjacent to the opening.

4. The optical transmission component according to claim 3, characterized in that, At least one of the two extension arms is elastic to allow the size of the opening to be adjusted.

5. The optical transmission component according to claim 1, characterized in that, The optical transmission element group includes two optical emitting units and two optical receiving units. The plurality of optical sockets include two first optical sockets that are optically coupled to the two optical emitting units and two second optical sockets that are optically coupled to the two optical receiving units, and the two first optical sockets and the second optical sockets are arranged alternately.

6. The optical transmission component according to claim 1, characterized in that, Multiple of these support sections are stacked.

7. The optical transmission component according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the multiple support parts is a buckle, and the multiple optical sockets are respectively snapped into the multiple buckles.

8. The optical transmission component according to claim 7, characterized in that, Each of the optical sockets includes two flanges, and the clasp is located between the two flanges.

9. An optical module, characterized in that, Include: A shell; A substrate is located inside the housing; An optical transmission element assembly is located inside the housing; A support frame is located inside the housing, and the support frame includes multiple support parts; Multiple optical sockets are respectively coupled to multiple of the support portions; as well as Multiple optical fibers are respectively coupled to multiple optical sockets and optically coupled to the optical transmission element group.

10. The optical module according to claim 9, characterized in that, The support frame further includes two extension arms, a plurality of support portions coupled to the two extension arms, the two extension arms together forming an opening, and the plurality of support portions adjacent to the opening.

11. The optical module according to claim 10, characterized in that, At least one of the two extension arms is elastic to allow the size of the opening to be adjusted.

12. The optical module according to claim 11, characterized in that, It also includes an adapter coupled to a plurality of the optical sockets, wherein the adapter extends through the opening between the two extension arms.

13. The optical module according to claim 9, characterized in that, Multiple of these support components are stacked together.

14. The optical module according to claim 9, characterized in that, Each of the multiple support portions is a buckle, and each of the multiple optical sockets includes two flanges. The multiple optical sockets are respectively snapped into the multiple buckles, and the buckles are located between the two flanges.

15. An optical module, characterized in that, Include: A shell; A substrate is located inside the housing; An optical transmission element assembly is located inside the housing; A support frame is located inside the housing; Multiple optical sockets are coupled to the support frame; as well as An adapter coupled to multiple of these optical sockets.

16. The optical module according to claim 15, characterized in that, The support frame includes two extension arms and a plurality of buckles coupled to the two extension arms, the two extension arms together forming an opening, and the plurality of buckles adjacent to the opening.

17. The optical module according to claim 16, characterized in that, At least one of the two extension arms is elastic to allow the size of the opening to be adjusted.

18. The optical module according to claim 16, characterized in that, The adapter extends between the two extension arms through the opening.

19. The optical module according to claim 15, characterized in that, The support frame includes multiple buckles, and each of the multiple optical sockets includes two flanges. The multiple optical sockets are respectively snapped into the multiple buckles, and the buckles are located between the two flanges.

20. The optical module according to claim 15, characterized in that, Each of these optical sockets is an LC connector socket.

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