Optical fiber array connector, optical fiber array clamp and optical module

Abstract

The embodiment of the utility model provides an optical fiber array connector, an optical fiber array clamp and an optical module, the optical fiber array connector comprises a substrate, a cover plate and an optical fiber array, the substrate is provided with a plurality of grooves, a fiber core of the optical fiber array is arranged in each groove, the substrate is used for being connected with the optical fiber array clamp, and the cover plate is used for covering the optical fiber array. The cover plate is arranged on the substrate. The optical fiber array comprises at least two layers of optical fiber ribbons, each optical fiber ribbon comprises a plurality of optical fibers arranged side by side in the first direction, the width of each optical fiber ribbon is gradually increased in the second direction, the width of each optical fiber ribbon is the size of the corresponding optical fiber ribbon in the first direction, and the second direction is the direction from the substrate to the cover plate. Therefore, the optical fiber array connector adopts at least two layers of optical fiber ribbons, and the optical fibers can be arranged in the grooves at intervals in a one-to-one correspondence manner by adjusting the arrangement of the optical fiber array, so that the operation precision requirement in the optical fiber array assembling process is realized, and the operation difficulty is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present application relate to the semiconductor field, and in particular, to a fiber array connector, a fiber array fixture, and an optical module. Background Art

[0002] At present, with the development of ultra-high-speed and integrated optical communications, parallel high-speed optical devices are widely used. Combining multiple optical fibers into a fiber array (FA) is a technology that effectively improves communication capacity. FA has very high requirements for materials and manufacturing processes. When the number of optical fibers that make up FA is small, the spacing between the optical fibers is large and the assembly difficulty is relatively low.

[0003] In order to further improve the integration of the optical transceiver module, grooves can be set on the substrate of the fiber array connector, and the optical fiber can be set in the groove. The groove positions the optical fiber so that the spectrum is arranged neatly. However, due to the extremely small size of the optical fiber and the groove, it is necessary to manually observe through a microscope and use tweezers to fine-tune the position of the optical fiber to ensure that the optical fiber enters the groove. The operation is extremely delicate, difficult, and has high labor costs. Utility Model Content

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide a fiber array connector, a fiber array fixture, and an optical module, which solve the problem of high difficulty in inserting optical fibers into grooves.

[0005] In order to achieve the above purpose, the embodiment of the present application adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] In a first aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a fiber array connector is provided, the fiber array connector comprising: a substrate, a cover plate and a fiber array, a plurality of grooves are provided on the first surface of the substrate, each of the grooves is provided with a fiber core of the fiber array, the substrate is used to connect with the fiber array fixture, and the cover plate is provided on the first surface of the substrate; wherein the cover plate and the grooves can be arranged to form a fiber hole, the fiber core is fixed in the fiber hole, and the connection stability is improved. The fiber array comprises: at least two layers of fiber ribbons, the fiber ribbons comprise: a plurality of optical fibers arranged side by side along a first direction, the width of the fiber ribbons gradually increases along a second direction, wherein the width of the fiber ribbons is the size of the fiber ribbons along the first direction, and the second direction is the direction from the substrate to the cover plate. Thus, the fiber array connector adopts at least two layers of fiber ribbons, and by adjusting the arrangement of the fiber array, the fiber ribbons are arranged in a wide upper and narrow lower direction, the grooves match the number of optical fibers in the fiber array, and the optical fibers can be arranged in the fiber holes in a one-to-one interval to avoid interference between adjacent optical fibers. The operation accuracy requirements in the assembly process of the fiber array are achieved, and the operation difficulty is reduced. At the same time, the lower optical fiber ribbon is completely covered and cannot be directly contacted by the outside world. The upper optical fiber ribbon is wider, making the optical fiber array more stable and the connection with the connector more stable, thereby improving the protection effect.

[0007] In an optional implementation, the cross section of the optical fiber array is T-shaped. Thus, the T-shaped optical fiber array can be designed to be wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, so that the optical fiber ribbon can be arranged in a wide at the top and narrow at the bottom.

[0008] In an optional implementation, the optical fiber array includes: a first optical fiber ribbon and a second optical fiber ribbon stacked along the second direction, wherein the width of the first optical fiber ribbon is smaller than the width of the second optical fiber ribbon. Thus, the optical fiber ribbon can be arranged wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, which reduces the difficulty of operation and is conducive to improving production efficiency.

[0009] In an optional implementation, the first optical fiber ribbon includes M optical fibers, and the second optical fiber ribbon includes N optical fibers, where M and N satisfy: M<N, and both M and N are positive integers. Thus, the optical fiber ribbon is arranged to be wide at the top and narrow at the bottom.

[0010] In an optional implementation, the second optical fiber ribbon and the first optical fiber ribbon are placed in an offset manner. The offset placement refers to that the optical fibers of the first optical fiber ribbon and the optical fibers of the second optical fiber ribbon are arranged alternately in the horizontal direction. As a result, the optical fibers of the first optical fiber ribbon and the second optical fiber ribbon are arranged alternately in the horizontal direction, so that the fiber cores are arranged in the correct order in the groove of the optical fiber array connector, so that the core of each optical fiber after being positioned by the optical fiber array fixture is located just above the groove of the corresponding optical fiber array. That is, the operating accuracy requirements in the optical fiber array assembly process can be met by the limiting accuracy and automated control accuracy of the optical fiber array fixture, eliminating the tedious operation of observing and adjusting the optical fiber position through a microscope. Reduce the difficulty of alignment operations and the cost of worker training, and achieve cost reduction and efficiency improvement.

[0011] In an optional implementation, the width of the groove gradually increases in a direction approaching the notch.

[0012] In an optional implementation, the groove is a V-shaped groove, so that the optical fiber can be clamped in the groove.

[0013] In an optional implementation, the depth of the slot structure is greater than the depth of the groove. Thus, the slot structure is used to accommodate multiple layers of optical fiber ribbons, and the groove is used to accommodate the fiber cores of the multiple layers of optical fiber ribbons, and the fiber cores are arranged in a single layer, so that the slot structure is deeper and can better accommodate the optical fiber ribbons, and the groove is shallower and can better accommodate the fiber cores.

[0014] In an optional implementation, the substrate includes: a first part and a second part, the first part is used to connect with the optical fiber array fixture, the second part is provided with the groove, and the height of the first part is less than the height of the second part. The substrate is used to position the core of the optical fiber ribbon, the thickness of the optical fiber ribbon is greater than the thickness of the core, and the optical fiber ribbon is arranged in double rows, and the core of the optical fiber ribbon passes through the first part to the second part of the substrate. By adjusting the thickness of the substrate, the height of the first part is less than the height of the second part, so that when passing through the second part, the core can have enough space to adjust from the double row arrangement to the single row arrangement, so that the core of the optical fiber ribbon and the second part of the substrate are basically at the same height, which can better position the core.

[0015] In an optional implementation, the optical fiber array fixture is provided with an opening, and the substrate is adapted to the shape of the opening, thereby allowing the substrate and the optical fiber array fixture to be detachably connected through the opening.

[0016] The second aspect of the embodiment of the present application provides a fiber array fixture, which is used to position the fiber array in the fiber array connector as described above, the fiber array fixture is connected to the substrate, and a slot structure is provided on the fiber array fixture, and the fiber array is provided in the slot structure; wherein the width of the slot structure gradually increases along the direction close to the slot. Thus, at least two layers of optical fiber ribbons are provided in the fiber array fixture, and by adjusting the width of the slot structure so that the slot structure is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, the optical fiber ribbons are also arranged in a wide top and narrow bottom, making it easier to put the optical fiber ribbons into the slot structure. Moreover, the upper optical fiber ribbon is wider, and the lower optical fiber ribbon is completely covered, and cannot be directly contacted by the outside world, thereby enhancing the protective effect. In addition, under the action of the slot structure, the optical fiber array is more stable, the connection with the connector is more stable, and the stability of signal transmission is improved.

[0017] In an optional implementation, the width of the groove gradually increases in the direction close to the notch. The groove structure includes: a first groove structure and a second groove structure, the notch of the first groove structure is connected to the groove bottom of the second groove structure, and the width of the first groove structure is smaller than the width of the second groove structure. Thus, the groove structure is divided into two parts, and the optical fiber ribbon can be limited by adjusting the width of the groove structure to achieve an upper wide and lower narrow arrangement, which reduces the difficulty of operation and is conducive to improving production efficiency.

[0018] In an optional implementation, the slot structure is a T-slot, so that the T-slot can be designed to be wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, so that the optical fiber ribbon can be arranged in a wide at the top and narrow at the bottom.

[0019] In a third aspect of the embodiments of the present application, an optical module is provided, comprising: an optical device, and the optical fiber array connector as described above, wherein the fiber core of the optical fiber array connector is coupled to the optical device. Thus, the optical module uses the optical fiber connector positioned by the optical fiber array fixture, and the positioning accuracy can be improved by the optical fiber array fixture, which reduces the difficulty of operation and is conducive to improving production efficiency.

[0020] An embodiment of the present application provides a fiber optic array connector, a fiber optic array clamp and an optical module. The clamp is detachably connected to the fiber optic array connector. The fiber optic array clamp is provided with a groove structure, which is used to position the optical fiber ribbon. The fiber optic array connector assembly is provided with grooves, which are used to position the fiber cores of the optical fiber ribbon, and the number of the grooves corresponds to the number of optical fibers in the optical fiber ribbon, so that the fiber cores are coupled to the optical device. The fiber optic array connector and the optical device constitute the above-mentioned optical module.

[0021] Among them, the slot structure in the embodiment of the present application adopts a T-shaped structure that is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. When installing the optical fiber array into the optical fiber array fixture, it is only necessary to apply force from the top to press the narrow optical fiber ribbon and the wide optical fiber ribbon into the slot structure in sequence, so that the narrow optical fiber ribbon and the wide optical fiber ribbon are in a suitable relative position, and the optical fibers of the adjacent layers of optical fiber ribbons are staggered, so that the fiber cores of the adjacent layers of optical fiber ribbons are staggered in the horizontal direction, so that the fiber cores correspond to the grooves of the optical fiber array connector one by one. In this way, the core of each optical fiber after being positioned by the optical fiber array fixture is just above the groove of the corresponding optical fiber array. The limiting accuracy of the optical fiber array fixture can meet the operational accuracy requirements during the assembly of the optical fiber array, eliminating the tedious operation of human eyes observing through a microscope and implementing optical fiber position adjustment, reducing the difficulty of alignment operations, and achieving cost reduction and efficiency improvement. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of an optical module provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Top view of the optical module;

[0024] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of an optical fiber array connector provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of an optical fiber array provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 5 for Figure 3 A front view of the fiber array connector shown;

[0027] Figure 6A schematic diagram of a connection structure of an optical fiber array connector and an optical fiber array fixture provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a connection structure of another optical fiber array connector and an optical fiber array fixture provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of the optical fiber array fixture provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of a tank structure provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Fig.10 A schematic diagram of the substrate usage status provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer, the present application will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0033] In the following, the terms "first", "second", etc. are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first", "second", etc. may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of this application, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0034] In addition, in the present application, directional terms such as "upper" and "lower" are defined relative to the orientation of the components in the drawings. It should be understood that these directional terms are relative concepts. They are used for relative description and clarification, and they can change accordingly according to the changes in the orientation of the components in the drawings.

[0035] The embodiment of the present application provides an optical module, which can be used to transmit and receive optical signals. In some embodiments, the optical module can be used in scenarios with high integration requirements. For example, the optical module can be a package structure of a planar light waveguide splitter (PLC) and an array waveguide grating (AWG).

[0036] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the optical module provided in the embodiment of the present application, Figure 2 for Figure 1 Top view of the optical module. Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, the optical module 1 includes: an optical device 20 and a fiber array connector 10 , and an optical port of the fiber array connector 10 is coupled with an optical port of a waveguide optical path on the optical device 20 .

[0037] The present application embodiment does not limit the structure of the optical fiber array connector 10. In some embodiments, Figure 3 As shown, the optical fiber array connector 10 comprises: an optical fiber array 101 and a housing 102 , wherein the optical fiber array 101 is disposed in the housing 102 .

[0038] In some embodiments, Figure 4 As shown, the optical fiber array 101 includes: a plurality of optical fibers 1012 arranged in an array. The optical fiber array 101 may be an array formed by installing a bundle of optical fibers or an optical fiber ribbon in a housing 102 at intervals. The optical fiber array 101 may be used to transmit information in optical communication.

[0039] The optical fiber 1012 includes: a core 1011 (Core), a cladding and an outer sheath. The core 1011 can be used to achieve optical signal transmission. The material of the core 1011 includes: glass or plastic material. The cladding is located outside the core 1011 and is used to protect the core 1011 to improve the efficiency of optical signal transmission. The outer sheath is used to protect the entire optical fiber 1012, and is usually made of polymer material.

[0040] The embodiment of the present application does not limit the connection structure between the optical fiber array 101 and the housing 102. In some embodiments, the housing 102 is provided with optical fiber holes, the number of which matches the number of optical fibers 1012 in the optical fiber array 101, and the optical fibers 1012 in the optical fiber array 101 can be fixed in the optical fiber holes by adhesive. In this case, by providing the optical fiber holes to place the optical fiber array 101, and fixing the optical fibers 1012 in the optical fiber holes by adhesive, the stability of the optical fiber array 101 when coupled with the waveguide optical path of the optical device 20 is achieved.

[0041] The embodiment of the present application does not limit the structure of the housing 102. In some embodiments, the housing 102 can be composed of two or more structures, such as an upper and lower cover plate connected by a glue layer to form the housing 102. This form of housing 102 is easy to disassemble.

[0042] For example, Figure 3 As shown, the housing 102 includes: a substrate 1021 and a cover plate 1022 , and the cover plate 1022 covers the substrate 1021 .

[0043] The embodiment of the present application does not limit the connection method between the substrate 1021 and the cover 1022. In some embodiments, the substrate 1021 and the cover 1022 are bonded together through a glue layer.

[0044] The present application embodiment does not limit the structure of the optical fiber hole. In some embodiments, Figure 5As shown, the optical fiber hole can be formed by a groove 1020 provided on a substrate 1021 and surrounded by a cover plate 1022. The groove 1020 can be used to fix the optical fiber array 101. For example, a groove 1020 matching the number of optical fibers 1012 in the optical fiber array 101 can be opened on the housing 102, and then the fiber core 1011 can be fixed in the groove 1020 by an adhesive.

[0045] In some embodiments, the substrate 1021 is provided with a plurality of grooves 1020 , and each of the grooves 1020 is provided with a fiber core 1011 .

[0046] The groove 1020 may be a through groove. The through groove refers to a groove 1020 that penetrates along the axial direction on the substrate 1021. When the groove 1020 is a through groove, the groove 1020 includes: a first opening, a second opening, and a third opening, wherein the first opening and the second opening are respectively arranged at two ends of the substrate 1021, the third opening connects the first opening and the second opening, and the third opening is parallel to the axial direction of the optical fiber 1012.

[0047] The embodiment of the present application does not limit the shape of the groove 1020. In some embodiments, the width of the groove 1020 gradually increases in a direction close to the notch.

[0048] For example, Figure 5 As shown, the groove 1020 is a V-shaped groove.

[0049] In the above embodiment, the fiber holes match the number of optical fibers 1012 in the optical fiber array 101, and the fiber cores 1011 of the optical fibers 1012 can be arranged in the fiber holes in a one-to-one correspondence interval to avoid interference between adjacent fiber cores 1011. In this way, the fiber cores 1011 are arranged in the grooves 1020, which reduces the size of the optical fiber array connector 10, and is conducive to miniaturization of the device.

[0050] When assembling the optical fiber array connector 10, the fiber core 1011 of the optical fiber array 101 can be pressed into the V-groove, and then the cover plate 1022 is arranged on it to fix it, so as to obtain the optical fiber array connector 10. Among them, the size of the fiber core 1011 and the V-groove is extremely small, and it is necessary to manually observe through a microscope and use tweezers to fine-tune the position of the optical fiber 1012 to ensure that the optical fiber 1012 enters the groove. The operation is extremely delicate, difficult, and has high labor costs.

[0051] In order to reduce the difficulty of inserting the optical fiber 1012 of the optical fiber array 101 into the groove, in some embodiments, as Fig.10As shown, the optical fiber array 101 includes: at least two layers of optical fiber ribbons (a first optical fiber ribbon 101a and a second optical fiber ribbon 101b), the optical fiber ribbon includes: a plurality of optical fibers arranged side by side along a first direction, the width of the optical fiber ribbon gradually increases along a second direction, wherein the width of the optical fiber ribbon is the dimension of the optical fiber ribbon along the first direction (x direction), and the second direction (z direction) is the direction from the substrate 1021 to the cover plate 1022.

[0052] The optical fiber array provided in the embodiment of the present application, the optical fiber array connector uses at least two layers of optical fiber ribbons, and by adjusting the arrangement of the optical fiber array, the optical fiber ribbon is arranged to be wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, and the grooves match the number of optical fibers in the optical fiber array, and the optical fibers can be arranged in the optical fiber holes at intervals corresponding to each other to avoid interference between adjacent optical fibers. The operational accuracy requirements during the assembly of the optical fiber array are met, and the operational difficulty is reduced. At the same time, the lower optical fiber ribbon is completely covered and cannot be directly contacted by the outside world, and the upper optical fiber ribbon is wider, which makes the optical fiber array more stable, and the connection with the connector more stable, thereby improving the protective effect.

[0053] In the optical fiber array provided in the embodiment of the present application, the optical fibers of the first optical fiber ribbon and the second optical fiber ribbon are alternately arranged in the horizontal direction, so that the fiber cores are arranged in the correct order in the groove of the optical fiber array connector, so that the core of each optical fiber after being positioned by the optical fiber array fixture is just located above the groove of the corresponding optical fiber array. In other words, the operating accuracy requirements in the optical fiber array assembly process can be met by the positioning accuracy and automation control accuracy of the optical fiber array fixture, eliminating the tedious operation of human eyes observing through a microscope and implementing optical fiber position adjustment. Reduce the difficulty of alignment operations and the cost of worker training, and achieve cost reduction and efficiency improvement.

[0054] In some embodiments, the cross section of the optical fiber array 101 is T-shaped. Thus, the T-shaped optical fiber array 101 can be designed to be wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, so that the optical fiber ribbon can be arranged in a wide at the top and narrow at the bottom.

[0055] In some embodiments, the optical fiber array 101 includes: a first optical fiber ribbon 101a and a second optical fiber ribbon 101b stacked along the second direction, and the width of the first optical fiber ribbon 101a is smaller than the width of the second optical fiber ribbon 101b.

[0056] For example, the first optical fiber ribbon 101a includes M optical fibers, and the second optical fiber ribbon 101b includes N optical fibers, where M and N satisfy: M<N, and both M and N are positive integers. Thus, the optical fiber ribbon is arranged to be wide at the top and narrow at the bottom.

[0057] The second optical fiber ribbon 101b and the first optical fiber ribbon 101a are staggered. The staggered placement means that the optical fibers of the first optical fiber ribbon and the optical fibers of the second optical fiber ribbon are alternately arranged in the horizontal direction.

[0058] The present application embodiment provides a fiber array fixture, Figure 8 A schematic structural diagram of an optical fiber array clamp provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 8 The optical fiber array fixture 30 shown can pre-position the optical fiber array 101, reduce the difficulty of manual operation during the assembly of the optical fiber array 101, shorten the worker training cycle, and achieve cost reduction and efficiency improvement.

[0059] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the connection structure of an optical fiber array connector and an optical fiber array fixture provided in this application, Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of another optical fiber array connector and an optical fiber array fixture provided in this application. Figure 6 , Figure 7 As shown, a groove structure 301 is provided on the base of the optical fiber array fixture 30 , and the groove structure 301 is used to position the optical fiber array 101 .

[0060] The optical fiber array 101 includes: at least two layers of optical fiber ribbons, the optical fiber ribbons are stacked in the slot structure 301, the optical fiber ribbons include: a plurality of optical fibers 1012, the plurality of optical fibers 1012 are arranged along a first direction ( Figure 6 , Figure 7 The x direction shown in FIG. 3 is arranged in the slot structure 301 .

[0061] The width of the slot structure 301 gradually increases in the direction close to the slot opening, and the width direction of the slot structure 301 is parallel to the first direction ( Figure 6 , Figure 7 parallel to the x-direction shown in FIG.

[0062] The slot structure 301 provided in the embodiment of the present application adopts at least two layers of optical fiber ribbons. By adjusting the width of the slot structure 301, the slot structure 301 is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, and the optical fiber ribbons are also arranged to be wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, so that the optical fiber ribbons are easier to put into the slot structure 301, and the lower optical fiber ribbon is completely covered and cannot be directly contacted by the outside world. The upper optical fiber ribbon is wider, which makes the optical fiber array 101 more stable and the connection with the connector more stable, thereby improving the protection effect.

[0063] The slot structure 301 may be a through slot. A through slot refers to a slot structure 301 that runs through the base along the axial direction. When the slot structure 301 is a through slot, the slot structure 301 includes: a first opening, a second opening, and a third opening, wherein the first opening and the second opening are respectively arranged at two ends of the substrate 1021, the third opening connects the first opening and the second opening, and the third opening is parallel to the axial direction of the optical fiber 1012.

[0064] The embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific shape of the slot structure 301. In some embodiments, the slot structure 301 includes: a first slot structure 3011 and a second slot structure 3012, the slot opening of the first slot structure 3011 is connected to the slot bottom of the second slot structure 3012, and the width of the first slot structure 3011 is smaller than the width of the second slot structure 3012. Thus, the slot structure is divided into two parts, and the optical fiber ribbon can be limited by adjusting the width of the slot structure to achieve an upper wide and lower narrow arrangement, which reduces the difficulty of operation and is conducive to improving production efficiency.

[0065] For example, the slot structure 301 is a T-slot, so that the T-slot can be designed to be wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, so that the optical fiber ribbon can be arranged in a wide at the top and narrow at the bottom.

[0066] In some embodiments, Fig. 9 As shown, the optical fiber array 101 includes: a first optical fiber ribbon 101a and a second optical fiber ribbon 101b, the width of the first optical fiber ribbon 101a is smaller than the width of the second optical fiber ribbon 101b, the first optical fiber ribbon 101a is arranged at the bottom of the first slot structure 3011, and the second optical fiber ribbon 101b is arranged in the second slot structure 3012.

[0067] The first optical fiber ribbon 101a includes M optical fibers, and the second optical fiber ribbon 101b includes N optical fibers, where M and N satisfy: M<N, and both M and N are positive integers.

[0068] The following description will be made by taking an example that the first optical fiber ribbon 101 a includes two optical fibers and the second optical fiber ribbon 101 b includes three optical fibers 1012 .

[0069] like Fig.10 As shown, the first optical fiber ribbon 101a includes: optical fiber 1012b and optical fiber 1012d, and the second optical fiber ribbon 101b includes: optical fiber 1012a, optical fiber 1012c and optical fiber 1012e.

[0070] For example, Figure 3 As shown, a T-slot is provided on the base of the optical fiber array fixture 30, the lower half of the T-slot is narrower and has the same width as the first optical fiber ribbon 101a (2-in-1 optical fiber ribbon), and the upper half of the T-slot is wider and has the same width as the second optical fiber ribbon 101b (3-in-1 optical fiber ribbon).

[0071] The first optical fiber ribbon 101a (optical fiber 1012b and optical fiber 1012d) is arranged in the first groove structure 3011, and the second optical fiber ribbon 101b (optical fiber 1012a, optical fiber 1012c and optical fiber 1012e) is arranged in the second groove structure 3012. After the first optical fiber ribbon 101a (optical fiber 1012b and optical fiber 1012d) and the second optical fiber ribbon 101b (optical fiber 1012a, optical fiber 1012c and optical fiber 1012e) are pressed into the groove structure 301 in sequence, the first optical fiber ribbon 101a (optical fiber 1012b and optical fiber 1012d) and the second optical fiber ribbon 101b (optical fiber 1012a, optical fiber 1012c and optical fiber 1012e) are clamped by the side walls on both sides of the groove structure 301.

[0072] like Fig.10 As shown, the first optical fiber ribbon 101a (optical fiber 1012b and optical fiber 1012d) and the second optical fiber ribbon 101b (optical fiber 1012a, optical fiber 1012c and optical fiber 1012e) are placed in a staggered manner. The staggered placement means that the optical fibers of the first optical fiber ribbon 101a and the optical fibers of the second optical fiber ribbon 101bd are arranged alternately along the x direction. For example, optical fiber 1012b is located between optical fiber 1012a and optical fiber 1012c, and optical fiber 1012d is located between optical fiber 1012c and optical fiber 1012e. Then the projection of the optical fiber ribbon on the substrate 1021 includes: optical fiber 1012a, optical fiber 1012b, optical fiber 1012c, optical fiber 1012d and optical fiber 1012e arranged in sequence along the x direction.

[0073] The cores (core 1011b and core 1011d) of the first optical fiber ribbon 101a (optical fiber 1012b and optical fiber 1012d) and the cores (core 1011a, core 1011c and core 1011e) of the second optical fiber ribbon 101b (optical fiber 1012a, optical fiber 1012c and optical fiber 1012e) can be arranged alternately, wherein the core 1011b of optical fiber 1012b is located between the core 1011a of optical fiber 1012a and the core 1011c of optical fiber 1012c, and the core 1011d of optical fiber 1012d is located between the core 1011c of optical fiber 1012c and the core 1011e of optical fiber 1012e. The projection of the cores of the optical fiber ribbon on the substrate 1021 includes cores 1011a, 1011b, 1011c, 1011d and 1011e arranged in sequence along the x direction. That is, the cores of the optical fiber array can be arranged in the same order as the optical fibers in the optical fiber array along the x direction.

[0074] In this way, when installing the optical fiber array 101 into the optical fiber array fixture 30, it is only necessary to apply force from above to press the first optical fiber ribbon 101a (optical fiber 1012b and optical fiber 1012d) and the second optical fiber ribbon 101b (optical fiber 1012a, optical fiber 1012c and optical fiber 1012e) into the T-slot in sequence, so that the first optical fiber ribbon 101a (optical fiber 1012b and optical fiber 1012d) and the second optical fiber ribbon 101b (optical fiber 1012a, optical fiber 1012c and optical fiber 1012e) are in a suitable relative position, that is, the fiber cores 1011 of the first optical fiber ribbon 101a (optical fiber 1012b and optical fiber 1012d) and the second optical fiber ribbon 101b (optical fiber 1012a, optical fiber 1012c and optical fiber 1012e) are staggered in the horizontal direction, so that the fiber cores 1011 are arranged in the correct order in the V-groove 1020 of the optical fiber array 101 connector.

[0075] The optical fiber array fixture 30 provided in the embodiment of the present application is fixed in relative position with the optical fiber array connector 10, so that the core 1011 of each optical fiber 1012 after being positioned by the optical fiber array fixture 30 is just located above the V-shaped groove 1020 of the corresponding optical fiber array 101. That is, the operation accuracy requirements in the assembly process of the optical fiber array 101 can be met by the positioning accuracy and automation control accuracy of the optical fiber array fixture 30, eliminating the tedious operation of observing and adjusting the position of the optical fiber 1012 through a microscope. The difficulty of alignment operation and the cost of worker training are reduced, achieving cost reduction and efficiency improvement.

[0076] In the above embodiment, it can be seen that the portion of the optical fiber array 101 in the groove structure 301 of the optical fiber array fixture 30 is arranged in multiple layers, and multiple optical fiber ribbons can be stacked in the groove structure 301. The portion of the optical fiber array 101 in the groove 1020 of the connector is a single-layer arrangement of multiple optical fibers 1012. In order to make the core 1011 of each optical fiber 1012 positioned by the optical fiber array fixture 30 just above the V-shaped groove 1020 of the optical fiber array 101 to which it corresponds, the depth of the groove structure 301 can be made greater than the depth of the groove 1020.

[0077] The groove structure is used to accommodate multiple layers of optical fiber ribbons, so the groove structure is deep and can better accommodate the optical fiber ribbons. The groove is used to accommodate the fiber cores of the multiple layers of optical fiber ribbons, and the fiber cores are arranged in a single layer, so the groove depth is shallow and can better accommodate the fiber cores.

[0078] In some embodiments, Fig.10As shown, the substrate 1021 includes: a first part 1021a and a second part 1021b, wherein the first part 1021a is used to connect with the optical fiber array fixture, the second part 1021b is provided with the groove, and the height of the first part is less than the height of the second part. The substrate is used to position the core of the optical fiber ribbon, the thickness of the optical fiber ribbon is greater than the thickness of the core, and the optical fiber ribbon is arranged in double rows, and the core of the optical fiber ribbon passes through the first part 1021a of the substrate 1021 to the second part 1021b. By adjusting the thickness of the substrate, the height of the first part 1021a is less than the height of the second part 1021b, so that when passing through the second part 1021b, the core can have enough space to adjust from the double row arrangement to the single row arrangement, so that the core of the optical fiber ribbon and the second part of the substrate are basically at the same height, and the core can be better positioned.

[0079] The optical fiber array fixture provided in the embodiment of the present application can simultaneously pre-position the upper and lower layers of optical fibers 1012. Positioning can be achieved through the mechanical structure of the fixture, which reduces the difficulty of manually inserting the optical fiber 1012 into the groove, thereby reducing costs and increasing efficiency.

[0080] The embodiment of the present application does not limit the connection method between the optical fiber array connector 10 and the optical fiber array fixture 30. In some embodiments, the optical fiber array fixture 30 is provided with an opening, and the substrate of the optical fiber array connector 10 matches the shape of the opening, so that the substrate of the optical fiber array connector 10 can be detachably connected to the opening to achieve the positioning function.

[0081] The first opening includes: a first surface 300a, a second surface 300b and a third surface 300c, the second surface 300b is arranged between the first surface 300a and the third surface 300c, and the first surface 300a and the third surface 300c can guide the substrate of the optical fiber array connector 10 so that the substrate of the optical fiber array connector 10 abuts against the second surface 300b.

[0082] In this way, when the substrate of the optical fiber array connector 10 abuts against the second surface 300b, relative shaking of the substrate and the second surface 300b of the optical fiber array connector 10 can be avoided, making it easier to align the fiber core 1011 of the optical fiber array 101 and the V-shaped recess of the optical fiber array connector 10.

[0083] An embodiment of the present application provides a fiber optic array connector, a fiber optic array clamp and an optical module. The clamp is detachably connected to the fiber optic array connector. The fiber optic array clamp is provided with a groove structure, which is used to position the optical fiber ribbon. The fiber optic array connector is provided with grooves, which are used to position the fiber cores of the optical fiber ribbon, and the number of the grooves corresponds to the number of optical fibers in the optical fiber ribbon, so that the fiber cores are coupled with the optical device. The fiber optic array connector and the optical device constitute the above-mentioned optical module.

[0084] The present application also provides a method for manufacturing an optical fiber array connector, which can use the above-mentioned optical fiber array fixture, and includes the following steps:

[0085] S1: Connecting the optical fiber array fixture 30 and the substrate 1021 of the optical fiber array connector 10 .

[0086] The optical fiber array fixture 30 and the substrate 1021 can be detachably connected together via a snap-fit ​​structure to facilitate positioning.

[0087] S2: placing the first optical fiber ribbon 101a (optical fiber 1012b and optical fiber 1012d) in the groove structure 301 of the optical fiber array fixture 30 so that the core 1011b of the optical fiber 1012b and the core 1011d of the optical fiber 1012d enter the groove of the substrate 1021 .

[0088] The slot structure 301 includes: a first slot structure 3011 and a second slot structure 3012 , the slot opening of the first slot structure 3011 is connected to the slot bottom of the second slot structure 3012 , and the width of the first slot structure 3011 is smaller than the width of the second slot structure 3012 .

[0089] The first optical fiber ribbon 101 a has a smaller width and is disposed in the first slot structure 3011 .

[0090] S3: Place the second optical fiber ribbon 101b (optical fiber 1012a, optical fiber 1012c and optical fiber 1012e) on the first optical fiber ribbon 101a so that the core 1011a of optical fiber 1012a, the core 1011c of optical fiber 1012c and the core 1011e of optical fiber 1012e enter the grooves of the substrate 1021 respectively.

[0091] The width of the second optical fiber ribbon 101 b is greater than that of the first optical fiber ribbon 101 a , and the second optical fiber ribbon 101 b is disposed in the second slot structure 3012 .

[0092] In this way, the slot structure is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, and the optical fiber ribbon is also arranged wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, making it easier to put the optical fiber ribbon into the slot structure. In addition, the optical fiber ribbon at the top is wider, and the optical fiber ribbon at the bottom is completely covered, and cannot be directly contacted by the outside world, which improves the protection effect. In addition, under the action of the slot structure, the optical fiber array is more stable, the connection with the connector is more stable, and the stability of signal transmission is improved.

[0093] In some embodiments, the first optical fiber ribbon 101a and the second optical fiber ribbon 101b are staggered. In this way, when the optical fiber array 101 is installed in the optical fiber array fixture 30, it is only necessary to apply force from above to press the first optical fiber ribbon 101a and the second optical fiber ribbon 101b into the groove structure in sequence, so that the first optical fiber ribbon 101a and the second optical fiber ribbon 101b can be in a suitable relative position, that is, the fiber cores 1011 of the first optical fiber ribbon 101a and the second optical fiber ribbon 101b are staggered in the horizontal direction, so that the fiber cores 1011 are arranged in the correct order in the V-groove 1020 of the optical fiber array 101 connector.

[0094] S4: a cover plate 1022 is disposed on the substrate 1021 .

[0095] The fiber core 1011 of the optical fiber array 101 is pressed into the groove of the substrate 1021, and then a cover plate 1022 is arranged on it. The groove of the substrate 1021 and the cover plate can be surrounded to form a fiber hole, which corresponds to the fiber core 1011 one by one to achieve the positioning of the fiber core 1011.

[0096] S5: Apply glue and solidify to fix the substrate 1021, the cover plate 1022, and the fiber core 1011 together.

[0097] In this way, the fiber core 1011 can be better positioned.

[0098] The optical fiber array fixture 30 provided in the embodiment of the present application is fixed in relative position with the optical fiber array connector 10, so that the core 1011 of each optical fiber 1012 after being positioned by the optical fiber array fixture 30 is just located above the V-shaped groove 1020 of the corresponding optical fiber array 101. That is, the operation accuracy requirements in the assembly process of the optical fiber array 101 can be met by the positioning accuracy and automation control accuracy of the optical fiber array fixture 30, eliminating the tedious operation of observing and adjusting the position of the optical fiber 1012 through a microscope. The difficulty of alignment operation and the cost of worker training are reduced, achieving cost reduction and efficiency improvement.

[0099] In the above-mentioned method for manufacturing a fiber array connector, the slot structure adopts a T-shaped structure that is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. When installing the fiber array into the fiber array fixture, it is only necessary to apply force from the top to press the narrow fiber ribbon and the wide fiber ribbon into the slot structure in sequence. The slot structure can preliminarily fix the fiber ribbon, so that the narrow fiber ribbon and the wide fiber ribbon are in a suitable relative position. The upper fiber ribbon can be staggered with the bottom fiber, so that the fiber cores of the fiber ribbons of adjacent layers are staggered in the horizontal direction, so that the fiber cores correspond to the grooves of the fiber array connector one by one. In this way, the core of each optical fiber positioned by the fiber array fixture is just above the groove of the corresponding optical fiber array. The limiting accuracy of the fiber array fixture can meet the operational accuracy requirements during the assembly of the optical fiber array. It is easy to manufacture and compact in structure, and high-precision arrangement of the optical fiber array is achieved, ensuring the positioning accuracy between optical fibers. The tedious operation of observing and adjusting the optical fiber position through a microscope is eliminated, the difficulty of alignment operation is reduced, and cost reduction and efficiency improvement are achieved.

[0100] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present application should be included in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An optical fiber array connector, characterized in that: include: A substrate (1021), a cover plate (1022) and an optical fiber array (101), wherein a first surface of the substrate (1021) is provided with a plurality of grooves (1020), each of the grooves (1020) having a fiber core (1011) of the optical fiber array (101), and the cover plate (1022) is arranged on the first surface of the substrate (1021); The optical fiber array (101) comprises: at least two layers of optical fiber ribbons, the optical fiber ribbons comprising: a plurality of optical fibers (1012) arranged side by side along a first direction, the width of the optical fiber ribbon gradually increasing along a second direction, wherein the width of the optical fiber ribbon is the dimension of the optical fiber ribbon along the first direction, and the second direction is the direction from the substrate (1021) to the cover plate (1022).

2. The optical fiber array connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cross section of the optical fiber array (101) is T-shaped.

3. The optical fiber array connector according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The optical fiber array (101) comprises: a first optical fiber ribbon (101a) and a second optical fiber ribbon (101b) stacked along a second direction, wherein the width of the first optical fiber ribbon (101a) is smaller than the width of the second optical fiber ribbon (101b).

4. The optical fiber array connector according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first optical fiber ribbon (101a) includes M optical fibers, and the second optical fiber ribbon (101b) includes N optical fibers, where M and N satisfy: M<N, and both M and N are positive integers.

5. The optical fiber array connector according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second optical fiber ribbon (101b) and the first optical fiber ribbon (101a) are placed in an offset manner.

6. The optical fiber array connector according to any one of claims 1, 2, 4 or 5, characterized in that: The width of the groove (1020) gradually increases in a direction approaching the notch.

7. The optical fiber array connector according to any one of claims 1, 2, 4 or 5, characterized in that: The groove (1020) is a V-shaped groove.

8. The optical fiber array connector according to any one of claims 1, 2, 4 or 5, characterized in that: An opening is provided on the optical fiber array fixture, and the substrate (1021) is adapted to the shape of the opening.

9. The optical fiber array connector according to any one of claims 1, 2, 4 or 5, characterized in that: The substrate (1021) comprises: a first part (1021a) and a second part (1021b), the first part (1021a) being used to connect to the optical fiber array fixture, the second part (1021b) being provided with the groove (1020), and the height of the first part (1021a) being smaller than the height of the second part (1021b).

10. An optical fiber array fixture, characterized in that: The optical fiber array fixture is used to position the optical fiber array (101) in the optical fiber array connector according to any one of claims 1 to 9, the optical fiber array fixture is connected to the substrate (1021), a groove structure (301) is provided on the optical fiber array fixture (30), and the optical fiber array (101) is arranged in the groove structure (301); Wherein, the width of the slot structure (301) gradually increases in a direction approaching the slot opening.

11. The optical fiber array fixture according to claim 10, characterized in that: The slot structure (301) is a T-shaped slot.

12. The optical fiber array fixture according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that: The trough structure (301) comprises: a first trough structure (3011), and a second trough structure (3012) arranged on the first trough structure (3011), the first trough structure (3011) and the second trough structure (3012) are connected, and the width of the first trough structure (3011) is smaller than the width of the second trough structure (3012).

13. The optical fiber array fixture according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that: The depth of the slot structure (301) is greater than the depth of the groove (1020).

14. An optical module, characterized in that: It comprises: an optical device, and a fiber array connector according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein a fiber core (1011) of the fiber array connector is coupled to the optical device.

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