Beam expanding optical fiber contact element and optical fiber connector

Abstract

The utility model relates to a beam expanding optical fiber contact element and an optical fiber connector, the beam expanding optical fiber contact element comprises a ceramic pin with an optical fiber hole and a flange plate with a mounting hole, the ceramic pin is fixedly arranged at the front end of the mounting hole, and a bare optical fiber is inserted in the communicated optical fiber hole and the mounting hole. And an optical fiber lens which is coaxial with the bare optical fiber is inserted into the front end of the optical fiber hole. According to the beam-expanding optical fiber contact element provided by the utility model, a ceramic sleeve and a conventional lens in a beam-expanding contact element in the prior art are removed, and the optical fiber lens is integrated in the ceramic pin, so that the size and the cost of the contact element are reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of optical fiber connectors, in particular to a beam expanding optical fiber contact piece and an optical fiber connector. Background Art

[0002] The difference between the fiber optic connector and the traditional terminated fiber optic connector is that its beam expansion contact combines the beam expansion and collimation effect of the lens. The light beam emitted by the lens can be expanded by dozens to hundreds of times, greatly reducing the influence of small pollutants on signal transmission. The specific structure is Figure 1 As shown, the beam expansion contact uses a self-focusing lens, C-LENS lens, or ball lens. Parallel light transmission is achieved by adjusting the position of the lens and the pin. To install the lens, a ceramic sleeve is added to the periphery of the ceramic pin, and the lens is installed at the front end of the ceramic sleeve. This structure of beam expansion contact is costly and relatively long, hindering the miniaturization of fiber optic connectors. Utility Model Content

[0003] In order to solve the above technical problems, the utility model provides a beam expanding optical fiber contact, which removes the ceramic sleeve and conventional lens, integrates the optical fiber lens into the ceramic pin, and reduces the size and cost of the contact.

[0004] To achieve the above technical objectives, the technical solution adopted is: a beam expanding fiber optic contact, including a ceramic pin with a fiber hole and a flange with a mounting hole. The ceramic pin is fixedly installed at the front end of the mounting hole. Bare optical fibers are installed in the connected fiber hole and mounting hole. A fiber lens coaxially arranged with the bare optical fiber is also inserted inside the front end of the fiber hole.

[0005] The optical fiber lens described in the utility model is a special optical fiber.

[0006] The special optical fiber described in the utility model is a graded-refractive-index optical fiber or a coreless optical fiber.

[0007] The optical fiber lens and the bare optical fiber of the utility model are connected by bonding or fusion splicing.

[0008] The front end surface of the optical fiber lens of the present invention is flush with the front end of the ceramic pin, or the front end surface of the optical fiber lens is lower than the front end of the ceramic pin.

[0009] The end faces of the optical fiber lens and the bare optical fiber connected to each other in the utility model are inclined surfaces with the same inclination direction.

[0010] The optical fiber hole described in the utility model is a hole of equal diameter.

[0011] The optical fiber hole described in the utility model is a first-level stepped hole.

[0012] The diameter of the optical fiber lens of the present invention is larger than the diameter of the bare optical fiber.

[0013] The front end surface of the optical fiber lens of the utility model is plated with an anti-reflection film.

[0014] Furthermore, the present invention also provides a fiber optic connector, comprising a connector housing and a beam expanding fiber optic contact disposed in the connector housing. The fiber optic connector is the beam expanding fiber optic contact described in any one of the above items.

[0015] The beneficial effects of the utility model are:

[0016] 1. This contact has a fiber lens inserted at the front end of the fiber hole, replacing the conventional lens and the ceramic sleeve used to install the conventional lens. This saves costs while reducing the axial length of the contact. It is suitable for small connectors and has a wider application environment. The coaxial alignment of the bare fiber and the fiber lens can be ensured through a fiber hole without adjustment, and the manufacturing process is simple.

[0017] 2. Make the front end surface of the optical fiber lens level with or lower than the ceramic pin to avoid collision with the optical fiber lens. It also has a certain anti-fouling effect and avoids scratches and wear.

[0018] 3. The end face where the fiber lens and the bare fiber are connected is a bevel, which reduces the return loss when transmitting light and increases the light transmission efficiency.

[0019] 4. The fiber hole is of equal diameter and easy to process. It can quickly meet the installation requirements of the fiber lens and bare fiber. It is easy to process.

[0020] 5. The fiber hole is a first-level stepped hole, which matches the installation of fiber lenses and bare fibers of unequal diameters, facilitates coaxial alignment, and makes it easy to insert fiber lenses and bare fibers of equal diameters from the large-diameter end.

[0021] 6. When the fiber lens is larger than the bare fiber diameter, the transmission efficiency can be improved.

[0022] 7. Adding an anti-reflection film to the front end of the optical fiber lens can improve the transmittance of the optical fiber lens, reduce the loss of transmitted light, and can be used in high-power connectors. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of a beam expansion contact in the prior art;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of Example 1 of the beam-expanding optical fiber contact of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 This is an enlarged schematic diagram of the first structure of the butt joint end face of the bare optical fiber and the optical fiber lens of the beam expanding optical fiber contact of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4 This is an enlarged schematic diagram of the second structure of the butt joint end face of the bare optical fiber and the optical fiber lens of the beam expanding optical fiber contact of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a fiber hole in the form of a first-level stepped hole of the beam-expanding fiber contact of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 6 This is a structural diagram of Example 2 of the beam-expanding optical fiber contact of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 7 This is a schematic structural diagram of Example 3 of the beam-expanding optical fiber contact of the present invention;

[0030] In the figure: 1. Ceramic ferrule, 2. Flange, 3. Bare optical fiber, 4. Fiber lens, 5. Ceramic sleeve, 6. Conventional lens, 7. Anti-reflection coating, 101. Fiber hole, 201. Mounting hole. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of this application more clear, the following further describes this application in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain this application and are not intended to limit this application.

[0032] It should be noted that the illustrations provided in this embodiment are only used to schematically illustrate the basic concept of the present invention. Therefore, the illustrations only show components related to the present invention and are not drawn according to the number, shape and size of components in actual implementation. In actual implementation, the type, quantity and proportion of each component can be changed at will, and the component layout type may also be more complicated.

[0033] The structures, proportions, sizes, etc. illustrated in the drawings in this specification are only used to match the contents disclosed in the specification so as to facilitate understanding and reading by persons familiar with the art. They are not intended to limit the conditions under which the present invention can be implemented and therefore have no substantive technical significance. Any structural modifications, changes in proportions, or adjustments in sizes shall still fall within the scope of the technical contents disclosed in the present invention without affecting the efficacy and objectives that can be achieved by the present invention.

[0034] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be understood broadly, for example, to refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, interference connections, or integrated connections. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of these terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0035] In the description of this specification, specific features, structures, materials or characteristics may be combined in an appropriate manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0036] like Figure 2 FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a beam-expanding optical fiber contact. The contact comprises a ceramic ferrule 1 with a fiber hole 101 and a flange 2 with a mounting hole 201. The ceramic ferrule 1 is fixedly mounted at the front end of the mounting hole 201. A bare optical fiber 3 is inserted into the interconnected fiber hole 101 and mounting hole 201. A typical optical fiber comprises a core, a cladding disposed around the core, and a coating disposed around the cladding. When the optical fiber is inserted into the ceramic ferrule 1, only the bare optical fiber 3, consisting of the core and cladding, is inserted. A fiber lens 4, coaxially arranged with the bare optical fiber 3, is also inserted at the front end of the fiber hole 101. The bare optical fiber 3 and the fiber lens 4 are coupled together. The fiber lens 4 is made of optical fiber capable of beam expansion and receives light emitted from the bare optical fiber 3. The diameter of the light beam is expanded and converted into parallel light. The fiber lens 4 amplifies the coupling spot between the connectors, thereby reducing the mating precision between the connectors and thus reducing costs. Due to the amplified coupling spot, the anti-interference capability of the optical signal coupling is enhanced.

[0037] The front end of the optical fiber lens 4 is processed into a special surface shape, which can be, but is not limited to, a spherical surface or a flat surface. The rear end of the optical fiber lens 4 is processed using appropriate surface parameters based on the parameters of the graded-index fiber, so that the focal point of the optical fiber microlens is located at the end face of the optical fiber microlens. The surface shaping method can be, but is not limited to, fiber ablation or fiber polishing.

[0038] The optical fiber lens 4 is a special optical fiber. Different surface parameters are selected according to the transmission mode of the graded-index optical fiber, so that the communication optical fiber can be transmitted in parallel after passing through the graded-index optical fiber.

[0039] Specialty optical fibers are graded-index or coreless fibers. Graded-index fibers consist of a core surrounded by a cladding. The refractive index of graded-index fibers is highest at the center and decreases radially, allowing light beams to automatically focus without dispersion. Coreless fibers are a minimalist type of optical fiber, lacking a core and essentially serving as a homogeneous light-guiding fiber made of a glass cylindrical waveguide. When used as optical lenses, graded-index or coreless fibers offer high precision and strong anti-interference capabilities.

[0040] The optical fiber lens 4 and the bare optical fiber 3 are connected by bonding or welding. The two are conveniently connected as one, with low connection difficulty and high reliability. Compared with the conventional lens 6, it will not shake, has a more stable structure and high reliability.

[0041] like Figure 3 、 Figure 4As shown, the front end face of the optical fiber lens 4 is flush with the front end of the ceramic ferrule 1, or the front end face of the optical fiber lens 4 is lower than the front end of the ceramic ferrule 1 to prevent the optical fiber lens from being scratched. The depth of the front end face of the optical fiber lens 4 below the front end of the ceramic ferrule must not affect light transmission and is selected and adjusted according to the parameters of the bare optical fiber and the optical fiber lens.

[0042] like Figure 3 As shown, the end face where the optical fiber lens 4 and the bare optical fiber 3 are connected, that is, the rear end face of the optical fiber lens 4 and the front end face of the bare optical fiber 3. The first structure of the end face where the bare optical fiber 3 and the optical fiber lens 4 are connected is that the rear end face of the optical fiber lens 4 and the front end face of the bare optical fiber 3 can be set to be perpendicular to the axis direction of the bare optical fiber 3. Figure 4 As shown, the second configuration of the butted end faces of the bare fiber 3 and the fiber lens 4 is characterized by an inclined surface at the same angle to the front face of the bare fiber 3, with the rear face of the fiber lens 4 and the front face of the bare fiber 3 forming an inclined surface. This angle can be adjusted based on the parameters of the fiber lens 4 and the bare fiber 3. This configuration minimizes return loss and improves transmission efficiency. The inclined surface is achieved by adhesive bonding. Regardless of the angle between the rear face of the fiber lens 4 and the front face of the bare fiber 3 and the axis, both end faces remain flat.

[0043] like Figure 3 、 Figure 4 As shown, the optical fiber hole 101 is an equal-diameter hole, which is easy to process and can be used to install an optical fiber lens 4 and a bare optical fiber 3 with the same diameter. The diameter of the optical fiber hole 101 is equal to the diameter of the optical fiber lens 4 and the bare optical fiber 3. This structure cooperates with the optical fiber lens 4 and the bare optical fiber 3 of equal diameter. The optical fiber lens 4 and the bare optical fiber 3 are inserted into the optical hole 101 to ensure that the optical fiber lens 4 and the bare optical fiber 3 are coaxial. The processing technology is simple and the installation is quick.

[0044] like Figure 5 As shown, the optical fiber hole 101 is a first-level stepped hole, which is two connected equal-diameter holes, one of which is a large-diameter hole and the other is a small-diameter hole. It is suitable for the installation of optical fiber lenses 4 and bare optical fibers 3 of different diameters, and can also facilitate the plugging of optical fiber lenses 4 and bare optical fibers 3 of equal diameters. They can be inserted from the large-diameter hole end to the small-diameter hole end, and the coaxiality of the optical fiber lens 4 and bare optical fiber 3 is ensured through the small-diameter hole end. The diameter of the small-diameter end is equal to the diameter of the optical fiber lens 4 and bare optical fiber 3, and the installation is convenient and quick.

[0045] The beam expanding optical fiber contact of the present invention can be applied to optical fiber connectors. It has high power resistance index, strong stain resistance, is not easy to damage, and is small in size. It can further reduce the axial size of the optical fiber connector. Compared with the existing technology, the cost is also significantly reduced, and the scope of application is wide.

[0046] The manufacturing steps of the beam-expanding optical fiber contact of the present invention are as follows: first, a bare optical fiber 3 and a fiber lens 4 are coupled together by bonding or fusion splicing, so that the light emitted by the bare optical fiber 3 is expanded and emitted through the fiber lens 4. Then, the coupled bare optical fiber 3 and fiber lens 4 are inserted into the fiber hole 101 of the ceramic ferrule 1 and fixed with adhesive. Finally, the ceramic ferrule 1 is fixed to the end of the flange 2 by interference fit or welding.

[0047] The specific embodiment 2 of the beam expanding optical fiber contact of the present invention is different from the specific embodiment 1 of the beam expanding optical fiber contact of the present invention in that: Figure 6 As shown, the diameter of the optical fiber lens 4 is larger than the diameter of the bare optical fiber 3 . This structure can further improve the light receiving efficiency of the optical fiber lens 4 .

[0048] The specific embodiment 3 of the beam expanding optical fiber contact of the present invention is different from the specific embodiment 1 of the beam expanding optical fiber contact of the present invention in that: Figure 7 As shown, the front end face of the optical fiber lens 4 is coated with an anti-reflection film 7. The anti-reflection film is deposited on the surface of the optical component to reduce surface reflection and increase the transmittance of the optical system. The optical film increases the transmittance and high power resistance of the optical fiber lens 4, further improves the receiving and transmission efficiency, and has a wider range of applications.

[0049] An embodiment of an optical fiber connector: The optical fiber connector includes a connector housing and a beam expanding optical fiber contact arranged in the connector housing. The beam expanding optical fiber contact adopts any one of the beam expanding optical fiber contact embodiments 1-3 mentioned above, which will not be repeated here.

[0050] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit or restrict the present invention. Researchers or technicians in this field will readily appreciate that the present invention is susceptible to various modifications and variations. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, and the like made within the spirit and principles of the present invention are intended to be included within the scope of protection claimed by the present invention.

Claims

1. A beam expanding optical fiber contact, comprising a ceramic pin (1) provided with an optical fiber hole (101) and a flange (2) provided with a mounting hole (201), characterized in that: The ceramic pin (1) is fixedly mounted at the front end of the mounting hole (201), an optical fiber (3) is inserted into the connected optical fiber hole (101) and the mounting hole (201), and an optical fiber lens (4) coaxially arranged with the bare optical fiber (3) is also inserted into the front end of the optical fiber hole (101).

2. The beam-expanding optical fiber contact according to claim 1, wherein: The optical fiber lens (4) is a special optical fiber.

3. The beam-expanding optical fiber contact according to claim 2, wherein: The special optical fiber is a graded-refractive-index optical fiber or a coreless optical fiber.

4. The beam-expanding optical fiber contact according to claim 1, wherein: The optical fiber lens (4) and the bare optical fiber (3) are connected by bonding or fusion splicing.

5. The beam-expanding optical fiber contact according to claim 1, wherein: The front end surface of the optical fiber lens (4) is flush with the front end of the ceramic pin (1), or the front end surface of the optical fiber lens (4) is lower than the front end of the ceramic pin (1).

6. The beam-expanding optical fiber contact according to claim 1, wherein: The end faces of the optical fiber lens (4) and the bare optical fiber (3) connected to each other are inclined surfaces with the same inclination direction and an angle with the direction perpendicular to the axis.

7. The beam-expanding optical fiber contact according to claim 1, wherein: The optical fiber hole (101) is a hole of equal diameter or a first-level stepped hole.

8. The beam-expanding optical fiber contact according to claim 7, wherein: The diameter of the optical fiber lens (4) is larger than the diameter of the bare optical fiber (3).

9. The beam-expanding optical fiber contact according to claim 1, wherein: The front end surface of the optical fiber lens (4) is plated with an anti-reflection film (7).

10. An optical fiber connector comprising a connector housing and a beam-expanding optical fiber contact disposed within the connector housing, characterized in that: The beam expanding optical fiber contact is the beam expanding optical fiber contact according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

Images