Optical Receptacles and Optical Modules

Abstract

To provide an optical receptacle that can suppress molding defects when injection molding an optical receptacle having a thin-walled portion. [Solution] An optical receptacle having a first portion arranged on one side in a first direction, a second portion arranged on the other side in the first direction, a pair of side connection portions connecting the first portion and the second portion, a rib arranged between the pair of side connection portions and connecting the first portion and the second portion, and a thin-walled portion arranged in a space surrounded by the first portion, the second portion and the pair of side connection portions, and designed so that a first weld line is formed in the thin-walled portion.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an optical receptacle and an optical module. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, optical modules for optically connecting an optical fiber and a photoelectric conversion element disposed on a substrate have been known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an optical component module for connecting an optical fiber and an electronic component. Patent Document 1 states that there is a demand for a thinner optical component module. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-87150 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] 1A is a cross-sectional view showing an example of an optical module 20 for optically connecting the above-mentioned optical transmission body (e.g., an optical fiber) and a photoelectric conversion element 10, which is a type of electronic component, arranged on a substrate 10a. The optical module 20 may be used as a transmitting optical module 20 or as a receiving optical module 20.

[0005] 1A, when optical module 20 is used as an optical module 20 for optical transmission, light emitted from photoelectric conversion element 10 arranged on substrate 10a enters optical receptacle 30 at first optical surface 31, is reflected by reflective surface 32, exits optical receptacle 30 at second optical surface 33, and reaches an optical transmission body (not shown). In this way, in optical module 20, the progression of light is controlled by optical receptacle 30, and photoelectric conversion element 10 and the optical transmission body are optically connected.

[0006] 1A, when the surface of optical receptacle 30 that contacts substrate 10a is bottom surface 30a, first optical surface 31 is disposed on the inner surface of a recess that is recessed relative to bottom surface 30a, and reflective surface 32 is the inclined inner surface of a recess that is recessed from the top surface opposite the bottom surface. In this way, the structure for controlling light of optical receptacle 30 (first optical surface 31 and reflective surface 32) can be formed by forming a recess in optical receptacle 30.

[0007] When optical receptacle 30 is provided with multiple recesses in this manner, a thin-walled portion 34 located between two recesses may be formed in optical receptacle 30 (see FIG. 1B, a partially enlarged view of FIG. 1A). When optical receptacle 30 is manufactured by injection molding, the portion of the mold corresponding to thin-walled portion 34 becomes a portion through which material is difficult to pass. Therefore, optical receptacles 30 having thin-walled portion 34 tend to have many molding defects. Note that, when optical receptacle 30 is thinned as described in Patent Document 1, thin-walled portion 34 becomes thinner accordingly, which makes molding defects more pronounced and tends to easily form weld lines in positions that affect the performance of optical receptacle 30.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide an optical receptacle that can suppress molding defects when injection molding an optical receptacle having a thin-walled portion, and to provide an optical module that includes the optical receptacle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] [1] An optical receptacle for optically coupling an optoelectric conversion element and an end face of an optical transmission body when disposed between the optoelectric conversion element and the optical transmission body, comprising: a first portion disposed on one side in a first direction and having an optical function for optically coupling the optoelectric conversion element and the end face of the optical transmission body; a second portion disposed on the other side in the first direction and having a gate mark or gate remnant; a pair of side connection portions connecting the first portion and the second portion; and a rib disposed between the pair of side connection portions and connecting the first portion and the second portion. an optical receptacle having a space surrounded by the first portion, the second portion, and the pair of side connection portions, and a thin portion having a thickness smaller than that of the pair of side connection portions and the rib, the thin portion being arranged in a space in which the rib is not present, wherein the first portion, the second portion, the pair of side connection portions, the rib, and the thin portion are molded as a single unit, and the cross-sectional areas of the pair of side connection portions, the rib, and the thin portion are designed such that a first weld line is formed in the thin portion in a cross section perpendicular to the first direction. [2] The optical receptacle according to [1], wherein the thickness of the thin-walled portion is 0.09 mm or more. [3] The optical receptacle according to [1] or [2], wherein the first portion has a second weld line at a position that does not overlap with the optical path of the optical function. [4] The optical receptacle according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the gate mark or the gate residue is disposed on an extension line of the rib. [5] The optical receptacle described in any one of [1] to [4], wherein the first portion has a first optical surface for receiving light emitted from the photoelectric conversion element or for emitting light that has been emitted from an end face of the optical transmission body and passed through the inside of the first portion toward the photoelectric conversion element; a second optical surface for receiving light that has been incident on the first optical surface toward the end face of the optical transmission body or for receiving light that has been emitted from the end face of the optical transmission body; and a reflective surface for reflecting light from the first optical surface toward the second optical surface or for reflecting light from the second optical surface toward the first optical surface. [6] The optical receptacle described in [5], wherein the distance between the intersection of the optical axis of the second optical surface and the second optical surface and the bottom surface of the optical receptacle is 1.1 mm or less in a direction along the optical path between the first optical surface and the reflecting surface. [7] An optical module having a photoelectric conversion element and the optical receptacle according to any one of [1] to [6]. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an optical receptacle that can suppress molding defects when injection molding an optical receptacle having a thin-walled portion. Also, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an optical module that includes the optical receptacle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are diagrams for explaining an optical module. [Figure 2] 2A and 2B are diagrams showing the configuration of an optical module according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating the configuration of an optical receptacle according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 4A to 4C are diagrams showing the configuration of an optical receptacle according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] 5A to 5C are diagrams showing the configuration of an optical receptacle according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the simulation results showing the positions where weld lines occur in an optical receptacle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] [Optical module configuration] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Optical modules according to embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0013] 2A and 2B are diagrams showing the configuration of an optical module 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention, with Fig. 2A being a plan view of the optical module 200 and Fig. 2B being a cross-sectional view taken along line 2B-2B shown in Fig. 2A.

[0014] 2A and 2B, optical receptacle 300 has first portion 310 arranged on one side in a first direction and second portion 320 arranged on the other side in the first direction. First portion 310 is a portion that has an optical function by having optical function section 310a (portion surrounded by a dashed line) for optically coupling photoelectric conversion element 100 arranged on substrate 100a with the end face of the optical transmission body as shown in FIG. 2B. On the other hand, second portion 320 is a portion that has gate marks or gate residue 321 that remain on optical receptacle 300 when optical receptacle 300 is formed by injection molding.

[0015] The optical module 200 may be used as a transmitting optical module 200 or as a receiving optical module.

[0016] When optical module 200 is used as a transmitting optical module 200, light emitted from photoelectric conversion element 100 reaches the optical transmission body while being controlled by optical function unit 310a of first portion 310. Specifically, light emitted from photoelectric conversion element 100 enters optical receptacle 300 at first optical surface 311 of optical function unit 310a, is reflected by reflective surface 312, and is emitted from optical receptacle 300 at second optical surface 313 to reach the end face of the optical transmission body (not shown) (see FIG. 2B).

[0017] On the other hand, when optical module 200 is used as a receiving optical module 200, light emitted from the end face of the optical transmission body enters optical receptacle 300 at second optical surface 313, is reflected by reflective surface 312, and is emitted from optical receptacle 300 at first optical surface 311 to reach photoelectric conversion element 100 (see FIG. 2B).

[0018] Optical receptacle 300 is disposed so that first optical surface 311 faces photoelectric conversion element 100 on substrate 100a. As shown in FIG. 2B , optical receptacle 300 has thin-walled portion 350 that is thinned by having first optical surface 311 formed in recess 301 recessed from the bottom surface side, and reflective surface 312 formed in recess 302 recessed from the top surface side opposite the bottom surface side. However, optical receptacle 300 according to the present embodiment has a configuration that can suppress the occurrence of molding defects during injection molding even though it has thin-walled portion 350. The configuration of the optical receptacle will be described in detail separately.

[0019] Substrate 100a supports photoelectric conversion element 100 and optical receptacle 300. Substrate 100a is, for example, a glass composite substrate, a glass epoxy substrate, or a flexible substrate.

[0020] Photoelectric conversion element 100 is a light emitting element or a light receiving element. Photoelectric conversion element 100 is, for example, a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL). The number of photoelectric conversion elements 100 is not particularly limited and may be one or more depending on the configuration of optical receptacle 300. In this embodiment, the number of photoelectric conversion elements 100 is more than one (eight).

[0021] The type of optical transmission element is not particularly limited. Examples of the type of optical transmission element include optical fiber and optical waveguide. The number of optical transmission elements is not particularly limited and may be one or more, selected in accordance with second optical surface 313 of optical receptacle 300. In this embodiment, the number of optical transmission elements is more than one (eight).

[0022] (Optical receptacle configuration) Figure 3A is a plan view of optical receptacle 300. Figure 3B shows in plan view the flow of material when optical receptacle 300 is injection molded.

[0023] 3A , optical receptacle 300 has first portion 310, second portion 320, a pair of side connection portions 330, rib 340, and thin portion 350. As described above, first portion 310 is a portion that has optical function portion 310a. Second portion 320 is a portion that has gate marks or gate remains 321. Pair of side connection portions 330, rib 340, and thin portion 350 are disposed between first portion 310 and second portion 320.

[0024] 3B , first portion 310 is formed by material that flows from a portion of the cavity of the molding die that corresponds to second portion 320, through a pair of side connecting portions 330 and portions that correspond to rib 340, to a portion that corresponds to first portion 310. Furthermore, thin-walled portion 350 is formed by material that flows not only from the portion of the cavity of the molding die that corresponds to second portion 320, but also from the portion that corresponds to first portion 310, the portion that corresponds to side connecting portion 330, and the portion that corresponds to rib 340. This prevents molding defects in thin-walled portion 350.

[0025] First portion 310, second portion 320, pair of side connecting portions 330, rib 340, and thin portion 350 are integrally molded, and thin portion 350 is thinner than side connecting portion 330 and rib 340. In the present embodiment, optical receptacle 300 has a thickness of approximately 1.3 mm.

[0026] Fig. 4A is a side view of optical receptacle 300, Fig. 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4B-4B in Fig. 3A, and Fig. 4C is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4C-4C in Fig. 3A. Note that Fig. 4B also shows the flow of material near thin-walled portion 350. 5A is a front view of optical receptacle 300, FIG. 5B is a rear view, and FIG. 5C is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5C-5C in FIG. 3A.

[0027] The components of the optical receptacle will be described in detail below.

[0028] <Part 1> 3A, first portion 310 is a portion that is arranged on one side in the first direction (on the front side of optical receptacle 300) and has optical function portion 310a. In the present embodiment, first portion 310 has a shape that is generally rectangular parallelepiped-shaped and extends in a direction perpendicular to the first direction, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 4B, and this generally rectangular parallelepiped-shaped portion has generally cylindrical guide pin 310b extending to one side in the first direction and protrusion 314 extending to the other side in the first direction.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 3B, the first portion 310 is formed primarily from material that has passed through the side connection portions 330 and portions of the mold cavity that correspond to the ribs 340 .

[0030] More specifically, in this embodiment, a portion of the material flows from second portion 320 toward first portion 310 through a portion corresponding to rib 340 located in the center when optical receptacle 300 is viewed in a plane, reaches the portion corresponding to first portion 310, and then splits into left and right portions, filling the portion corresponding to first portion 310. Meanwhile, another portion of the material flows from second portion 320 toward first portion 310 through the portions corresponding to side connection portions 330 arranged on the left and right sides when optical receptacle 300 is viewed in a plane, reaches the portions corresponding to first portion 310, bends toward the center, and fills the portions corresponding to first portion 310.

[0031] At this time, the material that has passed through rib 340 and the material that has passed through side connection portion 330 meet at the front of optical receptacle 300, forming second weld line L2. If second weld line L2 overlaps optical function portion 310a, the function of optical function portion 310a will be impaired. Therefore, optical receptacle 300 is preferably designed so that second weld line L2 does not overlap optical function portion 310a.

[0032] The following describes in detail the optical function part 310a of the first portion 310. As shown in Fig. 4B, the optical function part 310a has a first optical surface 311, a reflecting surface 312, and a second optical surface 313. The optical function part 310a is a part in which an optical path is formed and which has an optical function.

[0033] <<First optical surface>> First optical surface 311 receives light emitted from photoelectric conversion element 100, or emits light that has been emitted from the end face of the optical transmission body and passed through the inside of optical receptacle 300 toward photoelectric conversion element 100.

[0034] There are no particular limitations on the first optical surface 311 as long as it can perform the above-mentioned functions. The first optical surface may be a flat surface or a curved surface. In this embodiment, the first optical surface is a curved surface, and more specifically, is a convex lens that is convex toward the photoelectric conversion element 100.

[0035] First optical surface 311 is disposed on the bottom side of optical receptacle 300. More specifically, in the present embodiment, first optical surface 311 is disposed on the inner surface of recess 301 formed on the bottom side that contacts substrate 100a of optical receptacle 300, as shown in FIGS. 2B and 4B. From another perspective, first optical surface 311 is disposed on the opposite side of reflective surface 312 in protruding portion 314 that protrudes from second optical surface 313 toward thin-walled portion 350, as shown in FIG. 4B.

[0036] The number of first optical surfaces 311 is not particularly limited, and may be one or more depending on the number of photoelectric conversion elements 100. In the present embodiment, the number of first optical surfaces 311 is more than one (eight).

[0037] <<Second optical surface>> Second optical surface 313 emits light that is incident on first optical surface 311 and reflected by reflecting surface 312 toward the end face of the optical transmission element, or receives light that has been emitted from the end face of the optical transmission element.

[0038] There are no particular limitations on second optical surface 313 as long as it can perform the above-mentioned functions. Second optical surface 313 may be a flat surface or a curved surface. In this embodiment, second optical surface 313 is a curved surface, and more specifically, is a convex lens that is convex toward the optical transmitter.

[0039] Second optical surface 313 is disposed on the front side of optical receptacle 300. More specifically, in the present embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4B, second optical surface 313 is disposed on the inner surface of recess 303 disposed on the front side of optical receptacle 300. When optical receptacle 300 is thinned, second optical surface 313 approaches bottom surface 300a, and the distance between second optical surface 313 and bottom surface 300a becomes smaller.

[0040] When optical receptacle 300 is thinned, the height of second optical surface from bottom surface 300a is preferably as follows: In other words, in the direction along the optical path between first optical surface 311 and reflecting surface 312 (the up-down direction in FIG. 4B ), the distance between the intersection of the optical axis of second optical surface 313 and second optical surface 313 and the bottom surface of optical receptacle 300 is preferably 1.1 mm or less.

[0041] The number of second optical surfaces 313 is not particularly limited, and may be one or more depending on the number of optical transmission bodies. In this embodiment, the number of second optical surfaces 313 is more than one (eight).

[0042] 〈〈Reflective surface〉〉〉 The reflective surface 312 is disposed on the optical path between the first optical surface 311 and the second optical surface 313, and reflects light from the first optical surface 311 toward the second optical surface 313, or reflects light from the second optical surface 313 toward the first optical surface 311.

[0043] Reflecting surface 312 is not particularly limited as long as it can perform the above-described function. In the present embodiment, reflecting surface 312 is flat and inclined at an angle of 45° with respect to bottom surface 300a. Also, in the present embodiment, reflecting surface 312 is formed in recess 302 recessed from the top surface side of optical receptacle 300. Recess 302 is located between first portion 310 and second portion 320, and between side connecting portion 330 and rib 340. Also, in the present embodiment, reflecting surface 312 is also part of the surface of protruding portion 314 protruding from second optical surface 313 toward thin-walled portion 350, as shown in FIG. 4B . In the present embodiment, reflecting surface 312 is located on the opposite side of protruding portion 314 from first optical surface 311.

[0044] <<Guide pin>> 3A and other figures, in this embodiment, first portion 310 has guide pin 310b. Guide pin 310b is a convex portion that fits into a concave portion provided in a ferrule that holds the ends of multiple optical transmission bodies (optical fibers), and the fitting positions the end faces of the optical transmission bodies with respect to optical receptacle 300 (second optical surface 313).

[0045] As shown in Figures 3A and 3B, it is preferable that the guide pin 310b does not overlap the second weld line L2. If the guide pin 310b overlaps the second weld line L2, the molding of the guide pin 310b may be insufficient, resulting in insufficient positioning accuracy when the guide pin 310b is fitted into a recess provided in the ferrule. Furthermore, the strength of the guide pin 310b may be insufficient to fit into the recess. Therefore, it is preferable that the guide pin 310b does not overlap the second weld line L2. In the present embodiment, there are two guide pins 310b, one on each side of optical receptacle 300 so as to protrude from the front surface thereof.

[0046] <Thin-walled section> As shown in FIG. 3A , the thin-walled portion 350 is located in a space surrounded by the first portion 310, the second portion 320, and the pair of side connectors 330, but where the rib 340 is not present. In this embodiment, the thin-walled portion 350 is located at the bottom of the recess 302 surrounded by the first portion 310, the second portion 320, the side connectors 330, and the rib 340. The thin-walled portion 350 is thinner than the pair of side connectors 330 and the rib 340. The thickness of the thin-walled portion 350 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.09 mm or more and 0.27 mm or less. By making the thickness of the thin-walled portion 350 0.09 mm or more, the thin-walled portion 350 can be appropriately filled with resin and molded. By making the thickness of the thin-walled portion 350 0.27 mm or less, the first weld line L1 formed in the thin-walled portion 350 can be prevented from being located near the optical path.

[0047] As described above with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B , the thin-walled portion 350 is formed by material flowing from the portion of the mold cavity corresponding to the second portion 320 through the portion corresponding to the rib 340 and the side connection portion 330, and material flowing from the portion corresponding to the first portion 310. As a result, a first weld line L1 is formed in the thin-walled portion 350, as shown in FIGS. 3B and 4B . The fact that the thin-walled portion 350 has the first weld line L1 also means that the first weld line L1 is not formed in the optical function portion 310a shown in FIG. 3A . This prevents the optical function from being impaired. In the optical receptacle 300 according to this embodiment, the cross-sectional areas of the side connection portion 330, the rib 340, and the thickness (cross-sectional area) of the thin-walled portion 350 are adjusted so that the first weld line L1 is spaced apart from the optical function portion 310a.

[0048] <Side connection> Side connection portion 330 is a pair of components that connect first portion 310 and second portion 320 and are arranged on both sides of optical receptacle 300. In the present embodiment, side connection portion 330 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape that extends in the first direction. As shown in FIG. 3B , in the cavity of the molding die, the portion corresponding to the side connection portion 330, together with the portion corresponding to the rib 340, forms one of the main paths through which material flows from the portion corresponding to the second portion 320 to the portion corresponding to the first portion 310. The side connection portion 330 is preferably designed appropriately to create the material flow shown in FIG. 3B . That is, the cross-sectional areas of the pair of side connection portions 330, in conjunction with the cross-sectional areas of the rib 340 and the thin-walled portion 350, are designed so that the first weld line L1 is formed in the thin-walled portion 350. Furthermore, the cross-sectional areas of the pair of side connection portions 330, in conjunction with the cross-sectional area of ​​the rib 340, are preferably designed so that the second weld line L2 does not overlap the optically functional portion 310a. This prevents the first weld line L1 and the second weld line L2 from forming in the optically functional portion 310a, thereby preventing the optical function from being impaired.

[0049] The cross-sectional area of ​​each of the above-mentioned portions varies depending on molding conditions (for example, injection molding conditions), but can be, for example, as follows. That is, for example, among the cross-sectional areas of the rib 340, the pair of side connection portions 330, and the thin-walled portion 350, the smallest cross-sectional area is the cross-sectional area of ​​the rib 340, the largest cross-sectional area is the cross-sectional area of ​​the pair of side connection portions 330, and the intermediate cross-sectional area is the cross-sectional area of ​​the thin-walled portion 350. Also, for example, the cross-sectional area of ​​the rib 340 may be 0.5 to 0.7 mm. 2 The cross-sectional area of ​​the pair of side connection parts 330 is 1.3 to 1.5 mm 2 The cross-sectional area of ​​the thin-walled portion 350 is 0.6 to 0.8 mm 2 For example, the cross-sectional area of ​​the rib 340 may be 0.6 mm 2 The cross-sectional area of ​​the pair of side connecting portions 330 is 1.4 mm 2 , the cross-sectional area of ​​the thin-walled part 350 is 0.7 mm 2 It is possible. The cross-sectional area is the area in a cross section perpendicular to the first direction. More specifically, the cross-sectional area of ​​the pair of side connection portions 330 is the area in a cross section perpendicular to the first direction where the total cross-sectional area of ​​the pair of side connection portions 330 is the smallest. Similarly, the cross-sectional area of ​​the rib 340 is the area in a cross section perpendicular to the first direction where the total cross-sectional area of ​​the rib 340 is the smallest. The cross-sectional area of ​​the thin-walled portion 350 is the area in a cross section perpendicular to the first direction where the total cross-sectional area of ​​the thin-walled portion 350 is the largest.

[0050] <rib> The rib 340 is disposed between the pair of side connection portions 330 and connects the first portion 310 and the second portion 320. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3A , the rib 340 extends in a first direction through the center of the optical receptacle 300 when the optical receptacle 300 is viewed in a plan view. As described above, in the cavity of the molding die, the portion corresponding to the rib 340, together with the portion corresponding to the pair of side connection portions 330, forms one of the main paths through which material flows. Therefore, as described above, the cross-sectional area of ​​the rib 340, together with the cross-sectional areas of the pair of side connection portions 330 and the thin-walled portion 350, is designed so that the first weld line L1 is formed in the thin-walled portion 350. Furthermore, the cross-sectional area of ​​the rib 340, together with the cross-sectional area of ​​the pair of side connection portions 330, is preferably designed so that the second weld line L2 does not overlap the optical function portion 310a.

[0051] From the viewpoint of improving the flow of material, it is preferable that, when optical receptacle 300 is viewed in a plane, the width of rib 340 on the side closer to second portion 320 is wider than the width of a portion closer to first portion 310. More specifically, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3A , when optical receptacle 300 is viewed in a plane, rib 340 has a portion whose width gradually narrows from second portion 320 to first portion 310, and a portion in first portion 310 whose width is constant from second portion 320 to first portion 310. That is, rib 340 has a funnel-like shape when viewed in a plane.

[0052] <Second part> As shown in FIG. 3A , second portion 320 is a portion disposed on the other side of first portion 310, which is disposed on one side in the first direction. Second portion 320 is a portion disposed on the back side of optical receptacle 300. In the present embodiment, second portion 320 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape extending in a direction perpendicular to the first direction. Also, in the present embodiment, second portion 320 has gate remnant 321, a portion of which remains in optical receptacle 300 after cutting a gate that serves as a passageway for material during injection molding. Second portion 320 may have gate marks, which are traces of the gate that remain in optical receptacle 300 after a portion of the gate is removed so that it does not remain in optical receptacle 300. As shown in FIG. 3A , when the optical receptacle is viewed from above, gate remnant 321 (or gate marks) are disposed on an extension line of rib 340 extending in the first direction. This allows material to be supplied to first portion 310 more efficiently.

[0053] The invention described in this embodiment is particularly useful when the thickness of the resin filling area is 0.27 mm or less, such as in the thin-walled portion 350 described in this embodiment, and the resin filled in the molding die (e.g., metal mold) is likely to solidify and weld lines are likely to occur.

[0054] [simulation] 6 shows the results of a flow analysis simulation performed when optical receptacle 300 having the above-described configuration was injection molded. As shown in FIG. 6, when optical receptacle 300 having the above-described configuration was injection molded, weld line L2 was formed in thin-walled portion 350, but not in optical function portion 310a, so the optical function was not impaired. Furthermore, weld line L1 was not formed in optical function portion 310a, so the optical function was not impaired. Furthermore, thin-walled portion 350 could be molded without any problems.

[0055] (effect) Optical receptacle 300 according to the embodiment of the present invention has a pair of side connection portions 330 connecting first portion 310 and second portion 320, and a rib 340 between the pair of side connection portions 330. The cross-sectional areas of side connection portion 330, rib 340, and thin-walled portion 350 are adjusted. This reduces the occurrence of molding defects in optical receptacle 300 according to the present embodiment. Furthermore, weld lines L1 and L2 are not formed in optical function portion 310a. [Industrial Applicability]

[0056] The optical receptacle and optical module according to the present invention are useful, for example, in optical communications using an optical transmission medium. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 10, 100 Photoelectric conversion element 10a, 100a board 20, 200 optical modules 30, 300 optical receptacle 30a, 300a bottom 32, 312 reflective surface 33, 313 Second optical surface 34, 350 thin section 301, 302, 303 recesses 310 Part 1 310a Optical function section 310b guide pin 311 1st optical surface 314 Protrusion 320 Part 2 321 gates remaining 330 Side Connection 340 Ribs L1 First weld line L2 Second weld line

Claims

1. An optical receptacle for optically coupling an optoelectric conversion element and an end face of an optical transmission body when disposed between the optoelectric conversion element and the optical transmission body, a first portion disposed on one side in a first direction and having an optical function for optically coupling the photoelectric conversion element and the end face of the optical transmission body; a second portion having a gate mark or gate remainder disposed on the other side in the first direction; a pair of side connection portions connecting the first portion and the second portion; a rib disposed between the pair of side connection portions and connecting the first portion and the second portion; a thin-walled portion that is disposed in a space surrounded by the first portion, the second portion, and the pair of side connection portions and in which the rib is not present, and that has a thickness smaller than that of the pair of side connection portions and the rib; and the first portion, the second portion, the pair of side connection portions, the rib, and the thin portion are integrally molded, In a cross section perpendicular to the first direction, the cross-sectional areas of the pair of side connection portions, the rib, and the thin-walled portion are designed so that a first weld line is formed in the thin-walled portion. Optical receptacle.

2. The optical receptacle according to claim 1 , wherein the thin portion has a thickness of 0.09 mm or more.

3. The optical receptacle of claim 1 , wherein the first portion has a second weld line at a location that does not overlap an optical path of the optical function.

4. The optical receptacle according to claim 1 , wherein the gate mark or the gate remainder is disposed on an extension line of the rib.

5. The first portion is a first optical surface onto which light emitted from the photoelectric conversion element is incident or which emits light that has been emitted from the end face of the optical transmission body and passed through the inside of the first portion toward the photoelectric conversion element; a second optical surface for emitting light incident on the first optical surface toward the end face of the optical transmission body or for receiving light emitted from the end face of the optical transmission body; a reflecting surface for reflecting light from the first optical surface toward the second optical surface or for reflecting light from the second optical surface toward the first optical surface; having The optical receptacle of claim 1 .

6. 6. The optical receptacle according to claim 5, wherein a distance between an intersection of an optical axis of the second optical surface and the second optical surface and a bottom surface of the optical receptacle is 1.1 mm or less in a direction along an optical path between the first optical surface and the reflecting surface.

7. a photoelectric conversion element; The optical receptacle according to any one of claims 1 to 6; An optical module having:

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