Optical fiber connector, optical communication module, assembly and apparatus

Abstract

Provided in the present application are an optical fiber connector, an optical communication module, an assembly and an apparatus. The optical fiber connector comprises an optical fiber ferrule and a lens, wherein the optical fiber ferrule comprises a ferrule body and an optical fiber, which penetrates the ferrule body; and a first end face of the optical fiber in the lengthwise direction of the optical fiber protrudes from a first end face of the ferrule body. The lens is arranged on the side of the first end face of the ferrule body that faces away from a second end face; and the first end face of the optical fiber is in direct contact with and fixedly connected to a first surface of the lens. Divergent light emitted from the first end face of the optical fiber enters the first surface of the lens, and can be collimated into parallel light after passing through the lens, or quasi-parallel light entering the lens from a second surface of the lens can be converged into convergent light and then enters the first end face of the optical fiber, wherein the second surface of the lens is arranged facing away from the first surface thereof. The optical fiber connector provided in the embodiments of the present application has a high tolerance power, a high heat dissipation performance, and good reliability, and can realize high-power transmission.

Description

Optical fiber connector, optical communication module, assembly and device

[0001] This application claims priority from the Chinese patent application No. 202410430650.3 filed on April 10, 2024, and entitled "Optical fiber connector, optical communication module, assembly and device", the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to the field of optical communication, in particular to an optical fiber connector, an optical communication module, an assembly and a device. BACKGROUND

[0003] With the development of the big data era, massive data transmission needs to be realized through an optical communication system. The optical communication system includes an optical fiber and an optical fiber connector. The optical fiber connector can realize the butt joint of two optical fibers, thereby ensuring the transmission of data. In some industries, the optical fiber connector needs to be used under high transmission power of several kilowatts or even tens of kilowatts. High transmission power means that the optical energy density of the butt joint end face of the optical fiber connector is high, which leads to the burning of the optical fiber connector.

[0004] The industry generally solves the problem of burning of the optical fiber connector under high transmission power by using a beam expansion technology. The beam expansion technology refers to increasing the mode field diameter of one of the optical fibers in the optical fiber connector, thereby reducing the optical energy density of the butt joint end face of the optical fiber connector, and preventing burning. For example, one technology directly increases the core diameter of the optical fiber by using heat diffusion. However, the heat diffusion technology is sensitive to heat. When the heat accumulates to a certain extent, the shape of the optical fiber changes, which leads to the decrease of the reliability of the optical fiber connector. Some other technologies set a lens at the front end of the optical fiber, and increase the mode field diameter of the optical fiber through the lens. However, in the lens technology, the lens and the optical fiber are generally fixed by a sleeve. On the one hand, the reliability of the sleeve connection is poor. When the heat accumulates to a certain extent, the components of the optical fiber connector will slightly deform, and the displacement between the lens and the optical fiber may occur, which leads to the decrease of the transmission performance. On the other hand, when fixed by the sleeve, there is inevitably a gap between the lens and the optical fiber. When the optical energy density is very high, the air in the gap will be broken down, which leads to the damage of the optical path, and even the burning of the optical fiber connector. Alternatively, the lens and the optical fiber are connected by an adhesive. However, the adhesive is also easy to be burned by high energy density light. Therefore, the optical fiber connector after beam expansion cannot be used for a long time under high transmission power.

[0005] Another existing technology uses an air cooling device to cool the optical fiber connector to solve the problem of burning of the optical fiber connector. However, the optical fiber connector has a large volume and high cost, and is not suitable for use in the communication field.

[0006] It can be seen that in the prior art, the optical fiber connector in the optical communication system has low power tolerance and poor reliability, and it is difficult to realize high-power transmission. SUMMARY

[0007] Embodiments of the present application provide an optical fiber connector, an optical communication module, an assembly and an apparatus, which solve the problem of low power tolerance and poor reliability of the optical fiber connector in the optical communication system in the prior art, and make it difficult to realize high-power transmission.

[0008] Embodiments of the present application provide an optical fiber connector, comprising:

[0009] The optical fiber ferrule comprises a ferrule body and an optical fiber penetrating the ferrule body, the ferrule body has a first end face and a second end face arranged oppositely, and the first end face of the optical fiber protrudes from the first end face of the ferrule body along the length direction of the optical fiber, and the first end face of the optical fiber is an optical transmission end face.

[0010] The lens is arranged on the side of the first end face of the ferrule body away from the second end face, and the first end face of the optical fiber is directly in contact with and fixedly connected to the first surface of the lens.

[0011] In addition, the divergent light rays emitted from the first end face of the optical fiber enter the first surface of the lens and are collimated into quasi-parallel light rays after passing through the lens, or the quasi-parallel light rays entering the lens from the second surface of the lens are converged into convergent light rays and enter the first end face of the optical fiber, wherein the second surface of the lens is arranged oppositely to the first surface.

[0012] The optical fiber connector provided by the present application comprises an optical fiber ferrule and a lens, wherein the optical fiber ferrule comprises a ferrule body and an optical fiber, the optical fiber is inserted into the ferrule body from the second end face of the ferrule body along the length direction of the optical fiber and protrudes from the first end face of the ferrule body. The lens is arranged opposite to the first end face of the ferrule body to be connected to the optical fiber. The first surface of the lens is directly in contact with and fixedly connected to the first end face of the optical fiber. It can be understood that the first end face of the optical fiber is an optical transmission end face, and the light is emitted from the first end face of the optical fiber and enters the lens, or the light enters the first end face of the optical fiber from the lens. The lens can increase the mode field diameter of the optical fiber. In the case that the transmission power of the light is unchanged, the mode field diameter is increased, and the light energy density of the optical transmission end face is reduced. Therefore, the optical fiber connector can tolerate high power.

[0013] Further, the lens and the optical fiber are directly in contact and fixed, on the one hand, to avoid introducing easily burnt connecting materials (for example, adhesives), and on the other hand, the light can directly enter the lens from the optical fiber, or directly enter the optical fiber from the lens without passing through the air, thereby preventing the air from being broken down to cause the optical path to be blocked, and ensuring the reliability of the optical fiber connector under high transmission power. In addition, the lens does not need to be repeatedly collimated after being fixed with the optical fiber, and the lens can take into account the functions of beam expansion and collimation, and the process is simple.

[0014] Therefore, the optical fiber connector provided by the application has high tolerance power and high reliability, and can realize high-power transmission.

[0015] In some embodiments, the first end face of the optical fiber is fixedly connected to the first surface of the lens by fusion. Fusion refers to melting the first end face of the optical fiber and the corresponding part of the lens and directly connecting them together. The loss of the fused optical fiber is small, which is conducive to improving the transmission quality, and the fused connection has high reliability and is not easy to break. Moreover, fusion does not introduce other easily burned connection materials.

[0016] In some embodiments, the first surface of the lens has an optical fiber positioning part, and the first end face of the optical fiber is fused to the first surface of the lens through the optical fiber positioning part. Among them, in the first surface of the lens, the optical fiber positioning part is configured as a positioning hole recessed inwardly or a positioning column protruding outwardly relative to other regions of the first surface. The optical fiber positioning part is provided on the first surface of the lens, which facilitates the alignment of the first end face of the optical fiber with the part where the to-be-fused region of the first surface of the lens is located.

[0017] In some embodiments, the other regions of the first surface of the lens are inclined planes, and the angle of the inclined planes relative to the first plane is 6°-10°, wherein the first plane is perpendicular to the length direction of the optical fiber. The other regions of the first surface of the lens are provided as inclined planes, which can prevent reflected light from causing interference or damage when returning to the light path.

[0018] In some embodiments, the second surface of the lens is coated with an anti-reflection film, and the refractive index of the anti-reflection film is greater than the refractive index of air and less than the refractive index of the material of the lens. The anti-reflection film includes at least one optical film. The anti-reflection film can reduce the amount of reflection when light passes through the second surface of the lens, increase the transmittance, and make the light better pass through the lens.

[0019] In some embodiments, the at least one optical film is a multilayer optical film, and the refractive indices of adjacent two optical films in the multilayer optical film are different. By using an anti-reflection film including a multilayer optical film, the refractive indices of each adjacent two optical films are different, which is conducive to expanding the wavelength range of the reflected light to be reduced and enhancing the anti-reflection effect.

[0020] In some embodiments, the lens is a collimating lens or a self-focusing lens; and / or, the material of the lens is glass. The melting point of glass is similar to the melting point of the material of the optical fiber, and the lens made of glass material is convenient for fusion with the optical fiber.

[0021] In some embodiments, the optical fiber connector further comprises a sleeve, an inner wall surface of the sleeve surrounds to form a first accommodating space, and the lens and the optical fiber ferrule are sequentially arranged in the first accommodating space along the length direction of the sleeve and are fixedly connected with the sleeve.

[0022] The sleeve has an insertion end face and an opposite end face along the length direction of the sleeve, the insertion end face is an end face for insertion of the ferrule body, and the lens, the first end face of the ferrule body of the optical fiber ferrule, and the insertion end face of the sleeve are sequentially and spaced apart along the length direction of the sleeve.

[0023] According to the above scheme, at least part of the structure of the lens and the optical fiber ferrule is arranged in the sleeve and fixedly connected to the sleeve, the sleeve can protect the lens and the optical fiber and strengthen the connection strength of the two.

[0024] In some embodiments, the optical fiber connector comprises an adhesive part, a part of the first surface of the lens, a part of the first end face of the ferrule body protruding from the optical fiber, and the first end face of the ferrule body are fixedly connected to each other through the adhesive part.

[0025] The sleeve is provided with a glue injection hole, the glue injection hole communicates the first accommodating space with the outside of the sleeve, and the adhesive part is formed by filling flowable glue into the first accommodating space from the glue injection hole and solidifying the flowable glue.

[0026] The flowable glue is filled into the sleeve through the glue injection hole, and the adhesive part is formed by solidifying the flowable glue, so that a part of the first surface of the lens, a part of the first end face of the ferrule body protruding from the optical fiber, and the first end face of the ferrule body are fixedly connected to each other through the adhesive part, the part of the optical fiber and the lens that are fused together are protected, and the optical fiber and the lens are prevented from being easily separated. The flowable glue is inorganic glue, which will not be blackened, and the optical path is ensured to be unobstructed.

[0027] In some embodiments, along the length direction of the sleeve, the glue injection hole is arranged on the side of the first surface of the lens facing the first end face of the ferrule body, and the glue injection hole penetrates the sleeve along the wall thickness direction of the sleeve.

[0028] The adhesive part is arranged in an integrated structure and filled in the space surrounded by the first surface of the lens, the first end face of the ferrule body, and the inner wall surface of the sleeve, so that a part of the first surface of the lens, a part of the first end face of the ferrule body protruding from the optical fiber, the end part where the first end face of the ferrule body is located, and the sleeve are fixedly connected to each other through the adhesive part.

[0029] The glue injection hole is arranged on the side of the first surface of the lens facing the first end face of the ferrule body, so that the filled flowable glue can first fill in the space surrounded by the first surface of the lens, the first end face of the ferrule body, and the inner wall surface of the sleeve, and the flow distance is the shortest. The glue injection hole penetrates the sleeve along the wall thickness direction of the sleeve, so that the adhesive part can fill the space in the wall thickness direction of the sleeve, and the loosening between the lens, the optical fiber ferrule, and the sleeve is prevented to the greatest extent. Moreover, the glue injection hole is arranged at this position, so that whether the ferrule body is slid to a proper position in the sleeve after being inserted into the insertion end face of the sleeve can be observed through the glue injection hole.

[0030] In some embodiments, the inner wall of the sleeve has a mounting platform protruding from the inner wall, the outer edge of the first surface of the lens abuts against the mounting platform, and a part of the first surface of the lens, a part of the fiber protruding from the first end surface of the ferrule body, the end portion where the first end surface of the ferrule body is located, the sleeve and the mounting platform are adhesively fixed to each other by an adhesive part. The adhesive part adhesively fixes the lens and the mounting platform of the sleeve, so that the lens is fixedly connected to the sleeve.

[0031] In some embodiments, the butt joint end surface of the sleeve protrudes outwardly from the second surface of the lens in the length direction of the sleeve. The butt joint end surface of the sleeve is used for butt joint, and the butt joint end surface of the sleeve protrudes beyond the second surface of the lens in the length direction of the sleeve, preventing the lens from directly contacting other devices, on the one hand to prevent burning, and on the other hand the gap is conducive to heat dissipation.

[0032] In some embodiments, the ferrule body is provided with a mounting hole for the fiber to pass through, and the ferrule body is provided with at least one heat dissipation flow channel, each of the at least one heat dissipation flow channel extending from the wall surface of the mounting hole of the ferrule body to the outer wall surface of the ferrule body and being filled with inorganic glue. The fiber connector can dissipate heat through the heat dissipation flow channel, reducing heat accumulation and further improving the tolerance power of the fiber connector.

[0033] In some embodiments, the at least one heat dissipation flow channel is arranged as a plurality of heat dissipation flow channels arranged at intervals in the length direction and the circumferential direction of the ferrule body. And / or, the inorganic glue filled in the heat dissipation flow channel contains heat dissipation particles. Both the plurality of heat dissipation flow channels and the heat dissipation particles in the inorganic glue can further enhance the heat dissipation capacity, thereby improving the tolerance power of the fiber connector.

[0034] In some embodiments, the sleeve is made of metal material, the ferrule body is made of ceramic material, or the ferrule body is made of metal material. The sleeve made of metal material is conducive to heat dissipation, the ferrule body made of ceramic material has good thermal stability, so that the precision of the ferrule body is higher, or the ferrule body made of metal material can further improve the heat dissipation capacity of the fiber connector.

[0035] In some embodiments, the fiber connector further comprises a shell, and a first anti-rotation member and a second anti-rotation member sequentially sleeved in the shell from the inside to the outside, the fiber ferrule and the sleeve are respectively sleeved in the first anti-rotation member away from the lens, and the sleeve is fixedly connected with the first anti-rotation member.

[0036] The first anti-rotation member is fixedly connected with the second anti-rotation member, and the second anti-rotation member is fixedly connected with the shell.

[0037] By the above scheme, the sleeve is fixedly connected to the shell through the first rotation preventing member and the second rotation preventing member, so that the sleeve and the lens and the fiber ferrule fixedly connected to the sleeve are fixed in position in the shell, and after the fiber connector is connected to other components in the optical communication system, the sleeve does not rotate, so that the position and angle of the lens are fixed and unchanged, the connection precision is improved, and the loss is reduced.

[0038] In some embodiments, the optical fiber includes a first portion and a second portion connected along a length direction of the optical fiber, the first portion includes a core layer and a cladding layer, the second portion includes the core layer, the cladding layer and a coating layer, the core layer of the first portion is connected to the core layer of the second portion, the cladding layer of the first portion is connected to the cladding layer of the second portion, the first portion and the part of the second portion are inserted into the ferrule body from the second end surface of the ferrule body, and the first end surface of the optical fiber is an end surface of the first portion away from the second portion. The first end surface of the optical fiber is located at the first portion of the optical fiber, and the first portion does not include the coating layer, facilitating fusion with the lens.

[0039] In some embodiments, the fiber connector includes only one optical fiber ferrule and one corresponding lens.

[0040] In some embodiments, the fiber connector includes a plurality of optical fiber ferrules arranged in an array, and a plurality of lenses and a plurality of sleeves, each optical fiber ferrule is arranged corresponding to one lens and one sleeve, and constitutes an optical transmission unit.

[0041] When the fiber connector includes a shell, the plurality of optical transmission units are arranged in the shell.

[0042] The embodiments of the present application also provide an optical communication module including an optical communication element, and further including the fiber connector provided by any of the above embodiments, and the optical fiber ferrule of the fiber connector is connected to the optical communication element. The fiber connector can withstand high power and has high reliability, so that the optical communication module has large transmission capacity and high transmission power.

[0043] The embodiments of the present application also provide an optical communication device including a first optical communication module and a second optical communication module, wherein the first optical communication module and the second optical communication module are connected through respective fiber connectors, and at least one of the first optical communication module and the second optical communication module adopts the optical communication module provided by any of the above embodiments. The fiber connector of at least one of the first optical communication module and the second optical communication module has high withstand power, and the optical communication device meets the requirements of large-capacity transmission applications.

[0044] The embodiment of the present application also provides an optical communication assembly, comprising a first optical fiber connector and a second optical fiber connector, the first optical fiber connector and the second optical fiber connector are connected, and at least one of the first optical fiber connector and the second optical fiber connector adopts the optical fiber connector provided in any of the above embodiments. At least one of the first optical fiber connector and the second optical fiber connector is not easy to burn out under high power, thereby reducing the burnout risk of the optical communication assembly.

[0045] In some embodiments, the first optical fiber connector and the second optical fiber connector both adopt the optical fiber connector provided in any of the above embodiments.

[0046] The optical communication assembly further comprises a connecting piece, the connecting piece has a first connecting surface and a second connecting surface arranged oppositely, the first optical fiber connector is inserted into the connecting piece from the first connecting surface, and the second optical fiber connector is inserted into the connecting piece from the second connecting surface, so that the quasi-parallel light emitted by one of the first optical fiber connector and the second optical fiber connector is converged into convergent light by the other.

[0047] When the first optical fiber connector and the second optical fiber connector both comprise a shell, the shell is connected to the connecting piece in a plug-in or threaded manner.

[0048] The first optical fiber connector and the second optical fiber connector are both optical fiber connectors capable of resisting high power, thereby ensuring reliable data transmission and high power. The first optical fiber connector and the second optical fiber connector are inserted into the connecting piece to be connected, the connecting piece makes the first optical fiber connector and the second optical fiber connector easy to connect and accurate in alignment, thereby reducing loss.

[0049] The embodiment of the present application also provides an assembling device for assembling the optical fiber connector provided in any of the above embodiments, and the assembling device comprises:

[0050] An optical fiber positioning system, the optical fiber positioning system comprises an optical fiber clamp and an optical fiber position adjusting device, the optical fiber clamp is used for clamping an optical fiber, and the optical fiber position adjusting device is used for adjusting the position of the optical fiber clamp.

[0051] A lens positioning system, the lens positioning system comprises a lens clamp and a lens position adjusting device, the lens clamp is used for clamping a lens, and the lens position adjusting device is used for adjusting the position of the lens clamp.

[0052] A fusion device, the fusion device is configured to: align a first end surface of an optical fiber clamped in the optical fiber clamp with a to-be-fused region of a first surface of a lens clamped in the lens clamp through the optical fiber position adjusting device and the lens position adjusting device, and then fuse the first end surface of the optical fiber and the to-be-fused region of the first surface of the lens after alignment.

[0053] The first end face of the optical fiber and the first surface of the lens are aligned by the optical fiber positioning system and the lens positioning system, and then are fused, so that the fusion position is accurate, and the lens can expand the mode field diameter of the optical fiber and collimate (or converge) light rays.

[0054] In some embodiments, the assembly device further comprises:

[0055] A target device is configured to detect the offset of the light spot emitted by the lens relative to the target position under the current position of the optical fiber and the lens.

[0056] A light spot analysis device is configured to detect and analyze the light spot emitted by the lens under the current position of the optical fiber and the lens.

[0057] The target device is configured to observe the offset of the light spot and provide reference data for the adjustment of the relative position between the lens and the optical fiber, and the light spot analysis device is configured to analyze the data of the light spot and accurately provide reference data for the adjustment of the relative position between the lens and the optical fiber.

[0058] In some embodiments, the optical fiber position adjustment device is configured to enable the optical fiber clamp to translate and rotate in the first direction, the second direction and the third direction, the first direction, the second direction and the third direction are perpendicular to each other, and the first direction is parallel to the length direction of the optical fiber.

[0059] The lens position adjustment device is configured to enable the lens clamp to translate and rotate in the first direction, the second direction and the third direction.

[0060] The fusion device is configured to emit annular laser to heat and melt the part where the first end face of the optical fiber is located and the part where the to-be-fused region of the first surface of the lens is located, so that the first end face of the optical fiber is fused with the first surface of the lens.

[0061] The optical fiber position adjustment device and the lens position adjustment device can translate and rotate in the first direction, the second direction and the third direction, so as to accurately adjust the relative position between the lens and the optical fiber. The fusion device can emit annular laser, the diameter of the first end face of the optical fiber is very small, and the difference between the diameter of the first end face of the optical fiber and the diameter of the first surface of the lens is very large, so that the annular laser can realize accurate fusion.

[0062] The embodiment of the application further provides an assembly method, which assembles the optical fiber connector provided by any of the above-mentioned embodiments by using the assembly device provided by any of the above-mentioned embodiments, and comprises the following steps:

[0063] The lens and the optical fiber are clamped, wherein the lens is clamped by the lens clamp, the optical fiber is clamped by the optical fiber clamp, and the first end face of the optical fiber faces the first surface of the lens.

[0064] Adjusting and aligning the positions of the lens and the optical fiber, wherein the relative positions of the lens and the optical fiber are adjusted by the optical fiber position adjusting device and the lens position adjusting device, so that the divergent light rays emitted from the first end surface of the optical fiber enter the first surface of the lens and can be collimated into quasi-parallel light rays after passing through the lens.

[0065] Fusing the aligned lens and optical fiber, wherein the first end surface of the aligned optical fiber and the to-be-fused region of the first surface of the lens are fused by the fusing device.

[0066] By the above scheme, the first end surface of the optical fiber and the to-be-fused region of the first surface of the lens are aligned and accurately fused.

[0067] In some embodiments, when the assembly device comprises a target position device and a light spot analysis device, after clamping the lens and the optical fiber, the light spot emitted by the lens is detected by the target position device, and the optical fiber position adjusting device and the lens position adjusting device are adjusted for preliminary positioning, so that the offset of the light spot does not exceed a predetermined threshold.

[0068] Then, based on the result of the light spot analysis device, the optical fiber position adjusting device and the lens position adjusting device are repeatedly adjusted for fine positioning, so that the light rays emitted from the lens are collimated into quasi-parallel light rays. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0069] FIG. 1a is a structural schematic diagram of a first optical fiber connector;

[0070] FIG. 1b is a structural schematic diagram of an optical fiber in the first optical fiber connector;

[0071] FIG. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a second optical fiber connector;

[0072] FIG. 3 is a structural schematic diagram of a third optical fiber connector;

[0073] FIG. 4a is a system architecture schematic diagram of an optical communication device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0074] FIG. 4b is a structural schematic diagram of an optical communication device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0075] FIG. 5a is a structural schematic diagram of an optical communication assembly according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0076] FIG. 5b is a sectional structural schematic diagram of FIG. 5a along the direction of A-A;

[0077] FIG. 6a is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a first embodiment of an optical fiber connector according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0078] FIG. 6b is an exploded structural schematic diagram of the first embodiment of the optical fiber connector according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0079] FIG. 6c is a sectional structural schematic diagram of FIG. 6a along the direction of B-B;

[0080] Fig. 6d is a partial enlarged view of part C in Fig. 6c;

[0081] Fig. 6e is a schematic diagram of the propagation path of light rays of the optical fiber connector according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0082] Fig. 7a is a schematic diagram of the perspective structure of the lens of the optical fiber connector according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0083] Fig. 7b is a schematic diagram of the lens and the optical fiber connection of the optical fiber connector according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0084] Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the ferrule body of the optical fiber connector according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0085] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a second embodiment of the optical fiber connector according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0086] Fig. 10a is a schematic diagram of the structure of the assembly device of the optical fiber connector according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0087] Fig. 10b is a schematic diagram of the target device of the assembly device of the optical fiber connector according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0088] Fig. 11a is a flowchart of the assembly of the optical fiber connector according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0089] Fig. 11b is a flowchart of the assembly of the optical fiber connector according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0090] Explanation of reference numerals:

[0091] First scheme: 100', optical fiber connector; 110', housing; 120', optical fiber ferrule; 1201', mating end face; 121', ferrule body; 122', optical fiber; 1221', core layer; 1222', cladding layer.

[0092] Second scheme: 200', optical fiber connector; 201', optical fiber; 202', end cap; 203', ferrule body; 204', sleeve; 205', lens; 206', adhesive.

[0093] Third scheme: 300, optical fiber connector; 310', optical fiber ferrule; 311', optical fiber; 312', ferrule body; 320', lens; 330', sleeve; 340', gap.

[0094] 100, fiber connector; 1001, first fiber connector; 1002, second fiber connector; 100a, optical transmission unit; 10, fiber ferrule; 11, ferrule body; 1101, first end face; 1102, second end face; 111, mounting hole; 112, heat dissipation flow channel; 12, optical fiber; 1201, first end face; 121, first part; 122, second part; 20, lens; 201, first surface; 202, second surface; 21, fiber positioning part; 22, anti-reflection film; 30, ferrule; 301, mating end face; 302, insertion end face; 31, first accommodation space; 32, mounting table; 33, glue injection hole; 40, bonding part; 41, flowing glue; 51, first anti-rotation part; 511, groove; 512, positioning protrusion; 52, second anti-rotation part; 521, positioning groove; 522, wedge structure; 60, housing; 61, spring; 700, optical communication device; 701, first optical communication module; 701a, first optical communication element; 701b, first optoelectronic module; 702, second optical communication module; 702a, second optical communication element; 800, optical communication assembly; 810, connecting piece; 810a, first connecting piece; 810b, first connecting piece; 811, first connecting surface; 812, second connecting surface; 900, assembly device; 910, fiber positioning system; 911, fiber clamp; 912, fiber position adjusting device; 9121, first movable rod; 9122, second movable rod; 9123, sliding block; 9124, base; 920, lens positioning system; 921, lens clamp; 922, lens position adjusting device; 9221, first movable rod; 9222, second movable rod; 9223, sliding block; 9224, base; 930, fusion device; 940, target device; 950, light spot analysis device; 960, high-definition observation lens; X, length direction of optical fiber; M, first plane; F1, first direction; F2, second direction; F3, third direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0095] The specific embodiments of the present application will now be described in detail with specific reference being made to the drawings. The following detailed description is disclosed with reference to the attached drawings. The description is intended to be illustrative only and is not intended to limit the scope of the application. Alterations and modifications to the illustrative embodiments will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the description. It is intended that the scope of the application be defined by the scope of the claims and not only by the embodiments. Certain details of the application are set forth for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of the application. The application can be practiced without some or all of these details. In other instances, well known process steps have been described only in general terms so as to not unnecessarily obscure the application. Further, some of the details of the application can also be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well known process steps have been described only in general terms so as to not unnecessarily obscure the application. In addition, some of the details of the application are merely illustrative and can be practiced without these specific details. For the purpose of clarity, technical material that is known in the technical fields related to the application has not been described in detail so that the application is not unnecessarily obscured. Nothing herein is to be construed as an admission that the application is not entitled to antecedent

[0096] It should be noted that in this specification and the appended claims, like numbers refer to like elements throughout. Therefore, where particular elements are introduced, for purposes of convenience, these particular elements will be invariably be designated with like reference numerals for as long as they are depicted in the figures.

[0097] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", "top", "bottom", and the like merely indicate the orientation in the drawings, and do not indicate or imply necessary or obligatory orientation in the application. In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc., are used herein for purposes of description and are not intended to indicate or imply that a relative importance.

[0098] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that unless specifically stated and limited otherwise, the terms "mounting", "connected", "connecting" should be construed broadly, for example, can be fixed connection, can also be detachable connection, or integrally connected; can be mechanical connection, can also be electrical connection; can be directly connected, can also be indirectly connected through intermediate medium, can be internal communication of two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0099] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that "electrically connected" in the present application can be understood as physical contact and electrical conduction of components; it can also be understood as the form of connection between different components in the circuit structure through the entity circuit of copper foil or wire of printed circuit board (PCB) that can transmit electrical signals.

[0100] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that the mutual perpendicularity in the present application is not absolute perpendicularity, and approximate perpendicularity (for example, the included angle between two structural features is 89.9°) caused by processing errors and assembly errors is also within the range of mutual perpendicularity in the present application. The mutual parallelism in the present application is also not absolute parallelism, and approximate parallelism (for example, the included angle between two structural features is 0.1°) caused by processing errors and assembly errors is also within the range of mutual parallelism in the present application. The present application does not specifically limit this.

[0101] In order to make the purpose, technical scheme and advantages of the present application more clear, the embodiments of the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0102] With the development of the big data era, massive data transmission needs to be realized through an optical communication system. The optical communication system includes a light source, an optical fiber, an optical fiber connector and the like, and the optical fiber connector can realize the butt joint of two sections of optical fibers, thereby ensuring the transmission of data. In some industries, the optical fiber connector needs to be used under high transmission power of several kilowatts or even tens of kilowatts, and the high transmission power means that the optical energy density of the butt joint end face of the optical fiber connector is high, which leads to the fact that the optical fiber connector is easy to be burned out.

[0103] The industry generally solves the problem of burning out of the optical fiber connector under high transmission power through a beam expansion technology. The beam expansion technology refers to increasing the mode field diameter of a section of the optical fiber in the optical fiber connector, thereby reducing the optical energy density of the butt joint end face of the optical fiber connector, and further preventing burning out.

[0104] Please refer to FIGS. 1a-1b, FIG. 1a is a structural schematic view of a first optical fiber connector, and FIG. 1b is a structural schematic view of an optical fiber in the first optical fiber connector.

[0105] As shown in FIG. 1a, the optical fiber connector 100' includes a housing 110' and an optical fiber ferrule 120', and the optical fiber ferrule 120' includes a ferrule body 121' and an optical fiber 122' penetrating through the ferrule body 121'. As shown in FIG. 1b, the optical fiber 122' includes a core layer 1221' and a cladding layer 1222'. The heat diffusion technology is adopted to increase the diameter of the core layer 1221' of a section of the optical fiber 122' close to the butt joint end face 3011201' from 9 microns to 55 microns, thereby reducing the optical energy density of the butt joint end face 3011201' and further preventing burning out. However, the optical fiber connector 100' after beam expansion by using this technology must be used in pairs, and cannot be directly interchanged with common optical fiber connectors, which is relatively inconvenient. In addition, the heat diffusion technology is sensitive to heat, and when the heat accumulates to a certain extent, the shape of the optical fiber 122' will change, leading to a reduction in the reliability of the optical fiber connector 100'.

[0106] Referring to FIGS. 2-3, FIG. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a second optical fiber connector; and FIG. 3 is a structural schematic diagram of a third optical fiber connector.

[0107] As shown in FIGS. 2-3, the optical fiber connector can also expand the spot through a lens. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, in an optical fiber connector 200', a front end of an optical fiber 201' is fused with an end cap 202', the end cap 202' can pre-amplify the spot emitted from the optical fiber 201' to improve the tolerance power of the optical fiber connector 200', the optical fiber 201' fused with the end cap 202' is arranged in a ferrule body 203', an outer portion of the ferrule body 203' is sleeved with a sleeve 204', a front end is provided with a lens 205', the lens 205' can further expand the spot and collimate the light. This process is relatively complex, and the lens 205' is connected to the front end of the ferrule body 203' through an adhesive 206', the adhesive 206' is easy to be burned by high energy density light, which causes deviation of the lens 205' and the optical fiber 201', and the transmission reliability of the optical fiber 200' is reduced.

[0108] As shown in FIG. 3, another optical fiber connector 300' has optical fibers 311', the optical fibers 311' are all arranged in a ferrule body 312' to form an optical fiber ferrule 310' together with the ferrule body 312'. The optical fiber ferrule 310' and a lens 320' arranged at a front end of the optical fiber ferrule 310' are relatively fixed through a sleeve 330', the lens 320' can expand the spot. However, in this optical fiber connector 300', the lens 320' and the ferrule body 312' are relatively fixed through the sleeve 330', on the one hand, the reliability of the connection of the sleeve 330' is poor, when the heat accumulates to a certain extent, slight deformation of each component of the optical fiber connector 300' can occur, and displacement between the lens 320' and the optical fiber 311' can occur to cause the transmission performance to be reduced. On the other hand, when fixed through the sleeve 330', there is inevitably a gap 340' between the lens 320' and the optical fiber 311', when the light energy density is very high, the air in the gap 340' can be broken down, which causes the optical path to be damaged, and even the optical fiber connector 300' to be burned.

[0109] There is also a prior art that uses a forced air cooling device to dissipate heat to reduce heat accumulation and improve the tolerance power of the optical fiber connector. However, the volume of this optical fiber connector is large, and the cost is high, which is not suitable for use in the communication field.

[0110] Therefore, in the prior art, the tolerance power of the optical fiber connector in the optical communication system is low, and the reliability is poor, and it is difficult to achieve high power transmission.

[0111] To solve the above technical problems, the embodiment of the present application provides an optical fiber connector, through the improvement of the structure of the optical fiber connector, so that the lens and the optical fiber are directly contacted and fixed, and the optical fiber connector is provided with a heat dissipation structure, so that the optical fiber connector meets the requirements of high power resistance and high reliability.

[0112] The embodiment of the present application also provides an optical communication device, which can be but is not limited to an optical switch, an optical amplifier, an optical sensor, an optical router and the like, and the present application does not limit the optical communication device. The optical communication device is described below in combination with the drawings.

[0113] Please refer to FIGS. 4a-4b, FIG. 4a is a schematic diagram of the system architecture of the optical communication device according to the embodiment of the present application; and FIG. 4b is a schematic diagram of the structure of the optical communication device according to the embodiment of the present application.

[0114] As shown in FIGS. 4a-4b, the optical communication device 700 includes a first optical communication module 701 and a second optical communication module 702, wherein the number of the first optical communication module 701 and the second optical communication module 702 is not limited, and can be 1, 2, 4, etc. respectively, which is not limited in the present application. In an embodiment, the optical communication device 700 includes 2 first optical communication modules 701 and 1 second optical communication module 702. The first optical communication module 701 includes a first fiber connector 1001 and a first optical communication element 701a, and the second optical communication module 702 includes a second fiber connector 1002 and a second optical communication element 702a, wherein each of the first optical communication element 701a and the second optical communication element 702a includes but is not limited to an optical single board, an optical backboard, a chip light-emitting module, an optical flexible board, etc. which is not limited in the present application. It can be understood by those skilled in the art that the optical communication element can convert an electrical signal into an optical signal, or convert an optical signal into an electrical signal, thereby realizing the emission or reception of an optical signal. The optical communication element can include a power supply, a signal processor, a receiver and a transmitter, etc. which is not limited in the present application. The fiber connector can realize the transmission of an optical signal, and the fiber ferrule of each of the first fiber connector 1001 and the second fiber connector 1002 is connected to the corresponding optical communication element, so that the fiber connector can transmit the optical signal emitted by the optical communication element or transmit the optical signal to the optical communication element. The first fiber connector 1001 and the second fiber connector 1002 are connected, thereby realizing the signal transmission between the first optical communication module 701 and the second optical communication module 702. It can also be understood that the first fiber connector 1001 and the second fiber connector 1002 are connected to form an optical communication assembly 800, and the first optical communication module 701 and the second optical communication module 702 transmit signals through the optical communication assembly 800. The specific structure of the fiber connector will be described in detail later. As shown in FIG. 4b, in an embodiment, the optical communication device 700 is an optical single board interconnection device, wherein the first optical communication element 701a of the first optical communication module 701 is an optical single board, and the second optical communication element 702a of the second optical communication module 702 is an optical backboard. It should be noted that, in order to facilitate the description of the structure of the optical communication device 700, the first fiber connector 1001 and the second fiber connector 1002 shown in FIG. 4b are not connected. The connection mode between the first fiber connector 1001 and the second fiber connector 1002 is not limited. As shown in FIG. 4b, in an embodiment, the optical communication assembly 800 can further include a connecting piece (it should be noted that the connecting piece can also not be provided), and the first fiber connector 1001 and the second fiber connector 1002 are connected through the connecting piece. It should be noted that the connecting piece can be a one-piece structure or a split structure.As shown in FIG. 4b, in one embodiment, the connecting member is a split structure, including a first connecting member 810a and a second connecting member 810b, the first fiber connector 1001 is threaded and fixedly connected to the first connecting member 810a, the second fiber connector 1002 is threaded and fixedly connected to the second connecting member 810b, the first connecting member 810a is installed on the corresponding first optical communication element 701a, the second connecting member 810b is installed on the second optical communication element 702a, the first connecting member 810a and the second connecting member 810b are butted (for example, one of the first connecting member 810a and the second connecting member 810b is a male connecting member, and the other is a female connecting member, so that it is easier to align when butted), thereby realizing the butt joint of the first fiber connector 1001 and the second fiber connector 1002.

[0115] The first optical communication element 701a further includes a first optoelectronic module 701b capable of emitting or receiving optical signals, and the fiber ferrule of the first fiber connector 1001 is connected to the first optoelectronic module 701b. It can also be understood that the first connecting member 810a of any one of the two first optical communication modules 701 can be butted with the corresponding second connecting member 810b of the second optical communication module 702, so that the two optical single boards are connected with the optical backboard respectively, and further, when the two first connecting members 810a are butted with the corresponding second connecting members 810b, the optical signal emitted by the first optoelectronic module 701b of one of the two first optical communication elements 701a can be transmitted to the other, that is, the two optical single boards are connected with each other through the optical backboard, thereby realizing high-speed transmission of data.

[0116] In other alternative embodiments, the fiber ferrule of the first fiber connector 1001 can be directly connected to the first optical communication element 701a, or the second optical communication element 702a can include a second optoelectronic module, and the fiber ferrule of the second fiber connector 1002 can be connected to the second optical communication element 702a through the second optoelectronic module, which is not limited in the present application.

[0117] Please refer to FIG. 5a-FIG. 5b, FIG. 5a is a structural schematic diagram of the optical communication assembly according to the embodiment of the present application; and FIG. 5b is a structural schematic diagram of the cross section along the direction A-A of FIG. 5a.

[0118] As shown in FIG. 4b-FIG. 5b, it can be understood that the optical communication assembly 800 can not only realize the connection between two optical communication modules, but also realize the connection between a section of optical fiber and an optical communication module, or the butt joint between two sections of optical fiber, which is not limited in the present application.

[0119] The specific structure of the optical communication assembly 800 is not limited. As shown in FIGS. 5a-5b, in one embodiment, the optical communication assembly 800 includes the first optical fiber connector 1001 and the second optical fiber connector 1002 that are mated, and further includes the connecting piece 810 in a unitary structure (i.e., the connecting piece mentioned above that connects the first optical fiber connector 1001 and the second optical fiber connector 1002). It should be noted that the connecting piece 810 in the unitary structure can be mounted on the first optical communication element 701a or the second optical communication element 702a. The connecting piece 810 is used to realize the mating of the first optical fiber connector 1001 and the second optical fiber connector 1002. The connecting piece 810 has the first connecting surface 811 and the second connecting surface 812 arranged oppositely, the first optical fiber connector 1001 is inserted into the connecting piece 810 from the first connecting surface 811, and the second optical fiber connector 1002 is inserted into the connecting piece 810 from the second connecting surface 812, so that the first optical fiber connector 1001 and the second optical fiber connector 1002 are precisely mated, and the quasi-parallel light rays emitted from one of the first optical fiber connector 1001 and the second optical fiber connector 1002 are converged into the convergent light rays by the other. In other alternative embodiments, the optical communication assembly 800 can also not include the connecting piece 810, and the first optical fiber connector 1001 and the second optical fiber connector 1002 are directly mated.

[0120] As shown in FIG. 5b, in one embodiment, the first optical fiber connector 1001 and the second optical fiber connector 1002 are both provided with the shell 60, and the shell 60 and the connecting piece 810 are correspondingly provided with the pluggable structure, so that the shell 60 can be more accurately inserted into the connecting piece 810, and the plugging force is reduced, and the first optical fiber connector 1001 and the second optical fiber connector 1002 are conveniently plugged. In other alternative embodiments, the shell 840 and the connecting piece 830 can also be connected through other connecting structures, for example, threaded connection, etc., which are not limited in the present application.

[0121] Please refer to FIGS. 6a-6e, FIG. 6a is a perspective structural schematic diagram of a first embodiment of the optical fiber connector of the present application; FIG. 6b is an exploded structural schematic diagram of the first embodiment of the optical fiber connector of the present application; FIG. 6c is a sectional structural schematic diagram of FIG. 6a along the direction of B-B; FIG. 6d is a local enlarged view of part C in FIG. 6c; and FIG. 6e is a schematic diagram of the propagation path of the light rays of the optical fiber connector of the present application.

[0122] As shown in FIG. 6a, the present application provides a fiber connector 100. In the optical communication device 700 provided by the present application, at least one of the first fiber connector 1001 and the second fiber connector 1002 adopts the fiber connector 100 provided by the present application. It can be that all the first fiber connector 1001 and the second fiber connector 1002 adopt the fiber connector 100 provided by the present application, or one or several of them adopt the fiber connector 100 provided by the present application, and the others can adopt an MT fiber connector, a multi-core multi-channel plug (MPO) fiber connector or the like. In an embodiment, all the first fiber connector 1001 and the second fiber connector 1002 in the optical communication device 700 adopt the fiber connector 100 provided by the present application to ensure the best transmission effect. Similarly, in the optical communication assembly 800 provided by the present application, at least one of the first fiber connector 1001 and the second fiber connector 1002 adopts the fiber connector 100 provided by the present application. It can be that both of them adopt the fiber connector 100 provided by the present application, or only one of them adopts the fiber connector 100 provided by the present application. In an embodiment, the first fiber connector 1001 and the second fiber connector 1002 in the optical communication assembly 800 both adopt the fiber connector 100 provided by the present application to ensure the best transmission effect. The fiber connector 100 provided by the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0123] As shown in FIGS. 6a-6d, the fiber connector 100 includes a fiber ferrule 10 and a lens 20. The fiber ferrule 10 includes a ferrule body 11 and a fiber 12 penetrating the ferrule body 11. It should be noted that the number of the fiber 12 penetrating the ferrule body 11 is not limited, which can be one, two, four, etc., and the present application does not limit it. In an embodiment, the number of the fiber 12 penetrating the ferrule body 11 is one. The ferrule body 11 has a first end face 1101 and a second end face 1102 arranged opposite to each other along the length direction of the ferrule body 11, and the first end face 1201 of the fiber 12 along the length direction X of the fiber protrudes from the first end face 1101 of the ferrule body 11, and the first end face 1201 of the fiber 12 is the light transmission end face. The light transmission end face can be understood as the end face of the fiber 12 emitting light or receiving light. The lens 20 is arranged on the side of the first end face 1101 of the ferrule body 11 away from the second end face 1102, and the first end face 1201 of the fiber 12 is in direct contact and fixed connection with the first surface 201 of the lens 20. In an embodiment, the length direction X of the fiber is parallel to the length direction of the ferrule body 11.

[0124] And, as shown in FIG. 6e, the divergent light rays emitted from the first end face 1201 of the optical fiber 12 enter the first surface 201 of the lens 20 and are collimated as parallel light rays after passing through the lens 20, or the parallel light rays entering the lens 20 from the second surface 202 of the lens 20 are converged as convergent light rays and enter the first end face 1201 of the optical fiber 12, wherein the second surface 202 of the lens 20 is arranged opposite to the first surface 201. Collimation can be understood as converting divergent light rays into parallel light rays, and parallel light rays can be understood as parallel light rays or approximately parallel light rays, which can allow a certain angular deviation, for example, -3°, -1°, 3°, 5°, etc., which is not limited in the present application.

[0125] The optical fiber connector 100 provided by the present application includes an optical fiber ferrule 10 and a lens 20, wherein the optical fiber ferrule 10 includes a ferrule body 11 and an optical fiber 12, the optical fiber 12 is inserted into the ferrule body 11 from the second end face 1102 of the ferrule body 11 and protrudes from the first end face 1101 of the ferrule body 11 along the length direction X of the optical fiber. The lens 20 is arranged opposite to the first end face 1101 of the ferrule body 11 to be connected with the optical fiber 12. The first surface 201 of the lens 20 is in direct contact and fixed connection with the first end face 1201 of the optical fiber 12. It can be understood that the first end face 1201 of the optical fiber 12 is a light transmission end face, and light is emitted from the first end face 1201 of the optical fiber 12 and enters the lens 20, or light enters the first end face 1201 of the optical fiber 12 from the lens 20. The lens 20 can increase the mode field diameter of the optical fiber 12. In the case that the transmission power of light is unchanged, the mode field diameter is increased, and the light energy density of the light transmission end face is reduced. Therefore, the optical fiber connector 100 can withstand high power.

[0126] Further, the lens 20 and the optical fiber 12 are in direct contact and fixed, on the one hand, to avoid introducing easily burnt connecting materials, such as organic glue and the like adhesives, and on the other hand, light can directly enter the lens 20 from the optical fiber 12, or directly enter the optical fiber 12 from the lens 20 without passing through air, thereby preventing the air from being broken down to cause the light path to be blocked, and ensuring the reliability of the optical fiber connector 100 under high transmission power. In addition, after the lens 20 is fixed with the optical fiber 12, it does not need to be repeatedly collimated, and the lens 20 can take into account the effects of spot expansion and collimation, and the process is simple.

[0127] Therefore, the optical fiber connector 100 provided by the present application has high tolerance power and strong reliability, and can realize high power transmission. For example, the optical power density of the light transmission surface of the optical fiber connector 100 provided by the present application can be as low as 2.77 W / cm 2 Therefore, the optical fiber connector 100 can withstand a large power of more than 3W.

[0128] In one embodiment, the first end surface 1201 of the optical fiber 12 is fixedly connected with the first surface 201 of the lens 20 by fusion splicing. Fusion splicing refers to melting and directly connecting the first end surface 1201 of the optical fiber 12 and the corresponding part of the lens 20 together. With fusion splicing, the loss of the optical fiber 12 is small, which is conducive to improving the transmission quality, and the fusion splicing has high connection reliability and is not prone to breaking. Moreover, fusion splicing does not introduce other connection materials that are prone to burning out. In other alternative embodiments, the first end surface 1201 of the optical fiber 12 can also be directly fixedly connected with the first surface 201 of the lens 20 by welding or other connection methods, which is not limited in the present application.

[0129] It should be noted that the material of the optical fiber 12 includes but is not limited to glass, plastic, etc. In one embodiment, the material of the optical fiber 12 can be silica glass. In order to meet the requirement of the fusion splicing process that the melting points of the two materials to be fused are close to each other, in one embodiment, the material of the lens 20 is also glass (for example, it can be silica glass or other glass), and the difference between the melting points of the material of the optical fiber 12 and the material of the lens 20 is less than or equal to 200°C, for example, the difference can be 0°C, 10°C, 50°C, 100°C, 150°C, 200°C, etc. Glass also has the advantage of low thermal expansion coefficient, so that the size change of the lens 20 during fusion splicing is small, which ensures the fusion splicing precision. In other alternative embodiments, the lens 20 can also use other materials that can be fused with the optical fiber 12, and the melting points of the material of the optical fiber 12 and the material of the lens 20 can also differ by more than 200°C, for example, 250°C, 300°C, 400°C, etc., which is not limited in the present application.

[0130] In one embodiment, the lens 20 is a collimating lens or a self-focusing lens. The collimating lens usually has a convex surface, which can converge parallel light rays into a point and then diverge them into parallel light rays. In one embodiment, the convex surface is the second surface 202 of the lens 20. The self-focusing lens, also known as a variable refractive index lens or a non-uniform medium lens, is a cylindrical optical lens whose refractive index distribution gradually decreases along its radial direction. It has a focusing function, so that the divergent light rays emitted from the first end surface 1201 of the optical fiber 12 can be collimated into quasi-parallel light rays after entering the first surface 201 of the lens 20 and passing through the lens 20, or the quasi-parallel light rays entering the second surface 202 of the lens 20 can be converged into convergent light rays and enter the first end surface 1201 of the optical fiber 12.

[0131] Please refer to FIGS. 7a-7b, FIG. 7a is a perspective structural schematic view of the lens of the optical fiber connector according to the embodiment of the present application; and FIG. 7b is a principle diagram of the lens and the optical fiber connection of the optical fiber connector according to the embodiment of the present application.

[0132] As shown in FIGS. 6e-7a, in one embodiment, the first surface 201 of the lens 20 has a fiber positioning portion 21. The structure of the fiber positioning portion 21 is not limited, for example, the fiber positioning portion 21 can be a positioning hole recessed inwardly relative to other regions of the first surface 201 of the lens 20 or a positioning column protruding outwardly. It can be understood that the other regions of the first surface 201 of the lens 20 refer to the regions of the first surface 201 of the lens 20 other than the fiber positioning portion 21, or it can be understood that the surface of the fiber positioning portion 21 (for example, the wall surface of the positioning hole or the outer surface of the positioning column) constitutes part of the first surface 201 of the lens 20. In one embodiment, the fiber positioning portion 21 is a positioning hole, and the first end surface 1201 of the optical fiber 12 is fused into the positioning hole. The specific position of the fiber positioning portion 21 is not limited, in one embodiment, the fiber positioning portion 21 is located in the central region of the first surface 201 of the lens 20, and in other alternative embodiments, the fiber positioning portion 21 can also be located in other regions of the first surface 201 of the lens 20, such as the edge region, which is not limited by the present application. It can be understood by those skilled in the art that the diameter of the first end surface 1201 of the optical fiber 12 is usually only a few microns, which is much smaller than the diameter of the first surface 201 of the lens 20. By providing the fiber positioning portion 21 on the first surface 201 of the lens 20, the first end surface 1201 of the optical fiber 12 can be preliminarily aligned with the part of the first surface 201 of the lens 20 where the fusion region is located, thereby reducing the subsequent debugging steps. The alignment process of the lens 20 and the optical fiber 12 will be described in detail hereinafter.

[0133] As shown in FIG. 7b, in one embodiment, the other regions of the first surface 201 of the lens 20 are inclined planes. The inclined plane is inclined relative to the first plane M, and the first plane M is a plane perpendicular to the length direction X of the optical fiber. The angle at which the inclined plane is inclined relative to the first plane M is not limited, which is not limited by the present application. In one embodiment, the angle at which the inclined plane is inclined relative to the first plane M is 6°-10°, for example, it can be 6°, 8°, 10°, etc. It should be noted that the fiber positioning portion 21 can be inclined together with the other regions of the first surface 201 of the lens 20, and correspondingly, the first end surface 1201 of the optical fiber 12 is also an inclined plane. Alternatively, the fiber positioning portion 21 can not be inclined, which is not limited by the present application. By providing the other regions of the first surface 201 of the lens 20 as inclined planes, the damage of the return light can be reduced. It can be understood by those skilled in the art that part of the light is reflected on the surface of the lens 20 back into the optical fiber 12, which damages the optical fiber connector 100. The inclined plane can change the reflection angle of the reflected light to protect the optical fiber connector.

[0134] As shown in FIG. 7a, in an embodiment, the second surface 202 of the lens 20 is coated with an anti-reflection film 22, the refractive index of the anti-reflection film 22 is greater than the refractive index of air and less than the refractive index of the material of the lens 20, so that the anti-reflection film 22 can reduce the amount of reflection when light passes through the second surface 202 of the lens 20, increase the transmittance, so that the light can pass through the lens 20 better.

[0135] In an embodiment, the anti-reflection film 22 includes an optical film, the number of layers of the optical film is not limited, which can be 1 layer, 2 layers, multiple layers, etc., and the present application does not limit it. In an embodiment, the anti-reflection film 22 includes a multilayer optical film, the refractive index of the adjacent two layers of the multilayer optical film is different. By using the anti-reflection film 22 including the multilayer optical film, the refractive index of each adjacent two layers of the optical film is different, which is beneficial to expand the wavelength range of the reflected light to be reduced and enhance the anti-reflection effect. The material of each layer of the optical film is not limited, which can be a single metal film of germanium, aluminum, silver, etc., or a compound film of titanium dioxide, magnesium fluoride, etc., and the present application does not limit it.

[0136] As shown in FIGS. 6b-6d, in an embodiment, the optical fiber connector 100 can further include a sleeve 30, the inner wall surface of the sleeve 30 surrounds to form a first accommodating space 31, the lens 20 and the optical fiber ferrule 10 are sequentially arranged in the first accommodating space 31 along the length direction of the sleeve 30, and are fixedly connected with the sleeve 30. In an embodiment, the length direction of the sleeve 30 is parallel to the length direction X of the optical fiber. The sleeve 30 has an insertion end surface 302 and a mating end surface 301 arranged opposite to each other along the length direction of the sleeve 30, and the insertion end surface 302 is the end surface of the sleeve 30 for inserting the ferrule body 11. It can be understood by those skilled in the art that after the lens 20 and the optical fiber 12 are fused, they can be inserted into the sleeve 30 from the mating end surface 301 of the sleeve 30, the ferrule body 11 is inserted into the sleeve 30 from the insertion end surface 302 of the sleeve 30, and the assembly of the sleeve 30, the optical fiber ferrule 10 and the lens 20 is realized. And in the length direction of the sleeve 30, the lens 20, the first end surface 1101 of the ferrule body 11 of the optical fiber ferrule 10 and the insertion end surface 302 of the sleeve 30 are sequentially and spacedly arranged. It can be understood that at least a part of the structure of the lens 20 and the optical fiber ferrule 10 is arranged in the sleeve 30 and fixedly connected with the sleeve 30, and the sleeve 30 can protect the lens 20 and the optical fiber 12 and strengthen the connection strength of them.

[0137] As shown in FIG. 6d, in one embodiment, the optical fiber connector comprises an adhesive portion 40 for reinforcing the fusion joint between the first end surface 1201 of the optical fiber 12 and the first surface 201 of the lens 20. Specifically, a part of the first surface 201 of the lens 20, a part of the first end surface 1101 of the ferrule body 11 protruding from the optical fiber 12, and the first end surface 1101 of the ferrule body 11 are fixed to each other by the adhesive portion 40. Correspondingly, the sleeve 30 is provided with a glue injection hole 33, which communicates the first accommodating space 31 with the outside of the sleeve 30, and the adhesive portion 40 is formed by filling flowable glue into the first accommodating space 31 from the glue injection hole 33, and the flowable glue is cured to form the adhesive portion 40, wherein the flowable glue is inorganic glue. The material of the inorganic glue is not limited, which can be silicate inorganic glue, alumina inorganic glue, butyl rubber, etc., which is not limited in the present application. It can be understood by those skilled in the art that the flowable glue is filled into the sleeve 30 through the glue injection hole 33, and the flowable glue is cured to form the adhesive portion 40, so that a part of the first surface 201 of the lens 20, a part of the first end surface 1101 of the ferrule body 11 protruding from the optical fiber 12, and the first end surface 1101 of the ferrule body 11 are fixed by the adhesive portion 40, so that the fusion joint between the optical fiber 12 and the lens 20 is protected, and the optical fiber 12 and the lens 20 are not easy to be separated. The flowable glue is inorganic glue, which will not be blackened, and the smoothness of the optical path is ensured.

[0138] As shown in FIG. 6d, in one embodiment, the glue injection hole 33 is arranged on the side of the first surface 201 of the lens 20 facing the first end surface 1101 of the ferrule body 11 in the length direction of the sleeve 30, and the glue injection hole 33 penetrates the sleeve 30 in the thickness direction of the sleeve 30. The adhesive part 40 is of an integral structure and fills the space surrounded by the first surface 201 of the lens 20, the first end surface 1101 of the ferrule body 11, and the inner wall surface of the sleeve 30, so that a part of the first surface 201 of the lens 20, a part of the first end surface 1101 of the ferrule body 11 protruding from the fiber 12, the end portion where the first end surface 1101 of the ferrule body 11 is located, and the sleeve 30 are fixed to each other by the adhesive part 40. It can be understood that arranging the glue injection hole 33 close to the first surface 201 of the lens 20 makes the filled flowable glue first fill the space surrounded by the first surface 201 of the lens 20, the first end surface 1101 of the ferrule body 11, and the inner wall surface of the sleeve 30, and the flow distance is the shortest, which saves the cost on the basis of strengthening the connection strength. The glue injection hole 33 penetrates the sleeve 30 in the thickness direction of the sleeve 30, so that the adhesive part 40 can fill the space in the thickness direction of the sleeve 30, and the loosening between the lens 20, the fiber ferrule 10, and the sleeve 30 is prevented to the greatest extent. Moreover, arranging the glue injection hole 33 at this position can observe whether the ferrule body 11 is slid to the appropriate position in the sleeve 30 through the glue injection hole 33 after the ferrule body 11 is inserted from the insertion end surface 302 of the sleeve 30. In other alternative embodiments, the glue injection hole 33 can also be arranged at other positions of the sleeve 30, and can also not penetrate the sleeve 30, which is not limited in the present application.

[0139] As shown in FIG. 6d, in one embodiment, the inner wall surface of the sleeve 30 has a mounting table 32 protruding from the inner wall surface, the outer edge of the first surface 201 of the lens 20 abuts against the mounting table 32, and a part of the first surface 201 of the lens 20, a part of the first end surface 1101 of the ferrule body 11 protruding from the fiber 12, the end portion where the first end surface 1101 of the ferrule body 11 is located, the sleeve 30, and the mounting table 32 are fixed to each other by the adhesive part 40. The adhesive part 40 adhesively fixes the lens 20 and the mounting table 32 of the sleeve 30, so that the lens 20 is fixedly connected to the sleeve 30. Moreover, the first surface 201 of the lens 20 abuts against the mounting table 32, which facilitates the positioning of the lens 20 in the assembly process. The lens 20 can also be fixedly connected to the sleeve 30 by other means, which is not limited in the present application.

[0140] As shown in FIG. 6d, in one embodiment, the butt end surface 301 of the ferrule 30 protrudes outwardly from the second surface 202 of the lens 20 in the length direction of the ferrule 30. As understood in conjunction with FIG. 5b, the butt end surface 301 of the ferrule 30 is used for butt joint, and the butt end surface 301 of the ferrule 30 protrudes beyond the second surface 202 of the lens 20 in the length direction of the ferrule 30, which can prevent the lens 20 from directly contacting other devices, for example, in the optical communication assembly 800, the lens 20 of the first optical fiber connector 1001 and the lens 20 of the second optical fiber connector 1002 do not directly contact each other, which on one hand prevents the direct contact from causing excessive heat and burning, and on the other hand, in the length direction of the ferrule 30, there is a gap between the two lenses 20, which is conducive to heat dissipation and reduces heat accumulation.

[0141] Please refer to FIG. 8, which is a cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of the ferrule body of the optical fiber connector according to the embodiments of the present application.

[0142] As shown in FIG. 6d, in one embodiment, the ferrule body 11 is provided with a mounting hole 111 for the optical fiber 12 to pass through. The hole diameter of the mounting hole 111 is greater than the diameter of the optical fiber 12, which facilitates the filling of the flowable glue 41 into the mounting hole 111 from the second end surface 1102 of the ferrule body 11 to fix the connection between the optical fiber 12 and the ferrule body 11. The flowable glue 41 can be inorganic glue or organic glue, which is not limited in the present application. In one embodiment, the flowable glue 41 is inorganic glue.

[0143] As shown in FIG. 6d and FIG. 8, in one embodiment, the ferrule body 11 is provided with heat dissipation flow channels 112, the number and arrangement position of which are not limited, which can be 4, 8, 10, etc., which are not limited in the present application. As can be understood, each heat dissipation flow channel 112 extends from the wall surface of the mounting hole 111 of the ferrule body 11 to the outer wall surface of the ferrule body 11 and is filled with inorganic glue. In one embodiment, a plurality of heat dissipation flow channels 112 are arranged at intervals in the length direction and the circumferential direction of the ferrule body 11. The optical fiber connector 100 can dissipate heat through the heat dissipation flow channels 112, which reduces heat accumulation and improves the tolerance power of the optical fiber connector 100.

[0144] Further, in one embodiment, the inorganic glue filled in the heat dissipation flow channels 112 contains heat dissipation particles, the material of which includes but is not limited to metal, plastic, etc., which is not limited in the present application. The heat dissipation particles can further enhance the heat dissipation capacity, thereby further improving the tolerance power of the optical fiber connector 100.

[0145] In one embodiment, the ferrule 30 is made of metal material, and the ferrule body 11 is made of ceramic material. The ferrule 30 made of metal material is beneficial for heat dissipation, and the ferrule body 11 made of ceramic material has good thermal stability, so that the precision of the ferrule body 11 is higher. Alternatively, in an alternative embodiment, the ferrule body 11 is made of metal material, so as to further improve the heat dissipation capacity of the fiber connector 100.

[0146] As shown in FIGS. 6a-6d, in one embodiment, the fiber connector 100 further comprises a housing 60, and a first anti-rotation member 51 and a second anti-rotation member 52 which are sequentially sleeved in the housing 60 from inside to outside, the fiber ferrule 10 and the ferrule 30 are respectively sleeved in the first anti-rotation member 51 away from the lens 20, and the ferrule 30 is fixedly connected with the first anti-rotation member 51, the first anti-rotation member 51 is fixedly connected with the second anti-rotation member 52, and the second anti-rotation member 52 is fixedly connected with the housing 60. The first anti-rotation member 51 and the second anti-rotation member 52 can be a split structure or an integral structure, and the present application does not limit this. In one embodiment, the first anti-rotation member 51 and the second anti-rotation member 52 are a split structure. As can be understood by those skilled in the art, the ferrule 30 is fixedly connected with the housing 60 through the first anti-rotation member 51 and the second anti-rotation member 52, so that the positions of the ferrule 30, the lens 20 and the fiber ferrule 10 fixedly connected with the ferrule 30 in the housing 60 are fixed, and the precision of the fiber connector 100 after being mated with other fiber connectors in the optical communication equipment 700 or the optical communication assembly 800 is ensured. As shown in FIG. 5b, the first fiber connector 1001 and the second fiber connector 1002 are mated, and the housings 60 of each fiber connector in the first fiber connector 1001 and the second fiber connector 1002 are fixed relative to the connecting member 810, so that the two ferrules 30 are relatively fixed, and further, the relative positions and angles between the two lenses 20 are fixedly unchanged, so as to improve the precision of the mating and reduce the loss.

[0147] The structure of the fixed connection between the first anti-rotation member 51 and the ferrule 30 is not limited. As shown in FIG. 6d, in one embodiment, the first anti-rotation member 51 is provided with a recess 511, and the inner wall surface of the recess 511 is provided with a first anti-rotation structure (not shown in the figure), the insertion end surface 302 of the ferrule 30 abuts against the bottom surface of the recess 511, and the outer wall surface of the ferrule 30 is correspondingly provided with a first anti-rotation structure (not shown in the figure), and the first anti-rotation structure is clamped or locked with the first anti-rotation structure, so that the ferrule 30 is relatively fixed with the first anti-rotation member 51 in the circumferential direction. In one embodiment, the first anti-rotation structure and the first anti-rotation structure are screw connection structures, and in other alternative embodiments, the first anti-rotation structure and the first anti-rotation structure can also be other structures, and the present application does not limit this.

[0148] The fixed connection structure between the second rotation prevention member 52 and the first rotation prevention member 51 and between the second rotation prevention member 52 and the shell 60 is not limited. As shown in FIG. 6b, in an embodiment, the outer wall surface of the first rotation prevention member 51 is provided with a positioning protrusion 512, the inner wall surface of the second rotation prevention member 52 is provided with a positioning groove 521, and the outer wall surface of the second rotation prevention member 52 is provided with a wedge-shaped structure 522. The wedge-shaped structure 522 allows the second rotation prevention member 52 to be clamped and fixed inside the shell 60, and the positioning groove 521 and the positioning protrusion 512 prevent the second rotation prevention member 52 and the first rotation prevention member 51 from rotating in the circumferential direction, thereby ensuring that the sleeve 30 fixedly connected to the first rotation prevention member 51 does not rotate relative to the shell 60. In other alternative embodiments, other structures can be used to fixedly connect the first rotation prevention member 51 and the sleeve 30, the second rotation prevention member 52 and the first rotation prevention member 51, and the second rotation prevention member 52 and the shell 60, and the present application does not limit this.

[0149] As shown in FIGS. 6c-6d, in some embodiments, the optical fiber 12 includes a first portion 121 and a second portion 122 connected along the length direction thereof, the first portion 121 includes a core layer and a cladding layer, the second portion 122 includes a core layer, a cladding layer, and a coating layer, the core layer of the first portion 121 is connected to the core layer of the second portion 122, the cladding layer of the first portion 121 is connected to the cladding layer of the second portion 122, and the entire first portion 121 and part of the second portion 122 are inserted into the ferrule body 11 from the second end surface 1102 of the ferrule body 11, and the first end surface 1201 of the optical fiber 12 is an end surface of the first portion 121 away from the second portion 122. It can be understood that the first portion 121 of the optical fiber is a portion of the optical fiber 12 from which the coating layer is stripped. The coating layer of the optical fiber 12 is mainly used to protect the surface of the optical fiber 12 from erosion or external scratches, and the material of the coating layer includes but is not limited to resin and the like. The core layer and the cladding layer of the optical fiber 12 are both made of silica glass, and the first portion 121 does not include a coating layer, which facilitates the fusion of the first end surface 1201 of the first portion 121 to the lens 20.

[0150] As shown in FIG. 6b, in an embodiment, the optical fiber connector 100 further includes a spring 61, which is arranged in the shell 60 and around the outer wall surface of the first rotation prevention member 51, and the two ends of the spring 61 abut against the shell 60 and the first rotation prevention member 51, respectively. This is beneficial to provide the optical fiber connector 100 with an elastic force towards another optical fiber connector when the optical fiber connector 100 is mated with the other optical fiber connector, so that the optical fiber connector 100 is not easy to be pulled out after being inserted into the connecting member 810, and the sleeve 30 of the optical fiber connector 100 and the sleeve of the other optical fiber connector are elastically abutted in the length direction X of the optical fiber, thereby ensuring the mating reliability.

[0151] Please refer to FIG. 9, which is a structural schematic diagram of a second embodiment of the fiber connector according to the present application.

[0152] As shown in FIGS. 6a-6c, in one embodiment, the fiber connector 100 includes only one fiber ferrule 10 and one lens 20 corresponding thereto.

[0153] As shown in FIG. 9, in one embodiment, the fiber connector 100 includes a plurality of fiber ferrules 10 arranged in an array, and a plurality of lenses 20 and a plurality of sleeves 30, each fiber ferrule 10 is provided corresponding to one lens 20 and one sleeve 30, and constitutes a light transmission unit 100a. The plurality of light transmission units 100a are all arranged in and fixed to the housing 60.

[0154] It should be noted that the fixing manner of each light transmission unit 100a to the housing 60 is not limited. In one example, the sleeve 30 of each light transmission unit 100a is integrally formed with the housing 60 by injection molding, and the housing 60 can be understood as a plastic part. In other embodiments, the sleeve 30 of each light transmission unit 100a and the housing 60 can also be a split structure, each sleeve 30 is inserted and fixedly connected to the housing 60, and the present application does not limit this.

[0155] The assembly process between the fiber and the lens 20 is described in detail below in combination with the drawings.

[0156] Please refer to FIGS. 10a-11b, FIG. 10a is a structural schematic diagram of an assembly equipment of the fiber connector according to the present application; FIG. 10b is a principle diagram of a target device of the assembly equipment of the fiber connector according to the present application; FIG. 11a is a flowchart one of assembling the fiber connector according to the present application; and FIG. 11b is a flowchart two of assembling the fiber connector according to the present application.

[0157] As shown in FIG. 10a, the present application further provides an assembly equipment 900 for assembling the fiber connector 100 provided by the present application. The assembly equipment 900 includes a fiber positioning system 910, a lens positioning system 920 and a fusion device 930. Among them, the fiber positioning system 910 includes a fiber clamp 911 and a fiber position adjusting device 912, the fiber clamp 911 is used for clamping the fiber 12, and the fiber position adjusting device 912 is used for adjusting the position of the fiber clamp 911. The lens positioning system 920 includes a lens clamp 921 and a lens position adjusting device 922, the lens clamp 921 is used for clamping the lens 20, and the lens position adjusting device 922 is used for adjusting the position of the lens clamp 921.

[0158] In one embodiment, the lens clamp 921 is configured to adsorb the lens 20 by a negative pressure device (not shown in the figure). In one example, the lens clamp 921 comprises a suction cup, and the negative pressure device comprises a vacuum pipe connected to the suction cup at one end and a gas pump arranged at the other end of the vacuum pipe. The gas pump forms a negative pressure in the vacuum pipe, so that the suction cup can adsorb the lens 20. In other alternative embodiments, the lens 20 can also be clamped to the lens clamp 921 by other means, which are not limited in the present application. The fusion device 930 is used to heat the to-be-fused area and can provide annular laser. As can be understood by those skilled in the art, after the first end surface 1201 of the optical fiber 12 clamped in the optical fiber clamp 911 and the to-be-fused area of the first surface 201 of the lens 20 clamped in the lens clamp 921 are aligned by the optical fiber position adjusting device 912 and the lens position adjusting device 922, the to-be-fused area of the first end surface 1201 of the optical fiber 12 and the first surface 201 of the lens 20 are heated by the fusion device 930, so that they are fused.

[0159] Further, the structures of the optical fiber position adjusting device 912 and the lens position adjusting device 922 are not limited. As shown in FIG. 10a, in one embodiment, the optical fiber position adjusting device 912 can make the optical fiber clamp 911 translate and rotate in the first direction F1, the second direction F2 and the third direction F3, or can be understood as that the optical fiber clamp 911 can generate displacement in the first direction F1, the second direction F2 and the third direction F3, and can rotate around the first axis, the second axis and the third axis, respectively, wherein the first axis is parallel to the first direction F1, the second axis is parallel to the second direction F2, and the third axis is parallel to the third direction F3. The first direction F1, the second direction F2 and the third direction F3 are perpendicular to each other two by two, and the first direction F1 is parallel to the length direction X of the optical fiber. Similarly, the lens position adjusting device 922 can make the lens clamp 921 translate and rotate in the first direction F1, the second direction F2 and the third direction F3. Moreover, both the optical fiber position adjusting device 912 and the lens position adjusting device 922 adopt high-precision guide rails and translation mechanisms, which can realize sub-micron level fine adjustment and positioning, so that the to-be-fused areas of the first end surface 1201 of the optical fiber 12 and the first surface 201 of the lens 20 can be accurately butt-jointed, and it is ensured that the divergent light rays emitted from the first end surface 1201 of the optical fiber 12 can be collimated as quasi-parallel light rays after entering the first surface 201 of the lens 20 and passing through the lens 20, or the quasi-parallel light rays entering the lens 20 from the second surface 202 of the lens 20 can be converged as convergent light rays and enter the first end surface 1201 of the optical fiber 12, thereby reducing the loss.

[0160] In one example, the fiber position adjusting device 912 can include a base 9124, a first movable rod 9121, a second movable rod 9122, a sliding block 9123, and the fiber clamp 911 is mounted on the first movable rod 9121. The second movable rod 9122 is slidingly connected to the base 9124 along the third direction F3 and can rotate around its own axis (relative to the base 9124), and the axis of the second movable rod 9122 is parallel to the second axis. It should be noted that the above-mentioned movement implementation form between the second movable rod 9122 and the base 9124 is not limited, for example, a sliding groove extending along the third direction F3 can be arranged on the base 9124, and one end of the second movable rod 9122 is inserted into the sliding groove of the base 9124.

[0161] The sliding block 9123 is slidingly connected to the second movable rod 9122 along the second direction F2 and can rotate around its own axis (relative to the second movable rod 9122), and the axis of the sliding block 9123 is parallel to the third axis. It should be noted that the above-mentioned movement implementation form between the sliding block 9123 and the second movable rod 9122 is not limited, for example, a sliding groove extending along the second direction F2 can be arranged on the second movable rod 9122, and a sliding column is arranged on the sliding block 9123, one end of the sliding column is inserted into the sliding groove of the second movable rod 9122, and the axis of the sliding column constitutes the axis of the sliding block 9123.

[0162] The first movable rod 9121 is slidingly connected to the sliding block 9123 along the first direction F1 and can rotate around its own axis (relative to the sliding block 9123), and the axis of the first movable rod 9121 is parallel to the first axis. Similarly, the above-mentioned movement implementation form between the first movable rod 9121 and the sliding block 9123 is not limited, for example, the sliding groove structure described in the above-mentioned can also be used, and will not be described in detail here.

[0163] The lens position adjusting device 922 can include a base 9224, a first movable rod 9221, a second movable rod 9222, a sliding block 9223, and the lens clamp 921 is mounted on the first movable rod 9221. The second movable rod 9222 is slidingly connected to the base 9224 along the third direction F3 and can rotate around its own axis (relative to the base 9224), and the axis of the second movable rod 9222 is parallel to the second direction F2. It should be noted that the above-mentioned movement implementation form between the second movable rod 9222 and the base 9224 is not limited, for example, a sliding groove extending along the third direction F3 can be arranged on the base 9224, and one end of the second movable rod 9222 is inserted into the sliding groove of the base 9224.

[0164] The slider 9223 is slidingly connected to the second movable rod 9222 in the second direction F2 and can rotate about its own axis (relative to the second movable rod 9222), and the axis of the slider 9223 is parallel to the third direction F3. It should be noted that the above-mentioned movement between the slider 9223 and the second movable rod 9222 is not limited, for example, a sliding groove extending in the second direction F2 can be provided on the second movable rod 9222, and a sliding column is provided on the slider 9223, one end of the sliding column is inserted into the sliding groove of the second movable rod 9222, and the axis of the sliding column constitutes the axis of the slider 9223.

[0165] The first movable rod 9221 is slidingly connected to the slider 9223 in the first direction F1 and can rotate about its own axis (relative to the slider 9223), and the axis of the first movable rod 9221 is parallel to the first direction F1. Similarly, the above-mentioned movement between the first movable rod 9221 and the slider 9223 is not limited, for example, the sliding groove structure described above can also be used, and will not be described in detail here.

[0166] In other alternative embodiments, the optical fiber position adjusting device 912 and the lens position adjusting device 922 can also be realized by a mechanical hand, and the present application does not limit this. The welding device 930 can emit annular laser to realize precise welding. It should be noted that the welding device 930 can adopt the existing known structure, and the model is not limited, for example, it can be LZM-100, etc.

[0167] In one embodiment, the assembly device 900 further comprises a target device 940 and a light spot analysis device 950. The specific structure of the target device 940 is not limited, as shown in FIGS. 10a-10b, in one example, concentric circles of different diameters are drawn on the target device 940, and each ring represents a different light spot offset. Specifically, the center of the concentric circle on the target device 940 is aligned with the optical axis of the lens 20, so that the light emitted from the optical fiber 12 forms a light spot after passing through the lens 20 and is projected onto the target device 940. The distance d between the center point of the light spot projected onto the target device 940 and the center of the concentric circle on the target device 940 and the distance L between the target device 940 and the lens 20 can be calculated according to the tangent function to obtain the angle θ1. The offset of the light spot emitted by the lens 20 at the current position of the optical fiber 12 and the lens 20 compared to the target position can be detected, the concentricity of the optical axis of the lens 20 and the core axis of the optical fiber 12 can be judged, and a reference for the preliminary adjustment of the relative position between the lens 20 and the optical fiber 12 can be provided. The target position can be understood as the desired position of the optical fiber 12 and the lens 20 after alignment. That is, in the target position, the center point of the light spot projected onto the target device 940 coincides with the center of the concentric circle on the target device 940.

[0168] The spot analysis device 950 is used to detect and analyze the light spot emitted by the lens 20 at the current position of the optical fiber 12 and the lens 20, and to provide reference data for the adjustment of the relative position between the lens 20 and the optical fiber 12. It should be noted that the spot analysis device 950 can adopt a known structure, for example, a slit type spot analyzer. Moreover, the model of the spot analysis device 950 is not limited, for example, it can be a BeamHere spot analyzer.

[0169] In an embodiment, the assembly device 900 further comprises a high-definition observation lens 960 to observe the alignment and fusion process of the optical fiber 12 and the lens 20, so as to ensure the fusion accuracy. The number of the high-definition observation lens 960 is not limited, which can be one, two, multiple, etc., and the present application does not limit this.

[0170] The present application also provides an assembly method, which uses the assembly device 900 provided by the present application to assemble the optical fiber connector 100 provided by the present application.

[0171] As shown in FIG. 11a, and understood in combination with FIGS. 10a-10b, the assembly method comprises the following steps:

[0172] Step S1: clamping the lens 20 and the optical fiber 12, wherein the lens 20 is clamped by the lens clamp 921, the optical fiber 12 is clamped by the optical fiber clamp 911, and the first end surface 1201 of the optical fiber 12 faces the first surface 201 of the lens 20. It should be noted that the first end surface 1201 of the optical fiber 12 can be aligned with the fiber positioning portion 21 of the lens 20 in advance during clamping, so as to save the subsequent adjustment times and time, and the present application does not limit this.

[0173] Step S2: adjusting and aligning the positions of the lens 20 and the optical fiber 12, wherein the relative positions of the lens 20 and the optical fiber 12 are adjusted by the optical fiber position adjusting device 912 and the lens position adjusting device 922, so that the divergent light rays emitted from the first end surface 1201 of the optical fiber 12 enter the first surface 201 of the lens 20 and can be collimated as quasi-parallel light rays after passing through the lens 20.

[0174] Step S3: fusing the aligned lens 20 and the optical fiber ferrule 10, and fusing the first end surface 1201 of the optical fiber 12 and the to-be-fused region of the first surface 201 of the lens 20 by the fusion device 930.

[0175] As shown in FIG. 11b, in an embodiment, when the assembly device 900 comprises the target device 940 and the spot analysis device 950, the assembly step further comprises:

[0176] S21: After clamping the lens 20 and the optical fiber 12, the light spot emitted by the lens 20 is detected by the target device 940, and the optical fiber position adjusting device 912 and the lens position adjusting device 922 are adjusted for preliminary positioning, so that the offset of the light spot (for example, the angle θ1 of the optical axis of the optical fiber relative to the optical axis of the lens, or the size of the overall offset of the optical axis of the optical fiber relative to the optical axis of the lens) does not exceed a predetermined threshold. The predetermined threshold can be understood as ensuring that the offset of the light spot is within the accuracy range. After the preliminary positioning is completed, the target device 940 is removed. It should be noted that the predetermined threshold of the offset angle may, for example, be less than 0.5 degrees, or less than 1 degree, and the predetermined threshold of the displacement offset may, for example, be less than 5 microns. The specific design is based on the actual situation, and the present application does not limit it here.

[0177] S22: Based on the results of the light spot analysis device 950, the optical fiber position adjusting device 912 and the lens position adjusting device 922 are repeatedly adjusted for fine positioning, so that the light emitted from the lens 20 is collimated into quasi-parallel light.

[0178] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to the present application without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents, the present application also intends to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. An optical fiber connector, characterized in that: include: An optical fiber ferrule, comprising a ferrule body and an optical fiber passing through the ferrule body, wherein the ferrule body has a first end face and a second end face disposed opposite to each other, and the first end face of the optical fiber along its length direction protrudes from the first end face of the ferrule body, and the first end face of the optical fiber is a light transmission end face; a lens, the lens being arranged on a side of the first end face of the ferrule body away from the second end face, the first end face of the optical fiber being in direct contact with and fixedly connected to the first surface of the lens; Furthermore, the divergent light emitted from the first end face of the optical fiber enters the first surface of the lens and can be collimated into quasi-parallel light after passing through the lens, or the quasi-parallel light entering the lens from the second surface of the lens can be converged into convergent light and enter the first end face of the optical fiber, wherein the second surface of the lens is arranged opposite to the first surface.

2. The optical fiber connector according to claim 1, wherein The first end face of the optical fiber is fixedly connected to the first surface of the lens by fusion splicing.

3. The optical fiber connector according to claim 2, wherein: The first surface of the lens has an optical fiber positioning portion, and is fused with the first end face of the optical fiber through the optical fiber positioning portion; wherein, In the first surface of the lens, the optical fiber positioning portion is configured as a positioning hole that is recessed inwardly relative to other areas of the first surface or a positioning column that is protruding outwardly.

4. The optical fiber connector according to claim 3, wherein: The other areas of the first surface of the lens are oblique planes, and the oblique planes are inclined at an angle of 6° to 10° relative to the first plane, wherein the first plane is perpendicular to the length direction of the optical fiber.

5. The optical fiber connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The second surface of the lens is coated with an anti-reflection film, wherein the refractive index of the anti-reflection film is greater than the refractive index of air and less than the refractive index of the material of the lens; The anti-reflection film includes at least one optical film.

6. The optical fiber connector according to claim 5, wherein: The at least one optical film is a multilayer optical film, and the refractive indices of two adjacent optical films in the multilayer optical film are different.

7. The optical fiber connector according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The lens is a collimating lens or a self-focusing lens; and / or, the material of the lens is glass.

8. The optical fiber connector according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The optical fiber connector further includes a sleeve, the inner wall surface of the sleeve surrounding a first accommodation space, the lens and the optical fiber ferrule are sequentially arranged in the first accommodation space along the length direction of the sleeve and are both fixedly connected to the sleeve; The sleeve has an insertion end face and a docking end face arranged opposite to each other along its length direction. The insertion end face is the end face of the sleeve for the core body to be inserted, and in the length direction of the sleeve, the lens, the first end face of the core body of the optical fiber core and the insertion end face of the sleeve are arranged in sequence at intervals.

9. The optical fiber connector according to claim 8, wherein: The optical fiber connector includes a bonding portion, wherein a portion of the first surface of the lens, a portion of the optical fiber protruding from the first end surface of the ferrule body, and the first end surface of the ferrule body are bonded and fixed to each other through the bonding portion; The sleeve is provided with a glue injection hole, which connects the first accommodating space and the outside of the sleeve. The bonding part is formed by filling the first accommodating space with flowing glue from the glue injection hole and the flowing glue is solidified, wherein the flowing glue is an inorganic glue.

10. The optical fiber connector according to claim 9, wherein: In the length direction of the sleeve, the glue injection hole is provided on a side of the first surface of the lens facing the first end surface of the ferrule body, and the glue injection hole penetrates the sleeve along the wall thickness direction of the sleeve; The bonding portion is configured as an integrated structure and is filled in a space enclosed by the first surface of the lens, the first end face of the ferrule body, and the inner wall surface of the sleeve, so that a portion of the first surface of the lens, a portion of the optical fiber protruding from the first end face of the ferrule body, an end portion where the first end face of the ferrule body is located, and the sleeve are bonded and fixed to each other through the bonding portion.

11. The optical fiber connector according to claim 9 or 10, wherein: The inner wall surface of the sleeve has a mounting platform protruding from the inner wall surface, the outer edge of the first surface of the lens abuts against the mounting platform, and a portion of the first surface of the lens, a portion of the optical fiber protruding from the first end surface of the core body, the end portion where the first end surface of the core body is located, the sleeve and the mounting platform are bonded and fixed to each other through the bonding portion.

12. The optical fiber connector according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein: In the length direction of the sleeve, the butt end surface of the sleeve protrudes outward from the second surface of the lens.

13. The optical fiber connector according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein: The ferrule body is provided with a mounting hole for the optical fiber to pass through, and the ferrule body is provided with at least one heat dissipation channel. Each of the at least one heat dissipation channel extends from the wall surface of the mounting hole of the ferrule body to the outer wall surface of the ferrule body and is filled with inorganic glue.

14. The optical fiber connector according to claim 13, wherein: The at least one heat dissipation channel is configured as: a plurality of heat dissipation channels spaced apart in the longitudinal direction and the circumferential direction of the ferrule body; And / or, the inorganic glue filled in the heat dissipation channel contains heat dissipation particles.

15. The optical fiber connector according to any one of claims 8 to 14, wherein: The sleeve is made of metal material; The ferrule body is made of ceramic material, or the ferrule body is made of metal material.

16. The optical fiber connector according to any one of claims 8 to 15, wherein: The optical fiber connector further includes a housing, and a first anti-rotation member and a second anti-rotation member sequentially sleeved within the housing from the inside to the outside, the optical fiber ferrule and the ends of the sleeve away from the lens being respectively inserted through the first anti-rotation member, and the sleeve being fixedly connected to the first anti-rotation member; The first anti-rotation component is fixedly connected to the second anti-rotation component, and the second anti-rotation component is fixedly connected to the housing.

17. The optical fiber connector according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein: The optical fiber includes a first part and a second part connected along its length direction, the first part includes a core layer and a cladding layer, the second part includes a core layer, a cladding layer and a coating layer, the core layer of the first part is connected to the core layer of the second part, the cladding of the first part is connected to the cladding of the second part, the entire first part and a part of the second part are inserted into the ferrule body from the second end face of the ferrule body, and the first end face of the optical fiber is an end face of the first part away from the second part.

18. The optical fiber connector according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein: The optical fiber connector includes only one optical fiber ferrule and a corresponding lens.

19. The optical fiber connector according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein: The optical fiber connector includes a plurality of optical fiber ferrules distributed in an array, a plurality of lenses, and a plurality of sleeves, wherein each optical fiber ferrule is correspondingly provided with one lens and one sleeve, and constitutes an optical transmission unit; When the optical fiber connector includes a housing, the plurality of optical transmission units are all disposed through the housing.

20. An optical communication module, comprising an optical communication element, characterized in that: It further comprises the optical fiber connector according to any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the optical fiber ferrule of the optical fiber connector is connected to the optical communication element.

21. An optical communication device, comprising a first optical communication module and a second optical communication module, characterized in that: The first optical communication module and the second optical communication module are connected via respective optical fiber connectors, and at least one of the first optical communication module and the second optical communication module is the optical communication module according to claim 20.

22. An optical communication assembly comprising a first optical fiber connector and a second optical fiber connector, characterized in that: The first optical fiber connector and the second optical fiber connector are butted against each other, and at least one of the first optical fiber connector and the second optical fiber connector is the optical fiber connector according to any one of claims 1 to 19.

23. The optical communication component according to claim 22, wherein: The first optical fiber connector and the second optical fiber connector are both optical fiber connectors according to any one of claims 1 to 19; The optical communication assembly further includes a connector having a first connecting surface and a second connecting surface disposed opposite to each other, the first optical fiber connector being inserted into the connector from the first connecting surface, and the second optical fiber connector being inserted into the connector from the second connecting surface, such that quasi-parallel light emitted from one of the first and second optical fiber connectors is converged into converged light by the other optical fiber connector; When both the first optical fiber connector and the second optical fiber connector include a housing, the housing is plug-connected or threadedly connected to the connector.

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