Optical device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12468101-B2
Application number	US-202218007958-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2022
Priority date	Jul 16, 2021
Publication date	Nov 11, 2025
Grant date	Nov 11, 2025

Abstract

An optical device includes: a host device having a first housing, a first optical connector arranged inside the first housing, and an electrical connector arranged inside the first housing; and a light-emitting device having a second optical connector optically connected to the first optical connector, an electrical plug electrically connected to the electrical connector, and a second housing accommodating the second optical connector and the electrical plug and inserted into the first housing. The second housing has a latch structure latched onto the first housing when inserted into the first housing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An optical device comprising:
a host device having a first housing, a first optical connector arranged inside the first housing, and an electrical connector arranged inside the first housing; and a light-emitting device having a second optical connector optically connected to the first optical connector, an electrical plug into which the electrical connector is inserted for electrical connection there-between, and a second housing accommodating the second optical connector and the electrical plug and inserted into the first housing, wherein:
the second housing has a latch structure latched onto the first housing when inserted into the first housing,
the second optical connector has a guide hole separate and distinct from the electrical plug,
the first optical connector has a guide pin that is separate and distinct from the electrical connector and is inserted into the guide hole,
the first optical connector has a first optical fiber and a first ferrule holding the first optical fiber,
the second optical connector has a second optical fiber and a second ferrule holding the second optical fiber, and
an area of a cross section of an opening of the guide hole perpendicular to a direction in which an optical axis of the second optical fiber extends is 0.5% or more and 15% or less of an area of a cross section of the light-emitting device perpendicular to the direction in which the optical axis of the second optical fiber extends and 5% or more and 60% or less of an area of an end face of the second ferrule where the second optical fiber is exposed.

2 . The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein the second optical connector has an uneven portion formed on a surface of the second optical connector and into which the first optical connector is inserted.

3 . The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein the latch structure further has a mechanism where a latch is released when pulled out.

4 . An optical device comprising:
a host device having a first housing, a first optical connector arranged inside the first housing, and an electrical connector arranged inside the first housing; and a light-emitting device having a second optical connector optically connected to the first optical connector, an electrical plug into which the electrical connector is inserted for electrical connection there-between, and a second housing accommodating the second optical connector and the electrical plug and inserted into the first housing, wherein:
the second housing has a latch structure latched onto the first housing when inserted into the first housing,
the first optical connector has a guide hole separate and distinct from the electrical plug,
the second optical connector has a guide pin that is separate and distinct from the electrical connector and is inserted into the guide hole,
the first optical connector has a first optical fiber and a first ferrule holding the first optical fiber,
the second optical connector has a second optical fiber and a second ferrule holding the second optical fiber, and
an area of a cross section of an opening of the guide hole perpendicular to a direction in which an optical axis of the first optical fiber extends is 0.5% or more and 15% or less of an area of a cross section of the first housing perpendicular to the direction in which the optical axis of the first optical fiber extends and 5% or more and 60% or less of an area of an end face of the first ferrule where the first optical fiber is exposed.

5 . The optical device according to claim 4 , wherein the latch structure further has a mechanism where a latch is released when pulled out.

Assignees

• Sumitomo Electric Industries

Inventors

• Ishida Takuya
• Nakanishi Tetsuya
• NGUYEN Hong Chuyen

Classifications

• G02B6/4278

  related to pluggable or demountable opto-electronic or electronic elements · CPC title

• G02B6/3895

  identification of connection, e.g. right plug to the right socket or full engagement of the mating parts (keying element on the plug or adapter G02B6/3831; keying element on the ferrule G02B6/3851; keying element for electrical connection H01R13/64) · CPC title

• G02B6/3893

  Push-pull type, e.g. snap-in, push-on · CPC title

• G02B6/3817

  containing optical and electrical conductors (cables including electrical and optical conductors H01B11/22; G02B6/3816 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/4261 Primary

  Packages with mounting structures to be pluggable or detachable, e.g. having latches or rails · CPC title