Expanded beam lens assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9541708-B2
Application number	US-201414781666-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 2, 2014
Priority date	Apr 3, 2013
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

An optical fiber assembly includes a lens block with a plurality of beam expanding and collimating elements. Each beam expanding and collimating element includes a first lens and a second lens. The first lens includes a generally arcuate first lens surface and the second lens includes a generally arcuate second lens surface generally complementary in shape and in contact with the first lens. Each lens has a different index of refraction. An optical fiber assembly may include a housing with a plurality of beam expanding elements. A front portion of each beam expanding element has a generally planar front surface. A compliant layer is positioned on the generally planar front surface of each beam expanding element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical fiber assembly comprising:
a body, the body supporting a lens block and a plurality of optical fibers, each optical fiber including an optical fiber axis, the optical fiber axes being generally parallel; and
a plurality of beam expanding and collimating elements positioned in the lens block, each element being aligned with the optical fiber axis of one of the optical fibers and including a first lens and a second lens, the first lens including a generally arcuate first lens surface, the second lens including a generally arcuate second lens surface, the first lens surface and the second lens surface being generally complementary in shape and in contact with each other, each lens having a different index of refraction.

2. The optical fiber assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lens block includes the first lenses integrally formed therewith.

3. The optical fiber assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lens block includes a refractive index of approximately 1.5.

4. The optical fiber assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first lens is formed of a first material, and the second lens is formed of a second material, the first material having a higher refractive index than the second material.

5. The optical fiber assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lens block includes a plurality of bores with one of the optical fibers positioned in each bore.

6. The optical fiber assembly of claim 5 , wherein each of the optical fibers is secured within one of the bores by an index matched medium.

7. The optical fiber assembly of claim 1 , wherein each of the optical fibers is positioned generally adjacent a rear face of the lens block.

8. The optical fiber assembly of claim 1 , wherein each of the second lenses includes a front surface opposite the second lens surface, the front surface being generally planar.

9. The optical fiber assembly of claim 8 , wherein the front surfaces of the second lenses lie in a generally common plane.

10. The optical fiber assembly of claim 9 , further including a compliant polymer layer on each front surface.

11. The optical fiber assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lens block includes a plurality of recesses in a forward surface thereof, each of the first lenses being formed in one of the recesses and each of the second lenses being positioned in one of the recesses.

12. An optical fiber assembly comprising:
a housing having a plurality of optical fibers, each optical fiber including an optical fiber axis, the optical fiber axes being generally parallel; and
a plurality of beam expanding and collimating elements positioned in a lens block, each element being aligned with the optical fiber axis of one of the optical fibers and including a first lens and a second lens, the first lens including a generally arcuate first lens surface, the second lens including a generally arcuate second lens surface, the first lens surface and the second lens surface being generally complementary in shape and in contact with each other, each lens having a different index of refraction.

13. The optical fiber assembly of claim 12 , wherein the lens block includes the first lenses integrally formed therewith.

14. An optical fiber lens assembly comprising:
a lens block, the lens block being formed of an optical grade polymer and including a plurality of first lenses integrally formed therewith;
a plurality of generally parallel optical paths, each optical path including a beam expanding and collimating element, each element including one of the first lenses and a second lens positioned in the lens block, the first lens having a first index of refraction and including a generally arcuate first lens surface, the second lens having a second index of refraction and including a generally arcuate second lens surface, the first index of refraction being different from the second index of refraction, the first lens surface and the second lens surface being generally complementary in shape and in contact with each other.

15. The optical fiber assembly of claim 14 , further including a compliant polymer layer on each front surface.

16. The optical fiber assembly of claim 15 , wherein the compliant layer includes a relatively low coefficient of friction.

Assignees

• Molex Llc

Inventors

• Hodge Malcolm H

Classifications

• G02B6/262

  Optical details of coupling light into, or out of, or between fibre ends, e.g. special fibre end shapes or associated optical elements · CPC title

• G02B6/3885

  Multicore or multichannel optical connectors, i.e. one single ferrule containing more than one fibre, e.g. ribbon type (optical ribbon cable G02B6/4403, G02B6/448) · CPC title

• G02B6/32

  having lens focusing means {positioned between opposed fibre ends (with lens being an integral part of the single fibre end G02B6/262)} · CPC title

• G02B6/3644

  the coupling means being through-holes or wall apertures · CPC title

• G02B6/3664

  2D cross sectional arrangements of the fibres · CPC title