Optical connector with lenses having opposing angled planar surfaces

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9557488-B2
Application number	US-201213346210-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 9, 2012
Priority date	Jan 11, 2011
Publication date	Jan 31, 2017
Grant date	Jan 31, 2017

Abstract

An optical connector for optically connecting at least one light source to at least one light receiver is disclosed. The optical connector includes first and second connector members respectively having first and second positive-power lens elements with respective first and second planar lens surfaces. The lens elements are arranged in their respective connector members such that when the two connector members are operably mated, the first and second lenses form an optical system where the first and second planar lens surfaces are spaced apart in opposition with a narrow gap in between, and are non-perpendicular to the optical system axis. The lenses may be conventional uniform-refractive-index lenses having a convex surface or may be gradient-index lenses having two planar surfaces. The optical connector is tolerant to contamination that can find its way into the narrow gap.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical connector for optically connecting at least one light source to at least one light receiver at an operating wavelength, comprising:
first and second connector members respectively having a first front section with a first front end, a second front section with a second front end, at least one first positive-power lens with a first planar lens surface being closest to the first front end, and at least one second positive-power lens with a second planar lens surface being closest to the second front end; and
the at least one first and at least one second lenses being arranged in their respective first and second connector members such that when the first and second connector members are operably mated, the at least one first and the at least one second lenses form at least one optical system where the first and second planar lens surfaces are opposing and spaced apart in opposition to form a gap having an axial width of about 25 microns to about 100 microns and are non-perpendicular to the optical system axis, the first planar lens surface forming a first angle relative to a line that is perpendicular to the optical system axis and the second planar lens surface forming a second angle relative to the line that is perpendicular to the optical system axis, the first angle and the second angle being non-equal such that an absolute difference between the first angle and the second angle is about 2 degrees to about 4 degrees.

2. The optical connector of claim 1 , further comprising the at least one optical system having first and second focal planes, with the light source disposed substantially at the first focal plane and the light receiver disposed substantially at the second focal plane.

3. The optical connector of claim 2 , wherein the first and second focal planes are non-parallel.

4. The optical connector of claim 2 , wherein the light source includes a light source axis, the light receiver includes a light receiver axis, and wherein at least one of the light source and light receiver axes is at least one of angled and displaced relative to the optical system axis.

5. The optical connector of claim 2 , wherein the light source includes a first optical fiber having a first end face from which light emanates.

6. The optical connector of claim 5 , wherein the light receiver includes a second optical fiber having a second end face where the light from the light source is received via the optical system.

7. The optical connector of claim 6 , further comprising the first and second optical fibers respectively supported by first and second ferrules.

8. The optical connector of claim 2 , wherein the first and second angles minimize or eliminate an amount of light from the light source that is reflected from at least one of the first and second planar surfaces back to the light source.

9. The optical connector of claim 8 , wherein the first and second angles minimize or eliminate an amount of light from the light source that is reflected from the planar surfaces and is received by the light receiver.

10. The optical connector of claim 1 , wherein the operating wavelength is in a range from about 850 nm to about 1600 nm.

11. The optical connector of claim 1 , further comprising one or more of:
the first optical power formed in the first lens from one of a first convex lens surface opposite the first planar lens surface and a first gradient index of refraction within the first lens; and
the second optical power formed from one of a second convex lens surface opposite the second planar lens surface and a second gradient index of refraction within the second lens.

12. The optical connector of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the first and second convex lens surfaces is aspheric.

13. The optical connector of claim 1 , wherein first and second connector members are respectively formed as first and second unitary structures substantially transparent to the operating wavelength, wherein the first unitary structure defines the first lens and the secondary unitary structure defines the second lens.

14. The optical connector of claim 13 , further comprising the first unitary structure having a substantially 45 degree angled surface that forms a substantially right-angle bend of the optical system axis via internal reflection.

15. The optical connector of claim 13 , further comprising the first and second lenses having respective first and second focal planes, and the light source arranged at the first focal plane and the light receiver arranged at the second focal plane.

16. The optical connector of claim 13 , further comprising:
the second unitary structure having a bore sized to accommodate at least one optical fiber; and
the light receiver including an optical fiber arranged in the bore and having an end face disposed substantially at the second focal plane to receive light from the light source via the optical system.

17. The optical connector of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second lenses is formed from at least one material selected from the group of materials comprising: Polyetheremide, PolyMethylMethacrylate, glass, plastic, Silica/Germania glass, and MethylMethacrylate with Benzyl Methacrylate.

18. A method of forming an optical connection between at least one light source and at least one light receiver, comprising:
connecting a first connector member to a second connector member, with the first connector member having a first front section with a first front end, at least one first lens with a first positive power and a first planar surface being closest to the first front end; the second connector member having a second front section with a second front end, at least one second lens with a second optical power and a second planar surface being closest to the second front end, said connecting forming at least one optical system from the at least one first and at least one second lenses, with the first and second planar surfaces being opposing and spaced apart in opposition to form a gap having an axial width of about 25 microns to about 100 microns and angled to be non-perpendicular to an optical system axis, the first planar surface forming a first angle relative to a line that is perpendicular to the optical system axis and the second planar surface forming a second angle relative to the line that is perpendicular to the optical system axis, the first angle and the second angle being non-equal such that an absolute difference between the first angle and the second angle is about 2 degrees to about 4 degrees; and
passing light from the at least one light source to the at least one light receiver via the at least one optical system.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising the at least one light source having a first optical fiber and the at least one light receiver having a second optical fiber.

20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising forming one or both of the first and second lenses to be a gradient-index (GRIN) lens.

21. The method of claim 18 , further comprising the first and second connector members formed as first and second integral structures.

22. The method of claim 18 , including configuring the first and second angles to minimize or eliminate light reflected from at least one of the first and second planar surfaces from either returning to the corresponding at least one light source or being received by the corresponding at least one light receiver.

23. The optical connector of claim 18 , whe

Assignees

• Demeritt Jeffery Alan
• Fortusini Davide Domenico
• Sutherland James Scott
• Corning Inc

Inventors

• Demeritt Jeffery Alan
• Fortusini Davide Domenico
• Sutherland James Scott

Classifications

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title

• G02B6/4204

  the coupling comprising intermediate optical elements, e.g. lenses, holograms (encapsulated active devices H01S5/02208) · CPC title

• G02B6/4207

  with optical elements reducing the sensitivity to optical feedback (anti-reflection devices specially adapted for lasers, see H01S3/0064) · CPC title

• G02B6/327 Primary

  with angled interfaces to reduce reflections · CPC title

• G02B6/4214

  the intermediate optical element having redirecting reflective means, e.g. mirrors, prisms for deflecting the radiation from horizontal to down- or upward direction toward a device (G02B6/4246 takes precedence) · CPC title