Component alignment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9857541-B2
Application number	US-201615219196-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2016
Priority date	Jul 23, 2015
Publication date	Jan 2, 2018
Grant date	Jan 2, 2018

Abstract

A system may include a substrate and a lens component. The substrate may include pads and solder protuberances. Each solder protuberance may be located on a pad. The lens component may define grooves sized to receive at least a portion of the solder protuberances. The lens component may be positioned relative to the substrate such that at least a portion of each solder protuberance is positioned within the grooves.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a substrate including a plurality of pads and a plurality of solder protuberances, each solder protuberance of the plurality of solder protuberances located on an associated pad of the plurality of pads;
a lens component defining a groove having a continuous, substantially rectangular shape, the groove sized to receive at least a portion of each solder protuberance of the plurality of solder protuberances, the lens component positioned relative to the substrate such that at least a portion of each solder protuberance of the plurality of solder protuberances is positioned within the groove; and
epoxy located within the groove.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the epoxy is configured to shrink during a curing process of the epoxy.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the lens component further defines an epoxy well and one or more drain holes in fluid communication with the epoxy well and the groove.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the groove includes an angular groove.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the angular groove includes a right-angle groove.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the right-angle groove has a nominal opening width equal to a nominal diameter of the pads of the plurality of pads.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a cable lens component configured to be located on the lens component; and
a plurality of optical fibers at least partially positioned in the cable lens component.

8. The system of claim 7 , further comprising a lens clip configured to be removably located on the lens component and to urge the cable lens component against the lens component.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the lens component includes a protrusion defining an area on which the cable lens component is located.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the protrusion separates the area on which the cable lens component is located from an epoxy well.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the cable lens component is configured to be selectively separated into two or more portions.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the lens component includes molded plastic.

13. The system of claim 1 , substrate includes a lithographically formed printed circuit board.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pads include circular pads having a nominal diameter of 500 microns.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the solder protuberances of the plurality of solder protuberances has a spherical cap shape having a nominal radius of 300 microns.

16. An optoelectronic transceiver comprising:
a substrate including a plurality of pads and a plurality of solder protuberances, each solder protuberance of the plurality of solder protuberances located on an associated pad of the plurality of pads;
a transceiver lens component defining a groove having a continuous, substantially rectangular shape, the groove sized to receive at least a portion of each solder protuberance of the plurality of solder protuberances, the lens component positioned relative to the substrate such that at least a portion of each solder protuberance of the plurality of solder protuberances is positioned within the groove;
epoxy located within the groove;
a fiber optic cable including:
a cable lens component configured to be located on the transceiver lens component; and
a plurality of optical fibers at least partially positioned in the cable lens component; and
a lens clip configured to be removably located on the transceiver lens component and to urge the cable lens component against the transceiver lens component.

17. The optoelectronic transceiver of claim 16 , wherein the transceiver lens component further defines an epoxy well and one or more drain holes in fluid communication with the epoxy well and the groove.

18. The optoelectronic transceiver of claim 16 , wherein the groove includes a right-angle groove.

Assignees

• Finisar Corp

Inventors

• Douma Darin James
• Flens Frank J

Classifications

• G02B6/4238

  Soldering · CPC title

• G02B6/4239

  Adhesive bonding; Encapsulation with polymer material · CPC title

• G02B6/428

  containing printed circuit boards [PCB] · CPC title

• G02B6/4249

  comprising arrays of active devices and fibres · CPC title

• G02B6/4204 Primary

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