Patent ID: 9310530
Filing Date: 2016-04-12
CPC Classification: G01J,G02B

Claim Text:
1. A lens array disposed between a photoelectric conversion device and an optical transmission body, which lens array is capable of optically coupling a plurality of light-emitting elements and an end face of the optical transmission body, in which photoelectric conversion device the plurality of light-emitting elements and a plurality of light-receiving elements are formed, the plurality of light-receiving elements each receiving, respectively, monitor light of each light-emitting element for monitoring light emitted from the plurality of light-emitting elements, wherein: as the photoelectric conversion device, a photoelectric conversion device is disposed in which a row of the light-emitting elements formed by the plurality of light-emitting elements being arrayed along a predetermined first direction are arrayed in parallel in a plurality of rows along a predetermined second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, and a row of the light-receiving elements formed by the plurality of light-receiving elements being arrayed along the first direction in a position on the second direction side and the optical transmission body side in relation to the light-emitting elements in the plurality of rows are arrayed in parallel in a plurality of rows along the second direction; and the lens array includes a first plate-shaped portion of a lens array main body that faces the photoelectric conversion device in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction; a second plate-shaped portion of the lens array main body that is connected to an end portion of the first plate-shaped portion on the second direction side and the optical transmission body side, faces the end face of the optical transmission body in the second direction, and has a same refractive index as the first plate-shaped portion; first lens faces in a plurality of rows, in which a plurality of first lens faces are formed in an array along the first direction on a first surface of the first plate-shaped portion facing the photoelectric conversion device and the first lens faces are formed in a plurality of rows in parallel along the second direction, each on which the light emitted from each light-emitting element in the plurality of rows is incident; second lens faces in a plurality of rows, in which a plurality of second lens faces are formed in an array along the first direction on a second surface of the second plate-shaped portion facing the end face of the optical transmission body and the second lens faces are formed in a plurality of rows in parallel along the third direction, each emitting the light of each light-emitting element in the plurality of rows that has been incident on each first lens face in the plurality of rows towards the end face of the optical transmission body; third lens faces in a plurality of rows, in which a plurality of third lens faces are formed in an array along the first direction on the first surface in a position on the second direction side and the second plate-shaped portion side in relation to the first lens faces in the plurality of rows and the third lens faces are formed in a plurality of rows in parallel along the second direction, each emitting the monitor light of each light-emitting element in the plurality of rows that has been incident from an inner side of the first plate-shaped portion towards the light-receiving elements in the plurality of rows; a prism that is disposed to provide a predetermined gap on the third direction side and the photoelectric conversion device side in relation to a third surface on a side opposite to the first surface of the first plate-shaped portion, and forms an optical path of the light of each light-emitting element in the plurality of rows after being incident on the first lens faces in the plurality of rows; a first prism surface that forms a portion of a surface of the prism and is disposed in a position facing the third surface, on which the light of each light-emitting element in the plurality of rows that has been incident on the first lens faces in the plurality of rows is incident; a second prism surface that forms a portion of the surface of the prism, has a predetermined slope angle in relation to the first prism surface to slope towards the second plate-shaped portion side as the second prism surface becomes farther from the first prism surface, and totally reflects the light of each light-emitting element in the plurality of rows that has been incident on the first prism surface towards the second lens faces in the plurality of rows; a third prism surface that forms a portion of the surface of the prism, has a predetermined slope angle in relation to the first prism surface to slope towards a side opposite to the second plate-shaped portion as the third prism surface becomes farther from the first prism surface, on which the light of each light-emitting element in the plurality of rows that has been totally reflected by the second prism surface is incident; a reflection/transmission layer formed on the third prism surface that reflects the light of each light-emitting element in the plurality of rows that has been incident on the third prism surface towards a side of the third lens faces in the plurality of rows as the monitor light of each light-emitting element in the plurality of rows at a predetermined reflectance, and transmits the light of each light-emitting element in the plurality of rows towards the side of the second lens faces in the plurality of rows at a predetermined transmittance; a first filler material that fills an area between the third surface and the first prism surface; and a second filler material that fills an area between the reflection/transmission layer and a fourth surface of the second plate-shaped portion on a side opposite to the second surface, and of which a refractive index difference with the prism is a predetermined value or less.