Patent Publication Number: US-8985873-B2

Title: Connector component

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/092,654, filed Apr. 22, 2011, which is a Non-provisional application based on U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/327,966, filed Apr. 26, 2010, and which claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2010-287826, filed Dec. 24, 2010; 2010-287810, filed Dec. 24, 2010; and 2010-287805 filed Dec. 24, 2010, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a connector component. 
     2. Related Background Art 
     Recently, USB (Universal Serial Bus) cables are used as serial buses for connecting peripheral devices to a computer. USB is the bus standards for connection between devices and the USB 3.0 standard is realized presently. USB 3.0 offers the currently fastest transfer rate in the USB standards and its maximum transfer rate is 5 Gbit/s (e.g., Universal Serial Bus 3.0 Specification Revision 1.0). 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     As described above, transfer of large-volume data is required in the recent communication fields. There is, however, a limit to communication rates through conductor wires like USB 3.0 described above. For further increase in transfer rate, there is thus a proposal of a USB cable adapted for optical coupling while including optical cords, in addition to the conductor coupling (Published Japanese Translation of PCT International Application No. P2010-520569A). For that, the computers and other devices need to be equipped with a connector component compatible with both of the conductor coupling and optical coupling. 
     The present invention has been accomplished in order to solve the problem as described above, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a connector component compatible with the conductor coupling and fiber coupling. 
     In order to solve the above problem, a connector component according to the present invention is a connector component to be coupled to a connector incorporating a plurality of conductor wires, and a ferrule holding distal ends of optical fibers, the connector component comprising: connections to be connected to the plurality of conductor wires; a light emitting device to emit light toward the ferrule; and a light receiving device to receive light emitted from the ferrule, wherein the plurality of conductor wires are connected by conductor coupling to the connections and wherein the optical fibers are connected by optical coupling to the light emitting device and the light receiving device. 
     This connector component comprises the connections to be connected to the conductor wires, the light emitting device to emit light toward the ferrule, and the light receiving device to receive light emitted from the ferrule, the plurality of conductor wires are connected by conductor coupling to the connections, and the optical fibers are connected by optical coupling to the light emitting device and the light receiving device. This allows the connector component to be compatible with the USB cable adapted for the optical coupling while including optical cords, in addition to the conductor coupling. As a consequence, it becomes feasible to achieve large-volume data communication at high speed. 
     The connector component comprises lenses for collimating light, at positions opposite to the light emitting device and the light receiving device. This configuration ensures surer optical coupling because the lenses collimate the light emitted from the light emitting device and the light received by the light receiving device. 
     Preferably, the connector component comprises a mirror for reflecting light, at a position opposite to the lenses, and the mirror reflects the light emitted from the light emitting device and collimated by the lens, toward the ferrule and reflects the light emitted from the ferrule, toward the light receiving device. This configuration enables optical coupling to the optical cords of the USB cable, without need for locating the light emitting device and the light receiving device at positions opposite to the ferrule. For this reason, the locations of the light emitting device and the light receiving device can be optionally set. 
     Preferably, the connector component comprises a lens case with a receiving portion forming a receiving space to receive the light emitting device and the light receiving device, and the lenses are provided at the positions opposite to the light emitting device and the light receiving device on the lens case. This configuration permits the light emitting device and the light receiving device to be protected by the lens case. 
     The light emitting device and the light receiving device are arranged at respective positions opposite to the ferrule. This ensures good optical coupling of the optical fibers with the light emitting device and the light receiving device. 
     Preferably, the connector component comprises lenses for collimating light, between the light emitting device and the ferrule and between the light receiving device and the ferrule. This configuration ensures surer optical coupling because the lenses collimate the light emitted from the light emitting device and the light received by the light receiving device. 
     Preferably, the connector component comprises a lens case with a receiving portion to receive the light emitting device and the light receiving device, and the lenses are provided between the light emitting device and the ferrule and between the light receiving device and the ferrule on the lens case. This configuration permits the light emitting device and the light receiving device to be protected by the lens case. 
     Preferably, the connector component comprises a lens case on which the light emitting device and the light receiving device are mounted, and the lenses are provided between the light emitting device and the ferrule and between the light receiving device and the ferrule on the lens case. This configuration permits the light emitting device and the light receiving device to be protected by the lens case. 
     The connector component comprises a conductive member to which the light emitting device and the light receiving device are connected and which is embedded in the lens case, and a connection member to be electrically connected to a printed circuit board is connected to the conductive member. This configuration permits downsizing of the component because there is no need for providing any substrate for mounting of the light emitting device and the light receiving device. 
     The connector component comprises a substrate on which the light emitting device and the light receiving device are mounted, and a conductive member to be electrically connected to a printed circuit board is connected to the substrate. This configuration enables good connection between the printed circuit board and the substrate. 
     The connector component comprises a substrate on which the light emitting device and the light receiving device are mounted, and the substrate has a connection portion to which the connections to be electrically connected to the conductor wires are connected and which is to be connected directly to a printed circuit board. This configuration permits the substrate to be directly connected to an edge connector socket mounted on the printed circuit board. For this reason, fast transmission becomes feasible. 
     Preferably, the lens case is provided with a guide pin to be inserted into the connector and to implement optical-axis alignment of the light emitting device and the light receiving device with the ferrule. This configuration enables good optical-axis alignment of the light emitting device and the light receiving device with the ferrule and improvement in accuracy of optical coupling. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a receptacle and a USB cable according to the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a side cross-sectional view of the receptacle and USB connector shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a side cross-sectional view showing a state in which the receptacle and the USB connector shown in  FIG. 2  are coupled. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the receptacle shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a top plan view of the receptacle shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a front view of the receptacle shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 7  is a side view of the receptacle shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 8  is a drawing for explaining an assembling procedure of the receptacle shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 9  is a side cross-sectional view of a receptacle according to the second embodiment. 
         FIG. 10  is a top plan view of a receptacle according to the third embodiment. 
         FIG. 11  is a side cross-sectional view showing a state in which a receptacle and a USB connector according to the fourth embodiment are coupled. 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the receptacle shown in  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 13  is a top plan view of the receptacle shown in  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 14  is a front view of the receptacle shown in  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 15  is a side view of the receptacle shown in  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 16  is a drawing for explaining an assembling procedure of the receptacle shown in  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 17  is a side cross-sectional view of a receptacle according to the fifth embodiment. 
         FIG. 18  is a top plan view of a receptacle according to the sixth embodiment. 
         FIG. 19  is a side cross-sectional view showing a state in which a receptacle and a USB connector according to the seventh embodiment are coupled. 
         FIG. 20  is a perspective view of the receptacle shown in  FIG. 19 . 
         FIG. 21  is a top plan view of the receptacle shown in  FIG. 19 . 
         FIG. 22  is a front view of the receptacle shown in  FIG. 19 . 
         FIG. 23  is a side view of the receptacle shown in  FIG. 19 . 
         FIG. 24  is a drawing for explaining an assembling procedure of the receptacle shown in  FIG. 19 . 
         FIG. 25  is a top plan view of a receptacle according to the eighth embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The preferred embodiments of the connector component according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the below description, the same elements or elements with the same functionality will be denoted by the same reference signs, without redundant description. In the description hereinafter, “front” represents the left side in the drawing and “rear” the right side in the drawing. 
     [First Embodiment] 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a receptacle and a USB connector according to the first embodiment.  FIG. 2  is a side cross-sectional view in  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 3  is a side cross-sectional view showing a state in which the USB connector is coupled to the receptacle. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the receptacle  1  is a connector component to which the USB connector  3  with USB A terminal connected to a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable  2  is to be coupled. A plurality of optical cords (two optical cords herein), in addition to a plurality of conductor wires (four wires herein; metal lines), are shielded in the USB cable  2 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , a ferrule  4  is housed in a plug  5  of the USB connector  3  and this ferrule  4  holds distal ends of coated optical fibers (not shown) of the respective optical cords. Lenses  4   a  are located at a tip end of the ferrule  4  and a center axis of each lens  4   a  is highly accurately aligned with a center axis of a corresponding coated optical fiber. The receptacle  1  is mounted, for example, on a personal computer or on other external equipment (e.g., a printer, an external hard disk drive, or the like). 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the receptacle  1  and the USB connector  3  are connected in such a manner that the USB connector  3  is nipped by the receptacle  1 . Specifically, the receptacle  1  is provided with a metal shell  11  and the metal shell  11  is equipped with a pair of projections  12   a ,  12   b  projecting inwardly, in the vertical directions (opposite directions) in the drawing. In this configuration, as the USB connector  3  is plugged into the receptacle  1 , a top face  5   a  and a bottom face  5   b  of the plug  5  of the USB connector  3  come into contact with the projections  12   a ,  12   b . This causes the projections  12   a ,  12   b  to push the top face  5   a  and bottom face  5   b  of the plug  5  of the USB connector  3 , whereby the receptacle  1  and the USB connector  3  are retained in a connected state. The receptacle  1  is optically coupled with the USB connector  3  through alignment of their optical axes by guide pins  30   a ,  30   b  described below. At the same time as the optical coupling, the conductor wires of the USB connector  3  are also coupled (in metal contact) with connections  18  of the receptacle  1 . 
     The configuration of the receptacle  1  will be described below with reference to  FIGS. 4 to 8 .  FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing the appearance of the receptacle,  FIG. 5  is a top plan view of the receptacle shown in  FIG. 4 ,  FIG. 6  is a front view of the receptacle shown in  FIG. 4 ,  FIG. 7  is a side view of the receptacle shown in  FIG. 4 , and  FIG. 8  is a drawing for explaining an assembling procedure of the receptacle shown in  FIG. 4 .  FIGS. 4 to 8  are drawn without illustration of the metal shell  11 , for convenience&#39; sake of description. 
     As shown in each drawing, the receptacle  1  is provided with a main body part  13  and an optical device part (OSA: Optical Sub Assembly)  14 . The main body part  13  is made of an insulating material. The main body part  13  has a protruding portion  15  and a housing portion  16 . The protruding portion  15  is provided so as to protrude forward from the housing portion  16  in the main body part  13 , and is of a flat plate shape. In the protruding portion  15  there are a plurality of embedded conductors (four conductors herein; connection conductors)  17  for electric signals, power, and power ground. As shown in  FIG. 7 , one ends of the conductors  17  are provided so as to be exposed in a surface of the protruding portion  15  at positions where they are electrically connected to contact portions (not shown) provided in the USB connector  3 , thereby constituting the connections  18 . The other ends of the conductors  17  are bent at about 90° on the rear side (housing portion  16  side) of the main body part  13  to be drawn out downward from the main body part  13 . The housing portion  16  is provided on the rear side of the main body part  13 . The housing portion  16  is a portion that houses the optical device part  14 , and has a rectangular shape on the top plan view, as shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     The optical device part  14  is composed of a substrate  20 , a lens case  21 , and a mirror component  22 . The substrate  20  is, for example, a printed wiring board. The substrate  20  has a rectangular shape and has the outside dimensions equivalent to those of the housing portion  16  in the main body part  13 . There are a light emitting device  23 , a light receiving device  24 , and an IC (Integrated Circuit) chip  25  mounted on the front end side of the substrate  20 . The light emitting device  23  and the light receiving device  24  are connected through wires  26  to the IC chip  25 . The light emitting device  23  to be used herein can be, for example, a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL: Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting LASER). The light receiving device  24  to be used herein can be a photodiode (PD: Photodiode). 
     The IC chip  25  has functions to control the light emitting device  23  and the light receiving device  24  and other functions, e.g., such functions as a driver to drive the light emitting device  23 , a transimpedance amplifier (TIA: TransImpedance Amplifier) to output a voltage signal according to a light signal received by the light receiving device  24 , a limiting amplifier (LA: Limiting Amplifier), and so on. The IC chip  25  is controlled by the device on which the receptacle  1  is mounted. 
     There are through holes H formed on the rear end side of the substrate  20 , through which terminals (pins: electroconductive members)  27  for connection between the optical device part  14  and a printed circuit board (not shown) are inserted. There are a plurality of through holes (e.g., nine holes) H formed corresponding to the terminals  27 , and the through holes H are electrically connected to the terminals  27 . The terminals  27  inserted in the through holes H are as many (e.g., nine terminals) as the through holes H, in the main body part  13 . Specifically, the terminals  27  include, for example, four terminals for signal lines, one terminal for power, one terminal for ground (earth), and three terminals for control of the IC chip  25 . The terminals  27  are inserted in the through holes H formed in the substrate  20 , so as to be electrically connected to the substrate  20 . In the example of  FIG. 7  the terminals  27  connected to the substrate  20  are aligned in a line in the direction normal to the plane of the drawing, but they may be aligned in a plurality of lines in the direction normal to the plane of the drawing. 
     The lens case  21  is arranged on the substrate  20  so as to cover the light emitting device  23 , the light receiving device  24 , the IC chip  25 , and so on. The lens case  21  is made of a transparent resin with transparency, e.g., polyetherimide (PEI), polycarbonate (PC), or acrylic resin. Furthermore, it is preferable to use an electron beam cross-linked resin. When the electron beam cross-linked resin is used, the lens case  21  can have sufficient reflow heat resistance and then can be mounted simultaneously with general electronic components. The lens case  21  has a recessed cross section and has a receiving portion  21   a  forming a receiving space S to receive the light emitting device  23 , the light receiving device  24 , the IC chip  25 , etc. in a state in which it is arranged on the substrate  20 . A lens portion  28   a  for collimating light to be emitted from the light emitting device  23  is formed in a spherical convex shape on a top face of the lens case  21  (the surface on the mirror  29  side) and at a position opposite to the light emitting device  23 . Furthermore, a lens portion  28   b  for collimating light to enter the light receiving device  24  is formed in a spherical convex shape on the top face of the lens case  21  and at a position opposite to the light receiving device  24 . The lens portion  28   a  and the lens portion  28   b  are arranged on the same straight line, in the width direction of the main body part  13 . Each of the lens portion  28   a  and the lens portion  28   b  is adaptable to either of the light emitting device  23  and the light receiving device  24 . The positions of the light emitting device  23  and the light receiving device  24  may be properly changed according to specifications. 
     The receiving space S (receiving portion  21   a ) of the lens case  21  is filled with a refractive-index matching material (resin) not shown. The refractive-index matching material to be used herein can be, for example, epoxy resin, silicone resin, or the like, and the refractive index thereof is, for example, n=1.4 to 1.6 approximately. When the receiving space S of the lens case  21  is filled with the refractive-index matching material, it is feasible to reduce reflection of incident and emerging light at an interface with air and to protect the light emitting device  23 , light receiving device  24 , IC chip  25 , etc. arranged on the substrate  20 . 
     The mirror component  22  is arranged on the substrate  20  so as to be located above the lens case  21 . The mirror component  22  has a mirror  29 , and guide pins  30   a ,  30   b . The mirror  29  is provided at a position where it is opposed to the lens portions  28   a ,  28   b  of the lens case  21  (or where the lens portions  28   a ,  28   b  face the mirror  29 ). The mirror  29  is arranged at such an angle (e.g.,) 45° as to reflect light by 90° relative to an incidence direction or an emergence direction and is formed along the width direction (the vertical direction in  FIG. 5 ) of the mirror component  22 . 
     The guide pins  30   a ,  30   b , as shown in  FIG. 4 , are formed on a pair of stands  31   a ,  31   b , respectively, provided on both sides in the width direction of the main body part  13 . The guide pins  30   a ,  30   b  are provided so as to project forward from a front face of the mirror component  22  (a surface on the side where the USB connector  3  is located). Specifically, the guide pins  30   a ,  30   b  are formed so as to be tapered from the base end on the stand  31   a ,  31   b  side toward the distal end. The guide pins  30   a ,  30   b  are inserted into guide grooves (not shown) formed in the plug  5  of the USB connector  3 . The guide pins  30   a ,  30   b  are molded integrally with the mirror  29 . 
     The receptacle  1  having the above-described configuration is constructed, as shown in  FIG. 8 , by first assembling the optical device part  14  and thereafter incorporating this optical device part  14  into the housing portion  16  of the main body part  13 . On this occasion, the optical device part  14  is arranged in the housing portion  16  of the main body part  13  by such positioning that the terminals  27  formed in the main body part  13  are inserted into the through holes H formed in the substrate  20  of the optical device part  14 . Then the main body part  13  with the optical device part  14  thereon is inserted into the metal shell  11 , thereby completing the receptacle  1 . 
     The below will describe the operation with the aforementioned receptacle  1  and the USB connector  3  being coupled, with reference to  FIG. 3 . In  FIG. 3 , the conductor wires of the USB cable  2  are in contact with the connections  18  of the receptacle  1 , thereby achieving connections (metal contacts) between the conductors. For example, output light from the light emitting device  23  of the receptacle  1  is collimated by the lens portion  28   a  of the lens case  21  (to become collimated light), and then the light is reflected by the mirror  29  of the mirror component  22  to change its traveling direction by 90°. Then the reflected light is incident into the lens  4   a  of the ferrule  4 . 
     On the other hand, output light from the ferrule  4  is also reflected similarly by the mirror  29  of the mirror component  22  to change its traveling direction by 90° and then the reflected light is condensed by the lens portion  28   b  of the lens case  21  to enter the light receiving device  24 . In this manner, the optical coupling is also achieved at the same time as the conductor coupling. 
     The receptacle  1  having the aforementioned configuration is provided with a shutter (not shown) to cover the plug portion of the USB connector  3  in a state in which it is mounted on a personal computer or the like. This is the configuration for preventing the emission from the light emitting device  23  from being directly seen by users. This configuration ensures safety for user&#39;s eyes. Alternatively, the IC chip  25  may control the light emitting device  23  to emit light only if the receptacle  1  is connected to the USB connector  3 . 
     As described above, the receptacle  1  is provided with the connections  18  to be connected to the conductor wires of the USB cable  2 , the light emitting device  23  to emit light toward the ferrule  4 , and the light receiving device  24  to receive light emitted from the ferrule  4 . 
     Then the conductor wires are connected by conductor coupling to the connections  18  and the optical fibers in the USB cable  2  are connected by optical coupling to the light emitting device  23  and the light receiving device  24 . This allows the receptacle  1  to be compatible with the USB cable  2  adapted for the optical coupling while including the optical cords, in addition to the conductor coupling. As a result, it becomes feasible to achieve large-volume data communication at high speed. 
     Since the lens portions  28   a ,  28   b  for collimating light are provided at the positions opposite to the light emitting device  23  and the light receiving device  24 , the light beam emitted from the light emitting device  23  and the light beam received by the light receiving device  24  are collimated by the lens portions  28   a ,  28   b , which ensures surer optical coupling. 
     Furthermore, the mirror  29  for reflecting light is provided at the position opposite to the lens portions  28   a ,  28   b , and the mirror  29  reflects the light emitted from the light emitting device  23  and collimated by the lens portion  28   a , toward the ferrule  4  and reflects the light emitted from the ferrule  4 , toward the light receiving device  24 . This enables the optical coupling with the optical cords of the USB cable  2 , without need for locating the light emitting device  23  and the light receiving device  24  at positions opposite to the ferrule  4 . For this reason, the locations of the light emitting device  23  and the light receiving device  24  can be optionally set. 
     The receptacle  1  is provided with the lens case  21  having the receiving portion  21  a which forms the receiving space S to receive the light emitting device  23  and the light receiving device  24 , and the lens portions  28   a ,  28   b  are provided at the positions opposite to the light emitting device  23  and the light receiving device  24  on the lens case  21 . This configuration allows the light emitting device  23  and the light receiving device  24  to be protected by the lens case  21 . Furthermore, since the receiving space S is filled with the refractive-index matching material, it can reduce reflection of incident and emerging light at the interface to air and protect the light emitting device  23 , light receiving device  24 , IC chip  25 , etc. arranged on the substrate  20 , more certainly. 
     [Second Embodiment] 
     The second embodiment will be described below.  FIG. 9  is a side cross-sectional view of the receptacle according to the second embodiment. As shown in  FIG. 9 , the receptacle  1 A of the second embodiment is provided with a main body part  13  and an optical device part  14 A. The main body part  13  has the same configuration as in the first embodiment. 
     The optical device part  14 A is composed of a substrate  20 A, a lens case  21 , and a mirror component  22 , and the lens case  21  and the mirror component  22  have the same configurations as in the first embodiment. There are a light emitting device  23 , a light receiving device  24 , and an IC chip  25  mounted on the front end side of the substrate  20 A. The substrate  20 A has a larger length than the substrate  20  in the first embodiment, and the rear end of the substrate  20 A projects out of the metal shell  11 . Contacts (connections) C to be inserted into an edge connector socket (not shown) are formed at the end on the rear end side of the substrate  20 A. In this configuration, the substrate  20 A serves as an edge connector. 
     Furthermore, conductors  17 A are bent by approximately 90° upward on the rear end side of the main body part  13  and inserted into respective through holes H formed in the substrate  20 A. In the receptacle  1 A, therefore, terminals to be connected to a printed circuit board are only the contacts C of the substrate  20 A. 
     As described above, the receptacle  1 A is provided with the connections  18  to be connected to the conductor wires of the USB cable  2 , the light emitting device  23  to emit light toward the ferrule  4 , and the light receiving device  24  to receive light emitted from the ferrule  4 . Then the conductor wires are connected by conductor coupling to the connections  18  and the optical fibers in the USB cable  2  are connected by optical coupling to the light emitting device  23  and the light receiving device  24 . This allows the receptacle  1 A to be compatible with the USB cable  2  adapted for the optical coupling while including the optical cords, in addition to the conductor coupling. As a consequence, it becomes feasible to achieve large-capacity data communication at high speed. 
     Since in the receptacle  1 A the substrate  20 A is the edge connector with the contacts C to be inserted into the edge connector socket, faster transmission can be achieved when compared with the case where the connection to the printed circuit board is implemented by the conductors  17  and terminals (pins). 
     [Third Embodiment] 
     The third embodiment will be described below.  FIG. 10  is a top plan view showing the receptacle of the third embodiment. As shown in  FIG. 10 , the receptacle  1 B of the third embodiment is different from the receptacle  1  of the first embodiment in that it is further provided with lens portions  28   c ,  28   d , but the other basic configuration is the same as in the first embodiment. 
     An optical device part  14 B of the receptacle  1 B is provided with a plurality of lens portions (four lens portions herein)  28   a - 28   d . Specifically, the lens portions  28   a - 28   d  are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the lens case  21 A. The lens portions  28   a - 28   d  are formed in a spherical convex shape, at positions opposite to light emitting devices  23  and light receiving devices  24  and on the top face of the lens case  21 A (the surface on the mirror  29  side), as in the first embodiment. Namely, there are two light emitting devices  23  and two light receiving devices  24  mounted on the substrate  20 . 
     As described above, the receptacle  1 B is provided with the connections  18  to be connected to the conductor wires of the USB cable  2 , the light emitting devices  23  to emit light toward the ferrule  4 , and the light receiving devices  24  to receive light emitted from the ferrule  4 . Then the conductor wires are connected by conductor coupling to the connections  18  and the optical fibers in the USB cable  2  are connected by optical coupling to the light emitting devices  23  and the light receiving devices  24 . This allows the receptacle  1 B to be compatible with the USB cable  2  adapted for the optical coupling while including the optical cords, in addition to the conductor coupling. As a result, it becomes feasible to achieve large-volume data communication at high speed. 
     The configuration with the lens portions  28   a - 28   d  allows the receptacle  1 B to be compatible with the case where the USB cable  2  includes four optical cords. It is noted that the configuration of the receptacle  1 B of the third embodiment is also applicable to the receptacle  1 A of the second embodiment. 
     [Fourth Embodiment] 
     The fourth embodiment will be described below.  FIG. 11  is a drawing showing a state in which the receptacle and the USB connector according to the fourth embodiment are coupled,  FIG. 12  is a perspective view showing the appearance of the receptacle shown in  FIG. 11 ,  FIG. 13  is a top plan view of the receptacle shown in  FIG. 11 ,  FIG. 14  is a front view of the receptacle shown in  FIG. 11 ,  FIG. 15  is a side view of the receptacle shown in  FIG. 11 , and  FIG. 16  is a drawing for explaining an assembling procedure of the receptacle shown in  FIG. 11 .  FIGS. 12 to 14  are drawn without illustration of metal shell  11 , for convenience&#39; sake of description. 
     As shown in each drawing, the receptacle  40  is provided with a main body part  41  and an optical device part (OSA: Optical Sub Assembly)  42 . The main body part  41  is made of an insulating material. The main body part  41  has a protruding portion  43  and a housing portion  44 . The protruding portion  43  is provided so as to protrude forward from the housing portion  44 , in the main body part  41 , and is of a flat plate shape. In the protruding portion  43  there are a plurality of embedded conductors (four conductors herein; connection conductors)  17  for electric signals, power, and power ground. As shown in  FIG. 15 , one ends of the conductors  17  are provided so as to be exposed in a surface of the protruding portion  43  at positions where they are to be electrically connected to contact portions (not shown) provided in the USB connector  3 , thereby forming connections  18 . The other ends of the conductors  17  are bent by about 90° on the rear side of the main body part  41  (the housing portion  44  side) to be drawn out downward from the main body part  41 . The other ends of the conductors  17  are to be electrically connected to a printed circuit board (not shown). The housing portion  44  is provided on the rear side of the main body part  41 . The housing portion  44  is a portion that houses the optical device part  42 , and there are a plurality of steps  44   a  formed therein. 
     The optical device part  42  is composed of a substrate  45  and a lens case  46 . The substrate  45  is, for example, a printed wiring board. The substrate  45  has a rectangular shape and has the outside dimensions to fit in a receiving portion  48  of the lens case  46 . There are a light emitting device  23 , a light receiving device  24 , and an IC chip  25  mounted on the substrate  45 . The light emitting device  23  and the light receiving device  24  are connected through wires  26  to the IC chip  25 . The light emitting device  23  to be used herein can be, for example, a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL: Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting LASER). The light receiving device  24  to be used herein can be a photodiode (PD: Photodiode). 
     The IC chip  25  has functions to control the light emitting device  23  and the light receiving device  24  and other functions, e.g., such functions as a driver to drive the light emitting device  23 , a transimpedance amplifier (TIA: Translmpedance Amplifier) to output a voltage signal according to a light signal received by the light receiving device  24 , a limiting amplifier (LA: Limiting Amplifier), and so on. The IC chip  25  is controlled by the device on which the receptacle  40  is mounted. 
     A flexible wiring board (rigid flex: conductive member)  47  for connection between the optical device part  42  and the printed circuit board is connected to the lower end side of the substrate  45 . Specifically, the flexible wiring board  47  is provided, for example, with wires for signal lines, for power, for ground (earth), and for control of the IC chip  25 . The flexible wiring board  47  is electrically connected to the substrate  45 . 
     The lens case  46  has a configuration to cover the substrate  45  on which the light emitting device  23 , light receiving device  24 , IC chip  25 , etc. are mounted. The lens case  46  is made of a transparent resin with transparency, e.g., polyetherimide (PEI), polycarbonate (PC), or acrylic resin. Furthermore, it is preferable to use an electron beam cross-linked resin. When the electron beam cross-linked resin is used, the lens case  46  can have sufficient reflow heat resistance and can be mounted simultaneously with general electronic components. The contour of the lens case  46  is a shape corresponding to the steps  44   a  of the housing portion  44 . The receiving portion  48  for receiving the substrate  45  is formed in the lens case  46 . The lens case  46  is provided with an aperture, and the substrate  45  is arranged in an upright state over this aperture portion. This arrangement makes the back side of the lens case  46  and the substrate  45  approximately flush with each other. 
     As shown in  FIG. 13 , lens portions  49   a ,  49   b  for collimating light emitted from the light emitting device  23  are formed in a spherical convex shape at respective positions opposite to the light emitting device  23  on a front face F 1  (surface on the side where the USB connector  3  is located) and a rear face F 2  (surface on the light emitting device  23  side) of the lens case  46 . Namely, the lens portions  49   a ,  49   b  are arranged between the ferrule  4  and the light emitting device  23 . Lens portions  49   c ,  49   d  for collimating light to enter the light receiving device  24  are formed in a spherical convex shape at respective positions opposite to the light receiving device  24  on the front face F 1  and the rear face F 2  of the lens case  46 . Namely, the lens portions  49   c ,  49   d  are arranged between the ferrule  4  and the light receiving device  24 . 
     The lens case  46  has guide pins  50   a ,  50   b . The lens case  46 , as shown in  FIG. 13 , is of a recessed shape on the top plan view and the guide pins  50   a ,  50   b  are provided so as to project forward from front end faces  46   a ,  46   b  of the recessed shape. The guide pins  50   a ,  50   b  are formed so as to be tapered from the base end on the front end face  46   a ,  46   b  side toward the distal end. The guide pins  50   a ,  50   b  are inserted into guide grooves (not shown) formed in the plug  5  of the USB connector  3 . This operation results in aligning the optical axes between the ferrule  4  and the light emitting device  23  and between the ferrule  4  and the light receiving device  24 . 
     The receptacle  40  having the above configuration is constructed, as shown in  FIG. 16 , by first assembling the optical device part  42  and thereafter putting this optical device part  42  into the housing portion  44  of the main body part  41 . On this occasion, the optical device part  42  is arranged in the housing portion  44  of the main body part  41  by such positioning that the steps  44   a  formed in the housing portion  44  fit with the steps of the optical device part  42 . Then the main body part  41  with the optical device part  42  thereon is inserted into the metal shell  11 , thereby completing the receptacle  40 . 
     The operation with the USB connector  3  being coupled to the aforementioned receptacle  40  will be described below with reference to  FIG. 11 . In  FIG. 11 , the conductor wires of the USB cable  2  are in contact with the connections  18  of the receptacle  40  to achieve connections (metal contacts) between the conductors. For example, output light from the light emitting device  23  of the receptacle  40  is collimated by the lens portions  49   a ,  49   b  of the lens case  46  to enter the lens  4   a  of the ferrule  4 . On the other hand, output light from the ferrule  4  is also collimated similarly by the lens portions  49   c ,  49   d  of the lens case  46  to enter the light receiving device  24 . In this manner, the optical coupling is also achieved at the same time as the conductor coupling. 
     As described above, the receptacle  40  is provided with the connections  18  to be connected to the conductor wires of the USB cable  2 , the light emitting device  23  to emit light toward the ferrule  4 , and the light receiving device  24  to receive light emitted from the ferrule  4 . This allows the receptacle  40  to be compatible with the USB cable  2  adapted for the optical coupling while including the optical cords, in addition to the conductor coupling. As a consequence, it is feasible to achieve large-volume data communication at high speed. 
     Since the lens portions  49   a - 49   d  for collimating light are provided at the positions opposite to the light emitting device  23  and the light receiving device  24 , the light beam emitted from the light emitting device  23  and the light beam received by the light receiving device  24  are collimated by the lens portions  49   a - 49   d , which ensures surer optical coupling. 
     The receptacle is provided with the lens case  46  having the receiving portion  48  receiving the light emitting device  23  and the light receiving device  24 , and the lens portions  49   a - 49   d  are provided at the positions opposite to the light emitting device  23  and the light receiving device  24  on the lens case  46 . This configuration allows the light emitting device  23  and the light receiving device  24  to be protected by the lens case  46 . 
     [Fifth Embodiment] 
     The fifth embodiment will be described below.  FIG. 17  is a side cross-sectional view of the receptacle according to the fifth embodiment. As shown in  FIG. 17 , the receptacle  40 A of the fifth embodiment is provided with a main body part  41  and an optical device part  42 A. The main body part  41  has the same configuration as in the first embodiment. 
     The optical device part  42 A is composed of a substrate  45 A and a lens case  46 , and the lens case  46  has the same configuration as in the fourth embodiment. There are a light emitting device  23 , a light receiving device  24 , and an IC chip  25  mounted on the substrate  45 A. The substrate  45 A has a larger length than the substrate  45  of the fourth embodiment and the lower end of the substrate  45 A projects out of the metal shell  11 . Contacts (connections) C to be inserted into an edge connector socket (not shown) are formed at the lower end of the substrate  45 A. In this configuration, the substrate  45 A serves as an edge connector. 
     The conductors  17 B are inserted into respective through holes H formed in the substrate  45 A on the rear end side of the main body part  4 , so as to be electrically connected to the substrate  45 A. In the receptacle  40 A, therefore, terminals to be connected to a printed circuit board are only the contacts C of the substrate  45 A. 
     As described above, the receptacle  40 A is provided with the connections  18  to be connected to the conductor wires of the USB cable  2 , the light emitting device  23  to emit light toward the ferrule  4 , and the light receiving device  24  to receive light emitted from the ferrule  4 . Then the conductor wires are connected by conductor coupling to the connections  18  and the optical fibers in the USB cable  2  are connected by optical coupling to the light emitting device  23  and the light receiving device  24 . This allows the receptacle  40 A to be compatible with the USB cable  2  adapted for the optical coupling while including the optical cords, in addition to the conductor coupling. As a consequence, it is feasible to achieve large-volume data communication at high speed. 
     Since in the receptacle  40 A the substrate  45 A has the contacts C to be inserted into the edge connector socket and constitutes the edge connector, faster transmission can be achieved when compared with the case where the receptacle is mounted through the conductors  17 B and terminals (pins) on the printed circuit board. 
     [Sixth Embodiment] 
     The sixth embodiment will be described below.  FIG. 18  is a top plan view of the receptacle according to the sixth embodiment. As shown in the same drawing, the receptacle  40 B is different from the fifth embodiment in that it is further provided with lens portions  49   e - 49   h , but the other basic configuration is the same as in the fifth embodiment. 
     An optical device part  42 B of the receptacle  40 B is provided with a plurality of lens portions (eight lens portions herein)  49   a - 49   h . Specifically, the lens portions  49   a - 49   h  are arranged in juxtaposition in the longitudinal direction of the lens case  46 A. The lens portions  49   a - 49   h , as in the fifth embodiment, are formed in a spherical convex shape at respective positions opposite to the light emitting device  23  and the light receiving device  24  on the front face F 1  and the rear face F 2  of the lens case  46 A. Namely, there are two light emitting devices  23  and two light receiving devices  24  mounted on the substrate  45 B. 
     As described above, the receptacle  40 B is provided with the connections  18  to be connected to the conductor wires of the USB cable  2 , the light emitting devices  23  to emit light toward the ferrule  4 , and the light receiving devices  24  to receive light emitted from the ferrule  4 . Then the conductor wires are connected by conductor coupling to the connections  18  and the optical fibers in the USB cable  2  are connected by optical coupling to the light emitting devices  23  and the light receiving devices  24 . This allows the receptacle  40 B to be compatible with the USB cable  2  adapted for the optical coupling while including the optical cords, in addition to the conductor coupling. As a consequence, it is feasible to achieve large-volume data communication at high speed. 
     The configuration with the lens portions  49   a - 49   h  allows the receptacle  40 B to be also compatible with the case where the USB cable  2  includes four optical cords. It is noted that the configuration of the receptacle  40 B of the sixth embodiment is also applicable to the receptacle  40 A of the fifth embodiment. 
     [Seventh Embodiment] 
     The seventh embodiment will be described below.  FIG. 19  is a side cross-sectional view showing a state in which the receptacle and USB connector according to the seventh embodiment are coupled,  FIG. 20  a perspective view of the receptacle shown in  FIG. 19 ,  FIG. 21  a top plan view of the receptacle shown in  FIG. 19 ,  FIG. 22  a front view of the receptacle shown in  FIG. 19 ,  FIG. 23  a side view of the receptacle shown in  FIG. 19 , and  FIG. 24  a drawing for explaining an assembling procedure of the receptacle shown in  FIG. 19 .  FIGS. 20 to 24  are drawn without illustration of the metal shell  11 , for convenience&#39; sake of description. 
     As shown in each drawing, the receptacle  60  is provided with a main body part  61  and an optical device part (OSA: Optical Sub Assembly)  62 . The main body part  61  is made of an insulating material. The main body part  61  has a protruding portion  63  and a housing portion  64 . The protruding portion  63  is provided so as to protrude forward from the housing portion  64  in the main body part  61 , and is of a flat plate shape. In the protruding portion  63  there are a plurality of embedded conductors (four conductors herein; connection conductors)  17  for electric signals, power, and power ground. As shown in  FIG. 19 , one ends of the conductors  17  are provided so as to be exposed in a surface of the protruding portion  63  at positions where they are to be electrically connected to contacts (not shown) provided in the USB connector  3 , thereby forming the connections  18 . The other ends of the conductors  17  are bent by about 90° on the rear side of the main body part  61  (the housing portion  64  side) to be drawn out downward from the main body part  61 . The other ends of the conductors  17  are electrically connected to a printed circuit board (not shown). The housing portion  64  is provided on the rear side of the main body part  61 . The housing portion  64  is a portion that houses the optical device part  62 , and a plurality of steps  64   a  are formed therein. 
     The optical device part  62  is provided with a lens case  65 . The lens case  65  is made of a transparent resin with transparency, e.g., polyetherimide (PEI), polycarbonate (PC), or acrylic resin. Furthermore, it is preferable to use an electron beam cross-linked resin. When the electron beam cross-linked resin is used, the lens case  65  can have sufficient reflow heat resistance and can be mounted simultaneously with general electronic components. There are a light emitting device  23 , a light receiving device  24 , and an IC chip  2  mounted on the lens case  65 . Specifically, the lens case  65  includes conductors (conductive members) L and the light emitting device  23 , light receiving device  24 , and IC chip  25  are connected to the conductors L. The light emitting device  23  and the light receiving device  24  are connected through wires  26  to the IC chip  25 . The light emitting device  23  to be used herein can be, for example, a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL: Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting LASER). The light receiving device  24  to be used herein can be a photodiode (PD: Photodiode). 
     The IC chip  25  has functions to control the light emitting device  23  and the light receiving device  24  and other functions, e.g., such functions as a driver to drive the light emitting device  23 , a transimpedance amplifier (TIA: TransImpedance Amplifier) to output a voltage signal according to a light signal received by the light receiving device  24 , a limiting amplifier (LA: Limiting Amplifier), and so on. The IC chip  25  is controlled by the device on which the receptacle  60  is mounted. 
     A flexible wiring board (rigid flex: connection member)  66  for connection between the optical device part  62  and the printed circuit board is connected to the lens case  65 . Specifically, the flexible wiring board  66  is provided, for example, with wires for signal lines, for power, for ground (earth), and for control of the IC chip  25 . The flexible wiring board  66  is electrically connected to the conductors L included in the lens case  65 . 
     A lens portion  67   a  for collimating light emitted from the light emitting device  23  is formed in a spherical convex shape at a position opposite to the light emitting device  23  on a front face F 1  of the lens case  65  (a surface on the side where the USB connector  3  is located). Namely, the lens portion  67   a  is arranged between the ferrule  4  and the light emitting device  23 . A lens portion  67   b  for collimating light to be received by the light receiving device  24  is formed in a spherical convex shape at a position opposite to the light receiving device  24  on the front face F 1  of the lens case  65 . Namely, the lens portion  67   b  is arranged between the ferrule  4  and the light receiving device  24 . 
     The lens case  65  has guide pins  68   a ,  68   b . The lens case  65  is of a recessed shape on the top plan view, as shown in  FIG. 21 , and the guide pins  68   a ,  68   b  are provided so as to project forward from front end faces  69   a ,  69   b  of the recessed shape. The guide pins  68   a ,  68   b  are formed so as to be tapered from the base end on the front end face  69   a ,  69   b  side toward the distal end. The guide pins  68   a ,  68   b  are inserted into guide grooves (not shown) formed in the plug  5  of the USB connector  3 . This operation results in aligning the optical axes between the ferrule  4  and the light emitting device  23  and between the ferrule  4  and the light receiving device  24 . 
     The receptacle  60  having the above configuration is constructed, as shown in  FIG. 24 , by first assembling the optical device part  62  and thereafter putting this optical device part  62  into the housing portion  64  of the main body part  61 . On this occasion, the optical device part  62  is arranged in the housing portion  64  of the main body part  61  by such positioning that the steps of the optical device part  62  fit with the steps  64   a  formed in the housing portion  64 . Then the main body part  61  with the optical device part  62  thereon is inserted into the metal shell  11 , thereby completing the receptacle  60 . 
     The operation with the USB connector  3  being coupled to the above receptacle  60  will be described below with reference to  FIG. 19 . In  FIG. 19 , the conductor wires of the USB cable  2  are in contact with the connections  18  of the receptacle  60  to achieve connections (metal contacts) between the conductors. For example, output light from the light emitting device  23  of the receptacle  60  is collimated by the lens portion  67   a  of the lens case  65  to enter the lens  4   a  of the ferrule  4 . On the other hand, output light from the ferrule  4  is also collimated similarly by the lens portion  67   b  of the lens case  65  to enter the light receiving device  24 . In this manner, the optical coupling is also achieved at the same time as the conductor coupling. 
     As described above, the receptacle  60  is provided with the connections  18  to be connected to the conductor wires of the USB cable  2 , the light emitting device  23  to emit light toward the ferrule  4 , and the light receiving device  24  to receive light emitted from the ferrule  4 . Then the conductor wires are connected by conductor coupling to the connections  18  and the optical fibers in the USB cable  2  are connected by optical coupling to the light emitting device  23  and the light receiving device  24 . This allows the receptacle  60  to be compatible with the USB cable  2  adapted for the optical coupling while including the optical cords, in addition to the conductor coupling. As a consequence, it is feasible to achieve large-volume data communication at high speed. 
     Since the lens portions  67   a ,  67   b  for collimating light are provided at the positions opposite to the light emitting device  23  and the light receiving device  24 , the light beam emitted from the light emitting device  23  and the light beam received by the light receiving device  24  are collimated by the lens portions  67   a ,  67   b , which ensures surer optical coupling. 
     Since the conductors L are included in the lens case  65  and the light emitting device  23 , light receiving device  24 , and IC chip  25  are connected to the conductors L, the optical device part  62  can be downsized. 
     [Eighth Embodiment] 
     The eighth embodiment will be described below.  FIG. 25  is a top plan view of the receptacle according to the eighth embodiment. As shown in  FIG. 25 , the receptacle  60 A of the eighth embodiment is different from the receptacle  60  of the seventh embodiment in that it is further provided with lens portions  67   c ,  67   d , but the other basic configuration is the same as in the seventh embodiment. 
     As shown in  FIG. 25 , the receptacle  60 A is provided with a plurality of lens portions (four lens portions herein)  67   a - 67   d . Specifically, the lens portions  67   a - 67   d  are arranged along the longitudinal direction of lens case  65 A. The lens portions  67   a - 67   d , as in the seventh embodiment, are formed in a spherical convex shape at the positions opposite to the light emitting devices  23  and the light receiving devices  24  on the front face F 1  of the lens case  65 A. Namely, there are two light emitting devices  23  and two light receiving devices  24  mounted on the lens case  65 A. 
     As described above, the receptacle  60 A is provided with the connections  18  to be connected to the conductor wires of the USB cable  2 , the light emitting devices  23  to emit light toward the ferrule  4 , and the light receiving devices  24  to receive light emitted from the ferrule  4 . Then the conductor wires are connected by conductor coupling to the connections  18  and the optical fibers in the USB cable  2  are connected by optical coupling to the light emitting devices  23  and the light receiving devices  24 . This allows the receptacle  60 A to be compatible with the USB cable  2  adapted for the optical coupling while including the optical cords, in addition to the conductor coupling. As a consequence, it is feasible to achieve large-volume data communication at high speed. 
     The configuration with the lens portions  67   a - 67   d  permits the receptacle  60 A to be also compatible with the case where the USB cable  2  includes four optical cables. It is noted that the configuration of the receptacle  60 A of the eighth embodiment is also applicable to the receptacle  60  of the seventh embodiment.