Patent Publication Number: US-2015078706-A1

Title: Integrated optical lens module

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an integrated optical lens module, and more particularly to an integrated optical lens module used in an active optical cable assembly. 
     2. Description of Related Arts 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,371,014, issued on May 13, 2008 to Willis et al., discloses an active optical cable assembly. The active optical cable assembly comprises an optical-electrical connector and an optical cable coupling with the connector. The connector comprises a printed circuit board, an optical-electrical module mounted on the printed circuit board, a lens module for optically coupling with the optical-electrical module, and a ferrule for coupling the optical cable with the lens module. The lens module and the ferrule are separately manufactured by two sets of moulds. Then the ferrule is assembled to the lens module. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,329,054, issued on Feb. 12, 2008 to Epitaux et al., discloses an optical transceiver comprising a multi-port lens assembly. The lens assembly comprises a body defining a plurality of grooves on one side thereof for receiving optical fibers, a receiving room on an opposite side thereof for receiving electro-optical converters, a total internal reflection interface 66 disposed in the light path between the optical fibers and the receiving room to reflect beams, a first collimating lens (or a first focusing lens) disposed between the optical fibers and the reflection interface, and a second focusing lens (or a second collimating lens) disposed between the reflection interface and the convertors. Stopping features or protrusions are provided to position exposed front ends of the optical fibers in a longitudinally desired location. The collimating lens and the focusing lens collimate and focus light beams. 
     U.S. Publication No. 2012/0093462, published on Apr. 19, 2012 to Childers et al., discloses a unitary multi-fiber ferrule with integrated lenses. 
     U.S. Publication No. 2012/0189252, published on Jul. 26, 2012 to Bhagavatula et al., discloses a receptacle ferrule assembly for a fiber optic receptacle connector. The receptacle ferrule assembly comprises a ferrule body and two gradient index lenses at a front end of the ferrule body. The receptacle ferrule assembly engages a plug ferrule assembly that supports two optical fibers and two plug gradient index lenses. 
     An improved optical lens module is desired to offer advantages over the related art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a low-cost integrated optical lens module that is easy to assemble. 
     To achieve the above-mentioned object, an integrated optical lens module adapted for coupling an optical medium and an optical-electrical module comprises a body, a reflective mirror for changing a transmitting direction of an optical beam, a lens disposed at a bottom of the body, and a mounting hole for receiving an optical medium, wherein there is no lens disposed between the mounting hole and the reflective mirror. 
     According to the present invention, the reflective mirror is integrated with the lens that will reduce cost, assembly error, and increase coupling efficiency. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an integrated optical lens module in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is another perspective view the integrated optical lens module as shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view of the integrated optical lens module taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 4  is an optical signal transmitting trace in the integrated optical lens module as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Reference will now be made in detail to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 4 , an integrated optical lens module  100  in accordance with the present invention is adapted for coupling an optical medium  200  and an optical-electrical module (not shown), comprising a body, a reflective mirror  10  for changing a transmitting direction of an optical beam, a lens  20  disposed at a bottom of the body and for coupling the optical beam from the reflective mirror  10 , and a plurality of mounting holes  30  for receiving the optical medium. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the optical medium  200  may be optical fiber, polymer waveguide or other suitable material. The optical-electrical module may comprise a laser, such as VCSEL, for converting electrical signal to optical signal and a photodiode, such as PIN diode, for converting optical signal to electrical signal. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , the body has a rectangular shape and comprises a top wall  101 , a bottom wall  102  opposite to the top wall  101 , a rear wall  103  connecting the top wall  101  and the bottom wall  102 , and a front wall  104  opposite to the rear wall  103 . The top wall  101  has an upper receiving portion  105  downwardly recessed and extending through the rear wall  103 . The upper receiving portion  105  is in communication with the mounting holes  30 . The bottom wall  102  defines a bottom receiving portion  106  upwardly recessed and extending through the front wall  104  for receiving the optical-electrical module, the lens exposed on the bottom receiving portion. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  3  and  4 , the reflective mirror  10  has a reflective face  11  at 45 degrees relative to the extending direction of the mounting holes  30 . A transmitting direction of an optical beam, therefore, is changed 90 degrees, when the optical beam is reflected by the reflective face  11 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the mounting holes  30  extend along a rear to front direction and are arranged side by side along a transverse direction which is perpendicular to the rear to front direction. Each of the mounting holes  30  comprises a first portion  31  adjacent to the reflective mirror  10 , and a second portion  32  connecting with the first portion  31 . The first portion  31  has a radial dimension smaller than a radial dimension of the second portion  32 . Each of the mounting holes  30  has a rounded cross section. Referring to  FIG. 4 , it can be seen that there is no lens disposed between the reflective mirror  10  and the lens  20 , the optical beam directly coupling between the reflective mirror  10  and the optical medium  200 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the upper receiving portion  105  is in communication with the mounting holes  30  for conveniently inserting the optical medium  200  thereinto along the rear to front direction. The upper receiving portion  105  comprises a bottom portion  107  defining a restrictive groove  108  in communication with the mounting hole  30 . The restrictive groove  108  has a V-shaped cross section to restrict the optical medium  200 . Referring to  FIG. 2 , the lens  20  is exposed on the bottom receiving portion  106  to optically couple with the optical-electrical module. 
     It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.