Patent ID: 7639436

Claim:
An optical module comprising: a substrate having a first principal surface and a second principal surface opposed to the first principal surface, the first principal surface having a light-emitting device mounting area, a lens mounting groove with a cross section of generally V shape, and a support groove formed substantially orthogonal to the lens mounting groove, the support groove having a bottom surface, a first side surface toward the light-emitting device mounting area, and a second side surface opposed to the first side surface, the support groove being divided into a first portion and a second portion by the lens mounting groove; a light-emitting device having an exit end plane for exit light, said light-emitting device being mounted in the light-emitting device mounting area; and a lens element comprising, (a) a lens having a light incident plane and a light exit plane opposed to the light incident plane, either one or both of the light incident plane and the light exit plane forming a generally flat surface, the light incident plane being opposed to the exit end plane of said light-emitting device, an optical axis of exit light from the exit end plane reaching the light incident plane, said lens being mounted in the lens mounting groove, and (b) a columnar lens support portion integrated with said lens, said lens support portion extending substantially in parallel with the flat surface formed by the light incident plane or the light exit plane, said lens support portion having a support bottom surface and a first and a second side surface that are opposed across the support bottom surface, said lens support portion being fastened with the support bottom surface in contact with the bottom surfaces of the first and second portions of the support groove, either one of the first and second side surfaces of the first portion of the support groove being provided as an inclined surface that has a slope reducing an area of the bottom surface, the flat surface of said lens being not perpendicular to the optical axis, said lens element being oriented not in parallel to an extending direction of the support groove at an angle where light reflected from said lens element is not incident on the exit end plane of said light-emitting device.