# US 10,502,902 B2 · Optical communication connector, optical communication cable, and electronic device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,502,902 B2 - Document ID: US10502902B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/761,186 - Filed: 2016-09-07 - Published: 2018-09-13 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2015-09-30 - Assignees: Sony Corporation - Applicants: Sony Corporation - Inventors: Kazuaki Toba; Masanari Yamamoto; Ryohei Takahashi; Satoshi Muto; Tatsushi Nashida; Shinpei Hirano; Naofumi Yoneda - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10502902B2 ## CPC - G02B 6/32: having lens focusing means {positioned between opposed fibre ends (with lens being an integral part of the single fibre end G02B6/262)} - G02B 6/42: Coupling light guides with opto-electronic elements - G02B 6/4214: {the intermediate optical element having redirecting reflective means, e.g. mirrors, prisms for deflecting the radiation from horizontal to down- or upward direction toward a device (G02B6/4246 takes precedence)} - G02B 6/44: Mechanical structures for providing tensile strength and external protection for fibres, e.g. optical transmission cables (cables incorporating electric conductors and optical fibres {where features relating to the optical fibres are not of interest} H01B11/22) - G02B 6/4292: {the light guide being disconnectable from the opto-electronic element, e.g. mutually self aligning arrangements} - G02B 2006/4297: {having protection means, e.g. protecting humans against accidental exposure to harmful laser radiation} - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS ## Abstract An optical communication connector, an optical communication cable, and an electronic device that have excellent maintenance properties and can prevent parallel light (collimated light) from being directly emitted to the outside of an optical connector during non-optical coupling. There is provided an optical communication connector device that includes a collimating lens configured to collimate light from an optical transmission path; a refracting section arranged on a leading end side with respect to the collimating lens, and configured to refract and eject light from the optical transmission path ejected from the collimating lens; and a scattering section configured to scatter at least a part of the light ejected from the refracting section. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A first optical communication connector, comprising: a collimating lens configured to collimate light from an optical transmission path; a first refracting section on a leading end side with respect to the collimating lens, wherein: the first refracting section is configured to refract the light ejected from the collimating lens, and eject the refracted light, and the first refracting section comprises a first refracting surface and a second refracting surface; a first scattering member that comprises a first scattering section at a first portion of the first scattering member, wherein the first portion of the first scattering member is on the leading end side with respect to the collimating lens; and a second scattering member that comprises a second scattering section at a second portion of the second scattering member, wherein: the second portion of the second scattering member is on the leading end side with respect to the collimating lens, the first scattering member is parallel to the second scattering member, the first refracting section is interposed between the first scattering member and the second scattering member, the first scattering section faces the first refracting surface of the first refracting section, the second scattering section faces the second refracting surface of the first refracting section, and the first scattering section is configured to scatter at least a part of the refracted light ejected from the first refracting section. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The first optical communication connector according to claim 1, wherein a surface of the first refracting section on a light ejection side is a flat surface. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The first optical communication connector according to claim 1, wherein: a surface of the first refracting section on a light input side includes the first refracting surface and the second refracting surface, the first refracting surface and the second refracting surface have different angles from one another with respect to the light incident from the collimating lens, and each of the first refracting surface and the second refracting surface is configured to refract portions of the light collimated by the collimating lens so as to cross each other. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The first optical communication connector according to claim 1, wherein a projection is formed by the first refracting surface and the second refracting surface. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The first optical communication connector according to claim 1, wherein the first optical communication connector is configured to connect with a second optical communication connector, the second optical communication connector includes: a second refracting section having a shape identical to a shape of the first refracting section, such that the first refracting section and the second refracting section are opposed symmetrically on an ejection side surface of the first refracting section, and the first optical communication connector, based on a connection of the first optical communication connector with the second optical communication connector, is configured such that the light ejected from the first refracting section and passing through the second refracting section is parallel to the light ejected from the collimating lens. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The first optical communication connector according to claim 1, wherein: a first surface of the first refracting section on a light output side includes the first refracting surface and the second refracting surface, and the first refracting surface and the second refracting surface have different angles from one another with respect to the light incident from the collimating lens. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The first optical communication connector according to claim 6, wherein a projection or a recess is formed by the first refracting surface and the second refracting surface. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The first optical communication connector according to claim 6, wherein the first optical communication connector is configured to connect with a second optical communication connector, the second optical communication connector includes: a second refracting section having a second surface corresponding to a shape of the first surface of the first refracting section, wherein the first optical communication connector is configured to connect with the second optical communication connector such that the first surface and the second surface are opposed, and the light ejected from the first refracting section and passing through the second refracting section is parallel to the light ejected from the collimating lens, based on a connection of the first optical communication connector with the second optical communication connector. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The first optical communication connector according to claim 1, wherein the first refracting section is a prism. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The first optical communication connector according to claim 1, wherein the first refracting section includes an anti-reflection section. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The first optical communication connector according to claim 1, wherein a surface of the first refracting section includes a surface protection section on a light output side. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The first optical communication connector according to claim 1, wherein the first refracting section includes polycarbonate. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The first optical communication connector according to claim 1, wherein the first scattering member includes aluminum. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The first optical communication connector according to claim 1, wherein the first refracting section is further configured to change a direction of the light ejected from the collimating lens, such that the direction of the refracted light ejected from the first refracting section is not parallel to a length direction of the first optical communication connector. ### Claim 15 An optical communication cable, comprising: an optical transmission path; and an optical communication connector including a collimating lens configured to collimate light from the optical transmission path; a refracting section on a leading end side with respect to the collimating lens, wherein: the refracting section is configured to refract the light passing through the collimating lens, and eject the refracted light, the refracting section comprises a first refracting surface and a second refracting surface; a first scattering member that comprises a first scattering section at a first portion of the first scattering member, wherein the first portion of the first scattering member is on the leading end side with respect to the collimating lens; and a second scattering member that comprises a second scattering section at a second portion of the second scattering member, wherein: the second portion of the second scattering member is on the leading end side with respect to the collimating lens, the first scattering member is parallel to the second scattering member, the refracting section is interposed between the first scattering member and the second scattering member, the first scattering section faces the first refracting surface of the refracting section, the second scattering section faces the second refracting surface of the refracting section, and the first scattering section is configured to scatter at least a part of the refracted light ejected from the refracting section. ### Claim 16 An electronic device, comprising: an optical communication connector, including: a collimating lens configured to collimate light from an optical transmission path; a refracting section on a leading end side with respect to the collimating lens, wherein: the refracting section is configured to refract the light passing through the collimating lens, and eject the refracted light, the refracting section comprises a first refracting surface and a second refracting surface; a first scattering member that comprises a first scattering section at a first portion of the first scattering member, wherein the first portion of the first scattering member is on the leading end side with respect to the collimating lens; and a second scattering member that comprises a second scattering section at a second portion of the second scattering member, wherein: the second portion of the second scattering member is on the leading end side with respect to the collimating lens, the first scattering member is parallel to the second scattering member, the refracting section is interposed between the first scattering member and the second scattering member, the first scattering section faces the first refracting surface of the refracting section, the second scattering section faces the second refracting surface of the refracting section, and the first scattering section is configured to scatter at least a part of the refracted light ejected from the refracting section. ### Claim 17 An optical communication connector, comprising: a collimating lens configured to collimate light from an optical transmission path; a refracting section on a leading end side with respect to the collimating lens, wherein: the refracting section is configured to refract the light ejected from the collimating lens, and eject the refracted light, the refracting section comprises a first refracting surface and a second refracting surface, the first refracting surface and the second refracting surface have different angles from one another with respect to the light incident from the collimating lens, and each of the first refracting surface and the second refracting surface is configured to refract portions of the light collimated by the collimating lens so as to cross each other; a first scattering member that comprises a first scattering section at a first portion of the first scattering member, wherein the first portion of the first scattering member is on the leading end side with respect to the collimating lens; and a second scattering member that comprises a second scattering section at a second portion of the second scattering member, wherein: the second portion of the second scattering member is on the leading end side with respect to the collimating lens, the first scattering member is parallel to the second scattering member, the refracting section is interposed between the first scattering member and the second scattering member, the first scattering section faces the first refracting surface of the refracting section, the second scattering section faces the second refracting surface of the refracting section, and the first scattering section is configured to scatter at least a part of the refracted light ejected from the refracting section.