Connector optical lens with alignment features
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorJamyuen Ko
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An optical lens of an optical connector includes alignment features for passive connection alignment. Fiber inserted into the lens is aligned with a fiber groove that restricts motion in at least one direction to align the fiber. The lens includes an alignment feature to passively align the lens with a mating alignment feature of a mating connector. The groove may, for example, be L-, V-, or U-shaped. The alignment feature can be a post with corresponding recess. Alignment can further be secured with a tab that constrains pivoting of the connectors when engaged.
Claims28
An optical lens assembly comprising:
- a lens housing having an optical lens disposed on the housing through which to exchange optical signals;
- a stop surface in the lens housing along a line of focus of light propagation through the optical lens, the stop surface to interface an optical fiber to the optical lens;
- a fiber alignment structure in the lens housing adjacent the stop surface along the line of focus with which to align the optical fiber to the optical lens by restricting lateral motion of the optical fiber in at least one axis orthogonal to the line of focus;
- and
- a connector alignment mechanism disposed on the lens housing to passively align a mating assembly to the optical lens along the line of focus.
An optical lens assembly comprising:
- a lens housing having an optical lens disposed on the housing through which to exchange optical signals;
- a stop surface in the lens housing along a line of focus of light propagation through the optical lens, the stop surface to interface an optical fiber to the optical lens;
- an alignment mechanism disposed on the lens housing to passively align a mating assembly to an optical lens along the line of focus;
- and
- a tab protruding from the lens housing in a plane of the line of focus to mate with a corresponding slot in the mating assembly to constrain pivoting of the lens housing in the plane.
An optical lens assembly comprising:
- a lens housing;
- an alignment structure disposed on the lens housing, including an optical lens disposed in the alignment structure through which to exchange optical signals, the combination alignment structure with optical lens to passively align a mating assembly to the optical lens along a line of focus of light propagation through the optical lens.
A method comprising:
- inserting a clean-cleaved optical fiber into an optical lens subassembly,
- wherein the optical lens subassembly includes a lens housing having an optical lens disposed on the housing through which to exchange optical signals, a stop surface in the lens housing along a line of focus of light propagation through the optical lens, a fiber alignment mechanism in the lens housing adjacent the stop surface along the line of focus, and a connector alignment mechanism disposed on the lens housing to passively align a mating assembly to the optical lens along the line of focus, and
- wherein inserting the optical fiber into the optical lens subassembly includes inserting the optical fiber through a guide hole in the lens housing to rest against the fiber alignment mechanism and to abut the stop surface, to align and interface the optical fiber to the optical lens, while restricting lateral motion of the optical fiber in at least one axis orthogonal to the line of focus;
- inserting the optical lens subassembly into a connector shield to provide an optical communication channel in a connector;
- and
- joining electrical contacts to connector shield to enable an electrical communication channel in the connector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.