# US 2014/0153866 A1 · Optical component arrays in optical connectors > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0153866 A1 - Document ID: US20140153866A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/095,820 - Filed: 2013-12-03 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-03 - Assignees: Finisar Corporation - Applicants: Finisar Corporation - Inventors: David Lee; Daniel Kossowski; Frank Flens; William H. Wang; Michael Joseph McReynolds, Jr. - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140153866A1 ## CPC - H01R 13/6585: Shielding material individually surrounding or interposed between mutually spaced contacts - G02B 6/12004: {Combinations of two or more optical elements} - G02B 6/4284: {of optical modules with disconnectable electrical connectors (latching arms for electrical connectors H01R13/627)} - G02B 6/43: Arrangements comprising a plurality of opto-electronic elements and associated optical interconnections - H01R 13/6471: by special arrangement of ground and signal conductors, e.g. GSGS [Ground-Signal-Ground-Signal] - G02B 6/4206: {Optical features (G02B6/4207, G02B6/421 take precedence)} - 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 6/4269: {with heat sinks or radiation fins} - H01R: ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS ## Abstract An example embodiment includes an optical connector. The optical connector includes a printed circuit board (PCB), multiple optical components, multiple optical fibers, and a lens assembly. The optical components are mounted to the PCB. Additionally, each of the optical components includes an aperture. The lens assembly is positioned on the PCB. The lens assembly defines a cavity in which the optical components are positioned. Additionally, the lens assembly defines optical fiber seats that are configured to receive the optical fibers. The lens assembly includes an angled surface that is configured to reflect optical signals between the optical components and the optical fibers. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An optical connector comprising; a printed circuit board (PCB); a plurality of optical components mounted to the PCB, each of the plurality of optical components including an aperture; a plurality of optical fibers; and a lens assembly positioned on the PCB, the lens assembly defining a cavity in which the plurality of optical components are positioned and an optical fiber seat configured to receive the plurality of optical fibers, the lens assembly including an angled surface configured to reflect optical signals between the plurality of optical components and the plurality of optical fibers. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The optical connector of claim 1, wherein: each of the plurality of optical fibers includes an end; and the ends of the plurality of optical fibers are substantially aligned. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The optical connector of claim 1, wherein: a first subset of the plurality of optical components is mounted to the PCB such that the apertures of the first subset of optical components are substantially aligned in a first plane; and a second subset of the plurality of optical components is mounted to the PCB such that the apertures of the second subset of optical components are substantially aligned in a second plane substantially parallel to the first plane. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The optical connector of claim 3, wherein: the angled surface includes a first facet and a second facet; the first facet is positioned to reflect a first optical signal from a first optical component of the first subset to one of the plurality of optical fibers; and the second facet is positioned to reflect a second optical signal from a second optical component of the second subset to a second of the plurality of optical fibers. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The optical connector of claim 3, wherein: each of the plurality of optical components includes a rectangular top surface; the apertures are positioned in a corner of the rectangular top surface; and the first subset of optical components is rotationally-oriented with respect to the second subset of optical components such that the corners in which the apertures are positioned are nearest one another. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The optical connector of claim 5, wherein: the plurality of optical fibers are oriented to have a common lateral dimension; and the first subset of optical components and the second subset of optical components are rotationally oriented at about 45 degrees with respect to the orientation of the common lateral dimension. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The optical connector of claim 1, wherein the plurality of optical components include at least one single channel vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL). ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The optical connector of claim 1, wherein the plurality of optical components include at least one PIN diode. ### Claim 9 A lens assembly comprising: a lens body defining a cavity and an optical fiber seat, the cavity configured to have positioned therein an optical component, and the optical fiber seat configured to receive an optical fiber; and an angled surface configured to redirect optical signals from the optical component positioned in the cavity to the optical fiber received in the optical fiber seat or to redirect optical signals from the optical fiber received in the optical fiber seat to the optical component positioned in the cavity. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The lens assembly of claim 9, further comprising a cavity lens positioned on the lens body. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The lens assembly of claim 10, further comprising a focusing lens positioned on the lens body. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The lens assembly of claim 11, wherein the angled surface is positioned between the focusing lens and the cavity lens, the angled surface configured to redirect optical signals entering the lens body from the cavity lens to the focusing lens or to redirect optical signals entering the lens body from the focusing lens to the cavity lens. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The lens assembly of claim 11, wherein one or more of the cavity lens and the focusing lens are integrally formed with the lens body. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The lens assembly of claim 9, wherein: the lens body is configured such that when the optical component is positioned in the cavity and the optical fiber is received in the optical fiber seat, a rectangular top surface of the optical component is substantially normal to an end of the optical fiber; and the angled surface is angled at about a 45-degree angle with respect to the rectangular top surface of the optical component and the end of the optical fiber. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The lens assembly of claim 9, wherein: the cavity is further defined to have positioned therein an array of optical components including the optical component; the optical fiber seat is further defined to receive a plurality of optical fibers including the optical fiber; and the angled surface includes a first facet displaced from a second facet, the first facet configured to redirect optical signals from a first of the plurality of optical components positioned in the cavity to a first of the plurality of optical fibers received in the optical fiber seat, and the second facet configured to redirect optical signals from a second of the plurality of optical components positioned in the cavity to a second of the plurality of optical fibers received in the optical fiber seat. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The lens array of claim 15, further comprising: a first cavity lens positioned to receive optical signals from the first of the plurality of optical components positioned in the cavity; and a second cavity lens positioned to receive optical signals from the second of the plurality of optical components positioned in the cavity. ### Claim 17 An optical connector comprising: a printed circuit board (PCB); one or more single channel vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) mounted to the PCB, each of the VCSELs configured to transmit optical signals through an aperture; one or more PIN diodes mounted to the PCB, each of the PIN diodes configured to receive optical signals through an aperture; and a lens assembly positioned on the PCB, the lens assembly defining a cavity in which the VCSELs and the PIN diodes are positioned and an optical fiber seat configured to receive one or more optical fibers, the lens assembly including an angled surface configured to reflect the optical signals transmitted by the VCSELs to a first subset of the optical fibers received in the optical fiber seat and to reflect optical signals communicated along a second subset of the optical fibers received in the optical fiber seat to the PIN diodes. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The optical connector of claim 17, wherein: the VCSELs and the PIN diodes are mounted on the PCB such that the apertures are substantially aligned in two parallel planes; the VCSELs and the PIN diodes are staggered and offset from one another; and the VCSELs and the PIN diodes are rotationally-oriented at about 45 degrees with respect to a lateral dimension of the optical fibers received in the optical fiber seat. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The optical connector of claim 18, wherein each of the optical fibers includes an end, the ends of the optical fibers are substantially aligned along a plane that is substantially parallel to the two parallel planes. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The optical connector of claim 17, wherein: a first VCSEL is mounted on the PCB in a first plane; a second VCSEL is mounted on the PCB in a second plane that is parallel to the first plane and displaced from the first plane; the angled surface includes a first facet and a second facet, the first facet being configured to reflect a first optical signal from the first VCSEL to a first optical fiber received in the optical fiber seat, and the second facet being configured to reflect a second optical signal from the second VCSEL to a second optical fiber received in the optical fiber seat; and the first facet is displaced from the second facet to at least partially compensate for the distance between the first plane and the second plane.