Lens array and optical module provided therewith

A lens array disposed between an optoelectric converting device and an optical transmission member, the optoelectric converting device including a plurality of light emitting elements formed therein in line and at least one light receiving element formed therein for receiving monitor light, the monitor light being used for monitoring light emitted from at least one of the plurality of light emitting elements, the lens array being able to optically couple the plurality of light emitting elements with an end face of the optical transmission member, the lens array comprising:

• a plurality of first lens surfaces that are formed to align in a predetermined alignment direction corresponding to the plurality of light emitting elements on a first surface facing the optoelectric converting device in a lens array body, the first lens surfaces each receiving light that is emitted from each of the plurality of light emitting elements and incident on the first lens surfaces;
• a plurality of second lens surfaces for emitting light incident on each of the plurality of first lens surfaces from each of the plurality of light emitting elements toward the end face of the optical transmission member, the second lens surfaces being formed to align along the alignment direction of the first lens surfaces on a second surface facing the end face of the optical transmission member in the lens array body;
• at least one third lens surface for emitting the monitor light incident from an inside of the lens array body toward the light receiving element, the third lens surface being formed on the first surface of the lens array body;
• a concave part formed in the lens array body in a reentrant manner so that optical paths connecting the first lens surfaces and the second lens surfaces pass through in the concave part;
• a first optical surface that is formed as a part of an inner surface of the concave part and formed to be parallel to the second surface, the first optical surface receiving, in an incident direction perpendicular to the second surface, the light that is emitted from each of the plurality of light emitting elements and incident on the first lens surfaces;
• a second optical surface that is a part of the inner surface of the concave part, formed as a portion opposed to the first optical surface and formed to be parallel to the second surface, the light from each of the plurality of light emitting elements having been incident on the first optical surface and subsequently moved forth toward the second lens surface side being perpendicularly incident on the second optical surface;
• a prism that is disposed in a space formed by the concave part and forms an optical path of the light from each of the plurality of light emitting elements having been incident on the first optical surface and subsequently moved forth toward the second lens surface side;
• a first prism surface that forms a part of a surface of the prism and is disposed to have a predetermined inclining angle to the second surface at a position facing the first optical surface;
• a second prism surface that is a part of the surface of the prism, forms a portion opposed to the first prism surface, and is disposed parallel to the second surface at a position facing the second optical surface;
• a reflecting/transmitting layer for reflecting the light that is emitted from each of the plurality of light emitting elements and incident on the first optical surfaces at a predetermined reflectance toward the third lens surface side and allowing the light to pass through at a predetermined transmittance toward the prism side, while reflecting at least one beam of the light from the plurality of light emitting elements as the monitor light, the reflecting/transmitting layer being formed on the first prism surface;
• and
• a filler that is inserted between the first optical surface and the reflecting/transmitting layer, and has a refractive index identical to that of the prism.

A lens array disposed between an optoelectric converting device and an optical transmission member, the optoelectric converting device including a plurality of light emitting elements formed therein in line and at least one light receiving element formed therein for receiving monitor light, the monitor light being used for monitoring light emitted from at least one of the plurality of light emitting elements, the lens array being able to optically couple the plurality of light emitting elements with an end face of the optical transmission member, the lens array comprising:

• a plurality of first lens surfaces that are formed to align in a predetermined alignment direction corresponding to the plurality of light emitting elements on a first surface facing the optoelectric converting device in a lens array body, the first lens surfaces each receiving light that is emitted from each of the plurality of light emitting elements and incident on the first lens surfaces;
• a plurality of second lens surfaces for emitting light incident on each of the plurality of first lens surfaces from each of the plurality of light emitting elements toward the end face of the optical transmission member, the second lens surfaces being formed to align along the alignment direction of the first lens surfaces on a second surface facing the end face of the optical transmission member in the lens array body;
• at least one third lens surface for emitting the monitor light incident from an inside of the lens array body toward the light receiving element, the third lens surface being formed on the first surface of the lens array body;
• a concave part formed in the lens array body in a reentrant manner so that optical paths connecting the first lens surfaces and the second lens surfaces pass through in the concave part;
• a first optical surface that is formed as a part of an inner surface of the concave part and formed to be parallel to the second surface, the first optical surface receiving, in an incident direction perpendicular to the second surface, the light that is emitted from each of the plurality of light emitting elements and incident on the first lens surfaces;
• a second optical surface that is a part of the inner surface of the concave part, formed as a portion opposed to the first optical surface and formed to be parallel to the second surface, the light from each of the plurality of light emitting elements having been incident on the first optical surface and subsequently moved forth toward the second lens surface side being perpendicularly incident on the second optical surface;
• a prism that is disposed in a space formed by the concave part and forms an optical path of the light from each of the plurality of light emitting elements having been incident on the first optical surface and subsequently moved forth toward the second lens surface side;
• a first prism surface that forms a part of a surface of the prism and is disposed to have a predetermined inclining angle to the second surface at a position facing the first optical surface;
• a second prism surface that is a part of the surface of the prism, forms a portion opposed to the first prism surface, and is disposed to have a predetermined inclining angle to the second surface at a position facing the second optical surface;
• a reflecting/transmitting layer for reflecting the light that is emitted from each of the plurality of light emitting elements and incident on the first lens surfaces at a predetermined reflectance toward the third lens surface side and allowing the light to pass through at a predetermined transmittance toward the prism side, while reflecting at least one beam of the light from the plurality of light emitting elements as the monitor light, the reflecting/transmitting layer being formed on the first prism surface;
• and
• a filler that is inserted between the first optical surface and the reflecting/transmitting layer and between the second optical surface and the second prism surface, and has a refractive index identical to that of the prism.

A lens array disposed between an optoelectric converting device and an optical transmission member, the optoelectric converting device including a plurality of light emitting elements formed therein in line and at least one light receiving element formed therein for receiving monitor light, the monitor light being used for monitoring light emitted from at least one of the plurality of light emitting elements, the lens array being able to optically couple the plurality of light emitting elements with an end face of the optical transmission member, the lens array comprising:

• a plurality of first lens surfaces that are formed to align in a predetermined alignment direction corresponding to the plurality of light emitting elements on a first surface facing the optoelectric converting device in a lens array body, the first lens surfaces each receiving light that is emitted from each of the plurality of light emitting elements and incident on the first lens surfaces;
• a plurality of second lens surfaces for emitting light incident on each of the plurality of first lens surfaces from each of the plurality of light emitting elements toward the end face of the optical transmission member, the second lens surfaces being formed to be arranged in line along the alignment direction of the first lens surfaces on a second surface facing the end face of the optical transmission member in the lens array body;
• at least one third lens surface for emitting the monitor light incident from an inside of the lens array body toward the light receiving element, the third lens surface being formed on the first surface of the lens array body;
• a concave part formed in the lens array body in a reentrant manner so that optical paths connecting the first lens surfaces and the second lens surfaces pass through in the concave part;
• a first optical surface that is formed as a part of an inner surface of the concave part and formed to have a predetermined slight inclining angle to the second surface, the first optical surface receiving, in an incident direction perpendicular to the second surface, the light that is emitted from each of the plurality of light emitting elements and incident on the first lens surfaces;
• a second optical surface that is a part of the inner surface of the concave part, formed as a portion opposed to the first optical surface and formed to have a predetermined slight inclining angle to the second surface, the light from each of the plurality of light emitting elements having been incident on the first optical surface and subsequently moved forth toward the second lens surface side being incident on the second optical surface perpendicularly to the second surface;
• a prism that is disposed in a space formed by the concave part, formed to have a refractive index identical to that of the lens array body, and forms an optical path of the light from each of the plurality of light emitting elements having been incident on the first optical surface and subsequently moved forth toward the second lens surface side;
• a first prism surface that forms a part of a surface of the prism and is disposed to have a predetermined inclining angle to the second surface at a position facing the first optical surface;
• a second prism surface that is a part of the surface of the prism, forms a portion opposed to the first prism surface, and is disposed to have a predetermined inclining angle to the second surface at a position facing the second optical surface;
• a reflecting/transmitting layer for reflecting the light that is emitted from each of the plurality of light emitting elements and incident on the first lens surfaces at a predetermined reflectance toward the third lens surface side and allowing the light to pass through at a predetermined transmittance toward the prism side, while reflecting at least one beam of the light from the plurality of light emitting elements as the monitor light, the reflecting/transmitting layer being formed on the first prism surface;
• and
• a filler that is inserted between the first optical surface and the reflecting/transmitting layer and between the second optical surface and the second prism surface, and has a refractive index identical to that of the prism.

A lens array disposed between an optoelectric converting device and an optical transmission member, the optoelectric converting device including a plurality of light emitting elements formed therein in line and at least one light receiving element formed therein for receiving monitor light, the monitor light being used for monitoring light emitted from at least one of the plurality of light emitting elements, the lens array being able to optically couple the plurality of light emitting elements with an end face of the optical transmission member, the lens array comprising:

• a plurality of first lens surfaces that are formed to align in a predetermined alignment direction corresponding to the plurality of light emitting elements on a first surface facing the optoelectric converting device in a lens array body, the first lens surfaces each receiving light that is emitted from each of the plurality of light emitting elements and incident on the first lens surfaces;
• a plurality of second lens surfaces for emitting light incident on each of the plurality of first lens surfaces from each of the plurality of light emitting elements toward the end face of the optical transmission member, the second lens surfaces being formed to align along the alignment direction of the first lens surfaces on a second surface facing the end face of the optical transmission member in the lens array body;
• at least one third lens surface for emitting the monitor light incident from an inside of the lens array body toward the light receiving element, the third lens surface being formed on the first surface of the lens array body;
• a concave part formed in the lens array body in a reentrant manner so that optical paths connecting the first lens surfaces and the second lens surfaces pass through in the concave part;
• a first optical surface that is formed as a part of an inner surface of the concave part and formed to have a predetermined inclining angle to the second surface, the first optical surface receiving, in an incident direction perpendicular to the second surface, the light that is emitted from each of the plurality of light emitting elements and incident on the first lens surfaces;
• a second optical surface that is a part of the inner surface of the concave part, formed as a portion opposed to the first optical surface and formed to be parallel to the second surface, the light from each of the plurality of light emitting elements having been incident on the first optical surface and subsequently moved forth toward the second lens surface side being perpendicularly incident on the second optical surface;
• a prism that is disposed in a space formed by the concave part, formed to have a refractive index identical to that of the lens array body, and forms an optical path of the light from each of the plurality of light emitting elements having been incident on the first optical surface and subsequently moved forth toward the second lens surface side;
• a first prism surface that forms a part of a surface of the prism and is disposed parallel to the first optical surface at a position facing the first optical surface;
• a second prism surface that is a part of the surface of the prism, forms a portion opposed to the first prism surface, and is disposed parallel to the second optical surface at a position facing the second optical surface;
• a reflecting/transmitting layer for reflecting the light that is emitted from each of the plurality of light emitting elements and incident on the first optical surfaces at a predetermined reflectance toward the third lens surface side and allowing the light to pass through at a predetermined transmittance toward the prism side, while reflecting at least one beam of the light from the plurality of light emitting elements as the monitor light, the reflecting/transmitting layer being disposed on the first prism surface or the first optical surface;
• an adhesive sheet that is disposed between the reflecting/transmitting layer on the first prism surface and the first optical surface or between the first prism surface and the reflecting/transmitting layer on the first optical surface, and has a predetermined refractive index for bonding the prism on the lens array body;
• and
• a filler that is inserted between the second optical surface and the second prism surface and has a predetermined refractive index.

A lens array disposed between an optoelectric converting device and an optical transmission member, the optoelectric converting device including a plurality of light emitting elements formed therein in line and at least one first light receiving element formed therein for receiving monitor light, the monitor light being used for monitoring light emitted from at least one of the plurality of light emitting elements, the lens array being able to optically couple the plurality of light emitting elements with an end face of the optical transmission member, the lens array comprising:

• a plurality of first lens surfaces that are formed to align in a predetermined alignment direction corresponding to the plurality of light emitting elements on a first surface facing the optoelectric converting device in a lens array body, the first lens surfaces each receiving light that is emitted from each of the plurality of light emitting elements and incident on the first lens surfaces;
• a plurality of second lens surfaces for emitting light incident on each of the plurality of first lens surfaces from each of the plurality of light emitting elements toward the end face of the optical transmission member, the second lens surfaces being formed to align along the alignment direction of the first lens surfaces on a second surface facing the end face of the optical transmission member in the lens array body;
• at least one third lens surface for emitting the monitor light incident from an inside of the lens array body toward the first light receiving element, the third lens surface being formed on the first surface of the lens array body;
• a concave part formed in the lens array body in a reentrant manner so that optical paths connecting the first lens surfaces and the second lens surfaces pass through in the concave part;
• a first optical surface that is formed as a part of an inner surface of the concave part and formed to have a predetermined inclining angle to the second surface, the first optical surface receiving, in an incident direction perpendicular to the second surface, the light that is emitted from each of the plurality of light emitting elements and incident on the first lens surfaces;
• a second optical surface that is a part of the inner surface of the concave part, formed as a portion opposed to the first optical surface and formed to have a predetermined inclining angle to the second surface, the light from each of the plurality of light emitting elements having been incident on the first optical surface and subsequently moved forth toward the second lens surface side being incident on the second optical surface;
• a first reflecting/transmitting layer for reflecting the light that is emitted from each of the plurality of light emitting elements and incident on the first optical surfaces at a predetermined reflectance toward the third lens surface side and allowing the light to pass through at a predetermined transmittance toward the second optical surface side, while reflecting at least one beam of the light from the plurality of light emitting elements as the monitor light, the reflecting/transmitting layer being disposed on the first optical surface or adjacent thereto;
• and
• a filler that fills a space formed by the concave part and has a refractive index identical to that of the lens array body,
• wherein an optical path of the light emitted from each of the plurality of light emitting elements in an predetermined range on an incident side onto the first optical surface, and an optical path of the light emitted from each of the plurality of light emitting elements on an emitting side from the second optical surface are located on an identical line.