# US 9,435,968 B1 · Optical repeater and optical connector device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,435,968 B1 - Document ID: US9435968B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 15/055,717 - Filed: 2016-02-29 - Published: 2016-09-29 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-03-25 - Assignees: Fujikura Ltd. - Applicants: Fujikura Ltd. - Inventors: Akito Nishimura - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9435968B1 ## CPC - G02B 6/4267: {Reduction of thermal stress, e.g. by selecting thermal coefficient of materials} - G02B 6/4292: {the light guide being disconnectable from the opto-electronic element, e.g. mutually self aligning arrangements} - G02B 6/3845: {ferrules comprising functional elements, e.g. filters} - G02B 6/3882: {using rods, pins or balls to align a pair of ferrule ends} - G02B 6/3885: {Multicore or multichannel optical connectors, i.e. one single ferrule containing more than one fibre, e.g. ribbon type (optical ribbon cable G02B6/4403, G02B6/448)} - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS ## Abstract An optical repeater to be arranged between a substrate and an optical connector, the optical repeater includes: a body part including a plurality of optical paths to transmit an optical signal between the substrate and the optical connector, a substrate-side end-face in which one end of each of the optical paths opposes the substrate, and a connector connecting part to connect another end of each of the optical paths to the optical connector, the body part being configured from a material with a greater coefficient of linear expansion than that of the substrate; and a reinforcing member arranged so as to surround the optical paths in a side to the substrate-side end-face, the reinforcing member being configured from a material with a smaller coefficient of linear expansion than that of the body part. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An optical repeater to be arranged between a substrate and an optical connector, the optical repeater comprising: a body part including a plurality of optical paths to transmit an optical signal between the substrate and the optical connector, a substrate-side end-face in which one end of each of the optical paths opposes the substrate, and a connector connecting part to connect another end of each of the optical paths to the optical connector, the body part being configured from a material with a greater coefficient of linear expansion than that of the substrate; and a reinforcing member arranged so as to surround the optical paths in a side to the substrate-side end-face, the reinforcing member being configured from a material with a smaller coefficient of linear expansion than that of the body part. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) An optical repeater according to claim 1, wherein the substrate-side end-face is arranged with a plurality of end-faces of optical fibers configuring the optical paths, and the reinforcing member is configured so as to surround a periphery of the plurality of the optical fibers. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) An optical repeater according to claim 2, wherein the reinforcing member is configured so as to surround a periphery of each of the plurality of the optical fibers. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) An optical repeater according to claim 1, wherein the substrate-side end-face is provided with a recess and a plurality of lens parts that have been formed in the optical paths of the recess, and the reinforcing member is configured so as to surround a periphery of the end-faces of the plurality of the optical fibers configuring the optical paths, a periphery of the plurality of the lens parts, and a light transmission part configuring the optical paths between the end-faces of the optical fibers and the lens parts. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) An optical repeater according to claim 1, wherein the substrate-side end-face is provided with a positioning part that engages with a substrate side positioning part that has been formed in the substrate. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) An optical repeater according to claim 5, wherein the reinforcing member is configured so as to surround the optical paths and the positioning part. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) An optical repeater according to claim 1, wherein the substrate-side end-face is provided with the plurality of the lens parts that have been formed in the optical paths, the body part has a reflecting part that changes the optical paths between the end-faces of the optical fibers configuring the optical paths and the lens parts, the plurality of the optical fiber end-faces and the reflecting part are arranged sandwiched with the two reinforcing members, and one of the two reinforcing members is configured so as to surround a periphery of the plurality of the lens parts. ### Claim 8 An optical connector device comprising: a substrate; an optical connector; and an optical repeater to be arranged between the substrate and the optical connector, wherein the optical repeater includes a body part including a plurality of optical paths to transmit an optical signal between the substrate and the optical connector, a substrate-side end-face in which one end of each of the optical paths opposes the substrate, and a connector connecting part to connect another end of each of the optical paths to the optical connector, the body part being configured from a material with a greater coefficient of linear expansion than that of the substrate, and a reinforcing member arranged so as to surround the optical paths in a side to the substrate-side end-face, the reinforcing member being configured from a material with a smaller coefficient of linear expansion than that of the body part.