CN103513343B - The manufacture method of photoelectric conversion connector and photoelectric conversion connector - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a photoelectric conversion connector and its manufacturing method, which can automatically perform optical alignment between an optical semiconductor element and an optical waveguide member without increasing the number of parts and the number of processes, and the positions of both can be reliably maintained The optical semiconductor element is sealed in the state. In the connector (1), the first resin member (60) is made of light-transmitting resin, and has: a bare wire support portion (62), which is used for transmitting optical signals The bare optical fiber (C1) of the optical fiber cable (C) is supported; and the reflective surface (63A), the reflective surface (63A) reflects the optical signal to change the direction of the optical path, so that the optical signal is transmitted between the optical fiber cable (C) and Transmitted between light-receiving elements (10).

Description

Photoelectric conversion connector and method for manufacturing the photoelectric conversion connector

technical field

The invention relates to a photoelectric conversion connector and a manufacturing method of the photoelectric conversion connector.

Background technique

As photoelectric conversion connectors that convert optical signals and electrical signals, for example, connectors disclosed in Patent Document 1 to Patent Document 3 are known.

The connector of Patent Document 1 is a connector that fits into a mating connector arranged on a circuit board, and is connected to a tip portion of an optical fiber cable extending parallel to the circuit board.

The connector has a housing formed with a recess opening upward toward the mating connector. In the recess, the optical semiconductor is mounted and held in a predetermined position and posture by a mounting member (platform) fixedly arranged on the bottom wall of the recess, and the light receiving and emitting surfaces of the optical semiconductor are oriented perpendicular to the bottom wall. direction of the rear. In addition, a ground plate is arranged on the bottom wall of the concave portion at a position behind the attachment member, and the front end of the optical fiber is supported by a guide groove formed on the plate surface of the ground plate.

In the connector of Patent Document 1, after adjusting the height of the guide groove to optically align the optical semiconductor and the bare optical fiber, in this state, the liquid resin is flowed into the concave portion of the housing, thereby aligning the optical semiconductor and the optical fiber. The fiber tip is fixed.

Patent Document 2 discloses an optical module including a substrate, an optical semiconductor element arranged on the substrate with a light receiving surface facing upward, and a socket arranged on the substrate to hold an optical fiber cable at a predetermined position, The end portion of the optical fiber cable is connected to the optical module. The socket is molded with light-transmitting resin, and has: a receiving portion opening downward toward the substrate; a reflective surface for redirecting the optical path of the optical signal; an insertion hole; and a substrate mounting protrusion extending downward. The socket is mounted on the substrate by inserting and locking a plurality of protrusions into the mounting holes of the substrate, the semiconductor element arranged on the substrate is accommodated in the receiving recess of the socket, and the front end of the optical fiber cable is Inserted into the insertion hole to be supported. The reflective surface is located above the semiconductor element and in front of the front end of the optical fiber cable, and reflects the optical signal to bend the optical path vertically.

In the optical module of Patent Document 2, some gaps are provided between each protrusion of the socket and the mounting hole. When assembling the optical module, the light intensity is checked with a separately prepared light receiving device and a light intensity monitor. The receptacle is moved within the range of the gap to optically align the receptacle and the optical semiconductor element.

Patent Document 3 discloses an optical cable module, which has: a substrate; a light receiving/emitting element arranged on the substrate; a height compensation member for determining the height position of the thin film optical waveguide; and a front end arranged on the height compensation member on top of the thin-film optical waveguide. The height compensating member is in the shape of a frame, and a space penetrating in the vertical direction is formed inside it, and the light receiving/emitting element is located on the substrate in the space. The light-receiving surface of the light-receiving/emitting element faces upward, and the front end of the film light guide is located above the light-receiving/emitting element. The front end surface of the film optical waveguide is processed into a 45-degree inclined surface, and the inclined surface functions as a reflective surface that redirects the optical path of the optical signal vertically. In the space of the height compensation member, a sealing material is injected after the light-receiving/light-emitting elements are arranged, and the light-receiving/light-emitting elements located in the space are sealed. When assembling the optical cable module of Patent Document 3, the light-receiving/emitting element and the thin-film optical waveguide are optically aligned using a separately prepared image recognition device.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2010-135109

Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-264411

Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-256870

In Patent Document 1, since it is necessary to provide the mounting member on the substrate, the number of parts increases due to the mounting member. In addition, since there is no mechanism for automatically performing optical alignment, it is necessary to perform optical alignment while adjusting the height of the guide groove, and the number of steps increases due to this adjustment. This increase in the number of parts and the number of steps leads to an increase in manufacturing cost. Also, since the liquid resin flows into the concave portion of the housing after the optical semiconductor and the optical fiber front end are optically aligned, the adjusted optical semiconductor and the optical fiber front end may be pressed by the liquid resin, causing the optical semiconductor and the optical fiber front end. The position deviates.

In Patent Document 2, it is necessary to perform alignment between the optical semiconductor element and the socket while confirming the light intensity using a separately prepared light receiving device and a light intensity monitor. Accordingly, the number of steps increases and the manufacturing cost increases. In addition, in an optical module such as Patent Document 2, it is conceivable to fill the receiving recess of the socket with resin to seal the optical semiconductor, but in this case, the resin may leak from the receiving recess and adhere to the reflective surface of the socket. In fact, it is difficult to avoid this situation for sealing operations. Therefore, in order to avoid leakage and adhesion of the resin, it is necessary to process the shape of the socket or use a precise filling device to fill the resin, which also leads to an increase in manufacturing cost.

In addition, in Patent Document 3, it is necessary to optically perform alignment using a separately prepared image recognition device, and accordingly, the number of steps increases, leading to an increase in manufacturing cost. In addition, since the space of the height compensation member is kept open upward when the light-receiving/emitting element is sealed, the leaked sealing material may adhere to the reflective surface of the thin-film optical waveguide, and the sealing should be avoided. Homework becomes difficult. Therefore, in order to avoid leakage and adhesion of the sealing material, it is necessary to process the shape of the height compensation member or use a precision injection device to inject resin, which also leads to an increase in manufacturing cost.

Contents of the invention

In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a photoelectric conversion connector that can automatically perform optical alignment between an optical semiconductor element and an optical waveguide member without increasing the number of parts and the number of processes. The state in which the position is reliably maintained seals the optical semiconductor element.

<First Invention>

The photoelectric conversion connector of the present invention has: an optical semiconductor element for converting optical signals and electrical signals; a support member for supporting the optical semiconductor element; a contact member for contacting the optical semiconductor element. The optical semiconductor element is connected, and is in contact with the mating contact of the mating connector; and a first resin member that holds the optical semiconductor element, the support member, and the contact member by integral molding, and at least the optical semiconductor element sealed.

The photoelectric conversion connector above is characterized in that it has a second resin member integrally formed on the outer surface of the first resin member, the first resin member is made of light-transmitting resin, and It has: a waveguide supporting part that supports an optical waveguide member for transmitting an optical signal; and a reflective surface that reflects an optical signal to redirect an optical path so that the optical signal passes between the optical waveguide member and the Transmission between optical semiconductor elements.

In the present invention, in the manufacturing process of the connector, by integrally molding the first resin member with the optical semiconductor element, the support member, and the contact member, the first resin member forms the first resin while at least sealing the optical semiconductor element. The waveguide support and reflective surface of the component. Therefore, when the first resin member is molded, the optical semiconductor element and the waveguide support portion are aligned.

As a result, optical alignment between the optical waveguide member and the optical semiconductor element can be automatically performed simply by arranging the optical waveguide member on the waveguide support portion.

In addition, when the first resin member is molded, the alignment between the optical semiconductor element and the waveguide support portion is performed simultaneously with the sealing of the optical semiconductor element, so there is no possibility of alignment of the optical semiconductor element in the early stage of molding as in the past. This is the case where the relative positions of the element and the optical waveguide deviate due to filling of the resin. In addition, in the present invention, components and devices for the above-mentioned alignment are not required, and a process only for alignment is not required, so that an increase in cost can be suppressed accordingly.

Alternatively, the support member and the contact member may be formed as a single member using a metal lead frame, integrally molded with the first resin member, and then separated from each other. The contact member may be a terminal formed as a plurality of thin strips.

By making the supporting member and the contact member into one member by using a lead frame, the terminal can be provided only by separating the supporting member and the contact member after molding the first resin member, and therefore, it is not necessary to install as a separate part after molding the first resin member. The operation of the terminal of the body member. Therefore, the process becomes simple, and the positional accuracy of the terminal improves.

Alternatively, the support member may be made of a resin or ceramic substrate, and the contact members may be printed on the support member.

It is also possible that the photoelectric conversion connector has, in addition to the optical semiconductor element, a driving device for driving the optical semiconductor element, and the driving device is connected to the optical semiconductor element and the contact member, so that the optical semiconductor element and the contact member Connect indirectly.

<Second Invention>

The manufacturing method of the photoelectric conversion connector of the present invention is characterized in that it includes: an element arrangement step, in which the relative Positioning the optical semiconductor element on the support member, thereby disposing the optical semiconductor element on the support member, wherein the support member supports the optical semiconductor element for converting optical signals and electrical signals; process, in which the conductive member connecting process, the contact member contacting the mating contact of the mating connector is connected to the optical semiconductor element by using the conductive member; the first resin molding process, in the first resin molding process, the In the state where the position of the reference hole is used as a reference to position the waveguide support portion and the reflection surface relative to the support member, the optical semiconductor element, the support member and the contact member are integrally molded using a light-transmitting resin, and at least the optical semiconductor The element is sealed with the light-transmitting resin, wherein the waveguide supporting part supports the optical waveguide member used to transmit the optical signal, and the reflective surface reflects the optical signal to change the direction of the optical path, so that the optical signal is transmission between the optical waveguide member and the optical semiconductor element; and a second resin molding step in which the outer surface of the light-transmitting resin molded in the first resin molding step is integrally molded with the Light-transmitting resins are different resins.

In the present invention, in the first resin molding step, the optical semiconductor element, the support member and the contact member are integrally molded with a light-transmitting resin that seals at least the optical semiconductor element and forms a waveguide support portion and a reflection surface. That is, in the first resin molding step, the waveguide supporting portion and the reflection surface of the light-transmitting resin are formed at the same time as the light-transmitting resin is integrally molded on the optical semiconductor element. In addition, the positioning of the optical semiconductor element in the element arrangement step and the positioning of the mold for molding the light-transmitting resin in the first resin molding step are performed based on the same position of the reference hole. Therefore, by molding the light-transmitting resin in the first resin molding step, the alignment between the optical semiconductor element and the waveguide supporting portion of the light-transmitting resin can be accurately performed. As a result, optical alignment between the optical waveguide member and the optical semiconductor element can be automatically performed simply by arranging the optical waveguide member on the waveguide support portion.

In addition, in the first resin molding process, the alignment between the optical semiconductor element and the waveguide support portion of the light-transmissive resin is carried out at the same time as the optical-semiconductor element is sealed by molding the light-transmissive resin. The relative position of the aligned optical semiconductor element and the optical waveguide in the early stage of molding the light-transmitting resin is shifted due to filling of the resin. In addition, in the present invention, components and devices for the above-mentioned alignment are not required, and a process only for alignment is not required, so that an increase in cost can be suppressed accordingly.

It is also possible that the supporting member and the contact member are made of a metal lead frame with a bracket as a single member, and a reference hole is formed on the bracket of the lead frame with a bracket, and the contact member is a terminal formed as a plurality of thin strips, After the first resin molding process, there is a cutting and separating process of separating the contact member from the bracket at the portion protruding from the light-transmitting resin, and after the cutting and separating process, there is a step of bending the contact member to form a predetermined The bending process of the terminal shape.

By making the supporting member and the contact member into one member with a lead frame with a bracket, after the first resin molding process, the terminal can be installed only by separating the supporting member and the contact member, so it is not necessary to install a separate member. terminal process, and the positional accuracy of the terminal is improved.

Alternatively, the supporting member may be made of a substrate made of resin or ceramics, on which a reference hole is formed, and the contact member may be printed on the supporting member.

It is also possible to have a device arrangement step of disposing a driving device for driving the optical semiconductor element on a supporting member or a member connected to the supporting member before the conductive member connecting step, and in the conductive member connecting step, place the driving device The optical semiconductor element and the contact member are connected to each other, so that the optical semiconductor element and the contact member are indirectly connected through the drive device.

(invention effect)

As described above, in the present invention, when the first resin member (light-transmitting resin) is integrally molded with the optical semiconductor element, the waveguide supporting portion and the reflection surface of the first resin member are formed, therefore, after molding the first resin At the moment of the component, an optical alignment between the optical semiconductor element and the waveguide support can be achieved. Therefore, in the connector obtained by integral molding, the optical alignment between the optical waveguide member and the optical semiconductor element can be automatically performed only by arranging the optical waveguide member on the waveguide support portion. In addition, as in the second invention, by using the same position of the reference hole as a reference to perform positioning of the optical semiconductor element and positioning for light-transmitting resin molding, the optical semiconductor element and the optical semiconductor element can be integrated with high precision at the same time. Alignment between waveguide supports.

In addition, in the present invention, since the alignment between the optical semiconductor element and the waveguide support portion of the light-transmitting resin is performed simultaneously with the sealing of the optical-semiconductor element, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of alignment in the early stage of molding of the light-transmitting resin as in the past. The relative position of the final optical semiconductor element and the optical waveguide deviates due to filling of the resin.

In addition, in the present invention, components and devices for the above-mentioned alignment are not required, and a process only for alignment is not required, so that an increase in cost can be suppressed accordingly.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a photoelectric conversion connector according to a first embodiment together with a mating connector.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the connector of FIG. 1 in an upside-down posture.

Fig. 3 (A) is the longitudinal sectional view of the connector of Fig. 2 cut along a plane parallel to the extending direction of the optical waveguide member, and Fig. 3 (B) is a part of Fig. 3 (A) showing the vicinity of the optical semiconductor element Zoom in on the graph.

4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the connector of FIG. 2 cut along a plane perpendicular to the extending direction of the optical waveguide member. FIG. 4(A) shows a cross section at the position of the signal terminal, and FIG. 4(B) shows the position of the ground terminal. section at.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a lead frame with a bracket.

6 is a perspective view showing a state in which an optical semiconductor element and a driving device are mounted on the lead frame with a tray of FIG. 5 .

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a state in which a first resin member is integrally molded on the lead frame with bracket shown in FIG. 6 .

8 is a perspective view showing a state in which the terminal and the locking portion of the lead frame with the bracket in FIG. 7 are cut from the bracket and bent.

9 is a perspective view showing a state where a second resin member is integrally molded on the outer surface of the first resin member of FIG. 8 .

10 is a perspective view showing a photoelectric conversion connector according to a second embodiment together with a mating connector.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing the connector of Fig. 10 in an upside-down posture.

12 is a longitudinal sectional view of the connector of FIG. 11 cut along a plane parallel to the extending direction of the optical waveguide member.

Fig. 13 is a perspective view showing a substrate.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a state in which an optical semiconductor element and a driving device are mounted on the substrate of FIG. 13 .

Fig. 15 is a perspective view showing a state where a first resin member is integrally molded on the substrate of Fig. 14 .

Fig. 16 is a perspective view showing a cut state of the substrate of Fig. 15 .

17 is a perspective view showing a state where a second resin member is integrally molded on the outer surface of the first resin member of FIG. 16 .

(Symbol Description)

1 connector 120 drive equipment

2 mating connectors 130 substrate (supporting member)

3 Connectors 140 Wiring (Contact Components)

4 mating connectors 160 first resin member

10 Light-receiving element (optical semiconductor element) 162 Bare wire support part (waveguide support part)

20 drive equipment 163A reflective surface

30 supporting component 170 second resin component

40 Terminal (contact member) 172 Covering layer support part (waveguide support part)

60 first resin component 190 mating terminal (mating contact)

62 Bare wire supporting part (waveguide supporting part) C optical fiber cable (optical waveguide member)

63A reflective surface F lead frame

70 second resin component F1 bracket

72 Covering layer supporting part (waveguide supporting part) F2A reference hole

90 mating terminal (mating contact) P substrate raw material

110 light-receiving element (optical semiconductor element) P1 reference hole

Detailed ways

Next, embodiments of the photoelectric conversion connector of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[Structure of connector]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a photoelectric conversion connector 1 according to the present embodiment together with a mating connector 2 , showing a state before the connectors are fitted. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the connector 1 shown in FIG. 1 in an upside-down posture. Fig. 3 (A) is the longitudinal sectional view that the connector 1 of Fig. 2 is cut along the plane parallel to the extending direction of the optical waveguide member (optical fiber cable C), and Fig. 3 (B) shows the optical semiconductor element (light-receiving element 10) Close-up partial enlargement of Fig. 3(A). 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the connector 1 of FIG. 2 cut along a plane perpendicular to the extending direction of the optical waveguide member. FIG. 4(A) shows a section at the signal terminal 41, and FIG. 4(B) shows a grounding Section at the position of terminal 42.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the photoelectric conversion connector 1 of this embodiment (hereinafter simply referred to as connector 1 ) is connected to the front end portion of an optical fiber cable C as an optical waveguide member extending in the front-rear direction (left-right direction in FIG. 1 ). The connector (left end in FIG. 1 ) is fitted and connected to a mating connector 2 mounted on a circuit board (not shown). This connector 1 is a connector for converting an optical signal into an electrical signal. When the connector 1 is connected to the mating connector 2, the optical signal transmitted from the optical fiber cable C can be converted into an electrical signal by using the connector 1. , and transmit the electrical signal to the circuit portion of the circuit substrate on which the mating connector 2 is mounted.

The optical fiber cable C itself connected to the connector 1 is known. As shown in FIG. bare wire C1), and a covering layer C2 made of resin or the like covering the bare wire C1. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3(A) , the coating layer C2 at the tip portion of the optical fiber cable C is removed, and the bare wire C1 is exposed.

As shown in Fig. 3 (A) and Fig. 3 (B), the connector 1 has: a light-receiving element 10 as an optical semiconductor element for converting an optical signal into an electrical signal; a driving device 20 for driving the light-receiving element 10; The supporting member 30 supporting the light receiving element 10 and the driving device 20; a plurality of terminals 40 (refer to FIGS. 10 is connected to the driving device 20, and the metal wire 50 (refer to FIG. 4(A) and FIG. 4(B)) that connects the driving device 20 to the terminal 40 as a conductive member; The first resin member 60 comprising the light receiving element 10 , the drive device 20 , the support member 30 , the terminal 40 and the wire 50 ; and the second resin member 70 integrally formed on the outer surface of the first resin member 60 . In the present embodiment, the first resin member 60 and the second resin member 70 form the housing of the connector 1 .

The light receiving element 10 is a surface light receiving type light receiving element (for example, a photodiode (PD)) for converting an optical signal into an electrical signal. As shown in FIG. 3(A) and FIG. 3(B), the light receiving element 10 is mounted on a support plate portion 31 of a support member 30 described later with its light receiving surface facing upward. The driving device 20 is a device (for example, a transimpedance amplifier/limiting amplifier (TIA/LA)) for driving the light receiving element 10 . The drive device 20 is mounted on a support plate portion 31 of a support member 30 to be described later, and is located in front of the light receiving element 10 , and is connected to the light receiving element 10 with a wire 50 (see FIG. 6 ).

In this embodiment, as described above, the connector 1 is a connector for converting an optical signal into an electrical signal, and has a light receiving element 10 as an optical semiconductor element, but this connector 1 may also be a connector for converting an electrical signal. A connector that converts signals into optical signals. In this case, instead of the light receiving element 10 , for example, a surface emission type light emitting element (for example, a vertical cavity surface emitting (VCSEL) laser type light emitting element) is provided on the connector 1 as an optical semiconductor element. In this case, as a driving device, a device for driving the light emitting element (for example, a VCSEL driver) may be provided.

The support member 30 is produced by punching a metal plate, and extends in the front-back direction (left-right direction in FIG. 3(A) ). The front half of the support member 30 (portion shown in FIG. 3(A) ) is formed as a strip-shaped support plate portion 31 having a plate surface perpendicular to the vertical direction.

As described above, the support plate portion 31 has the light receiving element 10 and the driving device 20 mounted on its plate surface (the upper surface in FIG. 3(A) ) to support the light receiving element 10 and the driving device 20 .

As shown in FIG. 8 , the rear half of the supporting member 30 (not shown in FIG. 3(A) ) is provided with a locked portion 32 which is wider than the supporting plate in the width direction of the connector 1. The portion 31 is formed large, and has a curved plate surface perpendicular to the width direction at both end positions in the width direction. The locked portion 32 has a hole penetrating in the width direction of the connector. As shown in FIG. The fixed locked edge portion 32A works.

The terminals 40 are formed by bending thin strips of metal plate in the plate thickness direction, and are arranged in the front-rear direction on both side surfaces of the connector 1 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 . As will be described later, the support member 30 and the terminal 40 are manufactured as one member using the lead frame F (see FIGS. 5 and 6 ) with the metal bracket F1 before the connector is manufactured. The terminal 40 is cut off from the bracket F1 after the first resin member 60 is molded, and the supporting member 30 is cut off from the bracket F1 after the second resin member 70 is molded.

The plurality of terminals 40 has signal terminals 41 and ground terminals 42 . As shown in FIG. 4(A) and FIG. 4(B), the signal terminal 41 and the ground terminal 42 are dually held by the first resin member 60 and the second resin member 70 covering the first resin member 60 through integral molding, Each terminal 40 is connected to the driving device 20 through a wire 50 . As shown in Figure 4 (A), the signal terminal 41 is formed separately from the support member 30, as shown in Figure 4 (B), the ground terminal 42 is connected to the support member 30 (also referring to Figure 5, Figure 6 ).

As clearly shown in FIG. 4(A), the signal terminal 41 has: an upper arm portion 41A extending in the connector width direction (left-right direction in FIG. 4(A)) at the same position as the support member 30 in the up-down direction; The upper arm portion 41A is bent and extends downward, and the contact arm portion 41B that contacts the corresponding contact portion 91A-1 of the mating signal terminal 91 of the mating connector 2; In the lower arm portion 41C whose surface extends inwardly in the width direction, the signal terminal 41 has a substantially horizontal U-shape.

The upper arm portion 41A is held by the first resin member 60 and the second resin member 70, and the inner end portion in the width direction of the upper arm portion 41A, that is, the end portion near the support member 30 is formed by a metal wire. 50 is a connection portion 41A- 1 connected to the drive device 20 . In addition, the contact arm portion 41B is held by the second resin member 70 , and the plate surface facing outward in the width direction of the contact arm portion 41B is exposed to the corresponding contact portion 91A- of the mating connector 2 . 1 contact.

The shape of the ground terminal 42 is the same as that of the signal terminal 41 except for connecting to the support member 30. Therefore, for the structure of the ground terminal 42, as shown in FIG. The symbols obtained by adding "1" to the basis of , and the descriptions thereof are omitted.

The first resin member 60 is made of a light-transmitting resin, and the optical signal from the optical fiber cable C can travel inside the first resin member 60 . As shown in Figure 3(A), Figure 3(B) and Figure 4(A), Figure 4(B), the first resin member 60 is integrally formed on the light receiving element 10, the driving device 20, the metal wire 50 and the supporting member 30 , sealing the light receiving element 10 and the driving device 20 .

The first resin member 60 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with the front-rear direction as the longitudinal direction, as shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3(A), a groove 61 is formed on the upper surface of the substantially rear half in the front-rear direction, The groove portion 61 is depressed at the central position in the width direction of the connector and extends in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 3(A), in the range from the position near the front to the rear end, the V-shaped groove with a V-shaped cross section obtained by cutting the groove portion 61 on a plane perpendicular to the front-rear direction is formed as a bare wire. Support portion 62 . The bare wire support portion 62 is arranged with the bare wire C1 exposed at the front end portion of the optical fiber cable C, and supports the bare wire C1.

As shown in FIG. 3(A) and FIG. 3(B), in the groove portion 61, in front of the bare wire support portion 62, there is formed a bulging portion that protrudes upward from the lowermost portion of the bare wire support portion 62. 63.

The rear end surface of the protruding portion 63 is a surface perpendicular to the front-rear direction, and is in surface contact with the front end surface of the bare wire C1 arranged on the bare wire supporting portion 62 .

In addition, the front end portion of the protruding portion 63 is formed in a convexly curved shape in the front upper range, and the convexly curved inner surface, that is, the concavely curved inner surface is used to reflect the optical signal from the optical fiber cable C to change the optical path. The facing reflective surface 63A works. As shown in Fig. 3(A) and Fig. 3(B), the reflective surface 63A is located above the light receiving element 10, and as shown in the optical path shown by a dotted line in Fig. 3(B), from the front end of the bare wire C1 of the optical fiber cable C The light signal traveling forward within the bulge 63 is reflected by the reflective surface 63A to redirect the optical path downward and focus on the light receiving surface (upper surface) of the light receiving element 10 .

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the second resin member 70 is made of non-translucent resin and is roughly in the shape of a cuboid. As shown in Figure 3 (A), the second resin member 70 extends to the first resin behind the member 60. In substantially the front half of the second resin member 70 , the side surfaces perpendicular to the width direction of the connector and extending in the front-rear direction are sunken at positions corresponding to the terminals 40 , forming terminal grooves 71 extending in the vertical direction. The contact arm portions 41B, 42B of the signal terminal 41 and the ground terminal 42 are accommodated in the terminal groove 71 , and the plate surfaces of the contact arm portions 41B, 42B are exposed. As shown in FIG. 4(A) and FIG. 4(B), the terminal groove 71 allows the corresponding contact portions 91A- 1 and 92A- 1 of the mating terminal 90 to enter in the mated state of the connector.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the substantially rear half of the second resin member 70 is narrower than the substantially front half in the connector width direction. The side surface of the substantially rear half is located at the same position as the outer surface of the locked portion 32 of the support member 30 in the connector width direction (see FIG. 8 for the locked portion 32 ), and forms the same surface with the outer surface. The side surface is formed with a concave portion that is depressed by an amount corresponding to the plate thickness of the locked portion 32 at a position corresponding to the hole portion of the locked portion 32 . In the mated state of the connectors, the locking piece 101A of the mating connector 2 enters the recess, and can be locked with the locked edge portion 32A of the connector 1 in the mating direction of the connector (vertical direction).

As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3(A), the upper surface of the second resin member 70 is at the center position in the width direction of the connector on the upper surface of the substantially rear half, that is, the bare wire supporting portion with the first resin member 60 The position corresponding to 62 is sunken to form a groove portion extending in the front-rear direction as the covering layer supporting portion 72 . The coating layer support portion 72 is formed as a V-shaped groove with a V-shaped cross section cut on a plane perpendicular to the front-rear direction. As shown clearly in FIGS. On the extension line of the said bare wire support part 62, one groove part is formed together with this bare wire support part 62. As shown in FIG. The coating layer support portion 72 supports the portion covered by the coating layer C2 at the front end of the optical fiber cable C. As shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, one groove portion formed by the bare wire support portion 62 and the coating layer support portion 72 functions as a waveguide support portion that supports the end portion of the optical fiber cable C. As shown in FIG.

[Manufacturing process of connector]

Next, the manufacturing process of the connector 1 will be described based on FIGS. 5 to 9 . First, as shown in FIG. 5 , a lead frame F with a bracket F1 is prepared by punching a metal plate so that a support member 30 and a plurality of terminals 40 constitute one plate-shaped member. In the present embodiment, the lead frame F corresponds to a connector group formed of a plurality of connectors 1 , and the supporting members 30 and terminals 40 corresponding to the respective connectors 1 are arranged in a state along the direction in which the terminals 40 extend. Connect with one bracket F1.

The bracket F1 has: two vertical bracket parts F2 connected to the front end and the rear end of the supporting member 30 and extending along the extending direction of the terminal 40; A plurality of horizontal bracket portions F3 extending in the front-rear direction (direction perpendicular to the extending direction) and connecting the vertical bracket portions F2 to each other. As shown in FIG. 5 , the terminal 40 and the locked portion 32 are directly connected to the horizontal bracket portion F3. In addition, among the plurality of terminals 40, the ground terminal 42 is also directly connected to the support plate portion 31 of the support member 30, but the signal terminal 41 is not directly connected to the support plate portion 31, but is connected to the support plate portion 31 through the bracket F1. The plate portion 31 is connected indirectly. In addition, the vertical bracket portion F2 has a reference hole F2A formed at a position corresponding to the support member 30 in the longitudinal direction in which the vertical bracket portion F2 extends.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6 , on the support plate portion 31 of the support member 30 , the light receiving element 10 and the driving device 20 are positioned and mounted on the support plate portion 31 with reference to the reference hole F2A. For example, based on an image captured by a camera (not shown) arranged above the lead frame F, an image processing device (not shown) is used to identify the position of the reference hole F2A to perform positioning of the light receiving element 10 and the driving device 20. .

In addition, the light receiving element 10 is connected to the driving device 20 by the metal wire 50 , and the driving device 20 is connected to each terminal 40 . The connection of the metal wires 50 is performed by known wire bonding.

Next, as shown in FIG. 7 , the light receiving element 10 , the drive device 20 , the supporting member 30 , the terminal 40 and the wire 50 are integrally molded using a light-transmitting resin, thereby molding the first resin member 60 . The molding of the first resin member 60 is performed in a state where it is positioned relative to the support member 30 with reference to the reference hole F2A of the bracket F1. Specifically, for example, a positioning pin provided on a molding die (not shown) of the first resin member 60 is passed through the reference hole F2A, and the die is positioned on the support member 30. In this state, The inside of the mold is filled with light-transmitting resin. As a result of molding the first resin member 60, the light-receiving element 10, the driving device 20, and the metal wire 50 can be sealed with the first resin member 60, and the bare wire support portion 62 and the reflection surface of the first resin member 60 can be formed. 63A.

The light-transmitting resin constituting the first resin member 60 is desirably a light-transmitting resin having a high transmittance with respect to the wavelength of the transmitted optical signal. In addition, the first resin member 60 is preferably formed by transfer molding. By forming by transfer molding, adverse effects such as breakage of the metal wire 50 during forming can be avoided.

Next, as shown in FIG. 8 , after the terminal 40 and the locked portion 32 are separated from the horizontal bracket portion F3 of the bracket F1 at the portion protruding from the first resin member 60, the terminal 40 and the locked portion are separated. The lock portions 32 are bent to form respective shapes. Specifically, the terminal 40 and the locked portion 32 are bent upward at a position near the first resin member 60 of the protruding portion protruding from the first resin member 60 , and then near the free end of the protruding portion. The position is curved toward the inside in the width direction of the connector.

Next, as shown in FIG. 9 , the second resin member 70 is integrally formed on the outer surface of the first resin member 60 . As in the case of the first resin member 60, by positioning the mold (not shown) for forming the second resin member 70 on the support member 30 with reference to the reference hole F2A of the bracket F1 The interior is filled with resin to form the second resin member 70 . As a result of molding the second resin member 70 , the first resin member 60 can be covered with the second resin member 70 , and the terminal groove 71 and the coating support portion 72 of the second resin member 70 are formed. The second resin member 70 can be easily shaped by, for example, injection molding. After the second resin member 70 is molded, the support member 30 is separated from the vertical bracket portion F2 of the bracket F1 to complete the connector 1 . Thereafter, the connector 1 and the front end of the optical fiber cable C are fixed with an adhesive or the like in a state where the end portion of the optical fiber cable C is disposed on the bare wire support portion 62 and the coating layer support portion 72 of the connector 1 . department connection.

In this embodiment, when the first resin member 60 is molded, the bare wire support portion 62 and the reflective surface 63A of the first resin member 60 are formed simultaneously with the first resin member 60 being integrally molded with the light receiving element 10 . In addition, the positioning of the light receiving element 10 and the positioning of the mold for molding the first resin member 60 are performed based on the same position of the reference hole F2A. Therefore, by molding the first resin member 60 , the alignment between the light receiving element 10 and the bare wire supporting portion 62 and the reflection surface 63A can be accurately performed.

In addition, when the second resin member 70 is molded, the coating layer supporting portion 72 of the second resin member 70 is formed simultaneously with the second resin member 70 being integrally molded on the outer surface of the first resin member 60 . The positioning of the molding die for the second resin member 70 is also performed based on the position of the reference hole F2A, similarly to the positioning of the light receiving element 10 and the positioning of the molding die for the first resin member 60 . Therefore, by molding the second resin member 70 , the alignment of the light receiving element 10 , the bare wire support portion 62 , and the reflection surface 63A with the coating layer support portion 72 can be accurately performed. As a result, the optical alignment between the optical fiber cable C and the light-receiving element 10 can be automatically performed by disposing the optical fiber cable C on the waveguide support portion formed by the bare wire support portion 62 and the coating layer support portion 72 .

In addition, when the first resin member 60 is molded, the alignment between the light receiving element 10 and the bare wire support portion 62 is performed at the same time as the light receiving element 10 is sealed, so alignment does not occur in the early stage of molding as in the past. When the relative position of the final light receiving element and optical fiber cable is shifted due to resin filling. In addition, in this embodiment, components and devices for the above-mentioned alignment are not required, and a process only for alignment is not required, so that an increase in cost can be suppressed accordingly.

In addition, in this embodiment, since the support member 30 and the terminal 40 are made into one member by using the lead frame F, it is only necessary to separate the support member 30 and the terminal 40 after the first resin member 60 is molded. After the one resin member 60 is formed, the work of attaching the terminal as a separate member is unnecessary. Therefore, the process becomes simple, and the positional accuracy of the terminal 40 improves.

[Structure of mating connector]

Next, the structure of the mating connector 2 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1 , the mating connector 2 has: a synthetic resin housing 80 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape; a plurality of metal terminals 90 (hereinafter referred to as mating terminals 90 ) held on the housing 80; The housing 80 and the locking member 100 locked with the locked portion 32 of the connector 1 .

The housing 80 has: a bottom wall 81 disposed facing the circuit board (not shown); two side walls 82 standing upright from the bottom wall 81 and extending in the front-rear direction opposite to each other; The front wall 83 extends in a direction in which the side walls 82 face each other and connects front ends of the side walls 82 to each other. A recess surrounded by these two side walls 82 and the front wall 83 and opened toward the rear and upward is formed as a receiving recess 84 for receiving the connector 1 from above.

As shown in FIG. 1 , in approximately the front half of the side wall 82 , the inner surface, upper surface and outer surface of the side wall 82 are sunken at positions corresponding to the mating terminals 90 to form terminals for holding the mating terminals 90 . Holding groove 82A (also refer to FIG. 4(A) and FIG. 4(B)). In other words, as shown in FIG. 4(A) and FIG. 4(B), in the front-rear direction (direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 4(A) and FIG. The wall surfaces are connected by a connecting wall portion 82B extending in the vertical direction in the terminal holding groove 82A. In addition, as shown in FIG. 1 , on the side wall 82 , the inner surface, the upper surface and the outer surface of the side wall 82 are sunken near the rear end to form a locking member holding mechanism for holding the locking member 100 . Slot 82C.

As shown in FIG. 4(A) and FIG. 4(B), the mating terminal 90 is formed by bending a thin strip of a metal plate in the direction of the plate thickness, and has a substantially horizontal S-shape. The plurality of mating terminals 90 has: mating signal terminals 91 (see FIG. )).

The mating signal terminal 91 has: a substantially U-shaped portion 91A closer to the side of the receiving recess 84 than the connection wall portion 82B in the connector width direction (the left-right direction of FIG. 4(A) and FIG. 4(B); The upper end of one of the two legs of the part 91A that is located near the connecting wall part 82B is turned back, and the held part 91B extends downward along the outer surface of the connecting wall part 82B; The lower end of the terminal is bent vertically and protrudes toward the connecting portion 91C of the terminal holding groove 82A.

Of the two legs of the substantially U-shaped portion 91A, the other leg located near the receiving recess 84 is bent so that the upper end portion as a free end is convexly bent toward the receiving recess 84 , and is formed to be connected to the signal terminal of the connector 1 . The corresponding contact portion 91A- 1 that the contact arm portion 41B of 41 contacts. As shown in FIG. 4(A) and FIG. 4(B), the corresponding contact portion 91A- 1 protrudes toward the receiving recessed portion 84 . In the state fitted with the connector 1 , the contact arm portion 41B of the signal terminal 41 presses the corresponding contact portion 91A- 1 against the connection wall portion 82B in the connector width direction, thereby making the substantially U-shaped portion 91A elastically displaces in the width direction of the connector.

The held portion 91B is pressed into the terminal holding groove 82A from above at both side edges extending in the vertical direction, and as a result, the mating signal terminal 91 can be held in the terminal holding groove 82A. The lower surface of the connecting portion 91C is slightly below the lower surface of the bottom wall 81 of the housing 80 , and is connected to the corresponding circuit portion of the circuit board by soldering.

The shape of the mating ground terminal 92 is the same as that of the mating signal terminal 91. Therefore, for the structure of the mating ground terminal 92, as shown in FIG. Symbols obtained by adding "1" are omitted from description.

The locking member 100 is made by bending a metal plate in the plate thickness direction so as to have a substantially inverted U-shape viewed in the front-rear direction, and has two plate-shaped portions facing each other in the connector width direction. As shown in FIG. 1 , of the two plate-shaped portions, the inner plate portion 101 located on the inner surface side of the side wall 82 in the width direction of the connector is formed with a locking piece cut out such that its lower end extends toward the receiving recess 84 side. 101A so that it can be locked with the locked portion 32 in the fitting direction of the connector.

In addition, of the two plate-shaped portions, the outer plate portion 102 located on the outer surface side of the side wall 82 in the connector width direction has a function as a retaining member that is pressed into the locking member retaining groove 82C from above at both side edges. function of the department. A fixing portion 102A extending to the outside of the locking member holding groove 82C is formed at the lower end of the outer plate portion 102, and the lower surface of the fixing portion 102A is connected to the corresponding portion of the circuit board by welding, thereby fixing the connector 1 on the circuit board. superior. Here, a grounding structure can also be formed by forming a grounding circuit (not shown) as a corresponding portion of the circuit board connected to the fixing portion 102A by soldering.

[Mating operation of connector]

Next, the fitting connection operation between the connector 1 and the mating connector 2 will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 1, the mating connector 2 is mounted on a circuit board (not shown) with the receiving recess 84 opening upward, and the connector 1 connected to the front end of the optical fiber cable C is supported by a bare wire. The downward posture of the portion 62 and the cover support portion 72 moves to the upper position of the mating connector 2 .

Next, the connector 1 is moved downward to be fitted into the receiving recess 84 of the mating connector 2 . As a result, the signal terminals 41 and the ground terminals 42 of the connector 1 elastically contact the corresponding contact portions 91A- 1 of the mating signal terminals 91 and 92A- 1 of the mating ground terminals 92 of the mating connector 2 . In addition, the lower end portion of the locking piece 101A of the mating connector 2 enters into the hole of the locked portion 32 of the connector 1 and engages with the locked edge portion 32A, thereby preventing the connectors from being inadvertently disengaged from each other, and the connector's The chimeric connection is complete.

In the mated state of the connector, the optical signal transmitted in the optical fiber cable C is reflected by the reflective surface 63A of the first resin member 60 to redirect the optical path downward and focus on the light receiving surface of the light receiving element 10 . Then, the light receiving element 10 converts the optical signal into an electrical signal, and transmits the electrical signal to a corresponding circuit portion of the circuit board on which the mating connector 2 is mounted via the terminal 40 and the mating terminal 90 .

In this embodiment, the bare wire support is formed on the first resin member, and the covering layer support is formed on the second support member, but alternatively, for example, the bare wire support may be formed on the first resin member. Both of the part and the covering layer support part.

<Second Embodiment>

In this embodiment, the supporting member is a resin substrate, and the contact member is a printed wiring formed integrally with the substrate on the surface of the substrate. The first embodiment is different from the first embodiment in which the terminal is formed by a separate member of the supporting member.

[Structure of connector]

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the photoelectric conversion connector 3 of the present embodiment together with the mating connector 4 , showing a state before the connectors are mated and connected. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the connector 3 shown in FIG. 10 in an upside-down posture. Fig. 12 is a longitudinal sectional view of the connector of Fig. 11 cut along a plane parallel to the direction in which the optical waveguide member (optical fiber cable C) extends.

As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the photoelectric conversion connector 3 of this embodiment (hereinafter simply referred to as the connector 3) is the same as the connector 1 of the first embodiment, and is connected along the front and rear direction (in Figure 10 and Figure 11). The connector of the front end portion (left end portion in FIG. 10 ) of the optical fiber cable C as an optical waveguide member extending in the left and right direction) is fitted and connected to a mating connector 4 mounted on a circuit board (not shown). The structure of the optical fiber cable C itself of this embodiment is the same as that of the optical fiber cable C of the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 12, the connector 3 has: a light-receiving element 110 as an optical semiconductor element; a drive device 120 for driving the light-receiving element 110; a substrate 130 as a supporting member supporting the light-receiving element 110 and the drive device 120; On the board surface of the substrate 130, the wiring 140 as a contact member that is in contact with the mating terminal 190 of the mating connector 4 described later; connects the light receiving element 110 to the driving device 120, and connects the driving device 120 is a metal wire 150 (refer to FIG. 14 ) as a conductive member connected to the wiring 140; the first part of the light receiving element 110, the driving device 120, the substrate 130, the wiring 140, and the metal wire 150 is held by integral molding. a resin member 160 ; and a second resin member 170 integrally formed on the outer surface of the first resin member 160 . As described above, the present embodiment is characterized in that the substrate 130 is used as a support member.

In the present embodiment, the first resin member 160 and the second resin member 170 form the housing of the connector 3 as in the first embodiment. In addition, in this embodiment, the light receiving element 110 is mounted as an optical semiconductor element, but a light emitting element may be mounted instead, as in the first embodiment.

Since the structures of the light receiving element 110 and the driving device 120 and the positional relationship with each other are the same as those of the light receiving element 10 and the driving device 20 of the first embodiment, description thereof will be omitted. As shown in FIG. 12, the board|substrate 130 is a plate-shaped member made of resin (also refer to FIG. 13), and the said wiring 140 is formed as a printed wiring on the upper surface. That is, in this embodiment, the board|substrate 130 and the wiring 140 are molded integrally as one member, and are not separated in the connector manufacturing process like 1st Embodiment. The wiring 140 extends in the front-rear direction, and the upper surface of the front end thereof is formed as a contact point 141 for contacting the mating terminal 190 of the mating connector 4 . The plurality of contacts 141 include a signal contact and a ground contact. As shown in FIG. 11 , the plurality of contacts 141 are arranged at regular intervals in the width direction of the connector.

In this embodiment, the substrate 130 is made of resin, but the material of the substrate 130 is not limited thereto, and may be made of ceramics, for example.

Since the metal wire 150 is the same member as the metal wire 50 of the first embodiment, its description is omitted (see FIG. 14 ). The first resin member 160 is made of light-transmitting resin, and is formed in a thin, substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape on the surface of the substrate 130 (see FIG. 15 ). In addition, as shown in FIG. 12 , the front end portion of the first resin member 160 is located behind the contact 141 of the wiring 140 so that the contact 141 is exposed.

Like the first embodiment, the first resin member 160 has a groove portion 161, a bare wire support portion 162, a raised portion 163, and a reflection surface 163A. Since these structures are respectively the same as the groove portion 61 , the bare wire support portion 62 , the raised portion 63 , and the reflection surface 63A of the first embodiment, description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 , the second resin member 170 is integrally formed on the outer surface of the first resin member 160 , and has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape in a state where the contacts 141 of the wiring 140 are exposed. In addition, as shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, the upper half of the front end portion of the second resin member 170 is cut off in the entire area in the connector width direction (direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 12 ) in these figures, The lower half is formed as a contact arrangement part 173 in which the contacts 141 are arranged so as to be exposed on the upper surface.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 , the upper surface of the second resin member 170 in the rear half in these figures is depressed at the center in the width direction of the connector, and a groove portion extending rearward from the middle portion in the front-rear direction is formed. 171. The rear half of the first resin member 160 is located in the front half of the groove portion 171 . A V-shaped groove is formed in the rear half of the groove portion 171 to form a coating layer supporting portion 172 .

As shown in FIG. 10 , the substantially central region in the connector width direction of the upper surface (lower surface in FIG. 12 ) of the second resin member 170 is depressed from a position near the front end to the rear end to form a pressed portion 174. . As will be described later, the pressed portion 174 is pressed from above by an elastic piece 204A provided on the upper plate portion 204 of the rotatable cover portion 203 of the mating connector 4 shown in FIG. 10 .

In addition, as shown in FIG. 10 , approximately the lower half of the side surface of the second resin member 170 (approximately the upper half in FIG. 12 ) is cut off at an intermediate position in the front-rear direction to form a rectangular guided recess open downward. 175. As will be described later, the guided recess 175 is guided by the guide protrusion 182A of the mating connector 4 during fitting of the connector.

[Manufacturing process of connector]

Next, the manufacturing process of the connector 3 will be described based on FIGS. 13 to 17 . First, as shown in FIG. 13 , a substrate raw material P is prepared in which a plurality of substrates 130 respectively corresponding to a plurality of connectors 3 are produced as one member. This substrate material P is made in such a shape that a plurality of substrates 130 are connected together in the width direction of the connector, and reference holes serving as positioning holes are formed at positions corresponding to each other adjacent substrates 130 . Hole P1. In addition, wiring 140 corresponding to each connector 3 is formed on the upper surface of the substrate material P (see FIG. 12 ). In FIG. 13 , only the contact point 141 is shown in the wiring 140 , and the illustration of other parts is omitted.

Next, as shown in FIG. 14 , on the upper surface of the substrate 130 included in the substrate raw material P, the light receiving element 110 and the driving device 120 are positioned and mounted on the substrate 130 using the reference hole P1 as a reference. As in the first embodiment, this positioning is performed using a camera (not shown) and an image processing device (not shown). In addition, the light receiving element 110 and the driving device 120 are connected with the metal wire 150 , and the driving device 120 and the wiring 140 are connected with the metal wire 150 by known wire bonding.

Next, as shown in FIG. 15 , the light-receiving element 110 , the driving device 120 , the substrate 130 , the wiring 140 and the metal wire 150 are integrally molded using a light-transmitting resin, thereby molding the first resin member 160 . The molding of the first resin member 160 is performed in a state where it is positioned relative to the substrate 130 with reference to the reference hole P1 of the substrate material P. As shown in FIG. This positioning is performed, for example, by passing a positioning pin of a molding die (not shown) of the first resin member 160 through the reference hole P1 as in the first embodiment. As a result of molding the first resin member 160, as in the first embodiment, the light receiving element 110, the driving device 120, and the wire 150 can be sealed with the first resin member 160, and the first resin member 160 can be formed in a positioned state. The bare wire support portion 162 and the reflective surface 163A of the resin member 160 .

Next, as shown in FIG. 16 , the substrate material P is cut at the position of the reference hole P1 in the connector width direction. As a result, an intermediate part corresponding to one connector 3 before the second resin member 170 is formed can be obtained. Next, the second resin member 170 is integrally molded on the outer surface of the first resin member 160 as shown in FIG. By forming the second resin member 170, the first resin member 160 and the substrate 130 are covered by the second resin member 170, and the groove portion 171, the covering layer support portion 172, the contact array portion 173, and the second resin member 170 are formed. The pressed portion 174 and the guided recess 175 complete the connector 3 . Thereafter, the end portion of the optical fiber cable C is fixed with an adhesive or the like in a state of being arranged on the bare wire support portion 162 and the coating layer support portion 172 of the connector 1, thereby connecting the connector 3 and the end end of the optical fiber cable C. department connection.

Also in this embodiment, when the first resin member 160 is molded, the bare wire support portion 162 and the reflective surface 163A of the first resin member 160 are formed simultaneously with the first resin member 160 being integrally molded with the light receiving element 110 . In addition, the positioning of the light receiving element 110 and the positioning of the mold for molding the first resin member 160 are performed based on the same position of the reference hole P1. Therefore, also in this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, by molding the first resin member 160 , the alignment of the light receiving element 110 with the bare wire supporting portion 162 and the reflection surface 163A can be accurately performed. Therefore, optical alignment between the bare wire C1 of the optical fiber cable C and the light receiving element 10 can be automatically performed simply by disposing the bare wire C1 of the optical fiber cable C on the bare wire support portion 62 .

In addition, the relative positions of the light-receiving element and the optical fiber cable aligned in the early stage of molding do not deviate due to filling of the resin as in the past, and components and devices for the alignment are not required, and there is no A process only for alignment is required, and an increase in cost can be suppressed accordingly, which is also the same as in the first embodiment.

[Structure of mating connector]

The mating connector 4 shown in FIG. 10 is a connector disposed on a circuit board (not shown), and has: a housing 180 for receiving the connector 3; a plurality of terminals 190 (hereinafter referred to as mating terminal 190); and a metal case member 200 covering the case 180.

The casing 180 has: a bottom wall 181 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with the front-rear direction as its length direction and parallel to the circuit board; two side walls 182 standing upright from the bottom wall 181 and extending in the front-back direction opposite to each other; and The front wall 183 extends in the connector width direction (the direction in which the two side walls 182 face each other) and connects the front ends of the side walls 182 to each other. A recess surrounded by these two side walls 182 and the front wall 183 and opened rearward and upward is formed as a receiving recess 184 for receiving the connector 3 from above.

A substantially lower half of the front wall 183 protrudes rearward, that is, toward the receiving recess 184 side, and this protruding portion is formed as a protruding wall portion 183A. In addition, the front wall 183 has a plurality of slit-shaped terminal holding grooves 183B penetrating in the front-rear direction at substantially the lower half thereof, and the mating terminals 190 are accommodated and held in the terminal holding grooves 183B. The terminal holding groove 183B is open above and behind the protruding wall portion 183A. The space formed above the protruding wall portion 183A (a part of the receiving recessed portion 184 ) accommodates the contact array portion 173 of the connector 3 in the fitted state of the connector.

The lower half of the two side walls 182 at the intermediate positions in the front-rear direction of the inner surfaces facing each other has a guide protrusion 182A protruding toward the side of the receiving recess 184 . The guide protrusion 182A is formed in a square shape that matches the guided recess 175 of the connector 3. During the fitting process of the connector, the guide protrusion 182A enters the guided recess 175 while the connector 3 Guided toward the regular position of the receiving recess 184 .

The mating terminal 190 is formed by bending a thin strip of metal plate in the plate thickness direction, and is pressed into and held in the terminal holding groove 183B of the housing 180 . One end side portion of the mating terminal 190 is accommodated in the terminal holding groove 183B at a position protruding from the wall portion 183A, and the other end side portion extends forward at a position lower than the front wall 183 . The corresponding contact part 191 of the one end side part for contacting the contact 141 of the connector 3 is formed in a convex shape upward, as shown in FIG. protruding above.

The case member 200 has: a box portion 201 mounted on the casing 180 to cover the outer surfaces of the two side walls 182 and the front surface of the front wall 183 of the casing 180; The cover part 203 covers the upper surface of the connector 3 in the mated state of the connector. The box part 201 has: a side wall cover part 202 covering the outer surface of the side wall 182 of the casing 180; cover (not shown).

In the front part of the side wall cover part 202, a shaft support part 202A for rotatably supporting a shaft part of a cover part 203 described later is formed as a hole penetrating in the plate thickness direction. In addition, the side wall cover 202 has an engaging portion 202B formed by cutting a part of the side wall cover 202 outward in the connector width direction at its rear portion. The plate surface of the locking portion 202B is perpendicular to the front-rear direction, and the lower end edge of the locking portion 202B can be locked with the locked portion 206A of the cover portion 203 as described later.

The cover part 203 can rotate between an open position and a closed position. In the open position, as shown in FIG. In the closed position, the cover portion 203 is in a posture extending in the front-rear direction and covers the upper surface of the connector 3 . The cover portion 203 has: an upper plate portion 204 covering the upper surface of the connector 3 at the closed position; a front side plate portion 205 bent and formed at the front portion (lower portion in FIG. 10 ) of the side edge portion of the upper plate portion 204; And the rear side plate portion 206 formed by bending at the rear portion (upper portion in FIG. 10 ) of the side edge portion of the upper plate portion 204 .

The front side plate portion 205 has a shaft portion (not shown) protruding inward in the connector width direction by, for example, embossing. In this embodiment, the shaft portion is supported by the shaft support portion 202A of the box portion 201 so that the lid portion 203 can rotate between an open position and a closed position. In addition, an arm-shaped locked portion 206A of the rear side plate portion 206 that is locked with the locking portion 202B of the box portion 201 at the closed position is formed to extend forward (downward in FIG. 10 ).

Two elastic pieces 204A of the upper plate portion 204 that press the pressed portion 174 of the connector 3 at the closed position are formed to extend in the front-back direction (the up-down direction in FIG. 10 ). This elastic piece 204A is formed by cutting out the upper plate portion 204, and has a cantilever beam shape in which the front end (lower end in FIG. 10 ) constitutes a free end. In addition, as shown in FIG. 10 , the elastic piece 204A is bent at the rear end (upper end in FIG. 10 ) to be slightly inclined toward the rear in FIG. 10 .

[Mating operation between connectors]

Next, the fitting connection operation between the connector 3 and the mating connector 4 will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 10 , the mating connector 4 is mounted on a circuit board (not shown) with the receiving recess 184 opening upward, and the cover 203 of the case member 200 is opened. Then, as shown in FIG. 10 , the connector 3 connected to the front end of the optical fiber cable C is positioned above the mating connector 4 with the groove portion 171 facing downward.

Next, the connector 3 is moved downward to be accommodated in the receiving recess 184 of the mating connector 4 . During the housing of the connector 3 , the guide protrusion 182A of the mating connector 4 enters the guided recess 175 of the connector 1 from below, thereby guiding the connector 1 to a regular position in the receiving recess 184 . In addition, the contact arrangement part 173 of the connector 3 is located above the protruding wall part 183A of the mating connector 4, and the contacts 141 arranged on the lower surface of the contact arrangement part 173 are respectively connected to the corresponding contact parts 191 of the corresponding mating connector 4. touch.

After the connector 3 is accommodated in the receiving recess 184 of the mating connector 4, the cover portion 203 of the case member 200 is turned to be in the closed position. In the closed position, the elastic piece 204A of the cover part 203 presses the pressed part 174 on the upper surface of the connector 3 downward, thereby pressing the contact 141 of the connector 3 against the corresponding contact part 191 of the mating connector 4 from above, Bring the two into elastic contact. In addition, in the closed position, the locked part 206A of the cover part 203 is located below the locked part 202B of the box part 201, and the upper edge of the locked part 206A is locked with the lower edge of the locked part 202B. , thereby maintaining the cover portion 203 at the closed position. As a result, the elastic contact state of the contact point 141 and the corresponding contact point portion 191 is maintained, and the mating connection between the connector 3 and the mating connector 4 is completed.

When the connectors are mated and connected, the optical signal transmitted in the optical fiber cable C is reflected by the reflective surface 163A of the first resin member 160 to redirect the optical path downward and focus on the light receiving surface of the light receiving element 110 . Then, the light receiving element 110 converts the optical signal into an electrical signal, and transmits the electrical signal to a corresponding circuit portion of the circuit board on which the mating connector 2 is mounted via the wiring 140 and the mating terminal 190 .

Claims (8)

1. A photoelectric conversion connector, comprising: an optical semiconductor element, which is used to convert optical signals and electrical signals; a supporting member, which is used to support the optical semiconductor element; a contact member, the contact a member connected to the optical semiconductor element and in contact with the mating contact of the mating connector; and a first resin member that holds the optical semiconductor element, the support member, and the contact member by integral molding, and at least the Encapsulation of an optical semiconductor element, characterized in that, The photoelectric conversion connector has a second resin member integrally formed on the outer surface of the first resin member, the first resin member is made of light-transmitting resin, and has: a waveguide support portion, the waveguide support a portion supporting an optical waveguide member for transmitting an optical signal; and a reflective surface that reflects the optical signal to redirect an optical path so that the optical signal is transmitted between the optical waveguide member and the optical semiconductor element. 2. The photoelectric conversion connector according to claim 1, wherein the support member and the contact member are formed as one member using a metal lead frame, and are formed separately from each other after being integrally molded with the first resin member, so that The contact member is a terminal formed as a plurality of thin strips. 3. The photoelectric conversion connector according to claim 1, wherein the support member is made of a substrate made of resin or ceramics, and the contact member is printed on the support member. 4. The photoelectric conversion connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the photoelectric conversion connector also has a driving device for driving the optical semiconductor device in addition to the optical semiconductor device. The optical semiconductor element and the contact member are connected so that the optical semiconductor element and the contact member are indirectly connected through the drive device. 5. A method of manufacturing a photoelectric conversion connector, characterized in that it has: An element arrangement step, in which the optical semiconductor element is positioned relative to the support member with reference to the position of a reference hole formed on the support member or a member connected to the support member, so that the optical a semiconductor element is disposed on a support member, wherein the support member supports the optical semiconductor element for converting an optical signal and an electrical signal; a conductive member connecting process in which a contact member which is in contact with a mating contact of a mating connector is connected to the optical semiconductor element by using a conductive member; In the first resin molding step, in the state where the waveguide support portion and the reflection surface are positioned with respect to the support member using the position of the reference hole as a reference, the light-transmitting resin is passed through the The optical semiconductor element, the supporting member, and the contact member are integrally molded to hold the optical semiconductor element, and at least the optical semiconductor element is sealed with the light-transmitting resin, wherein the waveguide supporting portion supports the optical waveguide member for transmitting optical signals , the reflective surface reflects the optical signal to redirect the optical path, so that the optical signal is transmitted between the optical waveguide member and the optical semiconductor element; and A second resin molding step in which a resin different from the light-transmitting resin is integrally molded on the outer surface of the light-transmitting resin molded in the first resin molding step. 6. The method of manufacturing a photoelectric conversion connector as claimed in claim 5, wherein the supporting member and the contact member are made into one member using a metal lead frame with a bracket, and the bracket of the lead frame with a bracket A reference hole is formed on the top, and the contact member is a terminal formed as a plurality of thin strips. After the first resin molding process, there is a cutting separation that cuts the contact member from the bracket at the part protruding from the light-transmitting resin. The step includes a bending step of bending the contact member to form a predetermined terminal shape after the cutting and separating step. 7. The manufacturing method of photoelectric conversion connector as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that, the supporting member is made of a resin or ceramic substrate, on which a reference hole is formed, and the contact member is printed on on the support member. 8. The method of manufacturing a photoelectric conversion connector according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein, before the step of connecting the conductive member, a driving device for driving the optical semiconductor element is disposed on the supporting member or connected to the supporting member. In the step of arranging devices on the member to which the supporting member is connected, in the step of connecting the conductive material, a drive device is connected to the optical semiconductor element and the contact member to indirectly connect the optical semiconductor element and the contact member through the drive device.