JP-2022534028-A5 -

Dates

Publication Date

20230526

Application Date

20200519

Description

Descriptions of elements in the figures should be understood to apply equally to corresponding elements in other figures unless otherwise indicated. While specific embodiments are illustrated and described herein, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that these specific embodiments may be replaced by various alternative and/or equivalent embodiments without departing the scope of this disclosure. This application is intended to encompass any adaptation or modification of any specific embodiment discussed herein. Therefore, this disclosure is intended to be limited only by the claims and their equivalents. In addition to the embodiments described above, the following embodiments are also noted. (Note 1) A photo-binding element, A plurality of waveguide mounting features for receiving a plurality of optical waveguides and permanently attaching them to the plurality of optical waveguides, wherein each waveguide mounting feature has an inlet end on the opposite side of the end portion, and the inlet ends of the mounting features are arranged at a pitch Pe, The optical waveguide is positioned closer to the end portion of the mounting feature and further away from the inlet end portion of the mounting feature, and comprises an optical direction changing member having an input surface, a reflective side, and an outlet surface. When an optical waveguide is received and permanently mounted at each mounting feature, the central ray emitted by each optical waveguide enters the optical direction changing member through the input surface as an input central ray, is redirected by the reflective side to become a direction changing central ray, exits the optical direction changing member at the outlet surface as an output central ray, the output central ray intersects the outlet surface at the outlet point, each mounting feature corresponds to a different outlet point on the outlet surface, and the outlet points corresponding to the mounting feature are arranged with a pitch Px not equal to Pe. Photo-coupling element. (Note 2) Each of the plurality of waveguide mounting features includes a first groove and a second groove for receiving and aligning the respective first and second optical waveguides, and the reflecting side includes a first optical direction changing surface and a second optical direction changing surface corresponding to the respective first and second grooves, and when the first and second optical waveguides are received and aligned within the respective first and second grooves and emit the respective first and second input central rays, the first and second optical direction changing surfaces receive and reflect the input central rays to form the respective first and second direction changing central rays, and as a result, the direction changing central rays exit the optical coupling element as the respective first and second output central rays. The first input central ray and the second input central ray define an angle α1 between them that exceeds approximately 2 degrees. The first input central ray and the first direction-changing central ray define an angle β1 between them that exceeds approximately 30 degrees. The second input center ray and the second direction change center ray define an angle β2 between them that exceeds approximately 30 degrees. The first output central ray and the second output central ray define an angle α2 of less than 1 degree between them, as described in Appendix 1, for the optical coupling element. (Note 3) Each of the plurality of waveguide mounting features includes a first groove and a second groove for receiving and aligning the respective first and second optical waveguides, and the reflecting side includes a first optical direction changing surface and a second optical direction changing surface corresponding to the respective first and second grooves, and when the first and second optical waveguides are received and aligned within the respective first and second grooves and emit the respective first and second input central rays, the first and second optical direction changing surfaces receive and reflect the input central rays to form the respective first and second direction changing central rays, and as a result, the direction changing central rays exit the optical coupling element as the respective first and second output central rays. The first input central ray and the second input central ray define an angle α1 between them of less than approximately 1 degree. The first input central ray and the first direction-changing central ray define an angle β1 between them that exceeds approximately 30 degrees. The second input center ray and the second direction change center ray define an angle β2 between them that exceeds approximately 30 degrees. The first output central ray and the second output central ray define an angle α2 greater than approximately 2 degrees between them, as described in Appendix 1, for the optical coupling element. (Note 4) Th