JP7484255B2 - Housing for optical wiring component, optical wiring component and electronic device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a housing for optical wiring components, an optical wiring component, and an electronic device.

Patent document 1 discloses an optical connector plug attached to a branch cable branched off from a feeder optical cable, and an optical connector plug attached to an optical fiber routed from an optical terminal device. It also discloses an optical terminal box in which the optical connector plug on the feeder optical cable side and the optical connector plug on the optical terminal device side are connected inside the box body.

The box body described in Patent Document 1 is rectangular parallelepiped-shaped. A sealing introduction fitting is attached so as to penetrate the box body. The branch cable and the optical fiber are each introduced into the inside of the box body via this sealing introduction fitting. Furthermore, in Patent Document 1, the excess length of the branch cable introduced into the inside of the box body is wound up.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-90524

To miniaturize the optical terminal box described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to miniaturize the box body. In that case, when the excess length of the branching cable is wound inside the box body, it is necessary to reduce the diameter of the wound body, i.e., the diameter of the ring formed by the branching cable. However, in order to reduce the diameter of the ring, the branching cable needs to be bent with a smaller radius of curvature, which generates large stress in the branching cable. This poses the problem of reduced transmission efficiency of the branching cable, for example at the branching point of the branching cable or the connection point of multiple cables.

The object of the present invention is to provide a housing for optical wiring components that is small and capable of suppressing a decrease in transmission efficiency in the optical wiring housed therein, a small optical wiring component with low loss, and electronic equipment that can save space for housing the optical wiring component and is highly reliable.

These objects can be achieved by the present invention described below in (1) to (12).
(1) A housing for optical wiring components that houses optical wiring,
A bottom portion having a plate shape and a bottom surface;
A wall portion protruding from the bottom surface and having a frame shape when the bottom surface is viewed in a plan view;
Equipped with
the wall portion has a groove that opens to the inside of the wall portion, extends in a direction including a component parallel to the bottom surface, and into which the optical wiring is inserted;
A housing for optical wiring components, wherein a height from the bottom surface to a lower end of the groove is 20 to 80% of a height of the wall portion.

(2) The housing for optical wiring components described in (1) above, wherein the wall portion has a first mounting portion capable of mounting an adapter to which one end of the optical wiring is connected, and a second mounting portion capable of mounting an adapter to which the other end is connected.

(3) The wall portion is
an adapter attachment portion having the first attachment portion and the second attachment portion;
a groove forming portion facing the adapter attachment portion and having the groove;
The optical wiring component housing according to (2) above,

(4) The optical wiring component housing according to any one of (1) to (3) above, wherein both ends of the groove in the extending direction are also open to the side opposite to the bottom surface.

(5) The optical wiring component housing according to any one of (1) to (4) above, wherein the groove penetrates the wall portion in an extending direction of the groove.

(6) A housing for optical wiring components according to any one of (1) to (5) above;
the optical wiring housed in the optical wiring component housing with a portion of the optical wiring housed in the groove;
An optical wiring component comprising:
(7) A housing for optical wiring components, comprising: a bottom portion having a plate shape and a bottom surface; and a wall portion protruding from the bottom surface and having a frame shape when the bottom surface is viewed in a plan view;
an optical wiring including an optical waveguide having a cross-sectional shape that is anisotropic having a minor axis and a major axis that is longer than the minor axis, and an optical fiber optically connected to the optical waveguide;
Equipped with
The wall portion has a groove that opens to the inside and extends in a direction that includes a component parallel to the bottom surface,
the optical wiring is accommodated in the optical wiring component housing with the optical waveguide inserted in the groove;
The optical wiring component, wherein a width of the groove in a direction perpendicular to the bottom surface is shorter than a length of the major axis.
(8) A housing for optical wiring components, the housing including: a plate-shaped bottom portion having a bottom surface; a wall portion protruding from the bottom surface and forming a frame shape when the bottom surface is viewed in plan; and a base portion protruding from the bottom surface and forming a platform on which an adapter is placed;
an optical wiring including an optical waveguide and an optical fiber optically connected to the optical waveguide;
an adapter that is placed on the base and connected to the optical wiring;
Equipped with
The wall portion has a groove that opens to the inside and extends in a direction that includes a component parallel to the bottom surface,
The optical wiring component is characterized in that the optical waveguide is inserted into the groove and the optical fiber is accommodated in the space between the wall portion and the base portion, and the optical wiring is accommodated in the housing for the optical wiring component.
(9) The optical wiring component according to (7) or (8), wherein the optical wiring has a function of distributing light.

(10) The optical fiber includes a first optical fiber and a second optical fiber,
The optical wiring component according to any one of (7) to (9) above, wherein the optical waveguide connects the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber.

(11) The optical wiring component described in (10) above, wherein the optical waveguide is inserted into the groove and the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber are wound around the optical wiring component and housed in the optical wiring component housing.

(12) An electronic device comprising the optical wiring component according to any one of (6) to (11) above.

According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a housing for optical wiring components that is small in size and capable of suppressing a decrease in the transmission efficiency of the optical wiring housed therein.
Furthermore, according to the present invention, a small-sized optical wiring component with low loss can be obtained.

Furthermore, the present invention makes it possible to reduce the space required to store optical wiring components, and to obtain highly reliable electronic equipment.

1 is a perspective view showing an optical wiring component according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the optical wiring component shown in FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a state in which a cover body of the optical wiring component shown in FIG. 1 is removed. 4 is a plan view showing a state in which a light guide section housed in a housing of the optical wiring component shown in FIG. 3 is stretched out. FIG. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of part A in FIG. 4 . 6 is a cross-sectional view of the light guiding portion shown in FIG. 5 . 6 is a cross-sectional view of the light guiding portion shown in FIG. 5 . FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of part B in FIG. 6 . 4 is a cross-sectional view of the optical wiring component housing shown in FIG. 3 along line CC. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the optical wiring component housing shown in FIG. 3 along line DD. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of a positional relationship between a light guiding portion and a groove shown in FIG. 3. FIG. FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an optical wiring component housing provided in the optical wiring component according to the second embodiment. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the optical wiring component housing shown in FIG. 13 along line HH. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an optical wiring component housing provided in the optical wiring component according to the third embodiment.

The following describes in detail the optical wiring component housing, optical wiring component, and electronic device of the present invention based on the preferred embodiments shown in the attached drawings.

1. First Embodiment 1.1. Optical Interconnect Component First, an optical interconnect component according to a first embodiment will be described.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an optical wiring component according to the first embodiment. Figure 2 is an exploded view of the optical wiring component shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a plan view showing the optical wiring component shown in Figure 1 with the cover removed. Figure 4 is a plan view showing the optical wiring component shown in Figure 3 with the light guide section housed in the housing extended. Figure 5 is an enlarged view of part A in Figure 4. Figures 6 and 7 are cross-sectional views of the light guide section shown in Figure 5. Figure 8 is an enlarged view of part B in Figure 6. Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the optical wiring component housing shown in Figure 3 taken along line C-C. Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of the optical wiring component housing shown in Figure 3 taken along line D-D.

Note that in Figures 6 and 7, the illustration of a portion of the optical waveguide is simplified. In each figure, an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis are set as three mutually orthogonal axes, and each axis is indicated by an arrow. Note that the tip side of the arrow is the positive side of each axis, and the base side is the negative side. In the following explanation, for convenience of explanation, the positive side of the Z-axis is described as "up" and the negative side is described as "down."

The optical wiring component 100 shown in Figures 1 to 3 includes a first optical fiber 1, a second optical fiber 2, a third optical fiber 3, an optical waveguide 4, and a housing 5. Of these, the first optical fiber 1, the second optical fiber 2, and the third optical fiber 3 are optically connected via the optical waveguide 4, as shown in Figure 4. This forms a light guide section 10 (optical wiring). The light guide section 10 shown in Figure 2 is bent so as to be curved midway within the X-Y plane, and is housed in this state inside the housing 5.

As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 5 includes a container 5a and a lid 5b.
A lid 5b is adapted to fit into the opening of the container 5a, thereby forming a space inside the housing 5, in which the light guide unit 10 can be housed.

The optical waveguide 4 has a core portion 44 as shown in FIG. 5 formed therein, which is branched into two at the branch portion 46. For this reason, for example, light incident on the first optical fiber 1 from the outside is branched into two at the branch portion 46 and distributed to the second optical fiber 2 and the third optical fiber 3. Therefore, in this case, the optical wiring component 100 functions as an optical distributor. On the other hand, light incident on the second optical fiber 2 and the third optical fiber 3 from the outside is mixed into one at the branch portion 46 and concentrated in the first optical fiber 1. Therefore, in this case, the optical wiring component 100 functions as an optical mixer.

Each part of the optical wiring component 100 will be described in detail below.
As described above, the housing 5 (housing for optical wiring components) includes the container 5a and the lid 5b. As shown in FIG. 2, the container 5a is a box-like shape with a bottom and an opening that opens to the positive side of the Z axis.

The container 5a has a bottom 501, a wall 500, and three fixing parts 509. As shown in FIG. 10, the bottom 501 is plate-shaped and has a bottom surface 502 and a back surface 503 that are opposite each other. The bottom surface 502 is the surface of the bottom 501 on the positive side of the Z axis, and the back surface 503 is the surface of the bottom 501 on the negative side of the Z axis.

The wall 500 is provided so as to protrude from the edge of the bottom surface 502 toward the Z-axis positive side, and is shaped like a frame with a space on the inside. The wall 500 also has the side walls 51, 52, 53, and 54 described above. Of these, the side wall 51 has through-holes 511 and 512 that penetrate from the inside to the outside, as shown in FIG. 2. The first optical adapter 6 is attached to the through-hole 511, as shown in FIG. 2. The second optical adapter 7 is attached to the through-hole 512, as shown in FIG. 2. The first optical adapter 6 has a shape that protrudes on both the inside and outside of the wall 500. Similarly, the second optical adapter 7 has a shape that protrudes on both the inside and outside of the wall 500.

The fixing portion 509 protrudes outward from the outer surface of the wall portion 500 and has a screw hole that penetrates in the Z-axis direction. The housing 5 can be fixed to the fixed member by passing a screw through the screw hole and screwing it to the fixed member.

The first optical fiber 1 is inserted into the first optical adapter 6 as shown in FIG. 3, and the second optical fiber 2 and the third optical fiber 3 are inserted into the second optical adapter 7 as shown in FIG. 3.

The light guide section 10 in a rolled-up state is in contact with the side wall 52. In other words, the light guide section 10 in a rolled-up state, i.e., in a rolled-up state, is in contact with the side wall 52, thereby preventing the light guide section 10 from unfolding and allowing the rolled state of the light guide section 10 to be maintained. However, it is not essential that the light guide section 10 be in contact with the side wall 52. It is also not essential that the light guide section 10 be rolled up in a rolled-up state.

The container 5a further includes two side walls 53 and 54 that are parallel to the YZ plane. The side wall 53 is located on the positive side of the X axis relative to the bottom surface 502, and the side wall 54 is located on the negative side of the X axis relative to the bottom surface 502.

The lid 5b is in the form of a plate that can cover the opening of the container 5a, and its planar shape when viewed from the direction along the Z axis is the same as that of the container 5a.

The above-described shape of the housing 5 is merely an example, and is not limited thereto. For example, the container 5a and the lid 5b may be connected. The container 5a may also be an assembly formed by assembling multiple parts.

Examples of materials constituting the container 5a and the lid 5b include polyolefins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene-propylene copolymer, and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), cyclic polyolefins, modified polyolefins, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polystyrene, polyamide, polyimide, polyamideimide, polycarbonate (PC), poly-(4-methylpentene-1), ionomers, acrylic resins, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymers (ABS resins), acrylonitrile-styrene copolymers (AS resins), butadiene-styrene copolymers, polyoxymethylene, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymers (EVOH), polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), and polycyclohexane terephthalate (PCT), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), and polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH). Examples of the thermoplastic elastomer include polyether, polyetherketone (PEK), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyetherimide, polyacetal (POM), polyphenylene oxide, modified polyphenylene oxide, polysulfone, polyethersulfone, polyphenylene sulfide, polyarylate, aromatic polyester (liquid crystal polymer), polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, other fluorine-based resins, styrene-based, polyolefin-based, polyurethane-based, polyester-based, polyamide-based, polybutadiene-based, trans-polyisoprene-based, fluororubber-based, chlorinated polyethylene-based, and other thermoplastic elastomers, epoxy resin, phenolic resin, urea resin, melamine resin, unsaturated polyester, silicone resin, and the like, or blends and polymer alloys mainly made of these, and one or more of these can be used in combination.

Among these, the material for the container 5a and the material for the lid 5b are preferably one selected from the group consisting of polyamide, polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonate, acrylic resin, polyethylene terephthalate, and ABS resin. These have relatively high bending strength and are therefore useful as construction materials.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 9, the housing 5 has a groove 57 that opens on the inner surface (inner surface) of the side wall 52 and extends in a direction that includes a component parallel to the bottom surface 502. In the example shown in Figs. 2 and 9, the groove 57 extends in a direction parallel to the bottom surface 502, that is, in the X-axis direction. By inserting a part of the light guide 10, particularly the optical waveguide 4, into this groove 57, the optical waveguide 4 can be held in a constant position. This makes it less likely that the optical waveguide 4 will be subjected to a load. As a result, a housing 5 that can realize a small optical wiring component 100 with less loss can be obtained. The groove 57 will be described in detail later.

The container 5a also has pedestal portions 504 and 505 that protrude from the bottom surface 502. The pedestal portion 504 is provided at a position corresponding to the through-hole portion 511. The pedestal portion 505 is provided at a position corresponding to the through-hole portion 512.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, a first optical adapter 6 is placed on the upper surface of the base 504. Also, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, a second optical adapter 7 is placed on the upper surface of the base 505.

The first optical fiber 1 of the light guide 10 is inserted into the first optical adapter 6 as described above. The second optical fiber 2 and the third optical fiber 3 of the light guide 10 are inserted into the second optical adapter 7 as described above. Furthermore, a portion of the light guide 10 is housed in the space 56 between the side wall 52 and the bases 504 and 505 in a ring-shaped wound state as shown in FIG. 3.

1.1.2. First Optical Fiber The first optical fiber 1 includes a first optical fiber body 11 and a first optical connector 12 attached to an end of the first optical fiber body 11 .

The first optical fiber body 11 may be, for example, a glass optical fiber, a plastic optical fiber, etc.

The waveguide mode of the first optical fiber body 11 may be either single mode or multimode, but is preferably multimode. In multimode, the tolerance for axial misalignment during alignment is greater than in single mode. For this reason, the multimode first optical fiber body 11 can facilitate the connection work when optically connecting to the optical waveguide 4, and is therefore useful from the viewpoint of increasing the ease of assembly of the optical wiring component 100.

The first optical fiber body 11 shown in Figures 6 and 7 has a circular cross-sectional shape and has a core portion 111 located at the center and a clad portion 112 covering the side surface. The first optical fiber body 11 may have a coating portion that covers the side surface of the clad portion 112 as necessary. Examples of materials that can be used for the coating portion include resin materials, glass materials, metal materials, and fiber-reinforced composite materials.

Note that FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line from the first optical fiber 1 through the optical waveguide 4 to the second optical fiber 2. Also, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line from the first optical fiber 1 through the optical waveguide 4 to the third optical fiber 3.

Of the two end faces of the first optical fiber body 11, the end face on the optical waveguide 4 side shown in Figures 6 and 7 is the first light input/output surface 113. This first light input/output surface 113 and the optical waveguide 4 are optically connected via a first adhesive portion 81, which will be described later.

The first optical connector 12 has an insertion hole (not shown), and the end of the first optical fiber body 11 is inserted into this insertion hole to hold the first optical fiber body 11.

Examples of the first optical connector 12 include a ceramic optical connector, a glass optical connector, a plastic optical connector, and the like. The first optical connector 12 may also be one in which any of these optical connectors serve as the main body and a metal fitting is attached to the main body.

Furthermore, the first optical connector 12 may be an assembly of a ferrule and a housing into which the ferrule can be inserted. The housing has a shape that conforms to various standards for optical connections. Examples of such standards include SC, FC, MU, D, DJ, ST, LC, SCF, SCH, MT, MPO, and MT-RJ.

1.1.3. Second Optical Fiber The second optical fiber 2 includes a second optical fiber body 21 and a second optical connector 22 attached to an end of the second optical fiber body 21 .

The second optical fiber body 21 may be, for example, a glass optical fiber, a plastic optical fiber, etc.

The waveguide mode of the second optical fiber body 21 may be either single mode or multimode, but is preferably multimode. In multimode, the tolerance for axial misalignment during alignment is greater than in single mode. For this reason, a multimode second optical fiber body 21 can facilitate the connection work when optically connecting to the optical waveguide 4, and is therefore useful from the viewpoint of increasing the ease of assembly of the optical wiring component 100.

The second optical fiber body 21 shown in FIG. 6 has a circular cross-sectional shape and has a core portion 211 located at the center and a clad portion 212 covering the side surface. The second optical fiber body 21 may have a coating portion that covers the side surface of the clad portion 212 as necessary. Examples of materials that can be used for the coating portion include resin materials, glass materials, metal materials, and fiber-reinforced composite materials.

Of the two end faces of the second optical fiber body 21, the end face on the optical waveguide 4 side shown in Figures 6 and 8 is the second light input/output surface 213. This second light input/output surface 213 and the optical waveguide 4 are optically connected via a second adhesive part 82, which will be described later.

The second optical connector 22 has an insertion hole (not shown), and the end of the second optical fiber body 21 is inserted into this insertion hole to hold the second optical fiber body 21.

The second optical connector 22 may be, for example, a ceramic optical connector, a glass optical connector, a plastic optical connector, etc. The second optical connector 22 may also be configured with any of these optical connectors as the main body, with a metal fitting attached to the main body.

The second optical connector 22 may be an assembly of a ferrule and a housing into which the ferrule can be inserted. The housing has a shape that conforms to various standards for optical connections. Examples of such standards include SC, FC, MU, D, DJ, ST, LC, SCF, SCH, MT, MPO, and MT-RJ.

1.1.4. Third Optical Fiber The third optical fiber 3 includes a third optical fiber body 31 and a third optical connector 32 attached to an end of the third optical fiber body 31 .

The third optical fiber body 31 may be, for example, a glass optical fiber, a plastic optical fiber, etc.

The waveguide mode of the third optical fiber body 31 may be either single mode or multimode, but is preferably multimode. In multimode, the tolerance for axial misalignment during alignment is greater than in single mode. For this reason, a multimode third optical fiber body 31 can facilitate the connection work when optically connecting to the optical waveguide 4, and is therefore useful from the viewpoint of increasing the ease of assembly of the optical wiring component 100.

The third optical fiber body 31 shown in FIG. 7 has a circular cross-sectional shape and has a core portion 311 located at the center and a clad portion 312 covering the side surface. The third optical fiber body 31 may have a coating portion that covers the side surface of the clad portion 312 as necessary. Examples of materials that can be used for the coating portion include resin materials, glass materials, metal materials, and fiber-reinforced composite materials.

Of the two end faces of the third optical fiber body 31, the end face on the optical waveguide 4 side shown in FIG. 7 is the third light input/output surface 313. This third light input/output surface 313 and the optical waveguide 4 are optically connected via a third adhesive portion 83 described later.

The third optical connector 32 has an insertion hole (not shown), and the end of the third optical fiber body 31 is inserted into this insertion hole to hold the third optical fiber body 31.

Examples of the third optical connector 32 include a ceramic optical connector, a glass optical connector, a plastic optical connector, and the like. The third optical connector 32 may also be configured with any of these optical connectors as the main body, with metal fittings attached to the main body.

Furthermore, the third optical connector 32 may be an assembly of a ferrule and a housing into which the ferrule can be inserted. The housing has a shape that conforms to various standards for optical connections. Examples of such standards include SC, FC, MU, D, DJ, ST, LC, SCF, SCH, MT, MPO, and MT-RJ.

1.1.5. Optical Waveguide As described above, the optical waveguide 4 is provided between the first optical fiber 1 and the second and third optical fibers 2 and 3, and optically connects them.

The optical waveguide 4 shown in FIG. 8 has a sheet-like laminate in which, from the bottom, a lower protective layer 47, a cladding layer 41, a core layer 43, a cladding layer 42, and an upper protective layer 48 are laminated in this order. In addition, in the core layer 43, as shown in FIG. 5, a linear core portion 44 and a side cladding portion 45 provided adjacent to the core portion 44 are formed.

Each part of the optical waveguide 4 will be described in further detail below.
1.1.5.1 Core layer The side surfaces of the core 44 shown in Fig. 5 are surrounded by the side cladding 45 shown in Fig. 5 and the cladding layers 41 and 42 shown in Fig. 8. The refractive index of the core 44 is higher than the refractive indexes of the side cladding 45 and the cladding layers 41 and 42. This allows light to be confined in the core 44 and propagated therethrough.

In the core layer 43, the refractive index distribution in the plane perpendicular to the optical path may be any distribution, for example, a so-called step index (SI) type distribution in which the refractive index changes discontinuously, or a so-called graded index (GI) type distribution in which the refractive index changes continuously.

The cross-sectional shape of the core portion 44 taken along a plane perpendicular to the optical path of the core portion 44 is not particularly limited, and may be a circle such as a perfect circle, ellipse, or oval, a polygon such as a triangle, square, pentagon, or hexagon, or other irregular shape.

Furthermore, the average thickness of the core layer 43 is not particularly limited and is optimized to minimize coupling loss depending on the diameters of the core portions 111, 211, and 311 of the first optical fiber body 11, the second optical fiber body 21, and the third optical fiber body 31, but is preferably about 1 to 500 μm, more preferably about 10 to 300 μm, and even more preferably about 30 to 100 μm. This ensures the optical characteristics and mechanical strength required for the core portion 44.

Examples of materials (main materials) constituting the core layer 43 include various resin materials such as acrylic resins, methacrylic resins, polycarbonate, polystyrene, cyclic ether resins such as epoxy resins and oxetane resins, polyamide, polyimide, polybenzoxazole, polysilane, polysilazane, silicone resins, fluorine resins, polyurethane, polyolefin resins, polybutadiene, polyisoprene, polychloroprene, polyesters such as PET and PBT, polyethylene succinate, polysulfone, polyether, and cyclic olefin resins such as benzocyclobutene resins and norbornene resins. Note that composite materials made by combining materials with different compositions may be used as the resin material.

The core portion 44 shown in FIG. 5 also includes a branch portion 46. At the branch portion 46, one core portion 44 branches into two. This allows, for example, light incident on one core portion 44 to be distributed to two core portions 44 at the branch portion 46.

The average thickness of each of the cladding layers 41 and 42 is preferably about 1 to 200 μm, more preferably about 3 to 100 μm, and even more preferably about 5 to 60 μm, so that the optical characteristics and mechanical strength required for the cladding layers 41 and 42 are ensured.

The clad layers 41 and 42 may be made of the same material as the core layer 43 described above.

The clad layers 41 and 42 may be provided as necessary, and may be omitted. In this case, for example, if the core layer 43 is exposed to the outside air, the outside air functions as the clad layers 41 and 42.

In addition, the side cladding portion 45 in the core layer 43 may be integral with one or both of the cladding layers 41 and 42.

1.1.5.3. Protective Layer The lower protective layer 47 and the upper protective layer 48 protect the core layer 43 and the cladding layers 41 and 42, suppress a decrease in the transmission efficiency of the core portion 44 caused by the external environment, etc., and increase the mechanical strength of the optical waveguide 4.

Examples of materials constituting the lower protective layer 47 and the upper protective layer 48 include materials containing various resins such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyethylene, polyolefins such as polypropylene, polyimides, and polyamides.

The average thickness of the lower protective layer 47 and the upper protective layer 48 is not particularly limited, but is preferably about 5 to 500 μm, and more preferably about 10 to 400 μm.

In addition, the lower protective layer 47 and the upper protective layer 48 may have the same configuration as each other or different configurations.

The lower protective layer 47 and the upper protective layer 48 may each be provided as necessary, and at least one of them may be omitted.

1.1.6. Adhesive Part The end face of the optical waveguide 4 on the first optical fiber 1 side shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 is the fourth light input/output surface 491, and the end face on the second optical fiber 2 side shown in FIG. 6 and the end face on the third optical fiber 3 side shown in FIG. 7 are the fifth light input/output surface 492. The first light input/output surface 113 of the first optical fiber 1 and the fourth light input/output surface 491 of the optical waveguide 4 are optically connected via the first adhesive part 81. The second light input/output surface 213 of the second optical fiber 2 and the fifth light input/output surface 492 of the optical waveguide 4 are optically connected via the second adhesive part 82. The third light input/output surface 313 of the third optical fiber 3 and the fifth light input/output surface 492 of the optical waveguide 4 are optically connected via the third adhesive part 83. The second adhesive part 82 and the third adhesive part 83 may be integrated with each other so that the boundary between them cannot be distinguished.

Any adhesive that is optically transparent may be used for the first adhesive portion 81, the second adhesive portion 82, and the third adhesive portion 83, examples of which include epoxy adhesives, acrylic adhesives, urethane adhesives, silicone adhesives, olefin adhesives, and various hot melt adhesives (polyester-based, modified olefin-based), etc.

The curing principle of each of the first adhesive portion 81, the second adhesive portion 82, and the third adhesive portion 83 is not particularly limited, and may be a heat curing type, a curing agent mixed type, a solvent volatilization type, or the like, but is preferably a light curing type. That is, it is preferable that each of the first adhesive portion 81, the second adhesive portion 82, and the third adhesive portion 83 contains a cured product of a light curing adhesive. The light curing adhesive can be cured in a short time while holding the object to be bonded with a translucent jig or the like. Therefore, the optical waveguide 4 and the first optical fiber 1, the second optical fiber 2, and the third optical fiber 3 can be precisely and easily fixed in a state where they are aligned. As a result, the optical coupling efficiency of the connection portion can be further improved. The light curing type includes an ultraviolet curing type.

In addition, when the first adhesive portion 81, the second adhesive portion 82, and the third adhesive portion 83 contain a cured product of a photocurable adhesive, the elastic modulus of the first adhesive portion 81, the second adhesive portion 82, and the third adhesive portion 83 can be made relatively large. Specifically, the elastic modulus of each of the first adhesive portion 81, the second adhesive portion 82, and the third adhesive portion 83 is preferably about 100 to 20,000 MPa, more preferably about 300 to 15,000 MPa, even more preferably about 500 to 12,500 MPa, and particularly preferably about 1,000 to 10,000 MPa. By setting the elastic modulus of each of the first adhesive portion 81, the second adhesive portion 82, and the third adhesive portion 83 within the above range, the first adhesive portion 81, the second adhesive portion 82, and the third adhesive portion 83 are less likely to deform, and therefore, after the optical waveguide 4 and the first optical fiber 1, the second optical fiber 2, and the third optical fiber 3 are aligned, misalignment is less likely to occur. This allows the optical coupling efficiency to be maintained at a good level.

The elastic modulus of each of the first adhesive portion 81, the second adhesive portion 82, and the third adhesive portion 83 is measured by the method specified in JIS K 7127, and the measurement temperature is 25°C.

Furthermore, the refractive index of the first adhesive portion 81 is not particularly limited, but is preferably a value between the refractive index of the core portion 111 of the first optical fiber body 11 and the refractive index of the core portion 44 of the optical waveguide 4. By setting the refractive index of the first adhesive portion 81 within the above range, the first adhesive portion 81 has a refractive index adjustment function. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of coupling loss due to the refractive index difference between the first optical fiber 1 and the optical waveguide 4, and it is possible to realize an optical wiring component 100 with good optical coupling efficiency.

Similarly, the refractive index of the second adhesive portion 82 is not particularly limited, but is preferably a value between the refractive index of the core portion 211 of the second optical fiber body 21 and the refractive index of the core portion 44 of the optical waveguide 4. By setting the refractive index of the second adhesive portion 82 within the above range, the second adhesive portion 82 has a refractive index adjustment function. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of coupling loss due to the refractive index difference between the second optical fiber 2 and the optical waveguide 4, and it is possible to realize an optical wiring component 100 with good optical coupling efficiency.

Similarly, the refractive index of the third adhesive portion 83 is not particularly limited, but is preferably a value between the refractive index of the core portion 311 of the third optical fiber body 31 and the refractive index of the core portion 44 of the optical waveguide 4. By setting the refractive index of the third adhesive portion 83 within the above range, the third adhesive portion 83 has a refractive index adjustment function. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of coupling loss due to the refractive index difference between the third optical fiber 3 and the optical waveguide 4, and it is possible to realize an optical wiring component 100 with good optical coupling efficiency.

Of the two faces of the first optical adapter 6 that intersect with the Y-axis, the face on the negative side of the Y-axis is provided with one insertion section 61 into which the first optical fiber 1 can be inserted, as shown in Fig. 3. On the other hand, the face on the positive side of the Y-axis is provided with one insertion section 62 into which a counterpart optical fiber to be optically connected to the first optical fiber 1 can be inserted, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Therefore, the first optical fiber 1 and the counterpart optical fiber are optically connected via the first optical adapter 6.

The first optical adapter 6 may conform to various standards related to optical connector housings, such as SC, FC, MU, D, DJ, ST, LC, SCF, SCH, MT, MPO, MT-RJ, etc.

Of the two faces of the second optical adapter 7 that intersect with the Y axis, the face on the negative side of the Y axis is provided with an insertion section 71a into which the second optical fiber 2 can be inserted and an insertion section 71b into which the third optical fiber 3 can be inserted, as shown in FIG. 3. The two insertion sections 71a and 71b are aligned along the X axis. On the other hand, the face on the positive side of the Y axis is provided with insertion sections 72a and 72b into which the optical fiber of the connection partner that is optically connected to the second optical fiber 2 or the third optical fiber 3 is inserted. Therefore, the second optical fiber 2 and the third optical fiber 3 are optically connected to the two optical fibers of the connection partner via the second optical adapter 7. The two insertion sections 72a and 72b are aligned along the X axis.

The second optical adapter 7 may conform to various standards related to optical connector housings, such as SC, FC, MU, D, DJ, ST, LC, SCF, SCH, MT, MPO, MT-RJ, etc.

The second optical adapter 7 may be divided into a portion having the insertion portions 71a and 72a and a portion having the insertion portions 71b and 72b.

1.1.8. Accommodation of the light guide in the housing The first optical fiber 1, the second optical fiber 2, and the third optical fiber 3 shown in Figs. 2 and 3 are accommodated in the space 56 in a wound state. In the following description, the first optical fiber 1, the second optical fiber 2, and the third optical fiber 3 may be referred to as the "first optical fiber 1, etc." The first optical fiber 1, etc., curved in this manner generates a restoring force that tries to return it to its original state from the curved state. For this reason, the wound body formed by the first optical fiber 1, etc., i.e., the ring, tries to deform in a direction that expands its diameter. Accordingly, the first optical fiber 1, etc. is pressed against the inner surface of the wall portion 500.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the optical waveguide 4 provided between the first optical fiber 1 and the second and third optical fibers 2 and 3 is inserted into the groove 57. When the optical waveguide 4 is inserted into the groove 57, the groove 57 restricts the displacement of the optical waveguide 4 inside the housing 5. This allows the optical waveguide 4 and the connection between the optical waveguide 4 and the first optical fiber 1, etc. to be held in a constant position. This position refers to, for example, a position in which the optical waveguide 4 and the connection between the optical waveguide 4 and the first optical fiber 1, etc. are stretched straight along the groove 57.

By being held in such a position, it is possible to prevent mechanical load from being applied to the optical waveguide 4 and prevent large stress from being generated. It is also possible to prevent mechanical load from being applied to the connection between the optical waveguide 4 and the first optical fiber 1, etc., that is, the first adhesive portion 81, the second adhesive portion 82, and the third adhesive portion 83, and prevent large stress from being generated. As a result, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the transmission efficiency of the light guide portion 10. In the following description, the first adhesive portion 81, the second adhesive portion 82, and the third adhesive portion 83 may be referred to as the "first adhesive portion 81, etc.".

Furthermore, since the optical waveguide 4 is fixed to the housing 5 and is less likely to swing, there is also the advantage that the decrease in the transmission efficiency of the light guide section 10 due to swinging is suppressed.

As described above, the housing 5, which is a housing for optical wiring components according to this embodiment, is provided with a container 5a having a plate-like bottom 501 having a bottom surface 502, and a wall portion 500 that protrudes from the bottom surface 502 and has a frame shape when the bottom surface 502 is viewed in plan. The wall portion 500 has a groove 57 that opens to the inside and extends in a direction that includes a component parallel to the bottom surface 502, into which the light guide portion 10, which is optical wiring, is inserted.

As described above, with such a housing 5, the optical waveguide 4 can be inserted into the groove 57, and the optical waveguide 4 and the first adhesive portion 81, etc. can be held in a straight, stretched position along the groove 57. This can prevent mechanical load from being applied to the optical waveguide 4 and the first adhesive portion 81, etc., and can prevent large stress from being generated. As a result, a decrease in the transmission efficiency of the light guide 10 can be prevented. In addition, since the light guide 10 can be housed in the housing 5 in a small, wound state while preventing a decrease in transmission efficiency, a small-sized optical wiring component 100 with low loss can be obtained.

Figure 11 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of the positional relationship between the light guide section 10 and the groove 57 shown in Figure 3. Figure 12 is a partially enlarged diagram of Figure 10. Note that Figure 12 shows the light guide section 10 in addition to the container 5a shown in Figure 10.

Moreover, the optical waveguide 4, which is a part of the light-guiding section 10, is in the form of a sheet having two main surfaces that are in a front-back relationship. That is, the cross-sectional shape of the optical waveguide 4 is an anisotropic shape having a short axis extending in the vertical direction of Fig. 12 and a long axis extending in the horizontal direction of Fig. 12 and longer than the short axis. The length W1 of the groove 57 in the direction perpendicular to the bottom surface 502 shown in Fig. 12 (Z-axis direction) is preferably shorter than the length of the long axis, that is, the width W of the optical waveguide 4 shown in Fig. 5. This allows the optical waveguide 4 inserted in the groove 57 to be held in the position shown in Fig. 11.

Specifically, even if the optical waveguide 4 inserted in the groove 57 shown in FIG. 11 is rotated in the groove 57 around the X-axis as the axis of rotation, the inner surface of the groove 57 restricts further rotation at a certain angle. Therefore, the optical waveguide 4 can be held in a fixed position, that is, with the main surface intersecting the Z-axis.

Furthermore, when the length of the groove 57 in the Y-axis direction, i.e., the depth of the groove 57 shown in FIG. 12, is D1, it is preferable that the depth D1 of the groove 57 is equal to or greater than the width W of the optical waveguide 4 shown in FIG. 5. This allows the optical waveguide 4 to be adequately accommodated in the groove 57. As a result, it becomes easier to hold the optical waveguide 4 in a constant position.

Note that if the width W0 of the first adhesive portion 81, etc. shown in FIG. 5 is greater than the width W of the optical waveguide 4 shown in FIG. 5, the depth D1 of the groove 57 shown in FIG. 12 may be greater than or equal to the width W0 of the first adhesive portion 81, etc.

Furthermore, the width of the first optical fiber 1, etc. may be greater than the width W of the optical waveguide 4 shown in FIG. 5. For example, when the second optical fiber 2 and the third optical fiber 3 are arranged in parallel, the sum of their widths may exceed the width W of the optical waveguide 4. In such a case, it is preferable that the depth D1 of the groove 57 shown in FIG. 12 is equal to or greater than the width of the first optical fiber 1, etc.

The position of the groove 57 on the sidewall 52 is not particularly limited, but is preferably about half the height H0 of the sidewall 52 shown in FIG. 12. Specifically, the length from the bottom surface 502 to the lower end of the groove 57 in the Z-axis direction, i.e., the height H2 of the groove 57 shown in FIG. 12, is preferably about 20 to 80% of the height H0 of the sidewall 52, and more preferably about 30 to 70%. This prevents the position of the groove 57 from being too low or too high, and further reduces the load applied to the optical waveguide 4, the first adhesive portion 81, etc.

The position of the optical waveguide 4 in the groove 57 is not limited to the position shown in the figure. In other words, the shape of the groove 57 is not particularly limited as long as the optical waveguide 4 can be inserted therein. For example, the optical waveguide 4 may be held in a position in which the main surface of the optical waveguide 4 faces the bottom surface of the groove 57, that is, in a position that intersects with the Y axis, or in another position.

In FIG. 3, the optical waveguide 4 is inserted into the groove 57, and the first optical fiber 1 and the like are housed in a wound state in the space 56 between the side wall 52 and the pedestals 504 and 505. By housing the light guide 10 (optical wiring) in this state, the first optical fiber 1 and the like generate a force in the direction in which the ring expands due to their own elasticity. Therefore, the light guide 10 settles in a state in which it is pressed against the inner surface of the wall 500. At that time, the optical waveguide 4 is held in a state in which it is inserted into the groove 57. As a result, even if an impact or the like is applied to the optical wiring component 100, the probability that the optical waveguide 4 will come out of the groove 57 can be reduced. Therefore, the optical waveguide 4 can be held in the groove 57 by utilizing the restoring force of the light guide 10 without using a member or the like for fixing the optical waveguide 4.

The wall section 500 further has a through-hole 511 (first mounting section) capable of mounting a first optical adapter 6 to which one end (first optical fiber 1) of the light-guiding section 10, which is an optical wiring, is connected, and a through-hole 512 (second mounting section) capable of mounting a second optical adapter 7 to which the other end (second optical fiber 2 and third optical fiber 3) of the light-guiding section 10 is connected.

This type of housing 5 allows the first optical adapter 6 and the second optical adapter 7 to be easily attached, which contributes to improving the assembly workability of the optical wiring component 100.

Here, as described above, the wall portion 500 includes the side wall 51 and the side wall 52, of which the side wall 51 is an adapter attachment portion having a through portion 511 (first attachment portion) and a through portion 512 (second attachment portion). On the other hand, the side wall 52 faces the side wall 51 and is a groove forming portion having a groove 57.

In this way, the side walls 51 and 52, which are provided at positions facing each other with the space 56 in between, ensure the maximum distance between them within the limited size of the housing 5. As a result, the area of the space 56 is sufficiently ensured, so there is no need to make the diameter of the wound body of the first optical fiber 1 etc. smaller than necessary, and bending loss of the first optical fiber 1 etc. can be suppressed. As a result, an increase in transmission loss of the light guide section 10 can be suppressed without increasing the size of the housing 5.

The optical wiring component 100 also includes a housing 5 and a light guide section 10 housed in the housing 5. The light guide section 10 is housed with a portion of it inserted into the groove 57, i.e., in this embodiment, the optical waveguide 4 is inserted into the groove 57. With this configuration, even when the first optical fiber 1 and the like are tightly wound, the optical waveguide 4 and the like can be held in a straight, stretched state. This makes it possible to realize an optical wiring component 100 that is small and has little loss.

Furthermore, in the optical wiring component 100, the light guide section 10 has the function of branching (distributing) light. In other words, the core section 44 of the optical waveguide 4 has a branch section 46. Such an optical wiring component 100 suppresses the decrease in the S/N ratio in the light guide section 10 in a bent state, and therefore serves as a small-sized optical distributor or optical mixer with high reliability in optical communications.

The optical waveguide 4 may have functions other than those described above. Examples of functions other than those described above include attenuation of optical signals. When the optical waveguide 4 has such functions, the third optical fiber 3 can be omitted from the optical wiring component 100 described above, and the optical wiring component 100 becomes a small-sized optical attenuator with high reliability in optical communication.

In addition, in this embodiment, the light guide section 10 described above is given as an example of optical wiring, but the optical wiring is not limited to this. For example, the optical waveguide 4 may be replaced with an optical fiber.

The light guide section 10 further includes a first optical fiber 1, a second optical fiber 2, and a third optical fiber 3, as well as an optical waveguide 4 that connects the first optical fiber 1 to the second optical fiber 2 and the third optical fiber 3. As described above, the optical waveguide 4 can be provided with various functions. Therefore, by connecting the first optical fiber 1 to the second optical fiber 2 and the third optical fiber 3 via the optical waveguide 4, a long light guide section 10 having various functions can be obtained, and further, an optical wiring component 100 having various functions can be obtained.

A member for fixing the light guide unit 10 to the housing 5 may be provided. Examples of such a member include adhesive tape, bonding tape, adhesive, and pressure sensitive adhesive.

The housing 5 may also be filled with a resin material such as a potting agent to improve the retention of the light guide section 10.

Here, as shown in FIG. 4, the length of the first optical fiber 1 is L1, the length of the second optical fiber 2 is L2, and the length of the third optical fiber 3 is L3.

Lengths L2 and L3 may be the same, but are preferably different as shown in FIG. 4. This makes it easier to align the positions of the second optical connector 22 and the third optical connector 32 when the second optical fiber 2 and the third optical fiber 3 are bent so that the shorter one faces inward. At that time, excess length of the optical fiber is less likely to occur. This makes it possible to prevent load from being applied to the second adhesive portion 82 or the third adhesive portion 83 due to the excess length.

The length L1 of the first optical fiber 1 may be longer than both the length L2 of the second optical fiber 2 and the length L3 of the third optical fiber 3, but in FIG. 4, it is shorter than both. In other words, it is preferable that the light guide section 10 satisfies L1<L2 and L1<L3.

In a light guide section 10 that satisfies this relationship, the proportions of lengths L2 and L3 in its overall length are large. As a result, when bending the light guide section 10, even if the bending radius varies due to, for example, manufacturing errors, excess length is less likely to occur in the second optical fiber 2 or the third optical fiber 3. In other words, by increasing the proportions of lengths L2 and L3 in the overall length, the range of bending radii that can suppress the occurrence of bending can be expanded. As a result, a light guide section 10 that can suppress an increase in optical coupling loss in the second adhesive section 82 or the third adhesive section 83 can be realized.

The number of branches of the core portion 44 in the branch portion 46 of the optical waveguide 4 is not limited to the above two, and may be three or more. In that case, in addition to the second optical fiber 2 and the third optical fiber 3, a fourth optical fiber, a fifth optical fiber, ... may be added to the branch side.

In addition, if the number of branches of the core portion 44 is three or more, the second optical adapter 7 may also be capable of connecting the fourth optical fiber, fifth optical fiber, etc., described above.

When the longest side of each side of the main surface of the optical waveguide 4 is taken as the long axis, the length L4 of the long axis of the optical waveguide 4 shown in FIG. 4 varies slightly depending on the number of branches, but is preferably about 5 to 80 mm, and more preferably about 7 to 50 mm.

When the length of the minor axis perpendicular to the major axis of the optical waveguide 4 is taken as the width, the width W of the optical waveguide 4 shown in FIG. 5 is preferably about 1.0 to 15 mm, and more preferably about 1.5 to 10 mm, although it varies slightly depending on the number of branches.

Furthermore, the thickness t of the optical waveguide 4 shown in Figures 6 and 7 is preferably about 50 to 500 μm, and more preferably about 100 to 300 μm.

The diameter φ1 of the first optical fiber body 11, the diameter φ2 of the second optical fiber body 21, and the diameter φ3 of the third optical fiber body 31 are not particularly limited, but are preferably about 100 to 1000 μm, and more preferably about 200 to 800 μm. This allows the mechanical properties of the first optical fiber body 11, the second optical fiber body 21, and the third optical fiber body 31 to be optimized. As a result, when the light guide section 10 is bent, it is possible to achieve both a rigidity that does not break and a restoring force that is not too large.

The total length of the light guide section 10 is not particularly limited, but is preferably about 5 to 200 cm, and more preferably about 10 to 100 cm.

2. Second Embodiment Next, an optical wiring component housing and an optical wiring component according to a second embodiment will be described.
Fig. 13 is a perspective view of an optical wiring component housing provided in the optical wiring component according to the second embodiment Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the optical wiring component housing taken along line HH shown in Fig. 13 .

The second embodiment will be described below. In the following description, differences from the first embodiment will be described, and descriptions of similarities will be omitted. Note that in Figures 13 and 14, the same reference numerals are used for configurations similar to those of the first embodiment.

In the housing 5 according to the first embodiment described above, the side wall 52 has a groove 57, but as shown in Figures 2 and 9, this groove 57 does not open in any direction other than the positive side of the Y axis.

In contrast, in the housing 5C according to this embodiment, as shown in Figs. 13 and 14, both ends of the groove 57 in the extension direction are also open to the side opposite the bottom surface 502. Specifically, the housing 5C shown in Figs. 13 and 14 has a groove 57 extending in the X-axis direction, and a groove 58 extending upward from both ends of the groove 57 and opening the groove 57 to the outside.

By providing such grooves 57 and 58, the task of housing the light guide unit 10 in the housing 5C can be performed more efficiently.

More specifically, when housing the light guide 10 in the housing 5C, as described above, it is necessary to insert the light guide 4, the first adhesive portion 81, etc. into the groove 57. This insertion operation is likely to cause a large stress to be applied to the light guide 4, the first adhesive portion 81, etc. depending on the degree of bending of the light guide 10, and is therefore a task that requires carefulness, which poses the problem of making it difficult to improve work efficiency.

In this embodiment, when the light guide unit 10 is accommodated in the housing 5C, it is possible to first go through a step of suspending the light guide unit 10 from above in a U-shape, as shown in FIG. 14. At this time, the position of the light guide 4 in the X-axis direction is adjusted so that the light guide 4 is located at the lower end of the light guide unit 10.

Next, the hanging position of the optical waveguide 4 in the Y-axis direction is adjusted so that the suspended optical waveguide 4 is inserted into the groove 57. At this time, when the optical waveguide 4 is inserted into the groove 57, the first optical fiber 1 etc. connected to the optical waveguide 4 passes through the groove 58. By passing the first optical fiber 1 etc. through the groove 58 in this manner, it is possible to prevent interference between the first optical fiber 1 etc. and the side wall 52, and the optical waveguide 4 can be smoothly guided into the groove 57. As a result, the light guide section 10 can be efficiently accommodated.

In FIG. 14, the length of groove 58 in the X-axis direction is d1, and the length of groove 57 in the X-axis direction is d2.

The length d1 of the groove 58 is preferably 10 to 50 times, and more preferably 15 to 35 times, the diameter φ1 of the first optical fiber body 11, the diameter φ2 of the second optical fiber body 21, and the diameter φ3 of the third optical fiber body 31. This allows the suspended light guide 10 to be smoothly inserted into the groove 58 while preventing the length d2 of the groove 57 from becoming too short. This allows the light guide 10 to be housed more efficiently.

The length d2 of the groove 57 is preferably equal to or greater than the length L4 of the major axis of the optical waveguide 4 shown in Fig. 4. This allows the optical waveguide 4 to be adequately accommodated in the groove 57. As a result, the optical waveguide 4 can be more easily held in a constant posture.
In the second embodiment as described above, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

3. Third Embodiment Next, an optical wiring component housing and an optical wiring component according to a third embodiment will be described.
FIG. 15 is a perspective view of an optical wiring component housing provided in the optical wiring component according to the third embodiment.

The third embodiment will be described below. In the following description, differences from the second embodiment will be described, and descriptions of similarities will be omitted. Note that in FIG. 15, the same reference numerals are used for configurations similar to those in the second embodiment.

In the housing 5C according to the second embodiment described above, the groove 57 is located inside the wall portion 500. Therefore, the groove 57 is not exposed to the outside of the housing 5C.

In contrast, in the housing 5D according to this embodiment, the groove 57 penetrates the wall portion 500 in the direction in which it extends. That is, as shown in FIG. 15, the groove 57 extends in the X-axis direction and penetrates the side walls 53 and 54 to be exposed to the outside of the housing 5D. In addition, in the housing 5D shown in FIG. 15, the groove 58 is also widened in the X-axis direction and penetrates the side walls 53 and 54 to be exposed to the outside of the housing 5D.

With this configuration, when the light guide 10 is suspended as shown in FIG. 14, the first optical fiber 1 and the like can be caused to protrude outside the wall 500. In other words, when the light guide 10 is suspended from above in a U-shape as shown in FIG. 14, it is no longer necessary to forcibly accommodate the first optical fiber 1 and the like inside the wall 500. This makes it possible to insert the suspended optical waveguide 4 into the groove 57 without making the minimum bending radius of the light guide 10 when suspended in a U-shape smaller than necessary. As a result, the light guide 10 can be accommodated more efficiently while suppressing damage to the light guide 10 due to bending.

It is preferable that the groove 57 penetrates both the side walls 53, 54, but it may penetrate only one of them. Similarly, it is preferable that the groove 58 penetrates both the side walls 53, 54, but it may penetrate only one of them.
In the third embodiment as described above, the same effects as in the second embodiment can be obtained.

According to the optical wiring component according to the embodiment described above, it is possible to realize a small-sized optical wiring component with low loss. Therefore, an electronic device including such an optical wiring component can save the space required for storing the optical wiring component and has high reliability.

The electronic device of the present invention is applicable to, for example, information and communication devices such as smartphones, tablet terminals, mobile phones, game consoles, router devices, WDM devices, personal computers, televisions, servers, and supercomputers, as well as mobile control devices such as instruments for vehicles, aircraft, and ships, automobile control devices, aircraft control devices, railroad vehicle control devices, ship control devices, spacecraft control devices, and rocket control devices, and plant control devices for controlling plants such as power plants, refineries, steelworks, and chemical complexes.

The above describes the optical wiring component housing, optical wiring component, and electronic device of the present invention based on the illustrated embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to these.

For example, the optical wiring component housing and optical wiring component of the present invention may have the configuration of each part of the above embodiment replaced with any configuration having a similar function, or may have any configuration added to the above embodiment.

1 First optical fiber 2 Second optical fiber 3 Third optical fiber 4 Optical waveguide 5 Housing 5C Housing 5D Housing 5a Container 5b Lid 6 First optical adapter 7 Second optical adapter 10 Light guide section 11 First optical fiber body 12 First optical connector 21 Second optical fiber body 22 Second optical connector 31 Third optical fiber body 32 Third optical connector 41 Cladding layer 42 Cladding layer 43 Core layer 44 Core section 45 Side cladding section 46 Branch section 47 Lower protective layer 48 Upper protective layer 51 Side wall 52 Side wall 53 Side wall 54 Side wall 56 Space 57 Groove 58 Groove 61 Insertion section 62 Insertion section 71a Insertion section 71b Insertion section 72a Insertion section 72b Insertion section 81 First adhesive section 82 Second adhesive section 83 Third adhesive section 100 Optical wiring component 111 Core section 112 Cladding section 113 First light incident/exit surface 211 Core section 212 Cladding section 213 Second light incident/exit surface 311 Core section 312 Cladding section 313 Third light incident/exit surface 491 Fourth light incident/exit surface 492 Fifth light incident/exit surface 500 Wall section 501 Bottom section 502 Bottom surface 503 Back surface 504 Pedestal section 505 Pedestal section 509 Fixing section 511 Penetration section 512 Penetration section

Claims (12)

A housing for optical wiring components in which optical wiring is housed,
A bottom portion having a plate shape and a bottom surface;
A wall portion protruding from the bottom surface and having a frame shape when the bottom surface is viewed in a plan view;
Equipped with
the wall portion has a groove that opens to the inside of the wall portion, extends in a direction including a component parallel to the bottom surface, and into which the optical wiring is inserted;
A housing for optical wiring components, wherein a height from the bottom surface to a lower end of the groove is 20 to 80% of a height of the wall portion. The housing for optical wiring components according to claim 1, wherein the wall portion has a first mounting portion capable of mounting an adapter to which one end of the optical wiring is connected, and a second mounting portion capable of mounting an adapter to which the other end is connected. The wall portion is
an adapter attachment portion having the first attachment portion and the second attachment portion;
a groove forming portion facing the adapter attachment portion and having the groove;
The optical wiring component housing according to claim 2 , comprising: The housing for optical wiring components according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein both ends of the groove in the extending direction are also open on the side opposite the bottom surface. The housing for optical wiring components according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the groove penetrates the wall in the extension direction of the groove. A housing for optical wiring components according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
the optical wiring housed in the optical wiring component housing with a portion of the optical wiring housed in the groove;
An optical wiring component comprising: a housing for optical wiring components, the housing including a bottom portion having a plate shape and a bottom surface, and a wall portion protruding from the bottom surface and having a frame shape when the bottom surface is viewed in a plan view;
an optical wiring including an optical waveguide having a cross-sectional shape that is anisotropic having a minor axis and a major axis that is longer than the minor axis, and an optical fiber optically connected to the optical waveguide;
Equipped with
The wall portion has a groove that opens to the inside and extends in a direction that includes a component parallel to the bottom surface,
the optical wiring is accommodated in the optical wiring component housing with the optical waveguide inserted in the groove;
The optical wiring component, wherein a width of the groove in a direction perpendicular to the bottom surface is shorter than a length of the major axis. a housing for optical wiring components, the housing including: a bottom portion having a plate shape and a bottom surface; a wall portion protruding from the bottom surface and having a frame shape when the bottom surface is viewed in plan; and a base portion protruding from the bottom surface and having a platform shape, the base portion on which an adapter is placed;
an optical wiring including an optical waveguide and an optical fiber optically connected to the optical waveguide;
an adapter that is placed on the base and connected to the optical wiring;
Equipped with
The wall portion has a groove that opens to the inside and extends in a direction that includes a component parallel to the bottom surface,
The optical wiring component is characterized in that the optical waveguide is inserted into the groove and the optical fiber is accommodated in the space between the wall portion and the base portion, and the optical wiring is accommodated in the housing for the optical wiring component. The optical wiring component according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the optical wiring has a function of distributing light. The optical fiber includes a first optical fiber and a second optical fiber,
10. The optical wiring component according to claim 7, wherein the optical waveguide connects the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber. The optical wiring component according to claim 10, wherein the optical waveguide is inserted into the groove, and the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber are wound around the optical wiring component housing. An electronic device comprising the optical wiring component according to any one of claims 6 to 11.

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