Optical ferrule and connector

Abstract

(Problem) To provide an optical ferrule that can easily accommodate multicore optical fibers, without an accompanying increase in the number of components. (Resolution Means) The optical ferrule 1 includes a guide opening 14 formed by an upper wall 10 , a bottom wall 11 , and a pair of side walls 12 and 13 ; a guide part 15 that extends forward from the upper wall 10 and the guide opening 14 ; and an optical coupler 20 provided on the upper surface of the upper wall 10 . The optical coupler 20 has a waveguide aligning part 21 that aligns and holds an optical waveguide 2 , and a light direction converter 22 that changes the direction of light from the optical waveguide 2 and emits the light toward an opposing optical ferrule 1.

1 . An optical ferrule comprising upper and bottom walls defining a guide opening therebetween, the upper wall comprising an optical coupler and a guide part extending beyond the bottom wall along a mating direction of the optical ferrule, the optical coupler comprising an entrance surface for receiving light from an optical waveguide coupled to the optical ferrule, and a light direction converting surface for receiving light from the entrance surface along an incoming axis and reflecting the received light along a different direction, the reflected light exiting the optical ferrule through a lower major surface of the upper wall, such that when the optical ferrule mates with a mating optical ferrule, the guide part of the optical ferrule is inserted in a mating guide opening of the mating optical ferrule and a mating guide part of the mating optical ferrule is inserted in the guide opening of the optical ferrule such that a light direction converting surface of the mating optical ferrule is configured to receive and redirect the reflected light exiting the optical ferrule through the lower major surface of the upper wall. 
     
     
         2 . The optical ferrule of  claim 1 , wherein the optical ferrule is a male-female unit. 
     
     
         3 . The optical ferrule of  claim 1 , wherein the optical ferrule is configured so as to mate with another optical ferrule according to  claim 1  along a mating direction that is essentially parallel to the length direction of the optical ferrule. 
     
     
         4 . The optical ferrule of  claim 1 , wherein a minimum thickness of the guide opening is approximately equal to a maximum thickness of the guide part.