Optical module connector apparatus

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In FIG.
1, an active device generally designated as 10 contains leads 12 and 14 attached to a base or header 16.
Mounted on the base 16 is a post 18 having a laser diode.
The post is used to obtain the proper angle for the laser diode.
When this invention is used with a photodiode, the post can be eliminated.
A cap 20 is attached to the header 10 by a hermetic seal type means such as laser welding.
A graded index (GRIN) lens 22 is hermetically sealed to the cap 20 and provides a window to the outside.
A barrel-shaped or cylindrical portion of the cap 20 is further designated as 24.
A housing generally designated as 30 contains flanges 32 with fastener openings 34.
It has a open central portion with a threaded end generally designated as 36 designed to receive a fiber optic cable connector and has an opposite end with slitted skirts 38 and 40.
The skirt 38 is designed to accommodate a tab on the header 16 or the cap 20 to prevent rotational movement of the active device within the housing 30.
Thus, the cross-sectional view of skirt 38 is not identical to skirt 40.
A circular tongue 42 is illustrated within skirt 40 and its counterpart is shown within skirt 38.
A groove is designed into the cap 20 and is designated as 44.
The tongue-and-groove can be oppositely designed so that the groove is in the skirt and the tongue is in the cap 20.
It will be noted that there is space between the cap 20 and the skirts.
This gap is intentionally designed to relieve stresses occurring upon movement of the cable and its associated cable connector attached to threaded end 36.
Within the housing 30, there is an alignment device in the form of a cylindrical C-clip and designated as 46.
The C-clip 46 engages both the barrel-type projection 24 of cap 20 and the end of the cable as it is inserted into the housing 30 from an associated cable connector.
The same parts of FIG.
2, as found in FIG.
1, are identically numbered.
In addition to those shown in FIG.
1, there is shown a fiber optic cable 50 which extends through a female-type threaded cap 52 and a protective barrel 54 for mating within the housing 30 to the end of barrel 24 of active device 10