Coupling device for coupling light between a planar optical component and an optical assembly

Abstract

A multilayer planar optical component has a multiplicity of optical conductors. Each optical conductor is assigned a deflecting device that launches or couples out light at an angle to a longitudinal direction of the respective optical conductor, and the deflecting devices form a two-dimensional grid in the projection onto a plane parallel to the surface of the planar optical component. A coupling device for coupling light between such a planar optical component and an optical assembly has a lens array with a multiplicity of lenses disposed along a two-dimensional grid.

1 . A coupling device for coupling light between a planar optical component and an optical assembly having a multiplicity of optical coupling faces that form a two-dimensional grid, the planar optical component containing a surface, deflecting faces disposed in a two-dimensional grid in a projection onto a plane parallel to the surface, and a multiplicity of optical conductors having light-guiding core regions running in at least two layers disposed parallel to one another, each of the optical conductors associated with one of the deflecting faces, the deflecting faces launching or coupling out the light at an angle to a longitudinal direction of the optical conductors, the coupling device comprising: 
 a lens array having a multiplicity of lenses disposed along a two-dimensional grid, said lenses of said lens array in each case coupling the light between one of the deflecting faces for one of the optical conductors of the planar optical component and one of the optical coupling faces of the optical assembly.    
   
   
       2 . The coupling device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said lens array is constructed such that there is implemented a different projection of the light onto a respectively assigned one of the optical coupling faces, which equalizes different spacings of the deflecting faces of individual ones of the layers of the planar optical component from the surface of the planar optical component.  
   
   
       3 . The coupling device according to  claim 1 , wherein said individual ones of said lenses have equivalent projecting behaviors, an optical projection of an end face of a coupled optical assembly being positioned approximately at a mean depth of the layers.  
   
   
       4 . The coupling device according to  claim 1 , wherein said lenses are disposed in rows, said lenses in each of said rows assigned to a specific one of the layers have a focal position adapted to a spacing of a respective layer from the surface of the planar optical component.  
   
   
       5 . The coupling device according to  claim 1 , wherein said lenses are disposed in rows, said lenses in each of said of rows assigned to a specific one of the layers have, by comparison with said lenses of other rows, a different spacing from the surface of the planar optical component such that a beam path from said lenses is parallel in each case.  
   
   
       6 . The coupling device according to  claim 5 , wherein said lenses are disposed in rows, said lenses of each of said rows have a different lens thickness by comparison with said lenses of other rows in such a way that equal scale ratios are obtained for all the layers.  
   
   
       7 . The coupling device according to  claim 1 , wherein said lens array has a first aligning device that lines up with a second aligning device of the planar optical component.  
   
   
       8 . The coupling device according to  claim 7 , wherein said lens array has two bores formed therein that line up with bores of the planar optical component, and said lens array and the planar optical component can be aligned with one another via guide pins inserted into the bores.  
   
   
       9 . The coupling device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a plug receptacle, and said lens array is mounted in said plug receptacle.  
   
   
       10 . The coupling device according to  claim 9 , wherein plug receptacle forms latching elements for latching an optical plug.  
   
   
       11 . The coupling device according to  claim 1 , wherein said lens array can be connected permanently to the planar optical component by one of soldering, bonding and latching elements.  
   
   
       12 . A configuration, including: 
 a planar optical component containing: 
 a surface;  
 a multiplicity of optical conductors having light-guiding core regions running in at least two layers disposed parallel to one another; and  
 deflecting faces disposed in a two-dimensional grid in a projection onto a plane parallel to said surface, each of said optical conductors associated with one of said deflecting faces, said deflecting faces launching or coupling out light at an angle to a longitudinal direction of said optical conductors; and  
   a coupling device containing a lens array having a multiplicity of lenses disposed along a two-dimensional grid, said coupling device connected to said planar optical component such that in each case one of said deflecting faces of said planar optical component being assigned to one of said lenses of said lens array of said coupling device.