IP Library Granted Patent US 12687413
Granted Patent B2
US 12687413 · App. 18/848,227 · Granted Jul 21, 2026

Optical module for encoder and reflection-type encoder

Inventor: Yosuke Kuwahara (Hamamatsu, JP)
Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
G01D5/3473G01D5/347G01D5/34715
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12687413
App. No.
18/848,227
Granted
Jul 21, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An optical module includes: a support having a bottom wall part and a side wall part; a light receiving element and a light emitting element; a light transmitting member disposed on the side wall part; and a resin member disposed on a surface of the light transmitting member. The surface of the light transmitting member has an inner region and an outer region. The resin member is integrally formed over the inner region and the outer region. A refractive index of the resin member with respect to light having a center wavelength of light emitted from the light emitting element is smaller than a refractive index of the light transmitting member with respect to the light having the center wavelength. The light transmitting member is bonded to the side wall part by a portion of the resin member formed on the outer region.

Claims (26)

1 . An optical module for an encoder to be applied to a reflection-type encoder, the optical module comprising:

a support including a bottom wall part and a side wall part surrounding a region on the bottom wall part when viewed from a thickness direction of the bottom wall part;

a light receiving element and a light emitting element disposed on the bottom wall part so as to be surrounded by the side wall part;

a light transmitting member disposed on an end surface of the side wall part on a side opposite to the bottom wall part so as to cover a space surrounded by the side wall part and including a surface facing the bottom wall part; and

a resin member formed on the surface of the light transmitting member, wherein

the surface of the light transmitting member includes an inner region facing the light emitting element and an outer region surrounding the inner region and facing the end surface,

the resin member is integrally formed over the inner region and the outer region so as to include a portion facing the light emitting element,

a refractive index of the resin member with respect to light having a center wavelength of light emitted from the light emitting element is smaller than a refractive index of the light transmitting member with respect to the light having the center wavelength, and

the light transmitting member is bonded to the side wall part by a portion of the resin member formed on the outer region.

2 . The optical module for an encoder according to claim 1 , wherein the resin member is formed over the entire inner region.

3 . The optical module for an encoder according to claim 1 , wherein a reflectance at an interface between the light transmitting member and the resin member when the light having the center wavelength is incident on the interface from the resin member side at an incident angle of 45 degrees is smaller than a reflectance at the interface when the light having the center wavelength is incident on the interface from the light transmitting member side at an incident angle of 45 degrees.

4 . The optical module for an encoder according to claim 1 , wherein a light transmittance of the resin member with respect to light having a wavelength of 800 nm or more and 900 nm or less is 90% or more.

5 . The optical module for an encoder according to claim 1 , wherein the resin member is an adhesive film.

6 . The optical module for an encoder according to claim 1 , wherein the resin member is a die attach film.

7 . The optical module for an encoder according to claim 1 , wherein the light emitting element is disposed on the light receiving element.

8 . The optical module for an encoder according to claim 1 , further comprising a fiber optical plate including an input surface constituted by surfaces of one end of a plurality of optical fibers and an output surface constituted by surfaces of the other end of the plurality of optical fibers, wherein

the light receiving element includes a light receiving surface facing a side opposite to the bottom wall part, and

the fiber optical plate is disposed on the light receiving element with the output surface facing the light receiving surface.

9 . The optical module for an encoder according to claim 8 , further comprising an adhesive film disposed between the light receiving surface and the output surface and configured to bond the fiber optical plate to the light receiving element.

10 . The optical module for an encoder according to claim 1 , wherein an anti-reflective layer is formed on a surface of the light transmitting member on a side opposite to the bottom wall part.

11 . The optical module for an encoder according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a wire connected to the bottom wall part and the light receiving element; and

a resin member covering the wire.

12 . A reflection-type encoder comprising:

a rotary plate including a light reflection pattern; and

the optical module for an encoder according to claim 1 .