US Patent 6869231 Transmitters, receivers, and transceivers including an optical bench

An optical transmitter includes an optical bench in one embodiment. A window frame is mounted to a mounting block having a groove to form the optical bench. Optic and electro-optic components of the optical transmitter are mounted to the optical bench. The window frame includes a plurality of openings for mounting one or more ball lenses, an optical isolator, and a semiconductor laser. The semiconductor laser chip is used to generate light signals for optical communication over an optical fiber. The one or more ball lenses may be mounted into ball lens openings of the window frame and extend into the groove of the mounting block. One of the ball lenses maybe used to focus light signals between an optical fiber and the optical transmitter. Another one of the ball lenses may be used to collimate the light output from the semiconductor laser. In another embodiment, an optical receiver includes the optical bench. In yet another embodiment, an optical transceiver includes the optical bench.