INJECTION OF ENCAPSULATING MATERIAL ON AN OPTOCOMPONENT

In manufacturing an encapsulated optocomponent, the optocomponent is embedded in a plastics material. The optocomponent has guide grooves on one of its surfaces in which guide pins are to extend so that the encapsulated optocomponent will obtain an optical interface of standard type. For the encapsulating operation guide-pins are placed in a mould cavity in a mould half and the optocomponent is placed in the cavity in the mould, so that the guide pins are engaged in the guide grooves and are accurately inserted therein. To achieve this effect, a resilient or elastic force such as from plunger is applied to the other side of the optocomponent, so that it is pressed with some force against the guide pins. The cavity in the mould is then closed by placing a second mould half on top thereof after which the encapsulating material can be introduced in the closed cavity in the mould. The elastic force can also be obtained directly from a leadframe, to which the optocomponent is attached for electrical connection, or from a small elastic part, placed in, the cavity in the mould, this part then remaining in the capsule.