1. Field of the invention
The present invention generally relates to an optical module, and more particularly relates to a connection structure between switch cards and line cards.
2. Description of Related Art
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0308188, published on Dec. 6, 2012, to Chien et al. discloses an optical backplane system. The optical backplane system comprises a backplane, a pair of switch cards mounted to the backplane, and a plurality of line cards mounted to the backplane and disposed parallel to the switch cards. All of the switch and the line cards comprise a plurality of vertically spaced optical connecting portions. The optical backplane system further comprises an optical connecting member to couple the optical connecting portions of the line cards with the optical connecting portions of the switch cards. However, a number of vertically spaced optical connecting portions may occupy a lot of space on the surface of the backplane.
Hence, an improved optical module is desired to offer advantages over the related art.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an optical module that achieves interconnection of switch cards and line cards through novel arrangement of optical connectors and waveguides.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an optical module comprises a first switch card comprising a first optical connector; a second switch card disposed on a side of the first switch card and comprising a second optical connector; a plurality of line cards disposed on an opposite side of the first switch card, each of the line cards comprising a third optical connector; and an optical interconnect assembly comprising a single fourth optical connector mated with the first optical connector, a single fifth optical connector mated with the second optical connector, a plurality of sixth optical connectors mated with the third optical connectors, respectively, a plurality of stacked first optical waveguides connected with the single fourth optical connector and each of the sixth optical connectors, and a plurality of stacked second optical waveguides connected with the single fifth optical connector and each of the sixth optical connectors.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the present invention in detail.
Referring to
The first switch card 10 comprises a first optical connector (not shown). The second switch card 20 comprises a second optical connector (not shown). Each of the line cards 30 has a third optical connector (not shown). The optical interconnect assembly 40 comprises a single fourth optical connector 41 connected with the first optical connector, a single fifth optical connector 42 connected with the second optical connector, plural sixth optical connectors 43 connected with the third optical connectors, respectively, a plurality of stacked first optical waveguides 44 connecting the single fourth optical connector 41 with each sixth optical connector 43, and a plurality of stacked second optical waveguides 45 connecting the single fifth optical connector 42 with each sixth optical connector 43. The first optical connector and the second optical connector have same configuration. The third optical connectors of the line cards 30 have same configuration as well. However, the configuration of the third optical connector is different from the configuration of the first optical connector and the second optical connector.
Referring to
Each of the sixth optical connector 43 comprises a first connecting area 431 and a second connecting area 432. A distance between the second connecting area 432 and the first switch card 10 is greater than a distance between the first connecting area 431 and the first switch card 10. The first optical waveguide 44 connects with the first connecting areas 431 of the line cards 30 which are disposed at a side of the first switch card 10. The first optical waveguide 44 connects with the second connecting areas 432 of the line cards 30 which are disposed at an opposite side of the first switch card 10. The second optical waveguide 45 connects with remaining second connecting area 432 or remaining first connecting area 431 of the line cards 30. The number of connecting areas 411 of the single fourth optical connector 41 is equal to the number of sixth optical connectors 43. The connecting area 411 is arranged along a direction that the line cards 30 are arranged. The nearest connecting area 411 adjacent to the line cards 30 connects, by way of the first optical waveguide 44, with the line card 30 which is the nearest to the first switch card 10. The second nearest connecting area 411 adjacent to the line cards 30 connects with the line card 30 which is the second nearest adjacent to the first switch card 10. The other connecting areas are similarly connected to respective line cards through the first optical waveguides 44. The number of connecting areas 421 of the single fifth optical connector 42 is equal to the number of sixth optical connectors 43. The connecting area 421 is arranged along a direction of the line card 30 arrangement. The connecting area 421 nearest to the line card 30 connects with the line card 30 which is the nearest to the second switch card 20 by the second optical waveguide 45, the second nearest connecting area 421 to the line card 30 connects with the line card 30 which is the second nearest to the second switch card 20 by the second optical waveguide 45, etc.
It will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or central characteristics thereof. The present examples and embodiments, therefore, are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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101147340 | Dec 2012 | TW | national |