Patent Grant
9853397
The subject matter herein relates generally to pluggable modules for communication systems.
At least some known communication systems include receptacle assemblies, such as input/output (I/O) connector assemblies, that are configured to receive a pluggable connector module and establish a communicative connection between the pluggable connector module and an electrical communication connector of the receptacle assembly. As one example, a known receptacle assembly includes a cage member that is mounted to a circuit board, and the electrical communication connector is disposed within the cage member. The cage member is configured to removably receive a small form-factor (SFP) pluggable connector module in an elongated cavity of the cage member. The pluggable connector module and the electrical communication connector have respective electrical contacts that engage one another to establish a communicative connection.
Specialty pluggable modules are used for shielding and/or testing purposes for the communication system. Testing pluggable modules may be used for diagnostic testing of the electrical communication connector within the cage member. Shielding pluggable modules may be used for sealing an elongated cavity of the cage member that does not have a pluggable connector module therein. For example, the cage member may align with, and optionally extend through an opening in a panel of a device. The electrical communication connector is within an interior of the device, and the pluggable connector module is received into the elongated cavity through the opening of the panel from an exterior region outside of the device. When the pluggable connector module is not disposed within the elongated cavity, the shielding pluggable module is loaded into the elongated cavity to plug the elongated cavity to contain electromagnetic interference (EMI) within the cage member and/or the device, and optionally the shielding pluggable module may be used to shield the electrical communication connector and other electronic components within the device from EMI originating outside of the device. The specialty modules, including the testing modules and the shielding modules, are designed to be compatible with standard receptacle assemblies. For example, the specialty modules have similar form factors to the I/O pluggable connector modules.
The specialty pluggable modules, as well as the I/O pluggable connector modules, are typically retained in the elongated cavities via the use of releasable latching mechanisms. However, conventional latching mechanisms for pluggable modules may be rather complicated, involving many discrete components that interact with each other to selectively unlatch the pluggable module from the cage member. The complicated latching mechanisms with numerous components can be costly in regard to both parts and assembly, and may be prone to malfunction due to the multitude of interacting components.
Accordingly, there is a need for pluggable modules of a communication system that have an improved releasable latching mechanism.
In one embodiment, a pluggable module is provided that includes a plug body, a deflectable beam, and a tether. The plug body extends between a front end and an opposite rear end. The rear end is removably receivable in a module cavity of a cage member. The deflectable beam extends between a fixed end that is fixed to the plug body and a free end that is spaced apart from an outer wall of the plug body by a clearance gap. The deflectable beam includes a catch feature configured to engage a complementary catch feature of the cage member to secure the pluggable module in the module cavity. The tether is disposed within a tether channel of the plug body that extends through the plug body to the clearance gap. The tether has a mounting end secured to the deflectable beam and a handle projecting beyond the front end of the plug body. Movement of the handle in a frontward direction deflects the deflectable beam into the clearance gap such that the catch feature of the deflectable beam is moved for disengaging the complementary catch feature of the cage member to allow the pluggable module to be removed from the module cavity.
In another embodiment, a pluggable module is provided that includes a plug body, a deflectable beam, and a tether. The plug body extends between a front end and an opposite rear end. The rear end is removably receivable in a module cavity of a cage member. The deflectable beam extends between a fixed end that is fixed to the plug body and a free end that is spaced apart from an outer wall of the plug body by a clearance gap. The deflectable beam includes a catch feature configured to engage a complementary catch feature of the cage member to secure the pluggable module in the module cavity. The tether is disposed within a tether channel of the plug body that extends along a curved path through the plug body between a first opening at the clearance gap and a second opening at the front end of the plug body. The tether has a mounting end extending from the first opening and secured to the deflectable beam. The tether further includes a handle extending from the second opening at the front end of the plug body. Movement of the handle in a frontward direction deflects the deflectable beam into the clearance gap such that the catch feature of the deflectable beam is moved for disengaging the complementary catch feature of the cage member to allow the pluggable module to be removed from the module cavity.
In a further embodiment, a pluggable module is provided that includes a plug body and a tether. The plug body extends between a front end and an opposite rear end. The rear end is removably receivable in a module cavity of a cage member. The rear end of the plug body is closed and defines a rear wall. The plug body includes a deflectable beam that is integral to the plug body. The deflectable beam extends from the plug body between a fixed end attached to the plug body and a free end spaced apart from an outer wall of the plug body by a clearance gap. The deflectable beam includes a catch feature that is configured to engage a complementary catch feature of the cage member to secure the pluggable module in the module cavity. The tether is disposed within a tether channel of the plug body that extends through the plug body to the clearance gap. The tether has a mounting end secured to the deflectable beam and a handle projecting beyond the front end of the plug body. Movement of the handle in a frontward direction deflects the deflectable beam into the clearance gap such that the catch feature of the deflectable beam is moved for disengaging the complementary catch feature of the cage member to allow the pluggable module to be removed from the module cavity.
Embodiments set forth herein include pluggable modules with releasable latching mechanisms used for selectively releasing the pluggable modules from cage members of I/O receptacle assemblies to allow the pluggable modules to be removed from elongated cavities of the cage members. For example, the pluggable modules include a plug body with a deflectable beam that engages a catch feature of the cage member to secure the corresponding pluggable module in the elongated cavity. The pluggable modules further include a tether that is coupled at one end to the deflectable beam. The tether extends through the plug body out of the elongated cavity such that an opposite end of the tether is exposed to an operator. In one or more embodiments, manipulation of the exposed end of the tether by the operator pulling on the tether causes the deflectable beam to deflect due to tension in the tether. The deflectable beam disengages the catch feature of the cage member upon deflecting, allowing the operator to pull the pluggable module out of the elongated cavity with a reasonable amount of force. The releasable latching mechanisms described herein may have fewer components and/or may be more reliable than conventional releasable latching mechanisms for pluggable modules.
In the illustrated embodiment, the receptacle assembly 104 is illustrated as a single port receptacle assembly configured to receive a single pluggable module 106 (either the shielding pluggable module 106 described herein or a traditional, standard I/O pluggable connector module used for data communication). However, the receptacle assembly 104 in other embodiments may be a multi-port receptacle assembly configured to receive pluggable modules 106 in multiple ports. For example, the multiple ports of the receptacle assembly 104 may be ganged side-by-side and/or stacked vertically.
The receptacle assembly 104 includes a cage member 108 that is mounted to the circuit board 102. The cage member 108 may be arranged at a bezel or panel 109 of a chassis of a device (not shown), such as through an opening 113 in the panel 109. As such, at least a majority of the cage member 108 is interior of the device (and the corresponding panel 109). The pluggable module 106 is loaded into the cage member 108 in a loading direction 111 from outside or exterior of the device (and the corresponding panel 109). Optionally, the panel 109 may include a plurality of openings 113 each configured to receive a corresponding pluggable module 106. In other various embodiments, the opening 113 in the panel 109 may be sized to receive multiple pluggable modules 106, such as when a multi-port receptacle assembly 104 is used.
The cage member 108 includes a front end 110 and an opposite rear end 112. The front end 110 may be provided at, and optionally extends through, the opening 113 in the panel 109. As used herein, relative or spatial terms such as “front,” “back,” “rear,” “top,” and “bottom” are used to distinguish the referenced elements and do not necessarily require particular positions or orientations in the communication system 100 or in the surrounding environment of the communication system 100. For example, the front end 110 may be located in or facing a back portion of a larger telecommunication system or device, such as a server or a computer. In many applications, the front end 110 is viewable to an operator when the operator is inserting the pluggable module 106 into the receptacle assembly 104. The pluggable module 106 within the receptacle assembly 104 is viewable and accessible to the operator to allow the operator to remove the pluggable module 106 from the receptacle assembly 104 when desirable, such as when the shielding pluggable module 106 is to be replaced in the cage member 108 by an I/O pluggable connector module.
The cage member 108 is configured to contain or shield against electromagnetic interference (EMI) that may negatively affect electrical performance of the communication system 100. The cage member 108 also guides the pluggable module 106 during loading and unloading of the pluggable module 106. The cage member 108 includes multiple pieces assembled together to enclose the pluggable module 106. For example, the pieces may be snap-fit together and/or welded together. When the cage member 108 is mounted to the circuit board 102, the cage member 108 may be electrically connected to the circuit board 102 and, in particular, to ground planes (not shown) within the circuit board 102 for electrically grounding the cage member 108. As such, the receptacle assembly 104 may reduce EMI transmission across the cage member 108. The shielding pluggable module 106 may be used to block or plug the cage member 108 in the receptacle assembly 104 to provide additional EMI containment and/or shielding, such as by plugging the opening 113 in the panel 109.
In an embodiment, the cage member 108 defines a housing that includes a plurality of panels or walls 116, which may be formed from one or more pieces. The various walls 116 provide shielding for vulnerable areas of other components, such as by covering or shielding openings in the walls 116 of the other components. Side walls 116 extend from the front end 110 to the rear end 112 of the cage member 108. One end wall 116 is disposed at the rear end 112. The walls 116 are formed from conductive material, such as sheet metal and/or a polymer having conductive particles. In the illustrated embodiment, the walls 116 are stamped and formed from sheet metal. In some embodiments, the cage member 108 is configured to facilitate airflow through the cage member 108 to transfer heat (or thermal energy) away from the receptacle assembly 104, such as via air holes 117 defined in at least one of the side walls 116. The air holes 117 may be sized to limit or reduce EMI leakage through the cage member 108. Fans or other air moving devices may be used to increase airflow through the cage member 108.
The cage member 108 defines a module cavity 120 extending between the front and rear ends 110, 112. The module cavity 120 receives the pluggable module 106. The module cavity 120 extends lengthwise along a cavity axis 114, and the loading direction 111 of the pluggable module 106 is parallel to the cavity axis 114. For a multi-port receptacle assembly 104, multiple module cavities 120 or ports are defined for receiving multiple pluggable modules 106. In such embodiments, the module cavities 120 may be stacked vertically and/or ganged horizontally.
The communication connector 122 (shown in phantom in
In an exemplary embodiment, the module cavity 120 includes an airflow channel 128 that allows airflow through the module cavity 120. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the airflow channel 128 is positioned along a top portion of the module cavity 120 and passes along the top of the pluggable module 106 to cool the pluggable module 106 and/or other components in the communication system. In an exemplary embodiment, the airflow channel 128 is open at the front end 110 and at the rear end 112 to allow airflow through the module cavity 120 along the pluggable module 106. The airflow channel 128 is fluidly connected to the air holes 117 or vents along the side wall(s) 116 of the cage member 108.
The shielding pluggable module 106 is used for shielding components of the communication system 100, such as components of the receptacle assembly 104 and/or the circuit board 102, from EMI and/or debris and other contaminants that could enter the device through the opening 113 in the panel 109. The shielding pluggable module 106 may also be used to provide EMI containment within the communication system 100, such as to prohibit EMI generated within the cage member 108 from leaking out of the cage member 108 within the device and/or leaking out of the device through the opening 113 in the panel 109. The shielding pluggable module 106 in an embodiment is composed of an electrically conductive material to block the transmission of EMI through the module cavity 120. As described above, the shielding pluggable module 106 may be used in place of an I/O connector module, such as a small form-factor pluggable (SFP) transceiver or quad small form-factor pluggable (QSFP) transceiver satisfying certain technical specifications for SFP or QSFP transceivers, such as Small-Form Factor (SFF)-8431. By way of example, the shielding pluggable module 106 may be used in place of transceivers which are part of the SFP+ product family available from TE Connectivity. The shielding pluggable module 106 has a form factor that complements the form factor of the I/O connector modules such that the shielding pluggable module 106 may be plugged into the receptacle assembly 104 in the same manner as the I/O connector modules. The form factor of the shielding pluggable module 106 complements the size and shape of the module cavity 120 such that the pluggable module 106 occupies most of the cross-sectional area of the module cavity 120 at the front end 110 of the cage member 108. As a result, the shielding pluggable module 106 at least partially seals or plugs the module cavity 120, except for spaces in the airflow channel 128 to allow air to flow through the cage member 108.
In an exemplary embodiment, the shielding pluggable module 106 includes a plug body 130 and a tether 132. The tether 132 is part of a releasable latching mechanism of the shielding pluggable module 106. The plug body 130 is fully loaded within the module cavity 120 in
The tether 132 has a handle 134 that is outside of the cage member 108 and outside of the device (for example, in front of the panel 109). The handle 134 is exposed for manipulation by an operator. In an embodiment, the handle 134 is manipulated by the operator to selectively remove the pluggable module 106 from the cage member 108. For example, movement of the handle 134 in a frontward direction 138 is configured to release a latching feature of the plug body 130 from engagement with a catch feature of the cage member 108 to allow the operator to pull the pluggable module 106 out of the module cavity 120. The pluggable module 106 may be removed from the cage member 108 to substitute the shielding pluggable module 106 for an I/O connector module or a testing pluggable module, or to disassemble the communication system 100. The frontward direction 138 may be parallel to the cavity axis 114 and opposite in direction to the loading direction 111 of the pluggable module 106. In an embodiment, the tether 132 is flexible and can accommodate the handle 134 being pulled by the operator in various directions that deviate from the frontward direction 138 as long as the direction of pull includes a vector component along the frontward direction 138. For example, the pluggable module 106 could still be released from the cage member 108 if the handle 134 is pulled vertically upwards or downwards as long as there is sufficient tension in the tether to deflect the deflectable beam.
Although the embodiments shown and described herein are directed to a shielding pluggable module 106, the releasable latching mechanisms of the shielding pluggable module 106 could be used on other specialty pluggable modules, such as testing pluggable modules, or even on I/O pluggable connector modules. The testing pluggable modules are used for testing components of the circuit board 102 and/or the receptacle assembly 104, such as the communication connector 122. For example, a testing pluggable module may include sensors for monitoring temperature within the module cavity 120, electrical characteristics of the communication connector 122 such as voltage, current, impedance, and/or resistance, or the like. Therefore, the releasable latching mechanisms described herein are not necessarily limited to implementation in shielding pluggable modules, but may be used for other pluggable modules configured to be removably loaded into receptacle assemblies similar to the receptacle assembly 104.
In an embodiment, the plug body 130 is composed of an electrically conductive material, such as one or more metals, a conductive polymer, or a lossy material having metal particles suspended in a low loss dielectric material, such as an epoxy. The one or more metals may include zinc and/or aluminum, for example. The electrically conductive material allows the plug body 130 to provide EMI containment and/or EMI shielding within the module cavity 120 (shown in
In the illustrated embodiment, the plug body 130 includes a plurality of heat transfer fins 162 extending along the top wall 154. The fins 162 transfer heat from the module cavity 120 (shown in
The plug body 130 includes a deflectable beam 164 that is cantilevered relative to the plug body 130. The deflectable beam 164 extends between a fixed end 166 that is fixed to the plug body 130, and a free end 168 that is spaced apart from the plug body 130. The free end 168 is spaced apart from an outer wall of the plug body 130 by a clearance gap 170. The deflectable beam 164 is configured to pivot, bend, or deflect about the fixed end 166, such that the free end 168 moves into the clearance gap 170 towards the outer wall. In the illustrated embodiment the deflectable beam 164 extends from the bottom wall 156 of the plug body 130, and the clearance gap 170 is defined between the bottom wall 156 and an inner side 174 of the deflectable beam 164. For example, the deflectable beam 164 extends into a recess 176 defined along the bottom wall 156. The fixed end 166 of the deflectable beam 164 is located at a back of the recess 176 and the deflectable beam 164 extends frontward towards the front end 136. In the illustrated embodiment an outer side 178 of the deflectable beam 164 is generally planar with portions of the bottom wall 156 of the plug body 130 on either side of the recess 176. When the plug body 130 is loaded into the module cavity 120, the bottom wall 156 of the plug body and the outer side 178 of the deflectable beam 164 may slide along the bottom wall 148 (shown in
In an embodiment, the deflectable beam 164 has a width that extends an entire width of the plug body 130 between the two side walls 158, 160. In an alternative embodiment, the deflectable beam 164 that is shown in
In an embodiment, the deflectable beam 164 is integral to the plug body 130, such that the plug body 130 and the deflectable beam 164 comprise a unitary one-piece structure. The deflectable beam 164 is integrally connected to the plug body 130 such that the deflectable beam 164 cannot be removed from the plug body 130 without damaging the beam 164 and/or the plug body 130. For example, the deflectable beam 164 may be formed simultaneously with the plug body 130 in the same process, such as in a same die-casting or molding operation. Constructing the plug body 130 with an integral deflectable beam 164 may reduce the number of different components that are assembled together, which can reduce the cost of the pluggable module 106 relative to conventional pluggable modules that include more components and assembly steps. In another example, the deflectable beam 164 may be integrally connected to the plug body 130 subsequent to formation via welding or another permanent joining process. In an alternative embodiment, the deflectable beam 164 is not integral to the plug body 130, but rather may be non-permanently attached to the plug body 130 via a fastener, an adhesive, or the like.
The deflectable beam 164 includes the catch feature 150 that is configured to engage the catch feature 140 (shown in
The plug body 130 defines a tether channel 182 extending through the plug body 130. The tether channel 182 is connected to the clearance gap 170 at a first opening 184 and extends frontward from the first opening 184 to a second opening 186. In the illustrated embodiment, the second opening 186 is defined along the front wall 137 (shown in
The tether 132 is disposed within the tether channel 182. The tether 132 extends from a mounting end 188 to a user end 190. The mounting end 188 is secured to the deflectable beam 164 at or near the free end 168. For example, a segment of the tether 132 including the mounting end 188 protrudes from the first opening 184 across the clearance gap 170 and couples to the deflectable beam 164. In the illustrated embodiment, the tether 132 couples to a front edge 192 of the beam 164 at the free end 168. At the other end of the tether 132, a segment including the user end 190 protrudes from the second opening 186 and extends frontward beyond the front end 136 of the plug body 130. The handle 134 of the tether 132 is disposed outside of the tether channel 182 and defines the user end 190. In the illustrated embodiment, the tether channel 182 is open along the first side wall 158 of the plug body 130 for an entire length of the tether channel 182. The open side of the tether channel 182 may support the routing of the tether 132 through the tether channel 182 during assembly of the pluggable module 106.
In an embodiment, movement of the handle 134 by the operator in the frontward direction 138 puts tension on the tether 132. The mounting end 188 of the tether 132 pulls the deflectable beam 164 towards the first opening 184 of the tether channel 182, which deflects (for example, pivots or bends) the beam 164 into the clearance gap 170 (located between the beam 164 and the first opening 184). The deflection of the beam 164 lifts the free end 168, and the catch feature 150 thereof, to a lifted position, as shown in
Referring now to both
Referring to
Referring now to
It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. For example, the above-described embodiments (and/or aspects thereof) may be used in combination with each other. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from its scope. Dimensions, types of materials, orientations of the various components, and the number and positions of the various components described herein are intended to define parameters of certain embodiments, and are by no means limiting and are merely exemplary embodiments. Many other embodiments and modifications within the spirit and scope of the claims will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. In the appended claims, the terms “including” and “in which” are used as the plain-English equivalents of the respective terms “comprising” and “wherein.” Moreover, in the following claims, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third,” etc. are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects. Further, the limitations of the following claims are not written in means-plus-function format and are not intended to be interpreted based on 35 U.S.C. §112(f), unless and until such claim limitations expressly use the phrase “means for” followed by a statement of function void of further structure.
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