Electronic equipment may be enclosed within a generally box-shaped chassis, housing, or similar enclosure. Such an enclosure may be configured to retain one or more removable modules, such as, for example, an electronic module such as a pluggable optical module (POM). A POM may comprise one of a number of different form factors, such as, for example only, a small form factor pluggable transceiver (SFP and SFP+), a quad form factor pluggable transceiver (QSFP and QSFP+), a 10 Gigabit small form factor pluggable transceiver (XFP), etc. A POM may be configured to fit within a cage or other housing. One or more of the cages, or housings, may be located on a printed circuit board in the enclosure.
A POM generates heat and is generally coupled to a heat sink, or a heat sinking element. A heat sink may be attached to a cage and a POM using a number of attachment methods, such as, for example only, a sheet metal spring that forces the heat sink downward into contact with the transceiver. This “floating” attachment method only allows each transceiver or POM one individual heat sink to be used for convective cooling purposes.
A POM that is allowed to exceed a maximum rated temperature (typically 70°-85° C.) will experience performance degradation and possible total failure to operate. With power dissipation of a POM increasing, heat sinking methods for these modules are becoming more challenging.
Current available POM cages that integrate a heat sink limit the amount of heat that is able to be dissipated from the module. These existing integrated heat sink cages generally comprise a pin-fin or a blade-fin variety that provide only convective cooling to the POM. If an existing integrated heat sink cage cannot provide adequate cooling to a POM with the given design space and airflow allowances, costly non-traditional cooling strategies must be implemented.
Therefore, it would be desirable for a POM cage to have the ability to provide sufficient cooling without the need to incorporate costly non-traditional cooling strategies.
In an exemplary embodiment, an electronic module cage for receiving an electronic module (such as a pluggable optical module (POM)) includes a cage body mounted to a printed circuit board (PCB), the cage body having a first opening configured to receive an electronic module, the cage body comprising a spring feature, the spring feature configured to apply a biasing pressure to the electronic module in a direction away from the printed circuit board and toward a heat dissipating element such that a surface of the electronic module contacts the heat dissipating element through a second opening in the cage body.
In another exemplary embodiment, an electronic module cage for receiving an electronic module (such as a pluggable optical module (POM)) includes a cage body mounted to a printed circuit board (PCB), the cage body having a first opening configured to receive an electronic module, the cage body comprising a spring feature, the spring feature configured to apply a biasing pressure in a direction away from the printed circuit board and toward a heat dissipating element, the heat dissipating element having a portion that extends or protrudes through a second opening in a surface of the cage body.
In another exemplary embodiment, an electronic assembly includes a printed circuit board (PCB) having an electronic module cage mounted thereon, the printed circuit board (PCB) having a heat dissipating element mounted thereon, the electronic module cage having a cage body having a first opening configured to receive an electronic module (such as a pluggable optical module (POM)), the cage body comprising a spring feature, the spring feature configured to apply a biasing pressure to the electronic module in a direction away from the printed circuit board (PCB) and toward the heat dissipating element such that a surface of the electronic module directly contacts the heat dissipating element through a second opening in the cage body.
In another exemplary embodiment, an electronic assembly includes an electronic assembly housing, a printed circuit board (PCB) having an electronic module cage mounted thereon, the electronic module cage having a cage body having an opening configured to receive an electronic module (such as a pluggable optical module (POM)), the cage body comprising a spring feature, the spring feature configured to apply a biasing pressure to the electronic module in a direction away from the printed circuit board (PCB) and toward the electronic assembly housing, the electronic assembly housing configured as a heat dissipating element wherein a surface of the electronic module directly contacts the electronic assembly housing.
In another exemplary embodiment, an electronic assembly includes an electronic assembly housing, and a printed circuit board (PCB) having an electronic module cage mounted thereon, the electronic module cage having a cage body having an opening configured to receive an electronic module (such as a pluggable optical module (POM)), the cage body comprising a spring feature, the spring feature configured to apply a biasing pressure to the electronic module in a direction away from the printed circuit board (PCB) and toward the electronic assembly housing, the electronic assembly housing configured as a heat dissipating element wherein a portion of the electronic assembly housing extends or protrudes through a second opening in the cage body.
In another exemplary embodiment, an electronic assembly includes a printed circuit board (PCB) having an electronic module cage mounted thereon, the printed circuit board (PCB) having a heat dissipating element mounted thereon, the electronic module cage having a cage body having a first side and a second side configured to receive an electronic module (such as a pluggable optical module (POM)), the cage body comprising a spring feature, the spring feature configured to apply a biasing pressure to the electronic module in a direction away from the printed circuit board (PCB) and toward the heat dissipating element such that a surface of the electronic module directly contacts the heat dissipating element wherein the heat dissipating element forms an upper surface of the electronic module cage.
Other systems, methods, features, and advantages will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the specification, and be protected by the accompanying claims.
The invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention.
A fixed, rigid heat dissipating element 220 allows a circuit designer more freedom to use complex, high performance heat dissipation solutions (e.g. heat pipes, purely conductive cooling, thermoelectric coolers, etc.) that would not otherwise be feasible with traditional heat sink attachment methods. The traditional method of attaching a heat sinking element to an optic cage assembly only allows for one single isolated heat sinking element to be utilized above each module slot in the cage. This “floating” heat sink strategy is done to allow for variances in the module case that acts as the primary heat sinking surface. Adjacent module case surfaces are often not co-planar therefore a single “floating” heat sink over each module is used to conform and mate more completely to each module case.
The direct contact of the fixed heat sink path between an electronic module (not shown in
Although the example shown in
In an exemplary embodiment, the pluggable optical/electronic module cage 1002 may be mounted directly to the printed circuit board 1022 and may be open at the top such that the heat dissipating element 1020, when also mounted to the printed circuit board (PCB) 1022, forms the top of the pluggable optical/electronic module cage 1002. The spring feature 1010 may be configured to encourage the electronic module 1050 inserted into the pluggable optical/electronic module cage 1002 upward and against the underside portion 1025 of the heat dissipating element 1020 that forms the top of the pluggable optical/electronic module cage 1002.
Implementation examples are described in the following numbered clauses:
1. An electronic module cage for receiving an electronic module (such as a pluggable optical module (POM)), comprising:
a cage body mounted to a printed circuit board (PCB), the cage body having a first opening configured to receive an electronic module, the cage body comprising a spring feature, the spring feature configured to apply a biasing pressure to the electronic module in a direction away from the printed circuit board and toward a heat dissipating element such that a surface of the electronic module contacts the heat dissipating element through a second opening in the cage body.
2. The electronic module cage of clause 1, wherein the spring feature biases a heat generating surface of the electronic module directly adjacent the heat dissipating element.
3. The electronic module cage of any of clauses 1-2, wherein the heat dissipating element comprises a heat sink solidly affixed to the printed circuit board to which the cage body is mounted.
4. The electronic module cage of any of clauses 1-3, further comprising an additional cage body mounted to the circuit board alongside the cage body, the additional cage body having a first opening configured to receive an additional electronic module (POM), the additional cage body comprising a spring feature, the spring feature configured to apply a biasing pressure to the additional electronic module in a direction away from the printed circuit board and toward the heat dissipating element such that a surface of the additional electronic module contacts the heat dissipating element through a second opening in the additional cage body, the heat dissipating element configured to simultaneously dissipate heat from the electronic module and from the additional electronic module.
5. The electronic module cage of any of clauses 1-4, wherein the heat dissipating element comprises a housing in which the cage body is mounted, the housing having a portion that extends or protrudes through the second opening in the cage body.
6. The electronic module cage of any of clauses 1-5, wherein the printed circuit board (PCB) and the heat dissipating element are located on opposing surfaces of the electronic module cage.
7. The electronic module cage of any of clauses 1-6, wherein the heat dissipating element is a heatsink with at least one active cooling feature.
8. An electronic module cage for receiving an electronic module (such as a pluggable optical module (POM)), comprising:
a cage body mounted to a printed circuit board (PCB), the cage body having a first opening configured to receive an electronic module, the cage body comprising a spring feature, the spring feature configured to apply a biasing pressure in a direction away from the printed circuit board and toward a heat dissipating element, the heat dissipating element having a portion that extends or protrudes through a second opening in a surface of the cage body.
9. The electronic module cage of clause 8, wherein the spring feature biases a heat generating surface of the electronic module directly adjacent the heat dissipating element.
10. The electronic module cage of any of clauses 8-9, wherein the heat dissipating element comprises a heat sink solidly affixed to the printed circuit board to which the cage body is mounted.
11. The electronic module cage of any of clauses 8-10, further comprising an additional cage body mounted to the circuit board alongside the cage body, the additional cage body having a first opening configured to receive an additional electronic module (POM), the additional cage body comprising a spring feature, the spring feature configured to apply a biasing pressure to the additional electronic module in a direction away from the printed circuit board and toward the heat dissipating element such that a surface of the additional electronic module contacts the heat dissipating element through a second opening in the additional cage body, the heat dissipating element configured to simultaneously dissipate heat from the electronic module and from the additional electronic module.
12. The electronic module cage of any of clauses 8-11, wherein the heat dissipating element comprises a housing in which the cage body is mounted, the housing having a portion that extends or protrudes through the second opening in the cage body.
13. The electronic module cage of any of clauses 8-12, wherein the printed circuit board (PCB) and the heat dissipating element are located on opposing surfaces of the electronic module cage.
14. The electronic module cage of any of clauses 8-13, wherein the heat dissipating element is a heatsink with at least one active cooling feature.
15. An electronic assembly, comprising: a printed circuit board (PCB) having an electronic module cage mounted thereon, the printed circuit board (PCB) having a heat dissipating element mounted thereon;
the electronic module cage having a cage body having a first opening configured to receive an electronic module (such as a pluggable optical module (POM)), the cage body comprising a spring feature, the spring feature configured to apply a biasing pressure to the electronic module in a direction away from the printed circuit board (PCB) and toward the heat dissipating element such that a surface of the electronic module directly contacts the heat dissipating element through a second opening in the cage body.
16. The electronic assembly of clause 15, wherein the spring feature biases a heat generating surface of the electronic module directly adjacent the heat dissipating element.
17. The electronic assembly of any of clauses 15-16, wherein the heat dissipating element comprises a heat sink solidly affixed to the printed circuit board to which the cage body is mounted.
18. The electronic assembly of any of clauses 15-17, further comprising an additional cage body mounted to the circuit board alongside the cage body, the additional cage body having a first opening configured to receive an additional electronic module (POM), the additional cage body comprising a spring feature, the spring feature configured to apply a biasing pressure to the additional electronic module in a direction away from the printed circuit board and toward the heat dissipating element such that a surface of the additional electronic module contacts the heat dissipating element through a second opening in the additional cage body, the heat dissipating element configured to simultaneously dissipate heat from the electronic module and from the additional electronic module.
19. The electronic assembly of any of clauses 15-18, wherein the heat dissipating element comprises a housing in which the cage body is mounted, the housing having a portion that extends or protrudes through the second opening in the cage body.
20. The electronic assembly of any of clauses 15-19, wherein the printed circuit board (PCB) and the heat dissipating element are located on opposing surfaces of the electronic module cage.
21. The electronic assembly of any of clauses 15-20, wherein the heat dissipating element is a heatsink with at least one active cooling feature.
One or more illustrative or exemplary embodiments of the invention have been described above. However, it is to be understood that the invention is defined by the appended claims and is not limited to the specific embodiments described.
The present application claims priority to and the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/011,347, entitled “Pluggable Optical Module Cage For Fixed Heat Sink” (Attorney Docket No. 01070.0051U1 (19-022)) filed on Apr. 17, 2020, the contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety as if fully set forth below and for all applicable purposes.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63011347 | Apr 2020 | US |