Patent Application
20120327629
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a transceiver module and a sheet metal housing thereof, and more particularly, to the transceiver module having slots on the sheet metal housing for reducing the spring force when the transceiver module is inserted in a cage.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Computers and related peripheral equipment, as well as satellite and communication systems, have in the recent past evolved extremely rapidly. These systems require ever increasing data transfer rates to perform the highly complex task that drive the systems, such as digital signal processing, image analysis, and communications. With current demands, optical couplers are used to transfer signals over short and long distances between computers, between two circuit boards in one computer, and even between multiple chips on a single printed circuit board. The use of high speed optical signals in place of electrical interconnections increases the achievable data transfer rate.
An optical transmitter/receiver (transceiver) module typically includes both light emitting devices such as vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSEL's) and light detecting device such as photodiodes. Driver/receiver circuitry modules, typically in the form of application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chips, include driver circuitry for receiving signals from one device and drive the VCSEL's in response. The ASIC also includes receiver circuitry for receiving signals from the photodiodes and, in response, for processing those signals into an appropriate output. The combination of the VCSEL's, the photodiodes, and the ASIC circuitry is commonly referred to as an optical transceiver or a fiber optic transceiver.
Generally, the transceiver module includes a sheet metal housing, a PCB guide, EMI fingers, and a release mechanism. The PCB guide is attaches onto the sheet metal housing, the EMI fingers extend slightly away from the sheet metal housing, and the release mechanism is configured on the PCB guide. The sheet metal housing with the PCB guide and the EMI fingers can be received in a cage mounted on a PCB, and an interference fit between the EMI finger the cage is created when the transceiver module is inserted into the cage to provide an EMI shield. While the interference fit is created, each of the EMI fingers deflects and generates a spring force respectively.
The release mechanism is used for releasing the sheet metal housing from the cage, and then, the operator can remove the transceiver module from the cage. However, in the prior art, the above-mentioned spring force is often too strong to result in that the transceiver module tends to get stuck or jammed inside the cage, and damage may occur to the transceiver module or the cage once the operator exerts large force to remove the transceiver module from the cage.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a means to solve the problem that the transceiver module tends to get stuck or jammed inside the cage.
One object of the present invention is to provide a novel sheet metal housing for the transceiver module to solve the problem in the prior art.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the sheet metal housing is used for a transceiver module which has an EMI finger extending away from the sheet metal housing, and the sheet metal housing includes a slot formed by the connecting part between the EMI finger and the sheet metal housing. By the slot, the spring force generated is weakened when the transceiver module is inserted inside the cage, and it prevent the sheet metal housing of the transceiver module from getting stuck or jammed inside the cage easily.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel transceiver module having slots on the base of EMI fingers to solve the problem in the prior art.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the transceiver module includes a sheet metal housing, an EMI finger, and a slot, wherein the EMI finger extends away from the sheet metal housing and the slot is formed on the sheet metal housing and by the base of the EMI finger. By the slot, the spring force generated is weakened when the transceiver module is inserted inside the cage, and it prevent the sheet metal housing from getting stuck or jammed inside the cage easily.
On the advantages and the spirit of the invention, it can be understood further by the following invention descriptions and attached drawings.
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In practice, the transceiver module further includes a PCB guide attaching one side of the sheet metal housing where the EMI fingers are located. The sheet metal housing and the PCB guide contain the interface elements therein, and the PCB guide is used for receiving the optical cable. Additionally, a release mechanism (not shown here) is configured on the PCB for releasing the total transceiver module from the cage.
In the embodiment, the EMI fingers 12 are formed by cutting one end of the sheet metal housing 10, and the EMI fingers 12 extend slightly away from the sheet metal housing 10, so that the EMI fingers 12 can contact with the cage 2 to create an electrical seal between the shield housing and the mating surface when the transceiver module 1 is inserted inside the cage 2.
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The transceiver module 1 further includes four slots 14 located on the sheet metal housing 10 and by the bases of the EMI fingers 12 respectively, as shown in
Please refer to
Compared to the prior art, the slots, formed on the sheet metal housing and by the base of the EMI fingers, in the present invention is capable of weakening the spring force when the transceiver module is inserted inside the cage. Accordingly, after releasing the transceiver module from the cage through the release mechanism, the sheet metal housing is prevented from getting stuck or jammed in the cage easily because the spring force which causes that the sheet metal housing tends to get stuck or jammed in the cage is weakened.
Although the present invention has been illustrated and described with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it should be understood that it is in no way limited to the details of such embodiment but is capable of numerous modifications within the scope of the appended claims.
