Patent ID: 9383529
Filing Date: 2016-07-05
CPC Classification: G02B

Claim Text:
1. An optical communications module, comprising: an electro-optical assembly that includes an optical receptacle, the optical receptacle comprising a cylindrical connector portion; a deformable constraining member made of one of a malleable plastic or a soft metal alloy, the one of a malleable plastic or a soft metal alloy characterized by: a) a transition from an elastic regime to a plastic regime when subjected to a compression force for effecting a deformation, and b) upon subsequent removal of at least a portion of the compression force, when in the plastic regime, a reversal of at least a portion of the elastic regime; and a housing that accommodates the optical receptacle, the housing comprising a lower housing portion that is detachably mated with an upper housing portion, the lower housing portion including an alignment notch that automatically aligns the cylindrical connector portion of the optical receptacle with an optical axis of the optical communications module when the cylindrical connector portion of the optical receptacle is pressed into the alignment notch by applying the compression force against the deformable constraining member during mating of the upper housing portion with the lower housing portion, the compression force directed at transforming the deformable constraining member into a contoured constraining member having a contour portion that conforms to at least a part of the cylindrical connector portion of the optical receptacle and prevents wiggling of the cylindrical connector portion of the optical receptacle after placement in the alignment notch.