Abstract:
A pluggable optical transceiver having a pivotable actuator assembly for quickly and easily removing the transceiver from a receptacle cage assembly is provided. The actuator assembly includes a slide member, actuator means, and spring means. The rotation of the actuator causes the transceiver to become disengaged from the receptacle. In this manner, the transceiver is released and can be removed easily from the receptacle.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/373,158 having a filing date of Apr. 17, 2002. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
         [0002]    The instant invention relates to pluggable optical transceivers, and more particularly to a pivoting release actuator for quickly and easily removing a small form factor pluggable (SFP) transceiver from a transceiver receptacle cage assembly.  
           [0003]    Pluggable optical transceivers are known in the art, and have been the subject of various industry standards and sourcing agreements. In particular, multiple vendors have entered into a multi-source agreement (MSA) setting forth common standards and specifications for small form factor pluggable (SFP) transceivers. By way of review, an optical transceiver is an integrated fiber optic component including an optical transmitter and an optical receiver. The pluggable transceiver includes a first end with a fiber optic connector, and a second end with an electrical connector. For the SFP transceiver, the fiber optical connector is a LC-type duplex connector. The electrical connector is a card edge connector that is received into a female electrical connector housed inside a receptacle. The receptacle assembly is mounted on a daughter card of a host system. A common mechanical and electrical outline for the SFP transceiver is defined by the MSA. However, each individual manufacturer (vendor) is responsible for its own development and manufacturing of the SFP transceiver as well as developing a method for releasing the transceiver from the receptacle assembly.  
           [0004]    The MSA provides some specifications for securing the transceiver to the receptacle cage. Particularly, the MSA specifies a spring-loaded latching tab in the receptacle that engages a standard locking detent on the bottom surface of the transceiver. When the transceiver is slidably inserted into the receptacle, the detent engages the latching tab and the transceiver is physically retained in place by the interlocking engagement of the detent to the latching tab.  
           [0005]    Turning to the subject of the present invention, the MSA does not provide any standard mechanisms for releasing and removing the transceiver from the receptacle cage. In this regard, the instant invention provides a novel actuator assembly for disengaging the latching tab from the detent, thus allowing a person to easily remove the transceiver from the receptacle.  
         SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
         [0006]    More specifically, the actuator assembly of the present invention comprises three separate components. The first component is a slide member slidably mounted on the bottom surface of the transceiver. The slide member is located adjacent to the locking detent on the transceiver.  
           [0007]    In addition, the actuator assembly further comprises an actuator pivotably mounted at the front end of the transceiver adjacent to the bottom surface of the transceiver. The actuator includes a cam-shaped cross-bar. Initially, the transceiver is locked in the receptacle cage, and the actuator is in a closed position. Downward and forward rotation of the actuator causes the cross-bar to engage the forward end of the slide member. The cross-bar pushes the slide in a linear direction rearwardly towards the latching tab in the receptacle cage. The slide member has angled cam-surfaces that engage the latching tab and cause the tab to become disengaged from the locking detent. In this manner, the transceiver is released from the receptacle cage. After the transceiver is released, kick-out springs in the receptacle cage automatically force the transceiver to slide forward. The user can then pull the transceiver out of the receptacle easily.  
           [0008]    The actuator assembly further comprises a spring captured within a channel in the slide member. When the actuator is rotated downwards to unlock the transceiver from the receptacle cage, the spring is compressed. When the user releases the actuator, the spring forces the slide member to spring back to its initial, forward position, and the actuator to rotate back to its initial, closed position.  
           [0009]    Among the objects of the instant invention are: providing an optical transceiver module having an integrated actuator assembly; providing an actuator assembly that can pivot and rotate from a closed position to an open position; providing an actuator assembly having a slide member that can engage a latching tab in a receptacle cage to unlock a transceiver module from the cage; providing an actuator assembly, wherein the profile of the assembly is substantially within the defined dimensions of the transceiver module; and providing an actuator assembly having a spring biased self-return feature.  
           [0010]    Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    In the drawings which illustrate the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the present invention:  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1 is a perspective top view of a transceiver module including an actuator assembly in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2 is a perspective bottom view of the transceiver module shown in FIG. 1;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a two-part receptacle cage assembly in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the actuator assembly of the present invention including the slide, actuator and spring;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the actuator assembly as taken along line  5 - 5  of FIG. 1;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing engagement of the angled cam-surface of the slide member with the latching tab of the receptacle cage;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 7 is a side view of the transceiver module showing the actuator in a partially rotated position;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 8A is a bottom perspective view of the transceiver module in FIG. 7 shown with the actuator in a latched state;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 8B is another bottom perspective view of the transceiver module in FIG. 7 shown with the actuator in a partially rotated position;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the transceiver module in FIG. 7 shown from a different angle than FIG. 8; and  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 10 is a bottom perspective view of the transceiver module in FIG. 7 shown from a different angle than FIG. 8. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0023]    Referring now to the drawings, the pluggable optical transceiver module of the instant invention is illustrated and generally indicated at  10  in FIGS.  1 - 10 . As will be hereinafter more fully described, the instant pluggable transceiver module  10  includes an integrated actuator assembly generally indicated at  12  for disengaging the transceiver  10  from a corresponding receptacle cage generally indicated at  14  (See FIG. 3).  
         [0024]    Generally speaking, the optical transceiver  10  is an integrated fiber optic component including an optical transmitter (not shown) and an optical receiver (not shown). As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pluggable transceiver  10  includes a plastic housing frame  16  having a first side end  17  with fiber optic connector ports  18  formed therein, and an opposite second side end  19  with an electrical edge connector  20  projecting therefrom. For the SFP transceiver  10 , the fiber optic connector ports  18  are an LC-type duplex connector.  
         [0025]    Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the housing  16  of the transceiver  10  also includes an upper (top) surface  21  and lower (bottom) surface  23 . The lower surface  23  of the housing  16  includes a slide member  34  and a locking detent  32 . The locking detent  32  secures the transceiver  10  in the receptacle cage  14  as described in further detail below. More specifically, the slide member  34  and locking detent  32  are mounted in a channel  35  that extends longitudinally along at least a portion of the lower surface  23  of the transceiver  10 . The locking detent  32  is located at the rear of the longitudinal channel  35  adjacent to the slide member  34 .  
         [0026]    Referring back to FIGS. 1 and 2, the optical transmitter and receiver are mounted on a circuit board that is received inside the housing frame  16  of the transceiver  10 . The rear edge of the circuit board forms the electrical edge connector  20  that protrudes from the open side end  19  of the housing frame  16 . A metallic cover  22  encloses the top portion of the frame  16  and provides electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and case grounding to the chassis ground. The first end  17  of the housing  16  serves as a fiber optic interface to a standard LC-type duplex fiber optic cable (not shown). The outer dimensions of the male plug end of the LC-type duplex fiber optic cable are standard, and therefore the corresponding female fiber optic connector ports must also be standard dimensions. The first end  17  of the housing frame  16  is generally rectangular, slightly longer side-to-side, when viewed from the front. The width and height of the housing frame  16  are fixed by SFP standards. The two connector ports  18  are symmetrically positioned and arranged within the rectangular outline. Latching surfaces are provided within the connector ports  18  to permit engagement with the standard latch members of the fiber optic cable. The arrangement of the actuator assembly  12  around the outside surface of the first end  17  of the transceiver  10  is further described below.  
         [0027]    As shown in FIG. 3, the electrical edge connector  20  is received into a female electrical connector  24  housed inside the receptacle cage  14  which is in turn mounted on a daughter card of a host system (not shown). The receptacle cage  14  includes a pair of kick-out springs  26  located at the rear end  29  of the cage  14  which engage the rear end of the transceiver  10  and bias the transceiver outwardly. A spring-loaded latching tab  28  is located at the open forward end  31  of the receptacle cage  14 . The latching tab  28  includes an opening or aperture  30  therein for locking the detent  32  of the transceiver  10 .  
         [0028]    During insertion of the transceiver module  10  into the receptacle cage  14 , the transceiver  10  slides into the receptacle  14  and the locking detent  32  catches and interlocks with opening  30  in the latching tab  28 . The transceiver  10  is secured to the receptacle  14  by means of detent  32  engaging and entering the opening  30  in the latching tab  28 . The interlocking engagement of detent  32  and opening  30  locks the transceiver  10  within the receptacle  14 . Basically, a person can insert the transceiver module  10  into the receptacle cage  14  by pushing the transceiver  10  into the cage  14  until he or she feels the resistance of the kick-out springs  26  located at the rear of the cage  14 . Then, the person should push the transceiver  10  further until feeling the “click” of the detent  32  locking with the opening  30 .  
         [0029]    In order to release and remove the transceiver module  10  from the receptacle cage  14 , the transceiver  10  of the instant invention includes an actuator assembly  12 . More specifically, the actuator assembly  12  comprises three separate components.  
         [0030]    Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, the first component is a slide member  34  slidably mounted in the channel  35  that extends along the lower surface  23  of the housing frame  16 . The slide member  34  is located adjacent to the locking detent  32 . The slide member is captured within the channel  35  by overextending abutments  45 . The side surfaces of the slide member  34  are slotted to provide snap mounting of the slide  34  within the channel  35 .  
         [0031]    As illustrated in FIG. 4, the actuator assembly  12  further comprises an actuator  36  pivotably mounted at the front end  17  of the transceiver frame  16 . More specifically, the actuator  36  is generally a “U-shaped” structure having a horizontal leg  37 , and two vertical arms  39   a  and  39   b  depending downwardly therefrom. The outside surface of the first end  17  of the transceiver housing frame  16  includes a shoulder portion having a reduced thickness so that the outside surfaces of the actuator arms  39   a  and  39   b  remain flush with the outside surface of the housing  16 . This accommodation maintains the entire transceiver package within generally accepted SFP outer dimensional specifications. The actuator  36  further includes a cam-shaped cross-bar  38  extending horizontally across the opening of the U-shaped actuator  36 . Particularly, the cross-bar  38  extends from a lower portion of arm  39   a  to arm  39   b.    
         [0032]    In order that the actuator  36  can pivot, the arms  39   a  and  39   b  include pivot openings  41   a  and  41   b  at their lower ends which are snap-received onto complementary pivot bosses  46   a  and  46   b  protruding from the side surface of the transceiver housing frame  16 . In this manner, the actuator  36  can pivot adjacent to the lower surface  23  of the frame  16  so that downward and forward rotation of the actuator  36  causes the cross-bar  38  on the actuator to move towards and engage the forward end of the slide member  34 . The cross-bar  38  is shown from different angles in FIGS.  7 - 10  as it rotates and engages the slide member  34 .  
         [0033]    Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the cross-bar  38  acts as a cam and pushes the slide member  34  in a linear direction (x) rearwardly within channel  35  and towards the latching tab  28  in the receptacle cage  14 . The slide member  34  has an angled cam-surface  40  at its rear end that engages the surface of latching tab  28  (see broken lines in FIG. 6), thereby causing the locking detent  32  to become separated from the opening  30  and releasing the transceiver  10  from the receptacle cage  14 . With the locking detent  32  and latching tab  28  disengaged, the kick-out springs  26  automatically force the transceiver  10  to spring outwardly. The user can then simply pull forwardly on the actuator handle  36 , and the transceiver  10  will slide out of the receptacle cage  14 .  
         [0034]    In some instances, the transceiver  10  can be tightly and densely packed in the receptacle cage  14 , and a person may not have easy access to the actuator  36 . Particularly, a person may not be able to grasp the inner edge of the horizontal leg  37  of the actuator  36  to initiate removal of the transceiver  10  from the receptacle  14 . To address this problem, the horizontal leg  37  of the actuator  36  can include a finger tab  43  that arcs slightly forwardly as shown in FIG. 4. The finger tab  43  provides easy access to the actuator  36 . A person can use his or her fingers to pull on the finger tab  43  in a slightly downward and forward direction and begin rotation of the actuator  36 . Subsequently, the rotation of the actuator  36  can be completed by a person grasping and pulling directly on the horizontal arm  37 . More particularly, the direction and angle of rotation of the actuator  36  is illustrated in FIG. 5.  
         [0035]    As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the actuator assembly  12  further comprises a spring  42  captured within a channel  44  in the slide member  34 . An end wall  47  in the channel  44  captures one end of the spring  42 , and a shoulder tab  48  protruding from the bottom surface of the channel captures the other end of the spring  42 . Initially, the transceiver  10  is locked in the receptacle cage  14  with the actuator  36  is in a closed, locked position and the slide member  34  is in a forward resting position. When a person initiates rotation of the actuator  36  and causes the cross-bar  38  to make contact with the slide member  34 , the spring  42  is compressed. The slide member  34  moves in a rearward direction and engages the latching tab  28  on the receptacle cage  14 , thereby releasing the transceiver  10  from the cage  14 . Subsequently, when the person releases the actuator  36 , the spring  42  expands forcing the slide member  34  to spring back to its original forward position and the actuator  36  to rotate back to its original closed position.  
         [0036]    While there is shown and described herein certain specific structures embodying the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms herein shown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.