Abstract:
Embodiments of the present invention are described in a pluggable transceiver. The pluggable transceiver comprises a housing, a handle and a cover. The cover comprises a resilient member, wherein the cover is configured to receive the housing and the resilient member is adapted to retain the cover in place and to be moved by the handle to release the cover.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Fiber optic transceivers facilitate bi-directional data transmissions between electronic devices and optical data links in fiber optic systems. Each transceiver includes a photo detector for converting optically encoded data received from an optical data link to electrically encoded data readable by a host electronic device, and a laser diode for converting electrically encoded data from the host electronic device into optically encode data that are transmitted through an optical data link. Each transceiver is mounted onto a circuit board assembly of the host electronic device and, typically, packaged such that it occupies as little circuit board surface area as possible. 
     Small Form-factor Pluggable (SFP) transceivers are one type of transceiver having standardized physical dimensions and performance characteristics that are defined in the “Cooperation Agreement for Small Form-factor Pluggable Transceivers”, as executed on Sep. 14, 2000 (herein “the Cooperation Agreement”), which is incorporated herein in its entirety. The Cooperation Agreement is part of an SFP transceiver multi-source agreement for establishing internationally compatible sources of pluggable fiber optic transceivers in support of established standards for fiber optic systems. Specifically, the Cooperation Agreement sets forth transceiver package dimensions, cage and electrical connector specifications, host circuit board layouts, electrical interface specifications and front panel bezel requirements that are followed by each party. 
     A typical optical transceiver assembly includes a cage, a female electrical connector and a pluggable transceiver. The cage and the female electrical connector are mounted on a host printed circuit board. The pluggable transceiver is inserted into the cage to electrically couple the pluggable transceiver to the female connector. An optional faceplate or bezel is mounted over the end of the transceiver assembly. 
     The pluggable transceiver includes transceiver electronics mounted in an elongated transceiver housing that includes one or more receptacles for receiving optical connectors, such as duplex LC, MT-RJ or SC connectors. Mounted within the transceiver housing is a housing printed circuit board that supports the transceiver electronics. The transceiver electronics process data signals from a photo detector and supply data signals to a laser diode. Extending from the back of the housing printed circuit board is a male connector card including contacts that meet with corresponding contacts of the female electrical connector as the pluggable transceiver is inserted into the cage. 
     The pluggable transceiver is latched into the cage to prevent the pluggable transceiver from inadvertently sliding away from the female electrical connector. Typically, the cage includes a transceiver latch that defines a latch opening and the housing includes a housing catch pin or boss. As the pluggable transceiver is inserted into the cage, the housing catch pin engages the transceiver latch to bend the transceiver latch. The latch opening receives the housing catch pin to secure the pluggable transceiver in the cage. To remove the pluggable transceiver from the cage, a manual force is applied to bend the transceiver latch and release the housing catch pin from the latch opening. 
     It is often difficult to manipulate the cage transceiver latch in highly populated arrangements, thereby making it difficult to remove the pluggable transceiver from the cage. Also, latch mechanisms for releasing the housing catch pin from the latch opening, typically, include many components for forcing the flexible cage transceiver latch away from the housing catch pin. 
     SUMMARY 
     Embodiments of the present invention are described in a pluggable transceiver. The pluggable transceiver comprises a housing, a handle and a cover. The cover comprises a resilient member, wherein the cover is configured to receive the housing and the resilient member is adapted to retain the cover in place and to be moved by the handle to release the cover. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating an electronic system including a pluggable transceiver assembly, a host printed circuit board and a faceplate. 
         FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating a pluggable transceiver partially inserted into a cage. 
         FIG. 3  is a diagram illustrating a housing and a handle of a pluggable transceiver. 
         FIG. 4  is a diagram illustrating a cover of a pluggable transceiver. 
         FIG. 5  is a diagram illustrating a bottom view of a cover. 
         FIG. 6  is a diagram illustrating a side view of a cover. 
         FIG. 7  is a diagram illustrating a handle in the closed or tucked position, next to a cover and a housing of a pluggable transceiver. 
         FIG. 8  is a diagram illustrating a handle in the open position for extracting a pluggable transceiver from a cage. 
         FIG. 9  is a side view diagram illustrating operation of a handle and a resilient member of a pluggable transceiver. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating an electronic system  20  including a pluggable transceiver assembly  22 , a host printed circuit board  24  and a faceplate  26 . The pluggable transceiver assembly  22  includes a cage  28  and a pluggable transceiver  30 . The cage  28  is mounted to host printed circuit board  24 , such as by soldering cage  28  to host printed circuit board  24  or force fitting cage feet into holes in host printed circuit board  24 . The faceplate  26  includes faceplate holes or slots, indicated at  34   a–   34   c . Each faceplate slot  34   a–   34   c  is configured to receive a cage  28 . The cage  28  is slid into faceplate slot  34   b  and held in place by cage fingers  32   a–   32   d.    
     The cage  28  conforms to the Cooperation Agreement, previously incorporated by reference, and defines a pluggable transceiver slot that receives pluggable transceiver  30 . The cage  28  includes a transceiver latch, indicated at  36 , at the front end of cage  28 . Also, the cage  28  includes a leaf spring at the back end of cage  28 . The leaf spring engages pluggable transceiver  30  to bias pluggable transceiver  30  toward the front end of cage  28 . A female connector (not shown) is mounted to host printed circuit board  24  at the back end of cage  28 . In one embodiment, the female connector is soldered to host printed circuit board  24  behind cage  28 . 
     The pluggable transceiver  30  includes a cover  38 , a housing  40  and a handle  42 . The housing  40  is received by cover  38  and secured inside cover  38 . The handle  42  is situated in a groove in housing  40  and retained in the housing groove by cover  38 . The handle  42  rotates around an axis  44  of handle  42  situated in the groove of housing  40 . 
     The housing  40  includes optical transceiver electronics that are mounted in housing  40  and a housing front portion  46  that defines a receptacle  48  for receiving an optical connector. In one embodiment, front portion  46  defines a single receptacle  48  for receiving a single optical connector. In other embodiments, the front portion of the housing defines two or more receptacles, such as one receptacle for receiving an optical connector to receive optical data and another receptacle for receiving an optical connector to transmit optical data. The optical connectors can be any suitable connectors, such as duplex LC, MT-RJ or SC connectors. 
     A housing printed circuit board is mounted in housing  40  and supports the transceiver electronics mounted in housing  40 . The transceiver electronics process data signals received from a photo detector. Also, the transceiver electronics supplies data signals to a laser diode that transmits optical data. Extending from the back end of the housing printed circuit board is a male connector including contacts that mate with corresponding contacts of the female connector mounted at the back end of cage  28  on host printed circuit board  24 . The male connector contacts mate with the corresponding contacts of the female connector as the pluggable transceiver  30  is inserted into cage  28 . 
     The cover  38  includes a resilient member  50 . The resilient member  50  engages cage transceiver latch  36  as pluggable transceiver  30  is inserted into cage  28 . The resilient member  50  and transceiver latch  36  cooperate to latch pluggable transceiver  30  into cage  28 . 
     In one embodiment, resilient member  50  can be moved into a first state and a second state to engage and disengage pluggable transceiver  30  and cage  28 . The resilient member  50  includes a handle retention member  51  and handle  42  includes a cam portion, indicated at  52 . The cam portion  52  engages resilient member  50  and retention member  51  to move or force resilient member  50  into the first and second states. As handle  42  is rotated away from housing  40 , cam portion  52  forces resilient member  50  into a concave state, e.g., the first state, to move resilient member  50  away from transceiver latch  36  and disengage the pluggable transceiver  30  from cage  28 . The leaf spring at the back of cage  28  pushes pluggable transceiver  30  forward in cage  28 . The pluggable transceiver  30  is further removed from cage  28  by pulling handle  42  to slide pluggable transceiver  30  out of cage  28 . As handle  42  is rotated back toward housing  40 , cam portion  52  forces resilient member  50  into a convex state, e.g., the second state, to engage transceiver latch  36  and cage  28 . 
       FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating pluggable transceiver  30  partially inserted in cage  28 . The host printed circuit board  24  and faceplate  26  have been removed for clarity. The cage  28  includes transceiver latch  36 , cage fingers  32   a–   32   d  and cage feet  60   a–   60   d . The transceiver latch  36  defines a latch hole or boss hole, indicated at  62 . The latch hole  62  is triangular shaped and includes one side  64  that is parallel with the front end of cage  28  and one corner  65  that points toward the back end of cage  28 . The cage fingers  32   a–   32   d  are cantilevered springs that retain faceplate  26  on cage  28 . The cage feet  60   a–   60   d  are force fit into metal plated holes in host printed circuit board  24  to attach and electrically couple cage  28  to host printed circuit board  24 . The cage  28 , including cage fingers  32   a–   32   d  and cage feet  60   a–   60   d , is made of a suitable metal material. In other embodiments, the latch hole  62  can be aligned differently and the latch hole  62  can be another suitable shape. 
     The pluggable transceiver  30  includes cover  38 , housing  40  and handle  42 . The cover  38  is situated on each side of housing  40  and includes resilient member  50 , cover support members  66  and  67 , and insertion leaf springs  68   a  and  68   b . In addition, cover  38  includes insertion leaf springs, similar to insertion leaf springs  68   a  and  68   b , on each side of cover  38  except the side of cover  38  that has resilient member  50 . 
     The resilient member  50  includes a catch or boss  70 . The boss  70  is situated on resilient member  50  near the middle of resilient member  50 . The boss  70  is triangular shaped and sloped from one corner  72  to one side  74  to form an upward sloping ramp. The resilient member  50  is forced into the convex state, illustrated in  FIG. 2 , to position boss  70  for engaging latch hole  62  in transceiver latch  36 . The resilient member  50  is forced into the concave state to move boss  70  away from transceiver latch  36  to disengage pluggable transceiver  30  from cage  28 . The resilient member  50  is attached to cover support member  67  at  69  and to cover support member  66 . 
     The cover support members  66  and  67  are situated on each side of resilient member  50 . The cover support members  66  and  67  include base portions, indicated at  66   a  and  67   a , and raised portions, indicated at  66   b  and  67   b . The base portions  66   a  and  67   a  are connected to the rest of cover  38  and the raised portions  66   b  and  67   b  are each attached at one end to resilient member  50 . The cover support members  66  and  67  are bent at  76  and  78  to position raised portions  66   b  and  67   b  on handle  42 . Also, resilient member  50  includes handle retention member  51  positioned on handle  42 . 
     The handle  42  includes cam portion  52 , axis portions  82  and  84 , lever arm portion  80  and angled handle portion  86 . Lever arm portions, such as lever arm portion  80 , are situated on each side of housing  40  and connected to cam portion  52  through axis portions  82  and  84 . Also, lever arm portions  80  are connected together through angled handle portion  86 . The angled handle portion  86  is angled from lever arm portions  80  toward cover  38  and tucked under housing  40 . The axis portions  82  and  84  are situated in grooves in housing  40  and retained in the grooves of housing  40  by raised portions  66   b  and  67   b  of cover support members  66  and  67 . In one embodiment, raised portions  66   b  and  67   b  fit into slots in housing  40  to retain handle  42  between housing  40  and cover  38 . Also, in one embodiment, housing  40  is made of plastic and handle  42  is made of a metal wire that is bent to form handle  42  including cam portion  52  and lever arm portions  80 . 
     In operation, pluggable transceiver  30  is inserted into cage  28  and boss  70  engages transceiver latch  36 . The insertion leaf springs, such as insertion leaf springs  68   a  and  68   b , on three sides of cover  38  bias boss  70  against transceiver latch  36 . The transceiver latch  36  slides up ramped boss  70  from corner  72  to side  74 . As transceiver latch  36  slides up boss  70 , resilient member  50  is forced toward housing  40  and transceiver latch  36  is biased away from cover  38 . As pluggable transceiver  30  is further inserted into cage  28 , boss  70  is received in latch hole  62 . One side  64  of latch hole  62  is situated next to one side  74  of boss  70  to latch pluggable transceiver  30  into cage  28 . 
     To remove pluggable transceiver  30  from cage  28 , angled handle portion  86  is pulled away from cover  38  and out of the tucked position. In response to moving angled handle portion  86  away from cover  38 , handle  42  rotates at axis  44  and lever arm portions  80  force cam portion  52  against resilient member  50 . The cam portion  52  forces resilient member  50  toward housing  40  and snaps resilient member  50  into the concave state. Snapping resilient member  50  into the concave state, moves boss  70  away from transceiver latch  36 . The boss  70  is moved away from transceiver latch  36  to disengage boss  70  from latch hole  62  and release pluggable transceiver  30  from cage  28 . The leaf spring at the back end of cage  28  pushes pluggable transceiver  30  forward in cage  28  and pluggable transceiver  30  can be slid out of cage  28 . 
       FIG. 3  is a diagram illustrating housing  40  and handle  42  of pluggable transceiver  30 . The cover  38  has been removed from pluggable transceiver  30  to reveal handle  42  situated in housing  40 . The housing  40  includes a housing slot  100 , housing grooves  102  and  104 , and a housing pin segment  106 . The housing slot  100  is defined by housing slot sidewalls  108  and  110 , front wall  114 , back wall  116  and housing slot floor  112 . The axis portions  82  and  84  of handle  42  are situated in housing grooves  102  and  104 . The axis portion  82  is positioned in housing groove  102  and the axis portion  84  is positioned in housing groove  104 . The cam portion  52  of handle  42  is situated over housing slot  100 . In one embodiment, cam portion  52  is split at  117 . The handle  42  can be divided at split  117  to insert handle  42  in cover  38 . 
     The resilient member  50  of cover  38  is forced into housing slot  100  by cam portion  52  as angled handle portion  86  is moved away from cover  38 . The housing slot  100  includes a length, width and depth that are suitably sized for receiving resilient member  50  and releasing boss  70  from latch hole  62 . The housing pin segment  106  aligns housing  40  in cover  38 . 
       FIG. 4  is a diagram illustrating cover  38  of pluggable transceiver  30 . The cover  38  includes sidewalls  120  and  122 , top wall  124  and bottom wall  126 . The walls  120 ,  122 ,  124  and  126  form a rectangular shape with a front end at  128  and a back end at  130 . The sidewalls  120  and  122  extend from back end  130  toward front end  128  and up to front sidewall edge  132 . The top wall  124  extends between sidewalls  120  and  122  and from back end  130  toward front end  128 , up to front sidewall edge  132 . The bottom wall  126  extends from front end  128  toward back end  130  and up to back bottom wall edge  134 . The sidewalls  120  and  122  are angled at  136  and  138 , between back end  130  and back bottom wall edge  134 . In addition, sidewalls  120  and  122  include sidewall notches  142  that receive housing pin segments  106  to align housing  40  in cover  38 . 
     The top wall  124 , sidewalls  120  and  122  and bottom wall  126  define an opening at the back end  130  of cover  38 . The housing  40  and housing printed circuit board are secured in cover  38  with male connector contacts attached to the housing printed circuit board protruding through the opening at the back end  130  of cover  38 . The male connector contacts engage corresponding female connector contacts mounted behind cage  28  on host printed circuit board  24  as pluggable transceiver  30  is inserted into cage  28 . 
     The cover  38  includes resilient member  50 , cover support members  66  and  67 , and insertion leaf springs  69   a  and  69   b . The resilient member  50  is part of bottom wall  126  and attached to the rest of bottom wall  126  at  140 . The resilient member  50  includes boss  70  that is triangular shaped and ramped upward from one corner  72  to one side at  74 . The one side at  74  operates as a catch for latching boss  70  in latch hole  62  of transceiver latch  36 . 
     The cover support members  66  and  67  include base portions  66   a  and  67   a , and raised portions  66   b  and  67   b . The cover support member  66  includes base portion  66   a  connected to and part of bottom wall  126 . The cover support member  66  is bent at  76  between base portion  66   a  and raised portion  66   b  to position raised portion  66   b  in a different plane than base portion  66   a . The cover support member  67  includes base portion  67   a  connected to and part of bottom wall  126 . The cover support member  67  is bent at  78  between base portion  67   a  and raised portion  67   b  to position raised portion  67   b  in a different plane than base portion  67   a . The raised portions  66   b  and  67   b  retain handle  42  in grooves  102  and  104  of housing  40 . 
     Raised portions  66   b  and  67   b  are connected to resilient member  50 . Raised portion  66   b  is connected to resilient member  50  at  71  and raised portion  67   b  is connected to resilient member  50  at  69 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . The axis portion  82  of handle  42  is positioned between resilient member  50  and raised portion  66   b , and axis portion  84  of handle  42  is positioned between resilient member  50  and raised portions  67   b . Cam portion  52  is positioned between resilient member  50  and retention member  51 . Cam portion  52  is positioned to be forced against resilient member  50  to move resilient member  50  into the concave state, and cam portion  52  is positioned to be forced against retention member  51  to move resilient member  50  into the convex state. 
     The insertion leaf springs  69   a  and  69   b  on sidewall  120  are similar to insertion leaf springs  68   a  and  68   b  that are on opposing sidewall  122 . The insertion leaf spring  68  and  69  and insertion leaf springs on top wall  124  bias boss  70  against transceiver latch  36  and align cover  38  in cage  28  as cover  38  and pluggable transceiver  30  is inserted into cage  28 . 
       FIG. 5  is a diagram illustrating a bottom view of cover  38 . The cover  38  includes bottom wall  126 , top wall  124  and sidewalls  120  and  122 . The bottom wall  126  extends from the front end at  128  toward the back end at  130  and up to back bottom wall edge  134 . The top wall  124  extends from the back end at  130  toward the front end at  128  and up to front sidewall edge  132 . Sidewalls  120  and  122  extend from the back end at  130  toward the front end at  128  and up to front sidewall edge  132 . Insertion leaf springs  68  and  69  are attached to sidewalls  120  and  122 . Insertion leaf springs  68  are attached to sidewall  122  and arch away from sidewall  122 . Insertion leaf springs  69  are attached to sidewall  120  and arch away from sidewall  120 . 
     The bottom wall  126  includes resilient member  50  situated between cover support members  66  and  67 . The resilient member  50  extends from front end  128  to the line at  140 , where it is connected to the rest of bottom wall  126 . The resilient member  50  includes boss  70  that is triangular shaped and situated with one side  74  parallel with front end  128  and one corner  72  pointing toward back end  130 . Also, resilient member  50  includes retention member  51  that is bent at  53  to be situated in a different plane than the rest of resilient member  50 . The resilient member  50  is connected to raised portion  66   b  at  71  and to raised portion  67   b  at  69 . 
     The cover support members  66  and  67  extend from the front end at  128  to the front sidewall edge  132 . The cover support member  66  is bent at  76  between base portion  66   a  and raised portion  66   b . The cover support member  67  is bent at  78  between base portion  67   a  and raised portion  67   b . In one embodiment, cover support members  66  and  67  are inserted into slots in housing  40 . 
       FIG. 6  is a diagram illustrating a side view of cover  38 . The cover  38  includes sidewall  120  that is angled at  136  and insertion leaf springs  69   a  and  69   b . In addition, sidewall  120  defines sidewall notch  142  that receives housing pin segment  106  to align housing  40  in cover  38 . 
     The resilient member  50  includes boss  70  and retention member  51 . The boss  70  is situated on resilient member  50  and protrudes away from resilient member  50 . The boss  70  includes side  74  and ramps to corner  72 . The resilient member  50  is bowed and connected to cover support member  67  at  69  and to the rest of cover  38  at  140 . The cover  38  is made out of metal and resilient member  50  operates as a bowed spring that snaps into two states, the convex state and the concave state, illustrated in dashed lines. 
       FIGS. 7–9  are diagrams illustrating operation of handle  42  and resilient member  50  for latching/releasing pluggable transceiver  30  to/from cage  28 .  FIG. 7  is a diagram illustrating handle  42  in the closed or tucked position, next to cover  38  and housing  40 . The pluggable transceiver  30  includes housing  40 , handle  42  and cover  38 . The housing  40  includes housing grooves  102  and  104  and housing pin segments, such as housing pin segment  106 , on each side of housing  40 . The handle  42  includes cam portion  52 , axis portions  82  and  84 , lever arm portions  80  and angled handle portion  86 . The angled handle portion  86  connects lever arm portions  80  together and is situated next to housing  40  in the closed position. The axis portions  82  and  84  are situated in housing grooves  102  and  104 , respectively, and handle  42  rotates in housing grooves  102  and  104  at axis  44 . The cam portion  52  is connected between axis portions  82  and  84  and situated between resilient member  50  and retention member  51 . 
     The cover  38  includes cover support members  66  and  67  and resilient member  50 . The cover support members  66  and  67  are disposed over axis portions  82  and  84  to retain handle  42  in housing grooves  102  and  104 . The housing pin segments  106  of housing  40  are received by sidewall notches  142  in cover  38  and housing  40  is secured in cover  38 . The resilient member  50  includes boss  70  and retention member  51 . The cam portion  52  is situated between retention member  51  and resilient member  50 . As handle  42  is moved into the closed or tucked position, cam portion  52  is forced against retention member  51  and snaps resilient member  50  into the convex state. Boss  70  protrudes above bottom wall  126  of cover  38  to engage latch hole  62 . In the closed or tucked position, boss  70  can latch pluggable transceiver  30  into cage  28 . 
       FIG. 8  is a diagram illustrating handle  42  in the open position for extracting pluggable transceiver  30  from cage  28 . The angled handle portion  86  is pulled away from housing  40  to move lever arm portions  80  away from cover  38  and housing  40 . Handle  42  rotates at axis  44  to force cam portion  52  against resilient member  50 . With lever arm portions  80  at a suitable angle, such as between 40 and 60 degrees from housing  40 , cam portion  52  snaps resilient member  50  into the concave state and resilient member  50  moves into housing slot  100 . Boss  70  moves away from transceiver latch  36  and is released from latch hole  62  of transceiver latch  36  to release pluggable transceiver  30  from cage  28 . The leaf spring situated at the back of cage  38  pushes pluggable transceiver  30  toward the front end of cage  28  as boss  70  is released from transceiver latch  36 . 
     The lever arm portions  80   a  and  80   b  rotate to a suitable angle, such as between 80 and 100 degrees from housing  40 , as resilient member  50  snaps into the concave state. The pluggable transceiver  30  can be removed from cage  28  by grasping and pulling angled handle portion  86  to remove pluggable transceiver  30  from cage  28 . After pluggable transceiver  30  is removed from cage  28 , resilient member  50  remains in the concave state until handle  42  is returned to the closed position and cam portion  52  snaps resilient member  50  into the convex state. 
       FIG. 9  is a side view diagram illustrating operation of handle  42  and resilient member  50  of pluggable transceiver  30 . The pluggable transceiver  30  includes housing  40 , cover  38  and handle  42 . The housing  40  is situated in cover  38  and handle  42  is retained between housing  40  and raised portions  66   b  and  67   b  of cover  38 . The handle  42  rotates at axis  44 . 
     In the closed position, resilient member  50  is in the convex position and boss  70  protrudes from pluggable transceiver  30  in the y-direction to engage transceiver latch  36 . The latch hole  62  in transceiver latch  36  receives boss  70  to latch pluggable transceiver  30  into cage  28 . Male connector contacts, indicated at  150 , are electrically coupled to the housing printed circuit board and received by the female connector mounted to host printed circuit board  24 . 
     The handle  42  includes cam portion  52 , lever arm portions  80  and angled handle portion  86 . In the closed position, lever arm portions  80  are situated next to housing  40  along the y-direction and angled handle portion  86  is tucked next to housing  40 . 
     As angled handle portion  86  is moved out of the tucked position and away from housing  40 , indicated in dashed lines, handle  42  rotates about axis  44 . The lever arm portions  80  move from being positioned along the y-direction toward being positioned along the x-direction. The cam portion  52  is forced against resilient member  50  to snap resilient member  50  into the concave position. The boss  70  moves away from transceiver latch  36  and out of latch hole  62  to release pluggable transceiver  30  from cage  28 . The leaf spring, at the back end of cage  28 , pushes pluggable transceiver  30  toward the front end of cage  28 . The male contacts at  150  are disengaged from the female contacts mounted to host printed circuit board  24 . The handle  42  moves further to the open position and pluggable transceiver  30  can be removed completely by pulling on angled handle portion  86 . After pluggable transceiver  30  is removed from cage  28 , resilient member  50  remains in the concave state until handle  42  is returned to the closed position and cam portion  52  snaps resilient member  50  into the convex state.