Abstract:
An electronic module ( 100 ) includes an elongated housing ( 10 ) having a front portion and a rear portion, with a pair of spaced guide members ( 123 ) integrated with a peripheral portion of the rear portion; a latch mechanism ( 60 ) assembled to the housing, said latch mechanism including a slider member ( 61 ) disposed between and supported by the pair of guide members, a bail member ( 62 ) pivotally engaging with the rear portion of the housing and further linking with the slider member; and rocking the bail actuating the slider moving along a front-to-back direction for detaching the electronic module from a receptacle module.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention generally relates to an electronic module, and more particularly to an electronic module having an easily operated latch mechanism. 
       DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART 
       [0002]    The small form-factor pluggable (SFP) is a compact optical transceiver used in optical communications for both telecommunication and data communications applications. It interfaces a network device mother board (for a switch, router or similar device) to a fiber optic or unshielded twisted pair networking cable. It is a popular industry format supported by several fiber optic component vendors. SFP transceivers are designed to support SONET, Gigabit Ethernet, Fibre Channel, and other communications standards. The standard is expanding to SFP+ which will be able to support data rates up to 10.0 Gbit/s. 
         [0003]    Nowadays, there is a trend that an electronic device is configured to be lower profile, and so do the peripheral components equipped thereto, such as I/O ports, etc. As a SFP module (electronic module) becomes smaller, it is difficult for users to hold it, especially detach it from a cage of a receptacle module. 
         [0004]    A simple release method for a SFP module is to hold the module itself and then pull them out of a receptacle module (cage assembly). However, It has been determined that this method is not very effective and reliable. When the SFP module mates with the receptacle module, only little rear portion thereof is exposed outside, thus it difficult to grip thereon; furthermore, users may hold a cable attached to the module and pull the module out of the receptacle module directly, and incorrect operation may damage the module. 
         [0005]    Therefore, designers developed different solutions to solve above problems. U.S. Pat. No. 6,851,867 issued to Pang on Feb. 8, 2005 discloses an electronic module received in corresponding cage of a module receptacle and the electronic module comprises a pair of sliders with forward ends engaging with tabs of the cage, and a bail or lever capable of rotating to actuate the sliders linearly to separate forward ends of the sliders from the tabs. The Pang&#39;s device utilizes leverage to successfully solve the problem aforementioned. However, as the bail or lever is too small to grip by users, thus, it&#39;s necessary to provide an electronic module with easily operated latch mechanism. 
         [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,758,699 issued to Huang on Jul. 6, 2004 introduces another kind of electronic module which comprises a horizontal printed circuit board; a metallic cage enclosing said printed circuit board; a connector located in front of the printed circuit board and including an insulative housing enclosed in a metallic shell; a plurality of terminals located in the housing, and mechanically and electrically connected to the printed circuit board; and a clamp device being discrete from and located right behind the connector and in front of the printed circuit board, said clamp device attached to at least one of said shell and said housing, wherein said clamp device is equipped with a latch mechanism including an extraction tab moveable along a front-to-back direction and actuated to move by a pivotal actuator. The Huang&#39;s device is complicated and cost in manufacture. A more simplified and lower cost electronic module is desired. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic module with easily released latch mechanism. 
         [0008]    In order to achieve the object set forth, an electronic module in accordance with the present invention comprises an elongated housing having a front portion and a rear portion, with a pair of spaced guide members integrated with a peripheral portion of the rear portion; a latch mechanism assembled to the housing, said latch mechanism including a slider member disposed between and supported by the pair of guide members, a bail member pivotally engaging with the rear portion of the housing and further linking with the slider member to move the slider member. 
         [0009]    Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is an exploded, perspective view of a cable connector in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is similar to  FIG. 1 , but viewed from another aspect; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is similar to  FIG. 1 , but viewed from other direction; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is an assembled, perspective view of the cable connector; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is similar to  FIG. 4 , but viewed from other direction; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a cross-section view of  FIG. 4  taken along line  6 - 6 ; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a cross-section view of  FIG. 4  taken along line  7 - 7 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0017]    Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0018]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-7 , an electronic module  100  in accordance with the present invention comprises a housing  10  enclosing a hollow portion  101  therein, a printed circuit board (PCB)  3  accommodated in the hollow portion  10 , a cable  4  coupled to rear section of the printed circuit board  3  and a latch mechanism  60  mounted to the housing  10 . 
         [0019]    The housing  10  includes a base portion  1  and a cover portion  2  and both of them are die-cast metal members or other metal plated pieces. Either the base portion  1  or the cover portion  2  includes an elongated front portion  11 ,  21  and a rear portion  12 ,  22  rearward extending from the front portion  11 ,  21 , respectively. 
         [0020]    The front segment  11  of the base portion  1  has a pair of upright lateral walls  111 ,  112  joining to lower a bottom wall  113  to corporately form the hollow portion  101  therebetween. A front section of the bottom wall  113  is cut to form a window  1131 . A transversal beam portion  114  with substantially L-shaped cross-section interconnects distal portions of the pair of the lateral walls  111 ,  112 . 
         [0021]    The rear segment  12  of the base portion  1  has a pair of side walls  120 ,  121  and a lower wall  122  to corporately form a first semi-circular cavity  1201  and a deeper first position slot  1202  located in the front of the first semi-circular cavity  1201 . A channel  1221  is recessed upward from a bottom surface of a middle area of the lower wall  122 . A pair of guide members  123  are respectively arranged lateral sides along the channel  1221  and a locking tab  124  extending into the channel  1221  from a front edge thereof. A thin bar member  1231  is formed on an inward surface of a rear section of each guide member  123 . A slider passage  1232  is defined in a front section of each guide member  123  and disposed in front of corresponding bar member  1231 . Two cylinder members  1211  are respectively formed on upper sections of outward surfaces of the pair of side walls  120 ,  121 . A pair of screw holes  1212  is respectively recessed downward from up surfaces of rear sections of side walls  120 ,  121 . 
         [0022]    The front segment  21  of the cover portion  2  has a planar portion  213  and a pair of flange portion  211 ,  212  formed on lateral sides of a bottom surface thereof. A pair of supporting posts  2131  are arranged on a front section of the planar portion  213  and extending downwardly from the bottom surface of thereof, and each supporting post  2131  further defines a screw hole  2132  therein. A protrusion portion  2134  is formed at forward end of the planar portion  213  and engages with A transversal beam portion  114  of the base portion  1 . 
         [0023]    The rear segment  22  of the cover portion  2  has a pair of side walls  220 ,  221  and a upper wall  222  to together form a second semi-circular cavity  2201  and a deeper second position slot  2202  located in the front of the first semi-circular cavity  2201 . Two through holes  2221  are respectively defined in ends of the pair of side walls  220 ,  221 . 
         [0024]    The PCB  3  includes a circuit substrate  30  and two groups of conductive pads  31 ,  32  respectively disposed on a front and rear portions of the circuit substrate  30 . A pair retaining holes  33  are arranged on a front portion of the circuit substrate  30 . The cable  4  comprises a number of wires  41  and a jacket  40  enclosing thereon. The wires  41  of the cable  4  are soldered to the conductive pads  32  of the rear portion of the PCB  3 . The PCB  3  is laid on the pair of supporting posts  2131  and the cable  4  exits outward the cover portion  2  through second semi-circular cavity  2201  therein. A pair of screws  72  are inserted into the pair of retaining holes  33  of the PCB  3  and assembled to the screw holes  2132  of the supporting posts  2131  to fix the PCB  3  to the cover portion  2 . The cover portion  2  is assembled to the base portion  1 , with the PCB  3  received in the hollow portion  101 . Two screws  71  are inserted to the through holes  2221  of the cover portion  2  and assembled to the screw holes  1212  of the base portion  1  to combine them together. A pair of cable holders  51 ,  52  are received in the first and second position slots  1202 ,  2202  to grip the cable  4 . 
         [0025]    The latch mechanism  60  includes a slider member  61 , a bail member  62  and a pull member  63 . 
         [0026]    The slider member  61  has a substantially rectangular shaped body portion  610  and two leg portions  612  extending forward from front face of the body portion  610 . The two leg portions  612  are spaced from one another, with a passage  6120  formed therebetween, and each leg portion  612  further has a wedge-shaped front end. A pair of grooves  614  respectively are recessed inward from lateral surfaces of a rear segment of the body portion  610  and a transverse through hole  616  is defined in a middle section of the body portion  610  and adjacent to the grooves  614 . The slider member  61  is mounted to the base portion  1 , with the body portion  610  and two leg portions  612  accommodated in the channel  1221 , the bar members  1231  of guide members  123  inserting into in the grooves  614  of the body portion  610  and the through hole  616  aligning with slider passages  1232  of guiding members  123 . Thus, the slider member  61  is suspended above the base portion  1  of the housing  10 . The term “suspended” herein depict a relative position that a bottom surface  6100  of the slider member  61  doesn&#39;t contact bottom surface of the channel  1221  or any top surface of an accessory or peripheral surface of the housing  10 . By such arrangement, friction between the slider member  61  and the housing  10  may be reduced, and the slider member  61  moves along the housing  10  more freely. 
         [0027]    The bail member  62  is configured to doorframe-shaped, including a doorhead  622  and two doorjambs  624 . A curved handle member  626  is integrated with the doorhead  622 . The handle member  626  includes a substantially vertical portion  6262  extending upwardly from a rear edge of the doorhead  622  and an inclined portion  6266  bent toward the doorhead  622 . A cutout portion  6263  is defined in a lower segment of the vertical portion  6262  and adjacent to the rear edge of the doorhead  622 . The cutout portion  6263  is offset to a left side of the handle member  626 , rather than located in a middle section thereof, which may increase intensity of the handle member  626 . While a slit portion  6264  is defined in an upper segment of the vertical portion  6262  and in communication to the cutout portion  6263 . A positioning hole  6242  is defined in a middle section of each doorjamb  624 , and a mounting hole  6246  is defined in a lower end of corresponding doorjamb  624 . 
         [0028]    The pull member  63  includes a header portion  632 , a ring-shaped pull portion  636  and a connection portion  634  interconnecting the header portion  632  and pull portion  636 . The header portion  632  has a turnup part  6322  extending forwardly and upwardly from a transversal deflection portion  6324  thereof, and an arched engaging part  6326  rising from a middle section of the header portion  632  and disposed above the deflection portion  6324 . When assemble, the doorjamb  624  (may be left one) is inserted into a passage (not numbered) between the turnup part  6322  and the engaging part  6326 , then the engaging part  6326  slides into the cutout portion  6263  via the slit portion  6264 . Thus, the turnup portion  6322  and the engaging portion  6326  corporately hold the doorhead  622 , with the handle member  626  abutting the deflection portion  6324  of the header portion  632 . The inclined portion  6266  of the handle member  626  presses onto the engaging part  6326 . The pull member  63  rearward extends beyond a back surface of the housing  10  and parallel with a bottom surface  6100  of the slider member  61 . Such design may decrease friction between the slider member  61  and the channel  1221  and facilitate movement of the slider member  61 . 
         [0029]    The bail member  62  is pivoted linking with the base portion  1 , with the cylinder members  1211  inserted into mounting hole  6246  of doorjamb  624 . A bolt  641  is inserted through the positioning holes  6242  of the doorjamb  624 , the slider passages  1232  of the guiding members  123  and through hole  616  of the slider member  61  to link them together, then a nut  641  is assembled to the bolt  641 . 
         [0030]    When the electronic module  100  is plugged into a cage of a receptacle module (not shown, referring to FIG. 13A of U.S. Pub. Pat. No. 2007/0117458A1), with locking tab  124  of the base portion  1  locking into corresponding hole of a spring member of the cage, therefore, the electronic module  100  combine with the receptacle module reliably. When the electronic module  100  unplugged from the receptacle module, a rearward force is exerted onto the pull members  63  to actuate the bail member  62  rotation around the cylinder members  1211 , thus the slider member  61  moves forwardly, with the leg portions  612  thereof inserted into the cage to urge the spring member biasing outwardly to detach from the locking tab  124 . 
         [0031]    It will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or central characteristics thereof. The present examples and embodiments, therefore, are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein.