Patent Publication Number: US-10330873-B2

Title: Plug unlocking structure of optical transceiver module

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This disclosure generally relates to the field of interface devices for converting an electrical signal into an optical signal, and more particularly to a plug unlocking structure of an optical transceiver module. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     To cope with the requirement for an increasingly higher cable transmission rate, conventional copper cables are replaced by optical fiber cables, particularly for the backbone network portion. In present high-speed communication networks, an optical transceiver module (such as SFP) is provided for the connection and transmission of signals of an electronic communication device. In addition, the optical transceiver module may be plugged into a corresponding cage of the communication device to provide sufficient flexibility for adjusting system design or meeting the requirements of maintenance, repair, and replacement. 
     In general, when it is desired to plug the optical transceiver module into the cage of the communication device, a latching structure is provided for enabling the optical transceiver module to be locked into the cage securely after the optical transceiver module is plugged and positioned, and a related linkage mechanism is provided and may be pulled to unlock the latching structure when it is desired to pull out the optical transceiver module, so as to facilitate removal of the optical transceiver module from the cage. 
     However, the latching mechanism installed between the conventional optical transceiver module and the cage may be detached by mistake easily because of insufficient consideration of the design in shifting of fulcrum, and therefore detachment may occur easily by a small amplitude of movement in the unlocking process. For example, the device may be vibrated or affected by an external force, the latching position may bounce to end up with a sudden unlock, so that the optical transceiver module is separated from the cage of the device without warning, which leads to a higher risk of damage to the communication device. 
     In view of the aforementioned drawbacks of the conventional optical transceiver module, the inventor studied various technologies and created an effective solution in the present disclosure. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, it is a primary objective of this disclosure to provide a plug unlocking structure of an optical transceiver module capable of adjusting and changing a pivoting point (or position) between mechanical parts, such that it requires a large amplitude (or angle) of movement to unlock a latching pin. In the meantime, it takes a longer pull stroke for users to unlock the latching pin to avoid the aforementioned drawback of the accidental detachment. 
     Another objective of this disclosure is to provide a plug unlocking structure of an optical transceiver module capable of providing a horizontal elastic restoring force in a moving direction which is the same as the extending direction of the latching pin to improve the latching effect and overcome the aforementioned drawback of the accidental detachment. 
     To achieve the aforementioned objective, this disclosure provides a plug unlocking structure of an optical transceiver module, comprising a main body, a linkage assembly, and a pull handle. The linkage assembly is pivotally coupled to the main body. The linkage assembly comprises a locking arm and at least one linking arm extended from the locking arm. The extending directions of the locking arm and the linking arm are different. An elastic element is installed between the linking arm and the main body. The pull handle is linked to the linking arm. The linkage assembly is pivotally coupled to the main body through the pivoting point of the locking arm. The locking arm further includes a latching pin, wherein the pivoting point of the locking arm is disposed between the latching pin and the linking arm. 
     To achieve the aforementioned objective, this disclosure provides a plug unlocking structure of an optical transceiver module, which is provided to be plugged into a cage having a locking hole. The optical transceiver module comprises a main body, a linkage assembly and a pull handle. The linkage assembly is pivotally coupled to the main body. The linkage assembly comprises a locking arm and at least one linking arm extended from the locking arm, wherein the extending direction of the locking arm and the extending direction of the linking arm are different, and an elastic element is installed between the linking arm and the main body. The pull handle is linked to the linking arm, wherein the linkage assembly is pivotally coupled to the main body through the pivoting point of the locking arm. The locking arm further includes a latching pin. The pivoting point of the locking arm is disposed between the latching pin and the linking arm. 
     To achieve the aforementioned objective, this disclosure provides a plug unlocking structure of an optical transceiver module, comprising a main body, a linkage assembly and a pull handle. The linkage assembly is pivotally coupled to the main body. The linkage assembly comprises a locking arm and two linking arms extended respectively downwardly from two sides of the locking arm. The extending direction of the locking arm and the extending direction of the linking arm are different. Two elastic elements are installed between the linking arm and the main body. Two blocking edges are protruded from the two linking arms towards the main body. A pull handle is linked to the two linking arms. The locking arm is disposed on an upper surface of the main body. The two linking arms are disposed at two sides of the main body respectively. Two accommodating slots are formed on the two sides of the main body, respectively. Each blocking edge is extended into a rear end of each respective accommodating slot. The main body has a retaining wall formed at a front end of each accommodating slot. Each elastic element is received by each respective accommodating slot and abutted between each retaining wall and each blocking edge, so that the moving direction of each elastic element is the same as the extending direction of the locking arm. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of this disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a partial exploded view of this disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of Section a-a of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic view illustrating operation based on  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of Section b-b of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of Section c-c of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Detailed descriptions and technical contents of the present invention are illustrated below in conjunction with the accompany drawings. However, it is to be understood that the descriptions and the accompany drawings disclosed herein are merely illustrative and exemplary and not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1, 2 and 3  for a perspective view, an exploded view, and a cross-sectional view of Section a-a of a plug unlocking structure of an optical transceiver module in this disclosure respectively, the plug unlocking structure comprises a main body  1 , a linkage assembly  2 , and a pull handle  3 . 
     The main body  1  is a main portion of the optical transceiver module, which is plugged into a cage  4  of a communication device and provided for plugging into an optical fiber connector (not shown in the drawings) to achieve the effect of connection. The main body  1  comprises a joint  10 , and a plug-in part  11 , and a jack  12 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the jack  12  is disposed at a front end of the joint  10  and provided for plugging the optical fiber connector. The plug-in part  11  is coupled to the joint  10  and extended form a rear end of the joint  10 . The plug-in part  11  is plugged into the cage  4  of the communication device. 
     The linkage assembly  2  is pivotally coupled to the joint  10  of the main body  1  for providing a latching effect to prevent the main body  1  from falling out from the cage  4  when the plug-in part  11  of the main body  1  is plugged into the cage  4  of the communication device, so as to ensure the stability of the optical fiber communication connection. By using the pull handle  3 , an unlocking effect can be achieved to facilitate users to remove the main body  1  from the cage  4 . The linkage assembly  2  comprises a locking arm  20  and at least one linking arm  21  extended from the locking arm  20 . An extending direction of the locking arm  20  and an extending direction of the linking arm  21  are different. An elastic element  22  is installed between the linking arm  21  and the main body  1  for restoring the linkage assembly  2  to its original position after the operation. The locking arm  20  has a latching pin  200  disposed corresponding to a locking hole  400  of a latching plate  40  of the cage  4 . When the main body  1  is plugged into the cage  4 , the latching pin  200  is latched in the locking hole  400 . 
     In the preferred embodiment of this disclosure, the locking arm  20  is disposed at the joint  10  of the main body  1 . The joint  10  has a pair of locking arm pivot portions  100  protruded therefrom for pivotally coupling the locking arm  20 . Furthermore, the locking arm  20  has a locking arm pivot hole  201  disposed corresponding to a corresponding one of the pair of the locking arm pivot portions  100  and provided for insertion of a locking arm pivot  202 , so that the locking arm pivot  202  is passed through the locking arm pivot hole  201  to pivotally couple with a connector pivot hole  101  of the joint  10 . Therefore, the latching pin  200  of the locking arm  20  may swing by using the locking arm pivot hole  201  as a fulcrum, so as to separate the latching pin  200  from the locking hole  400  of the cage  4 . To facilitate the operation of separating the latching pin  200  from the locking hole  400 . The joint  10  further includes a withdrawing slot  120  concavely formed thereon. The latching pin  200  may be sunken into the withdrawing slot  120  to achieve the unlocking effect, and the withdrawing slot  120  provides sufficient operating space when the latching pin  200  is separated from the locking hole  400  (as shown in  FIG. 4 ). 
     The linking arm  21  is extended outwardly and downwardly from two sides of the locking arm  20 , respectively. In other words, there are two linking arms  21  disposed on both left and right sides of the joint  10  respectively, and each linking arm  21  is pivotally coupled to the pull handle  3 . Further, the pull handle  3  comprises a base  30 , and a pull portion  31  protruded from the base  30 . The base  30  has a pull handle pivot hole  300  formed thereon. Each linking arm  21  has a corresponding pull handle pivot portion  210  provided for pivotally coupling a pull handle pivot  211 , so that a user may pull the pull portion  31  of the pull handle  3  to drive the linking arm  21  in order to swing the linkage assembly  2  by using the locking arm pivot hole  201  as a fulcrum. In the meantime, the locking arm  20  drives the latching pin  200  to be separated from the locking hole  400  of the latching pin  200  by the swinging of the linkage assembly  2 , so as to facilitate the removal of the main body  1  from the cage  4 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , by utilizing the locking arm pivot hole  201  (which is the pivoting point of the main body  1  and the linkage assembly  2 ) between the latching pin  200  and the linking arm  21 . A larger amplitude (or angle) of movement of the linking arm  21  is required to separate the latching pin  200  from the locking hole  400  when the pull handle  3  pulls the linkage assembly  2 . The pull handle  3  needs to have a long pull stroke such that the user can remove the main body  1  from the cage  4 . Therefore, with improved stability, this disclosure prevents the latching pin  200  from bouncing or causing a sudden unlock, prevents the main body  1  from separating from the cage  4  without warning, and prevents operation of the communication device from being affected when the optical transceiver module is plugged into the communication device. 
     In addition, any linking arm  21  and the locking arm  20  of this disclosure are arranged in a substantially L-shape. In other words, the locking arm  20  is disposed on the upper surface of the main body  1 . The two linking arms  21  are disposed at both left and right sides of the main body  1 , respectively. An accommodating slot  121  may be formed separately on both left and right sides of the main body  1  and provided for receiving the elastic element  22 . In  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the main body  1  has a retaining wall  122  formed at a front end of each accommodating slot  121 . Two blocking edges  212  are protruded from the two linking arms  21  towards the main body  1 . The blocking edge  212  is extended into a rear end of the accommodating slot  121 . Each elastic element  22  is abutted between the retaining wall  122  and the blocking edge  212 . Therefore, the elastic element  22  provides a horizontal elastic force to the linkage assembly  2  to restore it to its original position. The moving direction of each elastic element  22  is the same as the extending direction of the locking arm  20 . 
     The aforementioned structure and assembly constitute the plug unlocking structure of an optical transceiver module of this disclosure. 
     In the plug unlocking structure of the optical transceiver module of this disclosure, the pivoting point (or position) between the main body  1  and the linkage assembly  2  is closer to the latching pin  200 , so that it requires a larger amplitude (or angle) of movement of the linking arm  21  to separate the latching pin  200  from the locking hole  400 , and the pull handle  3  needs a longer pull stroke to unlock. Therefore, this disclosure can prevent or lower the risk of accidental detachment of the latching pin  200  from the locking hole  400 . In addition, the elastic element  22  of this disclosure provides a horizontal elastic restoring force, and its moving direction is the same as the extending direction of locking arm  20 , so that the latching and locking effects are improved to further reduce the chance of detaching the latching pin  200  from the locking hole  400  by mistake. 
     In summary, this disclosure achieves the expected objectives and overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art. This disclosure complies with patent application requirements, and is thus duly filed for patent application. 
     While this disclosure has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of this disclosure set forth in the claims.