Patent Publication Number: US-2012027363-A1

Title: Optical electronic connecting device with dual modules

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an optical electronic connecting device, and in particular, to an optical electronic device having two modules of different specifications for network interface. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     A transceiver module is usually used to connect a circuit board for communication wirings to other electronic modules or devices. For example, a computer can be connected to an external communication device such as a modem, network interface or other transceiver modules. A GBIC (Gigabit Interface Converter) is a well-known transceiver responsible to communicate a computer with an Ether network, optical fiber channel, or other data communication environment. 
     In order to increase the port density when a network switch, a cable plug panel, a wire box, or a computer I/O port is interconnected, the transceiver is expected to be miniaturized. A Small Form-Factor Pluggable (SFP) transceiver has been developed to meet this need, with the primary benefit being half the size of GBIC, which allows greater port density for the communication system. 
     A conventional connector for the SFP transceiver module can be used to plug in a corresponding connector. The SFP transceiver module can also connect to a corresponding connector of RJ45 type through a converter. Taiwan Patent No. M246868 discloses a SFP transceiver module pluggable to an external shielding socket, which includes a printed circuit board, a RJ connector mechanically connected to the printed circuit board, and a clipping part used to connect the RJ connector to the printed circuit board. The clipping part is used to fasten the RJ connector to the printed circuit board. 
     However, the above SFP transceiver module needs complicate wire routings for the conversion of optical electronic signals, causing high production cost and retail prices. 
     Therefore, there is a need of an optical electronic connecting device which overcomes the above disadvantages. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the present invention is to provide an optical electronic connecting device which has a simplified configuration, can be produced easily with lower cost, and therefore can be sold at lower price. 
     In order to achieve the aforementioned objects, according to an embodiment of the present invention, an optical electronic connecting device with dual modules includes a first module and a second module. The first module meets the specification of a Small Form-Factor Pluggable connector and includes a first main body, a plurality of first terminals, and a first metallic casing. The first main body has a plurality of first terminal slots and a first insertion slot. The first terminals are accommodated in the first terminal slots and stretch into the first insertion slot. The first metallic casing encloses the whole first main body. The second module meets the specification of a RJ connector and includes a second main body, a plurality of second terminals, and a second metallic casing. The second main body has a plurality of second terminal slots and a second insertion slot. The second terminals are accommodated in the second terminal slots and stretch into the second insertion slot. The second metallic casing encloses the whole second main body. The first module and the second module are stacked together. 
     The invention offers the following advantages. The first module meets the specification of a SFP connector and the second module meets the specification of a RJ connector so that the optical electronic connecting device has interfaces of different specifications. The first module and the second module, respectively of different specifications, are stacked together as an integrated body where the first module and the second module have separate wire routings. Therefore, no further wiring is required for optical electronic signal conversion, and an optical electronic connecting device of simplified configuration and production process can be achieved with lower production cost and selling price. 
     In order to further the understanding regarding the present invention, the following embodiments are provided along with illustrations to facilitate the disclosure of the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective, exploded view of an optical electronic connecting device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of an optical electronic connecting device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of an optical electronic connecting device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of an optical electronic connecting device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  shows a bottom view of an optical electronic connecting device according to an embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 6  shows a schematic view of an optical electronic connecting device in operating status according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The aforementioned illustrations and following detailed descriptions are exemplary for the purpose of further explaining the scope of the present invention. Other objectives and advantages related to the present invention will be illustrated in the subsequent descriptions and appended drawings. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  through  FIG. 6 , an optical electronic connecting device with dual modules according to the invention includes a first module  1  and a second module  2 . The first module  1  and the second module  2  are stacked together. In present embodiment, the second module  2  is placed on top of the first module  1 . The first module  1  meets the specification of small form-factor pluggable (SFP) connector and includes a first main body  11 , a plurality of first terminals  12 , and a first metallic casing  13 . The rectangular first main body  11  is made of insulating material such as plastics. The first main body  11  has a plurality of first terminal slots  111  and a first insertion slot  112 . The first terminal slots  111  are located above and under the first insertion slot  112 . 
     The first terminals  12  respectively meet the specification of terminals of the SFP connector. The first terminals  12  are located on the first main body  11 , and accommodated in the corresponding first terminal slots  111 . The first terminals  12  respectively have a fixing part  121 , a contacting part  122 , and a soldering part  123 . The contacting part  122  and the soldering part  123  are formed by extending from the corresponding ends of the fixing part  121 . The fixing parts  121  of the first terminals  12  are fastened onto the first main body  11 . The contacting parts  122  of the first terminals  12  respectively stretch into the first insertion slot  112  so as to electrically connect to terminals of a corresponding connector. The soldering parts  123  of the first terminals  12  extend outside the bottom surface of the first main body  11  for soldering onto a circuit board  3 . Thereby, the first module  1  is electrically connected to the circuit board  3 . 
     The first metallic casing  13  encloses the whole first main body  11 . The first metallic casing  13  is a shielding element that can prevent any electromagnetic interference. The first metallic casing  13  includes a top plate  131 , two sidewalls  132 , a bottom plate  133 , a rear lid  134 , a plurality of insertion legs  135 , and a plurality of grounded elastic pieces  136 . The top plate  131  and the two sidewalls  132  are rectangular and made of metallic material. The two sidewalls  132  locate at opposite sides of the top plate  131 . The bottom plate  133  is rectangular and metallic, and clips onto the bottom edges of the two sidewalls  132 . The top plate  131 , the two sidewalls  132 , and the bottom plate  133  together form a rectangular casing. The rear lid  134  is rectangular and metallic, and connects to the rear of the top plate  131  and the two sidewalls  132 . The insertion legs  135  are formed by extending from the bottom edges of the sidewalls  132  and the rear lid  134  for insertion into the circuit board  3 , thereby anchoring the optical electronic connecting device onto the circuit board  3 . The grounded elastic pieces  136  are located on the sidewalls  136  of the first metallic casing  13  near the first terminals  12 . The grounded elastic pieces  136  extend outward from the first metallic casing  13 . The grounded elastic pieces  136  can connect to external grounding sources (not shown) in order to prevent any electromagnetic interference. The first metallic casing  13  is exemplified for illustration in certain embodiments, and therefore is not limited to the above configuration. The first metallic casing  13  can have any variety as a metallic casing for an appropriate electric connecting device. 
     The second module  2  meets the specification of a RJ connector. In this embodiment, the second module  2  is a RJ45 connector (RJ45 socket) and stacks on top of the first module  1 . The second module  2  includes a second main body  21 , a plurality of second terminals  22 , and a second metallic casing  23 . The second main body  21  is made of insulating material such as plastics and has a rectangular shape. The main body  21  has a plurality of second terminal slots  211  and a second insertion slot  212 . The second insertion slot  212  has a dimension corresponding to the standard specification of a RJ45 plug so that a RJ45 plug can be inserted into the second insertion slot  212 . 
     The second terminals  22  respectively meet the specification of the terminals of the RJ45 connector. The second terminals  22  are accommodated in the corresponding second terminal slots  211 . The second terminals  22  respectively have a fixing part  221 , a contacting part  222 , and a soldering part  223 . The contacting part  222  and the soldering part  223  are formed by extending from the corresponding ends of the fixing part  221 . The fixing parts  221  of the second terminals  22  are connected onto the second main body  21 . The contacting parts  222  of the second terminals  22  respectively stretch into the second insertion slot  212  so as to electrically connect to the terminals of a corresponding connector such as a RJ45 plug. The soldering parts  223  of the second terminals  22  extend out of the bottom of the second main body  21  for soldering onto the circuit board  3 . In this embodiment, the first module  1  and the second module  2  are both placed on the circuit board  3 . 
     The metallic casing  23  encloses the whole second main body  21 . The second metallic casing  23  is a shielding element that can prevent any electromagnetic interference. The second metallic casing  23  includes a top plate  231 , two sidewalls  232 , a rear lid  234 , and a plurality of grounded elastic pieces  235 . The top plate  231  and the two sidewalls  232  together form a rectangular hollow casing. The rear lid  234  is clipped onto the rear of the two sidewalls  232 . The grounded elastic pieces  235  are located on the top plate  231  and the sidewalls  232  of the second metallic casing  23 , near the second terminals  22 . The grounded elastic pieces  235  extend outward from the second metallic casing  23 . The grounded elastic pieces  235  can connect to external grounding sources (not shown) in order to prevent any electromagnetic interference. The second metallic casing  23  is exemplified for illustration in certain embodiments, and therefore is not limited to the above configuration. The second metallic casing  23  can have any variety as a metallic casing for an appropriate electric connecting device. The second metallic casing  23  is stacked over the first metallic casing  13 . The two sidewalls  232  of the second metallic casing  23  has a fastening part  236 , which is connected to the fastening part  137  on the two sidewalls  132  of the first metallic casing  13 . The fastening part  236  and  137  can be fastening holes and fasteners respectively. As a commom inner wall, the top plate  131  of the first metallic casing  13  acts as a partition plate between the first module  1  and the second module  2 . 
     In another embodiment of the invention, the optical electronic connecting device is set onto the circuit board  3  in a different way (not shown), where the first module  1  is placed on the top surface of the circuit board  3 , and the second module  2  is placed on the bottom surface of the circuit board  3 , and vice versa. 
     The first module  1  in the invention meets the specification of a SFP connector and the second module  2  meets the specification of a RJ connector so that the optical electronic connecting device has interfaces of different specifications. The first module  1  and the second module  2 , respectively of different specifications, are stacked together as an integrated body in a manner that the first module  1  and the second module  2  have separate wire routings. Therefore, there is no need for complicate wirings for converting the optical electronic signal, and an optical electronic connecting device of simplified configuration and production process can be achieved with lower production cost and selling price. 
     The descriptions illustrated supra set forth simply the preferred embodiments of the present invention; however, the characteristics of the present invention are by no means restricted thereto. All changes, alternations, or modifications conveniently considered by those skilled in the art are deemed to be encompassed within the scope of the present invention delineated by the following claims.