Patent ID: 8396370

Claim:
A parallel optical transceiver module comprising: a folded flex circuit having at least upper and lower surfaces and having at least first, second and third flex circuit portions, the flex circuit having a flexible substrate of dielectrically insulating material and a plurality of electrical conductors disposed in or on the substrate, and wherein the first and third flex circuit portions extend generally in respective planes that are generally parallel to one another such that the upper surface of the flex circuit in the first flex circuit portion is generally parallel to the upper surface of the flex circuit in the third flex circuit portion; at least one optical/electrical device mounted on the first flex circuit portion on the upper surface of the flex circuit, said at least one optical/electrical device having one or more electrical contacts that are electrically coupled to one or more of the electrical conductors of the flex circuit; at least one electrical connector mounted on the third flex circuit portion on the upper surface of the flex circuit, said at least one electrical connector having one or more electrical contacts that are electrically coupled to one or more of the electrical conductors of the flex circuit such that one or more electrical contacts of said at least one electrical connector are electrically coupled to one or more electrical contacts of said at least one optical/electrical device; a stiffener device having at least a first stiffener portion and a second stiffener portion, wherein the lower surface of the folded flex circuit on the first flex circuit portion is secured to the first stiffener portion, and wherein the lower surface of the folded flex circuit on the third flex circuit portion is secured to the second stiffener portion; and a heat spreader device having at least first and second heat spreader portions secured to the first and second stiffener portions, respectively, the first and second heat spreader portions being in contact with one another at one or more locations on the first and second heat spreader portions, the first and second heat spreader portions being spaced apart from one another at one or more other locations on the first and second heat spreader portions such that one or more air gaps exist in the heat spreader device that allow air to flow through the heat spreader device to help move heat away from said at least one optical/electrical device.