Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The following are related co-pending United States patent applications: 
     REMOVABLE SMALL FORM FACTOR FIBER OPTIC TRANSCEIVER MODULE CHASSIS, Ser. No. 09/489,870, filed Jan. 20, 2000, by Scott M. Branch, David P. Gaio and William K. Hogan; 
     REMOVABLE LATCH AND BEZEL EMI GROUNDING FEATURE FOR FIBER-OPTIC TRANSCEIVERS, Ser. No. 09/410,786, filed Oct. 1, 1999, by Scott M. Branch, David P. Gaio and William K. Hogan; 
     REMOVABLE SMALL FORM FACTOR FIBER OPTIC TRANSCEIVER MODULE AND ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION SHIELD, Ser. No. 09/489,184, filed Jan. 20, 2000, by Scott M. Branch, David P. Gaio and William K. Hogan; 
     PIVOTING TYPE LATCH FOR REMOVABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICES, Ser. No. 09/591,640 filed Jun. 9, 2000, by Scott M. Branch, Leland L. Day, David P. Gaio, Michael F. Hanley and William K. Hogan.; 
     PULL TYPE LATCH FOR REMOVABLE SMALL FORM FACTOR ELECTRONIC MODULES, Ser. No. 09/657,214, filed Sep. 7, 2000 by Scott M. Branch, David P. Gaio, Michael F. Hanley and William K. Hogan,; and 
     PULL TYPE LATCH MECHANISM FOR REMOVABLE SMALL FORM FACTOR ELECTRONIC MODULES, Ser. No. 09/669,624, filed Sep. 25, 2000 by Scott M. Branch, William K. Hogan, Michael F. Hanley and David P. Gaio, 
     which are incorporated herein in their entireties for purposes of disclosure by this reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a module having a latch, and more specifically, to a plug-once type latch, and to a module with interchangeable latch members. 
     2. Background Information 
     Increasingly, computers are being interconnected with other computers to form communication and data networks. Large amounts of data and other communications are transmitted and received over such networks. The networks are desirably provided with reliable connections of coaxial or fiber-optic cables, or other conduits to computers or network interface devices, in order to provide continuous and uninterrupted connections. Networked computers may often operate continuously, twenty-four hours a day, to provide the services or data that a computer is expected to provide upon demand to remote computers. 
     Easy and reliable conduit connections are desirable to permit rapid, easy and reliable connections of conduits. One approach, which is rapidly becoming a standard within the industry, utilizes a transceiver module to receive signals from a network cable and to transmit signals to the computer, and vice-versa. The transceiver modules are inserted into and connected to mating ports of a computer or interface device. Transceiver modules may be fashioned in various versions, as long as compatible with the particular mating port and connector in a particular computer or interface device. 
     The transceiver modules should be reliably latched into mating ports and reliably retained against reasonable forces exerted on cables to prevent unintended disconnection from the mating ports. At the same time, the latching of the transceiver modules should not be so resistive to unintentional disconnection forces that the transceiver module is damaged if a conduit is pulled excessively. 
     Computers may be used in environments in which it is desirable to latch and unlatch transceiver modules with mating ports frequently, as with portable computers that are transported to different physical locations, for example. Therefore, it would be desirable for certain transceiver modules to have latching mechanisms that are easily unlatched. 
     As disclosed in the above-noted application entitled “PULL TYPE LATCH MECHANISM FOR REMOVABLE SMALL FORM FACTOR ELECTRONIC MODULES”, a module may include a pull-to-release latch that extends outwardly from the end of a module. By pulling on the pull tab, the latching mechanism may be unlatched quickly and easily. 
     However, networked computers may be physically arranged such that transceiver modules, and removal elements protruding from transceiver modules or mating ports (such as the aforementioned pull-to-release latch), are exposed to passers-by. For example, in a computer laboratory, computers may be aligned in rows with walkways between the rows. Transceiver modules and removal elements that are visible to passers-by are susceptible to unauthorized or improper interaction therewith by the passers-by due to curiosity or mischief. Where the passers-by are young in age, as in a grade school setting, the risk of improper interaction due to curiosity or mischief may be significant. Therefore, it would be desirable for certain latching mechanisms of transceivers to be plug-once; that is, they are not too easily unlatchable or releasable. 
     Further, since the environments of computers may change, a significant risk of improper interaction may change to an insignificant one, and vice-versa. Also, an environmental change may also change frequent latching and unlatching from undesirable to desirable, and vice-versa. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide end-users with the ability to change a plug-once latch to a pull-to-release or otherwise releasable latch, and vice-versa. Thus, it would be desirable to provide a latching mechanism kit for a module, which includes a plug-once latch and a readily releasable latch, so an end-user may interchange latches as desired. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide a module having a latch. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide a module having a latch that solves the above-mentioned problems. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide a latching mechanism kit for a module, which includes a plug-once latch and a readily releasable latch. 
     These and other objects of the present invention are accomplished by the disclosure herein. 
     In an exemplary aspect of the invention, a mating port is attached to a circuit board, and projects through a housing port in an electronic system housing or bezel. The mating port includes a receiving member with an opening, which is provided with an edge. The opening and edge form an engaging surface that engages and retains a latch member. 
     In a further exemplary aspect of the invention, pull-to-release and plug-once latch members have a lug disposed on a lower surface, and shafts on either side for engagement with frames on a lower portion of a module. The lug has a sloped portion, and an engagement portion that engages with the engaging surface of the receiving member. 
     In another exemplary aspect of the invention, a pull-to-release latch member is pivotably engaged with a module and has at least one ramp on an upper surface. A pull tab latch control actuator, resides in a chamber of a module and has a pull tab attached thereto, which extends from the module. Pulling the pull tab moves the actuator between a raised portion of the ramp and part of the module body, which pushes the raised portion away from the part of the module body and causes the latch member to pivot such that the lug is raised out of engagement with the receiving member. The restore action to reposition a pull-to-release latch member may be accomplished by the latch member being made of a resilient material, or a biasing member disposed on the latch member or module body. 
     In a further exemplary aspect of the invention, a plug-once latch member has an upper surface that abuts a lower portion of the module body when the latch member is in engagement with the module. This abutment prevents the lug of a plug-once latch member from being raised out of engagement with the receiving member. 
     In yet another exemplary aspect of the invention, a module kit includes a module with at least one pull-to-release latch members and at least one plug-once latch member. The shafts are removably engageable with the frames of the module body, such that the latch members may be advantageously interchanged as desired. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an electronic circuit board, cage and system housing bezel with the cage projecting through the bezel and providing a receiving member for a latch member. 
     FIG. 2 is a bottom isometric view of a latch member that engages with the receiving member illustrated in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a bottom isometric view of the latch member of FIG. 2 engaged with the receiving member of the cage illustrated in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 4 is an elevated front isometric view of a pull tab and the exposed end of a transceiver module extending from the system housing bezel. 
     FIG. 5 is an exploded elevated front isometric view of the arrangement shown in FIG.  4 . 
     FIG. 6 is a partial side section view of a transceiver module, the latch actuator pull tab and a pull-to-release latch member engaged with the receiving member. 
     FIG. 7 is a bottom view of a transceiver module, with a pull-to-release latch member removed and the latch actuator pull tab extending from the transceiver module. 
     FIG. 8 is a partial side section view of a transceiver module, the pull mechanism and a pull-to-release latch member represented in an unlatched position resulting from pulling the pull tab. 
     FIG. 9 is an upper isometric view of a plug-once latch member. 
     FIG. 10 is a partial side section view of a transceiver module and a plug-once latch member engaged therewith. 
     FIG. 11 is a partial side section view of a transceiver module and a plug-once latch member engaged therewith. 
     FIG. 12 is a partial side section view of another exemplary embodiment of a transceiver module and a plug-once latch member engaged therewith. 
     FIG. 13 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a computer system having a CPU, a memory, and a network adapter having a mating port, a transceiver module with a latch member, and a transceiver subassembly disposed within the transceiver module. 
     FIG. 14 illustrates another exemplary embodiment of a computer system, similar to that illustrated in FIG. 13, but with the transceiver subassembly disposed outside the transceiver module. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Aspects of the invention will now be described in more detail by way of example with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying figures. It should be kept in mind that the following described embodiments are only presented by way of example and should not be construed as limiting the inventive concept to any particular physical configuration. 
     Further, if used and unless otherwise stated, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “front,” “back,” “over,” “under,” and similar such terms are not to be construed as limiting the invention to a particular orientation. Instead, these terms are used only on a relative basis. 
     The present invention is directed towards a transceiver module having a plug-once latch, and a latching mechanism kit for a module, which includes a plug-once latch and a readily releasable latch. 
     The transceiver module according to the present invention is adapted to accommodate a transceiver subassembly therein, which receives electronic signals from a computer and converts those electronic signals to light pulse signals corresponding to the electronic signals for transmission over a network via a conduit. The transceiver subassembly similarly will receive light pulse signals from a conduit and convert the light signals to electronic signals for transmission to the computer. The transceiver subassemblies may be connected to a conduit connector, such as a fiber optic cable connector, for example, which is insertable into a transceiver module resident in a communications port of a computer system. Similarly, a transceiver module capable of accepting and transmitting electronic signals over coaxial cable also may be inserted into the communications port of a computer whenever coaxial cable is used in the network. 
     Initial reference is made to FIG. 1, which shows mating port  100 , of a cage for example, attached to a circuit board  102 , and being adapted to receive a transceiver module (not shown). The mating port  100  projects through a housing port  106  in an electronic system housing (i.e., bezel)  104 . The mating port  100  includes a receiving member  108 , for example a cantilevered beam spring, provided with an opening  110  therein. A slanted portion  109  at the end of the receiving member  108  projects through the system housing  104 . Opening  110  is provided with an edge. Opening  110  and specifically, the edge of receiving member  108  form an engaging surface  112  that engages and retains a latch member  222 , shown in FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 2 illustrates a bottom view of the latch member  222 , of an exemplary transceiver module. The latch member  222  has shafts  225  on either side thereof, and a latch arm  228 . A lug  224  is disposed on the latch arm  228  and on a lower surface of the latch member. Lug  224  has a sloped portion  232 , and an engagement portion  230  that engages with the engaging surface  112  of the receiving member  108 . 
     FIG. 3 illustrates engagement of latch member  222  with receiving member  108  when the module (not shown) is plugged into mating port  100 , in which lug  224  extends through opening  110 . The engagement surface  112  and engagement portion  230  face each other to form an abutting engagement, which prevents the module (not shown) from being unplugged from mating port  100 . 
     In FIG. 4, transceiver module  10  is shown projecting from mating port  100 , and extending from the front end of the module is a pull tab latch control member  12 . Pull tab latch control member  12  or latch member  222  may be made of a rigid plastic or other material or made of a flexible plastic or other material, such as a plastic coated fabric or other high strength fiber structure, for example. 
     In FIG. 5, the pull tab latch control member  12  and a latch member  222  are shown removed from the transceiver module  10 . A latch control actuator  19  is formed as a shaft with enlarged cylindrical end portions  20  and a smaller diameter intermediate shaft  21  interconnecting them. The intermediate shaft  21  is sufficiently small so as to accommodate a loop  13  of the pull tab latch control member  12  to be wrapped around the intermediate shaft  21  and still have an outside dimension smaller than the diameter of the cylindrical end portions  20 . The material segment  22  of the pull tab control member  12  is folded around the intermediate shaft  21 . The ends of the material may be bonded together to form the tab portion  12  which may be flexible and easily gripped by an operator to transmit the pulling action on the tab portion  12  to the latch control actuator  19 . 
     Latch member  222  is provided with a pair of shafts  225  which are snap fitted into the frames  28  of the transceiver module  10 . This mounting arrangement permits the latch member  222  of the pull-to-release type to pivot with respect to the transceiver module  10 , and permits the latch members, of the pull-to-release and plug-once types, to be interchangeable and easily replaceable if broken or damaged. Latch member  222 , of the pull-to-release type, is provided with at least one and preferably a pair of ramps or wedges  236  on the upper surface of the latch member and on the opposite end of the latch member  222  from the latch arm  228 . Latch member  222  is also provided with an optional biasing member  234  disposed thereon, which abuts the module  10  when the latch member is snap fitted into the module and biases the latch member downwardly towards the receiving member  108 . 
     Reference is now to made to FIG. 6, which is a partial section side view of a module  10  adapted for a kit and having a latch member  222 , of the pull-to-release type, engaged thereto. The left side structure of the transceiver module  10 , as shown in FIG. 4, has been removed to expose the interior structure of the transceiver module  10 , the latch member  222 , the pull tab latch control member  12 , and associated latch control actuator  19 . 
     The latch control actuator  19  resides within a chamber  38  formed into the transceiver module  10  and by the input end of the latch member  222 . In its operative aspects, the chamber  38  is defined by the ramp  232  on the latch member  222  and ramp  40 , which is on the underside of the transceiver module  10  and converges with ramp  236  in the direction of left to right as illustrated in FIG.  6 . The chamber  38  is formed to accept and contain the latch control actuator  19  with the latch arm  230  in a restored or latching position, i.e., with the input end elevated and the latch arm  230  depressed so that lug  224  extends through opening  110  of receiving member  108 . 
     Movement of latch actuator  19  in a direction of left to right, as illustrated, and under the influence of the pull tab  12  being pulled outwardly from the transceiver module  10  will cause the cylindrical end portions  20  to engage ramps  236  and  40 . Further movement of the latch actuator  19  causes the ramps  236 ,  40  to be spread apart one from the other and the latch member  222  to be pivoted about the shafts  225  of latch member  222  and frame  28 , thereby raising the latch arm  230  and moving both latch lug  224  and latching surface  230  upward, out of interference with engaging surface  112  of receiving member  108 . 
     Sloped portion  232  of the latch lug  224  is oriented to slide over the engaging surface  112  of receiving member  108 , thereby eliminating the need for manually displacing latch lug  224  over the engaging surface on insertion of the transceiver module  10  and associated latch arm  30  into mating port  100 . Likewise, slanted portion  109  of receiving member  108  is also oriented to slide under the sloped portion  232 . One or both of the sloped portion  232  and slanted portion  109  may be used with the invention for engagement of latch lug  224  with receiving member  108 . 
     FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment of a module  10  for a kit without latch member  222 , of the pull-to-release type, installed. The cylindrical end portions  20  of latch actuator  19  overlie the ramp  40  and are resident within chamber  38 . Pulling the pull tab  12  will dislocate the latch actuator  19  up the ramp  40  and engage the latch member  222  on its ramps  232  as described earlier. In this view, biasing member  234  is shown as a pair and part of the transceiver module  10 . 
     The position of the various parts and members of a module are illustrated in the unlatched condition in FIG. 8, which is substantially the same as FIG. 6 with the exception of the displacement of the latch actuator  19  and the latch member  222  due to the displacement of the latch actuator  19  as a result of the pulling of the pull tab  12 . 
     FIG. 9 shows an embodiment of latch member  222 , of a plug-once type for use in a kit, where the upper surface of latch member  222  has formed thereon a raised portion, such as a latch abutment  240 , that abuts a lower surface of module  10  when latch member  222  is engaged with module  10  via snap fitting of shafts  225  into frames  28 . The abutment of latch abutment  240  with a lower surface of module  10  prevents lug  224  from moving upwards or away from receiving member  108 , which precludes easy disengagement of latch member  222  from receiving member  108 . 
     As illustrated in FIGS. 10-12, a latch member  222 , of a plug-once type, engages a module  10  in substantially the same manner as shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, via snap fitting of shafts  225  into frames  28  of module  10 . FIG. 10 shows a latch member  222 , of a plug-once type for a kit, in which an upper surface of the latch member includes an latch abutment  240  that abuts a lower surface of module  10 , which precludes easy disengagement of latch member  222  from receiving member  108 . 
     FIG. 11 shows a latch member  222 , of a plug-once type, engaged with an embodiment of a module  10  lacking a chamber  38 , in which the upper surface of latch member  222  abuts a lower surface of module  10 ; while FIG. 12 shows an embodiment of latch member  222 , of a plug-once type, where the upper surface of the latch member lacks a raised portion  240 , and a lower surface of module  10  is lowered to abut the upper surface of latch member  222 , both of which preclude easy disengagement of latch member  222  from receiving member  108 . 
     With a pull-to-release latch, when module  10  is engaged with mating port  100 , the receiving member  108  and latch arm  228  slide by each other, with either the receiving member  108  being flexed away from latch member  228  or latch member being pivoted away from the receiving member, or both. 
     With a plug-once latch, when module  10  is engaged with mating port  100 , the receiving member  108  and latch arm  228  slide by each other, with the receiving member  108  being flexed away from latch member  228 . 
     With either latch, when latch member  228  engages the mating port  100 , latch lug  224  will slide over a portion of the receiving member  108  and then drop behind the engaging surface  112  that engages and retains latch member  222  into the inferring, latching position illustrated in FIG.  3  and thereby retain the transceiver module  10  within mating port  100 . 
     The restore action necessary to reposition the latch member  222 , of the pull-to-release type, for latching is accomplished by relieving the tension on the latch actuator  19  and the restoration of biasing member  234 , which may be mounted on the latch member  24 , as shown in FIG.  5 . The deformation of the biasing member  234  during unlatching by the pivoting of the latch member  24  stores energy in the biasing member  234  and, as permitted to do so, expends that energy to pivot the latch member  24  counterclockwise to a latched position. The biasing member  234  may be disposed on the transceiver module  10  if so desired or may be placed in other positions on the latch arm  30  if space and design constraints dictate. 
     FIGS. 13 and 14 illustrate exemplary embodiments of a computer system having a CPU  402 , a memory  404  and a network adapter  406 , operatively connected to the CPU and the memory by at least one bus  408 . The network adapter  406  has at least one transceiver subassembly  408  for receiving and transmitting computer readable signals over a network (not shown). The network adapter  406  also has a mating port  100  for receiving a transceiver module  10  having a latch member  222 . 
     As illustrated, transceiver subassembly  408  may be disposed inside transceiver module  10  (shown in FIG.  13 ), or outside transceiver module  10  (shown in FIG.  14 ). 
     While the description of aspects of the invention and its latching action is made with reference to the engagement portion  230  engaging the engaging surface  112  of the receiving member  108 , it should be understood that the engagement portion will perform its retention function equally well if it is engaged with a latch bar which is formed as a part of the bezel  104 . The only requirements for the engaging portion  230  to perform its retention function is to engage an interfering structure when the transceiver module  10  is pulled or moved in an extracting direction with the latch member  222  remaining in its latching position. Examples of such structures may be found in the related United States Patent Applications listed above. 
     While the description of aspects of the invention has been made with reference to a transceiver module for purposes of the preferred embodiment, other non-electronic modules or devices may be latched by the use of this design of latch mechanism. 
     It should be understood, however, that the invention is not necessarily limited to the specific process, arrangement, materials and components shown and described above, but may be susceptible to numerous variations within the scope of the invention. For example, although the above-described exemplary aspects of the invention are believed to be particularly well suited for latching computer modules into mating ports, it is contemplated that the concepts of the present invention can be applied in other applications. For example, the concepts of the present application can be utilized whenever it is desired to provide a latching mechanism that is not too easily unlatchable; or a kit with interchangeable latch members, with one latch member being easily unlatchable and another that is not. 
     It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the manner of making and using the claimed invention has been adequately disclosed in the above-written description of the preferred embodiments taken together with the drawings. 
     It will be understood that the above description of the embodiments of the present invention are susceptible to various modifications, changes and adaptations, and the same are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the appended claims.

Technology Category: 5