Distribution point unit for coupling external electrical and optical cables

• US 10,641,978 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2019
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Rutowicz, Lukasz Jan, Spreemann, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Stahl, Michael
• Application Number:
  US16/557,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20190384028A1
• Time in Patent Office: 249 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4269 with heat sinks or radiation fins
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4272 with mounting substrates of high thermal conductivity
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/428 containing printed circuit boards [PCB]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4448 Electro-optic
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4454 with splices
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20436 Inner thermal coupling elements in heat dissipating housings, e.g. protrusions or depressions integrally formed in the housing

Abstract

A distribution point unit for coupling an external electrical and optical cable comprises a casing comprising a first port to receive the external optical cable and a second port to receive the external electrical cable. The distribution point unit comprises an electronic board comprising electronic components and at least one heat transferring device. A tray comprises at least one hole to receive a section of the at least one heat transferring device. The at least one heat transferring device is thermally coupled to at least one of the electronic components to thermally couple the at least one electronic component to the casing.

Claims

1. A distribution point unit for coupling an external electrical and optical cable, comprising:

a casing comprising a first port to receive the external optical cable and a second port to receive the external electrical cable,

an electronic board comprising at least one electronic component for processing optical and/or electrical signals, wherein the electronic board is housed within the casing,

at least one heat transferring device having a first section with a first end and an adjacent second section with a second end, wherein the at least one heat transferring device is housed by the casing,

a tray arranged above the electronic board, wherein the tray comprises at least one hole completely penetrating the tray from an upper surface of the tray to an opposite lower surface of the tray directed to the electronic board to receive the second section of the at least one heat transferring device, wherein the tray is housed by the casing,

wherein the first end of the at least one heat transferring device is thermally coupled to the at least one electronic component,

wherein the second end of the at least one heat transferring device is thermally coupled to the casing.

2. The distribution point unit of claim 1, comprising:

a thermal bridging material arranged within the casing between the second end of the at least one heat transferring device and the casing to thermally couple the at least one heat transferring device to the casing.

3. The distribution point unit of claim 2, wherein the thermal bridging material is configured as a compressible thermally conductive pad arranged in a gap between the second end of the at least one heat transferring device and the casing.

4. The distribution point unit of claim 1, comprising:

at least one spacer being arranged between the tray and the electronic board to arrange the tray in a distance defined by the at least one spacer away from the electronic board.

5. The distribution point unit of claim 4, wherein the at least one spacer is configured as a post having a first end section penetrating the tray and a second end section penetrating the electronic board, wherein the first end section of the post comprises an expanded head arranged above the upper surface of the tray to fix the post to the tray, wherein the second end section of the post comprises a self-locking means to fix the post to the electronic board.

6. The distribution point unit of claim 1, wherein the tray and the at least one heat transferring device are configured such that the at least one heat transferring device is pressed against the at least one electronic component.

7. The distribution point unit of claim 1, wherein a cross section of the first section of the at least one heat transferring device being perpendicularly oriented to the longitudinal direction of the at least one heat transferring device has a larger area than a cross section of the second section of the at least one heat transferring device being perpendicularly oriented to the longitudinal direction of the at least one heat transferring device.

8. The distribution point unit of claim 7, wherein the cross section of the at least one hole of the tray being perpendicularly oriented to the longitudinal direction of the second section of the at least one heat transferring device has a smaller area than the area of the cross section of the first section of the at least one heat transferring device.

9. The distribution point unit of claim 1, wherein the at least one heat transferring device is pressed by the lower surface of the tray against the at least one electronic component by a contact pressure.

10. The distribution point unit of claim 1,

wherein the tray comprises a clamping device arranged at the upper surface of the tray,

wherein the clamping device is configured to prevent a movement of the at least one heat transferring device out of the at least one hole of the tray and to press the at least one heat transferring device against the at least one electronic component by a contact pressure.

11. The distribution point unit of claim 1, wherein the tray comprises a cable routing device arranged on the upper surface of the tray.

12. The distribution point unit of claim 1, wherein an internal optical cable is arranged within the casing, coupled to the external optical cable at a splicing area of the external and internal optical cable,

wherein the tray comprises a splice protection device,

wherein the splicing area is held at the tray by the splice protection device, and

wherein the splice protection device is configured as a structure with grooves to insert the splicing area of the external optical cable and the internal optical cable.

13. The distribution point unit of claim 1, wherein the at least one heat transferring device is configured as a block of a thermally conductive material.

14. The distribution point unit of claim 1, wherein the electronic board and the tray are hermetically sealed in the casing.

15. The distribution point unit of claim 1, wherein the tray is formed as a monolithic component including a splice protection device and a cable routing device.