Modular cage with heat sink for use with pluggable module

• US 20040027816A1
• Filed: 05/09/2003
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: II-VI Delaware, Inc. (Coherent Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Finisar Corporation (II-VI Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ice, Donald A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,371,965 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/797
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4201 Packages, e.g. shape, construction, internal or external details
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4261 Packages with mounting structures to be pluggable or detachable, e.g. having latches or rails
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4269 with heat sinks or radiation fins
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6582 with resilient means for engaging mating connector
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20418 the radiating structures being additional and fastened onto the housing
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/0058 specially adapted for optoelectronic applications

Abstract

A heat sink and module cage assembly for receiving a pluggable electronics component, such as an opto-electronic transceiver module. The heat sink is attached to the module cage and includes a bottom surface forming one of four sidewalls of a chamber that receives the electronics component. The attachment of the heat sink in this manner enables the heat sink and module cage to be assembled during fabrication and prior to the assembly being shipped to a third party who may use the assembly on a printed circuit board. The top surface of the heat sink defines a plane that enables the assembly to be press fitted onto the printed circuit board using a flat rock tool. The sidewall of the cage assembly opposite the bottom surface of the heat sink includes leaf springs that bias the electronics module against the heat sink, thereby facilitating heat transfer to the heat sink.

Claims

1. An assembly for receiving an electronics component, comprising:

a cage body substantially forming three of four sidewalls of the assembly; and

a heat sink having a bottom surface substantially forming a fourth of the four sidewalls; and

a sleeve at one end of the assembly forming an opening for accessing a chamber for receiving an electronics component, the chamber being formed by the four sidewalls of the assembly.

2. An assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the cage body is stamped, and wherein the heat sink is attached to two lateral sidewalls formed by the cage body such that the two lateral sidewalls of the cage body are structurally fixed with respect to each other.

3. An assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the heat sink has a top surface that substantially defines a plane.

4. An assembly as recited in claim 3, wherein the plane is configured such that a flat rock tool can be used to attach the assembly to a printed circuit board.

5. An assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said heat sink is snap fitted to said cage body during a fabrication process.

6. An assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein one of the three sidewalls of the cage body opposite the bottom surface of the heat sink includes one or more leaf springs that are displaced from the chamber when the chamber receives said electronics component.

7. An assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the assembly has a height dimension no greater than about 0.57 inches, such that the assembly is compatible with use in a PCI card.

8. An assembly for receiving an electronics component, comprising:

a cage body having means for biasing that, when the assembly receives the pluggable electronics component, applies a force to the pluggable electronics component that biases the pluggable electronics component against a heat sink that is disposed in the assembly opposite the bottom sidewall; and

a sleeve at one end of the assembly forming an opening for accessing a chamber positioned to receive said electronics component as said electronics component is plugged into the assembly, the cage body forming a bottom sidewall of the chamber.

9. An assembly as defined in claim 8, wherein the electronic component is an optoelectronic transceiver.

10. An assembly as defined in claim 8, wherein the biasing means comprises one or more leaf springs.

11. An assembly as recited in claim 8, wherein:

the cage body substantially forms three of four sidewalls, including the bottom sidewall; and

the assembly further comprises the heat sink, wherein the heat sink has a bottom surface substantially forming a fourth of the four sidewalls.

12. An assembly as recited in claim 11, wherein the heat sink is attached to the cage body prior to said assembly being mounted on a printed circuit board.

13. An assembly as recited in claim 11, wherein said heat sink is snap fitted to said cage body.

14. An assembly as recited in claim 13, wherein said heat sink has pins that match holes in said cage body that facilitate said heat sink being snap fitted to said cage body.

15. An assembly as recited in claim 13, wherein said heat sink is snap fitted to said cage body during a fabrication process.

16. An assembly as recited in claim 11, wherein the heat sink further comprises a substantially smooth surface for contact with the electronics component.

17. An assembly as recited in claim 16, wherein the substantially smooth surface of the heat sink has a stepped configuration along its length.

18. An assembly as recited in claim 16, wherein the heat sink has a substantially uniform cross-sectional area along its length.

19. An assembly as recited in claim 8, wherein the opening of the assembly is defined by a sleeve having conductive fingers that provide electromagnetic interference shielding.

20. An assembly as recited in claim 11, wherein said assembly is attached to a printed circuit board.

21. An assembly as recited in claim 20, wherein the heat sink has a top surface that substantially defines a plane such that the heat sink can be attached to the printed circuit board using a flat rock tool.

22. A method of manufacturing an assembly for receiving an electronics component, comprising the act of:

obtaining a cage body having three sidewalls; and

obtaining a heat sink having a bottom surface configured for contact with an electronics component and an opposite top surface substantially defining a plane; and

snap fitting the heat sink to the cage body such that that three sidewalls of the cage body and the bottom surface of the heat sink define a chamber for receiving said electronics component.

23. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein the act of snap fitting is performed such that the heat sink is attached to the cage body during the manufacturing process and can be shipped to a third party for attachment to a printed circuit board without the heat sink being detached from the cage body.

24. A method as recited in claim 23, wherein the plane substantially defined by the top surface of the heat sink is configured such that the third party can use a flat rock tool to attach the assembly to the printed circuit board.

25. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein the one of the three sidewalls of the cage body opposite the bottom surface of the heat sink includes one or more leaf springs that are to be displaced from the chamber when the chamber receives said electronics component.

26. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein the act of snap fitting comprises the act of engaging pins of the heat sink with corresponding holes in said cage body.

27. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein the act of obtaining the cage body comprises the act of stamping the cage body.

28. A method as recited in claim 27, wherein the act of snap fitting comprises the act of attaching the heat sink to two lateral sidewalls of the cage body such that the two lateral sidewalls of the cage body are structurally fixed with respect to each other.