# US 11,122,705 B2 · Liquid cooled optical cages for optical modules

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- Number: US 11,122,705 B2
- Document ID: US11122705B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/246,914
- Filed: 2019-01-14
- Published: 2020-07-16
- Granted: 2021-09-14
- Earliest claimed: 2019-01-14
- Assignees: Cisco Technology, Inc.
- Applicants: Cisco Technology, Inc.
- Inventors: M. Baris Dogruoz; Mandy Hin Lam; Pirooz Tooyserkani
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11122705B2

## CPC

- G02B 6/4269: {with heat sinks or radiation fins}
- H05K 7/20254: {Cold plates transferring heat from heat source to coolant}
- G02B 6/4278: {related to pluggable or demountable opto-electronic or electronic elements}
- H05K 7/20263: {Heat dissipaters releasing heat from coolant}
- H05K 7/20272: {Accessories for moving fluid, for expanding fluid, for connecting fluid conduits, for distributing fluid, for removing gas or for preventing leakage, e.g. pumps, tanks or manifolds}
- H04B 1/06: Receivers
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- H04B: TRANSMISSION

## Abstract

An apparatus includes a cage structure and a cooling plate configured to contain a cooling liquid to cool the cage structure. The cage structure has a front end, a top surface adjacent to the front end, a first opening at the front end, and a second opening on the top surface. The first opening is configured to receive a pluggable optical module. The cooling plate is disposed on top of the second opening of the cage structure. The apparatus may further include a deformable pad disposed at the second opening of the cage structure and beneath the cooling plate.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus comprising:
a cage structure having a front end, a top surface adjacent to the front end, a first opening at the front end, and a second opening on the top surface, the first opening configured to receive a pluggable optical module; and
a cooling plate configured to contain a cooling liquid to cool the cage structure, the cooling plate comprising a plurality of heat dissipation fins that have a plurality of fin cuts that include a primary fin cut and a secondary fin cut, wherein the primary fin cut and the secondary fin cut are disposed in the plurality of heat dissipation fins such that at least portions of the plurality of heat dissipation fins are disposed on opposing sides of the primary fin cut and opposing sides of the secondary fin cut, wherein the primary fin cut is parallel to the secondary fin cut, wherein the secondary fin cut has a width greater than that of the primary fin cut, and wherein the cooling plate is disposed on top of the second opening of the cage structure.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cooling plate comprises:
an inlet configured to receive the cooling liquid; and
an outlet configured to output the cooling liquid from the cooling plate,
wherein the cooling plate is configured to move the cooling liquid in a flow direction perpendicular to an orientation in which the pluggable optical module resides in the cage structure.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of heat dissipation fins are arranged in a longitudinal direction that is aligned with the flow direction.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the plurality of fin cuts are oriented in a direction that is perpendicular to the flow direction.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the cage structure includes a plurality of second openings, and wherein the primary fin cut is positioned to coincide with one of the second openings of the cage structure and the secondary fin cut is positioned between adjacent second openings of the cage structure.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a deformable pad disposed at the second opening of the cage structure and beneath the cooling plate, wherein the deformable pad is configured to deform by engagement with the pluggable optical module when the pluggable optical module is inserted into the cage structure.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the deformable pad is configured to deform in thickness at 5 to 80%.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:
an adhesive layer interposed between the cooling plate and the deformable pad.

### Claim 9

An apparatus comprising:
a cage structure including a plurality of cages, each of the plurality of cages having a first opening at a front end of the cage structure and a second opening on a top surface of the cage structure, each of the first openings configured to receive a pluggable optical module; and
a plurality of cooling plates configured to contain a cooling liquid to cool the cage structure, each of the cooling plates comprising a plurality of heat dissipation fins having a plurality of fin cuts that include a primary fin cut and a secondary fin cut, wherein the primary fin cut and the secondary fin cut are disposed in the plurality of heat dissipation fins such that at least portions of the plurality of heat dissipation fins are disposed on opposing sides of the primary fin cut and opposing sides of the secondary fin cut, wherein the primary fin cut is parallel to the secondary fin cut, wherein the secondary fin cut has a width greater than that of the primary fin cut, and wherein said each of the cooling plates is disposed on top of at least one of the second openings of the cages.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein each of the cooling plates comprises:
an inlet configured to receive the cooling liquid; and
an outlet configured to output the cooling liquid,
wherein each cooling plate is configured to move the cooling liquid in a flow direction perpendicular to an orientation in which the pluggable optical module resides in a respective cage.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the plurality of cooling plates are aligned along a direction parallel to the flow direction, and wherein the plurality of cooling plates are connected in series such that the outlet of one cooling plate is coupled to the inlet of a next cooling plate.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein at least one cooling plate of the plurality of cooling plates is configured to cover a plurality of the second openings.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the plurality of heat dissipation fins are arranged in a longitudinal direction that is aligned with the flow direction.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the plurality of fin cuts are oriented in a direction that is perpendicular to the flow direction.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the primary fin cut is positioned to coincide with one of the second openings of the cage structure and the secondary fin cut is positioned between adjacent second openings of the cage structure.

### Claim 16 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:
a plurality of deformable pads each disposed at one of the second openings of the cages and beneath an associated cooling plate, wherein each of the deformable pads is configured to deform by engagement with the pluggable optical module when the pluggable optical module is plugged into one of the plurality of cages.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The apparatus of claim 16, wherein each of the deformable pads is configured to deform in thickness at 5 to 80%.

### Claim 18

An apparatus comprising:
a cage structure having a front end, a top surface adjacent to the front end, a first opening at the front end, and a second opening on the top surface, the first opening configured to receive a pluggable optical module;
a cooling plate configured to contain a cooling liquid to cool the cage structure, the cooling plate comprising a plurality of heat dissipation fins having a plurality of fin cuts that include a primary fin cut and a secondary fin cut, wherein the primary fin cut and the secondary fin cut are disposed in the plurality of heat dissipation fins such that at least portions of the plurality of heat dissipation fins are disposed on opposing sides of the primary fin cut and opposing sides of the secondary fin cut, wherein the primary fin cut is parallel to the secondary fin cut, wherein the secondary fin cut has a width greater than that of the primary fin cut, and wherein the cooling plate is disposed on top of the second opening of the cage structure; and
a thermal interface material disposed at the second opening and beneath the cooling plate.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the plurality of heat dissipation fins are arranged in a longitudinal direction that is aligned with a flow direction of the cooling liquid in the cooling plate.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the plurality of fin cuts are oriented in a direction that is perpendicular to the flow direction.