US 2015/0030281 A1 · METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR PREVENTING AN OPTICS SYSTEM OF AN OPTICAL COMMUNICATIONS MODULE FROM BEING DAMAGED OR MOVED OUT OF ALIGNMENT BY EXTERNAL FORCES

Abstract

Protection features are incorporated into an optical communications module to ensure that the optics system of the module will not be damaged or moved out of alignment by external forces exerted on a mating surface of the module when a connector module is mated with the optical communications module. One protection feature is a strike plate that is disposed on the mating surface of the module that redistributes forces exerted on the mating surface. Another protection feature is an optically-transmissive window formed in the mating surface and comprising an optically-transmissive element having anti-reflection (AR) coatings disposed on its upper and lower surfaces. The optics system is positioned beneath the mating surface so that forces that are exerted on the mating surface are not transferred to the optics system. Another protection feature is a design of the module that mechanically decouples the optics system from the mating surface.

Claims31

Dependent claims

An optical communications module comprising:

a circuit board having at least an upper surface and a lower surface;
one or more electronic components and one or more optoelectronic components mounted on the upper surface of the circuit board;
a module housing mechanically coupled to the circuit board, the module housing having an upper surface corresponding to a mating surface of the module for mating with a connector module;
an optics system disposed in the module housing;
and
a strike plate disposed on at least a portion of the mating surface, wherein the strike plate has at least a first opening extending through the strike plate for allowing light to be optically coupled between a connector module and the optics system when the optical communications module is engaged in a mating arrangement with a connector module, and wherein the strike plate is adapted to redistribute a force exerted on the strike plate by the connector module such that the redistributed force is generally equally distributed over the portion of the mating surface on which the strike plate is disposed.

3 more elements

An optical communications module comprising:

a circuit board having at least an upper surface and a lower surface;
one or more electronic components and one or more optoelectronic components mounted on the upper surface of the circuit board;
a module housing mechanically coupled to the circuit board, the module housing having an upper surface corresponding to a mating surface of the module for mating with a connector module, the mating surface having an optically-transmissive window formed therein;
a frame disposed in the module housing beneath the optically-transmissive window and above the upper surface of the circuit board, wherein the frame is mechanically decoupled from the mating surface;
and
an optics system mounted on the frame beneath the optically-transmissive window, and wherein if external forces are exerted on the mating surface of the module housing, the mechanical decoupling of the frame from the mating surface helps prevent such external forces from being transferred to the optics system.

3 more elements

An optical communications module comprising:

a circuit board having at least an upper surface and a lower surface;
one or more electronic components and one or more optoelectronic components mounted on the upper surface of the circuit board;
a module housing mechanically coupled to the circuit board, the module housing having an upper surface corresponding to a mating surface of the module for mating with a connector module, the mating surface having an optically-transmissive window formed therein;
an optically-transmissive element disposed in the optically-transmissive window, the optically-transmissive element having upper and lower surfaces that are parallel to one another and parallel to the mating surface, the upper and lower surfaces of the optically-transmissive element having first and second anti-reflection (AR) coatings, respectively, disposed thereon for passing light of an operating wavelength of the optical communications module;
and
an optics system disposed in the module housing beneath the optically-transmissive element and above the upper surface of the circuit board.

3 more elements

A method for protecting an optics system of an optical communications module from being damaged by external forces that are applied to a mating surface of the module, the method comprising:

disposing a strike plate on at least a portion of a mating surface of a housing of an optical communications module, wherein the strike plate has at least a first opening extending through the strike plate for allowing light to be optically coupled between a connector module and the optical communications module when the optical communications module is matingly engaged with the connector module, and wherein the strike plate is adapted to redistribute a force exerted on the strike plate by the connector module such that the redistributed force is generally equally distributed over the portion of the mating surface on which the strike plate is disposed.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Methods and apparatuses for preventing an optics system of an optical communications module from being damaged or moved out of alignment by external forces

Life of this patent

Methods and apparatuses for preventing an optics system of an optical communications module from being damaged or moved out of alignment by external forces

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims31