# US 2025/0085495 A1 · Enhanced optical module cooling with angled fins > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2025/0085495 A1 - Document ID: US20250085495A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/464,690 - Filed: 2023-09-11 - Published: 2025-03-13 - Earliest claimed: 2023-09-11 - Assignees: Ciena Corporation - Applicants: Ciena Corporation - Inventors: Bonnie Lynne Mack; Georges Turcotte; Victor Aldea; Francois Pellerin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250085495A1 ## CPC - G02B 6/4201: {Packages, e.g. shape, construction, internal or external details} - G02B 6/4269: {with heat sinks or radiation fins} - H05K 7/20409: {Outer radiating structures on heat dissipating housings, e.g. fins integrated with the housing} - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS ## Abstract An optical module, such as a Quad Small Form Factor (QSFP) or variant thereof, or another type of module, includes a housing; an optical subassembly positioned within the housing at an angle relative to the housing; circuitry connected to the optical subassembly; and heat fins located on and in contact with the housing, wherein the heat fibers are positioned near the optical subassembly. The angling of the optical subassembly supports improved thermal performance, i.e., larger heat fin area at locations due to the angle, and eliminates any bend radius issues on fibers exiting the optical subassembly. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An optical module comprising: a housing; an optical subassembly positioned within the housing at an angle relative to the housing; circuitry connected to the optical subassembly; and heat fins that are one or more of (1) located on the housing positioned near the optical subassembly, and (2) in contact with the optical subassembly. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The optical module of claim 1, wherein a top of the heat fins is flat relative to one another and in a same plane as one another, and wherein, due to the angle, the heat fins have a different length extending downward to the housing near the optical subassembly, such that the different length is based on a location of a given heat fin and the angle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The optical module of claim 1, wherein the heat fins located at or near a faceplate of the housing have less cross-sectional area than the heat fins located at or near a middle portion of the housing, based on the angle relative to the housing. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The optical module of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a large volume portion at or near a faceplate, and wherein the optical subassembly is within the large volume portion. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The optical module of claim 4, wherein the heat fins are on the housing over the large volume portion. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The optical module of claim 1, wherein the heat fins are straight fins where airflow is front-to-back relative to a faceplate on the housing. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The optical module of claim 1, wherein the heat fins are pins fins where airflow is both (1) front-to-back relative to a faceplate on the housing, and (2) side-to-side relative to sides of the housing where the sides are adjacent to the faceplate. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The optical module of claim 1, wherein the optical subassembly connects to a ferrule that supports an optical fiber, wherein the angle is based on a bend radius of the optical fiber. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The optical module of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a faceplate, a nose portion adjacent to the faceplate, and a middle portion that extends to an end, configured to engage a host device, wherein the optical subassembly is located substantially in the nose portion. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The optical module of claim 8, wherein the middle portion engages one or more of a riding heatsink and a cooling plate in a host device for cooling thereof, and wherein the heat fins have a smaller area than the riding heatsink or the cooling plate. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The optical module of claim 1, wherein the optical subassembly is a Nano Integrable Tunable Laser Assembly (nITLA). ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The optical module of claim 1, wherein the optical module is a Quad Small Form Factor (QSFP) or variant thereof. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The optical module of claim 1, wherein the optical module is based on a first Multisource Agreement (MSA) and the optical subassembly is based on a second MSA, each of the first MSA and the second MSA defining a plurality of characteristics of the optical module and the optical subassembly, respectively. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The optical module of claim 1, wherein the optical module is a pluggable optical module configured to be inserted into a host device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The optical module of claim 1, wherein the angle is at least two degrees. ### Claim 16 A Quad Small Form Factor (QSFP) optical module comprising: a housing including a faceplate, a nose portion adjacent to the faceplate, and a middle portion adjacent to the nose portion; an optical subassembly positioned within the nose portion at an angle relative to the housing; circuitry connected to the optical subassembly; and heat fins that are one or more of (1) located on the nose portion positioned near the optical subassembly, and (2) in contact with the optical subassembly. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The QSFP module of claim 16, wherein a top of the heat fins is flat relative to one another and in a same plane as one another, and wherein, due to the angle, the heat fins have a different length extending downward to the housing near the optical subassembly, such that the different length is based on a location of a given heat fin and the angle. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The QSFP module of claim 16, wherein one or more of the QSFP module is a QSFP Double Density (QSFP-DD) module, and the optical subassembly is a Nano Integrable Tunable Laser Assembly (nITLA). ### Claim 19 A method comprising steps of: providing an optical module that includes a housing; an optical subassembly positioned within the housing at an angle relative to the housing; circuitry connected to the optical subassembly; and heat fins that are one or more of (1) located on the housing positioned near the optical subassembly, and (2) in contact with the optical subassembly. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The optical module of claim 19, wherein a top of the heat fins is flat relative to one another and in a same plane as one another, and wherein, due to the angle, the heat fins have a different length extending downward to the housing near the optical subassembly, such that the different length is based on a location of a given heat fin and the angle.