Locking apparatus for securing a transceiver module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11836281-B2
Application number	US-202117147291-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 12, 2021
Priority date	Jan 12, 2021
Publication date	Dec 5, 2023
Grant date	Dec 5, 2023

Abstract

A transceiver lock insert may include a housing, a first connector housed at least partially within the housing and configured to communicatively and mechanically couple to a transceiver module, a second connector housed at least partially within the housing and configured to communicatively and mechanically couple to a cable, transmission media communicatively coupled between the first connector and the second connector and configured to communicatively couple the transceiver module to the cable, and a lock housed within the housing and configured to, when the transceiver lock insert is inserted into the transceiver module, secure the transceiver lock insert to the transceiver module to prevent access by a person to a release mechanism of the transceiver module.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A transceiver lock insert, comprising:
a housing;
a first connector housed at least partially within the housing and configured to communicatively and mechanically couple to a transceiver module;
a second connector housed at least partially within the housing and configured to communicatively and mechanically couple to a cable;
transmission media communicatively coupled between the first connector and the second connector and configured to communicatively couple the transceiver module to the cable; and
a lock housed within the housing and configured to, when the transceiver lock insert is inserted into the transceiver module, secure the transceiver lock insert to the transceiver module to cause the housing to physically cover and prevent physical access by a person to a mechanical release mechanism of the transceiver module.

2. The transceiver lock insert of claim 1 , wherein the first connector comprises a male connector.

3. The transceiver lock insert of claim 1 , wherein the second connector comprises a female connector.

4. The transceiver lock insert of claim 1 , further comprising:
a release sleeve hoop housed within the housing;
wherein:
the lock comprises a lock plug rotatably coupled to the housing, the lock plug having a lock plug hook extending therefrom; and
the lock plug, lock plug hook, and release sleeve hoop are configured such that when the lock plug is rotated from a locked position to an unlocked position, the lock plug engages with the release sleeve hoop to activate a release sleeve of the transceiver lock insert to release the transceiver lock insert from the transceiver module.

5. The transceiver lock insert of claim 1 , wherein the transceiver module is an optical transceiver module.

6. The transceiver lock insert of claim 1 , wherein the transmission media comprises optical transmission media.

7. A method, comprising:
housing a first connector at least partially within a housing wherein the first connector is configured to communicatively and mechanically couple to a transceiver module;
housing a second connector at least partially within the housing wherein the second connector is configured to communicatively and mechanically couple to a cable;
communicatively coupling transmission media between the first connector and the second connector, wherein the transmission media is configured to communicatively couple the transceiver module to the cable; and
housing a lock within the housing, wherein the lock is configured to, when a transceiver lock insert is inserted into the transceiver module, secure the transceiver lock insert to the transceiver module to cause the housing to physically cover and prevent physical access by a person to a mechanical release mechanism of the transceiver module.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first connector comprises a male connector.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the second connector comprises a female connector.

10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
housing a release sleeve hoop within the housing;
wherein:
the lock comprises a lock plug rotatably coupled to the housing, the lock plug having a lock plug hook extending therefrom; and
the lock plug, lock plug hook, and release sleeve hoop are configured such that when the lock plug is rotated from a locked position to an unlocked position, the lock plug engages with the release sleeve hoop to activate a release sleeve of the transceiver lock insert to release the transceiver lock insert from the transceiver module.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the transceiver module is an optical transceiver module.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the transmission media comprises optical transmission media.

13. An information handling system, comprising:
a processor;
a transceiver module communicatively coupled to the processor; and
a transceiver lock insert, mechanically and communicatively coupled to the transceiver module and comprising:
a housing;
a first connector housed at least partially within the housing and configured to communicatively and mechanically couple to the transceiver module;
a second connector housed at least partially within the housing and configured to communicatively and mechanically couple to a cable;
transmission media communicatively coupled between the first connector and the second connector and configured to communicatively couple the transceiver module to the cable; and
a lock housed within the housing and configured to, when the transceiver lock insert is inserted into the transceiver module, secure the transceiver lock insert to the transceiver module to cause the housing to physically cover and prevent prevent access by a person to a mechanical release mechanism of the transceiver module.

14. The information handling system of claim 13 , wherein the first connector comprises a male connector.

15. The information handling system of claim 13 , wherein the second connector comprises a female connector.

16. The information handling system of claim 13 , the transceiver lock insert further comprising:
a release sleeve hoop housed within the housing;
wherein:
the lock comprises a lock plug rotatably coupled to the housing, the lock plug having a lock plug hook extending therefrom; and
the lock plug, lock plug hook, and release sleeve hoop are configured such that when the lock plug is rotated from a locked position to an unlocked position, the lock plug engages with the release sleeve hoop to activate a release sleeve of the transceiver lock insert to release the transceiver lock insert from the transceiver module.

17. The information handling system of claim 13 , wherein the transceiver module is an optical transceiver module.

18. The information handling system of claim 13 , wherein the transmission media comprises optical transmission media.

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Teeter Victor B
• Rathinasamy Shree

Classifications

• G06F21/88 Primary

  Detecting or preventing theft or loss · CPC title

• G02B6/4246

  Bidirectionally operating package structures · CPC title

• G06F1/182

  with special features, e.g. for use in industrial environments; grounding or shielding against radio frequency interference [RFI] or electromagnetical interference [EMI] · CPC title

• G06F2200/1639

  Arrangements for locking plugged peripheral connectors · CPC title

• G02B6/4284

  of optical modules with disconnectable electrical connectors (latching arms for electrical connectors H01R13/627) · CPC title