Thermal management of a communication transceiver in an electrical communication device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9042096-B2
Application number	US-201313904187-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 29, 2013
Priority date	May 30, 2012
Publication date	May 26, 2015
Grant date	May 26, 2015

Abstract

Disclosed herein are various systems and methods relating to communication devices that include modular transceivers, such as small form pluggable transceivers. According to one embodiment, a communication device may include a chassis defining an interior and an exterior of the communication device. The chassis includes a top, a bottom, and a plurality of sides that together with the top and the bottom form an enclosure. One of the sides may include a first segment disposed in a first plane and a second segment disposed in a second plane. The second segment includes an outwardly extending communication transceiver housing configured to receive a communication transceiver. The communication transceiver may extend through an aperture in the second segment and into interior of the communication device to contact an electrical connector, while a second portion of the communication transceiver in the communication transceiver housing remains on the exterior of the communication device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A communication device, comprising:
a chassis defining an interior and an exterior of the communication device, the chassis comprising:
a top;
a bottom;
a plurality of sides that together with the top and the bottom form an enclosure, one of the plurality of sides comprising:
a first segment disposed in a first plane;
a second segment disposed in a second plane, the second segment comprising:
a communication transceiver housing extending outwardly from the second segment and configured to accept installation of a communication transceiver, and
an aperture in the chassis disposed such that a first portion of a communication transceiver inserted into in the communication transceiver housing extends through the second segment and into the interior of the communication device to contact an electrical connector, while a second portion of the communication transceiver in the communication transceiver housing remains on the exterior of the communication device;

wherein the communication device is configured to maintain a temperature of the communication transceiver housing below a temperature internal to the communication device while the communication device is in operation.

2. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the first plane is substantially parallel to the second plane.

3. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the second plane is recessed toward the interior of the chassis relative to the first plane.

4. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein maintaining the temperature of the communication transceiver housing utilizes passive cooling.

5. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein maintaining the temperature of the communication transceiver housing utilizes active cooling.

6. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the top is at least partially coextensive with the first segment and the second segment.

7. The communication device of claim 1 , further comprising an electrostatic shield in electrical communication with the communication transceiver housing.

8. The communication device of claim 7 , wherein the electrostatic shield comprises a plurality of apertures configured to facilitate a flow of air through the electrostatic shield.

9. The communication device of claim 7 , further comprising a gap disposed between a portion of the electrostatic shield and the communication transceiver housing.

10. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the communication transceiver housing comprises a retention device configured to couple to the communication device and secure the communication device within the communication transceiver housing.

11. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the retention device comprises a latch mounted to the communication transceiver housing.

12. The communication device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a printed circuit board internal to the communication device and in electrical communication with the electrical connector;
wherein the second segment is disposed in proximity to and at least partially in parallel to the printed circuit board.

13. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the communication transceiver comprises a majority of the communication transceiver.

14. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the communication transceiver housing is configured to accept a plurality of communication transceivers.

15. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the communication transceiver comprises a small form pluggable (SFP) transceiver.

16. The communication device of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of communication ports disposed on the first segment, the plurality of communication ports comprising at least one of an 8 position 8 contact (8P8C) port, a USB port, a serial port, and an IEEE 1394 port.

17. A method to reduce a bit error rate (BER) of a communication transceiver, comprising:
providing a chassis defining an interior and an exterior of a communication device, the chassis comprising a top, a bottom, and a plurality of sides that together with the top and the bottom form an enclosure, one of the sides having a first segment disposed in a first plane and a second segment disposed in a second plane;
providing a communication transceiver housing extending outwardly from the second segment;
inserting a communication transceiver into the communication transceiver housing and through an aperture in the chassis disposed such that a first portion of a communication transceiver inserted into in the communication transceiver housing extends through the second segment and into interior of the communication device to contact an electrical connector;
operating the communication device;
maintaining a temperature of the communication transceiver housing below a temperature internal to the communication device while the communication device is in operation.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
discharging electrostatic energy using an electrostatic shield in communication with the communication transceiver housing.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising providing a plurality of apertures in the electrostatic shield to facilitate a flow of air through the electrostatic shield.

20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising securing the communication device within the communication transceiver housing a retention device configured to couple to the communication device.

Assignees

• Schweitzer Engineering Lab Inc

Inventors

• Thomas Mark A
• Gammel Dennis
• Achanta Shankar V

Classifications

• H04L1/00 Primary

  Arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received {(correcting synchronisation H04L7/00)} · CPC title

• H04Q1/025

  Cabinets · CPC title

• H04Q1/118 Primary

  heat or sun protection · CPC title

• G02B6/4201

  Packages, e.g. shape, construction, internal or external details · CPC title

• G02B6/3893 Primary

  Push-pull type, e.g. snap-in, push-on · CPC title