Pluggable optical connector, lock and release mechanism therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9411111-B2
Application number	US-201414564136-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 9, 2014
Priority date	Dec 9, 2014
Publication date	Aug 9, 2016
Grant date	Aug 9, 2016

Abstract

A pluggable optical connector with a lock and release mechanism having a slider. The slider includes a handle, two spaced apart longitudinal arms extending from the handle and along two opposite sidewalls of a housing of the connector, two wedges formed at two free ends of the two arms respectively for forcing two deflectable locking tabs formed on a cage outwards when the connector is plugged into the cage and locked therein, and a bridge extending between the two arms. A single transverse leaf spring is positioned between the bridge and a transverse vertical wall extending inwardly from the housing of the connector. The leaf spring exerts spring force in a longitudinal direction, and locking of the connector is released with a reverse movement of the connector countering the spring force.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pluggable optical connector comprising:
a two-part housing having a top housing part and a bottom housing part;
a slider comprising a handle, two spaced apart longitudinal arms extending from the handle and along two opposite sidewalls of the housing respectively, two wedges formed at two free ends of the two arms respectively for forcing two deflectable locking tabs formed on a cage outwards when the connector is plugged into the cage and locked therein, and a bridge connected to and extending between the two arms; and
a single transverse leaf spring positioned between the bridge and a transverse vertical wall extending inwardly from the top housing part;
wherein the leaf spring exerts spring force against the bridge and the vertical wall in a longitudinal direction, and locking of the connector is released with a reverse movement of the connector countering the spring force of the leaf spring; and
the leaf spring is positioned in a space defined by the bridge, the vertical wall, the top housing part from which the vertical wall extends, and a cap provided on the bottom housing part.

2. The pluggable optical connector as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the bridge comprises a first wing portion extending inwardly from one arm and a second wing portion extending inwardly from the other arm, and wherein free ends of the two wing portions connected to each other at midway of the bridge.

3. The pluggable optical connector as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the free ends of the two wing portions are in the form of two interlocking tabs.

4. The pluggable optical connector as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a cutout is formed at a middle portion of the bridge to receive therein a middle convex portion of the leaf spring to thereby prevent transverse movement thereof.

5. The pluggable optical connector as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the leaf spring is in the form of a strip comprising a middle convex portion pressing against the bridge, and two legs extending in opposite directions from the middle convex portion and having two convexly curved end portions pressing against the vertical wall.

6. The pluggable optical connector as claimed in claim 5 , further comprising two extended convexly curved portions extending from the two convexly curved end portions respectively for pressing against the two opposite sidewalls of the housing when the leaf spring is pressed and transversely extends.

7. The pluggable optical connector as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the leaf spring is in a form of a J-shaped spring member comprising a transverse elongate portion pressing against the transverse vertical wall, a semi-circular convex portion extending from one end of the elongate portion and pressing against one of the two opposite sidewalls of the housing, and a middle convex portion extending from the semi-circular convex portion and pressing against the bridge at a middle portion thereof.

8. The pluggable optical connector as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a lower edge of the leaf spring is positioned on a top surface of a cap which is mounted on a receptacle support for supporting two optical receptacle modules, and wherein the two optical receptacle modules are connected respectively to two optical fibers extending from an optical module mounted on a printed circuit board sub-assembly.

9. The pluggable optical connector as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the leaf spring is made of metal.

10. A lock and release mechanism for a pluggable optical connector, the lock and release mechanism comprising:
a slider comprising a handle, two spaced apart longitudinal arms extending from the handle and along two opposite sidewalls of a housing of the connector, two wedges formed at two free ends of the two arms respectively for forcing two deflectable locking tabs formed on a cage outwards when the connector is plugged into the cage and locked therein, and a bridge connected to and extending between the two arms; and
a single transverse leaf spring positioned between the bridge and a transverse vertical wall extending inwardly from the housing of the connector;
wherein the leaf spring exerts spring force against the bridge and the vertical wall in a longitudinal direction, and locking of the connector is released with a reverse movement of the connector countering the spring force of the leaf spring;
the housing of the connector is a two-part housing having a top housing part and a bottom housing part; and
the leaf spring is positioned in a space defined by the bridge, the vertical wall, the top housing part from which the vertical wall extends, and a cap provided on the bottom housing part.

11. The lock and release mechanism as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the bridge is formed by a first wing portion extending inwardly from one arm and a second wing portion extending inwardly from the other arm, and wherein free ends of the two wing portions connected to each other at midway of the bridge.

12. The lock and release mechanism as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the free ends of the two wing portions are in the form of two interlocking tabs.

13. The lock and release mechanism as claimed in claim 10 , wherein a cutout is formed at a middle portion of the bridge to receive therein a middle convex portion of the leaf spring to thereby prevent transverse movement thereof.

14. The lock and release mechanism as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the leaf spring is in the form of a strip comprising a middle convex portion pressing against the bridge, and two legs extending in opposite directions from the middle convex portion and having two convexly curved end portions pressing against the vertical wall.

15. The lock and release mechanism as claimed in claim 14 , further comprising two extended convexly curved portions extending from the two convexly curved end portions respectively for pressing against the two opposite sidewalls of the housing when the leaf spring is pressed and transversely extends.

16. The lock and release mechanism as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the leaf spring is in the form of a J-shaped spring member comprising a transverse elongate portion pressing against the transverse vertical wall, a semi-circular convex portion extending from one end of the elongate portion and pressing against one of the two opposite sidewalls of the housing, and a middle convex portion extending from the semi-circular convex portion and pressing against the bridge at a middle portion thereof.

17. The lock and release mechanism as claimed in claim 10 , wherein a lower edge of the leaf spring is positioned on a top surface of a cap which is mounted on a receptacle support for supporting an optical receptacle module, and wherein the optical receptacle module is connected to an optical fiber extending from an optical module mounted on a printed circuit board sub-assembly.

Assignees

• Sae Magnetics Hk Ltd

Inventors

• Banal Jr Margarito P
• Hung Vincent Wai
• Gamboa Francis Guillen

Classifications

• G02B6/3821

  with axial spring biasing or loading means (G02B6/3847 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/3893 Primary

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

• G02B6/3885

  Multicore or multichannel optical connectors, i.e. one single ferrule containing more than one fibre, e.g. ribbon type (optical ribbon cable G02B6/4403, G02B6/448) · CPC title

• G02B6/3825

  with an intermediate part, e.g. adapter, receptacle, linking two plugs · CPC title

• G02B6/4261 Primary

  Packages with mounting structures to be pluggable or detachable, e.g. having latches or rails · CPC title