Receptacle assembly having a heat exchanger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9924615-B2
Application number	US-201615236876-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 15, 2016
Priority date	Aug 15, 2016
Publication date	Mar 20, 2018
Grant date	Mar 20, 2018

Abstract

A receptacle assembly includes a receptacle housing having a module cavity defined by a top wall having a plurality of apertures therethrough. The module cavity has a port at a front end of the receptacle housing configured to receive a pluggable module. A communication connector is positioned in the receptacle housing having a mating interface for mating with the pluggable module. A heat exchanger is received in the module cavity having a heat spreader positioned interior of the module cavity below the top wall. The heat spreader is configured to be in thermal communication with the pluggable module. The heat exchanger has a plurality of fin segments extending from the heat spreader. The fin segments are received in corresponding apertures in the top wall to pass through the top wall to an exterior of the module cavity for heat dissipation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A receptacle assembly comprising:
a receptacle housing comprising a module cavity defined by a top wall and opposed side walls extending to a bottom opposite the top wall, the top wall having a plurality of apertures therethrough defined by aperture edges, the top wall includes webbing between the apertures including slats and cross-slats between the apertures in rows and columns, respectively, the module cavity having a port at a front end of the receptacle housing configured to receive a pluggable module;
a communication connector positioned in the receptacle housing having a mating interface for mating with the pluggable module; and
a heat exchanger received in the module cavity, the heat exchanger having a heat spreader positioned interior of the module cavity below the top wall, the heat spreader configured to be in thermal communication with the pluggable module, the heat exchanger having a plurality of fin segments extending from the heat spreader, the fin segments received in corresponding apertures in the top wall to pass through the top wall to an exterior of the module cavity for heat dissipation.

2. The receptacle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the apertures are oversized relative to the fin segments to allow a limited amount of floating movement of the heat exchanger relative to the receptacle housing.

3. The receptacle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the apertures are sized to restrict EMI leakage through the top wall.

4. The receptacle assembly of claim 1 , wherein each fin segment is separated from each other fin segment by a portion of the top wall.

5. The receptacle assembly of claim 1 , wherein each aperture receives a single one of the fin segments.

6. The receptacle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is captured in the module cavity by the top wall.

7. The receptacle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the apertures receive the fin segments such that gaps are defined between the fin segments and the aperture edges, the heat spreader is positioned below the gaps.

8. The receptacle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the apertures receive the fin segments such that gaps are defined between the fin segments and the aperture edges, the gaps are provided on at least two sides of the corresponding fin segments to allow movement in mutually perpendicular directions.

9. The receptacle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the heat spreader is positioned between the top wall and the pluggable module.

10. The receptacle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the receptacle housing includes a port separator between the module cavity and a second module cavity, the port separator having separating walls separated by a gap, one of the separating walls defining the top wall of the module cavity, the fin segments extending exterior of the module cavity into the gap of the port separator.

11. The receptacle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger includes rails extending from the heat spreader opposite the fin segments, the rails being configured to be interleaved with heat transfer fins of the pluggable module.

12. The receptacle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the webbing capturing the heat spreader in the module cavity.

13. The receptacle assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a second heat exchanger received in the receptacle housing being independently moveable relative to the other heat exchanger.

14. The receptacle assembly of claim 13 , wherein the apertures are provided in at least two different arrays, the arrays of apertures receiving different heat exchangers.

15. The receptacle assembly of claim 1 , wherein each fin segment includes a base at the heat spreader and a tip opposite the base, the base being provided interior of the module cavity, the tip being provided exterior of the module cavity.

16. A receptacle assembly comprising:
a receptacle housing comprising first and second module cavities defined by a top wall and separated by a dividing wall, the top wall having a plurality of apertures therethrough defined by aperture edges, the first and second module cavities having ports at a front end of the receptacle housing configured to receive corresponding pluggable modules; and
first and second heat exchangers received in the first and second module cavities, respectively, each of the first and second heat exchangers having a heat spreader positioned interior of the corresponding module cavity and configured to be in thermal communication with the corresponding pluggable module, each of the first and second heat exchangers having a plurality of fin segments extending from the heat spreader, the fin segments received in corresponding apertures in the top wall to pass through the top wall to an exterior of the corresponding module cavity for heat dissipation, the apertures being oversized relative to the fin segments to allow a limited amount of floating movement of the first and second heat exchangers relative to the receptacle housing such that the first and second heat exchangers are movable independent relative to each other.

17. The receptacle assembly of claim 16 , wherein the apertures receive the fin segments such that gaps are defined between the fin segments and the aperture edges.

18. The receptacle assembly of claim 16 , wherein each fin segment is separated from each other fin segment by a portion of the top wall.

19. A communication system comprising:
a pluggable module having a pluggable body extending between a mating end and a cable end, the pluggable module having a circuit card at the mating end, the pluggable body being thermally conductive and in thermal communication with the circuit card to dissipate heat from the circuit card;
a receptacle assembly receiving the pluggable module, the receptacle assembly comprising a receptacle housing holding a communication connector for mating with the pluggable module, the receptacle housing having a top wall and side walls extending to a bottom of the receptacle housing opposite the top wall, the top wall and the side walls being integral and seamless with the side walls being bent perpendicular from the top wall, the receptacle housing having a module cavity defined by the top wall, the top wall having a plurality of apertures therethrough defined by aperture edges, the module cavity having a port at a front end of the receptacle housing receiving the pluggable module; and
a heat exchanger received in the module cavity through the port and being aligned with the top wall, the heat exchanger having a heat spreader positioned interior of the module cavity, the heat spreader being in thermal communication with the pluggable module, the heat exchanger having a plurality of fin segments extending from the heat spreader, the fin segments being loaded into corresponding apertures in the top wall from below in the module cavity to pass through the top wall to an exterior of the module cavity for heat dissipation, the apertures receiving the fin segments such that gaps are defined between the fin segments and the aperture edges.

20. The communication system of claim 19 , wherein the top wall includes webbing between the apertures, the webbing including slats and cross-slats between the apertures in rows and columns, respectively.

Assignees

• Tyco Electronics Corp
• Te Connectivity Corp

Inventors

• Bucher Alan Weir

Classifications

• G02B6/4269

  with heat sinks or radiation fins · CPC title

• H01R25/006

  the coupling part being secured to apparatus or structure, e.g. duplex wall receptacle · CPC title

• H05K7/20418 Primary

  the radiating structures being additional and fastened onto the housing · CPC title

• H05K7/20445

  the coupling element being an additional piece, e.g. thermal standoff · CPC title

• H01R24/28 Primary

  Coupling parts carrying pins, blades or analogous contacts and secured only to wire or cable · CPC title