Cage and cage assembly

Abstract

The utility model provides a cage frame which is installed on the front face of a base plate, allows a plurality of external devices to be inserted in the depth direction approximately orthogonal to the front face and accommodates the external devices, and comprises at least one longitudinal unit. The vertical unit defines a port group in which a plurality of ports, which are spaces for accommodating external devices, are arranged in a row in the vertical direction, and includes: two vertical plates which extend in the vertical direction over the entire height of the port group in the vertical direction, face each other in the horizontal direction, and are disposed at a distance corresponding to the width of the ports in the horizontal direction; and a plurality of lateral plates extending in the lateral direction, disposed between the longitudinal plates, and disposed facing each other in the longitudinal direction, in the longitudinal unit, the plurality of ports included in the port group are demarcated by the two longitudinal plates and the plurality of lateral plates.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a cage frame and a cage frame assembly. Background Technology

[0002] Optical modules (also known as optical transceivers) that enable the conversion between electrical and optical signals are, for example, mounted on a printed wiring board in a cage and electrically connected to an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit).

[0003] Patent document 1 (US20220087070A1) discloses an example of a cage for accommodating multiple optical modules.

[0004] In addition, there are cases where the cage contains a heat sink for cooling each optical module.

[0005] In fact, multiple optical modules (and multiple heat sinks) are housed in the multiple ports of the cage.

[0006] At this point, there are cases where multiple ports are composed of various types of boards. For example, there is a situation where multiple ports are formed by combining multiple vertical boards extending along the longitudinal direction D2 and multiple horizontal boards extending along the transverse direction D3.

[0007] However, if multiple types of boards are not properly combined, the boards may bend.

[0008] Therefore, the purpose of this disclosure is to provide a cage and cage assembly with a structure in which the plate is difficult to bend. Utility Model Content

[0009] To address the aforementioned issues, the cage frame and cage frame assembly of this disclosure employ the following approach.

[0010] The first aspect of this disclosure relates to a cage frame mounted on a first surface of an external substrate, which accommodates a plurality of external devices inserted along a depth direction substantially orthogonal to the first surface. The direction orthogonal to the depth direction is defined as longitudinal, and the direction orthogonal to both the depth direction and the longitudinal direction is defined as transverse. The cage frame includes at least one longitudinal unit, which defines a plurality of ports arranged in a row along the longitudinal direction to serve as spaces for accommodating the external devices. The longitudinal unit includes: two longitudinal plates extending along the longitudinal direction over the entire height of the port group along the longitudinal direction and arranged facing each other in the transverse direction and spaced apart by a distance corresponding to the transverse width of the ports; and a plurality of transverse plates extending along the transverse direction, disposed between the longitudinal plates and arranged facing each other in the longitudinal direction. In the longitudinal unit, the plurality of ports included in the port group are defined by the two longitudinal plates and the plurality of transverse plates.

[0011] According to the cage structure described herein, there is at least one longitudinal unit that defines a port group consisting of multiple ports arranged longitudinally as spaces for accommodating external equipment. The longitudinal unit comprises: two longitudinal plates extending longitudinally throughout the entire height of the port group and arranged facing each other laterally and separated by a distance corresponding to the lateral width of the ports; and multiple transverse plates extending laterally and arranged between the longitudinal plates, facing each other longitudinally. In the longitudinal unit, the multiple ports included in the port group are defined by the two longitudinal plates and the multiple transverse plates. Therefore, by making the longitudinal plates function as longitudinal walls of the port group (i.e., longitudinal walls common to all ports arranged longitudinally) and the transverse plates function as transverse walls for each port included in the port group, the lateral dimension of the transverse plates can be made approximately the same as the lateral dimension corresponding to a port. Thus, the lateral dimension of the transverse plates can be minimized. Consequently, the transverse plates are difficult to bend longitudinally.

[0012] Furthermore, it is possible to unitize a port group consisting of multiple ports arranged in a vertical column into a vertical unit. Thus, the number of ports / port groups can be easily increased or decreased simply by changing the number of vertical units arranged in the horizontal direction.

[0013] Furthermore, in the second aspect of this disclosure, the cage in the first aspect has a plurality of longitudinal units arranged in a row along the transverse direction. Among the plurality of longitudinal units arranged in a row along the transverse direction, a gap is defined between a first longitudinal unit and a second longitudinal unit adjacent to the first longitudinal unit in the transverse direction as a space not for accommodating the external device. The gap includes: a rear surface opening facing the external substrate; and a front surface opening located on the opposite side of the rear surface opening.

[0014] According to the cage structure described herein, multiple longitudinal units are arranged in a row along the transverse direction. Among these longitudinal units, a gap is defined between the first and second longitudinal units as a space not for accommodating external devices. This gap includes a rear surface opening facing the external substrate and a front surface opening located opposite the rear surface opening. Therefore, the gap can be used as a flow path to allow cooling air to flow from the front surface opening to the rear surface opening. Thus, external devices accommodated in the ports can be cooled using air flowing through the gap adjacent to the ports. Furthermore, a forced separation between external devices along the transverse direction can be created, thereby forming a structure that makes heat retention difficult.

[0015] In addition, the cage frame involved in the third aspect of this disclosure, in the second aspect, includes at least one front surface plate, the front surface plate covering the front surface opening of the gap, and is fixed to the front edge of a longitudinal plate of the first longitudinal unit and the front edge of a longitudinal plate of the second longitudinal unit facing each other across the gap.

[0016] According to the cage structure involved in this method, the front surface plate covering the front surface opening of the gap is fixed to the front edge of a longitudinal plate of the first longitudinal unit and the front edge of a longitudinal plate of the second longitudinal unit, which are facing each other across the gap, so that the first longitudinal unit and the second longitudinal unit can be joined by the front surface plate.

[0017] In addition, the two longitudinal plates facing each other with a gap (two longitudinal plates belonging to different longitudinal units) are fixed by the front surface plate, so it is difficult for each longitudinal plate to bend in the transverse direction.

[0018] Furthermore, in the fourth aspect of this disclosure, the cage, as in the third aspect, has a front surface plate having a plurality of connecting holes that connect the outside to the gap.

[0019] According to the cage structure involved in this method, the front panel has multiple connecting holes that connect the outside and the gap. Therefore, when the front panel is provided, cooling air can easily flow into the gap, which can promote the cooling of the external equipment.

[0020] In addition, the cage in the fifth aspect of this disclosure, in the third or fourth aspect, has a plurality of EMI fingers, which are mounted on the front edge in a state that sandwiches the two sides of the longitudinal plate in the middle, and the front surface plate is made of metal and contacts the EMI fingers.

[0021] According to the cage involved in this method, the EMI fingers are installed at the front edge with the two sides of the longitudinal plate sandwiched in the middle. The front surface plate is made of metal and contacts the EMI fingers, thus improving the shielding of noise leaking from the gaps when gaps are provided between the longitudinal units.

[0022] In addition, in any of the first to fifth embodiments of the cage according to the sixth embodiment of this disclosure, a plurality of the longitudinal plates have fixing portions that protrude from the rear edge of the longitudinal plate facing the outer substrate along the depth direction and can be fixed to the outer substrate.

[0023] According to the cage according to this method, the fixing part protrudes from the rear edge of the longitudinal plate facing the outer substrate along the depth direction and can be fixed to the outer substrate, thus enabling each longitudinal unit and the outer substrate to be firmly fixed. As a result, for example, the outer substrate is difficult to bend when plugging or unplugging external devices.

[0024] In addition, the two longitudinal plates facing each other with a gap (two longitudinal plates belonging to different longitudinal units) are fixed by an external base plate, so it is difficult for each longitudinal plate to bend in the lateral direction.

[0025] In addition, the ability to position each longitudinal unit relative to the external substrate improves the assemblability of the cage.

[0026] Furthermore, in the seventh aspect of this disclosure, the cage frame is, in the sixth aspect, a fixing part that is a press-fit pin pressed into the outer substrate.

[0027] According to the cage structure involved in this method, the fixing part is a press-fit pin that is pressed into the outer substrate, so the longitudinal plate can be easily fixed to the outer substrate.

[0028] In addition, in any of the first to seventh embodiments of the cage frame involved in the eighth embodiment of this disclosure, the plurality of said cross plates have a plurality of connecting holes that connect the upper surface and the lower surface of said cross plates.

[0029] According to the cage structure involved in this method, the horizontal plate has multiple connecting holes that connect the upper and lower surfaces of the horizontal plate, thus facilitating airflow between adjacent ports in the longitudinal direction and promoting the cooling of external equipment.

[0030] In addition, in any of the first to eighth embodiments of the cage involved in the ninth embodiment of this disclosure, the external device is an optical module or an optical module and a heat sink for cooling the optical module.

[0031] According to the cage involved in this method, the external device is an optical module or an optical module and a heat sink for cooling the optical module.

[0032] Furthermore, in the tenth aspect of this disclosure, the cage in the ninth aspect, among a plurality of ports arranged in a row along the longitudinal direction, a first port is the port for accommodating the optical module, a second port adjacent to and above the first port in the longitudinal direction is the port for accommodating the heat sink, and a horizontal plate separating the first port and the second port has a through opening that connects the first port and the second port.

[0033] The first port is for housing the optical module. The second port, which is vertically adjacent to and above the first port, is for housing the heat sink. A horizontal plate separating the first and second ports has a through opening that connects the two ports, allowing a portion of the heat sink in the second port to contact the optical module in the first port via the through opening. This enables the heat sink to cool the optical module.

[0034] Furthermore, in any of the first to tenth embodiments of the cage disclosed herein, the eleventh embodiment includes a top plate and a bottom plate, and a set of a plurality of the longitudinal units arranged in a row along the transverse direction is designated as a unit group. The top plate extends across the entire width of the transverse direction of the unit group and is fixed to the upper edge of each of the longitudinal plates of the plurality of longitudinal units included in the unit group. The bottom plate extends across the entire width of the transverse direction of the unit group and is fixed to the lower edge of each of the longitudinal plates of the plurality of longitudinal units included in the unit group.

[0035] According to the cage frame involved in this method, including a top plate and a bottom plate, a collection of multiple longitudinal units arranged in a row along the transverse direction is defined as a unit group. The top plate covers the entire transverse width of the unit group and is fixed to the upper edge of each longitudinal plate of the multiple longitudinal units contained in the unit group. The bottom plate covers the entire transverse width of the unit group and is fixed to the lower edge of each longitudinal plate of the multiple longitudinal units contained in the unit group. Therefore, the structure of the longitudinal units can remain unchanged, and a cage frame obtained by arranging any number of longitudinal units along the transverse direction can be constructed simply by pre-preparing top plates and bottom plates with different dimensions (specifically, transverse dimensions). As a result, it is easy to deform and unfold cage frames with different numbers of ports.

[0036] Furthermore, in the eleventh aspect, the cage according to the twelfth aspect of this disclosure has a fixing portion that protrudes from the rear edge of the top plate and / or the bottom plate facing the outer substrate along the depth direction and can be fixed to the outer substrate.

[0037] According to the cage according to this method, the fixing part protrudes from the rear edge of the top plate and / or bottom plate facing the outer substrate along the depth direction and can be fixed to the outer substrate, thus firmly fixing each longitudinal unit and the outer substrate. As a result, for example, the outer substrate is difficult to bend when plugging or unplugging external devices.

[0038] Furthermore, in the 12th aspect, the cage according to the 13th aspect of this disclosure has a fixing part that is a press-fit pin pressed into the outer substrate.

[0039] According to the cage structure involved in this method, the fixing part is a press-fit pin that is pressed into the outer substrate, so the top plate and / or bottom plate can be easily fixed to the outer substrate.

[0040] Furthermore, in any of the eleventh to thirteenth embodiments of the cage according to the fourteenth embodiment of this disclosure, the bottom plate has a plurality of communicating holes.

[0041] The connecting hole connects the upper and lower surfaces of the base plate.

[0042] According to the cage structure involved in this method, the bottom plate has multiple connecting holes that connect the upper and lower surfaces of the bottom plate, so that air can easily flow out from the port located at the bottom layer, which can promote the cooling of external equipment.

[0043] In addition, the cage assembly involved in the fifteenth aspect of this disclosure includes: a cage as described in any one of the first to fourteenth aspects; and a substrate as the outer substrate.

[0044] Furthermore, the cage assembly according to the sixteenth aspect of this disclosure includes: the cage as described in the seventh aspect and a substrate as an outer substrate, the substrate including a plurality of ventilation openings and a plurality of through holes, the plurality of ventilation openings being openings penetrating a first surface of the substrate and a second surface corresponding to the back surface of the first surface, arranged in a manner corresponding to the position of each of the ports, and arranged in a row in the transverse direction at intervals from each other, the plurality of through holes being holes for the press-fit pins of the longitudinal plates to be pressed in, and arranged in the transverse direction between the ventilation openings.

[0045] The cage assembly according to this method includes a cage and a substrate as an outer substrate. The substrate includes a plurality of ventilation openings and a plurality of through holes. The plurality of ventilation openings are openings penetrating the first surface of the substrate and the second surface corresponding to the back surface of the first surface, and are arranged in a row in a way that corresponds to the position of each port. They are arranged in a row in a way that they are spaced apart from each other in the transverse direction. The plurality of through holes are holes for press-fit pins of the longitudinal plate to be pressed in, and are arranged in the transverse direction between the ventilation openings. Therefore, when the substrate has ventilation openings for cooling air to be discharged from the ports, an area for arranging inner layer wiring can be ensured between the ventilation openings arranged in the longitudinal direction. Attached Figure Description

[0046] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a cage assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0047] Figure 2 This is an exploded perspective view of a cage assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0048] Figure 3 This is a front perspective view of a cage according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0049] Figure 4 This is a rear perspective view of a cage according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0050] Figure 5 This is a front view of a cage according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0051] Figure 6 This is a front view of a cage according to one embodiment of the present disclosure (EMI fingers and outer shell omitted).

[0052] Figure 7 This is an exploded perspective view of a cage according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0053] Figure 8 This is a partially exploded perspective view of a cage according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0054] Figure 9 This is a partially exploded perspective view of a cage according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0055] Figure 10 This is a partial front perspective view of a cage according to one embodiment of the present disclosure (front outer shell omitted).

[0056] Figure 11 This is a partial front perspective view of a cage according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0057] Figure 12 This is a front view of a cage according to another embodiment of this disclosure (external devices omitted).

[0058] Figure 13 This is a front view of a cage according to another embodiment of this disclosure.

[0059] Figure 14 This is a perspective view of a cage assembly according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0060] Figure 15 This is an exploded perspective view of a cage assembly according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0061] Figure 16 This is a front view of a cage according to another embodiment of this disclosure.

[0062] Figure 17 This is a rear perspective view of a cage according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0063] Figure 18 This is a rear perspective view of a partially enlarged cage according to another embodiment of the present disclosure (Example 1).

[0064] Figure 19 This is a magnified front view of a portion of the substrate (Example 1).

[0065] Figure 20 This is a partially enlarged front view of the substrate used as a comparative example.

[0066] Figure 21 This is a rear perspective view obtained by partially enlarging a cage frame, which is another example of an embodiment of this disclosure (Example 2).

[0067] Figure 22 This is a magnified front view of a portion of the substrate (Example 2).

[0068] Description of Reference Numerals

[0069] 10 cage frame assembly 100 cage frames

[0070] 110 (110S, 110C) longitudinal unit; 111 (111S, 111C) longitudinal plate

[0071] 111Sb flange portion 111Ca connecting hole

[0072] 111Cc Press-fit pin (fixed part) 111Cd Protrusion

[0073] 112 (112H, 112M) Horizontal plate 112Ha connecting hole

[0074] 112Hb through opening, 112Ma connecting hole

[0075] 121 top plate 121c press-fit pin (fixing part)

[0076] 131 base plate 131a connecting hole

[0077] 131c Press-fit pin (fixing part) 141EMI finger

[0078] 151 front panel 151a connecting hole

[0079] 151d gap 152 second front surface plate

[0080] 160 gap 161 gap front surface opening

[0081] 200 Substrate (Outer Substrate) 201 Front Side (First Side)

[0082] 202 Back side (second side) 210 Ventilation opening

[0083] 220 through-hole 300 connector

[0084] 410 Optical Module (External Device) 420 Heatsink (External Device)

[0085] Port group Ps (P1, P2) ports

[0086] Us unit group Detailed Implementation

[0087] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the cage and cage assembly according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0088] In addition, the terms “Depth Direction D1”, “Longitudinal Direction D2”, and “Transverse Direction D3” used in the following description are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the actual orientation.

[0089] In addition, when the direction of inserting / removing the optical module is set to "Depth direction D1 (front and back direction)", "Vertical direction D2 (height direction)" is orthogonal to the depth direction D1, and "Horizontal direction D3 (width direction)" is orthogonal to both the depth direction D1 and the vertical direction D2.

[0090] In addition, "Depth Direction D1" refers to the two directions: from the front (forward) to the depth (rear) and from the depth to the front; "Longitudinal Direction D2" refers to the two directions: from top to bottom and from bottom to top; and "Transverse Direction D3" refers to the two directions: from right to left and from left to right.

[0091] Additionally, "height" or "height dimension" refers to the distance or dimension along the longitudinal direction D2, while "width" or "width dimension" refers to the distance or dimension along the transverse direction D3.

[0092] Furthermore, in a substrate including a first side and a second side, when the side facing the cage is designated as the front side (first side) and the side opposite to the front side is designated as the back side (second side), the position of the front side opposite to the back side is "front" or "front-facing", and the position of the back side opposite to the front side is "rear" or "rear-facing".

[0093] (Overview of cage assembly)

[0094] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the cage assembly 10 includes: a cage 100; and a base plate 200 (outer base plate) on which a plurality of connectors 300 are mounted.

[0095] The substrate 200 includes a front side 201 (first side) and a back side 202 (second side) that is the opposite side of the front side 201. The cage 100 and a plurality of connectors 300 are mounted on the front side 201.

[0096] An ASIC (not shown) is mounted on the back side 202 of the substrate 200.

[0097] The optical module 410 is electrically connected to the connector 300. Specifically, the module substrate included in the optical module 410 is inserted into the slot of the connector 300 along the depth direction D1, and contacts the multiple terminals (contact pins) of the connector 300. Thus, the optical module 410 is electrically connected to the ASIC via the connector 300 and the substrate 200.

[0098] Cooling air is supplied to the cage assembly 10.

[0099] Cooling air is blown toward the front of the cage 100, for example, by a blower (not shown).

[0100] The cooling air flows into multiple ports P and multiple gaps 160, which will be described later.

[0101] (Regarding the basic structure of the cage)

[0102] like Figures 3 to 6 As shown, the cage 100 is a structure that accommodates multiple optical modules 410 and multiple heat sinks 420, or accommodates multiple optical modules 410.

[0103] The cage 100 has multiple ports P.

[0104] Several ports P from a plurality of ports P are arranged in a column along the longitudinal direction D2 to form a port group Ps. Furthermore, these port groups Ps are arranged at intervals (gap 160°) along the transverse direction D3. In this embodiment, 16 ports P are arranged in a column along the longitudinal direction D2 to form one port group Ps. Moreover, four port groups Ps are arranged at intervals (gap 160°) along the transverse direction D3.

[0105] The multiple ports P include multiple first ports P1 and multiple second ports P2.

[0106] The first port P1 is the space to accommodate the optical module 410, and the second port P2 is the space to accommodate the heat sink. Therefore, the first port P1 matches the shape and size of the optical module 410, and the second port P2 matches the shape and size of the heat sink 420.

[0107] The optical module 410 can be either RHS type (RHS: Riding Heat Sink) or IHS type (IHS: Integrated Heat Sink).

[0108] In a port group Ps, multiple first ports P1 and multiple second ports P2 are arranged alternately along the vertical column D2 in the order of second port P2, first port P1, second port P2, first port P1, ..., first port P1. In other words, in a port group Ps, multiple first ports P1 and multiple second ports P2 are arranged alternately along the vertical column D2 with second port P2 positioned above first port P1. Figure 6 In the case of a port group Ps, there are 8 pairs of pairs consisting of the second port P2 (located above) and the first port P1 (located below) arranged in a column along the longitudinal direction D2.

[0109] Furthermore, the number of multiple first ports P1 and multiple second ports P2 arranged along the longitudinal direction D2 can be appropriately changed according to the required number of ports P.

[0110] The gap 160 between the multiple port groups Ps is defined by multiple longitudinal units 110 (110S, 110C) arranged at intervals (gap 160) in the transverse direction D3, a common top plate 121 installed on the upper edge of all longitudinal units 110, and a common bottom plate 131 installed on the lower edge of all longitudinal units 110.

[0111] like Figure 7 As shown, the plurality of vertical units 110 arranged along the transverse direction D3 includes: two vertical units 110S located on both sides of the transverse direction D3; and at least one vertical unit 110C located between the vertical units 110S in the transverse direction D3 (two in this embodiment).

[0112] The number of vertical units 110C arranged along the horizontal direction D3 can be appropriately changed according to the required number of port groups Ps (the number of ports P).

[0113] Furthermore, when there are two port groups Ps arranged along the transverse D3, the vertical unit 110C is not required.

[0114] like Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, each longitudinal unit 110S includes: two longitudinal plates 111 (111S, 111C) arranged with a first interval in the transverse direction D3; and a plurality of transverse plates 112 (112H, 112M) arranged with a second interval and / or a third interval along the longitudinal direction D2, and each longitudinal unit 110S is formed by combining these plates.

[0115] The longitudinal plate 111 is a plate that extends along the longitudinal direction D2 and the depth direction D1 and has a thickness in the transverse direction D3.

[0116] The longitudinal plate 111 has a height dimension that covers the entire height of the port group Ps.

[0117] In the longitudinal unit 110S, the two longitudinal plates 111 include one longitudinal plate 111S and one longitudinal plate 111C.

[0118] The longitudinal plate 111S is also a side plate that forms the side of the cage frame 100, and it is located on the outermost side of the transverse direction D3 in the cage frame 100. Therefore, only two longitudinal plates 111S are installed in the cage frame 100.

[0119] Alternatively, a flange portion 111Sb may be provided at the rear edge of the longitudinal plate 111S for use when fixing the cage 100 to the base plate 200 (see reference). Figure 1 ).

[0120] Longitudinal plate 111C is longitudinal plate 111 other than longitudinal plate 111S.

[0121] Vertical plates 111S and 111C are arranged facing each other in the transverse direction D3, separated by a first interval. The "first interval" referred to here is the interval / distance corresponding to the width of a port P (first port P1 and second port P2).

[0122] The horizontal plate 112 is a plate that extends along the transverse direction D3 and the depth direction D1 and has a thickness in the longitudinal direction D2.

[0123] The horizontal plate 112 has a width dimension that extends across a port P.

[0124] A transverse plate 112 is disposed between longitudinal plates 111S and 111C, and the edges of the transverse plate D3 (the two edges along the depth direction D1) are fixed to the longitudinal plates 111S and 111C. The transverse plate 112 and the longitudinal plate 111S are fixed, for example, by inserting a plurality of protrusions provided on the edges of the transverse plate 112 into the gaps formed in the longitudinal plate 111, and then bending each protrusion. However, other fixing methods may also be used.

[0125] The multiple horizontal plates 112 include multiple horizontal plates 112H and multiple horizontal plates 112M.

[0126] In a longitudinal unit 110S, multiple horizontal plates 112H and multiple horizontal plates 112M are arranged alternately in a column along the longitudinal direction D2 in the order of horizontal plate 112H, horizontal plate 112M, horizontal plate 112H, horizontal plate 112M, ..., horizontal plate 112H. Figure 8 In this case, in a longitudinal unit 110S, 8 transverse plates 112H and 7 transverse plates 112M are arranged alternately in a row along the longitudinal direction D2.

[0127] like Figure 6 As shown, the horizontal plate 112H is the plate on which the heat sink 420 is mounted. (As...) Figure 8 As shown, a through opening 112Hb is formed in the horizontal plate 112H. The through opening 112Hb is an opening that connects the second port P2 and the first port P1, which are separated by the horizontal plate 112H. Thus, the heat sink 420 (more specifically, the protrusion provided on the bottom surface of the heat sink 420) housed in the second port P2 enters the first port P1 through the through opening 112Hb and comes into contact with the optical module 410 housed in the first port P1.

[0128] like Figure 6 As shown, the horizontal plate 112M is the plate on which the optical module 410 is mounted. In addition, at the bottom layer of the vertical unit 110S, the bottom plate 131 functions as the eighth horizontal plate 112M.

[0129] Horizontal plates 112H and 112M are arranged facing each other along the longitudinal direction D2, separated by a second interval and / or a third interval. Specifically, when horizontal plate 112H is above and horizontal plate 112M is below, they are arranged facing each other along the longitudinal direction D2, separated by a second interval; when horizontal plate 112H is below and horizontal plate 112M is above, they are arranged facing each other along the longitudinal direction D2, separated by a third interval. Here, "second interval" refers to the interval / distance corresponding to the height of a first port P1, and "third interval" refers to the interval / distance corresponding to the height of a second port P2.

[0130] like Figure 7 and Figure 9 As shown, each longitudinal unit 110C includes: two longitudinal plates 111 (111C) arranged in the transverse direction D3 with a first interval between them; and a plurality of transverse plates 112 (112H, 112M) arranged in the longitudinal direction D2 with a second interval and / or a third interval between them, and each longitudinal unit 110C is formed by combining these plates.

[0131] The longitudinal plates 111C and 111C are arranged facing each other on the transverse D3 with a first gap between them.

[0132] The structure of the longitudinal element 110C is the same as that of the longitudinal element 110S, except as described above. Therefore, a detailed description of the longitudinal element 110C is omitted here.

[0133] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the vertical units 110S and 110C configured as described above are arranged such that at least one vertical unit 110C (two in this embodiment) is disposed between the two vertical units 110S located on both sides of the horizontal axis D3, and they are spaced apart from each other by a gap (160) on the horizontal axis D3.

[0134] In a plurality of longitudinal units 110 (hereinafter also referred to as "unit group Us") arranged at intervals (gap 160) along the transverse direction D3, a common top plate 121 is fixed to the upper edge of two longitudinal plates 111 included in each longitudinal unit 110, and a common bottom plate 131 is fixed to the lower edge of the two longitudinal plates 111 included in each longitudinal unit 110. The longitudinal plates 111 and the top plate 121 are fixed, for example, by inserting a plurality of protrusions provided on the upper edge of the longitudinal plate 111 into the gap formed in the top plate 121, and then bending each protrusion. In addition, the longitudinal plates 111 and the bottom plate 131 are fixed, for example, by inserting a plurality of protrusions provided on the lower edge of the longitudinal plate 111 into the gap formed in the bottom plate 131, and then bending each protrusion. However, other fixing methods may also be used.

[0135] like Figure 7 As shown, the top plate 121 and the bottom plate 131 are plates that extend along the transverse direction D3 and the depth direction D1 and have a thickness in the longitudinal direction D2.

[0136] The top plate 121 and the bottom plate 131 have a width dimension that extends across the entire width of the unit group Us (from one longitudinal plate 111S to another longitudinal plate 111S).

[0137] Therefore, as Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the unit group Us is integrated, and multiple port groups Ps including multiple first ports P1 and multiple second ports P2 are defined, as well as the gap 160 between the port groups Ps.

[0138] In detail, the bottommost first ports P1 (four first ports P1 in this embodiment) arranged along the horizontal direction D3 are defined by the upper horizontal plate 112H, the two left and right vertical plates 111, and the lower bottom plate 131. In addition, the other first ports P1 are defined by the upper horizontal plate 112H, the two left and right vertical plates 111, and the lower horizontal plate 112M.

[0139] Furthermore, the uppermost second ports P2 arranged along the horizontal direction D3 (in this embodiment, there are four second ports P2) are defined by the upper top plate 121, the two left and right vertical plates 111, and the lower horizontal plate 112H. In addition, the other second ports P2 are defined by the upper horizontal plate 112M, the two left and right vertical plates 111, and the lower horizontal plate 112H.

[0140] Furthermore, the gap 160 is defined by two left and right longitudinal plates 111C, an upper top plate 121, and a lower bottom plate 131. Additionally, the two longitudinal plates 111C defining the gap 160 (two longitudinal plates 111C facing each other across the gap 160) belong to different longitudinal units 110. Specifically, the first longitudinal plate 111C is contained in one longitudinal unit 110 (first longitudinal unit 110), and the second longitudinal plate 111C is contained in another longitudinal unit 110 adjacent to the first longitudinal unit 110 (second longitudinal unit 110).

[0141] As described above, the first port P1 is a space for accommodating the optical module 410, and the second port P2 is a space for accommodating the heat sink 420. On the other hand, the gap 160 is simply a space that does not accommodate external devices such as the optical module 410 or the heat sink 420.

[0142] Each port P and each gap 160 extends along the depth direction D1. That is, the wall defining each port P and each gap 160 (the wall consisting of four plates on the top, bottom, left, and right sides) is a bottomless square tube.

[0143] In each port P and each gap 160 that penetrates along the depth direction D1, the opening facing the substrate 200 is referred to as the "rear surface opening" (see reference). Figure 4 The opening located on the opposite side of the rear surface opening is called the "front surface opening" (see reference). Figure 6 ).

[0144] like Figure 10 As shown, EMI fingers 141 are installed on the four sides of the front surface opening that constitutes the first port P1.

[0145] Each EMI finger 141 is installed in such a way that it clamps the wall (plate) that defines the first port P1 in the middle.

[0146] This improves the shielding against noise leakage from the gap between the first port P1 and the optical module 410.

[0147] The cage 100, as described above, achieves the following effect.

[0148] By having the longitudinal plate 111 function as the wall of the longitudinal direction D2 of the port group Ps (i.e., the wall of the longitudinal direction D2 shared by all ports P arranged in a row along the longitudinal direction D2), and the transverse plate 112 function as the wall of the transverse direction D3 of each port P included in the port group Ps, the width dimension of the transverse plate 112 can be made approximately the same as the width dimension of a single port P. Therefore, the width dimension of the transverse plate 112 can be minimized. As a result, the transverse plate 112 is less likely to bend in the longitudinal direction D2. In particular, in the cage 100 of this embodiment, in which external devices are inserted perpendicularly relative to the substrate 200, it is important to reduce the amount of bending of the transverse plate 112 that holds the external devices.

[0149] Furthermore, it is possible to unitize port groups Ps, which consist of multiple ports P arranged in a row along the longitudinal direction D2, into vertical units 110. Thus, the number of ports P / port groups Ps can be easily increased or decreased simply by changing the number of vertical units 110 arranged along the transverse direction.

[0150] Furthermore, a gap 160 is defined between the longitudinal units 110 as a space not for accommodating external devices. The gap 160 includes a rear surface opening and a front surface opening, so for example, the gap 160 can be used as a flow path to allow cooling air to flow from the front surface opening to the rear surface opening. Therefore, the external device accommodated in port P can be cooled by the air flowing through the gap 160 adjacent to port P. In addition, a gap can be forcibly created between the external devices along the transverse direction D3, thus forming a structure that makes it difficult for heat to be trapped.

[0151] Furthermore, the top plate 121 extends across the entire width of the transverse direction D3 of the unit group Us and is fixed to the upper edge of each longitudinal plate 111 of the plurality of longitudinal units 110 included in the unit group Us. The bottom plate 131 extends across the entire width of the transverse direction D3 of the unit group Us and is fixed to the lower edge of each longitudinal plate 111 of the plurality of longitudinal units 110 included in the unit group Us. Therefore, the structure of the longitudinal units 110 can remain unchanged, and a cage 100 obtained by arranging any number of longitudinal units 110 along the transverse direction D3 can be constructed simply by pre-preparing the top plate 121 and the bottom plate 131 with different dimensions (specifically, the dimensions of the transverse direction D3). As a result, it is easy to deform and unfold the cage 100 with different numbers of ports P.

[0152] (Regarding connecting holes)

[0153] Each plate has connecting holes for the smooth flow of cooling air.

[0154] Specifically, such as Figure 8 and Figure 9As shown, multiple connecting holes 111Ca are formed in the longitudinal plate 111C, multiple connecting holes 112Ha are formed in the transverse plate 112H, and multiple connecting holes 112Ma are formed in the transverse plate 112M. Additionally, as... Figure 7 As shown, a plurality of connecting holes 131a are formed in the base plate 131.

[0155] like Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, multiple connecting holes 111Ca are formed in the range of the vertical plate 111C corresponding to the position of the first port P1.

[0156] This facilitates the cooling of the optical module 410 housed in the first port P1.

[0157] Multiple connecting holes 112Ha are formed in the horizontal plate 112H within a range located behind the through opening 112Hb.

[0158] This promotes the cooling of the optical module 410 and the heat sink 420.

[0159] Multiple connecting holes 112Ma are formed over approximately the entire area of ​​the cross plate 112M.

[0160] This promotes the cooling of the optical module 410 and the heat sink 420.

[0161] like Figure 7 As shown, multiple connecting holes 131a are formed in the range of the base plate 131 corresponding to the position of the first port P1.

[0162] This facilitates the cooling of the optical module 410 housed in the first port P1.

[0163] (Regarding the front panel)

[0164] In the following description, the front surface opening of the gap 160 is specifically defined as "gap front surface opening 161".

[0165] like Figure 5 and Figure 11 As shown, a front surface plate 151 is installed on the cage frame 100 to close the opening 161 on the front surface of the gap.

[0166] The front surface plate 151 is a plate that is longer in the longitudinal direction D2, corresponding to the shape of the gap front surface opening 161.

[0167] The front panel 151 is sized and shaped to avoid interfering with external devices when they are plugged into the ports P.

[0168] like Figure 10 and Figure 11As shown, multiple protrusions 111Cd are provided on each longitudinal plate 111C.

[0169] The protrusion 111Cd is a U-shaped portion that protrudes forward from the leading edge of the longitudinal plate 111C and along the depth direction D1, and is located within the range of the longitudinal plate 111C where the EMI finger 141 is not installed, that is, within the range of the longitudinal plate 111C on the side corresponding to the second port P2.

[0170] like Figure 11 As shown, a plurality of slits 151d are formed on the front surface plate 151 to allow the protrusions 111Cd of two opposing longitudinal plates 111C separated by a gap 160 to be inserted.

[0171] The front surface plate 151 is fixed to the leading edge of the longitudinal plate 111C by inserting the protrusions 111Cd of the two longitudinal plates 111C into the slots 151d of the front surface plate 151. Simultaneously, two adjacent longitudinal units 110, including the two longitudinal plates 111C fixed by the front surface plate 151, are rigidly joined. Furthermore, the two longitudinal plates 111C fixed by the front surface plate 151 are difficult to bend in the transverse direction D3.

[0172] Alternatively, the protrusion 111Cd can be bent after it has been inserted into the slit 151d.

[0173] A plurality of connecting holes 151a are formed on the front surface plate 151.

[0174] Each connecting hole 151a is a through hole that connects the outside and the gap 160 when the front surface plate 151 is installed on the cage 100.

[0175] Multiple connecting holes 151a are arranged in a row, for example, along the longitudinal direction D2.

[0176] Therefore, even if the front panel 151 is installed, cooling air can easily flow into the gap 160 through the connecting hole 151a.

[0177] The front panel 151 is, for example, made of metal.

[0178] When the front panel 151 is mounted on the cage 100, the front panel 151 contacts the EMI finger 141 within the area where the EMI finger 141 is mounted, that is, within the area corresponding to the side of the first port P1.

[0179] This further improves the shielding against noise leakage from the gap between the first port P1 and the optical module 410.

[0180] Alternatively, a second front surface plate 152 that closes the front surface openings of each second port P2 can be installed on the cage 100.

[0181] (Regarding variation 1 of port / port group)

[0182] and Figure 5 and Figure 6 In contrast, such as Figure 12 and Figure 13 As shown, the dimensions of the first port P1 and the second port P2 can be appropriately changed according to the dimensions of the external device (optical module 410 or heat sink 420).

[0183] (Regarding variation 2 of port / port group)

[0184] like Figures 14 to 17 As shown, port group Ps can also be configured as described below.

[0185] That is, in a port group Ps, multiple first ports P1 and multiple second ports P2 are arranged alternately in a column along the vertical axis D2 in the order of first port P1, second port P2, first port P1, second port P2, ..., first port P1. In other words, in a port group Ps, multiple first ports P1 and multiple second ports P2 are arranged alternately in a column along the vertical axis D2 with the second port P2 located between two adjacent first ports P1 on the vertical axis D2.

[0186] In the case of the port group Ps, each first port P1 houses an IHS type optical module 410 pre-assembled with a heat sink.

[0187] On the other hand, no heat sink 420 is housed in any of the second ports P2. That is, the second ports P2 are simply spaces. However, these spaces facilitate heat dissipation of the optical module 410. In other words, these spaces play a role in the efficient cooling of the optical module 410.

[0188] If the heat sink 420 is not accommodated in the second port P2, the heat sink 420 is not placed on the horizontal plate 112H, so there is no need to provide a through opening 112Hb in the horizontal plate 112H. However, in order to improve heat dissipation, multiple through holes 112Ha can be formed over approximately the entire area of ​​the horizontal plate 112H.

[0189] (Regarding the relationship between the cage frame fixing and the ventilation openings on the base plate)

[0190] like Figure 2 and Figure 15 As shown, a plurality of ventilation openings 210 are formed on the substrate 200.

[0191] Each ventilation opening 210 is an opening that penetrates the front 201 and back 202 of the substrate 200.

[0192] The positions of each vent opening 210 and the positions of each second port P2 accommodating the radiator 420 (refer to...) Figure 2 ) and / or the location of each first port P1 accommodating the IHS type optical module 410 (refer to Figure 15 The ventilation openings 210 correspond one-to-one with each second port P2 and / or each first port P1, and are arranged in a row on the transverse D3 with intervals between them.

[0193] Therefore, cooling air passing through the heat sink 420 and / or the heat sink assembled in the IHS type optical module 410 passes through the area in contact with the back surface 202 of the substrate 200.

[0194] The cage frame 100 is mounted on the substrate 200 configured as described above. However, in addition to fixing it using the flange portion 111Sb of the longitudinal plate 111S already described, or as an alternative to fixing it, the cage frame 100 can also be fixed to the substrate 200 using the fixing portion provided on the rear edge of the longitudinal plate 111.

[0195] Therefore, the cage frame 100 and the base plate 200 are firmly fixed, making it difficult for the base plate 200 to bend in the depth direction D1 when inserting or removing external devices. Furthermore, since the longitudinal plates 111C are fixed to the base plate 200, each longitudinal plate 111C is difficult to bend in the transverse direction D3. Additionally, each longitudinal unit 110 can be positioned relative to the base plate 200, thus improving the assemblability of the cage frame 100.

[0196] In addition to using the flange portion 111Sb for fixing and / or using the fixing portion provided on the longitudinal plate 111 for fixing, or alternative to the above-mentioned fixing methods, the cage frame 100 can also be fixed to the base plate 200 using the fixing portion provided on the rear edge of the top plate 121 and / or the rear edge of the bottom plate 131.

[0197] Thus, the cage 100 and the base plate 200 are firmly fixed, making it difficult for the base plate 200 to bend in the depth direction D1 when inserting or removing external devices. In addition, the top plate 121 and / or the bottom plate 131 are fixed by the base plate 200, so the top plate 121 and / or the bottom plate 131 are difficult to bend in the longitudinal direction D2.

[0198] (Example 1)

[0199] As a fixed part, it is shown, for example, as Figure 17 and Figure 18 As shown, there are multiple press fit pins 111Cc on each vertical plate 111C, multiple press fit pins 121c on the top plate 121, and multiple press fit pins 131c on the bottom plate 131.

[0200] The press-fit pin 111Cc is a portion that protrudes rearward from the rear edge of the longitudinal plate 111C and along the depth direction D1, and is disposed within the range of the longitudinal plate 111C corresponding to the position of the through hole 220 formed in the substrate 200, which will be described later. In Embodiment 1, the press-fit pin 111Cc is disposed on both sides of the two longitudinal plates 111C facing each other with a gap 160 between them.

[0201] The press-fit pin 121c is a portion that protrudes from the rear edge of the top plate 121 toward the rear and along the depth direction D1, and is disposed in the top plate 121 within the range corresponding to the position of the through hole 220 formed in the substrate 200 as described later.

[0202] The press-fit pin 131c is a portion that protrudes from the rear edge of the base plate 131 toward the rear and along the depth direction D1, and is disposed in the base plate 131 within the range corresponding to the position of the through hole 220 formed in the substrate 200 as described later.

[0203] The cage 100, equipped with a fixing part (press-fit pin) as described above, is installed on... Figure 19 The substrate 200 shown.

[0204] exist Figure 19 The substrate 200 shown has a plurality of through holes 220 for insertion of each press-fit pin.

[0205] Each through-hole 220 is disposed between two adjacent vent openings 210 and 210 in the transverse direction D3. This ensures that an area for arranging inner layer wiring is secured between two adjacent vent openings 210 and 210 in the longitudinal direction D2. If the inner layer wiring is arranged to avoid the through-holes 220 when they are disposed between adjacent vent openings 210 in the longitudinal direction D2, the area for arranging inner layer wiring is limited compared to this embodiment where no through-holes 220 are disposed between adjacent vent openings 210 in the longitudinal direction D2.

[0206] In addition, as a comparative example Figure 20 As shown, if no through hole 220 is provided between adjacent vent openings 210 and another vent opening 210 on the transverse D3, the multiple vent openings 210 arranged along the transverse D3 are integrated. Figure 20 (Referring to 210' in the attached drawing), this embodiment corresponds one-to-one with each ventilation opening 210 and each second port P2 and / or each first port P1 (see reference 210). Figure 19 Compared to the substrate 200, the substrate 200 is more prone to bending in the depth direction D1. This is because the portion of the substrate 200 between adjacent ventilation openings 210' in the longitudinal direction D2 ( Figure 20The B sections are not connected to each other in the longitudinal direction D2. However, in order to reduce the bending of the substrate 200, when through holes 220 are arranged between adjacent ventilation openings 210' in the longitudinal direction D2, the area for arranging inner layer wiring is limited as described above.

[0207] Here, as Figure 18 As shown, the press-fit pins 111Cc are positioned on both sides of the two opposing longitudinal plates 111C, separated by a gap 160. Therefore, as Figure 19 As shown, at least two through holes 220 are arranged in the transverse direction D3 between the vent openings 210. Figure 19 (Part A).

[0208] In addition, located Figure 19 The through hole 220 above part A is for the press-fit pin 121c on the top plate 121.

[0209] (Example 2)

[0210] As a fixed part, it is shown, for example, as Figure 21 The diagram shows multiple press-fit pins 111Cc disposed on each of the longitudinal plates 111C and multiple press-fit pins 121c disposed on the top plate 121. Furthermore, although not shown in... Figure 21 As shown in the figure, multiple press-fit pins 131c are also provided on the base plate 131.

[0211] In embodiment 2, the press-fit pin 111Cc is disposed on one of the two opposing longitudinal plates 111C separated by a gap 160.

[0212] The cage 100, equipped with a fixing part (press-fit pin) as described above, is installed on... Figure 22 The substrate 200 shown.

[0213] exist Figure 22 The substrate 200 shown has a plurality of through holes 220 for insertion of each press-fit pin.

[0214] Each through hole 220 is positioned between one adjacent vent opening 210 and another vent opening 210 on the transverse D3.

[0215] Here, as Figure 21 As shown, the press-fit pin 111Cc is disposed on one of the two opposing longitudinal plates 111C separated by a gap 160. Therefore, as Figure 22 As shown, only one through hole 220 is arranged in the transverse direction D3 between the vent openings 210. Figure 22 (Part C).

[0216] Therefore, compared to Embodiment 1, the lateral dimension D3 of the vent opening 210 can be increased (the vent opening 210 in Embodiment 1 is represented by a double-dotted line). As a result, cooling air can pass more easily through the area in contact with the back surface 202 of the substrate 200.

[0217] Furthermore, in Embodiments 1 and 2, the number or configuration of the through holes 220 can be appropriately changed according to specifications. Additionally, it is clear that the number or configuration of each press-fit pin can be appropriately changed according to the number or configuration of the through holes 220.

Claims

1. A cage frame, said cage frame being mounted on a first surface of an external substrate, and for accommodating a plurality of external devices inserted along a depth direction substantially orthogonal to the first surface, characterized in that: The direction orthogonal to the depth direction is defined as the longitudinal direction, and the direction orthogonal to both the depth direction and the longitudinal direction is defined as the transverse direction. The cage frame includes at least one longitudinal unit. The longitudinal unit defines a plurality of ports that serve as spaces to accommodate the external devices, which are arranged in a row along the longitudinal direction to form a port group. The vertical unit includes: Two longitudinal plates, extending along the longitudinal direction across the entire height of the port group, and configured to face each other in the transverse direction and spaced apart by a distance corresponding to the transverse width of the ports; and Multiple transverse plates, extending along the transverse direction, are arranged between the longitudinal plates and facing each other in the longitudinal direction. In the vertical unit, the port group includes a plurality of ports defined by two vertical plates and a plurality of horizontal plates.

2. The cage frame according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of vertical units is multiple. Multiple vertical units are arranged in a row along the horizontal direction. In the plurality of vertical units arranged in a row along the transverse direction, a gap is defined between the first vertical unit and the second vertical unit adjacent to the first vertical unit in the transverse direction as a space not for accommodating the external device. The gap includes: The rear surface opening faces the outer substrate; and The front surface opening is located on the opposite side of the rear surface opening.

3. The cage frame according to claim 2, characterized in that: Includes at least one front panel, The front surface plate covers the front surface opening of the gap, and the front surface plate is fixed to the front edge of one of the longitudinal plates of the first longitudinal unit and the front edge of one of the longitudinal plates of the second longitudinal unit, which are facing each other across the gap.

4. The cage frame according to claim 2, characterized in that: The front surface plate has multiple connecting holes. The connecting hole connects the outside to the gap.

5. The cage frame according to claim 3, characterized in that: It has multiple EMI fingers, The EMI fingers are mounted on the leading edge in a manner that sandwiches both sides of the longitudinal plate in the middle. The front surface panel is made of metal and is in contact with the EMI fingers.

6. The cage frame according to claim 1, characterized in that: The plurality of said longitudinal plates have fixing parts. The fixing part protrudes from the rear edge of the longitudinal plate facing the outer substrate along the depth direction and can be fixed to the outer substrate.

7. The cage frame according to claim 6, characterized in that: The fixing part is a press-fit pin that is pressed into the outer substrate.

8. The cage frame according to claim 1, characterized in that: The plurality of the horizontal plates have a plurality of connecting holes. The connecting hole connects the upper and lower surfaces of the horizontal plate.

9. The cage frame according to claim 1, characterized in that: The external device is an optical module or an optical module and a heat sink for cooling the optical module.

10. The cage frame according to claim 9, characterized in that: Among the plurality of ports arranged in a column along the longitudinal direction, The first port is the port that houses the optical module. The second port, which is adjacent to and above the first port in the longitudinal direction, is the port that houses the heat sink. The cross plate separating the first port and the second port has a through opening. The through opening connects the first port and the second port.

11. The cage frame according to claim 1, characterized in that: Including the top and bottom slabs, The set of multiple vertical units arranged in a row along the horizontal direction is defined as a unit group. The top plate extends across the entire width of the transverse direction of the unit group. The top plate is fixed to the upper edge of ... The base plate extends across the entire width of the transverse direction of the unit group. The base plate is fixed to the lower edge of the longitudinal plate of each of the plurality of longitudinal units included in the unit group.

12. The cage frame according to claim 11, characterized in that: The top plate and / or the bottom plate have fixing parts. The fixing part protrudes from the rear edge of the top plate and / or the bottom plate facing the outer substrate along the depth direction and can be fixed to the outer substrate.

13. The cage frame according to claim 12, characterized in that: The fixing part is a press-fit pin that is pressed into the outer substrate.

14. The cage frame according to claim 11, characterized in that: The base plate has multiple connecting holes. The connecting hole connects the upper and lower surfaces of the base plate.

15. A cage assembly, characterized in that, include: The cage frame as described in claim 1; as well as The substrate serving as the outer substrate.

16. A cage assembly, characterized in that, include: The cage frame as described in claim 7; as well as The substrate serving as the outer substrate. The substrate includes multiple ventilation openings and multiple through holes. The plurality of ventilation openings are openings penetrating the first surface of the substrate and the second surface corresponding to the back surface of the first surface, arranged in a manner corresponding to the position of each of the ports, and arranged in a row in the lateral direction at intervals from each other. The plurality of through holes are holes into which the press-fit pins of the longitudinal plate are pressed, and are arranged in the transverse direction between the vent openings.

Images