Optical cage assembly, optical module assembly and optical communication device

Abstract

The present application provides an optical cage assembly, an optical module assembly and an optical communication device. The optical cage assembly comprises a cage, a connector, a first heat sink, a second heat sink and a circuit board, wherein the connector is mounted in an inner cavity of the cage, and comprises at least a first connection port and a second connection port, the first connection port and the second connection port being respectively connected to a first optical module and a second optical module; the first optical module and the second optical module are respectively connected to the first heat sink and the second heat sink; and the first heat sink and the second heat sink are respectively mounted on two sides of the cage and located outside the cage, such that the first heat sink and the second heat sink do not occupy the space inside the cage, thereby facilitating the reduction of the size of the cage, increasing the space for accommodating the first and second heat sinks in a mounting groove, improving a heat dissipation effect of the first and second heat sinks, and also facilitating the replacement of the first and second optical modules with optical modules having a higher rate, and thus improving signal transmission efficiency of the optical communication device.

Description

Optical cage assembly, optical module assembly and optical communication device

[0001] The present application claims priority to the Chinese patent application No. 202411377028.7, filed on September 27, 2024, and entitled "Optical cage assembly, optical module assembly and optical communication device", the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to the field of optical communication technology, and in particular to an optical cage assembly, an optical module assembly and an optical communication device. BACKGROUND

[0003] In the process of signal transmission between devices, the electrical signal of the device is usually converted into an optical signal, and the rapid transmission of the optical signal through the optical fiber improves the transmission rate of the signal. The Quad Small Form Factor Pluggable (QSFP) is a high-speed data communication interface, which is mainly used to convert the electrical signal of the device into an optical signal. The QSFP optical module needs to be connected with the optical cage assembly in the optical communication device. The QSFP optical module converts the optical signal in the optical fiber into an electrical signal and transmits it to the optical cage assembly. The optical cage assembly then transmits the received signal to other functional modules in the optical communication device, so as to realize the signal transmission between the optical communication device and external devices.

[0004] The optical cage assembly includes a cage, a connector located in the cage, and a heat sink. The connector is used to connect with the QSFP optical module, and the heat sink is used to dissipate heat from the QSFP optical module. In order to improve the signal transmission efficiency of the optical communication device, the connector includes at least a first connection port and a second connection port arranged in layers. The QSFP optical module includes at least a first optical module for connecting with the first connection port and a second optical module for connecting with the second connection port. The heat sink includes a first heat sink for dissipating heat from the first optical module and a second heat sink for dissipating heat from the second optical module.

[0005] Usually, the second heat sink is located in the cage and between the first optical module and the second optical module, so that the size of the cage is relatively large. The size of the mounting slot for mounting the optical cage assembly on the optical communication device is a fixed value. When the cage with a large size is mounted in the mounting slot, the space for accommodating the first heat sink in the mounting slot is compressed, making it difficult to increase the size of the first heat sink. The first heat sink cannot meet the heat dissipation requirements of the optical module with a large rate, which limits the rate of the optical module that can be connected on the optical communication device, affecting the signal transmission efficiency of the optical communication device.

[0006] Therefore, how to increase the size of the first heat sink is a technical problem to be solved in the field.

[0007] Content of the application

[0008] The application provides an optical cage assembly, an optical module assembly and an optical communication device, which can reduce the size of the cage to increase the size of the first heat sink.

[0009] The first aspect of the application provides an optical cage assembly, comprising a cage, a connector, a first heat sink, a second heat sink and a circuit board, the cage has an inner cavity, the connector is installed in the inner cavity and comprises at least a first connection port and a second connection port, the first connection port is used to connect with a first optical module, and the second connection port is used to connect with a second optical module; the first heat sink and the second heat sink are both installed on the outside of the cage, the first heat sink is located on the side of the first optical module away from the second optical module, and the second heat sink is located on the side of the second optical module away from the first optical module; the first connection port and the second connection port are both electrically connected with the circuit board, the circuit board is located on the side of the second connection port away from the first connection port, the circuit board is provided with a receiving part, and at least part of the second heat sink is located in the receiving part.

[0010] In the application, the first heat sink and the second heat sink are respectively installed on the two sides of the cage and located on the outside of the cage, so that the first heat sink and the second heat sink do not occupy the space inside the cage, which is beneficial to reduce the distance between the first connection part of the first optical module and the second connection part of the second optical module in the second direction, thereby facilitating the reduction of the size of the cage in the second direction, when the size of the mounting groove is a fixed value, the space for accommodating the first heat sink and the second heat sink in the mounting groove is increased, which is further beneficial to increase the size and heat dissipation effect of the first heat sink and the second heat sink, and improve the working stability of the first optical module and the second optical module. Further, the size and heat dissipation effect of the first heat sink and the second heat sink can facilitate the replacement of the first optical module and the second optical module with optical modules with higher speed, thereby improving the signal transmission efficiency of the optical communication device.

[0011] In a possible design, the circuit board is located on the outside of the cage, the receiving part penetrates through the circuit board in the second direction, and part of the second heat sink extends to the side of the circuit board away from the second heat sink through the receiving part, and the second direction is the distribution direction of the circuit board and the second heat sink.

[0012] In the application, part of the second heat sink extends to the side of the circuit board away from the second heat sink through the receiving part, so as to further increase the size of the second heat sink and improve the heat dissipation effect of the second heat sink.

[0013] In a possible design, the second heat sink includes a body part and an extension part, the body part is in heat transfer with the second connection port, at least part of the body part is located in the accommodating part; the extension part is connected with the body part, the other end of the extension part extends along a third direction to a direction away from the body part, the third direction is perpendicular to the second direction; at least one of the body part and the extension part is provided with a heat dissipation fin.

[0014] In the application, the extension part extending along the third direction can further increase the size of the second heat sink, and thus improve the heat dissipation effect of the second heat sink. The heat dissipation fin can increase the contact area of the second heat sink with air, and thus improve the heat dissipation effect of the second heat sink.

[0015] In a possible design, along the second direction, the extension part is located on the side of the circuit board away from the connector.

[0016] In the application, the extension part is located on the side of the circuit board away from the cage, and the size of the second heat sink can be increased by using the gap between the circuit board and the base, that is, the size of the second heat sink is increased without increasing the overall size of the optical cage assembly, so as to balance the constraint relationship between the size of the second heat sink and the overall size of the optical cage assembly.

[0017] In a possible design, the first connection port and the second connection port are centrally symmetrically arranged.

[0018] In the application, the first connection port and the second connection port are centrally symmetrically arranged, that is, the first optical module and the second optical module are centrally symmetrically arranged, the first heat dissipation part on the first optical module is located on the side away from the second optical module, and the second heat dissipation part on the second optical module is located on the side away from the first optical module, that is, the change of the size of the first heat dissipation part and the second heat dissipation part in the second direction will not affect the distance between the first optical module and the second optical module in the second direction. After replacing the optical module with a high rate, the risk that the first optical module and the second optical module interfere to cause the first optical module or the second optical module to be unable to be normally installed is reduced.

[0019] In a possible design, the circuit board is provided with a first connection array and a second connection array, the first connection array is electrically connected with the first connection port, the second connection array is electrically connected with the second connection port, and the first connection array and the second connection array are centrally symmetrically arranged.

[0020] In the application, the connection arrays on the circuit board are also centrally symmetrically arranged, the electrical connection difficulty of the first connection port and the circuit board and the second connection port and the circuit board is reduced, the complexity of the arrangement of the pins is reduced, so as to facilitate the installation, debugging and disassembly of the first connection port and the second connection port in the later period.

[0021] In a possible design, along the second direction, the distance H between the first connection port and the second connection port satisfies: 3.2 mm ≤ H ≤ 3.9 mm.

[0022] In this application, 3.2 mm ≤ H ≤ 3.9 mm, which can reduce the interference between the first connection port and the second connection port, improve the working stability of the first connection port and the second connection port, and reduce the size of the cage, thereby reducing the overall size of the optical cage assembly.

[0023] In a possible design, the number of connectors is one; or the number of connectors is multiple, and the multiple connectors are distributed along the first direction, which is perpendicular to the distribution direction of the first connection port and the second connection port.

[0024] In this application, when the number of connectors is one, the structure inside the optical cage assembly is simplified, thereby facilitating the reduction of the installation space of the optical cage assembly. When the number of connectors is multiple, the multiple connectors enable one optical cage assembly to be connected to multiple QSFP optical modules at the same time, thereby improving the signal transmission efficiency of the optical communication device.

[0025] The second aspect of this application provides an optical module assembly, which includes the optical cage assembly of any one of the preceding aspects, a first optical module, and a second optical module, the first optical module being connected to the first connection port, and the second optical module being connected to the second connection port.

[0026] In this application, the first heat sink and the second heat sink are respectively installed on the two sides of the cage and located outside the cage, so that the first heat sink and the second heat sink do not occupy the space inside the cage, which facilitates the reduction of the distance between the first connection part of the first optical module and the second connection part of the second optical module in the second direction, thereby facilitating the reduction of the size of the cage in the second direction. When the size of the mounting groove is a fixed value, the space in the mounting groove for accommodating the first heat sink and the second heat sink is increased, thereby facilitating the increase of the size and heat dissipation effect of the first heat sink and the second heat sink, and improving the working stability of the first optical module and the second optical module. Further, the size and heat dissipation effect of the first heat sink and the second heat sink can facilitate the replacement of the first optical module and the second optical module with optical modules of a larger rate, thereby improving the signal transmission efficiency of the optical module assembly.

[0027] The third aspect of this application provides an optical communication device, which includes a base body and the optical cage assembly of any one of the preceding aspects, the base body being provided with a mounting groove, and the optical cage assembly being installed in the mounting groove.

[0028] In the present application, the first heat sink and the second heat sink are respectively installed on both sides of the cage and located outside the cage, so that the first heat sink and the second heat sink do not occupy the space inside the cage, which is conducive to reducing the distance between the first connecting part of the first optical module and the second connecting part of the second optical module in the second direction, thereby facilitating the reduction of the size of the cage in the second direction, and when the size of the installation slot is a fixed value, the space for accommodating the first heat sink and the second heat sink in the installation slot is increased, thereby facilitating the improvement of the size and heat dissipation effect of the first heat sink and the second heat sink, and the working stability of the first optical module and the second optical module is improved. Further, the size and heat dissipation effect of the first heat sink and the second heat sink can facilitate the replacement of the first optical module and the second optical module with optical modules with higher rates, thereby improving the signal transmission efficiency of the optical communication equipment.

[0029] In a possible design, the number of optical cage assemblies is one; or the number of optical cage assemblies is multiple, and the multiple optical cage assemblies are distributed along a first direction, and the first direction is perpendicular to the distribution direction of the first connecting port and the second connecting port.

[0030] In the present application, when the number of optical cage assemblies is one, the size of the installation slot for installing the optical cage assembly is small, thereby facilitating the improvement of the structural strength of the base body. When the number of optical cage assemblies is multiple, the multiple optical cage assemblies enable the optical communication equipment to be connected with multiple QSFP optical modules at the same time, that is, one optical communication equipment is connected with multiple other optical communication equipment at the same time, thereby improving the signal transmission efficiency of the optical communication equipment and the working efficiency of the optical communication equipment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0031] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings needed in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, and other drawings can be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor.

[0032] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of the optical communication equipment and the QSFP optical module in an embodiment provided by the present application;

[0033] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the optical cage assembly in an embodiment provided by the present application;

[0034] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the optical cage assembly in another embodiment provided by the present application;

[0035] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the arrangement of the optical cage assembly in an embodiment;

[0036] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the optical cage assembly in an embodiment.

[0037] Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of the optical cage subassembly and the QSFP optical module in an embodiment;

[0038] Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of the optical cage subassembly and the QSFP optical module in another embodiment;

[0039] Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of the distribution direction of the first connection part and the second connection part in Fig. 7 in an embodiment;

[0040] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of the distribution direction of the first connection part and the second connection part in Fig. 7 in another embodiment;

[0041] Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of the optical cage subassembly and the QSFP optical module in yet another embodiment;

[0042] Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram of the partial structure of the circuit board;

[0043] Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of the second heat sink and the circuit board in an embodiment;

[0044] Fig. 13 is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of the second heat sink and the circuit board in another embodiment;

[0045] Fig. 14 is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of the second heat sink and the circuit board in yet another embodiment.

[0046] Reference signs: 1 - housing; 2 - printed circuit board; 21 - mounting groove; 3 - optical cage subassembly; 31 - cage; 311 - inner cavity; 32 - connector; 321 - first connection port; 322 - second connection port; 322A - second surface; 322B - third surface; 33 - heat sink; 331 - first heat sink; 332 - second heat sink; 332A - body part; 332B - extension part; 332C - heat dissipation fin; 34 - circuit board; 341 - first connection area; 342 - second connection area; 343 - first connection row; 343A - first row; 343B - second row; 344 - second connection row; 344A - third row; 344B - fourth row; 345 - accommodating part; 35 - pin; 4 - QSFP optical module; 41 - first optical module; 411 - first connection part; 411A - first surface; 412 - first heat dissipation part; 42 - second optical module; 421 - second connection part; 421A - second surface; 421B - third surface; 422 - second heat dissipation part; 43 - body; 44 - connection part. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] In order to better understand the technical solutions of the present application, the embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0048] It should be noted that the described embodiments are merely some of the embodiments of the present application, but not all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative work fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0049] The terms used in the embodiments of the present application are merely for the purpose of describing the specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present application. The singular forms "a", "an" and "the" used in the embodiments of the present application and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0050] It should be understood that the term "and / or" used herein merely describes an association relationship of associated objects, which means that there can be three relationships, for example, A and / or B, which can represent the following three cases: A exists alone, A and B exist together, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in the present application generally represents an "or" relationship between the front and rear associated objects.

[0051] In the process of signal transmission between devices, the electrical signal of the device is usually converted into an optical signal, and the rapid transmission of the optical signal through the optical fiber improves the transmission rate of the signal. The small form-factor pluggable (QSFP, Quad Small Form Factor Pluggable) is a high-speed data communication interface, which is mainly used to convert the electrical signal of the device into an optical signal. For example, between a switch and a router, the switch transmits an electrical signal to a QSFP optical module, the QSFP optical module converts the electrical signal into an optical signal and transmits it to the router through an optical fiber, or the QSFP optical module converts the optical signal in the optical fiber into an electrical signal and transmits it to the switch.

[0052] The QSFP optical module needs to be connected with an optical communication device, which includes but is not limited to a switch, a router, a server, a storage system, a network performance tester, a base station and a supercomputer, etc. The application scenario of the QSFP optical module is not specially limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0053] The QSFP optical module at least includes a four-channel small form-factor pluggable 28Gbps per lane (QSFP28) optical module and a four-channel small form-factor double density (QSFP-DD) optical module. The QSFP28 optical module supports four-channel transmission, and each channel can reach a data rate of 28Gbps, so the total rate can reach 100Gbps. Compared with the traditional optical module, the QSFP28 optical module has a smaller size, which is convenient for realizing higher port density in limited space, so the QSFP28 optical module realizes lower power consumption while maintaining high performance, which helps to reduce the operating cost of the data center. The QSFP-DD optical module supports eight channels, and each channel can reach a maximum of 56Gbps, and the total rate can reach 400Gbps. The QSFP-DD optical module realizes higher data transmission capacity by increasing the number of channels and improving the single-channel rate.

[0054] The optical module used for interfacing with the optical communication device can be a QSFP28 optical module or a QSFP-DD optical module, and the embodiments of the present application do not specially limit the type of QSFP optical module.

[0055] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of the optical communication device and the QSFP optical module in an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the optical communication device includes a housing 1, the housing 1 has a mounting cavity, and an optical cage assembly is arranged in the mounting cavity. The optical cage assembly is used to electrically connect with the QSFP optical module 4 to form an optical module assembly. In the optical module assembly, the QSFP optical module 4 converts the optical signal in the optical fiber into an electrical signal and transmits it to the optical cage assembly, and the optical cage assembly further transmits the received signal to other functional modules to realize signal transmission between the optical communication device and external devices. The functional modules include but are not limited to filters, amplifiers, signal processors, etc. The specific type and function of the functional module are not specially limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0056] The optical cage assembly is mounted on the base body of the optical communication device. The base body can be the housing 1 in FIG. 1, or a printed circuit board installed in the housing 1.

[0057] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the mounting structure of the optical cage assembly. In an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the base body is the housing 1, the housing 1 is provided with a mounting groove 21 for accommodating the optical cage assembly, the optical cage assembly 3 is directly mounted on the housing 1, and at least part of the optical cage assembly 3 is located in the mounting groove 21.

[0058] In the embodiment, the optical cage subassembly 3 is directly mounted on the housing 1, which simplifies the structure inside the housing 1, thereby facilitating the reduction of the overall size of the housing 1.

[0059] Fig. 3 is a schematic view of the mounting structure of the optical cage subassembly. In another possible design, as shown in Fig. 3, the mounting cavity of the housing 1 is mounted with the printed circuit board 2, and the printed circuit board 2 is provided with a mounting groove 21 for accommodating the optical cage subassembly 3, and the optical cage subassembly 3 is indirectly mounted on the housing 1 through the printed circuit board 2.

[0060] In the embodiment, the optical cage subassembly 3 is mounted on the printed circuit board 2, so that the optical cage subassembly 3 can be electrically connected to other modules inside the housing 1 through the printed circuit board 3, so that the signals of the QSFP optical module are transmitted to more modules through the optical cage subassembly 3 and the printed circuit board 3, for example, different rate signals can be processed at the same time, thereby facilitating the improvement of the signal processing efficiency of the optical communication device.

[0061] In addition, the number of the optical cage subassembly 3 in one optical communication device can be one or multiple, and the specific number, arrangement direction and distribution form of the optical cage subassembly 3 are not specially limited in the embodiment.

[0062] When the number of the optical cage subassembly 3 is one, the size of the mounting groove 21 for mounting the optical cage subassembly 3 is small, thereby facilitating the improvement of the structural strength of the substrate.

[0063] Fig. 4 is a schematic view of the arrangement of the optical cage subassembly. When the number of the optical cage subassembly 3 is multiple, as shown in Fig. 4, the multiple optical cage subassemblies 3 are arranged along the first direction X. The adjacent optical cage subassemblies 3 can be closely arranged, that is, there is a contact surface between the adjacent optical cage subassemblies 3, or there is a gap between the adjacent optical cage subassemblies 3.

[0064] In the embodiment, the multiple optical cage subassemblies 3 enable the optical communication device to be connected to multiple QSFP optical modules at the same time, that is, one optical communication device is connected to multiple other optical communication devices at the same time, thereby improving the signal transmission efficiency of the optical communication device, and improving the working efficiency of the optical communication device.

[0065] Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the optical cage assembly. As shown in Fig. 5, the optical cage assembly 3 comprises a cage 31, a connector 32, a heat sink 33 and a circuit board 34, the cage 31 has an inner cavity 311, the connector 32 is installed on the cage 31 and located in the inner cavity 311, the connector 32 is electrically connected to the circuit board 34 through a pin 35, the QSFP optical module 4 comprises a body 43 and a connecting part 44, a part of the connecting part 44 can be inserted into the inner cavity 311 and be connected to the port on the connector 32, that is, the signal of the QSFP optical module can be transmitted into the connector 32, the connector 32 transmits the signal to the circuit board 34 through the pin 35, the circuit board 34 receives the signal and processes and analyzes the signal to realize the acquisition of the signal by the optical communication equipment. The heat sink 33 is in contact with the connecting part 44 and transfers heat to realize the heat dissipation of the QSFP optical module 4.

[0066] The circuit board 34 is located outside the cage 31 to facilitate the connection with other electronic elements.

[0067] The number of the connector 32 for connecting with the QSFP optical module can be one or multiple.

[0068] When the number of the connector 32 is one, the internal structure of the optical cage assembly is simplified, thereby facilitating the reduction of the installation space of the optical cage assembly.

[0069] As shown in Fig. 5, the distribution direction of the cage 31 and the circuit board 34 is defined as the second direction Y. When the number of the connector 32 is multiple, the multiple connectors 32 can be arranged in a direction perpendicular to the second direction Y, for example, the multiple connectors 32 can be arranged in the first direction X shown in Fig. 4. The adjacent connectors 32 can be closely arranged, that is, there is a contact surface between the adjacent connectors 32, or there is a gap between the adjacent connectors 32.

[0070] In the embodiment, the multiple connectors 32 enable one optical cage assembly 3 to simultaneously connect with multiple QSFP optical modules, thereby improving the signal transmission efficiency of the optical module assembly and the optical communication equipment.

[0071] As shown in Fig. 5, the heat sink 33 can be located outside the cage 31 or in the inner cavity 311 of the cage 31. In Fig. 5, for example, a part of the heat sink 33 is located outside the cage 31, and the other part extends into the inner cavity 311 through a through hole on the cage 31 and is connected to the connecting part 44 of the QSFP optical module 4. The connection between the two refers to that the connecting part 44 can transfer heat to the heat sink, that is, the heat of the connecting part 44 can be transferred to the heat sink 33 through the contact surface between the two, and then the heat sink 33 exchanges heat with the air to realize the heat dissipation of the connector 32 and the QSFP optical module 4.

[0072] On the basis of the optical cage assembly shown in FIG. 5, the optical cage assembly can be arranged as a multi-layer structure. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of the optical cage assembly and the QSFP optical module. As shown in FIG. 6, the connector 32 at least includes a first connection port 321 and a second connection port 322 distributed along the second direction Y, and the first connection port 321 and the second connection port 322 are electrically connected with the circuit board 34, and the connection mode includes but is not limited to electrical connection through the pin 35. As shown in FIG. 6, the QSFP optical module 4 at least includes a first optical module 41 and a second optical module 42, the connection part on the first optical module 41 is referred to as a first connection part 411, and the connection part on the second optical module 42 is referred to as a second connection part 421, the first connection part 411 can be inserted into the cage 31 along the third direction Z and connected with the first connection port 321, and the second optical module 42 can be inserted into the cage 31 along the third direction Z and connected with the second connection port 322.

[0073] In the embodiment, a plurality of connectors distributed along the second direction Y are arranged, so that one optical cage assembly 3 can be connected with a plurality of QSFP optical modules 4 at the same time, thereby improving the signal transmission efficiency of the optical cage assembly 3 and the optical module assembly.

[0074] Referring again to FIG. 6, the heat sink 33 at least includes a first heat sink 331 and a second heat sink 332, the first heat sink 331 is used for cooling and dissipating heat of the first connection part 411, and the second heat sink 332 is used for cooling and dissipating heat of the second connection part 421, so as to maintain the normal and stable operation of the first optical module 41 and the second optical module 42.

[0075] In the structure shown in FIG. 6, one end of the first heat sink 331 directly or indirectly abuts and transfers heat with the first connection part 411, and the other end extends to the outside of the cage 31 through the through hole on the cage 31, the heat of the first connection part 411 can be transferred to the first heat sink 331, and the first heat sink 331 cools the first optical module 41 by heat exchange with the air outside the cage 31. As shown in FIG. 6, along the second direction Y, the second heat sink 332 is located between the first connection part 411 and the second connection part 421, the heat of the second connection part 421 can be transferred to the second heat sink 332, and the second heat sink 332 cools the second optical module 42 by heat exchange with the air in the cage 31. When the second optical module 42 is a QSFP-DD optical module, the heat dissipation requirement of the second optical module 42 is higher, so that the size of the second heat sink 332 is larger, thereby causing the distance between the first connection part 411 and the second connection part 421 in the second direction Y to be larger, and further causing the size of the cage 31 in the second direction Y to be larger, so that the number of optical cage assemblies 3 that can be arranged on the optical communication equipment is limited.

[0076] If the first optical module 41 and the second optical module 42 with a rate of 400G are adjusted to optical modules with a rate of 800G or 1600G, the heat dissipation requirements of the first optical module 41 and the second optical module 42 increase, and the sizes of the first heat sink 331 and the second heat sink 332 for dissipating heat of the first optical module 41 and the second optical module 42 also need to increase. The size of the mounting groove 21 for accommodating the optical cage subassembly 3 in FIG. 3 needs to meet the provisions of the optical module design specification, that is, the size of the mounting groove 21 is a fixed value, and the size of the mounting groove 21 limits the overall size of the optical cage subassembly inside the mounting groove 21, that is, limits the size of the cage 31 and the first heat sink 331. When the size of the cage 31 is a fixed value, it is difficult to increase the size of the first heat sink 331, and there is a risk that the first heat sink 331 cannot meet the heat dissipation requirements of the optical module with a larger rate, thereby limiting the rate of the optical module that can be connected on the optical communication equipment, and further affecting the signal transmission efficiency of the optical module assembly and the optical communication equipment.

[0077] In addition, after the first optical module 41 and the second optical module 42 with a rate of 400G are adjusted to connectors with a rate of 800G or 1600G, the size of the second heat sink 332 in the second direction Y needs to be increased, so that the distance between the first connecting part 411 and the second connecting part 421 in the second direction Y is increased, and the size of the cage 31 for accommodating the first connecting part 411 and the second connecting part 421 in the second direction Y also needs to be increased. When the size of the mounting groove 21 in FIG. 3 is a fixed value, the size of the cage 31 in the second direction Y needs to be increased, which reduces the space for accommodating the first heat sink 331 in the mounting groove 21, that is, the size of the first heat sink 331 needs to be reduced. The smaller the size of the first heat sink 331, the worse the heat dissipation effect of the first optical module 41 and the first connecting port 321, and there is a risk that the heat dissipation requirements of the first optical module 41 and the first connecting port 321 cannot be met.

[0078] Therefore, the embodiment of the present application provides an optical cage subassembly capable of solving the above problems. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the optical cage subassembly. As shown in FIG. 7, the first heat sink 331 and the second heat sink 332 are both mounted on the outside of the cage 31, that is, along the second direction Y, the first heat sink 331 is located on the side of the first connecting part 411 away from the second connecting part 421, and the second heat sink 332 is located on the side of the second connecting part 421 away from the first connecting part 411. The circuit board 34 is located on the side of the second connecting part 421 away from the first connecting part 411, and the circuit board 34 is provided with an accommodation part, and at least part of the second heat sink 332 is located in the accommodation part.

[0079] Specifically, a part of the first heat sink 331 can extend into the cage 31 through a through hole (not labeled in the figure) on the cage 31 and transfer heat to the first connecting part 411, which can transfer heat to the first heat sink 331, and the first heat sink 331 cools the first connecting part 411 by exchanging heat with the air outside the cage 31. Similarly, a part of the second heat sink 332 can extend into the cage 31 through a through hole (not labeled in the figure) on the cage 31 and transfer heat to the second connecting part 421, which can transfer heat to the second heat sink 332, and the second heat sink 332 cools the second connecting part 421 by exchanging heat with the air outside the cage 31.

[0080] In this embodiment, along the second direction Y, the first heat sink 331 and the second heat sink 332 are respectively installed on both sides of the cage 31 and located outside the cage 31, so that the first heat sink 331 and the second heat sink 332 do not occupy the space inside the cage 31, which is conducive to reducing the distance between the first connecting part 411 and the second connecting part 421 in the second direction Y, thereby facilitating the reduction of the size of the cage 31 in the second direction Y. When the size of the installation slot is a fixed value, the space for accommodating the first heat sink 311 and the second heat sink 321 in the installation slot is increased, which is further conducive to improving the size and heat dissipation effect of the first heat sink 311 and the second heat sink 321, and improving the working stability of the first optical module 41 and the second optical module 42. Further, the size and heat dissipation effect of the first heat sink 311 and the second heat sink 321 can facilitate the replacement of the first optical module 41 and the second optical module 42 with a higher rate, for example, replacing the first optical module 41 and the second optical module 42 with a rate of 400G with optical modules with a rate of 800G or 1600G, thereby improving the signal transmission efficiency of the optical module assembly and the optical communication equipment.

[0081] At least part of the second heat sink 332 is located in the accommodating part of the circuit board, which can reduce the distance between the circuit board 34 and the cage 31 in the second direction Y. When the size of the installation slot 21 in the second direction Y is a fixed value, the distance between the circuit board 34 and the cage 31 in the second direction Y is reduced, and the size of the first heat sink 331 can be correspondingly increased to improve the heat dissipation effect of the first heat sink 331.

[0082] Taking QSFP optical modules as QSFP-DD optical modules as an example, when the rate of the QSFP-DD optical module is 400G, the height of the cage 31 in the second direction Y is at least reduced by 2.8mm, when the rate of the QSFP-DD optical module is 800G, the height of the cage 31 in the second direction Y is at least reduced by 4.8mm, and when the rate of the QSFP-DD optical module is 1600G, the height of the cage 31 in the second direction Y is at least reduced by 6.8mm.

[0083] The distance H between the first connecting part 411 and the second connecting part 421 in the second direction Y satisfies: 3.2mm≤H≤3.9mm, and H can be 3.2mm, 3.25mm, 3.3mm, 3.35mm, 3.4mm, 3.45mm, 3.5mm, 3.55mm, 3.6mm, 3.65mm, 3.7mm, 3.75mm, 3.8mm, 3.85mm, 3.9mm, etc.

[0084] If the distance between the first connecting part 411 and the second connecting part 421 is small, for example, H<3.2mm, the interference between the first connecting part 411 and the second connecting part 421 is large, and there is a risk that the first connecting part 411 and the second connecting part 421 do not work stably. If the distance between the first connecting part 411 and the second connecting part 421 is large, for example, H>3.9mm, the overall size of the cage 31 is large, which is not conducive to the miniaturization of the cage 31. Therefore, 3.2mm≤H≤3.9mm can reduce the interference between the first connecting part 411 and the second connecting part 421, improve the working stability of the first connecting part 411 and the second connecting part 421, and also reduce the size of the cage 31, thereby reducing the overall size of the light cage assembly.

[0085] FIG. 8 is a schematic view of the distribution direction of the first light module 41 and the second light module 42. As shown in FIG. 8, the first connecting part 411 and the second connecting part 421 each have a surface with good heat dissipation effect and a surface with poor heat dissipation effect. The surface with good heat dissipation effect on the first connecting part 411 is denoted as a first surface 411A, the surface with good heat dissipation effect on the second connecting part 421 is denoted as a second surface 421A, and the surface with poor heat dissipation effect on the second connecting part 421 is denoted as a third surface 421B. The third surface 421B and the second surface 421A are oppositely arranged on both sides of the second connecting part 421 along the second direction Y.

[0086] The first heat sink 331 can be attached to the first surface 411A, or can be attached to the surface with poor heat dissipation effect on the first connecting part 411. The second heat sink 332 can be attached to the second surface 421A, or can be attached to the third surface 421B on the second connecting part 421.

[0087] The distribution of the first connecting port 321 and the second connecting port 322 at least has the following two forms:

[0088] In the first possible distribution form, as shown in FIG. 8, along the second direction Y, the first surface 411A is located on the side of the first connecting part 411 away from the second connecting part 421, and the second surface 421A is located on the side of the second connecting part 421 close to the first connecting part 411, that is, the first connecting part 411 and the second connecting part 421 are installed in the same direction, so as to reduce the complexity of the connection of the first connecting part 411, the second connecting part 421 and the circuit board 34. When the first optical module 41 and the second optical module 42 are the same type of optical module, for example, the first optical module 41 and the second optical module 42 are both QSFP-DD optical modules, the structures of the first optical module 41 and the second optical module 42 are the same, and the first optical module 41 and the second optical module 42 are arranged in the same direction, that is, when the first optical module 41 is moved downward along the second direction Y (that is, the direction of the arrow of the second direction Y shown in FIG. 8), the first optical module 41 can be completely coincided with the second optical module 42. Correspondingly, the first connecting port 321 and the second connecting port 322 on the connector 32 in FIG. 7 are also arranged in the same direction.

[0089] When the first optical module 41 and the second optical module 42 are installed in the same direction, the first surface 411A is close to the cage 31 in FIG. 7, and the second surface 421A is located at the middle position of the inner cavity 311 in FIG. 7. At this time, the first surface 411A can be directly attached to the first heat sink 331, so as to simplify the connection structure of the first surface 411A and the first heat sink 331. Alternatively, the first surface 411A is attached to the first heat sink 311 through a heat conduction piece, so as to increase the distance between the first connecting part 411 and the first heat sink 331, thereby increasing the flexibility of the setting position of the first heat sink 331, so as to adaptively increase the size of the first heat sink 331 to improve the heat dissipation effect of the first heat sink 331.

[0090] The second heat sink 332 can be directly attached to the second surface 421A. At this time, the structure of the second heat sink 322 needs to be adjusted, so that the second heat sink 322 located on the back of the second connecting part 421 can be in contact with the second surface 421A on the front of the second connecting part 421. The second surface 421A can be directly connected to the second heat sink 332, which can improve the heat dissipation effect of the second heat sink 332 on the second connecting port 322.

[0091] The second heat sink 332 can also be attached to the second surface 421A through a heat conduction piece. At this time, the structure of the heat conduction piece can be adjusted to increase the distance between the second connecting part 421 and the second heat sink 332, thereby increasing the flexibility of the setting position of the second heat sink 332, so as to adaptively increase the size of the second heat sink 332 to improve the heat dissipation effect of the second heat sink 332.

[0092] The second heat sink 332 can also be connected with the third surface 421B of the second connecting portion 421. Specifically, the second heat sink 332 can be directly attached with the third surface 421B, or the second heat sink 332 can be attached with the third surface 421B through a heat conduction member, so as to simplify the connection structure of the second heat sink 332 and the second connecting portion 421 and reduce the cost.

[0093] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of the distribution direction of the first optical module and the second optical module. In a second possible distribution form, as shown in FIG. 9, the first optical module 41 and the second optical module 42 are arranged in a central symmetry, and along the second direction Y, the first surface 411A is located on the side of the first connecting portion 411 away from the second connecting portion 421, and the second surface 421A is located on the side of the second connecting portion 421 away from the first connecting portion 411. For example, when the first optical module 41 and the second optical module 42 are both QSFP-DD connectors, the first optical module 41 is flipped by 180° around the third direction Z and then moved downward along the second direction Y, the first optical module 41 can be completely overlapped with the second optical module 42. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of the optical module and the optical cage subassembly in FIG. 9. As shown in FIG. 10, when the first optical module 41 and the second optical module 42 are arranged in a central symmetry, the first connecting port 321 and the second connecting port 322 on the connector 32 are also arranged in a central symmetry.

[0094] When the first optical module 41 and the second optical module 42 with a rate of 400G are replaced by optical modules with a rate of 800G or 1600G, the size of the first heat dissipation portion 412 and the second heat dissipation portion 422 in the second direction Y will increase. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, when the first optical module 41 and the second optical module 42 are arranged in a central symmetry, the first heat dissipation portion 412 on the first optical module 41 is located on the side away from the second optical module 42, and the second heat dissipation portion 422 on the second optical module 42 is located on the side away from the first optical module 41, that is, the change of the size of the first heat dissipation portion 412 and the second heat dissipation portion 422 in the second direction Y will not affect the distance between the first optical module 41 and the second optical module 42 in the second direction Y. After replacing the optical module with a large rate, the risk that the first optical module 41 and the second optical module 42 interfere with each other to cause the first optical module 41 or the second optical module 42 to be unable to be normally installed is reduced.

[0095] When the first optical module 41 and the second optical module 42 are centrally symmetrically arranged, the first surface 411A and the second surface 421A are both close to the cage 31 in FIG. 7. At this time, the first surface 411A can be directly attached to the first heat sink 331 to simplify the connection structure of the first surface 411A and the first heat sink 331. Alternatively, the first surface 411A and the first heat sink 331 are attached through a heat conduction piece to facilitate increasing the distance between the first connecting portion 411 and the first heat sink 331, thereby increasing the flexibility of the setting position of the first heat sink 331 to facilitate adaptive increase in the size of the first heat sink 331 to improve the heat dissipation effect of the first heat sink 331.

[0096] The second heat sink 332 can be directly attached to the second surface 421A, which can improve the heat dissipation effect of the second heat sink 332 on the second connecting portion 421. Alternatively, the second heat sink 332 can also be attached to the second surface 421A through a heat conduction piece. At this time, the distance between the second heat sink 332 and the first connecting portion 411 can be increased by adjusting the structure of the heat conduction piece, thereby increasing the flexibility of the setting position of the second heat sink 332 to facilitate adaptive increase in the size of the second heat sink 332 to improve the heat dissipation effect of the second heat sink 332.

[0097] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of a circuit board. As shown in FIG. 11, the circuit board 34 is provided with a first connecting region 341 and a second connecting region 342. Referring to FIG. 7, the first connecting port 321 is electrically connected to the connecting array in the first connecting region 341 through the pin 35, and the second connecting port 322 is electrically connected to the connecting array in the second connecting region 342 through the pin 35. When the first connecting port 321 and the second connecting port 322 are centrally symmetrically arranged, as shown in FIG. 11, the connecting array in the first connecting region 341 and the connecting array in the second connecting region 342 are centrally symmetrically arranged, that is, the connecting array in the first connecting region 341 is rotated by 180° and translated to coincide with the connecting array in the second connecting region 342.

[0098] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, the connection array at least includes a first connection row 343 and a second connection row 344, the first connection row 343 in the first connection area 341 is recorded as a first row 343A, the first connection row 343 in the second connection area 342 is recorded as a second row 343B, the second connection row 344 in the first connection area 341 is recorded as a third row 344A, and the second connection row 344 in the second connection area 342 is recorded as a fourth row 344B. Along the distribution direction of the first connection area 341 and the second connection area 342, for example, along the third direction Z, the first row 343A is located on the side of the first connection area 341 away from the second connection area 342, the second row 343B is located on the side of the second connection area 342 away from the first connection area 341, the third row 344A is located on the side of the first connection area 341 close to the second connection area 342, and the fourth row 344B is located on the side of the second connection area 342 close to the first connection area 341.

[0099] In the embodiment, the connection array on the circuit board 34 is also arranged in a central symmetry, which reduces the difficulty of electrical connection between the first connection port 321 and the circuit board 34 and between the second connection port 322 and the circuit board 34, thereby reducing the complexity of the arrangement of the pins, facilitating the installation, debugging and disassembly of the first connection port 321 and the second connection port 322 in the later stage.

[0100] The receiving portion on the circuit board can be a receiving groove or a through hole penetrating the circuit board.

[0101] FIG. 12 is a schematic view of the connection structure between the second heat sink and the circuit board. As shown in FIG. 12, the receiving portion 345 is a receiving groove, and a part of the second heat sink 332 is located in the receiving groove, which increases the space between the circuit board 34 and the cage for accommodating the second heat sink 332, thereby facilitating the increase of the size of the second heat sink 332, and further facilitating the improvement of the heat dissipation effect of the second heat sink 332. In addition, it is also beneficial to reduce the distance between the circuit board 34 and the cage, thereby reducing the overall size of the optical cage assembly. As shown in FIG. 12, when the second heat sink 332 and the side wall of the receiving groove abut in the second direction Y, the circuit board 34 can support the second heat sink 332, which reduces the risk of the second heat sink 332 separating from the second connection part of the second optical module under the action of its own gravity, thereby improving the connection reliability of the second heat sink 332 and the second connection part.

[0102] FIG. 13 is a schematic view of the connection structure between the second heat sink and the circuit board. As shown in FIG. 13, along the second direction Y, the receiving portion 345 penetrates the circuit board 34, and a part of the second heat sink 332 extends to the side of the circuit board 34 away from the cage through the receiving portion 345, so as to further increase the size of the second heat sink 332 and further improve the heat dissipation effect of the second heat sink 332.

[0103] Fig. 14 is a schematic view of a connection structure of the second heat sink and the circuit board. As shown in Fig. 14, the second heat sink 332 includes a body portion 332A and an extension portion 332B, the body portion 332A is connected with the second connection portion, and at least part of the body portion 332 is located in the accommodating portion 345; one end of the extension portion 332B is connected with the body portion 332A, and the other end of the extension portion 332B extends in the third direction Z away from the body portion 332A.

[0104] In the present embodiment, the extension portion 332B extending in the third direction Z is provided, which can further increase the size of the second heat sink 332, and thus improve the heat dissipation effect of the second heat sink 332.

[0105] At least one of the body portion 332A and the extension portion 332B is provided with a heat dissipation fin 332C. In Fig. 14, both the body portion 332A and the extension portion 332B are provided with the heat dissipation fin 332C. The heat dissipation fin can increase the contact area of the second heat sink 332 with air, and thus improve the heat dissipation effect of the second heat sink 332.

[0106] The surface area of the extension portion 332B for contacting air can be less than the surface area of the body portion 332A for contacting air. The surface area of the extension portion 332B for contacting air can be equal to or greater than the surface area of the body portion 332A for contacting air.

[0107] Similarly, the first heat sink is also provided with a heat dissipation fin to improve the heat dissipation effect of the first heat sink.

[0108] In the second direction Y, the extension portion can be located between the circuit board and the cage, or can be located on the side of the circuit board away from the cage.

[0109] As shown in Fig. 14, taking the example that the light cage assembly is mounted on the base and the base is the housing 1. In the second direction Y, the extension portion 332B is located on the side of the circuit board 34 away from the cage 31, which can increase the size of the second heat sink 332 by using the gap between the circuit board 34 and the base, i.e. increasing the size of the second heat sink 332 without increasing the overall size of the light cage assembly.

[0110] The same or similar parts among various embodiments in the present specification can be referred to each other.

Claims

1. A light cage subassembly, characterized by, The optical cage assembly comprises: a cage having an inner cavity; a connector mounted in the inner cavity, the connector comprising at least a first connection port and a second connection port, the first connection port being configured to connect with a first optical module, the second connection port being configured to connect with a second optical module; a first heat sink and a second heat sink, the first heat sink and the second heat sink being mounted outside the cage, the first heat sink being located on a side of the first optical module away from the second optical module, the second heat sink being located on a side of the second optical module away from the first optical module; a circuit board, the first connection port and the second connection port being electrically connected with the circuit board, the circuit board being located on a side of the second connection port away from the first connection port, the circuit board being provided with a receiving portion, at least a portion of the second heat sink being located in the receiving portion.

2. The light cage sub-assembly of claim 1, wherein, The circuit board is located outside the cage along a second direction, the receiving portion penetrating the circuit board, a portion of the second heat sink extending to a side of the circuit board away from the second heat sink through the receiving portion, the second direction being a distribution direction of the second connection port and the second connection port.

3. The light cage sub-assembly of claim 2, wherein, The second heat sink comprises a body portion and an extension portion, the body portion being in heat transfer with the second connection port, at least a portion of the body portion being located in the receiving portion; the extension portion being connected with the body portion, the other end of the extension portion extending in a third direction away from the body portion, the third direction being perpendicular to the second direction; at least one of the body portion and the extension portion being provided with a heat dissipation fin.

4. The light cage sub-assembly of claim 3, wherein, Along the second direction, the extension portion is located on a side of the circuit board away from the connector.

5. The light cage assembly of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The first connection port and the second connection port are centrally symmetrically arranged.

6. The light cage sub-assembly of claim 5, wherein, The circuit board is provided with a first connection array and a second connection array, the first connection array being electrically connected with the first connection port, the second connection array being electrically connected with the second connection port, the first connection array and the second connection array being centrally symmetrically arranged.

7. The light cage assembly of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, Along the second direction, a distance H between the first connection port and the second connection port satisfies: 3.2mm≤H≤3.9mm.

8. The light cage assembly of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The number of the connectors is one; alternatively, the number of the connectors is multiple, the multiple connectors being distributed along a first direction, the first direction being perpendicular to a distribution direction of the first connection port and the second connection port.

9. An optical module assembly, characterized by comprising: The optical module assembly comprises: the optical cage assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 8; a first optical module connected with the first connection port; a second optical module connected with the second connection port.

10. An optical communication device, comprising: The optical communication device comprises: a base body provided with a mounting groove; the optical cage assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 8, the optical cage assembly being mounted in the mounting groove.

11. The optical communication device of claim 10, wherein, The number of the optical cage assemblies is one. Alternatively, the number of the light cage sub-assemblies is multiple, and the multiple light cage sub-assemblies are distributed along a first direction, which is perpendicular to the distribution direction of the first connecting port and the second connecting port.

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