Optical module, optical communication device and computing device

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of optical communications. Disclosed is an optical module, comprising a housing, a circuit board, a floating heat sink and an elastic assembly, wherein the housing has an accommodating cavity inside, the circuit board is arranged in the accommodating cavity, and components are provided on the circuit board; the floating heat sink is disposed on one side of the components in the direction of thickness of the circuit board and is connected to the components; and the elastic assembly is disposed on the housing and at least partially abuts against the floating heat sink, and the elastic assembly is configured to apply to the floating heat sink a force toward the components. The present application can improve the heat dissipation effect of the optical module. Further disclosed in the present application are an optical communication device and a computing device.

Description

Optical modules, optical communication equipment and computing devices

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411519983.X, filed on October 29, 2024, entitled "Optical Module, Optical Communication Equipment and Computing Device", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of optical communication technology, and in particular to an optical module, an optical communication device, and a computing device. Background Technology

[0003] An optical module is an integrated module that converts optical signals into electrical signals and / or electrical signals into optical signals, playing a crucial role in fiber optic communication. During operation, the internal components of an optical module (such as the main chip) generate a significant amount of heat, and the lasers used to generate or receive optical signals within the module have relatively strict temperature requirements. To ensure normal optical communication, it is essential to dissipate the heat generated by these components in a timely manner.

[0004] However, with the increase in the workload of network product boards, the high-density layout of optical modules on the boards has led to the problem of poor heat dissipation of the optical modules. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides an optical module, an optical communication device, and a computing device, which can improve the heat dissipation effect of the optical module.

[0006] In a first aspect, this application provides an optical module, comprising: a housing, a circuit board, a floating heat sink, and an elastic component. The housing has a receiving cavity, and the circuit board is disposed within the receiving cavity, with components mounted on the circuit board. The floating heat sink is disposed along the thickness direction of the circuit board on one side of the components and is in contact with the components. The elastic component is disposed on the housing and at least partially abuts against the floating heat sink, wherein the elastic component applies a force toward the components to the floating heat sink.

[0007] By adopting the above technical solution, this application sets a floating heat sink in the optical module and uses an elastic component to apply a force toward the component to the floating heat sink, so that the floating heat sink can be tightly attached to the component, thereby reducing the thermal resistance between the floating heat sink and the component and enhancing the heat dissipation effect.

[0008] In some implementations of this application, the floating heat sink includes: a substrate, a thermally conductive element, and a plurality of first heat sinks. The thermally conductive element is disposed on the side of the substrate closer to the component, and the thermally conductive element is directly or indirectly pressed against the component. The plurality of first heat sinks are disposed on the side of the substrate away from the component, and the first heat sinks are spaced apart along a direction parallel to the substrate.

[0009] In some implementations of this application, the substrate and the first heat sink are disposed outside the housing, and the housing is provided with a first clearance groove, through which the heat-conducting component extends into the receiving cavity. The elastic component and the substrate are disposed on the same side outside the housing, the elastic component spans the substrate in a direction parallel to the substrate, both ends of the elastic component are connected to the housing, and the middle part of the elastic component contacts the substrate to apply a force toward the component to the substrate.

[0010] In some implementations of this application, the elastic component is a U-shaped wire spring, including two first wires extending along a first direction and a second wire extending along a second direction. The first direction is the length direction of the optical module, and the second direction is the width direction of the optical module. The two ends of the second wire are respectively connected to the second ends of the two first wires. The first ends of the two first wires and the second wire are respectively connected to the housing. The first wire is provided with a first protrusion protruding towards the substrate. The substrate is provided with a groove, and the first protrusion is inserted into the groove.

[0011] In some implementations of this application, the substrate and the first heat sink are disposed outside the housing. The housing has a first clearance groove, and the heat-conducting component extends into the receiving cavity through the first clearance groove. The elastic component includes at least two pillars, a blocking member, and at least two first springs. Each pillar extends along the thickness direction of the substrate. The substrate has the same number of first clearance holes as the pillars, and the pillars pass through the first clearance holes. One end of the pillar is connected to the outer wall of the housing, and the other end of the pillar has a limiting boss that protrudes from the circumferential surface of the pillar. The blocking member is disposed between the substrate and the limiting boss. The blocking member has the same number of second clearance holes as the pillars, and the pillars pass through the second clearance holes. Each pillar is fitted with a first spring. One end of each first spring abuts against the blocking member, and the other end of each first spring abuts against the substrate. The first springs are used to apply a force toward the component to the substrate.

[0012] In some implementations of this application, at least one guide rod is provided on the side of the blocking member facing the substrate. The guide rod is parallel to the column, and a second spring is sleeved on the outside of the guide rod. One end of the second spring abuts against the blocking member, and the other end abuts against the substrate. The second spring is used to apply a force to the substrate toward the component.

[0013] In some implementations of this application, there are two elastic components, which are respectively disposed on both sides of the floating heat sink. The columns within the same elastic component are arranged in a straight line, and the arrangement direction of each column is perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the two elastic components.

[0014] In some implementations of this application, the optical module further includes a cover plate, which is located on the same side of the outer shell as the floating heat sink, and the floating heat sink and the elastic component are located between the cover plate and the shell.

[0015] In some implementations of this application, both the floating heat sink and the elastic component are located inside the housing. The elastic component is located between the inner wall of the housing and the first heat sink. The elastic component is in contact with the floating heat sink to apply a force toward the component to the floating heat sink.

[0016] In some implementations of this application, the elastic component includes a support plate and a spring extending from the support plate. The support plate is detachably connected to the inner wall of the housing, and the spring is connected to the first heat sink to apply a force toward the component to the first heat sink.

[0017] In some implementations of this application, both the floating heat sink and the elastic component are disposed inside the housing. The housing also contains a partition parallel to the circuit board, which divides the receiving cavity into a first cavity and a second cavity. The circuit board is disposed in the first cavity, and the substrate and the first heat sink are disposed in the second cavity. The partition has a second clearance groove through which the heat-conducting component extends into the first cavity. The elastic component is a sheet metal part, located in the second cavity and spanning the substrate in a direction parallel to the substrate. Both ends of the elastic component are connected to the partition, and the middle part of the elastic component contacts the substrate to apply a force towards the components to the substrate.

[0018] In some implementations of this application, the elastic component has a second protrusion protruding toward the substrate in the middle, and the second protrusion is in contact with the substrate.

[0019] In some implementations of this application, the circuit board is provided with multiple components, and the optical module includes multiple floating heat sinks. The number of floating heat sinks is equal to the number of components and corresponds one-to-one. Each floating heat sink is connected to its corresponding component.

[0020] In some implementations of this application, the circuit board is provided with multiple components, and the optical module also includes a fixed heat sink connected to the housing. Some components are connected to a floating heat sink, and other components are connected to the fixed heat sink.

[0021] In some implementations of this application, a fixed heat sink and a floating heat sink are arranged sequentially along a first direction, which is the length direction of the optical module. The fixed heat sink is provided with a plurality of second heat sinks spaced apart along a second direction, which is the width direction of the optical module. Each first heat sink and each second heat sink extends along the first direction, and the distance between two adjacent second heat sinks is greater than the distance between two adjacent first heat sinks.

[0022] In some implementations of this application, the ratio of the spacing between two adjacent second heat sinks to the spacing between two adjacent first heat sinks is greater than or equal to 1.2 and less than or equal to 5.

[0023] In some implementations of this application, a heat dissipation medium is provided between the components and the floating heat sink.

[0024] Secondly, this application provides an optical communication device, including an optical network unit and an optical module as described in the first aspect, wherein the optical network unit is provided with a socket and the optical module can be at least partially inserted into the socket.

[0025] Thirdly, this application provides a computing device including an optical network unit and an optical module as described in the first aspect, wherein the optical network unit is provided with a socket and the optical module can be at least partially inserted into the socket. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of the application scenarios of the optical module;

[0027] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of an optical module in some embodiments of the prior art;

[0028] Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of an optical module in some embodiments of this application;

[0029] Figure 4 shows a perspective view of a floating heat sink in some embodiments of this application;

[0030] Figure 5(a) shows an exploded view of the optical module in Embodiment 1 of this application;

[0031] Figure 5(b) shows a cross-sectional view of the optical module in Embodiment 1 of this application;

[0032] Figure 5(c) shows a perspective view of the elastic component in Embodiment 1 of this application;

[0033] Figure 6(a) shows an exploded view of the optical module in Embodiment 2 of this application;

[0034] Figure 6(b) shows a cross-sectional view of the optical module in Embodiment 2 of this application;

[0035] Figure 6(c) shows a partial enlarged view of part A in Figure 6(b);

[0036] Figure 7(a) shows an exploded view of the optical module in Embodiment 3 of this application;

[0037] Figure 7(b) shows a cross-sectional view of the optical module in Embodiment 3 of this application;

[0038] Figure 8(a) shows an exploded view of the optical module in Embodiment 4 of this application;

[0039] Figure 8(b) shows a cross-sectional view of the optical module in Embodiment 4 of this application;

[0040] Figure 9 shows a schematic diagram of the optical module in some other embodiments;

[0041] Figure 10 shows a top view of the internal structure of an optical module in some embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0042] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0043] An optical module is an integrated module that converts optical signals into electrical signals and / or electrical signals into optical signals, playing a crucial role in optical fiber communication. Figure 1 illustrates an application scenario of an optical module. Referring to Figure 1, the optical module 100 can be applied to an optical network unit 200. Specifically, the optical network unit 200 is provided with a socket 201, and the optical module 100 can be at least partially inserted into the socket 201 to transmit information. Exemplarily, the optical network unit 200 can be a router, wavelength division multiplexing (WDM), computing device, wireless device, etc., and this application does not limit it to these. The following description uses the application of the optical module 100 in an optical communication device as an example to illustrate this application.

[0044] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of the optical module 100a in some embodiments. Referring to Figure 2, the optical module 100a includes a housing 1a, and a receiving cavity 11a is provided inside the housing 1a. A circuit board 2a is provided inside the receiving cavity 11a, and at least one component 21a is provided on the circuit board 2a. The component 21a dissipates heat. A heat dissipation medium 20a is provided between the component 21a and the top wall of the receiving cavity 11a, and the heat dissipated by the component 21a can be conducted to the housing 1a through the heat dissipation medium 20a.

[0045] The optical network unit 200a is provided with a socket 201a and a heat sink 3a, with at least a portion of the outer surface of the heat sink 3a exposed inside the socket 201a. When the optical module 100a is inserted into the socket 201a, the outer wall of the optical module 100a can contact the heat sink 3a, and the heat emitted by the component 21a is conducted to the heat sink 3a through the heat dissipation medium 20a and the housing 1a in sequence, thereby achieving heat dissipation for the component 21a.

[0046] However, in the technical solution shown in Figure 2, the heat dissipation effect of the optical module 100a is poor, which in turn affects the reliability of the optical module 100a.

[0047] The inventors discovered through research that the main reason for the poor heat dissipation of the optical module 100a is:

[0048] First, the housing 1a needs to be inserted into the socket 201a to make contact with the heat sink 3a. That is, the housing 1a and the heat sink 3a are in dry plug-in contact. Therefore, the gap tolerance chain between the heat dissipation surface of the housing 1a and the heat sink 3a is long and the gap is large, resulting in a large contact thermal resistance between the two, which will affect the heat dissipation effect.

[0049] Secondly, according to the manufacturing process of the optical module 100a, a gap needs to be left between the upper surface of component 21a and the top wall of the receiving cavity 11a. To conduct the heat generated by component 21a to the housing 1a, the technical solution shown in Figure 2 uses a heat dissipation medium 20a between component 21a and housing 1a for heat conduction. However, the heat dissipation medium 20a also has thermal resistance. When the gap between the upper surface of component 21a and the top wall of the receiving cavity 11a is large, the thickness and thermal resistance of the heat dissipation medium 20a will also increase accordingly, thus affecting the heat dissipation effect.

[0050] Secondly, when the optical module 100a is inserted into the socket 201a, there may be a situation where the component 21a is located outside the coverage area of ​​the heat sink 3a. For example, in the technical solution shown in Figure 2, the optical module 100a has three components 21a inside, namely component 211a, component 212a, and component 213a. Among them, component 211a and component 212a are located directly below the heat sink 3a, while component 213a is not located directly below the heat sink 3a. Therefore, the heat dissipation path of component 213a is longer, which will affect the heat dissipation effect.

[0051] To address the aforementioned issues, this application provides an optical module that improves heat dissipation, thereby enhancing the reliability of the optical module.

[0052] This application provides an optical module 100, referring to FIG3, including: a housing 1, a circuit board 2, a floating heat sink 3, and an elastic component 5. The housing 1 has a receiving cavity 11, and the circuit board 2 is disposed within the receiving cavity 11, with components 21 disposed on the circuit board 2. The floating heat sink 3 is disposed above the components 21 along the thickness direction of the circuit board 2 (as shown by the Z direction in FIG3) and is in contact with the components 21; that is, the floating heat sink 3 directly contacts the components 21, or the floating heat sink 3 indirectly contacts the components 21 through other components. The elastic component 5 can be a single part or a structural unit composed of multiple parts. The elastic component 5 is disposed on the housing 1 and at least partially abuts against the floating heat sink 3. The elastic component 5 is used to apply a force toward the components 21 to the floating heat sink 3, so that the floating heat sink 3 directly or indirectly presses against the components 21.

[0053] Specifically, the connection between the floating heat sink 3 and the component 21 includes various scenarios. The floating heat sink 3 can be in direct contact with the component 21 or indirect contact. When the floating heat sink 3 is in direct contact with the component 21, no other components are provided between the floating heat sink 3 and the component 21. In this case, the floating heat sink 3 will directly press against the component 21 under the action of the elastic component 5. When the floating heat sink 3 is in indirect contact with the component 21, other components are provided between the floating heat sink 3 and the component 21. For example, the surface of the component 21 may be provided with a heat dissipation medium 20, and the floating heat sink 3 will press against the heat dissipation medium 20 under the action of the elastic component 5. That is, the floating heat sink 3 is indirectly in contact with the component 21 through the heat dissipation medium 20. For example, the heat dissipation medium 20 may be made of TIM (thermal interface material).

[0054] Compared to the technical solution shown in Figure 2, this application can effectively improve heat dissipation and enhance the reliability of the optical module, for the following reasons:

[0055] First, by placing the floating heat sink 3 on the optical module 100, this application allows the floating heat sink 3 to maintain continuous contact with the component 21, instead of the dry plug-in contact shown in Figure 2, thereby reducing the thermal resistance between the floating heat sink 3 and the component 21 and enhancing the heat dissipation effect.

[0056] Secondly, by incorporating the elastic component 5, this application allows the floating heat sink 3 to exert a force towards the component 21. Under the action of the elastic component 5, the floating heat sink 3 can elastically float up and down to absorb the tolerance between the floating heat sink 3 and the component 21, ensuring a certain degree of contact force between them. When no other components are present between the floating heat sink 3 and the component 21, the floating heat sink 3 will press against the component 21 and fit tightly against it under the action of the elastic component 5, thereby improving the heat dissipation effect. When a heat dissipation medium 20 is present between the floating heat sink 3 and the component 21, the force applied by the elastic component 5 to the floating heat sink 3 can reduce the distance between them, making the thickness of the heat dissipation medium 20 thinner, thereby reducing the thermal resistance of the heat dissipation medium 20 and improving the heat dissipation effect.

[0057] Furthermore, by setting a heat sink on the optical module 100, this application ensures that all components requiring heat dissipation are located within the coverage area of ​​the heat sink (i.e., directly below the heat sink), thereby shortening the heat dissipation path and improving the heat dissipation effect.

[0058] In some implementations of this application, referring to FIG4, the floating heat sink 3 includes: a substrate 31, a heat-conducting element 32, and a plurality of heat sinks 33 (as an example of a first heat sink). Referring to FIG3, the substrate 31 is parallel to the circuit board 2. The substrate 31 can adopt a VC structure or embedded heat pipes to achieve uniform heat distribution across the entire surface. The heat-conducting element 32 is disposed on the side of the substrate 31 closest to the component 21, and the heat-conducting element 32 is directly or indirectly pressed against the component 21. Each heat sink 33 is disposed on the side of the substrate 31 away from the component 21, and the heat sinks 33 are spaced apart in a direction parallel to the substrate 31. The heat sinks 33 can be made of two materials: the heat sink 33 above the component 21 can be made of a material with a high thermal conductivity, such as copper. The heat sink 33 away from the component 21 can be made of a material with a lower density, such as aluminum.

[0059] This application does not limit the specific structure of the elastic component 5. To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of this application, the specific structure of the elastic component 5 is described below through four embodiments.

[0060] Example 1

[0061] Figure 5(a) shows an exploded view of this embodiment, and Figure 5(b) shows a partial cross-sectional view of this embodiment. Referring to Figure 5(b), in this embodiment, the substrate 31 and the heat sink 33 are disposed outside the housing 1. The housing 1 is provided with a relief groove 12 (as an example of a first relief groove), and the heat-conducting member 32 extends into the receiving cavity 11 through the relief groove 12. The elastic component 5 is disposed on the same side outside the housing 1 as the substrate 31. The elastic component 5 spans the substrate 31 in a direction parallel to the circuit board 2 (as shown by the X direction in Figure 5(a)). The two ends of the elastic component 5 are respectively connected to the housing 1, and the middle part of the elastic component 5 contacts the substrate 31 to apply a force toward the component 21 to the substrate 31.

[0062] Furthermore, referring to Figure 5(c), the elastic component 5 is a U-shaped wire spring 6, including two wires 61 (as an example of the first wire) extending along the X direction (as an example of the first direction) in Figure 5(c) and one wire 62 (as an example of the second wire) extending along the Y direction (as an example of the second direction) in Figure 5(c). Here, the X direction is the length direction of the optical module 100, and the Y direction is the width direction of the optical module 100. The two ends of the wire 62 are respectively connected to one end of the two wires 61, and the other ends of the two wires 61 and the wire 62 are respectively connected to the housing 1. Specifically, referring to Figures 5(b) and 5(c), the housing 1 may be provided with a slot 16, and the ends of the wires 61 and 62 can be respectively engaged in the slot 16. The line body 61 has a protrusion 611 (as an example of a first protrusion) protruding towards the substrate 31. The substrate 31 has a groove 311. The protrusion 611 is inserted into the groove 311 to restrict the floating heat sink 3 from moving in a direction parallel to the substrate 31. At the same time, the protrusion 611 can also apply downward pressure to the substrate 31 to press the heat conductor 32 against the component 21.

[0063] Figures 5(a) to 5(c) are merely illustrative examples of this embodiment. Any technical solution that satisfies the condition that the substrate 31 and heat sink 33 are located outside the housing 1, and that a portion of the elastic component 5 is connected to the housing 1 while the other portion rests against the substrate 31, is within the scope of protection of this application. For example, the elastic component 5 may be connected to the housing 1 at both ends and rest against the substrate 31 in the middle, or it may be connected to the housing 1 at one end and rest against the substrate 31 at the other end. The elastic component 5 may span the substrate 31 transversely along the X or Y direction, or it may span the substrate 31 obliquely along other directions parallel to the substrate 31. This application does not limit this.

[0064] Furthermore, in some embodiments, referring to FIG5(a), the optical module 100 further includes a cover plate 10, which is disposed on the same side of the exterior of the housing 1 as the floating heat sink 3, and the floating heat sink 3 and the elastic component 5 are disposed between the cover plate 10 and the housing 1. The cover plate 10 can be connected to the housing 1 via a side plate 30, and the cover plate 10 can provide protection for the floating heat sink 3 and the elastic component 5.

[0065] Example 2

[0066] Figure 6(a) shows an exploded view of this embodiment, Figure 6(b) shows a cross-sectional view of this embodiment, and Figure 6(c) shows a partial enlarged view of Figure 6(b). Referring to Figure 6(b), in this embodiment, the substrate 31 and the heat sink 33 are disposed outside the housing 1, and the housing 1 is provided with a relief groove 12 (as an example of a first relief groove), through which the heat-conducting member 32 extends into the receiving cavity 11.

[0067] Further, referring to Figures 6(b) and 6(c), the elastic component 5 includes at least two pillars 71, a blocking member 72, and at least two compression springs 73 (as an example of a first spring). Each pillar 71 extends along the thickness direction of the substrate 31 (as shown by the Z direction in Figure 6(b), which is perpendicular to the substrate 31). The substrate 31 has the same number of clearance holes 312 as the pillars 71 (as an example of a first clearance hole). Each pillar 71 passes through one clearance hole 312. One end of the pillar 71 is connected to the outer wall of the housing 1, and the other end of the pillar 71 has a limiting boss 711 that protrudes from the circumferential surface of the pillar 71. The pillars 71 can restrict the movement of the floating heat sink 3 in a direction parallel to the substrate 31. The blocking member 72 is disposed between the substrate 31 and the limiting boss 711. The blocking member 72 has the same number of clearance holes 721 as the pillars 71 (as an example of the second clearance hole). Each pillar 71 passes through its corresponding clearance hole 721, and each pillar 71 is fitted with a compression spring 73. The upper end of the compression spring 73 abuts against the blocking member 72, and the lower end abuts against the substrate 31. The compression spring 73 is used to apply a force to the substrate 31 toward the component 21 so that the heat-conducting member 32 presses against the component 21.

[0068] Furthermore, referring to Figure 6(b), at least one guide rod 74 may be provided on the side of the blocking member 72 facing the substrate 31, and the guide rod 74 is parallel to the column 71. Specifically, the lower end of the guide rod 74 may be located above the substrate 31, or a relief hole 313 corresponding to the guide rod 74 may be provided on the substrate 31, so that the lower end of the guide rod 74 is inserted into the corresponding relief hole 313. This application does not limit this. Furthermore, a compression spring 75 (as an example of a second spring) is sleeved on the outside of each guide rod 74. The upper end of the compression spring 75 abuts against the blocking member 72, and the lower end abuts against the substrate 31. The compression spring 75 is used to apply a force to the substrate 31 toward the component 21.

[0069] In this embodiment, the pressure of the elastic component 5 on the floating radiator 3 can be adjusted by adjusting the number of compression springs 73 and 75, thereby facilitating the operator to adjust the pressure applied to the floating radiator 3 according to the actual situation.

[0070] Furthermore, there are two elastic components 5, which are respectively disposed on both sides of the floating heat sink 3. The columns 71 and guide rods 74 located within the same elastic component 5 are arranged in a straight line, and the arrangement direction of each column 71 is perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the two elastic components 5. For example, referring to FIG6(a), the two elastic components 5 are disposed on both sides of the floating heat sink along the Y direction in FIG6(a), and the columns 71 and guide rods 74 located within the same elastic component 5 are arranged sequentially along the X direction in FIG6(a), with the X direction perpendicular to the Y direction. By adopting the above technical solution, the floating heat sink 3 can be subjected to balanced force, thereby enhancing the bonding effect between the floating heat sink 3 and the component 21.

[0071] Figures 6(a) to 6(c) are merely illustrative examples of this embodiment. Any technical solution that satisfies the requirement that the substrate 31 and heat sink 33 are located outside the housing 1, and that pressure is applied to the substrate 31 by an elastic element located between the blocking member 72 and the substrate 31, is within the scope of protection of this application. In some embodiments, the elastic element may be a compression spring 73 or a compression spring 75, or it may be an elastic element made of rubber or other elastic materials. In some embodiments, the column 71 may be a bolt or a column without threads. When the column 71 is a bolt, as shown in Figure 6(c), the outer wall of the housing 1 has the same number of threaded holes 13 as the bolts, and the bottom end of the bolt is threadedly connected to the corresponding threaded hole 13. When the column 71 is a column without threads, the bottom end of the column 71 may be welded or riveted to the housing 1, which is not limited in this application.

[0072] Furthermore, in some embodiments, referring to FIG6(a), the optical module 100 further includes a cover plate 10, which is disposed on the same side of the exterior of the housing 1 as the floating heat sink 3, and the floating heat sink 3 and the elastic component 5 are disposed between the cover plate 10 and the housing 1. The cover plate 10 can be connected to the housing 1 via a side plate 30, and the cover plate 10 can provide protection for the floating heat sink 3 and the elastic component 5.

[0073] Example 3

[0074] Figure 7(a) shows an exploded view of this embodiment, and Figure 7(b) shows a partial cross-sectional view of this embodiment. Referring to Figure 7(b), in this embodiment, the floating heat sink 3 and the elastic component 5 are both disposed inside the housing 1. The elastic component 5 is disposed between the top wall of the receiving cavity 11 and the heat sink 33 and is connected to the top wall of the housing 1. The lower end of the elastic component 5 is in contact with the floating heat sink 3 to apply a force toward the component 21 to the floating heat sink 3.

[0075] This embodiment does not limit the structure of the elastic component 5. In some embodiments, referring to FIG7(a), the elastic component 5 includes a support plate 81 and a spring piece 82 extending from the support plate 81. The support plate 81 is detachably connected to the inner wall of the housing 1, and the lower end of the spring piece 82 abuts against the heat sink 33 to apply a force toward the component 21 to the heat sink 33. In other embodiments, the elastic component 5 may also be a spring piece directly connected to the top wall of the housing 1.

[0076] Figures 7(a) and 7(b) are merely illustrative examples of this embodiment. Any technical solution that satisfies the requirement that the floating heat sink 3 is disposed inside the housing 1, the elastic component 5 is disposed between the floating heat sink 3 and the inner wall of the housing 1, and the elastic component 5 is capable of applying pressure to the floating heat sink 3, is within the protection scope of this application. For example, the elastic component 5 can be a spring or a spring block, in addition to a sheet 82. This application does not limit the application in this regard.

[0077] Furthermore, in some embodiments, a structural component may be provided within the housing 1, which can restrict the movement of the floating heat sink 3 in a direction parallel to the substrate 31. This embodiment does not limit the specific structure of the structural component. For example, referring to FIG7(b), the structural component may be a partition 14 disposed inside the receiving cavity 11, dividing the receiving cavity 11 into a cavity 111 and a cavity 112. The circuit board 2 is disposed within the cavity 111. The substrate 31 and the heat sink 33 are disposed within the cavity 112. The partition 14 has a relief groove 15, through which the heat-conducting component 32 extends into the cavity 111, with the bottom of the heat-conducting component 32 contacting the component 21. The relief groove 15 can limit the movement of the heat-conducting component 32, preventing the floating heat sink 3 from moving in a direction parallel to the substrate 31.

[0078] Example 4

[0079] Figure 8(a) shows an exploded view of this embodiment, and Figure 8(b) shows a partial cross-sectional view of this embodiment. Referring to Figure 8(b), in this embodiment, the floating heat sink 3 and the elastic component 5 are both disposed inside the housing 1. The housing 1 also has a partition 14 parallel to the circuit board 2 inside, which divides the receiving cavity 11 into a cavity 111 (as an example of a first cavity) and a cavity 112 (as an example of a second cavity). The circuit board 2 is disposed in the cavity 111. The substrate 31 and the heat sink 33 are disposed in the cavity 112. The partition 14 has a relief groove 15 (as an example of a second relief groove), and the heat-conducting component 32 extends into the cavity 111 through the relief groove 15, with the bottom of the heat-conducting component 32 contacting the component 21.

[0080] The elastic component 5 is a sheet metal part. The elastic component 5 is located inside the cavity 112 and spans the substrate 31 in a direction parallel to the substrate 31. Both ends of the elastic component 5 are connected to the partition plate 14, and the middle part of the elastic component 5 is in contact with the substrate 31 to apply a force toward the component 21 to the substrate 31.

[0081] For example, referring to FIG8(a), in some optical modules 100 with smaller floating heat sinks 3, the length direction of the floating heat sink 3 is parallel to the width direction of the optical module 100 (as shown by the Y direction in FIG8(a)). The projection of the elastic component 5 on the substrate 31 is a rectangular frame, and the elastic component 5 surrounds the periphery of the heat sink 33. The two ends of the elastic component 5 along the Y direction can be fixedly connected to the partition plate 14 by rivets or bolts, or an integrally formed relief groove or other fixing ring can be provided on the substrate 1 so that the two ends of the elastic component 5 along the Y direction can be engaged with the partition plate 14, as shown in FIG8(b).

[0082] In some embodiments, the elastic component 5 has a protrusion 92 (as an example of a second protrusion) protruding toward the substrate 31 at its center. The number of protrusions 92 can be one or more. The protrusions 92 contact the substrate 31 to apply downward pressure to the substrate 31. For example, FIG8(a) shows an elastic component 5 with two protrusions 92, and FIG8(b) shows that the cross-sectional shape of the elastic component 5 is M-shaped.

[0083] Figures 8(a) and 8(b) are merely illustrative examples of this embodiment. Any technical solution that satisfies the requirement that the floating heat sink 3 is located inside the housing 1, and that a portion of the elastic component 5 is connected to the partition 14 inside the housing 1, while the other portion rests against the substrate 31, is within the scope of protection of this application. For example, the elastic component 5 may be connected to the partition 14 at both ends and rest against the substrate 31 in the middle, or it may be connected to the partition 14 at one end and rest against the substrate 31 at the other end. The elastic component 5 may span the substrate 31 transversely along the X or Y direction, or it may span the substrate 31 obliquely along other directions parallel to the substrate 31. The elastic component 5 may be a closed frame or it may have a notch. The specific structure of the elastic component 5 may be determined according to the floating heat sink 3 and the surrounding environment, and this application does not limit it in this regard.

[0084] The above embodiments are a further detailed description of the elastic component 5, and it should not be considered that the specific implementation of the elastic component 5 is limited to these descriptions. All equivalent implementations or modifications that do not depart from the scope of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

[0085] In some implementations of this application, the circuit board 2 is provided with multiple components, and the optical module 100 is provided with multiple heat sinks. Different heat sinks are in contact with different components to dissipate heat from different components, thereby preventing thermal crosstalk between components.

[0086] For example, in some embodiments, the optical module 100 includes a plurality of floating heat sinks 3, the number of which is equal to and corresponds one-to-one with the number of components, and each floating heat sink 3 rests against its corresponding component. The floating heat sinks 3 do not contact each other. In other embodiments, referring to FIG3, the optical module 100 includes a fixed heat sink 4, which is fixedly connected to the housing 1. Some components contact the floating heat sinks 3, and other components contact the fixed heat sink 4. The floating heat sinks 3 and the fixed heat sink 4 do not contact each other.

[0087] For example, the optical module 100 shown in Figure 3 includes three components: component 21, component 22, and component 23. Component 21 generates more heat, while components 22 and 23 generate less heat. In practical applications, the component 21 (e.g., the main chip) that generates more heat can be in contact with the floating heat sink 3, while the other components 22 and 23, which generate less heat, can be in contact with the fixed heat sink 4. Compared to the technical solution shown in Figure 9, where all components are in contact with the same heat sink, this application can improve heat dissipation.

[0088] Specifically, in the technical solution shown in Figure 9, components 21c, 22c, and 23c are all in contact with the same fixed heat sink 4c. If component 21c generates more heat than components 22c and 23c, the heat generated by component 21c will be transferred to components 22c and 23c through the fixed heat sink 4c, causing the temperature of components 22c and 23c to rise.

[0089] This application employs an optical module 100 as shown in Figure 3, using a floating heat sink 3 to dissipate heat from the component 21 that generates a large amount of heat, and a fixed heat sink 4 to dissipate heat from the components 22 and 23 that generate a small amount of heat. This not only allows the floating heat sink 3 to fit tightly against the component 21 that generates a large amount of heat, but also prevents the component 21 with a high temperature from transferring heat to the components 22 and 23 with a low temperature, thereby preventing heat crosstalk and further improving the heat dissipation effect.

[0090] Figure 10 shows a top view of the internal structure of the optical module 100 in some implementations of this application. Referring to Figure 10, the fixed heat sink 4 and the floating heat sink 3 are arranged sequentially along the X direction (i.e., the length direction of the optical module 100). The fixed heat sink 4 is provided with a plurality of heat sink 41 (as an example of a second heat sink) spaced apart along the Y direction (i.e., the width direction of the optical module 100). Each heat sink 33 and each heat sink 41 extends along the X direction. The distance between two adjacent heat sinks 41 (as shown by dimension L1 in Figure 10) is greater than the distance between two adjacent heat sinks 33 (as shown by dimension L2 in Figure 10). For example, the ratio of the distance between two adjacent heat sinks 41 to the distance between two adjacent heat sinks 33 is greater than or equal to 1.2 and less than or equal to 5.

[0091] The inventors discovered that by setting the spacing between two adjacent heat sinks 41 to be greater than the spacing between two adjacent heat sinks 33, the heat dissipation effect of the floating heat sink 3 can be improved. The reasons are as follows:

[0092] In practical applications, optical modules 100 generally include a blower mechanism. Taking the optical module 100 shown in Figure 10 as an example, a blower mechanism is located on the left side of the fixed heat sink 4. The blower mechanism can generate airflow from left to right, and the gaps between the heat sinks 41 form airflow channels. The airflow generated by the blower mechanism can flow through the airflow channels on the fixed heat sink 4 to the floating heat sink 3 to cool the floating heat sink 3. This application increases the spacing between two adjacent heat sinks 41 by setting the spacing between two adjacent heat sinks 33 to be greater than the spacing between two adjacent heat sinks 33. This increases the width of the airflow channels on the fixed heat sink 4, increases the airflow rate, and improves the heat dissipation effect of the floating heat sink 3. At the same time, setting the spacing between two adjacent heat sinks 33 on the floating heat sink 3 to be smaller can increase the number of heat sinks 33, thereby increasing the surface area of ​​the floating heat sink 3 and improving the heat dissipation effect of the floating heat sink 3.

[0093] Secondly, this application also provides an optical communication device, referring to FIG1, including an optical network unit 200 and any of the optical modules 100 described in the foregoing embodiments in conjunction with FIG3 to FIG10. The optical network unit 200 is provided with a socket 201, and the optical module 100 can be at least partially inserted into the socket 201.

[0094] Thirdly, this application also provides a computing device, referring to FIG1, including an optical network unit 200 and any of the optical modules 100 described in the foregoing embodiments in conjunction with FIG3 to FIG10. The optical network unit 200 is provided with a socket 201, and the optical module 100 can be at least partially inserted into the socket 201.

[0095] The specific embodiments described above illustrate the implementation of this application. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this application from the content disclosed in this specification. Although the description of this application is presented in conjunction with some embodiments, this does not mean that the features of this application are limited to this embodiment. On the contrary, the purpose of describing the application in conjunction with embodiments is to cover other options or modifications that may be derived based on the claims of this application. This application may also be implemented without using these details. Furthermore, to avoid confusion or obscuring the focus of this application, some specific details have been omitted in the description. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other.

[0096] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature.

[0097] In the embodiments of this application, "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0098] In the description of the embodiments of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation" and "connection" should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a detachable connection or a non-detachable connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium.

[0099] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "top", "bottom", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0100] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," "connect," and "fit" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0101] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this application without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Therefore, if such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application also intends to include such modifications and variations.

Claims

1. An optical module, characterized in that, include: A housing having a receiving cavity inside; A circuit board is disposed within the receiving cavity, and components are provided on the circuit board; A floating heat sink is disposed on one side of the component along the thickness direction of the circuit board and is connected to the component; An elastic component is disposed on the housing and at least partially abuts against the floating heat sink.

2. The optical module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The floating heat sink includes: substrate; A heat-conducting component is disposed on the side of the substrate close to the component, and the heat-conducting component is directly or indirectly pressed against the component; Multiple first heat sinks are disposed on the side of the substrate away from the components, and each first heat sink is spaced apart along a direction parallel to the substrate.

3. The optical module according to claim 2, characterized in that, The substrate and the first heat sink are disposed outside the housing. The housing is provided with a first clearance groove, and the heat-conducting component extends into the receiving cavity through the first clearance groove. The elastic component and the substrate are disposed on the same side outside the housing. The elastic component spans the substrate in a direction parallel to the substrate. Both ends of the elastic component are connected to the housing, and the middle part of the elastic component is in contact with the substrate to apply a force toward the component to the substrate.

4. The optical module according to claim 3, characterized in that, The elastic component is a U-shaped wire spring, including two first wires extending along a first direction and a second wire extending along a second direction. The first direction is the length direction of the optical module, and the second direction is the width direction of the optical module. The two ends of the second wire are respectively connected to the second ends of the two first wires. The first ends of the two first wires and the second wire are respectively connected to the housing. The first wires are provided with a first protrusion protruding towards the substrate. The substrate is provided with a groove, and the first protrusion is inserted into the groove.

5. The optical module according to claim 2, characterized in that, The substrate and the first heat sink are disposed outside the housing. The housing has a first clearance groove, and the heat-conducting component extends into the receiving cavity through the first clearance groove. The elastic component includes: At least two pillars extend along the thickness direction of the substrate. The substrate has the same number of first clearance holes as the pillars. The pillars pass through the first clearance holes. One end of the pillar is connected to the outer wall of the housing. The other end of the pillar is provided with a limiting boss that protrudes from the circumferential surface of the pillar. A blocking member is disposed between the substrate and the limiting boss. The blocking member has a number of second clearance holes equal to the number of the pillars, and the pillars pass through the second clearance holes. At least two first springs are respectively sleeved on the corresponding pillars. One end of the first spring abuts against the blocking member and the other end abuts against the substrate. The first spring is used to apply a force toward the component to the substrate.

6. The optical module according to claim 5, characterized in that, The blocking member is further provided with at least one guide rod on the side facing the substrate. The guide rod is parallel to the column. A second spring is sleeved on the outside of the guide rod. One end of the second spring abuts against the blocking member, and the other end abuts against the substrate. The second spring is used to apply a force to the substrate toward the component.

7. The optical module according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, The number of elastic components is two, and the two elastic components are respectively disposed on both sides of the floating heat sink. The columns located in the same elastic component are arranged in a straight line, and the arrangement direction of each column is perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the two elastic components.

8. The optical module according to claim 3 or 5, characterized in that, The optical module also includes a cover plate, which is located on the same side of the exterior of the housing as the floating heat sink, and the floating heat sink and the elastic component are located between the cover plate and the housing.

9. The optical module according to claim 2, characterized in that, Both the floating heat sink and the elastic component are located inside the housing. The elastic component is located between the inner wall of the housing and the first heat sink. The elastic component is in contact with the floating heat sink to apply a force toward the component to the floating heat sink.

10. The optical module according to claim 9, characterized in that, The elastic component includes a support plate and a spring plate extending from the support plate. The support plate is detachably connected to the inner wall of the housing, and the spring plate is in contact with the first heat sink to apply a force toward the component to the first heat sink.

11. The optical module according to claim 2, characterized in that, The floating heat sink and the elastic component are both located inside the housing. The housing also has a partition parallel to the circuit board inside. The partition divides the receiving cavity into a first cavity and a second cavity. The circuit board is located in the first cavity, and the substrate and the first heat sink are located in the second cavity. The partition has a second clearance groove, and the heat-conducting component extends into the first cavity through the second clearance groove. The elastic component is a sheet metal part. The elastic component is located in the second cavity and spans the substrate in a direction parallel to the substrate. The two ends of the elastic component are connected to the partition plate, and the middle part of the elastic component is in contact with the substrate to apply a force toward the component to the substrate.

12. The optical module according to claim 11, characterized in that, The elastic component has a second protrusion in the middle that protrudes toward the substrate, and the second protrusion is in contact with the substrate.

13. The optical module according to claim 2, characterized in that, The circuit board is provided with a plurality of the components, and the optical module includes a plurality of floating heat sinks. The number of floating heat sinks is equal to the number of the components and corresponds one-to-one. Each floating heat sink is connected to the corresponding component.

14. The optical module according to claim 2, characterized in that, The circuit board is provided with multiple components, and the optical module also includes a fixed heat sink connected to the housing. Some of the components are connected to the floating heat sink, and other components are connected to the fixed heat sink.

15. The optical module according to claim 14, characterized in that, The fixed heat sink and the floating heat sink are arranged sequentially along a first direction, which is the length direction of the optical module. The fixed heat sink is provided with a plurality of second heat sinks spaced apart along a second direction, which is the width direction of the optical module. Each first heat sink and each second heat sink extends along the first direction. The distance between two adjacent second heat sinks is greater than the distance between two adjacent first heat sinks.

16. The optical module according to claim 15, characterized in that, The ratio of the distance between two adjacent second heat sinks to the distance between two adjacent first heat sinks is greater than or equal to 1.2 and less than or equal to 5.

17. The optical module according to claim 1, characterized in that, A heat dissipation medium is provided between the component and the floating heat sink.

18. An optical communication device, characterized in that, The device includes an optical network unit and an optical module as described in any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the optical network unit is provided with a socket and the optical module can be at least partially inserted into the socket.

19. A computing device, characterized in that, The device includes an optical network unit and an optical module as described in any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the optical network unit is provided with a socket and the optical module can be at least partially inserted into the socket.

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