Dual-Purpose Heat Spreader for High-Density Optical Modules
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current hot-pluggable optical modules have low lane counts, requiring large faceplate space for high-density installations and necessitating external fiber shuffles for complex fiber routing, which are costly and bulky.
Innovation Solution
The design of a hot-pluggable optical module with an internal optical fiber infrastructure, utilizing a dual-purpose heat spreader to route optical fibers and support high-lane counts, allowing for internal optical shuffling and reducing the need for external fiber shuffles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If conventional hot-pluggable optical modules with low lane counts are used, then the module structure is simple, but large faceplate space is required for high-density installations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple optical lanes (up to 32 lanes) into a single hot-pluggable module, merging what would traditionally require multiple separate modules. This integration allows high-density optical signaling without requiring proportionally large faceplate space, as the multiple lanes share common structural elements including the heat spreader, housing, and electrical connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat spreader is designed with dual functionality: it serves as both a thermal management component and an optical routing infrastructure. The heat spreader includes integrated optical pathways that guide light between optical chips and the optical connector, eliminating the need for separate optical routing structures and reducing overall module complexity while enabling high lane counts.
2Adaptability or versatility
If external fiber shuffles are used for complex fiber routing, then fiber routing flexibility is achieved, but cost and bulk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the optical routing function from external fiber shuffles and relocates it inside the module. The heat spreader contains integrated optical pathways that perform the routing function internally, eliminating the need for separate external fiber shuffle components while maintaining routing flexibility for complex optical connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical routing infrastructure is nested within the heat spreader structure itself. The heat spreader contains cavities and pathways that accommodate optical fibers and guide them between components, effectively nesting the optical routing system within the thermal management component to reduce overall system complexity and eliminate external routing requirements.
3Quantity of substance
If high-density optical signaling is implemented, then lane count increases, but space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional arrangement of optical components on a flat faceplate to a three-dimensional integration within the module. Multiple optical chips are positioned vertically or in stacked configurations, with optical pathways routing light through the heat spreader structure. This dimensional transition allows 32 lanes to be packed into a compact form factor without proportionally increasing faceplate area.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables high-density optical signaling in compact form factors, suitable for systems with low overhead requirements, such as line cards, by integrating optical routing within the module, thus reducing space and cost requirements.
Implementation Method 1
dual-purpose heat spreader to route optical fibers and support high-lane counts
Data Source
AI summary
Hot-pluggable optical modules for high-density optical signaling are provided. The modules comprise a dual-purpose heat spreader configured to function as a thermal component and including trenches accommodating optical infrastructure. The dual-purpose heat spreader includes a trench for routing optical fibers to and from a plurality of optical connectors, each disposed on a branch of the fiber harness assembly and configured to mate with a socket on a module board through an opening in the dual-purpose heat spreader.