Optical Transceiver Tray Fiber Routing and Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
The miniaturization of optical transceivers is hindered by the need to efficiently house and bend optical fibers within a narrow housing, requiring a larger bending radius to prevent bending loss and maintain heat dissipation for high-power signal-processing ICs like DSPs.
Innovation Solution
The optical transceiver employs a tray with a guiding part that includes passage parts to route optical fibers in a way that increases the bending radius and uses heat dissipation members to manage heat from both the TOSAs and DSPs, allowing for efficient fiber housing and reduced bending loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If optical fibers are housed in a narrow housing to enable miniaturization, then the housing size is reduced, but the bending radius of optical fibers decreases causing increased bending loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the width direction (second direction) of the housing to route optical fibers through passage parts on both outer sides, creating a U-shaped path that increases the bending radius without extending the housing length. This dimensional approach allows fibers to bend gently across the width rather than being forced to bend sharply in the length direction, thereby reducing bending loss while maintaining compact housing volume.
2Loss of energy
If optical fibers are routed with a larger bending radius to reduce bending loss, then the housing space required increases, but the housing size must be minimized
Solution Approach 1:
The guiding part utilizes the width direction of the housing to create passage parts on both outer sides, allowing optical fibers to traverse across the width and form a U-shaped routing pattern. This approach efficiently uses the available two-dimensional space within the housing to achieve the required bending radius without increasing the overall housing volume, as the fiber path is optimized to fit within the existing dimensional constraints.
3Productivity
If high-power signal-processing ICs like DSPs are used to increase processing capability, then the signal processing performance is improved, but heat generation increases requiring effective heat dissipation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces heat dissipation members as intermediary thermal management components positioned between the high-power signal-processing ICs and the housing structure. These heat dissipation members act as thermal conduits that efficiently transfer heat away from the ICs, enabling the use of high-power components like DSPs without excessive temperature rise, thus maintaining signal processing capability while managing heat generation.
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
This configuration enables the miniaturization of optical transceivers while maintaining low bending loss and effective heat dissipation, supporting the use of high-power components like DSPs and TOSAs.
Implementation Method 1
each of the plurality of optical subassemblies being configured to perform a photoelectric conversion between an optical signal and an electrical signal
Implementation Method 2
uses heat dissipation members to manage heat from both the TOSAs and DSPs
Data Source
AI summary
An optical transceiver includes a housing and an optical receptacle; optical subassemblies each having a sleeve and being configured to perform a photoelectric conversion, the sleeve facing to the optical receptacle; inner fibers each connected to the sleeve one to one; and a tray having a holding part and a guiding part, the holding part holding the optical subassemblies in line, the guiding part being formed on both outer sides of the holding part and a folding back area on an opposite side of the optical receptacle. The guiding part includes a pair of passage parts. The inner fiber passes through one of the passage parts, the folding back area, and another of the passage parts in this order within the tray so as to face the optical receptacle again when the another of the passage parts is closer to the sleeve than the one of the passage parts.