PLUGGABLE OPTICAL COMMUNICATIONS MODULE HAVING AN IMPROVED LATCHING/DELATCHING MECHANISM, AND AN OPTICAL COMMUNICATIONS ASSEMBLY THAT INCLUDES THE MODULE

摘要

An optical communications module having an improved latching/delatching mechanism is provided. The slider arms of the latching/delatching mechanism are partially encased in the module housing. Partially encasing the slider arms in the module housing provides the latching/delatching mechanism with greater rigidity and eliminates the possibility of the latching/delatching mechanism becoming dislodged from the module housing due to excessive force being applied to the bail of the latching/delatching mechanism. In addition, the slider arms do not come into contact with the cage as the module housing is being inserted into and extracted from the cage. Distal portions of the slider arms remain outside of the module housing to allow hook features of the distal portions to disengage the cage latches during the delatching process.

主权项

1. A pluggable optical communications module comprising:
a module housing having a receptacle formed therein for receiving an end of an optical fiber cable, the module housing having at least a top, a bottom, a first side and a second side, the top and bottom being interconnected by the first and second sides such that the top, the bottom, the first side, and the second side form an encasement, wherein components of the module are housed in the encasement, and wherein the first and second sides have first and second cage latch stops thereon, respectively; and a latching/delatching mechanism secured to the module housing, the latching/delatching mechanism including at least a bail and a slider, the bail being pivotally coupled with the module housing to allow the bail to rotate between a latched position and a delatched position, the slider including at least first and second slider arms and a yoke, wherein the yoke is joined with proximal ends of the first and second slider arms and is positioned to mechanically couple with the bail as the bail is pivoted from the latched position to the delatched position, the first slider arm extending along at least a portion of the first side of the module housing and being partially encased within the encasement, wherein at least a distal end of the first slider arm is outside of the encasement, the second slider arm extending along at least a portion of the second side of the module housing and being partially encased within the encasement, wherein at least a distal end of the second slider arm is outside of the encasement, wherein the distal ends of the first and second slider arms include first and second hook features, respectively, that curve outwardly relative to the first and second sides, respectively, of the module housing.