JP2005338247A - Mechanism for releasing lock of optical module, optical module and method for releasing lock state between optical module and cage - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical module etc., which can be easily drawn out forwards even when being arranged adjacently in the vertical direction. <P>SOLUTION: The optical module 1 has a case 11 for incorporating an element for optical communication, and a lock part 17 which locks the case 11 to a lock hole 19 on a cage 2 for housing the case 11 is disposed on the case 11. The optical module 1 comprises a lock release mechanism 20 which contains a slide member 21 of releasing the lock state between the lock hole 19 and the lock part 17 and a lever 22 which is rotatably disposed on the front end surface side of the case 11. The slide member 21 is constituted so as to release the lock state between the lock hole 19 and the lock part 17 when the lever 22 is drawn in the direction of taking out the case 11 from the cage 2. The lever 22 has a finger hook part 22a as a first operation part which is located on the upper part of the lever 22 and an operation part 51 constituted with an operation member 50 as a second operation part located on the front side of the front end surface of the case 11. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical module that performs optical communication. More particularly, the present invention relates to an optical module that can be locked to a cage that houses a case of the optical module.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an optical module that performs optical communication, an optical transceiver module that includes a light emitting element and a light receiving element that perform photoelectric conversion to perform communication using an optical fiber is known.

  Such an optical transceiver module includes a type in which an optical unit including a light emitting element and a light receiving element is built in a case and is detachably mounted in a cage installed on a substrate. is there. An electrical connector connected to the substrate is provided in the cage, and the optical transceiver connection terminal is connected to the electrical connector when the optical transceiver module is mounted in the cage. The optical transceiver module configured as described above enables optical communication by converting an optical signal transmitted / received to / from an optical fiber and an electric signal transmitted / received to / from a substrate.

  However, when the optical transceiver module is pulled out from the cage during the operation of the optical transceiver module, not only the communication is interrupted, but also the communication device including the optical transceiver module may be broken. . Therefore, the optical transceiver module needs to be securely fixed in the cage at least during operation.

  For example, in recent years, in order to make optical transceivers provided by various companies compatible, a standard called MSA (Multi Source Agreement) of SFP (Small Form-factor Pluggable) transceiver has been established by an industry standardization organization. And the shape and dimensions of the cage to which it is mounted. According to the MSA standard of SFP, a protruding lock portion is provided on the bottom surface of the optical transceiver, and a spring plate portion in which a locking hole for locking the lock portion is formed in the cage.

  Therefore, when the optical transceiver module is mounted in the cage, the lock portion of the optical transceiver module is locked in the locking hole of the cage so that the optical transceiver module can be locked in the cage. . On the other hand, when removing the optical transceiver module from the cage, it is necessary to release the lock by removing the lock portion from the locking hole of the spring plate portion by some means. As this type of conventional optical module, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration including a mechanism for unlocking.

  FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional optical module of the type disclosed in Patent Document 1. In FIG.

  The conventional optical module shown in FIG. 13 has a lock portion 1104a that locks into a locking hole 1110a formed in the cage 1110, and is a lock that is swingably provided on the case 1101 around a support shaft 1105. The lock mechanism includes a member 1104 and a lever 1103 that can move the lock member 1104 so that the lock portion 1104a locked in the lock hole 1110a is removed from the lock hole 1110a. In this locking mechanism, when the lever 1103 is pulled in front of the case 1101 which is the direction in which the optical module housed in the cage 1110 is taken out from the cage 110, the lock portion 1104a locked in the locking hole 1110a is locked. It is comprised so that it may remove | deviate from the hole 1110a.

  The unlocking operation of the optical module will be described with reference to FIG.

  When the lever 1103 is pulled forward of the case 1101 against the repulsive force of the leaf spring 1106 and the lever 1103 is rotated about the rotation shaft 1103 a, the cam portion 1103 b of the lever 1103 pushes down the front portion of the lock member 1104. Then, the lock member 1104 swings about the support shaft 1105, the rear portion where the lock portion 1104a is formed is lifted upward, and the lock portion 1104a is released from the locking hole 1110a of the cage 1110. As a result, the lock mechanism is unlocked.

  While the lever 1103 is pulled forward of the case 1101, the unlocked state of the lock mechanism is maintained, so that the optical module is taken out from the cage 1110 by pulling the lever 1103 forward of the case 1101 as it is. be able to.

  As another conventional technique, a connector attaching / detaching mechanism is disclosed in Patent Document 2, and an electronic device locking mechanism is disclosed in Patent Document 3.

  As shown in FIG. 15, the connector attaching / detaching mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 2 includes a handle 2002 provided on a housing 2001 so as to be rotatable about a shaft 2003. According to this configuration, the handle 2002 can be protruded forward of the housing 2001 by placing a finger on the upper portion of the handle 2002 and pulling it toward the front.

As shown in FIG. 16, the lock mechanism of the electronic device disclosed in Patent Document 3 is configured such that when the lock release button 3002 provided at the tip of the lock release lever 21 is pressed, the handle pressing lever 3023 moves the fulcrum 3024. The handle 3012b is configured to rotate about the center and the handle 3012b of the handle pressing lever 3023 pushes the handle 3012 forward of the electronic device.
US Pat. No. 6,439,918 Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 1-162945 Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 2-10153

  In recent years, most devices including communication devices have been downsized and densified. In connection with this, the optical module provided in a communication apparatus is also miniaturized and densified.

  In order to mount a plurality of optical modules in a communication device with high density, it is necessary to arrange a plurality of optical modules adjacent to each other vertically and horizontally in the device as shown in FIG. In FIG. 17, an apparatus in which the optical modules are arranged in two stages and three rows is shown as an example, but the arrangement of the optical modules attached to the apparatus is not limited to this.

  Here, the configuration shown in FIG. 17 will be described. In the apparatus, a plurality of substrates 1120 on which a plurality of cages 1110 are mounted are arranged in a vertically stacked state. The opening of each cage 1110 is aligned with a slot 1130a opened in the panel 1130 of the apparatus, and the optical module case 1101 can be inserted into the cage 1110 through the slot 1130a.

  However, when the optical module having the lever 1103 as described above is arranged adjacent to each other in the vertical direction, as shown in FIG. 17A, a finger is placed between the upper optical transceiver and the lower optical module. Can not be inserted, and the lever 1103 cannot be pulled forward by hooking a finger on the lever 1103 of the upper optical module. Therefore, when using such an optical module, the optical module must be arranged so as to secure a space that allows a finger to be inserted between the upper and lower optical modules. A plurality of optical modules cannot be mounted in the apparatus at a high density.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an optical module or the like that can be easily pulled out forward even when arranged adjacent to each other in the vertical direction.

  In order to achieve the above object, the optical module locking release mechanism of the present invention has a case containing an element for optical communication, and the case locks the case in a cage accommodating the case. In the optical module locking release mechanism for releasing the locked state between the optical module provided with a locking portion to be held and the cage containing the case, the locking releasing mechanism includes the cage and the locking An unlocking member that releases the latching state with the part, and a lever that is rotatably provided on the front end surface side of the case, and the unlocking member is housed in the cage When the lever is pulled in the direction in which the case is taken out from the cage, the latched state between the cage and the locking portion is released, and the lever is positioned above the lever. With the first operation unit A second operation member is provided in the vicinity of the first operation part so as to be rotatable, and is positioned in front of the front end surface of the case when the lever is disposed on the front end surface side of the case. An operation unit is provided.

  The optical module of the present invention has a case containing an element for performing optical communication, and the case is provided with a locking portion for locking the case to a cage that accommodates the case. In the module, the lock release member for releasing the lock state between the cage and the lock portion, and a lever provided rotatably on the front end surface side of the case, the lock release member Is configured to release the locking state between the cage and the locking portion when the lever is pulled in a direction in which the case accommodated in the cage is removed from the cage. Is composed of a first operation part located at the upper part of the lever and an operation member rotatably provided in the vicinity of the first operation part, and the lever is arranged on the front end face side of the case Of the case when Wherein the second operation unit located in front of the end face is provided.

  According to the configuration of the present invention described above, the lever can be operated using either the first operation unit located at the upper part of the lever or the second operation unit located in front of the front end surface of the case. . Normally, the lever is operated using the first operation unit located on the upper part of the lever. However, when the optical module is arranged adjacent to the upper and lower sides, the user's fingertip does not reach the first operation unit. Sometimes. However, even in such a case, according to the configuration of the present invention, the second operation unit located in front of the front end surface of the case can be operated with the fingertip of the user. The lever is rotated to the front of the case by operating the operation part of the optical module, and then the second operation part is hooked with a finger and the operation member and the lever are pulled to the front of the case, so that the locking release member The locked state with the cage can be easily released.

  As described above, the present invention can also be applied to a case where optical modules are arranged at high density in the vertical direction, and thus it is possible to reduce the size of a communication device or the like in which the optical module is used. Further, according to the latter operation, the locked state between the optical module and the cage is released by only a simple operation of placing the finger on the second operation portion and pulling the operation member and the lever forward of the case. Since a series of operations until the module is removed from the cage can be performed with one action, the operation of removing the optical module from the cage can be simplified.

  Further, the front end surface of the case is provided with a connection port to which a connector to which a cable is connected is connected, and the second operating portion of the lever is provided with the lever on the front end surface side of the case. It is good also as a structure located below the area | region ahead of the said connection port.

  Still another optical module of the present invention is an optical module that performs optical communication, and includes a case, a locking unit that locks the case in a cage that can accommodate the case, and a locking unit. An unlocking means for releasing the stopped state and enabling the case to be taken out from the cage, the unlocking means comprising a lever rotatably provided on the case and an integral or connected to the lever And a first operation part that rotates the lever by pulling it forward of the case, and an operation member that is rotatably provided in the vicinity of the first operation part of the lever. A second operating portion for rotating the lever by pulling it forward of the case, and an action portion acting to release the locking state of the locking means when the lever is pulled forward of the case. Have The features.

  Still another optical module of the present invention is an optical module that performs optical communication, and includes a case, a locking unit that locks the case in a cage that can accommodate the case, and a locking unit. A lock release means for releasing the stop state and enabling the case to be taken out from the cage. The lock release means includes a lever rotatably provided on the case, and a rotation of the lever. And an action portion that operates to release the locking state of the locking means in conjunction with each other, the lever includes at least two movable portions, and the at least two movable portions are folded and stored in the case And a state extended to the front of the case.

  Further, the lever includes a first movable part provided rotatably on the case, and a second movable part provided rotatably on the first movable part, wherein the first movable part is provided with the first movable part. The movable portion includes a first operation portion positioned on an upper side of the case when the first movable portion and the second movable portion are folded and stored in the case. The movable portion includes a second operation portion located on a lower side of the case when the first movable portion and the second movable portion are folded and stored in the case, and the lever Is configured to rotate with respect to the case by pulling the first movable part and the second movable part forward of the case, and to release the locking state of the locking means by the action part. It is good.

  The method for releasing the locked state between the optical module and the cage according to the present invention includes a case containing an element for performing optical communication, and the case is associated with the cage that accommodates the case. A method of releasing a locking state between an optical module provided with a locking portion to be stopped and the cage containing the optical module, wherein the optical module engages between the cage and the locking portion. A lock release member for releasing the stop state, and a lever rotatably provided on the front end surface side of the case, and the lock release member includes the case housed in the cage. When the lever is pulled in a direction of taking out from the cage, the latched state between the cage and the latching portion is released, and the lever has a first position located above the lever. Operation section of A second operation that is configured by an operation member that is rotatably provided in the vicinity of the first operation portion, and is positioned in front of the front end surface of the case when the lever is disposed on the front end surface side of the case. A step of rotating the lever toward the front of the case by operating the first operating portion or the second operating portion; and the second operating portion at the front of the case. Pulling the lever forward to move the lever forward of the case, and releasing the locked state between the cage and the locking portion by the locking release member.

  According to the above-described method of the present invention, the lever is operated using the first operation unit that is usually located at the upper part of the lever, the optical modules are arranged adjacent to each other vertically, and the user's fingertip is the first operation. In such a case, it is possible to operate the lever using the second operation unit located in front of the front end surface of the case. Therefore, even when the optical modules are arranged adjacent to each other in the vertical direction, the locked state between the optical module and the cage can be easily released.

  Further, the step of operating the first operating portion to rotate the lever forward of the case may be configured to pull the first operating portion forward of the case. The step of rotating the lever forward of the case by operating the second operating portion may be configured to pull the second operating portion forward of the case.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to easily pull out the optical module forward even when the optical modules are arranged adjacent to each other in the vertical direction.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which an optical module according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached to and detached from a cage from the bottom side of the optical module. FIG. FIG. 1B shows a state where the optical module is removed from the cage. 2A and 2B are diagrams showing the optical module shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2A shows a side view and FIG. 2B shows a bottom view.

  As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the optical module 1 of the present embodiment is detachable from a cage 2 provided on a substrate (not shown) such as a mother board provided in a communication device, for example. It is configured. When the optical module 1 is mounted in the cage 2 in a parallel posture, the optical module 1 is locked to the cage 2 and is connected to an electrical connector (not shown) provided on the board side.

  The optical module 1 includes a case 11 in which various optical elements that are communication means for optical communication are incorporated, and a lock portion 17 that is a locking portion that is locked to the cage 2 is provided. The optical module 1 also includes a lock release mechanism 20 that is a lock release mechanism for releasing the lock state between the lock portion 17 of the case 11 and the cage 2.

  Although not shown, the case 11 is provided with an optical unit having an LD (laser diode) as a light emitting element, a PD (photodiode) as a light receiving element, and an optical element such as a lens. Further, as shown in FIG. 2B, the case 11 is provided with a connection terminal 13 connected to the electrical connector on the board side, and on the bottom surface on the rear end side inserted along the cage 2. An opening 14 for exposing the connection terminal 13 is formed.

  As shown in FIG. 1A, the case 11 is formed with a connection port 11a to which a connector (not shown) of an optical fiber cable is detachably connected across the front end surface and the top surface.

  As shown in FIG. 1 and FIGS. 2A and 2B, the optical module 1 according to this embodiment is configured so that the lever 22 can be moved without placing a finger on the finger hooking portion 22a (see FIGS. 5 and 6) on the upper portion of the lever 22. An operation member 50 that enables the optical module 1 to be pulled out in front of the optical module 1 is provided. Details regarding the structure and function of the operation member 50 will be described later.

  3A and 3B are diagrams showing the case 11 shown in FIG. 1 and the like, in which FIG. 3A is a bottom view, FIG. 3B is a side view, and FIG. 3C is A in FIG. -A sectional views are shown respectively.

  As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3C, a recess 16 is provided on the bottom surface of the case 11, and a triangular prism-like shape that is locked to the cage 2 side on the bottom surface in the recess 16 is provided. A lock portion 17 is provided so as to protrude. As shown in FIG. 3 (b), the lock portion 17 gradually increases in the amount of protrusion from the bottom surface in the recess 16 as the case 11 is inserted into the cage 2 on the entry end side that enters the cage 2. An inclined surface 17a is formed.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the cage 2 is formed with a leaf spring portion 18 to which the lock portion 17 of the case 11 is locked so as to be elastically displaceable. The leaf spring portion 18 is provided with a triangular locking hole 19 into which the lock portion 17 is inserted. Accordingly, when the case 11 is inserted into the cage 2, when the leaf spring portion 18 is smoothly elastically displaced by the inclined surface 17 a of the lock portion 17 and attached to the cage 2, the lock portion 17 is engaged. Locked in the blind hole 19.

  The unlocking mechanism 20 includes a slide member 21 serving as an unlocking member for releasing the locking state of the lock portion 17 on the case 11 side and the spring plate portion 18 on the cage 2 side, and the slide member 21 as shown in FIG. A lever 22 for moving in the middle arrow a direction and b direction and a support shaft 23 for supporting the slide member so as to be movable in the directions of arrows a and b are included. 50 (see FIG. 1 and the like).

  4 is a view showing the slide member 21 shown in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4A shows a plan view, FIG. 4B shows a side view, and FIG. 4C shows a front view. .

  The slide member 21 is made of, for example, a resin material such as PPS (polyphenylene sulfide), an elastic metal material, or the like. As shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C, the slide member 21 includes a base end portion 26 to which the lever 22 is attached, a slide portion 27 movably supported by the case 11, and a leaf spring portion 18. And a set of operating pieces 28 for elastically displacing the actuator.

  The base end portion 26 has a width direction (hereinafter simply referred to as a width direction) orthogonal to the moving direction of the slide member 21, which is the direction indicated by arrows a and b in FIG. 1, and parallel to the bottom surface of the case 11. A support hole 31 for rotatably supporting the lever 22 is provided.

  As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the slide portion 27 is provided integrally with the base end portion 26. As shown in FIG. 2B, the support shaft 23 is in the directions of arrows a and b. A long-hole-shaped support bearing hole 32 that is movably inserted into the shaft is provided. Further, the support shaft 23 is inserted into the support bearing hole 32, and both ends thereof are supported by shaft holes provided in the case 11.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 2B and 3A, a guide groove 33 for guiding the moving direction of the slide portion 27 is provided on the bottom surface of the case 11. By sliding the slide part 27 along the opposite side surfaces, the relative position of each operating piece 28 with respect to the case 11 is positioned. Further, the depth of the guide groove 33 is substantially equal to the thickness of the slide portion 27, and the slide portion 27 is configured not to protrude from the bottom surface of the case 11.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, each of the two operating pieces 28 is formed integrally with the slide portion 27 at the base end side with a predetermined interval allowing the lock portion 17 to enter between the operating pieces 28. It is configured to be elastically displaceable in the thickness direction of the leaf spring portion 18. A protrusion 34 having a substantially trapezoidal shape for elastically displacing the leaf spring portion 18 is provided at the tip of each operating piece 28 on the surface of the case 11 that faces the bottom surface of the recess 16.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (c), the case 11 is provided with each operating piece of the slide member 21 at a position on the bottom surface of the recess 16 opposite to the lock portion 17 therebetween. A substantially trapezoidal convex portion 35 with which 28 projections 34 are engaged is provided.

  It should be noted that each operating piece 28 has a contact with the leaf spring portion 18 on the surface facing the leaf spring portion 18 as necessary, for example, by finely adjusting the amount of displacement when the leaf spring portion 18 is elastically displaced. A protrusion to be contacted may be provided, and the displacement amount of the leaf spring portion 18 can be finely adjusted by the protrusion amount of the protrusion.

  Further, the distal end side of each operating piece 28 of the slide member 21 is engaged with the case 11 side when the slide member 21 is moved in the arrow b direction on one side surface that is slid along the side surface of the guide groove 33. A retaining surface 37 (see FIGS. 4A and 4B), which is a movement restricting portion, is formed. The retaining surface 37 is formed so as to be substantially orthogonal to the side surface of the operating piece 28.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3A, the case 11 is formed with a stopper surface 38 that is notched at a position adjacent to the guide groove 33 so as to restrict the movement of the slide member 21. . The stopper surface 38 is formed at an acute angle with respect to the side surface of the guide groove 33. Therefore, when the slide member 21 is moved in the direction of the arrow b with respect to the case 11, movement of the slide member 21 is restricted by the stopper surface 38 being abutted against the stopper surface 38. The case 11 is prevented from falling off.

  The slide member 21 movably supported by the case 11 operates without the operating piece 28 protruding from the recessed portion 16 in a state where the projection 34 of the operating piece 28 is not engaged with the convex portion 35. The piece 28 and the spring plate portion 18 are configured not to be in sliding contact with each other.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state in which a lever and an operation member are combined with the slide member shown in FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing the slide member, lever, and operation member shown in FIG. 5 in an exploded state. In FIGS. 5 and 6, a part of one working piece 28 provided on the slide portion 27 is shown in a broken state.

  The lever 22 is made of, for example, a metal material such as stainless steel or a resin material such as PPS, and a finger-hanging portion serving as a first operation portion provided on the upper portion of the lever 22 for the user to hold and operate. 22a and a rotation shaft 22b pivotally supported in the support hole 31 of the base end portion 26. In addition, the finger hooking part 22a may be color-coded according to each specification of the optical module 1 for each transmission distance, for example, as necessary.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the base end portion 26 provided in the slide portion 27 is configured to be divided into two along the central axis of the support hole 31, for example. Then, these two members are joined to each other after the rotation shaft 22b of the lever 22 is sandwiched in the support hole 31, so that the rotation shaft 22b of the lever 22 is rotatably supported in the support hole 31. It is possible.

  Further, the operation member 50 provided in the lever 22 is rotatable in the vicinity of both ends of the operation unit 51 as a second operation unit operated by the user to pull the lever 22 forward and the finger hooking unit 22a of the lever 22. And a support hole 52 to be supported by the support. The operation member 50 can be configured, for example, by bending a metal plate formed in a predetermined shape. In addition, the operation member 50 can be configured by bending a wire-like metal into a predetermined shape.

  The operating member 50 is attached to the lever 22 by inserting both ends of the upper portion of the lever 22 into both ends of the finger hooking portion 22a in a state where the respective support holes 52 are inserted into both ends of the upper portion of the lever 22 in advance. When the operating member 50 is attached to the lever 22, the operating portion 51 of the operating member 50 is in front of the front end surface of the case 11 and below the region in front of the connection port 11a formed in the case. To position.

  With respect to the optical module 1 configured as described above, an operation of releasing the locked state between the case 11 and the cage 2 by the lock release mechanism 20 will be described mainly with reference to FIGS. 7 to 10 and FIGS. 7 to 10 show one optical module 1. In FIGS. 11 and 12, as shown in FIG. 15A, a plurality of optical modules 1 are arranged on a panel of a communication device or the like with high density in the vertical direction. It shows the state that is.

  As shown in FIG. 7, when the case 11 is mounted in the cage 2 of the optical module 1, the lock portion 17 and the lock hole 19 are locked, and the lever 22 is on the front surface of the case 11. It arrange | positions in the position contact | abutted to the side. At this time, the operation portion 51 of the operation member 50 is disposed at a position protruding to the front side of the case 11. In addition, each operating piece 28 of the slide member 21 is moved to a position where the projection 34 is separated from the convex portion 35, is in a posture substantially parallel to the bottom surface of the concave portion 16, and is not spaced from the spring plate portion 18. Is secured.

  In order to release the locked state between the case 11 and the cage 2, it is necessary to turn the lever 22 in the direction of the arrow d in the drawing and to tilt the case 11 to the front side. For this purpose, first, a finger is put on the finger hooking portion 22a (see FIG. 5 and the like) of the lever 22 located at the top of the optical module 1, and the lever 22 is rotated in the direction of arrow d (substantially forward of the case 11). be able to.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 11A, when the optical modules 1 are arranged in a high density in the vertical direction and the finger hooking portion 22a on the upper portion of the lever 22 cannot be put on the finger, FIGS. As shown in (b), the lever 22 is moved in the direction of the arrow d by placing a finger on the operation portion 51 protruding to the lower front side of the case 11 and pulling the operation member 50 forward (left side in the figure) of the case 11. It can be rotated.

  FIG. 8 and FIG. 12A show a state in which the lever 22 is rotated in the direction of the arrow d as described above and protrudes to the front side of the case 11. The lever 22 arranged so as to contact the front side of the case 11 is rotated in the direction of the arrow d as described above, and the operation member 50 connected to the lever 22 extends forward of the lever 22. Yes. Thereby, the lock release mechanism 20 is in a state in which the slide member 21 can be easily pulled out by the operation member 50.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 9, a finger is put on the operation unit 51 to pull out the operation member 50 and the lever 22 in the arrow b direction, and the slide member 21 is moved in the arrow b direction. The slide member 21 is moved in the arrow b direction along the support shaft 23 passed through the support shaft receiving hole 32 of the slide portion 27, and is arranged at a position where the rear end surface of the support shaft receiving hole 32 hits the support shaft 23. At this time, the projection 34 of the operating piece 28 comes into contact with the convex portion 35.

  At this time, the operating piece 28 is elastically displaced and bent with its base end as a fulcrum, and the end of the operating piece 28 protrudes from the inside of the recess 16 of the case 11 to the lower side of the case 11. As a result, the end portion of the operating piece 28 presses the leaf spring portion 18 and elastically displaces the leaf spring portion 18 in a direction in which the locking state between the locking portion 17 and the locking hole 19 is released.

  When the slide portion 27 moves to a position where the other end surface of the support shaft bearing hole 32 abuts the support shaft 23, the slide member 21 stops near the top where the protrusion 34 of the operating piece 28 has climbed over the top of the convex portion 35, The contact state between the protrusion 34 and the convex portion 35 is maintained. Therefore, as long as the slide portion 27 is disposed at a position where the other end surface of the support shaft bearing hole 32 abuts the support shaft 23, the leaf spring portion 18 keeps the locking hole 19 and the lock portion 17 locked by the operating piece 28. The case 11 can be pulled out from the cage 2 while being maintained in the released state.

  In the state where the projection 34 of the operating piece 28 is in contact with the vicinity of the top of the convex portion 35, the protruding amount of the end of the operating piece 28 protruding from the inside of the concave portion 16 from the bottom surface of the concave portion 16 is from the bottom surface of the concave portion 16. The amount of protrusion of the lock portion 17 is substantially equal. Therefore, it is possible to release the locked state between the lock portion 17 and the locking hole 19 by smoothly elastically deforming the leaf spring portion 18 with the minimum necessary.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 12B, the operation member 50 and the lever 22 are pulled to move the slide member 21 further in the arrow b direction, and the case 11 is pulled out from the cage 2. When the case 11 is pulled out from the cage 2 and the lock portion 17 is separated from the locking hole 19, the leaf spring portion 18 is restored to a flat state by its own elastic restoring force. Further, when the slide member 21 is moved in the arrow b direction, the support shaft 23 comes into contact with the rear end of the support shaft receiving hole 32, and the retaining surface 37 (see FIG. 4) of the operating piece 28 is provided on the case 11. By being abutted against the stopper surface 38 (see FIG. 3), it is reliably prevented from falling off the case 11.

  In the lock release mechanism 20, the slide member 21 is guided so that the slide portion 27 slides along both opposing side surfaces of the guide groove 33 (see FIG. 3) of the case 11, and the protrusion 34 with respect to the convex portion 35. The relative position in the width direction is positioned. Further, since the slide member 21 is configured such that the slide portion 27 can move only within a range in which the support shaft receiving hole 32 can move along the support shaft 23, the moving range in the directions of the arrows a and b is reliable. The relative position in the moving direction between the protrusion 34 of the operating piece 28 and the convex portion 35 is reliably positioned.

  Accordingly, the slide member 21 is smoothly switched between the contact state and the contact release state between the projection 34 of the operating piece 28 and the convex portion 35 in accordance with the movement in the directions of the arrows a and b. The reliability of the operation | movement which cancels | releases the latching state of 17 and the locking hole 19 is fully ensured.

  As described above, the optical module 1 according to the present embodiment is configured to easily and reliably lock the case 11 and the cage 2 by pulling the slide member 21 out of the case 11 with the operation member 50 and the lever 22. The case 11 can be easily removed from the cage 2 by being released. Furthermore, according to the lock release mechanism 20 included in the optical module 1 of the present embodiment, the operation of releasing the locked state between the cage 2 and the case 11 and the light from within the cage 2 can be performed only by the operation of pulling the operation member 50. The operation of taking out the module 1 can be performed continuously.

  On the other hand, when the optical module 1 is mounted in the cage 2, the inclined surface 17 a of the lock portion 17 of the case 11 moves toward the cage 2 as the case 11 is inserted into the cage 2 and moved in the direction of arrow a. The leaf spring portion 18 is gradually elastically displaced and pushed down, and finally the lock portion 17 is locked in the locking hole 19 so that the case 11 is completely mounted in the cage 2.

  As described above, the optical module 1 of the present embodiment includes the lock mechanism 20 having the slide member 21, thereby improving the operability when releasing the locked state between the cage 2 and the case 11. The operation of releasing the locked state between the cage 2 and the case 11 and the operation of taking out the optical module 1 from the cage 2 can be performed by simple operations.

  In addition, in the optical module 1 of the present embodiment, since the operation member 50 is attached to the lever 22, the optical module 1 is arranged at a high density in the vertical direction as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. Even in the case where it is impossible to place a finger on the upper finger hooking portion 22a, the lever 22 can be moved by pulling the operation portion 51 of the operation member 50 protruding toward the lower front side of the case 11 to the front of the case 11. It can be rotated in the direction of arrow d. Therefore, the optical module 1 according to the present embodiment can be applied to a case where the optical module 1 is arranged at a high density in the vertical direction, and thus it is possible to reduce the size of a communication device or the like in which the optical module 1 is used. Further, according to the latter operation, the locked state between the optical module 1 and the cage 10 is released only by a simple operation of placing the finger on the operation unit 51 and pulling the operation member 50 and the lever 22 forward of the case 11. Thus, a series of operations until the optical module 1 is removed from the cage 10 can be performed with one action, so that the operation of removing the optical module 1 from the cage 10 can be simplified.

  Here, the advantages of the configuration of the present embodiment will be described in comparison with the techniques disclosed in Patent Documents 2 and 3. The handle 2002 included in the connector attaching / detaching mechanism of Patent Document 2 shown in FIG. 15 is the lever of the present embodiment. 22 (first operation unit), but the handle 2002 does not have a configuration corresponding to the operation member 50 (second operation unit) of the present embodiment. This is different from the configuration of the embodiment. Therefore, the connector attaching / detaching mechanism of Patent Document 2 can operate the handle 2002 only from above, and cannot operate the handle 2002 from the front as in the present embodiment.

  Further, the handle 3012 included in the lock mechanism of the electronic device disclosed in Patent Document 3 shown in FIG. 16 corresponds to the lever 22 (first operation unit) of the present embodiment, but the handle 3012 corresponds to the operation of the present embodiment. A configuration corresponding to the member 50 (second operation unit) is not provided. The handle 3012 can be pushed forward of the electronic device by pressing the lock release button 3002. However, the handle 3012 can be pulled out of the electronic device by pushing the lock release button 3002 to release the lock. It is necessary to perform two operations of grasping 3012 and pulling it forward. Therefore, it is different from the configuration of the present embodiment in which unlocking and taking out of the optical module 1 can be performed by only one operation of pulling the operation member 50 forward.

It is a perspective view which shows the state which attaches / detaches the optical module which concerns on one Embodiment of this embodiment with respect to a cage from the bottom face side of an optical module. It is a figure which shows the optical module shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the case shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the slide member shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the state which combined the lever and the operation member with the slide member shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing the slide member, lever, and operation member shown in FIG. 5 in an exploded state. It is a figure which shows the operation | movement which cancels | releases the latching state of a case and a cage with a lock release mechanism about the optical module shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the operation | movement which cancels | releases the latching state of a case and a cage with a lock release mechanism about the optical module shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the operation | movement which cancels | releases the latching state of a case and a cage with a lock release mechanism about the optical module shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the operation | movement which cancels | releases the latching state of a case and a cage with a lock release mechanism about the optical module shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the operation | movement which cancels | releases the latching state of a case and a cage with a lock release mechanism about the optical module shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the operation | movement which cancels | releases the latching state of a case and a cage with a lock release mechanism about the optical module shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the conventional optical module. It is a figure explaining the lock release operation | movement of the conventional optical module shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the conventional connector attachment / detachment mechanism. It is a perspective view which shows the lock mechanism of the conventional electronic device. It is a figure which shows the state which arranged the some optical module adjacent to each other vertically and horizontally in the apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Optical module 2 Cage 11 Case 11a Connection light 13 Connection terminal 16 Recess 17 Lock part 18 Leaf spring part 19 Locking hole 20 Lock release mechanism 21 Slide member 22 Lever 22a Finger hook part 22b Rotating shaft 22c Press part 23 Support shaft 26 Base End portion 27 Slide portion 28 Actuating piece 32 Support bearing hole 33 Guide groove 34 Projection 35 Protruding portion 37 Retaining surface 38 Stopper surface 41 Lever restricting piece 43 Locking portion 44 Locking groove 50 Operation member 51 Operation portion 52 Support hole

Claims (10)

An optical module having a case containing an element for performing optical communication, wherein the case is provided with a locking portion for locking the case to a cage for storing the case; and the case storing the case In the lock release mechanism of the optical module that releases the lock state with the cage,
The lock release mechanism includes a lock release member that releases a lock state between the cage and the lock portion, and a lever that is rotatably provided on the front end surface side of the case.
The locking release member is configured to release the locked state between the cage and the locking portion when the lever is pulled in a direction in which the case accommodated in the cage is taken out from the cage. And
The lever is composed of a first operation portion located at an upper portion of the lever and an operation member rotatably provided in the vicinity of the first operation portion, and the lever is on a front end surface side of the case. And a second operation portion located in front of the front end surface of the case when disposed on the optical module. The front end surface of the case is provided with a connection port to which a connector to which a cable is connected is connected,
2. The optical module locking release according to claim 1, wherein when the lever is provided on a front end surface side of the case, the second operation unit is positioned below a region in front of the connection port. mechanism. In an optical module having a case containing an element for performing optical communication, and the case is provided with a locking portion for locking the case to a cage for housing the case,
A lock release member for releasing the lock state between the cage and the lock portion, and a lever provided rotatably on the front end surface side of the case;
The locking release member is configured to release the locked state between the cage and the locking portion when the lever is pulled in a direction in which the case accommodated in the cage is taken out from the cage. And
The lever is composed of a first operation portion located at an upper portion of the lever and an operation member rotatably provided in the vicinity of the first operation portion, and the lever is on a front end surface side of the case. And a second operation unit positioned in front of the front end face of the case. The front end surface of the case is provided with a connection port to which a connector to which a cable is connected is connected,
The optical module according to claim 3, wherein the second operation portion of the lever is located below a region in front of the connection port when the lever is provided on a front end surface side of the case. An optical module that performs optical communication,
Case and
Locking means for locking the case to a cage capable of accommodating the case;
Unlocking means for releasing the locking state of the locking means and enabling the case to be removed from the cage;
The locking release means is
A lever rotatably provided on the case;
A first operating portion that is provided integrally with or connected to the lever, and that rotates the lever by pulling it forward of the case;
A second operating portion that is configured by an operating member rotatably provided in the vicinity of the first operating portion of the lever, and that rotates the lever by pulling it forward of the case;
An action part that acts to release the locking state of the locking means when the lever is pulled forward of the case;
An optical module comprising: An optical module that performs optical communication,
Case and
Locking means for locking the case to a cage capable of accommodating the case;
Unlocking means for releasing the locking state of the locking means and enabling the case to be removed from the cage;
The locking release means is
A lever rotatably provided on the case;
An action portion that acts to release the locking state of the locking means in conjunction with the rotation of the lever;
The lever includes at least two movable parts, and the at least two movable parts can be folded and changed into a state of being accommodated in the case and a state of being extended forward of the case. module. The lever is
A first movable part rotatably provided on the case;
A second movable part provided rotatably on the first movable part,
The first movable part includes a first operation part located on an upper side of the case when the first movable part and the second movable part are folded and stored in the case. The second movable portion includes a second operation portion located on a lower side of the case when the first movable portion and the second movable portion are folded and stored in the case. And
The lever rotates with respect to the case by pulling the first movable portion and the second movable portion forward of the case, and the locking portion is released by the action portion. The optical module according to claim 6. An optical module having a case containing an element for performing optical communication, the case including an optical module provided with a locking portion for locking the case to a cage for storing the case, and the optical module A method of releasing the locking state with the cage,
The optical module further includes a locking release member that releases a locking state between the cage and the locking portion, and a lever that is rotatably provided on the front end surface side of the case.
The locking release member is configured to release the locked state between the cage and the locking portion when the lever is pulled in a direction in which the case accommodated in the cage is taken out from the cage. And
The lever is composed of a first operation portion located at an upper portion of the lever and an operation member rotatably provided in the vicinity of the first operation portion, and the lever is on a front end surface side of the case. And a second operation portion located in front of the front end surface of the case when arranged in the case,
Operating the first operating part or the second operating part to rotate the lever forward of the case;
Pulling the second operation part forward of the case to move the lever forward of the case, and releasing the locking state between the cage and the locking part by the locking release member;
A method for releasing the locked state between the optical module and the cage.   The optical module according to claim 8, wherein the step of operating the first operation unit to rotate the lever forward of the case includes an operation of pulling the first operation unit forward of the case. How to release the locked state with the cage.   The optical module according to claim 8, wherein the step of operating the second operation unit to rotate the lever forward of the case includes an operation of pulling the second operation unit forward of the case. How to release the locked state with the cage.

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