阅读说明：本技术 带散热器的输入/输出连接器 (Input/output connector with heat sink ) 是由 罗伯特·迪尔曼 克里斯托弗·L·卡普思琴斯基 于 2020-03-19 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种卡具有一后部,所述后部具有设置在其上的接触垫,并且所述卡具有安装在一第一侧上的一输入/输出(I/O)连接器组件,所述I/O连接器组件包括位于一罩体中的一插座连接器。一散热器组件安装在所述罩体上,并且配置为延伸到所述罩体中,以帮助冷却一插入的插头模块。如果需要,一第二散热器能安装在所述卡的一第二侧上。所述第二散热器能穿过所述卡上的一孔延伸到由所述I/O连接器组件限定的一端口中,从而能从两侧冷却插入所述端口中的所述模块。所述卡能配置为竖直或水平安装。(A card has a rear portion with contact pads disposed thereon and has an input/output (I/O) connector assembly mounted on a first side, the I/O connector assembly including a receptacle connector in a cage. A heat sink assembly is mounted on the housing and is configured to extend into the housing to assist in cooling an inserted plug module. A second heat sink can be mounted on a second side of the card if desired. The second heat sink can extend through a hole in the card into a port defined by the I/O connector assembly so that the module inserted into the port can be cooled from both sides. The card can be configured for vertical or horizontal installation.)

1. A card assembly, comprising:

a card having a front and a back, a first side and a second side, and an aperture extending between the first side and the second side and contact pads at the back;

an I/O cage assembly mounted to a first side of the card, the I/O cage assembly having a cage defining a port having a front opening and a receptacle connector positioned in the port and configured to engage a plug module inserted into the port, the cage including a first opening and a second opening on opposite sides of the cage, the second opening being aligned with the aperture;

a first heat sink assembly positioned on the housing and having a first protrusion extending into the first opening to extend into the port; and

a second heat sink assembly located on a second side of the card, the second heat sink having a second protrusion extending through the aperture and the second opening to extend into the port.

2. The card assembly of claim 1, wherein the I/O cap assembly is a first I/O cap assembly and the aperture is a first aperture, the card having a second aperture and supporting a second I/O cap assembly in alignment with the second aperture, wherein the port is a first port and the second I/O cap assembly defines a second port.

3. The card assembly of claim 2, wherein the cards are configured to be vertically aligned.

4. The card assembly of claim 1, wherein the first heat sink assembly is a straddle mount heat sink configured to engage a plug module inserted into the first port and the second port, respectively.

5. The card assembly of claim 1, further comprising a cable assembly extending from the I/O shroud assembly, the cable assembly configured to transmit high speed signals from the connector to a connector system adjacent a chip package.

6. The card assembly of claim 1, wherein the first heat sink assembly is a straddle mount heat sink.

7. A computing box, comprising:

a case having a front surface;

a circuit board disposed in said box in a horizontal manner, said circuit board being spaced from said front surface, said circuit board having a board connector mounted thereon; and

a card assembly mounted to the circuit board, the card assembly comprising:

a card having a front and a rear, a first side and a second side, and an aperture extending between the first side and the second side and contact pads at the rear, the contact pads engaging the board connector;

an I/O enclosure mounted on a first side of the card, the I/O enclosure comprising: a housing defining a port with a leading edge; and a receptacle connector located in the port and configured to engage a plug module inserted into the port; the front edge of the cover being aligned with the front face of the box, the cover including a first opening and a second opening, the first and second openings being on opposite sides of the cover, the second opening being aligned with the aperture;

a first heat sink assembly positioned on the housing and having a first protrusion extending into the first opening to extend into the port;

a second heat sink assembly located on a second side of the card, the second heat sink having a second protrusion extending through the aperture and the second opening to extend into the port.

8. The cassette assembly of claim 7, wherein the board connector is configured to receive the contact pads in a vertical orientation.

9. The cassette assembly of claim 7, wherein the connector is a connector connected to a cable assembly configured to transmit high speed signals.

10. The box assembly of claim 9, wherein the cable assembly is connected to a connector assembly adjacent to a chip package.

11. The cartridge assembly of claim 7, wherein the cartridge supports a plurality of card assemblies arranged adjacent to one another, each card assembly being arranged in a vertical configuration.

12. The cassette assembly of claim 11, wherein the front surface includes a plurality of air flow openings between each opening formed by adjacent card assemblies.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to the field of input/output (I/O) connectors, and more particularly, to I/O connectors suitable for use in high data rate applications.

Background

Input/output (I/O) connectors are commonly used to provide signal transmission between two devices. I/O connectors are increasingly being used to support data rates and distances that make the use of passive cable assemblies impractical from a theoretical standpoint. As a result, many such cable assemblies are provided in fiber optic cables.

Optical cables, while more expensive, allow a system to be built that can provide high-speed data transmission over long distances. For example, 100Gb can support quad small form-factor pluggable (QSFP) connector systems over distances of 100 meters (or more), which is a distance that passive cables cannot support. One problem with using fiber optic cables, however, is that the heat energy dissipated by the transceivers makes it difficult to package multiple ports in a single box or enclosure. Thus, certain individuals would appreciate improved designs that would facilitate how thermal energy is managed.

It is known to provide a riding heat sink to help provide cooling, such as disclosed in US 6749448. Attempts to improve on this design have met with some success, but improvements are often too expensive or provide less effective cooling, such as the design disclosed in CN 206789813U. Accordingly, certain individuals would appreciate additional improvements in cooling techniques.

Disclosure of Invention

A card assembly includes a card, which may be a conventional circuit board provided with contact pads at one edge, is provided having an input/output (I/O) connector assembly mounted on the card, and is configurable with heat sink assemblies on both opposing sides of the card. In one embodiment, one of the heat sinks extends through the card. The card can be configured for vertical or horizontal installation.

In one embodiment, a card with an I/O connector assembly defining a port is mounted in a vertical position. Heat sink assemblies can be disposed on both sides of the card. The heat sink assemblies on both sides can each be configured as a straddle mount heat sink and can each extend into a respective port, thereby enabling cooling of the inserted plug modules from both sides. In one embodiment, one of the heat sink assemblies extends through one or more apertures of the card.

In another embodiment, a card has an I/O connector assembly mounted on the card defining two stacked ports, and the card is arranged in a horizontal orientation. Heat sink assemblies can be mounted on both sides of the card. The heat sink assemblies on both sides can be configured as a straddle mount heat sink and can each extend into a respective port to cool an inserted plug module regardless of whether the inserted plug module is inserted from the top port side or the bottom port side. In one embodiment, one of the heat sink assemblies extends through the card. An internal heat sink arrangement.

In another embodiment, a card with an I/O connector assembly mounted thereon defining ports is configured in a horizontal orientation. Heat sink assemblies may be provided on both sides of the card. The heat sink assemblies on both sides can each be configured as a straddle type heat sink and can each extend from opposite sides into respective ports, thereby enabling cooling of the inserted plug modules from both sides. In one embodiment, one of the heat sinks extends through the card.

Drawings

The present application is illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references indicate similar elements and in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a cassette with side surfaces of the cassette removed.

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of an I/O cover assembly.

Fig. 2A illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of a heat sink.

Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of a previous embodiment of a cassette.

Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of the internal features of a cassette.

Fig. 5 shows a perspective view of a front feature that can be used in a box.

FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of a plurality of card assemblies.

Figure 7 shows a perspective view of a card assembly.

Figure 8 illustrates another perspective view of the card assembly shown in figure 7.

FIG. 9 illustrates a perspective view of another embodiment of a card assembly.

Fig. 10 shows a simplified perspective view of the embodiment of fig. 9.

FIG. 11 illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of multiple card assemblies attached to a circuit board.

Figure 12 shows a perspective view of a plurality of card assemblies arranged in a box system including a cable tray.

Figure 13 shows a perspective view of a plurality of card assemblies mounted on a circuit board.

Fig. 14 shows another perspective view of the embodiment shown in fig. 13.

Fig. 15 shows another perspective view of the embodiment shown in fig. 13.

Fig. 16 shows a simplified perspective view of the embodiment of fig. 13.

FIG. 17 illustrates a side view of a port of the I/O connector assembly.

Figure 18 illustrates an exploded perspective view of a portion of the card assembly in the embodiment shown in figure 16.

Fig. 19 illustrates an exploded perspective view of the card assembly shown in fig. 16 with the card removed.

Fig. 20 shows a simplified perspective view of the embodiment of fig. 18.

Fig. 21 shows a simplified perspective view of the embodiment of fig. 16 with the cover and heat sink removed.

Fig. 22 shows another perspective view of the embodiment shown in fig. 21.

Fig. 23 shows a simplified perspective view of the embodiment of fig. 22.

Fig. 24 shows another perspective view of the embodiment shown in fig. 23.

FIG. 25 shows a side view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 23;

figure 26A illustrates a perspective view of another embodiment of a plurality of card assemblies supported by a support member.

FIG. 26B shows a simplified perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 26A.

Fig. 26C shows a cutaway perspective view taken along line 26C-26C of fig. 26B.

FIG. 26D shows a rear view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 26B.

FIG. 26E illustrates a simplified partially exploded perspective view of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 26B.

FIG. 26F shows an exploded perspective view of a portion of the embodiment shown in FIG. 26B;

FIG. 26G illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of a support member suitable for use with the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 26B.

FIG. 26H illustrates another perspective view of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 26G.

Fig. 27A shows a schematic view of a cassette having horizontally aligned card assemblies.

FIG. 27B shows a schematic view of a card suitable for use in the embodiment of FIG. 27A.

FIG. 28 illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of a card assembly.

Fig. 29 shows another perspective view of the embodiment shown in fig. 28.

Fig. 30 illustrates a perspective view of another embodiment of a card assembly showing a single cover mounted on the card.

Fig. 31 shows a cutaway perspective view taken along line 31-31 of fig. 30.

Fig. 32 shows a cutaway perspective view taken along line 32-32 of fig. 30.

Fig. 33 shows an exploded perspective view of the embodiment of fig. 30.

FIG. 34 illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of a card assembly.

Fig. 35 shows an exploded perspective view of the embodiment shown in fig. 34.

Fig. 36 shows a cutaway perspective view taken along line 36-36 of fig. 34.

Fig. 37 shows a cutaway perspective view taken along line 37-37 of fig. 34.

Detailed Description

The following detailed description describes exemplary embodiments, and the disclosed features are not intended to be limited to the explicitly disclosed combinations. Thus, unless otherwise specified, features disclosed herein may be combined together to form additional combinations not otherwise shown for the sake of brevity.

Fig. 1-2A illustrate one embodiment of a plurality of input/output (I/O) connector assemblies 20 housed in a casing 22 that provides beneficial heat dissipation. A plurality of I/O connector assemblies 20 are mounted on and electrically connected to a front circuit board 24 mounted horizontally in a box 22. The front circuit board 24 is positioned between the stacked pairs of I/O connector assemblies 20. The connector assembly 20 is connected to a first rear circuit board 26, the first rear circuit board 26 supporting a chip package in a bypass arrangement (bypass arrangement) for transmitting high speed signals from the I/O connector assembly 20 to the rear circuit board 26. The connector assembly 20 is also connected to a second rear circuit board (not shown) for transmitting low speed signals from the I/O connector assembly 20 to the second rear circuit board. A plug module (not shown) is mounted in the I/O connector assembly 20. The plug module may be a four-channel small form factor p (qsfp) transceiver module or any other desired transceiver module (such as, but not limited to, SFP, CXP, etc.). High speed signals from the plug modules are routed (routed) via the I/O connector assembly 20 to the rear circuit board 26. Low speed signals and power may be routed through the front circuit board 24 or may be routed to the second rear circuit board 26 using a cable. The embodiment shown in fig. 1 and 2 works well in the presence of some degree of thermal loading, but this design is often marginal when trying to cool plug modules outputting 8-10 watts (or more). Additionally, in some cases, the front circuit board 24 may be difficult to package.

The box 22 has a front wall 28, the front wall 28 having a plurality of pairs of stacked openings 30 formed therethrough in rows and columns. Each opening 30 extends horizontally relative to the side edges 28a, 28b of the front wall 28. Thus, a top row 32 of spaced apart openings 30 is provided, and a bottom row 34 of spaced apart openings 30 is provided, the spaced apart openings 30 being spaced apart from one another by a portion 36 of the front wall 28. As shown, the plurality of openings 30 form two groups each of a 2 × 6 matrix, however, this is an exemplary embodiment, and the number of openings 30 may be different from this configuration. The front wall 28 has a plurality of air flow openings 38 disposed therethrough, the plurality of air flow openings 38 allowing air to flow through the front wall 28 to cool the plurality of I/O connector assemblies 20 mounted in the cassette 22. Thus, the front wall 28 may be configured to reduce air resistance, thereby allowing more air to flow through the cassette 22 at a given air pressure gradient.

For purposes of illustration, the cartridge 22 is shown with most of the walls removed, but will typically include a bottom wall 88 and side, rear and top walls (not shown). A frame can be located in the box and can help support the circuit boards located in the box 22 like the side walls 42, 44 extending rearwardly from the front wall 28.

The front circuit board 24 is mounted in a horizontal position and is positioned to extend rearwardly from a portion 36 of the front wall 28. Thus, the front circuit board 24 is positioned between the top row 32 of openings 30 and the bottom row 34 of openings 30. The paired I/O connector assemblies 20 are mounted on the front circuit board 24 web-to-web. Thus, a plurality of spaced I/O connector assemblies 20 are mounted on a top surface of the front circuit board 24, and a plurality of spaced I/O connector assemblies 20 are mounted on a bottom surface of the front circuit board 24.

FIG. 2 shows an example of one of the I/O connector assemblies 20. The I/O connector assembly 20 includes a conductive cage 46 having a front end 46a and a rear end 46b, and having a port 48 extending from the front end 46a to the rear end 46b thereof. A receptacle connector (not shown) is mounted in the port 48 of the cage 46, a heat sink assembly 50 is mounted to the cage 46, and a cable assembly 52 is connected to the receptacle connector.

The housing 46 includes parallel first and second walls 54, 56 and parallel side walls 58, 60 extending between the first and second walls 54, 56 at opposite side edges of the first and second walls 54, 56. The inner surfaces of the walls 54, 56, 58, 60 form the port 48. The second wall 56 does not extend the entire length of the enclosure 46 such that an opening (not shown) is formed proximate the rear end 46b of the enclosure 46. The wall 54 of the housing 46 includes an opening (not shown) therethrough rearward of the front end 46a of the housing 46. The receptacle connector is inserted into the port 48 through an opening formed by the second wall 56, and the terminals (not shown) of the receptacle connector extend from the second wall 56. Resilient fingers 62 may be provided on the walls 54, 56, 58, 60 to help connect the cover 46 to the corresponding opening 30 in the front wall 28. The cover 46 may be formed by press molding. The enclosure 46 is thermally conductive and forms a shielded assembly for the components mounted therein. When the cover 46 is attached to the front wall 28, the front end 46a of the cover 46 forms a port through the front wall 28.

In the embodiment illustrated in fig. 1-2A, the heat sink assembly 50 is formed of a thermally conductive material and includes a heat sink 66 and a clip 68 that attaches the heat sink 66 to the wall 54 of the enclosure 46. As shown, the heat sink 66 includes: a base (base)70, the base 70 having a first surface 70a and an opposite flat second plane 70b extending from a front end 70c of the base 70 to a rear end 70d of the base 70; a plurality of thermally conductive fins 72 extending outwardly from the first surface 70 a; and a protrusion 74 extending outwardly from the second surface 70 b. As shown, the projection 74 may include a chamfered or angled front portion to ensure a smoother engagement with an inserted plug module during operation. In the embodiment shown, the plurality of fins 72 are elongated and extend from the front end 70c to the rear end 70d, thereby forming elongated channels 76 between the plurality of fins 72. As shown, multiple sets of fins 72 may be provided, wherein the sets of fins 72 are separated by a portion 78 of the first surface 70a of the base 70. In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the plurality of fins 72 may be formed as an array of pillars or some other desired fin pattern/structure.

The second surface 70b rests on the outer surface of the wall 54. The projection 74 extends through an opening in the wall 54 of the housing 46 and into the port 48 thereof. Clasps 68 are attached to side walls 58, 60 to attach heat sink 66 to wall 54 of enclosure 46, and in one embodiment clasps 68 are disposed in portion 78.

A plug module (not shown) is inserted through the front end 46a of the cage 46 into the port 48 and engages the receptacle connector in a known manner. The plug module forms the main electromagnetic containment (electromagnetic containment) and the shroud 46 forms a conductive sleeve around the plug module. When the plug module is inserted into the cage 46, the plug module engages the protrusion 74 and a card slot of the receptacle connector 90. The clip 68 may allow the base 70 of the heat sink 66 to move away from the wall 54 when a plug-in module is inserted and engaged with the tab 74. To cool the inserted header modules, the projections 74 conduct heat energy from the higher temperature header modules to the fins 72 (in one embodiment, heat can be dissipated by convection) to help cool the header modules.

The cable assembly 52 includes: a plurality of cables 80 connected to the receptacle connector for transmitting high-speed signals from the plug module to the first rear circuit board 26; and a plurality of cables 82 connected to the receptacle connector for transmitting the low-speed signals from the receptacle module to the second rear circuit board. Cable 80 is terminated with connector 84 and cable 82 is terminated with connector 86.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 1-2A, the I/O connector assemblies 20 in the top row 32 have the wall 56 mounted on the top surface of the front circuit board 24 such that the wall 54 forms a top wall and the fins 72 extend upwardly from the front circuit board 24. The cages 46 in the top row 32 may be mounted to the front circuit board 24 by a Surface Mount Technology (SMT) operation or by interference fit of press-fit tails, as is known in the art. The receptacle connectors within the cages 46 of the top row 32 of I/O connector assemblies 20 are electrically connected to the front circuit board 24 to provide a path for low speed signals and power to pass through. The channels 76 between the fins 72 of the connector assemblies 20 in the top row 32 are aligned with the air flow openings 38 so that air flows through the openings 38 and the channels 76. The I/O connector assemblies 20 in the bottom row 34 have the wall 56 mounted on the bottom surface of the front circuit board 24 such that the wall 54 forms a bottom wall and the fins 72 extend downwardly from the front circuit board 24. The cages 46 in the bottom row 34 may be mounted to the front circuit board 24 by a Surface Mount Technology (SMT) operation or by interference fit of press-fit tails, as is known in the art. The receptacle connectors within the cages 46 of the bottom row 34 of I/O connector assemblies 20 are electrically connected to the front circuit board 24 to provide a path for low speed signals and power to pass through. The channels 76 between the fins 72 of the connector assemblies 20 in the bottom row 34 are aligned with the air flow openings 38 so that air flows through the openings 38 and the channels 76.

The embodiments shown in fig. 1-2A will typically require that the plug modules in the top row 32 of ports formed by the I/O connector assemblies 20 have an opposite attitude than the plug modules in the bottom row 34 of ports formed by the I/O connector assemblies 20 so that the I/O connector assemblies can all employ a standard riding heat sink configuration.

The floor 88 of the box 22 can be used to support the cables 80 as the cables 80 extend from the enclosure 46 to the rear circuit board 26. Alternatively, a tray may be used. If a tray is used, the tray (which may be rigidly or flexibly connected to the front connector portion) helps route the cables carrying the high speed signals to a location near the ASIC/computer chip and can help ensure that the cables are held in the required attitude (which may be desirable if a large number of cables are provided).

Fig. 27A, 27B show a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a plurality of card assemblies 115, the plurality of card assemblies 115 including a plurality of input/output (I/O) connector assemblies 120 housed in a cassette 110 (which may be formed like cassette 22 but without openings 30 of top row 32) that provides enhanced heat dissipation. Specifically, fig. 27A to 27B show schematic views of a horizontal card structure. In one embodiment using card assembly 115, card 124 supports an I/O connector assembly 120 that includes a heat sink 166. A right angle connector 220 can be provided on a main circuit board 126 and card 124 can include contact pads 124c on the rear edge of the card that are configured to be inserted into right angle connector 220. As can be appreciated, the card 124 may also be connected to the main circuit board 126 by a cable 128.

As shown, the I/O connector assembly 120 is located in the box 110, and located in the box 110 is a main circuit board 126 that supports a chip package 126a (which can be any desired high performance chip). The connector assembly 120 is connected to the rear circuit board 126 in a bypass arrangement with cables 128 connected to the connector system 129 for transmitting high speed signals from the I/O connector assembly 120 to the chip package 126a with low loss. As described above, the plug module (not shown) interfaces with the I/O connector assembly 120. The plug module may be a quad small form-factor pluggable (QSFP) transceiver module or any other desired format, such as QSFP-DD, SFP, CXP, or the like. It should be noted that other embodiments, such as those shown in fig. 3-25, are also intended to connect cables extending from respective I/O connector assemblies to a connector system adjacent to a chip package configured to receive and/or transmit high speed signals.

Turning to fig. 28-37, multiple embodiments of horizontally aligned ports are provided, one embodiment in a stacked configuration and one embodiment in a single row pattern. In each case, the I/O connector assembly is mounted on a card. In one embodiment, the card may include a row of contacts as shown in fig. 16 or schematically in fig. 27B, and as shown in fig. 27B, the card assembly may be configured to be inserted into a right angle connector (not shown) such that the plurality of ports are arranged in a horizontal manner. Similar to the embodiment shown in fig. 13-25, the cable will extend back from the I/O connector assembly and provide a high speed signal path. In another embodiment, the card may be part of a larger circuit board and the cable for the high speed signals would extend back from the I/O connector assembly, similar to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 13-25. Alternatively, the I/O connector assembly may omit a two-channel (bipass) configuration and use only the card as the standard signal transmission medium. The latter structure has a lower performance (performance) from a signal integrity point of view, but may still provide enhanced cooling performance.

As shown in fig. 34-37, a card assembly 115 includes an I/O connector assembly 120 mounted to a card 124. The I/O connector assembly 120 has a conductive cage 146, the conductive cage 146 having a front end 146a and a rear end 146b, and the cage 146 defining a port 148 extending from the front end 146a to the rear end 146b thereof. A receptacle connector 190 is mounted to the card 124 and within the port 148, and a first heat sink element 150 is mounted to an upper side of the enclosure 146, and a second heat sink element 192 is mounted to a lower side of the enclosure 146, and a cable assembly (not shown) can be connected to the receptacle connector 190 in a manner similar to the embodiment shown in fig. 13-25.

The cover 146 includes parallel top and bottom walls 154, 156 and parallel side walls 158, 160 extending between the top and bottom walls 154, 156 at opposite side edges of the top and bottom walls 154, 156. The inner surfaces of the walls 154, 156, 158, 160 form the port 148. The bottom wall 156 does not extend the entire length of the enclosure 146 such that an opening 194 is formed proximate the rear end 46b of the enclosure 46. The bottom wall 156 has an opening 196 therethrough, the opening 196 being located rearward of the front end 46a of the housing 46. The top wall 154 has an opening 198 therethrough, the opening 198 being located rearward of the front end 46a of the housing 46. The openings 196, 198 may be aligned with each other. Resilient fingers 162 may be provided on the walls 154, 156, 158, 160 to help connect the cover 146 to the corresponding opening 30 in the front wall 28. The cover 146 may be formed by stamping and forming. The enclosure 146 is thermally conductive and forms a shielded assembly for the components mounted therein. When cover 146 is attached to front wall 28 of box 22, front end 146a of cover 146 helps define a port extending through front wall 28.

The first heat sink assembly 150 is formed of a thermally conductive material and includes a heat sink 166 and a clip 168 that attaches the heat sink 166 to the top wall 154 of the housing 146. As shown, the heat sink 166 includes: a base 170, the base 170 having an upper surface 170a and a flat lower surface 170b, the lower surface 170b extending from a front end 170c of the base 170 to a rear end 170d of the base 170; a plurality of heat sink fins 172 extending outwardly from the upper surface 170 a; and a protrusion 174 extending outwardly from the lower surface 170 b. The protrusion 174 has a flat surface 174a spaced from the lower surface 170b but parallel to the lower surface 170 b. The distance between the surfaces 174a, 170b defines the depth of the protrusion 174. In one embodiment as shown, the plurality of fins 172 are elongated and extend from a front end 170c to a rear end 170d, thereby forming elongated channels 176 between the plurality of fins 172. As shown, multiple sets of fins 172 may be provided, with the sets of fins 172 being separated by a portion 178 of the upper surface 170a of the base 170. In an alternative embodiment (not shown), fins 172 are formed as an array of pillars or some other desired fin structure.

The lower surface 170b of the base 170 rests on an outer surface of the top wall 154. The projection 174 extends through an opening 198 in the top wall 154 of the housing 146 and into the port 148 of the housing 146. Clasps 168 are attached to the side walls 158, 160 to attach the heat sink 166 to the top wall 154 of the enclosure 146, and in one embodiment, the clasps 168 are disposed in a portion 178.

The second heat sink assembly 192 is formed of a thermally conductive material and includes a heat sink 202 and a clip 204 that attaches the heat sink 202 to the housing 146. As shown, the heat sink 202 includes: a base 206 having a lower surface 206a and a flat upper surface 206b extending from a front end 206c of the base 206 to a rear end 206d of the base 206; a plurality of thermally conductive fins 208 extending outwardly from lower surface 206 a; and a protrusion 210 extending outwardly from the upper surface 206 b. The protrusion 210 has a flat surface 210a spaced from the upper surface 206b but parallel to the upper surface 206 b. The distance between the surfaces 210a, 206b defines the depth of the protrusion 210. In one embodiment as shown, the plurality of fins 208 are elongated and extend from the front end 206c to the back end 206d, thereby forming elongated channels 212 between the plurality of fins 208. As shown, multiple sets of fins 208 may be provided, wherein the sets of fins 208 are separated by a portion 278 of the lower surface 206a of the base 206. In an alternative embodiment (not shown), fins 208 are formed as an array of pillars or some other desired fin arrangement.

The card 124 has an opening 216 disposed therethrough. When the cover 146 is mounted on the upper surface 124a of the card 124, the openings 216 are aligned with the corresponding openings 196 in the cover 146. As can be appreciated, while fig. 34-37 show a single I/O connector assembly, in an alternative embodiment, additional I/O connector assemblies may be provided on the card 124 (as long as the card 124 is made larger).

The second heat sink assembly 192 is assembled to the card 124 and the cover 146. The upper surface 206b of the base 206 abuts a lower surface 124b of the card 124, and the protrusion 210 extends through the opening 216 in the card 124 and further through the opening 196 in the bottom wall 156 and into the port 148. The buckle 204 extends through the aperture 218 in the card 124 and engages the side walls 158, 160 of the housing 146.

A plug module (not shown) is inserted through front end 146a of shroud 146 into port 148 and engages receptacle connector 190 in a known manner. The plug module forms the main electromagnetic containing body, while the cover 146 forms a conductive sleeve around the plug module. When the plug module is inserted into the cage 146, the plug module engages the surfaces 174a, 210a of the projections 174, 210 and the card slot of the receptacle connector 190. The clips 168, 204 may allow the base portions 170, 206 of the respective heat sinks 166, 202 to move away from the respective top and bottom walls 154, 156 upon insertion of the plug module. To cool the inserted plug modules, the fins 172, 208 conduct heat away from the plug modules mounted in the enclosure 146 and dissipate the heat by convection and radiation. As can be appreciated, because the protrusion 210 extends through both the card 124 and the bottom wall 156 of the cover 146, the protrusion 210 may have a depth that is greater than the depth of the protrusion 174.

The cover 146 may be mounted to the card 124 by a Surface Mount Technology (SMT) operation or by an interference fit using press fit tails, as is known in the art. The receptacle connector 190 is electrically connected to the card 124 to provide a path for all signals (as shown in fig. 37) or only low speed signals and power (as shown in fig. 22). Thus, the features provided in fig. 13-25 may also be used with the receptacle connector 190 shown in fig. 34-37. The passages 176, 212 between the fins 172, 208 of the connector assembly 120 are aligned with the air flow opening 38 so that air flows through the air flow opening 38 and the passages 176, 212.

Fig. 28-33 provide a modified embodiment of the cover 146 ', and the cover 146 ' may be mounted to the card 124 (which may include contact pads not shown) to form the card assembly 120 '. As can be appreciated from fig. 28-33, in one embodiment, the connector may be a stacked connector and include a top-mounted saddle-ride heat sink, an internal saddle-ride heat sink, and a bottom-mounted saddle-ride heat sink, wherein the fins of the top-and bottom-mounted saddle-ride heat sinks are located on opposite sides of a substrate (substrate). The bottom-mount heat sink extends through the base plate and the cover. The embodiment of fig. 28-33 is similar to the embodiment of fig. 27A, 27B, and 34-37, and only the differences are described herein. As shown in fig. 28-33, the enclosure 146' has been modified to include an intermediate heat sink assembly housing (housing)230 such that an upper port 232 is disposed above the intermediate heat sink assembly housing 230 and a lower port 234 is disposed below the intermediate heat sink assembly housing 230. The intermediate heat sink assembly housing 230 provides a mounting (mount) for a third heat sink assembly 236 within the enclosure 146'.

The intermediate heat sink assembly housing 230 includes upper and lower walls 238, 240, the upper and lower walls 238, 240 being spaced apart from one another but connected to one another by a front wall 242 extending between forward ends of the upper and lower walls 238, 240 and a support wall 244 extending between the upper and lower walls 238, 240 at a location spaced apart from the front wall 242. The front wall 242 has a plurality of openings 246 therethrough to allow air to flow therethrough. The upper and lower walls 238, 240 may have a plurality of openings therethrough to allow air to flow therethrough. A radiator aperture 248 is disposed through the lower wall 240 and spaced from the front and rear edges of the lower wall 240.

The heat sink assembly housing 230 is mounted within the enclosure 146 'with the side edges of the upper and lower walls 238, 240 adjacent the inner surfaces of the respective side walls 158, 160 of the enclosure 146'. The front wall 242 is generally aligned with the front edges of the walls 154, 156, 158, 160 of the enclosure 146'. A rear end of the heat sink assembly housing 230 is aligned or substantially aligned with a front edge of the opening 196 through the bottom wall 156. The upper and lower walls 238, 240 are suitably secured to the side walls 158, 160 of the enclosure 146', such as by locking tabs seated in the apertures. A portion of the side walls 158, 160 of the heat sink assembly housing 230 and the enclosure 146' form a heat sink assembly retaining space 250 in which the third heat sink assembly 236 is mounted.

The third heat sink assembly 236 is formed of a thermally conductive material and includes a heat sink 252 and a clip 254 that attaches the heat sink 252 to the upper wall 238 of the heat sink assembly housing 230. As shown, the heat sink 252 includes: a base 256 having an upper surface 256a and a flat lower surface 256b extending from a front end of the base 256 to a rear end of the base 256; a plurality of thermally conductive fins 258 extending outwardly from the upper surface 256 a; and a projection 260 extending downwardly from the lower surface 256b of the base 256. The projection 260 has a flat surface 260a spaced from the lower surface 256b but parallel to the lower surface 256 b. The distance between the surfaces 260a, 256b defines a depth of the protrusion 260. In the embodiment shown, the plurality of fins 258 are elongated and extend from the front end of the base 256 to the rear end of the base 256, thereby forming elongated channels 262 between the plurality of fins 258. The lower surface of the base 256 of the heat sink 252 seats against the upper surface of the lower wall 240, and the protrusion 260 extends through the hole 248 for the heat sink such that the protrusion 260 enters the lower port 234.

The upper port 232 is formed by the top wall 154, the upper portions of the side walls 158, 160 above the upper wall 238 of the intermediate heat sink assembly housing 230, and the upper wall 238 of the intermediate heat sink assembly. The protrusion 174 of the first heat sink assembly 150 extends into the upper port 232. The lower port 234 is formed by the bottom wall 156, the lower portions of the side walls 158, 160 below the lower wall 240 of the intermediate heat sink assembly housing 230, and the lower wall 240 of the intermediate heat sink assembly housing 230. The protrusion 210 of the second heat sink assembly 192 extends into the lower port 234.

When a plug module is inserted into the upper port 232 of the cage 146', the plug module engages the surfaces 174a, 201a of the projections 174, 210 and the upper card slot 264 of the receptacle connector 190. To cool a plug module inserted into the upper port 232 of the enclosure 146 ', the fins 175 conduct heat away from the plug module mounted in the upper port 232 of the enclosure 146' and dissipate the heat by convection. When a plug module is inserted into the lower port 234 of the cage 146', the plug module engages the protrusions 210, 260 and the lower card slot 266 of the receptacle connector 190. The clips 204, 254 allow the base 206, 256 of the respective heat sink 202, 252 to move away from the respective lower wall 156, 240 when the plug module is inserted. To cool a plug module inserted into the lower port 234 of the enclosure 146 ', the fins 208, 258 conduct heat away from the plug module mounted in the lower port 234 of the enclosure 146' and dissipate the heat by convection.

The use of heat sinks 252, 202 on opposite sides of the inserted lower plug module allows for a reduction in the thermal resistance between the lower plug module and the cooler air, thereby contributing to improved thermal performance under load. As can be appreciated, with the design shown, the inserted underlying plug module can be cooled from both sides while making the fins 258, 208 shorter to help reduce the thermal resistance between the inserted plug module and the ends of the fins 404, 420. Because the protrusion 210 extends through both the front circuit board 124 and the bottom wall 156 of the enclosure 146', the protrusion 210 has a depth that is greater than the depth of the protrusion 260. The protrusions 174, 260 may have the same depth.

Although the front circuit board 124 is shown in fig. 27A-37 as being located below the I/O connector assembly 120. The components in the cassette 22 may be flipped over so that the front circuit board 124 is positioned above the I/O connector assembly 120 in the cassette 22.

Figures 3-25 illustrate one embodiment of a plurality of card assemblies 357 housed in a box 322 that provides enhanced heat dissipation. Rather than mounting the two I/O connectors in a belly-to-belly arrangement (which typically requires the plug in the top port to have an opposite attitude to the plug in the bottom port, as shown in fig. 1), by providing a card assembly 357 (fig. 9) that supports the two I/O ports, the vertically aligned ports are arranged such that the top port shares a side with the bottom port, which would be a quad small form-factor pluggable (QSFP) connector or any other desired connector configuration. The I/O connector assembly 320 is mounted on and electrically connected to a front circuit board 324 mounted horizontally in the box 322 for transmitting low speed signals from the I/O connector assembly 320 to the front circuit board 324. The connector assembly 320 is further connected in a bypass arrangement to a back circuit board 326 for transmitting high speed signals from the I/O connector assembly 320 to the back circuit board 326. A plug module (not shown) can be inserted into the I/O connector assembly 320. The plug module may be a quad small form-factor pluggable (QSFP) transceiver module or any other suitable module configuration (such as, but not limited to, QSDP-DD, SFP, CXP, OSFP, etc.). High-speed signals from the plug modules are routed from the I/O connector assembly 320 to the rear circuit board 326 via the cables. Low speed signals and power are routed via circuit board 324. It should also be noted that in some embodiments, rear circuit board 326 and circuit board 324 may be the same circuit board.

The box 322 (not fully shown, only the front wall is shown) is typically rectangular in shape (similar to a typical switch that can be mounted in a rack system) and may have conventional six sides, with the front wall 328 having a front 328a with pairs of stacked openings 330 formed therethrough arranged in rows and columns. Each opening 330 is provided by an I/O connector assembly and extends vertically relative to the top and bottom edges 328b, 328c of the front wall 328. Thus, a top row 332 of spaced openings 330 is provided, and a bottom row 334 of spaced openings 330 is provided. Adjacent pairs of openings 330 (one of the top rows 332 and one of the bottom rows 334) are spaced apart from each other by a portion 336 of the front wall 328. As shown, the pairs of openings 330 form a set of two openings 330 between the portions 336, however in other embodiments the number of openings 330 may vary. Each portion 336 of the front wall 328 has a plurality of air flow openings 338 disposed therethrough that allow air to flow through the front wall 328 to cool the I/O connector assemblies 320 mounted therein. Thus, the front wall 328 may be configured to reduce air resistance, thereby allowing more air to flow through the cassette 322 for a given air pressure gradient.

A frame-like structure may be provided in the box and may include side walls 342, 344 extending rearwardly from the front wall 328 and a top bracket 340. The front circuit board 324 is mounted in a horizontal orientation and may be positioned below the bottom row 334 of openings 330.

Examples of card assemblies are shown in fig. 7, 16 and 19. Note that the embodiment of fig. 7 includes a first heat sink on only one side of a card, while a second heat sink is omitted on a second side of the card. As can be appreciated, for additional cooling, the card may have a hole in the middle and a second heat sink assembly may be mounted thereon, whereby the second heat sink assembly has a protrusion extending into the enclosure. As with the first heat sink assembly, the heat sink may be a single unit or a plurality of units. For example, in one embodiment, the heat sink may be a known riding heat sink. Naturally, the use of two riding heat sinks on opposite sides of the module allows to reduce the thermal resistance between the module and the cooler air and thus contributes to the improved thermal performance under load. The ability to flex both heat sinks potentially allows for stiffer retention clips on both sides that are generally equal to the stiffness of a single retention clip. It is expected that such increased stiffness may provide an improved thermal interface on both sides of the inserted module while providing a consistent degree of insertion force. Thus, as can be appreciated, in some embodiments, an inserted module can be cooled from both sides while keeping the fins shorter to help reduce the thermal resistance between the inserted module and the ends of the fins.

As can be appreciated, the card may have two apertures, one aligned with each port. Such a configuration allows a central portion of the card to receive the mounting tails from the cover and thus potentially provide a more reliable/robust structure. However, such a configuration may not be required, and a single aperture aligned with both ports may be suitable for some applications. In one embodiment, the aperture is sized such that the connector extends over the aperture. In such embodiments, as can be appreciated, the increased size of the holes allows for a greater surface area for mating heat sinks to engage the inserted module. Naturally, the size of the holes (and the corresponding size of the protrusions on the heat sink) can be adjusted according to thermal performance requirements.

As shown, the contact pads on the card are located between the top and bottom edges of the card. Conventional cards have contact pads on the bottom for stability purposes, and the illustrated embodiment would be less than ideal from a stability point of view. However, offsetting the contact pads from the top or bottom allows improvements to be made on the packages that have been identified in some cases, which is more valuable than the stability provided by conventional designs. Additional stability may be provided, if desired, by ensuring that the cover securely engages the front panel.

As shown, the card assembly 357 has I/O connector assemblies 320 mounted on a card 358, and each I/O connector assembly 320 includes an electrically conductive housing 346 having a front end 346a and a rear end 346b, with the respective electrically conductive housing 346 defining an opening 330 and further defining an upper port 348 extending from the front end 346a to the rear end 346b of the electrically conductive housing 346 and a lower port 350 extending from the opening 330 of the front end 346a to the rear end 346b of the electrically conductive housing 346. The card assembly 357 further includes an upper receptacle connector 352 mounted in the upper port 348 of the cage 346 and a lower receptacle connector 354 mounted in the lower port 350 of the cage 346. Both receptacle connectors 352, 354 have a front edge 391. Card assembly 357 further includes: a first heat sink assembly 356 mounted to the enclosure 346, the card 358 may be a conventional circuit board or some other substrate having a desired configuration, the enclosure 346 and receptacle connectors 352, 354 mounted to one side of the card 358; and a second heat sink assembly 360 mounted to the cover 346 and the card 358. The card assembly 357 also includes a cable assembly 362 connected to the receptacle connectors 352, 354. As can be appreciated, the card 358 can be positioned upright within the enclosure 322 and thus perpendicular to the front circuit board 324. It should be noted that the card assembly 357 may be mounted with contact pads 432 facing up or down. As a result, the use of the upper and lower ports is for ease of discussion, as the posture may be reversed depending on how the card assembly 357 is mounted in the box.

The housing 346 includes an upper wall 364, parallel side walls 366, 368 extending from opposite side edges of the upper wall 6 down to a lower wall 370 parallel to the upper wall 364. An intermediate wall 372 extends between the side walls 366, 368 and is parallel to the upper and lower walls 364, 366. The upper port 348 is formed by the upper wall 364, the upper portions of the side walls 366, 368 and the intermediate wall 372. Lower port 350 is formed by lower wall 370, lower portions of sidewalls 366, 368 and intermediate wall 372.

The side wall 366 has an upper opening 374 above the intermediate wall 372 near the front end 346a of the housing 346 and in communication with the upper port 348. The upper opening 374 has a leading edge 374a, an opposite trailing edge 374b, and top and bottom edges 374c, 374d extending between the leading and trailing edges 374a, 374 b. In one embodiment, the upper opening 374 is rectangular. The side wall 368 also has a lower opening 376 below the intermediate wall 372 near the front end 346a of the housing 346 and in communication with the lower port 350. The lower opening 376 has a leading edge 376a, an opposite trailing edge 376b, and top and bottom edges 376c, 376d extending between the leading and trailing edges 376a, 376 b. In one embodiment, lower opening 376 is rectangular. The openings 374, 376 are aligned with one another.

The side wall 368 has an upper opening 378 above the intermediate wall 372 near the front end 346a of the housing 346 and in communication with the upper port 348. The upper opening 378 has a front edge 378a, an opposite rear edge 378b, and top and bottom edges 378c, 378d extending between the front and rear edges 378a, 378 b. In one embodiment, the upper opening 378 is rectangular. The side wall 368 also has a lower opening 380 below the intermediate wall 372 near the front end 346a of the housing 346 and in communication with the lower port 350. The lower opening 380 has a leading edge 380a, an opposite trailing edge 380b, and top and bottom edges 380c, 380d extending between the leading and trailing edges 380a, 380 b. In one embodiment, the lower opening 380 is rectangular. The openings 378, 380 are aligned with one another.

The side wall 368 has an upper opening 382 at the rear end 346b of the housing 346 above the intermediate wall 372 and in communication with the upper port 348. The upper receptacle connector 352 is mounted through the upper opening 382 and into the upper port 348. The side wall 368 also has a lower opening 384 at the rear end 346b of the housing 346 below the intermediate wall 372 and in communication with the lower port 350. The lower receptacle connector 354 fits through the lower opening 354 and into the lower port 350. The openings 382, 384 are aligned with one another such that the receptacle connector 354 is above the receptacle connector 352.

Resilient fingers 386 may be provided on walls 364, 366, 368, 370 to assist in connecting cover 346 to front wall 328 of cartridge 322. The cover 346 may be formed by press molding. The enclosure 346 is thermally conductive and forms a shielding assembly for the components mounted therein. When cover 346 is attached to front wall 328 of box 322, front end 346a of cover 346 forms a port through front wall 328.

The receptacle connectors 352, 354 are shown in fig. 19-21. Each receptacle connector 352, 354 includes a housing 388 having a card slot 390 open to a front end thereof, and a card (not shown) of the plug module is received in the card slot 390. A plurality of terminals within card slot 390 are connected to the card. As shown, each receptacle connector 352, 354 also has a plurality of laterally spaced wafers 392 connected with the cable assembly 362. It should be noted that other configurations are contemplated, such as configuring the high speed signals in an upright wafer (as opposed to a horizontal card slot), while the low speed signals are connected to the card 358 in a set similar to conventional SMT-type terminals. High-speed signals are transmitted from the plug modules to the cable assembly 362 via the terminals in the card slot 390. Low speed signals and power are routed through terminals 394 in the card receptacle connector, the terminals 394 extending through the side walls 368 and connecting with the card 358. In one embodiment, the front ends of the receptacle connectors 352, 354 are rearward of the rear edges 378b, 380b of the openings 378, 380. In an alternative embodiment, the front ends of the receptacle connectors 352, 354 overlap the rear edges 378b, 380b of the openings 378, 380.

The first heat sink assembly 356 is formed of a thermally conductive material and includes an upper heat sink 396, a lower heat sink 398, and a clip 400 that attaches the heat sinks 396, 398 to the side walls 366 of the housing 346. As shown, each heat sink 396, 398 includes: a base 402 having a first side surface 402a and a flat second side surface 402b, the second side surface 402b extending from a front end 402c of the base 402 to a rear end 402d of the base 402; a plurality of thermally conductive fins 404 extending outwardly from the first side surface 402 a; and a protrusion 406 extending outwardly from the second side surface 402 b. Each protrusion 406 has a planar surface 406a spaced from second side surface 402b but parallel to second side surface 402 b. The distance between the surfaces 406a, 402b defines a depth of each protrusion 406. In one embodiment as shown, the plurality of fins 404 are elongated and extend from the front end 402c to the back end 402d such that the plurality of fins 404 form elongated channels 408 therebetween. As shown, multiple sets of fins 404 may be provided, wherein the sets of fins 404 are separated by a portion 410 of the first side surface 402a of the base 402. In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the fins 404 are formed in an array of pillars.

The second side surface 402b of the base 402 of the upper heat sink 396 seats against an outer surface of the sidewall 366. The protrusion 406 of the upper heat sink 396 extends through the upper opening 374 in the side wall 366 of the housing and into the upper port 348 thereof. The second side surface 402b of the base 402 of the lower heat sink 398 seats against an outer surface of the sidewall 366. The protrusion 406 of the lower heat sink 398 extends through the lower opening 376 in the side wall 366 of the housing 346 and into the lower port 350 thereof. The clip 400 is attached to the top wall 154 and the bottom wall 156 to attach the heat sinks 396, 398 to the side walls 366 of the housing 346, and in one embodiment, the clip 400 is located in the portion 410.

The second heat sink assembly 360 is formed of a thermally conductive material and includes an upper heat sink 412, a lower heat sink 414, and a clip 416 that attaches the heat sinks 412, 414 to the side walls 366 of the housing 346. As shown, each heat sink 412, 414 includes: a base 418 having a first side surface 418a and a flat second side surface 418b, the second side surface 418b extending from a front end 418c of the base 418 to a rear end 418d of the base 418; a plurality of thermally conductive fins 420 extending outwardly from the first side surface 418 a; and a protrusion 422 extending outwardly from the second side surface 418 b. Each protrusion 422 has a planar surface 422a spaced from the second side surface 418b but parallel to the second side surface 418 b. The distance between the surfaces 422a, 418b defines a depth of each protrusion 422. In one embodiment as shown, the plurality of fins 420 are elongated and extend from the front end 418c to the back end 418d, thereby forming elongated channels 424 between the plurality of fins 420. As shown, multiple sets of fins 420 can be provided, wherein the sets of fins 420 are separated by a portion 426 of the first side surface 418a of the base 418. In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the fins 420 are formed in an array of pillars.

The card 358 has: a front portion 428 covering and attached to the side wall 368 of the housing 346; and a rear portion 430 extending outwardly from the rear end of the front portion 428 and the rear end 346b of the cover 346. The rear portion 430 has a plurality of contact pads 432 arranged in a row, the contact pads 432 being disposed at one edge of the rear portion 430 and connected to the front circuit board 324 by a connector 434. The rear portion 430 thus provides a mounting flange for attaching the card 358 to the front circuit board 324. In one embodiment, contact pad 432 is disposed at a lower edge 430a of rear portion 430, and front circuit board 324 is disposed below rear portion 430; the connectors 434 are used to electrically connect the contact pads 432 to the front circuit board 324 such that the front circuit board 324 is supported by the card 358. In one embodiment as shown in fig. 6-11, contact pads 432 are provided at an upper edge 430b of rear portion 430 (it being understood that rotating card 358 180 degrees changes the upper edge to the lower edge) and front circuit board 324 is placed at the top of rear portion 430; a connector is used to electrically connect the contact pads 432 on each rear portion 430 to the front circuit board 324 so that the front circuit board 324 is supported by the card 358 (or in an alternative embodiment, the circuit board 324 helps support the card 358). It should be noted that the connector 434 is shown as a vertical style board connector (since the mating contact pads 432 are inserted into the connector 434 in a vertical direction). In one embodiment, contact pads 432 are disposed at the rear edge 430c of the rear portion 430, and the front circuit board 324 is disposed on top of the rear portion 430 or below the rear portion 430; a right angle connector is used to electrically connect the contact pads 432 to the front circuit board 324 such that the front circuit board 324 is supported by the card 358. In one embodiment, contact pads 432 are disposed at the upper edge 430b of the rear portion 430 and the rear edge of the rear portion 430; the front circuit board 324 is located at the top of the rear portion 430 and is connected to the contact pads 432 by a connector such that the front circuit board 324 is supported by the card 358. In one embodiment, contact pads 432 are disposed at a lower edge 430a of rear portion 430 and a rear edge 430c of rear portion 430; the front circuit board 324 is disposed below the rear portion 430 and is connected to the contact pads 432 by a connector such that the front circuit board 324 is supported by the card 358. In one embodiment, contact pads 432 are disposed at lower edge 430a and upper edge 430b of rear portion 430; first front circuit board 324 is placed over rear portion 430 and is connected by a connector to contact pads 432 at the upper edge, such that first front circuit board 324 is supported by card 358; and a second front circuit board 324 is placed under the rear portion 430 and connected by connectors to contact pads 432 at the lower edge so that the second front circuit board 324 is supported by the card 358.

When front circuit board 324 is attached to lower edge 430a of rear portions 430, lower edge 430a of each rear portion 430 is vertically spaced above lower wall 370 of the corresponding enclosure 346. When the front circuit board 324 is attached to the upper edges 430b of the rear portions 430, the upper edge 430b of each rear portion 430 is vertically spaced below the upper wall 364 of the corresponding enclosure 346. This provides space for positioning front circuit board 324 directly behind enclosure 346 and does not use additional vertical space in box 322.

The side walls 368 of the cover 346 are attached to the front portion 428 such that the rear portion 430 is cantilevered outwardly from the cover 346. The side walls 368 of the housing 346 are attached to the card 358, either by a Surface Mount Technology (SMT) operation or by an interference fit using press-fit tails, as is known in the art. If a press fit tail is used to crimp the cover 346 to the card 358, no welding operation is required and additional options in the type of material to be worked are possible. The receptacle connectors 352, 354 are electrically connected to the card 358, and the receptacle connectors 352, 354 may be surface mounted to the card 358, or may have press fit tails extending into conductive vias on the card 358, as is known in the art.

The front portion 428 of the card 358 has an upper opening or port 436, and the upper opening or port 436 is above the intermediate wall 372, near the front end 346a of the housing 346, and communicates with the upper port 348. The upper port 436 has a leading edge 436a, an opposite trailing edge 436b, and top and bottom edges 436c, 436d extending between the leading and trailing edges 436a, 436 b. In one embodiment, the upper port 436 is rectangular. The card 358 also has a lower aperture 438, the lower aperture 438 being below the intermediate wall 372, proximate the front end 346a of the housing 346, and in communication with the lower port 350. Lower aperture 438 has a leading edge 438a, an opposite trailing edge 438b, and a top edge 438c and a bottom edge 438d extending between leading edge 438a and trailing edge 438 b. In one embodiment, the front edge 391 extends beyond the rear edge 438b so that the receptacle connector can overlap the aperture 438 (and likewise, the aperture 436). In one embodiment, the lower aperture 438 is rectangular. The apertures 436, 438 are aligned with one another. In one embodiment, a front edge 428a of the front portion 428 is aligned with the front end 346a of the housing 346, a rear edge 428b of the front portion 428 is positioned rearward of the rear end 346b of the housing 346, a top edge 428c of the front portion 428 is aligned with the upper wall 364 of the housing 346, and a bottom edge 428d of the front portion 428 is aligned with the lower wall 370 of the housing 346. A first planar side surface 428e extends between edges 428a-428d against side wall 368 and a second planar side surface 428f extends between edges 428a-428d on an opposite side of front portion 428.

The rear portion 430 of the card 358 has: a first planar side surface 430d extending between the rims 430a-430c and coplanar with the first planar side surface 428e of the front portion 428; and a second side surface 430e extending between edges 430a-430c on an opposite side of rear portion 430 and coplanar with second side surface 428 f.

The second heat sink assembly 360 is assembled to the card 358 and the housing 346 via the clip 416. The second side surface 418b of the base 418 of the upper heat sink 412 rests on the second side surface 428f of the card 358. The protrusion 422 of the upper heat sink 412 extends through the upper aperture 436 on the card 358, through the upper opening 378 in the side wall 368 of the housing 346, and into the upper port 348 of the housing 346. The second side surface 418b of the base 418 of the lower heat sink 414 rests on the second side surface 428f of the card 358. The protrusion 422 of the lower heat sink 414 extends through the lower aperture 438 in the card 358, through the lower opening 380 in the side wall 368 of the housing 346, and into the lower port 350 of the housing 346. The buckle 416 extends through the opening 216 in the card 358 and engages the upper and lower walls 364, 370 of the housing 346. In one embodiment, clip 400 is located in portion 410.

A plug module (not shown) is inserted through the front end 346a of the shroud 346 into the upper port 348 and engages the upper receptacle connector 352 in a known manner. The plug module forms a primary electromagnetic enclosure and the cover 346 forms a conductive sleeve around the plug module. When the plug module is inserted into the upper port 348 of the shroud 346, the plug module engages the surfaces 406a, 422a of the projections 406, 422 of the upper heat sinks 396, 412 and engages the card slot 390 of the upper receptacle connector 352. The clips 400, 416 may allow the bases 402, 418 of the respective upper heat sinks 396, 412 to move away from the respective side walls 366, 388 when the plug module is inserted into the upper port 348. To cool the plug module inserted into the upper port 348, the fins 404, 420 conduct heat away from the plug module inserted into the upper port 348 and dissipate the heat by convection.

Likewise, a plug module (not shown) is inserted into the lower port 350 through the front end 346a of the shroud 346 and engages the lower receptacle connector 354 in a known manner. The plug module forms a primary electromagnetic enclosure and the cover 346 forms a conductive sleeve around the plug module. When the plug module is inserted into the lower port 350 of the cage 346, the plug module engages the surfaces 406a, 422a of the projections 406, 422 of the lower heat sinks 398, 414 and engages the card slot 390 of the lower receptacle connector 354. The clips 400, 416 may allow the bases 402, 418 of the respective lower heat sinks 398, 414 to move away from the respective sidewalls 366, 368 when the plug module is inserted into the lower port 350. To cool the plug module inserted into the lower port 350, the fins 404, 420 conduct heat away from the plug module inserted into the lower port 350 and dissipate the heat by convection. Thus, the present embodiment allows each plug module to be inserted into the ports 348, 350 in the same orientation.

As shown, the depth of the projection 422 is greater than the depth of the projection 406 because the projection 422 passes through the card 358 and the side wall 368 of the cover 346. As can be appreciated, although the base 402 of the upper heat sink 396 is shown separate from the base 402 of the lower heat sink 398, it may be provided as a single continuous base.

Although the base 418 of the upper heat sink 412 is shown as being separate from the base 418 of the lower heat sink 414, as shown in fig. 18, it may be provided as a single continuous base. Although two separate holes 436, 438 are shown through the card 358 in the figures, a single opening through the card 358 may be provided that will accommodate the two protrusions 422 on the upper and lower heat sinks 412, 414.

The use of heat sinks 396, 398, 414, 416 on opposite sides of each plug module reduces the thermal resistance between the plug module and the cooler air and thereby helps to improve thermal performance under load. As can be appreciated, with the design shown, the inserted header module can be cooled from both sides while making the fins 404, 420 shorter to help reduce the thermal resistance between the inserted header module and the ends of the fins 404, 420.

As shown in fig. 20, the front ends of the receptacle connectors 352, 354 may overlap the rear ends 436b, 438b of the respective apertures 436, 438. The protrusions 422 on the upper and lower heat sinks 412, 414 may contact the front ends of the receptacle connectors 352, 354 that overlap the rear ends 436b, 438b of the respective apertures 436, 438. This helps to dissipate heat from the receptacle connectors 352, 354.

The cable assembly 362 includes: a plurality of cables 440 connected to the upper receptacle connectors 352 for transmitting high-speed signals from the plug modules to the rear circuit board 326; and a plurality of cables 442 coupled to the lower receptacle connector 354 for transmitting high speed signals from the plug modules to the rear circuit board 326. Cable 440 is terminated with connector 446 and cable 442 is terminated with connector 448. As shown in fig. 11, the front circuit board 324 may be formed of a rigid portion 450 attached with a card 358 mounted with a connector 434 and a flexible circuit 452 connecting the rigid portions 450 together. As can be appreciated, when an adjacent card assembly 357 is mounted on the front circuit board 324, the fins 404 on the heat sink assembly 356 face the fins 420 on the heat sink assembly 360 in the adjacent card assembly, as shown in fig. 13.

In one embodiment as shown in fig. 26A and 26F, the rear 430 of the card 358 has a block 454 of insulative material extending outwardly from each of the side surfaces 430d, 430 e. Each block 454 extends from the edge at which contact pads 432 are disposed and from the rear edge 430c of the rear portion 430. The connector 434 on the front circuit board 324 has an opening 456, and the block 454 is received in the opening 456. Block 454 helps to properly position card 358 and connector 434.

To further support adjacent card assemblies mounted on front circuit board 324, support members 460, as shown in fig. 26A-26H, may be disposed between adjacent card assemblies 357 to provide further rigidity to the assemblies. The support element 460 is suitably secured in the box 322. The support member 460 is preferably made of a conductive material, but may be made of an insulating material for ease of formation and reduced cost (but with lower thermal performance). For ease of illustration, the support member 460 is illustrated in the position shown in fig. 26A-26H, however, when the I/O connector assembly 320 is positioned with the contact pads 432 at the upper edge 430b of the rear portion 430, the support member 460 will be rotated 180 degrees from the position shown in fig. 26A-26H when in use.

In one embodiment, the support element 460 may be formed generally as an I-beam and have: a horizontally extending top wall 462 having a front end 462a and a rear end 462 b; a horizontally extending bottom wall 464 having a front end 464a and a rear end 464 b; and a vertical connecting wall 466 that connects the top and bottom walls 462, 464 together.

The top wall 462 has: a top surface 462 c; a bottom surface 462 d; a first side edge 462e extending from front end 462a to rear end 462b and located between top surface 426c and bottom surface 426d and an opposite second side edge 462f extending from front end 462a to rear end 462b and located between top surface 426c and bottom surface 426 d. The bottom surface 462d is flat. A plurality of notches 468 are provided on the top wall 462 and extend from the first side edge 462 e. A plurality of notches 470 are provided on the top wall 462 and extend from the second side edge 462 f.

The bottom wall 464 has: a top surface 464 c; a bottom surface 464 d; a first side edge 464e extending from front end 464a to rear end 464b and located between top surface 426c and bottom surface 426 d; and an opposite second side edge 464f extending from front end 464a to rear end 464b and located between top surface 426c and bottom surface 426 d. The bottom surface 464d is flat. A plurality of notches 472 are disposed on the bottom wall 464 and extend from the first side edge 464 e. A plurality of notches 474 are provided in the bottom wall 464 and extend from the second side edge 464 f. The top surface 464c of the bottom wall 464 faces the bottom surface 462d of the top wall 462. The bottom wall 464 is shorter in length than the top wall 462.

The vertical connecting wall 466 has: a forward portion 476 extending from forward ends 462a, 464a of the top and bottom walls 462, 464 to a rearward portion 478, the rearward portion 478 extending from the forward portion 476 to a rearward end 462b of the top wall 462. The front portion 476 extends to the rear end 464b of the bottom wall 464. The front portion 476 has a front surface 476a, a rear surface 476b, a first side surface 476c extending between the front and rear surfaces 476a, 476b, and a second side surface 476d extending between the front and rear surfaces 476a, 476 b. The width of the front portion 476 is defined between the side surfaces 476c, 476 d.

The rear portion 478 has a front end 478a, a rear surface 478b, a first side surface 478c extending between the front end 478a and the rear surface 478b, a second side surface 478d extending between the front end 478a and the rear surface 478b, and a lower end surface 478e extending between the front end 478a and the rear surface 478 b. The width of rear portion 478 is defined between side surfaces 478c, 478 d. A notch 480 is defined by rear surface 476b of forward portion 476 and lower end surface 478e of rearward portion 478.

A first pair of vertically spaced openings 482, 484 are provided through the front portion 476 rearward of the front surface 476a of the front portion 476 to provide a first upper opening 482 and a first lower opening 484 separated by a first horizontal portion 486 of the front portion 476. A second pair of vertically spaced openings 488, 490 is provided through the front portion 476 rearward of the first pair of openings 482, 484 to provide a second upper opening 488 and a second lower opening 490 separated by a second horizontal portion 492 of the front portion 476. The first pair of openings 482, 484 is separated from the second pair of openings 488, 490 by a vertical portion 494 of the front portion 476. A front upright portion 496 of the front portion 476 is defined forward of the openings 482, 484, and a rear upright portion 498 of the front portion 476 is defined rearward of the openings 488, 490.

The width of the front vertical portion 496 is the same as the width of the horizontal portions 486, 492. The front vertical portion 496 has a plurality of openings 500 extending from the front surface 476a to the openings 482, 484. The vertical portion 494 is smaller in width than the front vertical portion 496 and the horizontal portions 486, 492 and is disposed intermediate the horizontal portions 486, 492. Rear vertical portion 496 is smaller in width than front vertical portion 496 and horizontal portions 486, 492 and is offset to second side surface 476 d.

The rear portion 478 has: a front portion 504 equal in width to the rear upright portion 498 and aligned with the rear upright portion 498; and a rear portion 506 extending from front portion 504 and having the same width as front vertical portion 496. A plurality of openings 508 extend through the rear portion 506 from the front end of the rear portion 506 near the front portion 504 to the rear surface 478b of the vertical connecting wall 466.

Horizontally extending spaced ribs 510 extend outwardly from first side surfaces 476c, 478c of rear vertical portion 496 of front portion 476 and front portion 504 of rear portion 478. Horizontally extending spaced ribs 512 extend outwardly from second side surfaces 476d, 478d of rear vertical portion 496 of front portion 476 and front portion 504 of rear portion 478. As such, a first cavity 514 is formed on one side of the vertical connecting wall 466 and a second cavity 516 is formed on the other side of the vertical connecting wall 466.

When two card assemblies 357 are connected to support member 460, card 358 of each card assembly 357 is seated within a respective pocket 514, 516, and the feet on card 358 of each card assembly 357 are seated within notches 468, 470, 472, 474 and may be engaged therewith by a friction fit or permanently secured thereto. Card 358, which is seated in pocket 514, abuts front vertical portion 496, horizontal portions 486, 492 and rib 510 (engage agage agains). The card 358, which is seated in the pocket 516, abuts the front vertical portion 496, the horizontal portions 486, 492 and the rib 512. The card 358 of each card assembly 357 is spaced from the vertical portion 494. As a result, air can flow between the card 358 and the support member 460 from the front of the support member 460 to the rear of the support member 460. The fins 420 are seated in the cavities 514, 516 on each side of the support member 460.

As shown in fig. 26C and 26F, in one embodiment, a cap 518 is attached to the free end of the fin 420. The cover 518 is preferably a thermally conductive material. The cover 518 may be attached to the fins 420 by a thermally conductive glue. Further, the light pipe may be in the I/O connector assembly 320.

The disclosure provided herein illustrates features by way of preferred exemplary embodiments thereof. From reading the present disclosure, one of ordinary skill in the art may make numerous other embodiments, modifications and variations within the scope and spirit of the appended claims.