1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a package such as an optical transmitting and receiving module having lock mechanism which enable exchangeable installment to a substrate, and more specifically to a package having lock mechanism which enable easy lock releasing and easy extraction and insertion of package.
2. Prior Art
In an optical transmitting and receiving module for use in a long distance and high speed optical communication, a transmitting optical element and a receiving optical element are accommodated in one package. Further, in an optical transmitting and receiving module, elements for modulating, amplifying, compensating and stabilizing optical signal and electrical signal are accommodated in the above package too. For connecting between an optical transmitting and receiving module and an optical fiber as an external transmitting line, a receptacle type optical transmitting and receiving module which is constituted to have an opening leading to an optical element to a package and to insert an optical fiber connecter equipped to a terminal of an optical fiber to this opening portion is known.
In a communicating apparatus to which many optical fibers are concentrated, consideration that optional optical fiber connector can be inserted to optional opening by arraying openings of many optical transmitting and receiving modules on a panel is given. So as to put together alignment of optical transmitting and receiving module openings to a panel and simplify inner wirings of a communicating apparatus, it is desirable to install a substrate within a communicating apparatus exposing each opening from each window of a panel by aligning optical transmitting and receiving modules to end of a substrate.
On the other hand, when some failure is occurred to an optical element or an electrical element of an optical transmitting and receiving module, or when adjustment is needed to coincide communicating method (optical wavelength or modulating method) with others, assembly change of an optical transmitting and receiving module is needed. To facilitate assembly change, an optical transmitting and receiving module is provided to a substrate to be mounted and dismounted freely. Namely, a cage is provided on a substrate to maintain mechanically an optical transmitting and receiving module package. A cage is formed in housing shape with its front end being opened, and fixed on a substrate. A package is extracted and inserted from front end of this cage. When a package is inserted to a cage, electrical connection is achieved by forming connecting terminal group at rear end of a package, and disposing corresponding terminal group on a substrate. Accordingly, a package is extracted and inserted from window of a panel, an optical transmitting and receiving module is changed without disassembling a communicating apparatus.
A lock mechanism (female side) to hold a package is provided on a cage, and a lock mechanism (male side) is provided on a package. Because lock mechanism acts when a package is inserted perfectly to a cage (state that contact between connecting terminal group themselves became firmly), disconnecting of package and unstable electrical connecting are prevented. Specifically, a triangular window is opened at bottom of a cage, a projection to be fitted to a triangular window is provided on a package. A projection is provided to be appeared and disappeared inside and outside of bottom of a package. When in the middle of inserting a package to a cage, a projection is disappeared to inside of bottom of package, and when a package is inserted perfectly, a projection is fitted to a triangular window by thrusting out of bottom, and lock mechanism acts. In addition, shape of cage (size or position of a triangular window) is determined according to manufacture""s standard.
In above explained optical transmitting and receiving module provided with package having lock mechanism, to make possible extraction and insertion by access from outside of panel of communicating apparatus, lock must be released from front end side of a package.
A conventional package having lock mechanism comprising, as shown in FIG. 1, forming a nearly rectangular shaped body portion 302 and a head portion 303 positioned front end of the body portion 302 by molding, and providing a slide block 325 formed by molding and slidable back and forth at bottom of the head portion 303 of the package main body 304. A cage 201 formed from sheet metal is provided on a substrate 202. As shown in FIG. 2, a triangular window 204 is provided at a position located predetermined distance from open end of bottom of the cage 201. At both sides of the triangular window 204, a flat spring 205 is formed by cutting from open end to backward of the triangular window 204. At front end of the plate spring 205, a slight bent 206 is formed. These FIGS. 1 and 2 are showing a state that the package is inserted perfectly to the cage 201, concerning the package main body 304, the body portion 302 is accommodated wholly in the cage 201, and only the head portion 303 is exposed, further, a projection 306 formed on bottom of the body portion 302 is fitted to the triangular window 204 of the cage 201. Namely, in this state, lock is acting. Further, in this state, front end of the slide block 325 is coinciding with front end of the head portion 303 of the package main body 304, and rear end of the slide block 325 is situating at front of the body portion 302 of the package main body 304. At rear end of the slide block 325, a taper 326 is formed. This taper 326 and front end bent 206 of the plate spring 205 of the cage 201 are facing each other.
As shown in FIG. 3, pushing the slide block 325 to backward, the taper 326 gets into the bent 206 of the plate spring 205, and the plate spring 205 is raised to bottom side. By raising the plate spring 205, the projection 306 passes through inside of the triangular window 204. Then, lock is released, and package is extracted forward easily.
In addition, in FIGS. 2 and 3, to explain for easy understanding, main part of locking mechanism is drawn by emphasizing thickness of the slide block 325 and angle of the bent 206 of the plate spring 205, however, the plate spring 205 and the projection 306 are having practically so small expansion not to touch the substrate 202.
By the way, to put together arrangement of openings in panel, it is desirable to arrange openings multistage up and down, and interval from upper to lower is as short as possible. However, in a conventional package having lock mechanism, there is limitation to shorten interval from upper to lower. As shown in FIG. 4, if interval of upper and lower package is small, interval between the slide block 325 of the upper package and lower package become small. In the Figure, a fingertip is drawn for reference. It becomes difficult to push slide block 325 to lock releasing position by this fingertip. Further, in extracting the package to forward, if interval between top and bottom or right and left is small, it is difficult to hold the head portion of package main body 304 with finger from top and bottom or right and left.
An object of the present invention is to provide a package having lock mechanism which enable easy lock releasing, and enable easy extraction and insertion of package. Further, an object of the present invention is to provide a package having lock mechanism which enable reliable locking action and easy assembling, improve dimensional accuracy and reduce manufacturing cost.
In accordance with this invention, there is provided a package having lock mechanism, comprising, a package main body provided with a nearly rectangular shaped body portion and a head portion positioned longitudinal front end of said body portion, a lever and a lever turning axis provided beneath bottom of said head portion, said lever is provided so as to make a projection appeared and disappeared in a bottom plane of said body portion, with an acting end which having a projection and is extended to the body portion, and a forcing end existing at front end of said head portion and is located at the opposite side of said acting end relative to said lever turning axis, a crank axis extending to width direction of said package main body along bottom of said head portion, and fitting said forcing end of said lever to a crank portion, an arm which is integrated with said crank axis and is turnable along side plane of said head portion, and a lever prolonging to width direction of said package main body from said arm, when said lever is positioned over the head portion, said projection is exposed out of bottom plane of said body portion, and when said lever is positioned front of said head portion, said projection is accommodated in bottom plane of said body portion.
In accordance with this invention, there is provided a package having lock mechanism, wherein, a concave which is a movement space of said acting end of said lever is provided on bottom of said body portion.
In accordance with this invention, there is provided a package having lock mechanism, wherein, a lever projection which holds said lever is provided on said head portion.
In accordance with this invention, there is provided a package having lock mechanism, wherein, a forward turning stopper which restricts turning of said arm so as to prevent said lever move to lower of said head portion is provided.
In accordance with this invention, there is provided a package having lock mechanism, wherein, a backward turning stopper which restricts turning of said arm so as to prevent said lever move to backward of said head portion is provided.
In accordance with this invention, there is provided a package having lock mechanism, wherein, said arm is provided each side of said head portion and integrated with said lever.
In accordance with this invention, there is provided a package having lock mechanism, wherein, said arm is constituted by processing plate material.
In accordance with this invention, there is provided a package having lock mechanism, wherein, a convex swelling is formed smoothly faced with said head portion on said arm.
In accordance with this invention, there is provided a package having lock mechanism, wherein, a bearing is provided at bottom of said head portion, and a lever crank axis is inserted to said bearing from below.
In accordance with this invention, there is provided a package having lock mechanism, wherein, a forcing end of said lever is fixed to said crank portion by folding back said crank portion.
In accordance with this invention, there is provided a package having lock mechanism, wherein, said head portion is provided with a fixing article which fixes said lever together with said lever turning axis by pressing them to bottom of said head portion, said fixing article is provided with hook portion along both sides of said head portion, and both sides of said head portion are provided with fixing article projection which engages to said hook portion.
In accordance with this invention, there is provided a package having lock mechanism, wherein, said fixing article is provided with a cover which covers below movement space of said forcing end side of said lever.
In accordance with this invention, there is provided a package having lock mechanism, wherein, said fixing article is constituted by processing plate material.
In accordance with this invention, there is provided a package having lock mechanism, wherein, a level difference edge portion which having level difference to radial direction from said crank axis is provided to said arm, and turning of said arm is regulated by intervention of said level difference edge portion to said fixing article.
In accordance with this invention, there is provided a package having lock mechanism, wherein, an opening to which optical fiber connector is inserted is provided on front end of said head portion, an optical element faced with said opening is provided within said body portion, connecting terminal group of said optical element for electric signal is provided at back end of said body portion, and said body portion is inserted to a box cage front end of it is opened and provided on a substrate mounted with electrical signal processing circuit.
In accordance with this invention, there is provided a package having lock mechanism, wherein, a window is provide at predetermined distance apart from said open end of bottom of said cage, said window is triangular window of which base is facing with said open end of said cage and vertex is facing with back end of said cage, and length and position of said lever is determined to engage a projection exposed to outer of bottom surface of said body portion with said triangular window.
In accordance with this invention, there is provided a package having lock mechanism, wherein, said projection is constituted by two nails facing respectively with two different sides of said triangular window.
In accordance with this invention, there is provided a package having lock mechanism, wherein, a slope which closes to center of said triangular window as closer to vertex of said nail is provided to said nail.
In accordance with this invention, there is provided a package having lock mechanism, wherein, said lever prevents insertion of an optical fiber connector when said lever is positioned in front of said head portion.
In accordance with this invention, there is provided a package having lock mechanism, wherein, said opening is two successive opening to which two successive optical connector is inserted, a transmitting optical element is faced with one opening and a receiving optical element is faced with other opening.
In accordance with this invention, there is provided a package having lock mechanism, comprising, a package provided with openings at front end, a lever provided at tip with a projection which appear and disappear from a bottom plane of said package, a crank axis provided with a crank portion to which rear end of said lever is connected, a first arm connected to said crank axis and turn with said crank axis as center of turning, a second arm provided to free end of said first arm with free of fold back toward said first arm, and a sub-lever provided to free end of said second arm.
In accordance with this invention, there is provided a package having lock mechanism, wherein, an acting article which returns free end of said second arm toward said first arm is provided between said second arm and said first arm.
In accordance with this invention, there is provided a package having lock mechanism, wherein, said acting article is comprised of coil spring.
In accordance with this invention, there is provided a package having lock mechanism, wherein, free end of said second arm is positioning near the lower hem of face plane of said package.
In accordance with this invention, there is provided a package having lock mechanism, wherein, said sub-lever is provided with an intervening portion which intervenes with face end of said package and a protruding portion which protrudes below face end of said package.
In accordance with this invention, there is provided a package having lock mechanism, wherein, free end of said first arm is positioning upper of said openings of said package.
In accordance with this invention, there is provided a package having lock mechanism, comprising, a package provided with openings at front end, a lever provide at tip with a projection which appear and disappear from a bottom plane of said package, a crank axis provided with a crank portion to which rear end of said lever is connected, an arm connected to said crank axis and turn with said crank axis as center of turning, a lever provided to free end of said arm, and a foldable joint portion provided to said arm at the middle of said turning axis and said free end.