International Business Machines Corporation

Jds Uniphase Corporation

Miles Frank Swain

Phillip Duane Isaacs

David Peter Gaio

John Richard Dangler

William K Hogan

Thomas Donald Kidd

Connie Jean Mathison

Apurba Choudhury

Mark Kenneth Hoffmeyer

Paul Eric Dahlen

Tim Kerry Murphy

Mitchell S Cohen

Jeannine Madelyn Trewhella

Sundeep Nand Nangalia

Raymond J Thatcher

John Gregory Stephanie

Christopher M Gabel

Roger T Lindquist

Philip Deane

Marian C Hargis

Gregg A Knotts

James Walling

Patrick E McKnite

Burton A Towne

Quach Hung Huy

The invention relates to an optical sub-assembly package for use in receiver optical sub-assemblies or transmitter optical sub-assemblies in which the electrical connections between the transducer chip, e.g. photo-detector or light source, and the device printed circuit board is made by a single flexible circuit conductor extending through the wall of the package. The package is comprised of a housing and a stiffening plate, which encloses and end of the housing and forms a mechanical support for an end of the flexible circuit conductor.

Compact optical sub-assembly with integrated flexible circuit

An optical subassembly (OSA), in accordance with the present invention, includes a housing, which may be substantially rectangular, the OSA includes a first end portion and a second end portion oppositely disposed from the first end portion. The first end portion forms a bore configured and dimensioned to receive a ferrule having an optical fiber therein. The bore is adjacent to a ferrule stop which is integrally formed in the housing. A lens is integrally formed with the housing. The lens has a planar surface and a convex surface opposite the planar surface. The planar surface of the lens is substantially parallel to and set in from the ferrule stop to prevent contact between the ferrule and the planar surface. The optical device, the lens, and the bore which accepts the ferrule are all in optical alignment.

Small form factor optoelectronic transceivers

A flex cable is slit between conductor traces to provide conformable strips, at least one of which can be flipped to expose one of the conductor traces to the other side of the cable. This increases the design flexibility of the flex cable because the conductor traces can be exposed on both sides of the cable without laser ablation or etch operations to remove the substrate. Also, because the flex cable is slit along its length, it is more able to conform to different connector locations, thereby obviating the need for designing a different flex cable to accommodate changes in mating hardware.

Flex cables with increased three-dimensional conformity and design flexibility

A electronic apparatus and a process for its manufacture are disclosed. The apparatus includes a planar card for accommodating an electronics module package having protruding solder columns and solder joints to mechanically mount and electrically connect the solder columns of the module to the planar card. The planar card includes a first side and a second side, a plurality of wiring lines forming a wiring pattern, and a plurality of vias extending at least partially through the card. Each of the vias includes at least one recessed area extending from one or both sides of the card. The recessed areas extending to a depth within the planar card sufficient to wick the solder joints, and the each of the recessed areas are shaped to provide surface tension to mechanically retain the solder joints.

Column grid array or ball grid array pad on via

An enhanced electrical arrangement for a computer includes a circuit board, and a module arranged essentially parallel to the circuit board. An array connector is positioned between the circuit board and the module. The array connector causes the circuit board to be in electrical communication with the module. A clamping arrangement is provided for urging the circuit board and the module toward each other, by exerting a constant force against the module to cause an electrical connection between the circuit board, array connector and the module. The clamping arrangement includes an alignment assembly that is mounted to the circuit board to help align the module, and a load assembly to provide the force on the module. The alignment assembly and the load assembly are removably engageable with one another. When the load assembly is engaged with the alignment assembly, the load assembly can apply the force on the module which urges the module toward the array connector and the circuit board. Further, when the load assembly is disengaged from the alignment assembly, the force is removed from the module.

Enhanced mounting hardware for a circuit board

A flex cable pad on pad terminal structure is shown having raised connector pads formed using a rigid stiffener with raised features or bumps formed integral with the stiffener; aligned with the connector pad surfaces; and laminated to the flex cable surface opposite the surface presenting the exposed connector pad surfaces, to create raised contact pads that are not subject to relaxation over time when subjected to high contact normal forces. The use of a metal stiffener which has been coined to produce the raised features aligned with the contact pad locations and lamination using a film or layer of thermocuring adhesive affords an economical process and assembly technique that also effects hot deformation of the flex cable at the contact pad locations.

High performance pad on pad connector for flex circuit packaging

The invention provides a locking bail that when in the locked position prevents the removal of an optical link module from a host system and when in the unlocked position provides a handle that facilitates the removal of an optical link module. By providing a locking bail, the packing density of modules in a host may be increased. The bail provides a handle which is accessible from the front of the module when the module is unlocked. The locking bail typically engages inclined planes on latch arms that secure an optical link module to the host system.

Hot pluggable module integrated lock/extraction tool

A system for removing protective coatings from a circuit board assembly. The system includes a tool for removing protective coatings from a circuit board assembly. The tool has a flow head, which includes a support, having an opening which is adapted to contact the circuit board assembly and flow solvent to the surface of the circuit board. The flow head may also include a solvent nozzle positioned within the support. The solvent nozzle has an opening adapted to apply solvent to the circuit board assembly. The flow head also includes a solvent recovery volume positioned beneath the support and adjacent to the nozzle. The system also includes a second solvent reservoir, a mechanism for applying heat to the reservoir, and a mechanism for circulating solvent from the reservoir to the flow head and back to the reservoir.

Tool for removing protective encapsulants

An electrical connector system uses two electrical connector housings and two mating electrical connectors. The electrical connector housings are disposed on a support plate in an end to end relation and spaced apart by a distance smaller than twice the distance from the electrical connector housing to the fastener holding the connector to the connector housing. The fasteners are carried by and engaged with a retainer bar that further engages the connectors to pull the connectors into the connector housings and retain them in connection relationship, ensuring reliability of the connection.

Electrical connector system with connector retainer

A circuit card having module strain relief and heat sink support is provided. The circuit card comprises a printed circuit board having a front and a back, a module mounted to the front of the printed circuit board, and a stiffening structure mounted to the back of the printed circuit card directly opposite from the module to provide rigidity to the printed circuit board. The module has a plurality of electrical leads making electrical connection with the printed circuit board and anchoring the module to the printed circuit board. The stiffening structure is coextensive with the plurality of electrical leads along the printed circuit board, and is of sufficient thickness and strength to resist flexure of an area of the printed circuit board in contact with the stiffening structure in response to shock and vibration applied to the module.

Circuit card having a large module strain relief and heat sink support

A technique for filling hollow, plated-through-hole vias in multi-layer printed circuit substrates with solder and then joining the solder filled via with a solder ball on a solder ball connectable electronic module is disclosed. The filling of the vias is accomplished by depositing solder paste on one end of the hollow via and reflowing the solder particles within the solder paste to at least partially fill the PTH via. The depositing of the solder paste and the reflowing operations may be repeated until such time as the via is substantially completely filled with solid solder. The importance of the prefilling of the vias with solder is that the reflowing operation of solder balls or solder paste when joining the multi-layer printed circuit board to the electronic module, will prevent undue wicking or pulling of molten solder from the electrical connection into the PTH via, thereby preventing the formation of solder starved or unreliable electrical connections.

Growing community of inventors

Hayfield, MN, United States of America

Miles Frank Swain