Small form factor pluggable (SFP) optical transceiver module and method

1. A small form factor pluggable (SFP) optical transceiver module comprising:

a transceiver module housing having a front end and a back end;

a duplex receptacle secured to the front end of the transceiver module housing, the duplex receptacle having a C-shaped opening formed therein, the C-shaped opening being defined on upper and lower portions of the opening by upper and lower flexible retaining elements, respectively, configured to receive and retain a duplex optical connector having first and second optical fiber cables secured thereto, the duplex receptacle having first and second optical ports configured to receive first and second ferrules, respectively, of the first and second optical fiber cables, respectively; and

an electrical assembly secured within the transceiver module housing, the electrical assembly comprising a printed circuit board (PCB) having at least a front end and a back end, the back end being configured as a plug end for removably plugging the PCB into a receptacle of an external communications management system, the plug end having electrical contacts thereon for electrically connecting electrical circuitry of the PCB to electrical interconnections in the receptacle of the external communications management system, the PCB having at least one active optical receiver device and at least one active optical transmitter device electrically connected thereto, the active optical receiver device being configured to produce an electrical data signal in response to an optical data signal being received thereby, the active optical transmitter device being configured to produce an optical data signal in response to an electrical data signal being received thereby.

2. The SFP optical transceiver module of claim 1 , wherein one of the upper and lower flexible retaining elements is configured with a locking/unlocking feature that enables the duplex optical connector to be removably secured to the duplex receptacle of the duplex SFP optical transceiver module.

3. The SFP optical transceiver module of claim 2 , wherein the upper flexible retaining element of the duplex receptacle is configured with the locking/unlocking feature.

4. The SFP optical transceiver module of claim 1 , wherein one of the upper and lower flexible retaining elements has a keyway formed therein that is adapted to receive an orientation key disposed on the duplex optical connector.

5. The SFP optical transceiver module of claim 4 , wherein one of the lower flexible retaining element has the keyway formed therein.

6. The SFP optical transceiver module of claim 1 , further comprising:

an optical assembly secured to the transceiver module housing, the optical assembly comprising at least one receiver optical element and at least one transmitter optical element, the receiver optical element being configured to direct an optical data signal output from an end of a first optical fiber of the first optical fiber cable onto the active optical receiver device, the transmitter optical element being configured to direct an optical data signal produced by the active optical transmitter device onto an end of a second optical fiber of the second optical fiber cable.

7. The SFP optical transceiver module of claim 1 , wherein the first and second optical fiber cables include first and second polymer optical fibers (POFs), respectively, and wherein ends of the first and second POFs are held within the first and second ferrules, respectively, that are received in the first and second optical ports, respectively, of the duplex receptacle.

8. The SFP optical transceiver module of claim 1 , further comprising:

a latching mechanism secured to the optical transceiver module housing, the latching mechanism comprising a latch element and a latching bail, the latching bail being movably secured to the latch element such that the latching bail is allowed to rotate through an angular range relative to the latch element, wherein if the SFP optical transceiver module is fully inserted into a housing of a cage, the latch element engages a catch on the cage housing to secure the SFP optical transceiver module to the cage housing, and wherein the SFP optical transceiver module can be removed from the cage housing after the module has been secured to the cage housing by exerting a sufficient force on the bail in a direction generally opposite to the direction of insertion of the SFP optical transceiver module into the cage housing.

9. The SFP optical transceiver module of claim 1 , wherein the SFP optical transceiver module housing is adapted to be inserted into a housing of a cage comprising said external communications management system, the cage having an opening formed therein that corresponds to the receptacle of the external communications management system, and wherein the electrical connection between the electrical contacts on the plug end and the electrical interconnections in the receptacle of the external communications management system is generally parallel to the direction of insertion of the SFP optical transceiver module into the opening formed in the cage housing.