IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,724,206
Granted Patent B2
US 12,724,206 · App. 18/381,240 · Granted Sep 1, 2026

Convection cooling of a pluggable optical module in a printed circuit board envelope

Inventors: Peter Ajersch (Ottawa, CA); Behzad Mohajer (Vancouver, CA)
Assignee: Ciena Corporation
G02B6/3814
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,724,206
App. No.
18/381,240
Granted
Sep 1, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A convection cooling assembly for a pluggable optical module (POM), the convection cooling assembly including: a printed circuit board (PCB) assembly; and a POM cage coupled to the PCB assembly and adapted to receive a POM adjacent to the PCB assembly; where the PCB assembly defines a cutout or a recess within the POM cage and adapted to be disposed adjacent to a surface of the POM when the POM is received within the POM cage. The cutout or the recess includes a main channel and one or more side channels disposed orthogonal or at an angle to the main channel.

Claims (46)

1 . A convection cooling assembly for a pluggable optical module, the convection cooling assembly comprising:

a printed circuit board assembly;

a pluggable optical module cage coupled to the printed circuit board assembly and adapted to receive the pluggable optical module adjacent to the printed circuit board assembly;

wherein the printed circuit board assembly defines a cutout or a recess open to an edge of the printed circuit board assembly and centered within a footprint of the pluggable optical module cage along the edge of the printed circuit board assembly and adapted to be disposed adjacent to a surface of the pluggable optical module when the pluggable optical module is received within the pluggable optical module cage; and

a heatsink disposed within the cutout or the recess and adapted to be thermally coupled to the pluggable optical module when the pluggable optical module is received within the pluggable optical module cage, wherein fins of the heatsink are constrained within an envelope defined by the cutout or the recess and do not extend beyond the envelope opposite the pluggable optical module cage.

2 . The convection cooling assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cutout or the recess is adapted to allow an airflow to pass from the edge of the printed circuit board assembly into the envelope defined by the cutout or the recess, and wherein the cutout or the recess comprises a main channel centered within the footprint of the pluggable optical module cage along the edge of the printed circuit board assembly and one or more side channels disposed orthogonal or at an angle to and extending from the main channel.

3 . The convection cooling assembly of claim 2 , wherein the main channel is disposed entirely within the footprint of the pluggable optical module cage along the edge of the printed circuit board assembly.

4 . The convection cooling assembly of claim 1 , wherein the printed circuit board assembly comprises a printed circuit board body and the printed circuit board body defines the cutout or the recess.

5 . The convection cooling assembly of claim 1 , wherein the printed circuit board assembly comprises a printed circuit board body and a coplanar insert and the coplanar insert defines the cutout or the recess.

6 . The convection cooling assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a faceplate disposed orthogonal to the printed circuit board assembly and defining an opening aligned with the cutout or the recess.

7 . The convection cooling assembly of claim 1 , wherein:

the pluggable optical module cage is coupled to a primary side of the printed circuit board assembly; and

the printed circuit board assembly defines the cutout or a primary-side recess within the footprint of the pluggable optical module cage and adapted to be disposed adjacent to the surface of the pluggable optical module when the pluggable optical module is received within the pluggable optical module cage on the primary side of the printed circuit board assembly.

8 . The convection cooling assembly of claim 1 , wherein:

the pluggable optical module cage is coupled to a secondary side of the printed circuit board assembly; and

the printed circuit board assembly defines the cutout or a secondary-side recess within the footprint of the pluggable optical module cage and adapted to be disposed adjacent to the surface of the pluggable optical module when the pluggable optical module is received within the pluggable optical module cage on the secondary side of the printed circuit board assembly.

9 . The convection cooling assembly of claim 1 , wherein:

the pluggable optical module cage coupled to the printed circuit board assembly and adapted to receive the pluggable optical module adjacent to the printed circuit board assembly comprises a primary-side pluggable optical module cage coupled to a primary side of the printed circuit board assembly and adapted to receive a primary-side pluggable optical module adjacent to the primary side of the printed circuit board assembly and a secondary-side pluggable optical module cage coupled to a secondary side of the printed circuit board assembly and adapted to receive a secondary-side pluggable optical module adjacent to the secondary side of the printed circuit board assembly; and

the cutout or the recess comprises a cutout through the printed circuit board assembly within the footprint of the primary-side pluggable optical module cage and the secondary-side pluggable optical module cage or a recess formed in the primary side of the printed circuit board assembly within the footprint of the primary-side pluggable optical module cage and a recess formed in the secondary side of the printed circuit board assembly within the footprint of the secondary-side pluggable optical module cage.

10 . A network element comprising:

a pluggable optical module;

a faceplate;

a printed circuit board assembly disposed orthogonal to the faceplate;

a pluggable optical module cage coupled to the printed circuit board assembly and adapted to receive the pluggable optical module adjacent to the printed circuit board assembly;

wherein the printed circuit board assembly defines a cutout or a recess open to an edge of the printed circuit board assembly and centered within a footprint of the pluggable optical module cage along the edge of the printed circuit board assembly and adapted to be disposed adjacent to a surface of the pluggable optical module when the pluggable optical module is received within the pluggable optical module cage; and

wherein the faceplate defines an opening aligned with the cutout or the recess; and

a heatsink disposed within the cutout or the recess and thermally coupled to the pluggable optical module when the pluggable optical module is received within the pluggable optical module cage, wherein fins of the heatsink are constrained within an envelope defined by the cutout or the recess and do not extend beyond the envelope opposite the pluggable optical module cage.

11 . The network element of claim 10 , wherein the cutout or the recess is adapted to allow an airflow to pass from the edge of the printed circuit board assembly into the envelope defined by the cutout or the recess, and wherein the cutout or the recess comprises a main channel centered within the footprint of the pluggable optical module cage along the edge of the printed circuit board assembly and one or more side channels disposed orthogonal or at an angle to and extending from the main channel.

12 . The network element of claim 10 , wherein the main channel is disposed entirely within the footprint of the pluggable optical module cage along the edge of the printed circuit board assembly.

13 . The network element of claim 10 , wherein the printed circuit board assembly comprises a printed circuit board body and the printed circuit board body defines the cutout or the recess.

14 . The network element of claim 10 , wherein the printed circuit board assembly comprises a printed circuit board body and a coplanar insert and the coplanar insert defines the cutout or the recess.

15 . The network element of claim 10 , wherein:

the pluggable optical module cage is coupled to a primary side of the printed circuit board assembly; and

the printed circuit board assembly defines the cutout or a primary-side recess within the footprint of the pluggable optical module cage and adapted to be disposed adjacent to the surface of the pluggable optical module when the pluggable optical module is received within the pluggable optical module cage on the primary side of the printed circuit board assembly.

16 . The network element of claim 10 , wherein:

the pluggable optical module cage is coupled to a secondary side of the printed circuit board assembly; and

the printed circuit board assembly defines the cutout or a secondary-side recess within the footprint of the pluggable optical module cage and adapted to be disposed adjacent to the surface of the pluggable optical module when the pluggable optical module is received within the pluggable optical module cage on the secondary side of the printed circuit board assembly.

17 . The network element of claim 10 , wherein:

the pluggable optical module cage coupled to the printed circuit board assembly and adapted to receive the pluggable optical module adjacent to the printed circuit board assembly comprises a primary-side pluggable optical module cage coupled to a primary side of the printed circuit board assembly and adapted to receive a primary-side pluggable optical module adjacent to the primary side of the printed circuit board assembly and a secondary-side pluggable optical module cage coupled to a secondary side of the printed circuit board assembly and adapted to receive a secondary-side pluggable optical module adjacent to the secondary side of the printed circuit board assembly; and

the cutout or the recess comprises a cutout through the printed circuit board assembly within the footprint of the primary-side pluggable optical module cage and the secondary-side pluggable optical module cage or a recess formed in the primary side of the printed circuit board assembly within the footprint of the primary-side pluggable optical module cage and a recess formed in the secondary side of the printed circuit board assembly within the footprint of the secondary-side pluggable optical module cage.

18 . A convection cooling assembly for a pluggable optical module, the convection cooling assembly comprising:

a printed circuit board assembly; and

a pluggable optical module cage coupled to the printed circuit board assembly and adapted to receive the pluggable optical module adjacent to the printed circuit board assembly;

wherein the printed circuit board assembly defines a cutout or a recess open to an edge of the printed circuit board assembly and centered within a footprint of the pluggable optical module cage along the edge of the printed circuit board assembly and adapted to be disposed adjacent to a surface of the pluggable optical module when the pluggable optical module is received within the pluggable optical module cage;

a faceplate disposed orthogonal to the printed circuit board assembly and defining an opening aligned with the cutout or the recess; and

a jet impingement device disposed within the cutout or the recess and adapted to receive the airflow through the opening defined by the faceplate and direct the airflow to the surface of the pluggable optical module.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 18, 2023
From: AJERSCH, PETER; MOHAJER, BEHZAD
To: CIENA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 065261/0590 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250130372A1 · Apr 24, 2025
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