Module connect/disconnect structure and method for disconnecting a module using the structure

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

0001The present invention relates to a module connector structure, preferably but not necessarily in an optical module for performing optical communication, and in preferred embodiments more particularly relates to an SFP (Small Form Factor Pluggable) optical transceiver module whose housing is received within a cage of equipment to which the optical module is attached. The present invention also relates to a method for disconnecting such a module from a cage in which it is inserted.

2. Description of Related Art

0002Optical transceiver modules conventionally include a light emitting element and a light receiving element that perform photoelectric conversion to enable communication by optical fiber. Such optical transceiver modules include a housing designed to be detachably attached inside a cage mounted on a circuit board to which the module is connected. An electrical connector connected to the board is provided in the cage, so that a connecting terminal of the optical transceiver is constructed to be connected to the electric connector when the optical transceiver module is attached in the cage. The optical transceiver module thus constructed enables optical communication by converting an optical signal transmitted to and received from the optical fiber into an electric signal transmitted to and received from the board.

0003However, when the optical transceiver module is pulled out of the cage during operation of the optical transceiver module, there is not only the possibility that the communication is interrupted in progress, but also the possibility that the communication apparatus including the optical transceiver module is out of order. Therefore, the optical transceiver module needs to be reliably fixed to an inside of the cage at least during operation.

0004For example, in recent years, the standard of measure called MSA (Multi Source Agreement) of SFP (Small Form-factor Pluggable) transceivers is established to give compatibility to the optical transceivers provided by various companies, and the shapes and sizes of the SFP transceivers and the cages to which the SFP transceivers are attached are standardized. According to the MSA standard of the SFP, a protruding locking portion is provided at a bottom surface of an optical transceiver, and a cage is provided with a spring plate portion in which a locking recess (hole or depression) is formed in which the locking portion is locked.

0005Therefore, when the optical transceiver module is attached inside the cage, the locking portion of the optical transceiver module is locked in the locking hole of the cage, so that the optical transceiver module can be locked into thecage. On the other hand, it is necessary to release locking by detaching the locking portion from the locking hole of the spring plate portion by some means, when the optical transceiver module is removed from the cage.

0006As a conventional optical transceiver of this type, a construction including an ejector for releasing locking is disclosed in <patcit id="pcit0001" dnum="US6434015B"><text>U. S. Patent No. 6,434,015</text></patcit>.

0007<figref idref="f0010">Figure 11</figref> is a perspective view showing the conventional optical transceiver disclosed in <patcit id="pcit0002" dnum="US6434015B"><text>U.S. Patent No. 6,434,015</text></patcit> with its undersurface facing upward.

0008The conventional optical transceiver shown in <figref idref="f0010">Figure 11</figref> has a body 101 with a locking portion 114 formed thereon, which houses a light emitting element and a light receiving element, and an ejector 170 for removing the locking portion 114 from a locking hole (not shown) of the spring plate portion of a cage. The ejector 170 is housed inside an ejector seat which is formed at a lower portion 111 of the body 101, so that by pressing a pressing portion 179 provided at a rear end of the ejector 170, a tip end portion of the ejector 170 can be protruded to a vicinity of the locking portion 114 from an inside of the ejector seat. The tip end portion of the ejector 170 is designed to release the locked state of the locking portion 114 and the locking hole by bending the springplateportion if it isproj ectedwhen the locking portion 114 of the optical transceiver is locked in the locking hole of the spring plate portion of the cage.

0009Accordingly, this optical transceiver can be removed from the inside of the cage by pressing a pressing portion 179 of the ejector 170 in the direction of the arrow g in the drawing to protrude the tip end portion to the vicinity of the locking portion 114, and releasing the locked state of the locking hole of the spring plate portion of the cage and the locking portion 114.

0010However, since the SFP optical transceiver according to the MSA standard is constructed to be about 10 mm high, and about 14 mm wide, and the module itself is compact, the ejector 170 (see <figref idref="f0010">Figure 11</figref>) included in such an optical transceiver is a very small component. Therefore, the pressing portion 179 of the ejector 170 shown in <figref idref="f0010">Figure 11</figref> calls for a pushing operation with a fingertip or a nail in some housings. However, in the state in which the optical transceiver is attached in the cage, there is hardly a gap between the board on which the cage is loaded and the undersurface of the optical transceiver, and therefore a fingertip sometimes cannot successfully reach the pressing portion 179 of the ejector 170, thus causing the problem that the operation for releasing lock is difficult to perform.

0011The removing direction of the optical transceiver shown in <figref idref="f0010">Figure 11</figref> from the cage is the direction of the arrow h in <figref idref="f0010">Figure 11</figref>, and this direction is the opposite direction from the pushing direction (the direction of the arrow g) of the ejector 170. Namely, in the conventional optical transceiver, the operating direction for releasing lock, and the operation direction for taking the optical transceiver from the cage are opposite to one another, and these operations have to be performed independently from each other. Therefore, the optical transceiver has the problem that the operation of releasing the lock to taking out the optical transceiver from the cage is troublesome.

0012<patcit id="pcit0003" dnum="WO03089750A"><text>WO 03/089750A</text></patcit> describes a module connector structure according to the preamble of claim 1.

0013<patcit id="pcit0004" dnum="US20030142917A1"><text>US 2003/0142917 A1</text></patcit> discloses a delatch mechanism including wedges that recite in pockets adjacent to a post on a module when the module is latched in a cage. Pulling on a handle pulls the wedges out of the pockets so that the wedges rise and lift a tab.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

0014Consequently, the present invention has its object to provide a module connector structure that provides improved disconnect operation when disconnecting the module from a cage or housing into which it had been received, and a method for disconnecting such a module from a cage or housing.

0015This object is achieved by a module connector structure according to claim 1, by an optical module according to claim 9 and by a method according to claim 10; the dependent claims are related to further developments of the invention.

0016In the optical module according to the invention, theprotrusionof the operatingpiece is engaged with the protruding portion by operating the slide member to move, and the operating piece is elastically displaced by the protruding portion. The elastically displaced operating piece elastically displaces the spring plate portion in the direction to release the locked state of the locking hole and the locking portion. The moving range of the slide member is reliably restrained by the supporting shaft inserted into the supporting shaft receiving hole, and therefore the slide member is reliably prevented from falling from the housing when pulled out of the housing. Further, the slide member is reliably restrained in the moving range by the supporting shaft inserted into the supporting shaft receiving hole, whereby the engaged state and engagement released state of the protrusion of the operating piece and protruding portion of the housing are smoothly switched, and reliability of the operation for releasing the locked state of the locking portion and the locking hole by the operating piece is sufficiently ensured. Therefore, according to the optical module, the operation of releasing the locked state of the cage and the housing, and the operation of taking the optical module out of the cage are successively performed by operating the slide member to move with respect to the housing.

0017It is preferable that the operating piece of the slide member is provided with a movement restraining portion for restraining movement of the slide member by being engaged with the housing when the slide member is pulled out of the housing. Thereby, the movement restraining portion of the operating piece is engaged with the housing when the slide member is pulled out of the housing, whereby the slide member is further reliably prevented from falling from the housing.

0018In the optical module according to an embodiment of the present invention constructed as above, by operating the slide member to move, the protrusion of the operating piece is engaged with the protruding portion and the operating piece is elastically displaced by the protruding portion. The elastically displaced operating piece elastically displaces the spring plate portion in the direction to release the locked state of the locking hole and the locking portion. The movement restraining portion of the operating piece is engaged with the housing when the slide member is pulled out of the housing, whereby the slide member is reliably prevented from falling from the housing.

0019It is preferable that the optical module according to the present invention includes a lever rotatably provided at the slide member to operate the slide member to move, and that the slide member is provided with a lever restraining portion for restraining a rotational position of the lever. Thereby, the lever rotated with respect to the slide member is stopped at a predetermined position, and therefore operability when operating the slide member to move by the lever is enhanced.

0020It is preferable that the lever is provided with a locking portion which is locked at the housing in a state in which the locking portion abuts to the housing and the housing is provided with a locking groove in which the locking portion of the lever is locked. Thereby, the locking portion of the lever is locked in the locking groove of the housing when, for example, the lever is not used, whereby the lever is prevented from float with respect to the housing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

0021Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be explained in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: <ul id="ul0001" list-style="none" compact="compact"><li><figref idref="f0001">Figures 1(a) and 1(b)</figref> are perspective views showing a state of an operation of attaching and detaching an optical module of this embodiment to and from a cage from a bottom surface side, in which <figref idref="f0001">Figure 1(a)</figref> shows a state in which the optical module is attached to the cage, and <figref idref="f0001">Figure 1(b)</figref> shows a state in which the optical module is detached from the cage;</li><li><figref idref="f0002">Figures 2 (a) , (b) and (c)</figref> are views showing the optical module, in which <figref idref="f0002">Figure 2 (a)</figref> shows a plan view, <figref idref="f0002">Figure 2 (b)</figref> shows a side view, and <figref idref="f0002">Figure 2(c)</figref> shows a bottom view, respectively;</li><li><figref idref="f0003">Figures 3 (a) , (b) and (c)</figref> are views showing the housing 11, in which <figref idref="f0003">Figure 3(a)</figref> shows a bottom view, <figref idref="f0003">Figure 3(b)</figref> shows a side view, and <figref idref="f0003">Figure 3(c)</figref> shows a sectional view taken along the A-A line in <figref idref="f0003">Figure 3(a)</figref>;</li><li><figref idref="f0004">Figures 4 (a) , (b) and (c)</figref> are views showing a slide member 21, in which <figref idref="f0004">Figure 4 (a)</figref> shows a plan view, <figref idref="f0004">Figure 4 (b)</figref> shows a side view and <figref idref="f0004">Figure 4 (c)</figref> shows a front view, respectively;</li><li><figref idref="f0004">Figure 5</figref> is a perspective view showing an example of another slide member;</li><li><figref idref="f0005">Figure 6</figref> is a side view showing an example of another lever;</li><li><figref idref="f0006">Figure 7</figref> is a side view showing a state in which the .optical module is attached inside a cage;</li><li><figref idref="f0007">Figure 8</figref> is a side view showing a state in which the lever is operated to rotate;</li><li><figref idref="f0008">Figure 9</figref> is a side view showing a state in which the locked state of the housing and the cage is released by the slide member;</li><li><figref idref="f0009">Figure 10</figref> is a side view showing a state in which the optical module is pulled out of the cage; and</li><li><figref idref="f0010">Figure 11</figref> is a perspective view showing a conventional optical module.</li></ul>

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

0022As shown in <figref idref="f0001">Figure 1 (a) and Figure 1(b)</figref>, an optical module 1 of this embodiment is constructed to be attachable to and detachable from a cage 2 provided on a board (not shown) such as a mother board or the like included in a communication apparatus, for example. When the optical module 1 is attached into the cage 2 in a parallel posture, the optical module 1 is in a locked state where it is locked onto the cage 2, and is connected to an electric connector (not shown) provided at the board side.

0023The optical module 1 contains various kinds of optical elements which are communication means for performing optical communication, and includes a housing 11 provided with a locking portion 17 which is locked at the cage 2. The optical module 1 also includes a lock releasing mechanism 20 which is a lock releasing means for releasing a locked state of the locking portion 17 of the housing 11 and the cage 2.

0024An LD (laser diode) as a light emitting element, a PD (photodiode) as a light receiving element, and an optical unit having an optical element such as a lens are provided inside the housing 11, though not shown. The housing 11 is provided with a connecting terminal 13 which is connected to the electric connector at the board side as shown in <figref idref="f0002">Figure 2 (C)</figref> , and an opening 14 for exposing the connecting terminal 13 is formed on a bottom surface at a rear end side, which is inserted into the cage 2 along the inside of the cage 2.

0025In the housing 11, an input side connecting port 15a and an output side connecting port 15b to which connectors (not shown) of an optical fiber cable are attachably and detachably connected are respectively formed to extend across a front end surface and a top surface, as shown in <figref idref="f0002">Figure 2 (a)</figref>. A connector of the input side optical fiber cable for inputting an optical signal into the optical module 1 from an outside is connected to the input side connecting port 15a, and a connector of an output side optical fiber cable for outputting anoptical signal to the outside from the optical module 1 is connected to the output side connecting port 15b.

0026As shown in <figref idref="f0003">Figure 3 (a) and Figure 3(c)</figref>, a recessed portion 16 is provided on a bottom surface of the housing 11, and on the bottom surface in this recessed portion 16, a protruding triangular prism-shaped locking portion 17 is provided for locking onto the cage 2. In this locking portion 17, an inclined surface 17a of which protruded amount from the bottom surface in the recessedportion 16 gradually becomes large as the housing 11 is inserted into the cage 2 is formed at an entry end side which enters the cage 2, as shown in <figref idref="f0003">Figure 3(b)</figref>.

0027Meanwhile, a spring plate portion 18 on which the locking portion 17 of the housing 11 is locked is formed at the cage 2 to be elastically displaceable, as shown in <figref idref="f0001">Figure 1(a) and Figure 1(b)</figref>. This spring plate portion 18 is provided withatriangularlockinghole 19 intowhichthe lockingportion 17 is inserted. Accordingly, as the housing 11 is inserted into the cage 2, the spring plate portion 18 is smoothly elastically displaced by the inclined surface 17a of the locking portion 17, and when the housing 11 is attached to the cage 2, the locking portion 17 is locked in the locking hole 19.

0028The lock releasing mechanism 20 has a slide member 21 for releasing the locked state of the locking portion 17 at the side of the housing 11 and the spring plate portion 18 at the side of the cage 2, a lever 22 for operating this slide member 21 to move in the direction of the arrow a and the direction of the arrow b in <figref idref="f0001">Figure 1</figref>, and a supporting shaft 23 for supporting the slide member to be movable in the directions of the arrows a and b.

0029The slide member 21 is formed by, for example, a resin material suchas PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) , ametal material having elasticity or the like. The slide member 21 has a base end portion 26 to which the lever 22 is mounted, a slide portion 27 movably supported at the housing 11, and a pair of operation pieces 28 for elastically displacing the spring plate portion 18.

0030The base end portion 26 is perpendicular to the moving directions of the slide member 21, which are the directions of the arrows a and b in <figref idref="f0001">Figure 1</figref>, and is provided with a supporting hole 31 for rotatably supporting the lever 22 across a width direction (hereinafter, simply called a width direction) which is parallel with the bottom surface of the housing 11.

0031The slide portion 27 is integrally provided at the base end portion 26 as shown in <figref idref="f0004">Figure 4 (b)</figref> , and is provided with a supporting shaft receiving hole 32 in a long hole shape into which the supporting shaft 23 is inserted movably in the directions of the arrows a and b as shown in <figref idref="f0002">Figure 2 (c)</figref>. The supporting shaft 23 is inserted into the supporting shaft receiving hole 32, and both ends of the support shaft 23 are respectively supported at the shaft holes provided at the housing 11.

0032As shown in <figref idref="f0002">Figure 2 (c)</figref> and <figref idref="f0003">Figure 3 (a)</figref> , a guide groove 33 for guiding the slide portion 27 in the moving direction is provided at the bottom surface of the housing 11, and the slide portion 27 is slid along both opposing side surfaces of the guide groove 33, whereby the relative position of each of the operating pieces with respect to the housing 11 is positioned. The depth of the guide groove 33 is made approximately equal to the thickness of the slide portion 27, so that the slide portion 27 is not protruded from the bottom surface of the housing 11.

0033As shown in <figref idref="f0004">Figure 4 (a)</figref> , a base end of each of the operating pieces 28 is integrally formed at the slide portion 27 with a predetermined space into which the locking portion 17 is capable of entering being provided between the opposing operating pieces 28, and each of the operating pieces 28 is constructed to be elastically displaceable in the thickness direction of the spring plate portion 18. At a tip end of each of these operating pieces 28, a protrusion 34 formed into an approximately trapezoidal shape for elastically displacing the spring plate portion 18 is provided on an opposing surface opposed to the bottom surface of the recessed portion 16 of the housing 11.

0034Meanwhile, the housing 11 is provided with approximately trapezoidal protruding portions 35, with which the protrusions of the respective operating pieces 28 of the slide member 21 are engaged, at the positions opposing to each other with the locking portion 17 therebetween on the bottom surface of the recessed portion 16 as shown in <figref idref="f0003">Figure 3 (a) and Figure 3(c)</figref>.

0035Each of the operating pieces 28 may be provided with a protrusion, which is made to abut to the spring plate portion 18, on the opposing surface opposed to the spring plate portion 18 when it is necessary to perform fine tuning of the displacement amount when the spring plate portion 18 is elastically displaced or the like, for example, and it is possible to perform fine tuning of the displacement amount of the spring plate port ion 18 in accordance with the protruding amount of the projection.

0036As shown in <figref idref="f0004">Figure 4 (a) and Figure 4(b)</figref>, a slipping-off preventing surface 37 being a movement restraining portion which is engaged with the housing 11 side when the slide member 21 is moved in the direction of the arrow b is formed on one side surface which is slide on the side surface of the guide groove 33, at the tip end side of each of the operating pieces 28 of the slide member 21. This slipping-off surface 37 is formed to be approximately perpendicular to the side surface of the operating piece 28.

0037Meanwhile, as shown in <figref idref="f0003">Figure 3(a)</figref>, a stopper surface 38 for restraining the movement of the slide member 21 is notched and formed at the positions adjacent to the guide groove 33, at the housing 11. This stopper surface 38 is formed to make an acute angle with respect to the side surface of the guide groove 33. Accordingly, when the slide member 21 is operated to move in the direction of the arrowb with respect to the housing 11, the slipping-off preventing surface 37 of each of the operating pieces 28 is favorably butted to the stopper surface 38, whereby the movement of the slide member 21 is restrained and the slide member 21 is prevented from falling off the housing 11.

0038Then, the slide member 21 movably supported at the housing 11 is constructed so that the operating pieces 28 are not protruded from the inside of the recessed portion 16, and the operating pieces 28 do not slide in contact with the spring plate portion 18, in the state in which the protrusions 34 of the operating pieces 28 are not engaged with the protruding portions 35.

0039The lever 22 shown in <figref idref="f0001">Figure 1 (b)</figref> and the like is formed intoanapproximatelyU-shapeof, forexample, ametalmaterial such as stainless or a resin material such as PPS, and the shaft portions formed by folding both ends are inserted into the support hole 31 of the base end portion 26 of the slide member 21 shown in <figref idref="f0004">Figure 4 (a)</figref> and the like, and is supported rotatably in the direction of the arrow c and the direction of the arrow d in <figref idref="f0001">Figure 1(b)</figref>.

0040As shown in <figref idref="f0004">Figure 5</figref>, the slide member 21 may be provided with lever restraining pieces 41 which are lever retraining portions for restraining the rotating position of the lever 22 at both sides in the width direction of the base end portion 26. Bythem, the lever 22 abuts to the lever restraining pieces 41 when the lever 22 is rotated in the direction of the arrow d, and is held at a predetermined position by these lever restraining pieces 41, and therefore the lever 22 can be prevented from being rotated more than necessary.

0041The lever 22 may be constructed to be capable of being housed in the housing 11. As such a construction, a locking portion 43 which is locked on the housing 11 is formed at the lever 22 by folding a part of the lever 22, and a locking groove 44 in which the locking portion 43 of the lever 22 is locked is provided on the top surface of the housing 11, for example, as shown in <figref idref="f0005">Figure 6</figref>. This prevents the lever 22 from floating with respect to the housing 11, for example, when the lever is not used.

0042Though not shown, the lever 22 may be provided with a color-coded indication member in accordance with each specification, for example, for each transmission distance of the optical module 1 as necessary.

0043Concerning the optical module 1 constructed as above, an operation of releasing the locked state of the housing 11 and the cage 2 by the lock releasing mechanism 20 will be explained with reference to the drawings.

0044In the optical module 1, the locking portion 17 and the locking hole 19 are in the locked state and the lever 22 is disposed along the peripheral surface of the housing 11 when the housing 11 is attached in the cage 2, as shown in <figref idref="f0006">Figure 7</figref>. At this time, each of the operating pieces 28 of the slide member 21 is moved to the position at which the protrusion 34 is spaced from the protruding portion 35, and is in the posture approximately parallel with the bottom surface of the recessed portion 16, and a gap is ensured between the operating pieces 28 and the spring plate portion 18.

0045First, as shown in <figref idref="f0007">Figure 8</figref>, the lever 22 disposed along the peripheral surface of the housing 11 is operated to rotate in the direction of the arrow d, whereby the lock releasing mechanism 20 is brought into the state in which the operation of pulling out the slide member 21 is easily possible.

0046Next, as shown in <figref idref="f0008">Figure 9</figref>, the operation of gripping the lever 22 and pulling it out in the direction of the arrow b, whereby the slide member 21 is moved in the direction of the arrow b. As the slide member 21 is moved in the direction of the arrow b, the supporting shaft 23 is moved from one end side to the other end side along the inside of the supporting shaft receiving hole 32 of the slide portion 27, and the protrusion 34 of the operating piece 28 is engaged with the protruding portion 35.

0047With the movement in the direction of the arrow b, the protrusion 34 of the operating piece 28 slides along the protruding portion 35, whereby the slide member 21 is elastically displaced with the base end of the operating piece 28 as the support point, and the operating piece 28 is gradually protruded from the inside of the recessed portion 16. Each of the operating pieces 28 is elastically displaced in the direction to protrude from the inside of the recessed portion 16, and thereby each of the operating pieces 28 elastically displaces the spring plate portion 18 in the direction to release the locked state of the locking portion 17 and the locking hole 19.

0048In the slide member 21, when the supporting shaft 23 is moved to the other end side of the supporting shaft receiving hole 32, the protrusion 34 of the operating piece 28 is stopped in the vicinity of the peak at which the protrusion 34 has ridden over the peak of the protruding portion 35, and thereby the locked state of the protrusion 34 and the protruding portion 35 is held. Therefore, the spring plate portion 18 is kept in the posture in which the locked state of the locking hole 19 and the locking portion 17 is released by the operating pieces 28, and it becomes possible to pull the housing 11 out of the cage 2.

0049In the engaged state in which the protrusion 34 of the operating piece 28 is engaged with the vicinity of the top of the protruding portion 35, the position of the operating piece 28, which is protruded from the inside of the recesses portion 16, from the bottom surface of the recessed portion 16 is made approximately equal to the protruded amount of the locking portion 17 from the bottom surface of the recessed portion 16, so that the locked state of the locking portion 17 and the locking hole 19 is released by elastically and smoothly deforming the spring plate portion 18 by minimum necessary amount.

0050Subsequently, as shown in <figref idref="f0009">Figure 10</figref>, the slide member 21 is operated to move further in the direction of the arrow b via the lever 22, and thereby the housing 11 is pulled out of the cage 2. When the housing 11 is pulled out of the cage 2, and the locking portion 17 is separated from the locking hole 19, the spring plate portion 18 returns to the flat state by the elastic force. When the slide member 21 is moved in the direction of the arrow b, the supporting shaft 23 abuts to one end of the supporting shaft receiving hole 32, and the slipping-off preventing surface 37 of the operating piece 28 is butted to the stopper surface 38 of the housing 11, whereby the slide member 21 is reliably prevented from falling from the housing 11.

0051According to the lock releasing mechanism 20, in the slide member 21, the slide portion 27 is slid and guided along both the opposed side surfaces of the guide groove 33 of the housing 11, and thereby the relative position in the width direction of the protrusion 34 with respect to the protruding portion 35 is positioned. The moving range in the directions of the arrows a and b of the slide member 21 is reliably restrained by the supporting shaft 23 moving along the supporting shaft receiving hole 32 of the slide portion 27, and the relative positions in the moving direction of the protrusion 34 of the operating piece 28 and the protruding portion 35 are reliably positioned.

0052Accordingly, with the movement in the directions of the arrows a and b of the slide member 21, the locked state and the lock releasing state of the protrusion 34 of the operating piece 28 and the protruding portion 35 are smoothly switched, and reliability of the operation of releasing the locked state of the locking portion 17 and the locking hole 19 by the operating piece 28 is sufficiently ensured.

0053As described above, in the optical module 1, by the operation of pulling out the slide member 21 from the housing 11 with the lever 22, the locked state of the housing 11 and the cage 2 is easily and securely released, and the housing 11 can be easily removed from the inside of the cage 2. Namely, according to the lock releasing mechanism 20, the operation of releasing the locked state of the cage 2 and the housing 11 and the operation of taking the optical module 1 out of the cage 2 are successively performed.

0054On the other hand, when the optical module 1 is attached inside the cage 2, the spring plate portion 18 at the side of the cage 2 is gradually deformed elastically by the inclined surface 17a of the locking portion 17 at the side of the housing 11, as the housing 11 is inserted into the cage 2 and moved in the direction of the arrow a, and the locking portion 17 is locked in the locking hole 19, whereby the housing 11 is attached inside the cage 2.

0055As described above, by including the locking releasing mechanism 20 having the slide member 21, the optical module 1 is enhanced in the operability on releasing the locked state of the cage 2 and the housing 11, and the operation of releasing the locked state of the cage 2 and the housing 11 and the operation of taking the optical module 1 out of the cage 2 can be performed with the simple manipulation.

0056Since in the construction of the lock releasing mechanism 20, the shape of the slide member 21 and the supporting structure for movably supporting the slide member 21 and the like are simplified as compared with the conventional construction, the production cost of the optical module 1 can be reduced and the productivity of the optical module 1 can be enhanced.