Methods and apparatus for fiber-optic modules with shielded housing/covers having a front portion and a back portion

Abstract

A fiber-optic module having a housing/shielding unit and a module chassis frame having optical, electrical and electro-optical components. The housing/shielding unit functions both as a protective outer housing and an electromagnetic shield. The housing/shielding unit includes forward fingers and backward fingers. The forward fingers provide an EMI seal around an opening in a bezel, face-plate, back-plate, wall, or panel of a host system and thereby can ground the housing/shielding unit to a chassis ground. The backward fingers can contact host tabs of the host system and can also thereby ground the housing/shielding unit to a chassis ground. The module chassis frame may be formed of a conductive material and can be grounded as well through a host system faceplate or otherwise to the chassis ground.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 - 36 . (Cancelled)  
     
     
         37 . (Unamended) A method for assembling a fiber optic module comprising: 
 assembling optical, electrical and optical-electrical components into a chassis to form a first subassembly;    forming a back portion of a shielded housing around the first subassembly to form a second subassembly;    storing the second subassembly in inventory waiting for customer orders; and    if a customer order is received, forming a front portion of the shielded housing around the second subassembly in response thereto.    
     
     
         38 . (Unamended) The method of  claim 37  wherein, 
 the front portion of the shielding housing includes one or more forward fingers.  
 
     
     
         39 . (Unamended) The method of  claim 37  wherein, 
 the front portion of the shielding housing includes one or more backward fingers.  
 
     
     
         40 . (Unamended) The method of  claim 37  wherein, 
 the front portion of the shielding housing includes one or more forward fingers and one or more backward fingers.  
 
     
     
         41 . (Unamended) The method of  claim 40  wherein, 
 the forming of the front portion around the second subassembly includes 
 folding a left side wing and a right side wing.  
 
 
     
     
         42 . (Unamended) The method of  claim 41  wherein, 
 the forming of the front portion around the second subassembly further includes 
 folding a strap and a septum, the strap folded across an open end to strap the shielded housing onto the second subassembly, the septum folded into the open end to couple to a bottom side of the shielded housing.  
 
 
     
     
         43 . (Unamended) The method of  claim 37  wherein, 
 the forming of the front portion of the shielded housing around the second subassembly further includes 
 forming a pattern of the front portion of the shielded housing into a sheet of conductive material, the pattern including the one or more fingers near an edge,  
 folding the sheet of conductive material along a plurality fold lines, and  
 bending the one or more fingers into shape.  
 
 
     
     
         44 . (Unamended) A fiber optic module formed by the method of  claim 37 .  
     
     
         45 - 79 . (Cancelled)  
     
     
         80 . (New) The method of  claim 37  wherein, 
 if a customer order is not received, then continue the storing of the second subassembly in inventory waiting for customer orders.  
 
     
     
         81 . (New) A method of assembling a fiber optic module, the method comprising: 
 assembling optical, electronic, and opto-electronic components into a chassis to form a first subassembly, the optical, electronic, and opto-electronic components to process optical and electrical signals;    forming a back portion of a shielded housing around the first subassembly to form a second subassembly;    storing the second subassembly in inventory waiting for customer orders;    forming a front portion of the shielded housing;    storing the front portion of the shielded housing in inventory waiting for customer orders;    receiving a customer order; and    assembling the front portion of the shielded housing around the second subassembly to form the fiber optic module responsive to the receiving of the customer order.    
     
     
         82 . (New) The method of  claim 81  wherein, 
 the front portion of the shielding housing includes one or more forward fingers.  
 
     
     
         83 . (New) The method of  claim 81  wherein, 
 the front portion of the shielding housing includes one or more backward fingers.  
 
     
     
         84 . (New) The method of  claim 81  wherein, 
 the front portion of the shielding housing includes one or more forward fingers and one or more backward fingers.  
 
     
     
         85 . (New) The method of  claim 81  wherein, 
 the forming of the front portion of the shielded housing includes 
 forming a pattern of the front portion of the shielded housing into a sheet of conductive material to generate a patterned sheet of conductive material, the patterned sheet of conductive material including one or more fingers near an edge.  
 
 
     
     
         86 . (New) The method of  claim 81  wherein, 
 the forming of the front portion of the shielded housing includes 
 forming a pattern of the front portion of the shielded housing into a sheet of conductive material to generate a patterned sheet of conductive material, the patterned sheet of conductive material including one or more fingers near an edge,  
 folding the patterned sheet of conductive material along a plurality of fold lines of the pattern, and  
 bending the one or more fingers into shape.  
 
 
     
     
         87 . (New) A method of assembling a fiber optic module, the method comprising: 
 assembling optical, electronic, and opto-electronic components into a chassis, the optical, electronic, and opto-electronic components to process optical and electrical signals;    forming a first flat pattern of a back portion of the shielded housing from a sheet of conductive material;    placing the first flat pattern of the back portion of the shielded housing onto the chassis;    folding and bending the first flat pattern of the back portion of the shielded housing around the chassis to form a subassembly;    storing the subassembly in inventory waiting for customer orders; and    in response to receiving a customer order, assembling the front portion of the shielded housing around the subassembly to form the fiber optic module.    
     
     
         88 . (New) The method of  claim 87  further comprising: 
 prior to the assembling of the front portion of the shielded housing around the subassembly, 
 forming the front portion of the shielded housing; and  
 storing the front portion of the shielded housing in inventory waiting for the customer orders.  
 
 
     
     
         89 . (New) The method of  claim 88  wherein, 
 the forming of the front portion of the shielded housing includes 
 forming a pattern of the front portion of the shielded housing into a sheet of conductive material to generate a patterned sheet of conductive material, the patterned sheet of conductive material including one or more fingers near an edge.  
 
 
     
     
         90 . (New) The method of  claim 88  wherein, 
 the forming of the front portion of the shielded housing includes 
 forming a pattern of the front portion of the shielded housing into a sheet of conductive material to generate a patterned sheet of conductive material, the patterned sheet of conductive material including one or more fingers near an edge,  
 folding the patterned sheet of conductive material along a plurality of fold lines of the pattern, and  
 bending the one or more fingers into shape.  
 
 
     
     
         91 . (New) The method of  claim 87  further comprising: 
 prior to the storing the subassembly in inventory waiting for customer orders,  
 placing shielding collars around the opto-electronic components; and  
 inserting a U-plate into an opening in the chassis to electrically connect the U-plate to the shielding collars around the opto-electronic components, the U-plate including a flap to electrically connect to the back portion of the shielded housing.  
 
     
     
         92 . (New) The method of  claim 91  wherein, 
 the front portion of the shielded housing overlaps the back portion of the shielded housing to electrically connect together the front portion of the shielded housing, the back portion of the shielded housing, the U-plate, and the shielding collars.  
 
     
     
         93 . (New) The method of  claim 87  wherein, 
 the front portion of the shielded housing overlaps the back portion of the shielded housing to electrically connect them together.  
 
     
     
         94 . (New) The method of  claim 87  wherein, 
 the front portion of the shielding housing includes one or more forward fingers.  
 
     
     
         95 . (New) The method of  claim 87  wherein, 
 the front portion of the shielded housing includes one or more backward fingers.  
 
     
     
         96 . (New) The method of  claim 87  wherein, 
 the front portion of the shielded housing includes one or more forward fingers and one or more backward fingers.  
 
     
     
         97 . (New) The method of  claim 87  wherein, 
 the back portion of the shielded housing to protect the optical, electronic, and opto-electronic components while the subassembly is stored in inventory.  
 
     
     
         98 . (New) The method of  claim 87  wherein, 
 the back portion of the shielded housing to protect and shield electromagnetic radiation away from the at least one electrical component,  
 the front portion of the shielded housing to shield external components from electromagnetic radiation generated by the at least one opto-electronic device, and  
 the front portion of the shielded housing to shield the at least one opto-electronic device from electromagnetic radiation generated by the external components.