Polarization feature for a receptacle cage

Abstract

A receptacle cage includes shielding walls forming a module channel configured to receive a pluggable module. The shielding walls include first and second side walls extending from a top wall to form a module channel configured to receive a pluggable module. The top wall is non-planar and has a shroud extending therefrom forming a cage polarization feature. The shroud has a first shroud side wall, a second shroud side wall and a shroud top wall forming a polarization feature channel configured to receive a polarization feature of the pluggable module.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A receptacle cage comprising:
 shielding walls forming a module channel configured to receive a pluggable module, the shielding walls including a top wall, a first side wall extending from the top wall and a second side wall extending from the top wall opposite the first side wall, wherein the top wall, the first side wall and the second side wall form the module channel; and   a shroud extending from the top wall forming a cage polarization feature, wherein the top wall is non-planar to define the shroud, the shroud having a first shroud side wall, a second shroud side wall and a shroud top wall forming a trapezoidal shaped polarization feature channel configured to receive a polarization feature of the pluggable module.   
     
     
         2 . The receptacle cage of  claim 1 , wherein the shroud is formed by the shielding walls being integral with the top wall. 
     
     
         3 . The receptacle cage of  claim 1 , wherein the first shroud side wall is integral with the top wall and extends non-parallel to the top wall, and wherein the second shroud wall is integral with the top wall and extends non-parallel to the top wall. 
     
     
         4 . The receptacle cage of  claim 1 , wherein the first shroud side wall is angled non-perpendicular to the shroud top wall and the second shroud side wall is angled non-perpendicular to the shroud top wall. 
     
     
         5 . The receptacle cage of  claim 1 , wherein the first shroud side wall is nonparallel to the second shroud side wall. 
     
     
         6 . The receptacle cage of  claim 1 , wherein the receptacle cage extends between a front end and a rear end, the top wall having a front edge at the front end, the front edge being continuous between the first side wall and the second side wall and extending along the shroud over the polarization feature channel. 
     
     
         7 . The receptacle cage of  claim 1 , further comprising a gasket coupled to the top wall, the gasket having a plurality of spring fingers deflectable relative to the top wall, the gasket being coupled to the shroud. 
     
     
         8 . The receptacle cage of  claim 7 , wherein the gasket includes a base having a complementary shape as the top wall, the base extending along the first shroud side wall, the second shroud side wall and the shroud top wall, the base extending between the shroud and the first side wall, and the base extending between the shroud and the second side wall. 
     
     
         9 . The receptacle cage of  claim 7 , wherein the gasket has at least one spring finger extending along the first shroud side wall. 
     
     
         10 . The receptacle cage of  claim 9 , wherein the spring finger along the first shroud side wall is deflectable in a first deflection direction non-orthogonal to a second deflection direction of the nearest spring finger along the top wall. 
     
     
         11 . The receptacle cage of  claim 1 , wherein the top wall includes a panel, the shroud extending upward from the panel. 
     
     
         12 . The receptacle cage of  claim 11 , wherein the panel of the top wall includes a first segment between the first shroud side wall and the first side wall and a second segment between the second shroud side wall and the second side wall, the first and second segments being coplanar. 
     
     
         13 . The receptacle cage of  claim 12 , wherein the top wall includes a first corner connecting the first segment and the first shroud side wall and a second corner connecting the second segment and the second shroud side wall, the top wall being continuous through the first corner and through the second corner. 
     
     
         14 . The receptacle cage of  claim 12 , wherein the shroud includes at least one curved portion between the first segment and the second segment. 
     
     
         15 . The receptacle cage of  claim 12 , further comprising a gasket coupled to the top wall, the gasket having a plurality of spring fingers deflectable relative to the top wall, the gasket having at least one spring finger extending along the first segment, the gasket having at least one spring finger extending along the first shroud side wall, the gasket having at least one spring finger extending along the second shroud side wall, and the gasket having at least one spring finger extending along the second segment. 
     
     
         16 . The receptacle cage of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first shroud side wall, the second shroud side wall and the shroud top wall is curved. 
     
     
         17 . The receptacle cage of  claim 1 , wherein the shroud is triangular shaped having the first shroud side wall meeting the second shroud side wall at the shroud top wall, the shroud top wall being a point. 
     
     
         18 . A receptacle cage comprising:
 shielding walls forming a module channel configured to receive a pluggable module, the shielding walls including a top wall, a first side wall extending from the top wall and a second side wall extending from the top wall opposite the first side wall, wherein the top wall, the first side wall and the second side wall form the module channel;   a shroud extending from the top wall forming a cage polarization feature, wherein the top wall is non-planar to define the shroud, the shroud having a first shroud side wall, a second shroud side wall and a shroud top wall forming a trapezoidal shaped polarization feature channel configured to receive a polarization feature of the pluggable module; and   a gasket having a plurality of deflectable spring fingers, the deflectable spring fingers extending along the top wall and extending along the shroud.   
     
     
         19 . The receptacle cage of  claim 18 , wherein at least one of the spring fingers extend along the first shroud side wall and at least one of the spring fingers extend along the second shroud side wall. 
     
     
         20 . The receptacle cage of  claim 18 , wherein at least one of the spring fingers extends into the polarization feature channel. 
     
     
         21 . A receptacle cage comprising:
 shielding walls forming a module channel configured to receive a pluggable module, the shielding walls including a top wall, a first side wall extending from the top wall and a second side wall extending from the top wall opposite the first side wall, wherein the top wall, the first side wall and the second side wall form the module channel, the top wall including a front edge at a front end of the receptacle cage, the front edge being continuous between the first side and the second side, the front edge being non-planar; and   a shroud extending from the top wall forming a cage polarization feature, the shroud having a first shroud side wall, a second shroud side wall and a shroud top wall forming a trapezoidal shaped polarization feature channel configured to receive a polarization feature of the pluggable module, wherein the front edge is non-planar to define a front edge of the shroud extending along the first shroud side wall, the shroud top wall, and the second shroud side wall.