Patch panels for use with fiber optic and copper cables and support rack for the same

Abstract

A rack and patch panel arrangement includes a rack having at least two mounting rails. The rack has a height width and depth. A patch panel is supported on a frame connected to the mounting rails. The patch panel, when mounted on the frame extends horizontally into the depth of the rack.

Claims

1. A rack and patch panel arrangement comprising: a rack having at least two mounting rails, said rack having a height, width and depth; and a patch panel supported on a frame connected to said mounting rails, said frame extending across said width of said rack and into the depth of said rack wherein said patch panel, when mounted on said frame, extends substantially perpendicular to a front face of said rack, and horizontally on said frame into the depth of said rack.

2. The rack and patch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein said frame supporting said patch panel supports said patch panel in a fixed position.

3. The rack and patch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein said frame supporting said patch panel supports said patch panel in a movable manner such that said patch panel may be pulled out of and pushed into said rack.

4. The rack and patch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein said patch panel has a single row of connection ports extending horizontally into the depth of said rack.

5. The rack and patch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein said patch panel has a plurality of segments extending into the horizontal depth of the rack.

6. The rack and patch panel as claimed in claim 5, wherein said patch panel has two segments arranged in an inverted V shape.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention can be best understood through the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein:

(2) FIGS. 1A and 1B show prior art rack and patch panels;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a prior art patch panel;

(4) FIG. 3 shows another prior art patch panel;

(5) FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate a rack and patch panel arrangement in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

(6) FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate a rack and patch panel arrangement in accordance with another embodiment of the invention;

(7) FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate a rack and patch panel arrangement in accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention;

(8) FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate a rack and patch panel arrangement in accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention; and

(9) FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate a rack and patch panel arrangement in accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(10) In one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, a cable management rack 10 is provided. Rack 10 is constructed as a rectangular cabinet with an open front face (and possibly open rear face) with two removable side walls 22 screwed onto either side. Along the front face of rack 10, two vertical mounting rails 12A and 12B are spaced apart along the two front edges of rack 10 at the industry standard of 19. Optionally, rack 10 may also have mounting rails along the two vertical edges of the rear face (not shown). Rails 12A and 12B have screw holes 14 along their entire vertical height to support various connections thereto.

(11) Arranged within rack 10 is a patch panel 16 supported on a frame 18 that is connected to rails 12A and 12B on either side via screw holes 14. Frame 18 that supports patch panel 16 on rails 12A and 12B may be in the form of flat support surface that extends into the horizontal depth of rack 10, may be an open framework of connected support beams, or may otherwise a support structure that can both support patch panel 16 and be connected to rack 10 by being screwed into screw holes such as screw holes 14 on rails 12A and 12B.

(12) In one embodiment, frame 18 may be structured as a static support frame that holds patch panel 16 in a fixed position or it may be of a movable drawer design allowing patch panel 16 to be pulled in and out of rack 10. In the case of a fixed position frame 18, side walls 22 of rack 10 may be removable to allow for cable management when making connections in patch panel 16.

(13) Patch panel 16 as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B is dimensioned to fit within 1 U space of vertical height within rack 10. It is noted that for exemplary purposes, patch panel 16 is shown as 1 U, but the salient features of the invention may be employed with patch panels of other heights (e.g. 2 U, 4 U etc. . . . ).

(14) In the present example patch panel 16 is for copper connectors and is 1 U in height. A typical 1 U prior art patch panel for copper connectors in a data communication cable has two horizontal rows of 24 connector ports (total 48) as shown for example in prior art FIG. 2.

(15) In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 4B, rack 10 has a horizontal depth of 47.25 and as such patch panel 16 has 96 total connector ports (each box in FIG. 4B which is an overhead view represents 2 vertically aligned connector ports of 1 U patch panel for convenience of illustration). Owing to the use of the horizontal depth of rack 10 which is much greater than the standardized 19, a 1 U patch panel 16 can have double the amount of connections ports.

(16) Within the horizontal depth of rack 10, cable management spaces 20A and 20B are located on either side of patch panel 16. These areas allow for cable and bundling and management for cable segments entering from either side of panel 16.

(17) In another embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 5A and 5B show a different arrangement and shape for the patch panel. In this embodiment rack 100 maintains rails 112A and 112B, screw holes 114, a segmented patch panel 116a, 116b and 116c, support frame 118, cable management space 120A and 120B, and rack side walls 122. Each of patch panel segments 116a, 116b and 116c is supported on frame 118 which may be in the form of a flat metal sheet, metal lattice, etc. . . . screwed into rails 112A and 112B.

(18) Each of these components has essentially the same function as described above in connection with FIGS. 4A and 4B. However, segmented patch panel 116a, 116b, and 116c define an inverted U shape. Again the number of connection ports (ninety-six (96) in this example) per U space is greatly increased relative to the prior art patch panels utilizing the 47.25 horizontal depth of rack 110.

(19) Such an arrangement as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B offer a different shape for cable management areas 120A and 120B to allow flexibility to a network design engineer depending on the various space requirements for cable segments entering either side of panel 116.

(20) In another embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 6A and 6B show a different arrangement and shape for the patch panel 216. In this embodiment rack 200 maintains rails 212A and 212B, screw holes 214, a segmented patch panel 216A, 216B and support frame 218, cable management space 220A and 220B and rack side walls 222. As in FIGS. 5A and 5B, each of patch panel segments 216a and 216b is supported on frame 218 which may be in the form of a flat metal sheet, metal lattice, etc. . . . screwed into rails 212A and 212B.

(21) Each of these components has essentially the same function as described above in connection with FIGS. 4A and 4B. However, patch panel segments 216a and 216b together define an inverted V shape. This arrangement increases the available connection ports per U space to ninety-six (96).

(22) In another embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 7A and 7B shows a different arrangement and shape for the patch panel 316. In this embodiment rack 300 maintains rails 312A and 312B, screw holes 314, a segmented patch panel 316a, 316b, 316c and 316d, support frame 318, cable management space 320A, 320B, 320C, 320D and 320E and rack side walls 322. Each of patch panel segments 316a-316d are supported on frame 318 which may be in the form of a flat metal sheet, metal lattice, etc. . . . screwed into rails 312A and 312B.

(23) Each of these components has essentially the same function as described above in connection with FIGS. 4A and 4B. However, each of patch panel segments 316a-316d is spaced apart in parallel extending into the depth of rack 300. This arrangement increases the available connection ports per U space to ninety-six (96).

(24) In another embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 8A and 8B shows a different arrangement and shape for the patch panel 416. In this embodiment rack 400 maintains rails 412A and 412B, screw holes 414, a segmented patch panel 416a, 416b, and 416c, support frame 418, cable management space 420A and 420B and rack side walls 422. Each of patch panel segments 416a-416c are supported on frame 418 which may be in the form of a flat metal sheet, metal lattice, etc. . . . screwed into rails 412A and 412B.

(25) Each of these components has essentially the same function as described above in connection with FIGS. 4A and 4B. However, patch panel segments 416a-416c are arranged in the shape of a triangle, such a Reuleaux triangle (outwardly curved triangle segments). This arrangement increases the available connection ports per U space to ninety-six (96).

(26) While only certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes or equivalents will now occur to those skilled in the art. It is therefore, to be understood that this application is intended to cover all such modifications and changes that fall within the true spirit of the invention.