Patch panel with interchangeable front plate

Abstract

A patch panel has a box-shaped structure that includes a front panel having a L-shaped profile with two orthogonal walls joined together along a common longer edge. On each of the two walls of the front panel there are holes or openings for screws or other elements that secure the front panel to a tray and to side walls of the box-shaped structure, and on each of the two walls of the front panel there are holes or openings adapted to house sockets and/or adapters. The front panel can be secured to a sliding tray so that one of the walls of the front panel is adherent to the sliding tray and the other one of the walls of the front panel is orthogonal to the sliding tray, closing a front opening of the box-shaped structure when the sliding tray is completely inserted into the box-shaped structure.

Claims

1. A patch panel, comprising: a box-shaped structure comprising a lower wall, an upper wall, and two side walls, a sliding tray along said lower wall of said box-shaped structure, and a front panel configured to be secured to said sliding tray, wherein said front panel has a L-shaped profile defined by a first and a second wall that are orthogonal to each other and join together along a common longer edge, wherein on each of said first and said second orthogonal walls of said front panel there are holes or openings adapted to receive fasteners so as to secure said front panel to said tray and to the side walls of the box-shaped structure, wherein, on each of the first and said second orthogonal walls of said front panel, there are second holes or openings housing sockets and/or adapters, and wherein said front panel is configured to be secured to said sliding tray so that a first one of the orthogonal walls of said front panel is adherent to said sliding tray and a second one of the orthogonal walls of said front panel is orthogonal to the sliding tray and closes a front opening of the box-shaped structure when said sliding tray is completely inserted in the box-shaped structure.

2. The patch panel, according to claim 1, wherein said second holes or openings present on the first wall of said front panel house a specific type of socket or adapter, and wherein said second holes or openings present on the second wall of said front panel house a different type of socket or adapter.

3. The patch panel, according to claim 1, wherein said second holes or openings present on one or both of the first and the second walls of said front panel are house different types of sockets and/or adapters.

4. The patch panel according to claim 1, wherein said front panel is removably connected to said sliding tray and/or to said box-shaped structure.

5. The patch panel according to claim 1, further comprising wings or other side elements on said side walls of said box-shaped structure designed to be secured to a rack structure.

Description

(1) An embodiment of the invention is presented, by way of a non-limiting example, in the attached drawings.

(2) In FIG. 1 and in FIG. 2 two views are shown of the new patch panel comprising: a box-shaped structure (A) a sliding tray (B), a front panel (C).

(3) Said box-shaped structure (A) comprises a lower wall (A1), an upper wall (A2), two side walls (A3).

(4) On said side walls (A3) of the box-shaped structure (A) there are wings (A4) to secure the new patch panel on the rack structure.

(5) Said sliding tray (B) is on the lower wall (A1) and inside the box-shaped structure.

(6) Said tray (B) is suited to slide inside the box-shaped structure (A) from a position in which the said (B) is housed completely inside the box-shaped structure (A), as shown in FIG. 1, to a position in which the tray (B) is almost completely extracted from the front side of the box-shaped structure (A), as shown in FIG. 2.

(7) Said front panel (C) is removably applied on the front end of said tray (B).

(8) Said front panel (C) consists substantially of a profile having two walls (C1, C2) joined together along a common longer edge (Cm) forming an L-shaped profile. At the ends of said two walls (C1, C2) of said front panel (C) there are holes or openings (Cv, Cv) for screws (Va, Vb) or other elements to secure them to said tray (B) and to the side walls (A3) of the box-shaped structure (A).

(9) On each of the two walls (C1, C2) of said front panel (C) there are holes or openings (Cp, Cp) suited to house sockets and/or adapters.

(10) In particular, the holes or openings (Cp) present on one wall (C1) of said front panel (C) are different from the holes or openings (Cp) present on the other wall (C2) of said front panel (C).

(11) FIGS. 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, 3f show different embodiments of front panels (C).

(12) To change the installation position of the front panel (C) simply proceed as follows: separate the interchangeable front panel (C) from the box-shaped structure (A) of the patch panel by unscrewing the relative screws (Va), remove the tray (B) from the patch panel enough to expose the connecting screws (Vb) between the interchangeable front panel (B) and the tray itself (B), unscrew the screws (Vb) so as to free the interchangeable front panel (C) from the sliding tray (B), change the position of the interchangeable front panel (C) and secure it again to the sliding tray (B), slide the sliding tray (B) with the new interchangeable front panel (C) in the new position until the interchangeable front panel (C) adheres to the box-shaped structure (A) of the patch panel, secure the interchangeable front panel (C) to the box-shaped structure (A) of the patch panel by tightening the relative screws (Va).

(13) If it is necessary to install sockets or adapters which require different housing holes or openings from those provided for on the aforementioned interchangeable front panel (C), simply implement the procedure above this time installing another interchangeable front panel with holes or openings (Cp, Cp) suited for the sockets or adapters to be installed.

(14) Therefore, with reference to the above description and the attached drawings, the following claims are made.