Patch panel chassis

• US 20060198098A1
• Filed: 03/02/2005
• Published: 09/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADC Telecommunications Incorporated (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Clark, Gordon P., Mattson, Loren J., Coffey, Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 7,570,487 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/023 using sliding mechanisms for accessing the interior of the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/13 Patch panels for monitoring, interconnecting or testing circuits, e.g. patch bay, patch field or jack field; Patching modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2201/10 Housing details
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2201/12 Printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1425 of standardised dimensions, e.g. 19"-subrack

Abstract

A patch panel system including a chassis and a plurality of modules. The chassis includes elongated structures configured to interconnect top, bottom and side portions of the chassis. The elongated structures are also configured to receive and secure a printed circuit board and the plurality of modules to the chassis. The modules include a housing and a module card. The card can include a variety of connections that provide communication to connections located on a back plane of the chassis. The system can include a combination of passive and active modules that are interchangeable to provide a variety of interface configurations. A spring clip electrically links at least one module to the chassis.

Claims

1. A patch panel module, comprising:

a module card including a front connector located at a first end of the module card and a rear connector located at a second end of the module card opposite the front connector;

at least one conductive spring clip including a first and second elongated member coupled to a side edge on the first end of the module card, wherein the first elongated member extends along a first surface of the module card and the second elongate member extends along an opposite surface, the spring clip further including a third flexible member extending outwardly from the module; and

at least one electrical component coupled to the first end of the module card, wherein the electrical component is in electrical communication with the spring clip.

2. The patch panel module of claim 1, further comprising a second spring clip coupled to an opposite side edge on the first end of the module card.

3. The patch panel module of claim 2, further comprising a second electrical component coupled to the first end of the module card such that the second electrical component is in electrical communication with the second spring clip.

4. The patch panel module of claim 1, wherein the electrical component comprises a shielded modular jack.

5. The patch panel module of claim 1, wherein the third flexible member secures the module to a patch panel chassis.

6. The patch panel module of claim 1, wherein the third flexible member includes a convex section.

7. The patch panel module of claim 5, wherein the spring clip is electrically coupled to the electrical component and provides a grounding plane between the electrical component and the chassis.

8. The patch panel module of claim 1, further comprising a non-conductive face plate mounted to the first end of the module card, the face plate having a front opening.

9. The patch panel module of claim 1, wherein the module card further includes a circuit board, wherein the first and second elongated members of the spring clip extend parallel to the major surfaces of the circuit board.

10. The patch panel module of claim 9, wherein the electrical component includes a projecting conductive pin and the circuit board includes a hole configured such that the projecting conductive pin can extend through the hole;

wherein at least one of the elongated members of the spring clip includes a hole and is aligned such that the projecting conductive pin of the electrical component extends through the hole in the elongated member as well as the hole in the circuit board.

11. A patch panel interface system, comprising:

a chassis having a plurality of module compartments and a back plane, the back plane including at least a plurality of first back plane connectors;

a module including a first front connector, the module interconnected to one of the plurality of first back plane connectors; and

a flexible grounding clip coupled to the module, wherein the flexible grounding clip is in electrical communication with the chassis.

12. The patch panel interface system of claim 11, wherein the chassis further comprises a plurality of securing slots wherein the flexible grounding clip mates with one of the securing slots, thereby securing the module to the chassis.

13. The patch panel interface system of claim 11, wherein the flexible grounding clip is in electrical communication with the first front connector;

wherein the flexible grounding clip provides a grounding plane between the first front connector and the chassis.

14. The patch panel interface system of claim 13, wherein the module further comprises a second grounding clip positioned opposite the first flexible grounding clip, the second flexible grounding clip arranged and configured to mate with a second securing slot of the chassis.

15. The patch panel interface system of claim 14, wherein the module further comprises a second front connector electrically coupled to the second flexible grounding clip such that the second flexible grounding clip provides a ground between the second front connector and the chassis.

16. A spring clip for securing a module to a chassis comprising:

a first elongated member configured to extend over a first planar surface of a module, the first elongate member defining a first hole;

a second elongated member configured to extend over a second planar surface of the module, the second elongated member defining a second hole, the second surface parallel to the first surface; and

a flexible member convexly extending away from the elongated members.

17. The spring clip of claim 16, wherein the spring clip is electrically conductive.

18. The spring clip of claim 17, wherein the spring clip provides a positive ground for the chassis.

19. The spring clip of claim 17, wherein the module includes an electrical component and the spring clip provides a ground for the electrical component.

20. The spring clip of claim 16, wherein the two elongated sections are arranged in a U-shaped configuration.

21. The spring clip of claim 16, wherein the spring clip is mounted on the module prior to securing other components to the module.

22. A method of assembling a module for a patch panel chassis, the method comprising:

providing a module including a module card defining at least one hole, the module card including a first and second planar surface;

providing a first electrical component including at least one soldering tip;

mounting a first spring clip to a first edge of the module card, the spring clip including a first and second elongated member, each elongated member defining a hole, the first elongated member extending over the first planar surface of the module card and the second elongated member extending over the second planar surface of the module card, the spring clip further including a flexible member such that the holes of the elongated members align on either side of the hole of the module card;

mounting the first electrical component to the module card such that the soldering tip extends through the hole in the first elongated member, the hole in the module card, and the hole in the second elongated member respectively; and

soldering the soldering tip of the first electrical component to the second planar surface of the module card.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising

mounting a second spring clip to a second edge of the module card, wherein each elongated member of the second spring clip aligns with a second hole in the module card;

and

mounting a second electrical component including at least one soldering tip to the module card such that the soldering tip is received in the holes of one of the elongated members, the module card, and the other elongated member respectively.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the first spring clip provides a ground to the electrical component.