Patch panel for mounting on a wall or in a subrack

• US 20060291144A1
• Filed: 02/27/2004
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unify GmbH & Co. KG (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Verding, Markus
• Granted Patent: US 7,371,109 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/600
• 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

Abstract

The invention relates to a patch panel for mounting on a wall or in a subrack, comprising a housing part, which can be mounted on ends located on respective faces by means of angle brackets and which has a front cover provided in the form of a patch panel for routing data waiting on lines of an incoming cable to lines that can be connected via connecting devices on the front cover. An angle bracket is provided on each end and has a fork-type spring detent that can be inserted at the front and rear into guide slots, which are provided for insertably accommodating the fork-type spring detent on the ends that are situated on opposite sidewalls of the housing part, and the fork-type spring detent can be snapped in by means of corresponding detent means.

Claims

1-17. -17. (canceled)

18. A patch panel for mounting on a wall or in a subrack, comprising:

a front housing part;

a rear housing part configured to be connected to the front housing part;

at least two angle brackets configured to be connected to end faces of the front and rear housing parts for mounting the patch panel using the angle brackets, the angle brackets each including a spring detent shaped as a fork and having shanks;

a front panel arranged at or included in the front housing part and embodied as a jumpering panel for routing data waiting on first lines of an incoming cable to second lines configured to be connected to the front panel using connection mechanisms; and

a continuous guide slot arranged at the end faces and on adjacent sidewalls on an outer surface of the front and rear housing parts, the guide slots running around the front and rear housing parts when the first and second housing parts are connected, wherein the shanks are configured to be inserted into the guide slots by snapping in detent mechanisms included in the shanks and the continuous guide slot into the continuous guide slot from both a front housing side and a rear housing side.

19. The patch panel according to claim 18, wherein the patch panel can be mounted essentially level to a mounting surface if the shanks are inserted into the guide slots from the front housing side.

20. The patch panel according to claim 18, wherein the patch panel can be mounted upon a mounting surface if the shanks are inserted into the guide slots from the rear housing side.

21. The Patch panel according to claim 18, wherein the detent mechanisms include a latching hook formed on the shanks and on a slot base of the guide slot.

22. The Patch panel according to claim 21, wherein the latching hook is shaped as a wedge.

23. The Patch panel according to claim 21, wherein the latching hook includes front and rear pairs of latching hooks, the front pair of latching hooks arranged at a distance from a front panel outer surface, and the rear pair of latching hooks arranged at a distance from an outer surface of the rear housing part.

24. The Patch panel according to claim 23, wherein the latching hooks are formed on an inside of the shanks and engage into the front pair of latching hooks if the panel is mounted in a first assembly position.

25. The Patch panel according to claim 23, wherein the latching hooks are formed on an inside of the shanks and engage into the rear pair of latching hooks if the panel is mounted in a second assembly position.

26. The Patch panel according to claim 21, wherein the latching hook includes a bevel such that the shanks are deflected sideways when the spring detent is inserted and a pressure is exerted upon the sidewalls.

27. The Patch panel according to claim 18, wherein the two front and rear housing parts are connected by a snap-in connection.

28. The Patch panel according to claim 27, wherein the guide slot is arranged in a recessed lug relative to an outside contour of the front and rear housing parts, the lug included in the end faces of the front and rear housing parts.

29. The Patch panel according to claim 18, wherein a wall section is formed at an end of the front housing part, the wall section projecting into the rear housing part if the front and rear housing parts are connected.

30. The Patch panel according to claim 29, wherein the wall section includes cutouts such that a clamping device for the incoming cable is formed by the cutouts and the rear housing part if the front and rear housing parts are connected.

31. The Patch panel according to claim 18, wherein the guide slot runs perpendicularly relative to a plane defined by the front panel, the guide slot having a rectangular cross section.

32. The Patch panel according to claim 18, wherein a width of the front panel and a width of the angle brackets are the same.

33. The Patch panel according to claim 18, wherein the connection mechanisms are configured to connect electrical and/or optical lines.

34. The Patch panel according to claim 18, wherein the spring detent and the front and rear housing parts are manufactured from a polymer material using injection molding.