MODULARIZED RADIO FREQUENCY BAND COMPONENTS ON REMOVABLE DOORS

• US 20080238270A1
• Filed: 03/27/2007
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADC Telecommunications Incorporated (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Wayman, Michael J., Wala, Philip M., Zavadsky, Dean
• Granted Patent: US 7,518,863 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 312/199
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/186 for supporting telecommunication equipment selecting apparatus H04Q1/02

Abstract

A cabinet system comprises a chassis having a plurality of openings, a plurality of modular doors, and at least one radio frequency system. Each opening has removably attached chassis-hinge portions on one of two edges. Each modular door comprises an outside surface, an inside surface opposing the outside surface, and door-hinge receptacles on at least two edges. The door-hinge receptacles receive door-hinge portions. Each door-hinge portion is positioned in a respective door-hinge receptacle on one edge of the plurality of modular doors and is configured to mate with a respective chassis-hinge portion on the one edge of one of the plurality of openings so the mated chassis-hinge portion and door-hinge portion form a hinge to rotatably attach the modular door to the one of the openings. The radio frequency system comprises electronic components attached to the inside surface of at least one of the plurality of modular doors.

Claims

1. A cabinet system comprising:

a chassis comprising a plurality of openings, each opening having chassis-hinge portions on one of two edges of the openings, the chassis-hinge portions removably attachable to the one edge of the two edges;

a plurality of modular doors, each of the plurality of modular doors comprising;

an outside surface;

an inside surface opposing the outside surface; and

door-hinge receptacles on at least two edges of each of the plurality of modular doors, the door-hinge receptacles to receive door-hinge portions,

wherein each door-hinge portion positioned in a respective door-hinge receptacle on one edge of the plurality of modular doors is configured to mate with a respective chassis-hinge portion on the one edge of one of the plurality of openings, wherein the mated chassis-hinge portion and door-hinge portion form a hinge to rotatably attach the modular door to the one of the plurality of openings adjacent to the mated-chassis-hinge portion; and

at least one radio frequency system comprising;

a plurality of electronic components operably attached to the inside

surface of at least one of the plurality of modular doors, wherein the at least one radio frequency system operates over a range of frequencies.

2. The cabinet system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of modular doors rotates about a pivot axis of the hinge on a first edge of the opening when the chassis-hinge portions are attached on the first edge of the opening, and each of the plurality of modular doors rotates about a pivot axis of the hinge on a second edge of the opening when the chassis-hinge portions are attached on the second edge of the opening.

3. The cabinet system of claim 1, wherein the radio frequency system further comprises:

at least one system control component housed within the chassis, wherein at least one of the electronic components on at least one of the plurality of modular doors is electrically connected to the system control component.

4. The cabinet system of claim 3, further comprising:

an electrical-cable attachment positioned at the center of at least one of the plurality of modular doors to hold a cable connecting at least one electronic component operably attached to the at least one of the plurality of modular doors to at least one system control component housed in the chassis, wherein each electronic component attached to one of the at least one of the plurality of modular doors protrudes from the inside surface by a height, wherein the electronic components are arranged on the inside surface to be one-fold symmetric in height about a plane that intersects the centrally located electrical-cable attachment.

5. The cabinet system of claim 4, wherein the door-hinge receptacles on two edges of each of the plurality of modular doors comprise:

a first-door-hinge receptacle positioned on a first edge of each of the plurality of modular doors; and

a second-door-hinge receptacle positioned on a second edge of each of the plurality of modular doors, wherein each of the plurality of modular doors further includes;

a third edge perpendicular to the first edge and the second edge;

wherein each of the plurality of modular doors is in a third-edge-down position when the first-door-hinge portions positioned in the first-door-hinge receptacles on the first edge of each of the plurality of modular doors mate to first-chassis-hinge portion on a first edge of the opening.

6. The cabinet system of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of modular doors is in a third-edge-up position when the second-door-hinge portions positioned in the second-door-hinge receptacles on the second edge of each of the plurality of modular doors mate to first-chassis-hinge portion on a first edge of the opening.

7. The cabinet system of claim 5, wherein the electronic components on one of the plurality of modular doors are non-interfering with the electronic components on any other one of the plurality of modular doors due to the one-fold symmetry in the height of the electronic components when the plurality of modular doors are operably attached to the chassis.

8. The cabinet system of claim 1, further comprising:

an electrical-cable attachment positioned at the center of at least one of the plurality of modular doors to hold a cable connecting at least two electronic components in the chassis, wherein each electronic component attached to one of the plurality of modular doors protrudes from the inside surface by a height, wherein the electronic components are arranged on the inside surface to be two-fold symmetric in height about two orthogonal planes that intersect the centrally located electrical-cable attachment.

9. The cabinet system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of openings comprises four openings.

10. The cabinet system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of modular doors can be attached to any one of the plurality of openings of the chassis.

11. The cabinet system of claim 1, wherein the electronic components on one of the plurality of modular doors are duplicates of the electronic components on at least one other of the plurality of modular doors to provide redundancy of the functionality of the duplicated modular door.

12. The cabinet system of claim 1, wherein the electronic components attached to a first modular door comprise the electronic components required for a first sub-band of the range of frequencies, and the electronic components attached to a second modular door comprise the electronic components required for a second sub-band of the range of frequencies, wherein the first sub-band is offset from the second sub-band.

13. The cabinet system of claim 12, wherein the electronic components attached to a third modular door comprise the electronic components required for a third sub-band of the range of frequencies, the third sub-band offset from the first sub-band and the second sub-band, the first, second, and third sub-bands encompassing the range of frequencies in the radio frequency system.

14. The cabinet system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of modular doors further comprise:

a heat sink forming a main body of each of the plurality of modular doors, the heat sink having a fin surface and a substantially flat inside surface, the fin surface forming at least a portion of the outside surface of each of the plurality of modular doors and the substantially flat surface forming an inside surface of at least a portion of each of the plurality of modular doors, wherein heat generated by the electronic components is thermally conducted to the fin surface for dissipation outside the chassis when the electronic components are operably attached to the substantially flat surface and the first hinge and second hinge secure each of the plurality of modular doors to the chassis to enclose the electronic components.

15. The cabinet system of claim 14, wherein the fins have one of a vertical configuration, an angled configuration, and an open-chevron configuration.

16. A modular door to fit within an opening in a chassis, the modular door comprising:

a heat sink forming a main body of the modular door, the heat sink having a fin surface and a substantially flat surface, the fin surface forming at least a portion of the outside surface of the modular door and the substantially flat surface forming an inside surface of at least a portion of the modular door; and

door-hinge receptacles on at least two edges of the modular door, the door-hinge receptacles to receive door-hinge portions, wherein heat generated by electronic components is thermally conducted to the fin surface for dissipation outside the chassis when the electronic components are operably attached to the substantially flat surface and the modular door is affixed to cover an opening in the chassis to enclose the electronic components.

17. The modular door of claim 16, further comprising:

the plurality of electronic components operably attached to the inside surface of the modular door, the electronic components operable at a selected frequency range.

18. The modular door of claim 17, further comprising:

an electrical-cable attachment positioned at the center of the modular door, wherein each electronic component attached to the modular door protrudes from the inside surface by a height, wherein the electronic components are arranged on the inside surface to be one-fold symmetric in height about a plane that intersects the centrally located electrical-cable attachment.

19. The modular door of claim 16, further comprising:

an electrical-cable attachment positioned at the center of the modular door, wherein each electronic component attached to each modular door protrudes from the inside surface by a height, wherein the electronic components are arranged on the inside surface to be two-fold symmetric in height about two orthogonal planes that intersect the centrally located electrical-cable attachment.

20. Modular doors to enclose electronic components in a chassis, each modular door comprising:

a plurality of electronic components operably attached to an inside surface of the modular door, the electronic components on the respective plurality of modular doors operable within a respective selected frequency range within a range of frequencies.

21. The modular doors of claim 20, wherein the electronic components attached to a first modular door are operable within a first sub-band of the range of frequencies, and the electronic components attached to a second modular door are operable within a second sub-band of the range of frequencies, wherein the first sub-band is offset from the second sub-band.

22. The modular doors of claim 21, wherein the electronic components attached to a third modular door are operable within a third sub-band of the range of frequencies, wherein the third sub-band is offset from the first sub-band and the second sub-band,

23. The modular doors of claim 22, wherein the first, second, and third sub-bands encompass the complete range of frequencies.

24. A cabinet system comprising:

a chassis comprising a plurality of openings having chassis-hinge portions removably attached on one of two edges of the openings; and

a plurality of modular doors, each of the plurality of modular doors comprising;

an outside surface;

an inside surface opposing the outside surface; and

door-hinge receptacles on at least two edges of each of the plurality of modular doors, the door-hinge receptacles to receive door-hinge portions,

wherein each door-hinge portion positioned in a respective door-hinge receptacle on one edge of the plurality of modular doors is configured to mate with a respective chassis-hinge portion on the one edge of one of the plurality of openings, wherein the mated chassis-hinge portion and door-hinge portion form a hinge to rotatably attach the modular door to the one of the plurality of openings adjacent to the mated-chassis-hinge portion.

25. The cabinet system of claim 24, further comprising:

a plurality of electronic components operably attached to the inside surface of at least one of the plurality of modular doors.

26. The cabinet system of claim 25, further comprising:

an electrical-cable attachment positioned at the center of at least one of the plurality of modular doors to hold a cable connecting at least two electronic components in the chassis, wherein each electronic component attached to the at least one of the plurality of modular doors protrudes from the inside surface by a height, wherein the electronic components are arranged on the inside surface to be one-fold symmetric in height about a plane that intersects the centrally located electrical-cable attachment.

27. The cabinet system of claim 24, wherein the door-hinge portions on two edges of each of the plurality of modular doors comprise:

a first-door-hinge receptacle positioned on a first edge of each of the plurality of modular doors; and

a second-door-hinge receptacle positioned on a second edge of each of the plurality of modular doors, wherein each of the plurality of modular doors further includes;

a third edge perpendicular to the first edge and the second edge;

wherein each of the plurality of modular doors is in a third-edge-down position when the first-door-hinge portions positioned in the first-door-hinge receptacles on the first edge of each of the plurality of modular doors mate to first-chassis-hinge portion on a first edge of the opening.

28. The cabinet system of claim 27, wherein each of the plurality of modular doors is in a third-edge-up position when the second-door-hinge portions positioned in the second-door-hinge receptacles on the second edge of each of the plurality of modular doors mate to first-chassis-hinge portion on a first edge of the opening.

29. The cabinet system of claim 27, further comprising:

a plurality of electronic components operably attached to the inside surface of each of the plurality of modular doors, wherein each electronic component attached to one of the plurality of modular doors protrudes from the inside surface by a height, wherein the electronic components are arranged on the inside surface to be one-fold symmetric in height, wherein the electronic components on one of the plurality of modular doors are non-interfering with the electronic components on any other of the plurality of modular doors due to the one-fold symmetry in the height of the electronic components when the modular doors are operably attached to the chassis.

30. A method of reconfiguring a cabinet system, the method comprising:

unbolting a modular door from a chassis of the cabinet system housing a radio frequency system, wherein the modular door includes electronic components for a subband of the radio frequency system;

rotating the modular door about a pivot axis of a hinge on a first edge of an opening in the chassis; and

lifting the modular door from chassis-hinge portions of the hinge, the chassis-hinge portions removably attached at the first edge of the opening, wherein the lifting separates the modular door from the chassis.

31. A method of claim 30, further comprising:

removing the chassis-hinge portions from the first edge of the opening;

attaching the chassis-hinge portions to a second edge of the opening;

placing the modular door on the chassis-hinge portions attached to the second edge, wherein a hinge on the second edge of the opening is formed; and

rotating the modular door about a pivot axis of the hinge on the second edge of the opening responsive to the placing the modular door on the chassis-hinge portions attached to the second edge.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

rotating the separated modular door 180 degrees about an axis perpendicular to an inside surface of the modular door, wherein a vertical orientation of modular door is reversed when the modular door is placed on the chassis-hinge portions.

33. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

rotating the separated modular door 180 degrees about an axis perpendicular to an inside surface of the modular door, wherein a vertical orientation of modular door is reversed when the modular door is placed on the chassis-hinge portions.

34. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

disconnecting an electrical cord that connects electronic components on the modular door to electronic components in the chassis responsive to the rotating the modular door about the pivot axis of the hinge on the first edge.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

connecting the electrical cord between electronic components on the modular door and electronic components in the chassis responsive to the placing the modular door on the chassis-hinge portions attached to the second edge.

36. The method of claim 30, wherein the modular door is a first modular door and the subband is a first subband, the method further comprising:

placing a second modular door on the chassis-hinge portions attached to the first edge, wherein a hinge on the first edge of the opening is formed, and wherein the modular door includes electronic components for a second subband of the radio frequency system.