PATCH PANEL FRAME FOR CIRCUIT BOARD MODULE
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An improved patch panel assembly includes a frame and faceplate that mate with a housing, and the housing defines a plurality of individual communication ports. The housing is mounted to the patch panel frame and includes jack openings that accommodate data jacks and circuit board openings that accommodate mating blades of circuit boards. The two sets of openings are separated on the housing by an intervening spacing and interposer terminal sets are provided to electrically interconnect the jacks with circuits on the circuit boards. The patch panel housings may be formed in discrete groupings so that, if desired, the patch panels may have ports that are grouped together by bandwidth, storage capability and the like. Inasmuch as the housings are mounted to the patch panel frames, the jacks and the circuit boards can be easily and individually replaced, repaired or upgraded with similar components without requiring disassembly of the patch panel.
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Citations
42 Claims
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1-23. -23. (canceled)
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24. A modular patch panel assembly for a computer network, the assembly comprising:
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a panel frame, the panel frame including an associated face plate, the face plate including a plurality of lengthwise slots; a plurality of housing members, the plurality being no greater in number than a number of face plate slots, each housing member including an array of jack openings, each jack opening receiving a plurality of data jacks therein, each jack opening defining a plurality of individual ports for the computer network, each housing member further including a circuit board opening and an array of conductive terminals, the circuit board opening receiving a mating edge of a circuit board therein, each of the array of conductive terminals being disposed on the housing member and extending between one jack opening and one circuit board opening; at least two circuit boards, each circuit board including at least one mating blade and contact pads, each mating blade received within one circuit board opening, the contact pads being contacted by tails of the conductive terminals; and a plurality of data jacks, each jack being received within one jack opening, each jack including an outer shell, a plurality of IDT terminals and a plurality of exterior terminals, the outer shell enclosing a plurality of interior terminals for mating with an opposing plug, each IDT terminal mating with wires of a network cable, each exterior terminal operatively connecting the interior and IDT terminals to the conductive terminals. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A modular patch panel assembly, the modular patch panel assembly comprising:
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a frame; a plurality of housings, the housing being mountable to the frame, each housing including N jack openings formed therein, associated circuit board openings and conductive terminals supported thereon, one circuit board opening being disposed in each housing and associated with one jack opening, individual housings may be installed in and removed from the frame without disturbing other housings; a plurality of jacks, each jack being individually received in one jack openings; and at least one circuit board, each circuit board being received in one circuit board openings; wherein the conductive terminals contact circuitry on each circuit board and circuitry on each jacks. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A network patch panel, the network patch panel comprising:
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a frame, the frame supporting a face plate, the face plate including a plurality of widthwise openings defined therein; a plurality of housings, each housing being disposed within one face plate opening, each housing including a body portion and at least one circuit board opening, each body portion having a plurality of walls that cooperatively divide each face plate openings into a plurality of jack openings; and a plurality of single jacks, each jack being received within one jack opening, each jack including catches disposed on exterior surfaces thereof, wherein each housing includes latch members formed thereon and extending into each jack opening into engagement with the catches, the latch members being releaseable by accessing them with a tool from either front or rear directions.
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41. A modular patch panel assembly, the modular patch panel comprising:
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a frame; a plurality of housings, the housings being mountable to the frame, each housing including N individual jack openings formed therein and one circuit board opening being disposed in each housing and associated with one jack opening; a plurality of jacks, each jack being terminable and received in one jack opening of each housing; and at least one circuit board, each circuit board being received in one circuit board opening; wherein each housing further includes conductive terminals, the conductive terminals being supported thereon, and which contact between circuitry on the circuit board and circuitry of the jacks, whereby individual jacks may be installed in and removed from the housings without disturbing other jacks of the patch panel assembly, and an individual circuit board may be installed and removed from the patch panel assembly without disturbing the jacks.
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42-174. -174. (canceled)
Specification