Faceplate system

• US 5,961,345 A
• Filed: 01/14/1998
• Issued: 10/05/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Extreme Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cabletron Systems Incorporated (Extreme Networks, Inc.)
• Inventors: Romm, Michael, Wainio, Norman J., Joseph, Michael, Finn, John
• Primary Examiner(s): PAUMEN, GARY F
• Application Number:
  US09/006,848
• Time in Patent Office: 629 Days
• Field of Search: 439/536, 439/537, 439/532
• US Class Current: 439/536
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/518 for holding or embracing several coupling parts, e.g. frames
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/743 integral with the housing
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/14 Fastening of cover or lid to box

Abstract

A faceplate system that removably mounts interchangeable connector mounting inserts. The system uses a faceplate frame having mounting rails with access notches and rectangular connector mounting inserts that have corner legs and spacer walls at their ends. The legs have ledge surfaces slidingly engage the under sides of the mounting rails, and the spacer walls slidingly engage the upper sides of the mounting rails. The legs gain access to the under sides of the rails through the rail notches.

Claims

1. A modular faceplate comprising:

a faceplate frame including a pair of opposed spaced apart parallel elongated side portions and a pair of opposed spaced apart parallel elongated end portions extending between the elongated side portions in a direction normal thereto, each of the elongated side and end portions having a front, back, and inner surfaces, the front and inner surfaces of each of the respective elongated portions intersecting normal to each other, each of the inner surfaces extending from the intersection with its respective front surface in a direction toward the back surface of the faceplate, each of the end regions of one of the elongated end portions being joined to an end region of one of the elongated side portions, each of the end regions of the other of the elongated end portions being joined to the opposite end region of one of the elongated side portions, the inner surfaces of the elongated side and end portions defining a rectangular opening therebetween, the faceplate frame further including a mounting rail on each of the inner surfaces of the elongated side portions intermediate the front and back surfaces, each of the mounting rails having a front surface facing the front of the faceplate and a back surface facing the back of the faceplate and being shaped to include a spaced apart pair of notches therethrough providing access to the back surface of its respective mounting rail;

a mounting insert removably mounted on the faceplate frame in the rectangular opening, the insert including a rectangular plate extending across the width of the rectangular opening, the plate having an opening therethrough for accepting a media connector and having a front surface in coplanar relationship with the front surfaces of the elongated side and end portions, the mounting insert further including a leg at each of the corner regions of the plate, and a spacer wall at each end of the plate between the legs, each of such spacer walls having its outer surface flush with the end edge surface of the plate and extending away from the plate in a direction normal thereto to terminate in sliding engagement with the front surface of its associated mounting rail, each of the legs located on the underside of the plate with its outwardly facing surface in the same plane as the rear side of its associated spacer wall and including a ledge surface at its free end region extending from its outwardly facing surface to be in sliding engagement with the back surface of its associated mounting rail, the pair of notches in the mounting rails being spaced apart the same distance as the distance between the pair of legs at each end of the plate and the ledge surfaces of the legs being dimensioned to allow movement of the ledge surfaces through the notches and into sliding engagement with the back surface of the rails during mounting of the plate on the faceplate frame;

a stop surface on the faceplate frame in abutting relationship with one lengthwise edge of the plate, each of the legs of the plate being in adjacent relationship to its respective notch and its ledge surface and the spacer wall being in sliding engagement with the front and back rail surfaces respectfully; and

a bezel stop removably mounted on the faceplate, the bezel stop being located in abutting relationship with the other lengthwise edge of the plate to keep the insert in fixed position on the faceplate frame.