Rear drawer latch

• US 7,567,744 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2008
• Issued: 07/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bison Patent Licensing, LLC
• Original Assignee: ADC Telecommunications Incorporated (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Kostecka, Ryan, Krampotich, Dennis
• Primary Examiner(s): Kianni; K. Cyrus
• Application Number:
  US12/082,299
• Publication Number:
  US 20080304803A1
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• Field of Search: 385/135, 385/136
• US Class Current: 385/135
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/46 for drawers
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4452 Distribution frames
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/44526 Panels or rackmounts covering a whole width of the frame or rack
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4453 Cassettes

Abstract

A cable management panel including a chassis and a drawer slidably mounted to the chassis. The panel includes a rear drawer latch assembly that automatically locks the drawer in the open position to prevent inadvertent closing movement of the drawer.

Claims

1. A cable management panel, comprising:

a) a chassis;

b) a drawer mounted to the chassis, the drawer having a front and a rear, the drawer being configured to slide between an open position and a closed position relative to the chassis; and

c) a rear drawer latch assembly located at the rear of the drawer, the rear drawer latch assembly including;

i) a latch body that vertically moves between an unlocked position and a locked position, the latch body including a foot that prevents closing movement of the drawer when the latch body is positioned in the locked position; and

ii) a spring that biases the latch body toward the locked position.

2. The panel of claim 1, wherein the latch body of the rear drawer latch assembly linearly translates from the unlocked position to the locked position.

3. The panel of claim 1, further including a slide that provides sliding movement of the drawer relative to the chassis, the foot of the latch body contacting the slide to prevent closing movement of the drawer when the latch body is in the locked position.

4. The panel of claim 3, wherein the foot of the latch body slides along a top surface of the slide as the drawer moves between the open and closed positions.

5. The panel of claim 4, wherein the foot of the latch body seats in a position behind the slide when the drawer is positioned in the closed position.

6. The panel of claim 5, wherein the foot of the latch body includes a ramped surface that engages the slide to lift the latch body upward when the drawer moves from the closed position toward the open position.

7. The panel of claim 3, wherein the latch body of the rear drawer latch assembly linearly translates from the unlocked position to the locked position.

8. The panel of claim 3, wherein the latch body of the rear drawer latch assembly automatically moves to the locked position when the drawer is positioned in the open position.

9. The panel of claim 8, wherein a user is required to manually move the latch body to the unlocked position so that the drawer can slide from the open position to the closed position.

10. The panel of claim 9, wherein the latch body includes a handle that the user can grasp when the user manually moves the latch body to the unlocked position, the handle being located at an end opposite the foot.

11. The panel of claim 1, wherein the latch body of the rear drawer latch assembly automatically moves to the locked position when the drawer is positioned in the open position.

12. The panel of claim 11, wherein a user is required to manually move the latch body to the unlocked position so that the drawer can slide from the open position to the closed position.

13. The panel of claim 1, wherein the latch body of the rear drawer latch assembly includes a recess, the spring being positioned within the recess of the latch body.

14. A cable management panel, comprising:

a) a chassis;

b) a drawer mounted to the chassis, the drawer having a front and a rear, the drawer being configured to slide between an open position and a closed position relative to the chassis; and

c) a rear drawer latch assembly located at the rear of the drawer and above a slide portion of the drawer, the rear drawer latch assembly including;

i) a latch body positionable in an unlocked position and a locked position, the latch body including a foot that prevents closing movement of the drawer when the latch body is positioned in the locked position; and

ii) a spring that biases the latch body toward the locked position.

15. The panel of claim 14, wherein the latch body of the rear drawer latch assembly linearly translates from the unlocked position to the locked position.

16. The panel of claim 15, wherein the latch body of the rear drawer latch assembly vertically moves between the unlocked position and the locked position.

17. The panel of claim 14, wherein the foot of the latch body contacts the slide portion of the drawer to prevent closing movement of the drawer when the latch body is in the locked position.

18. The panel of claim 17, wherein the foot of the latch body slides along a top surface of the slide portion as the drawer moves between the open and closed positions.

19. The panel of claim 18, wherein the foot of the latch body seats in a position behind the slide portion when the drawer is positioned in the closed position.

20. The panel of claim 19, wherein the foot of the latch body includes a ramped surface that engages the slide portion to lift the latch body upward when the drawer moves from the closed position toward the open position.

21. The panel of claim 14, wherein the latch body of the rear drawer latch assembly automatically moves to the locked position when the drawer is positioned in the open position.

22. The panel of claim 21, wherein a user is required to manually move the latch body to the unlocked position so that the drawer can slide from the open position to the closed position.

23. The panel of claim 14, wherein the latch body of the rear drawer latch assembly includes a recess, the spring being positioned within the recess of the latch body.