Multi-port mounting bracket and method

• US 7,979,985 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2010
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Bryan, Daniel, Spitaels, James S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Prasad; Chandrika
• Application Number:
  US12/729,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20100297874A1
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 298/76, 297/49, 297/96, 294/28, 361/796, 439/532, 439/535, 439/652
• US Class Current: 29/876
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/741 using snap fastening means
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/003 the coupling part being secured only to wires or cables
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/021 using pivoting mechanisms for accessing the interior of the apparatus
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/141 Details of connexions between cable and distribution frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2201/02 Details of frames
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49208 by assembling plural parts

Abstract

A multi-port cabling system for use in installing cable to an equipment rack or enclosure or within an equipment room or data center includes a cabling assembly comprising at least one connector head having a plurality of ports and at least one cable operatively connected to the plurality of ports. The at least one cable terminates internally within the connector head to operatively couple the cable to the plurality of ports. The system further includes a mounting bracket. The mounting bracket and the connector head are each configured for tool-less attachment of one or more cabling assemblies to the bracket. The mounting bracket is further configured to removably mount to an equipment rack or enclosure, and/or to a wall, to thereby install one or more cables. The cabling assembly and the cabling system help to eliminate on-site cable termination and testing during installation of cables to rack-mounted equipment.

Claims

1. A method for installing cable to an equipment enclosure, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of connector heads, each connector head of the plurality of connector heads including;

a housing defining a jack entry side, a cable entry side disposed opposite the jack entry side and a plurality of tabs configured to engage a plurality of flanges of a mounting bracket to provide removable and tool-less installation of the housing to the mounting bracket;

a plurality of ports disposed along the jack entry side of the housing, the housing being configured to locate the plurality of ports through one of a plurality of mounting apertures of the mounting bracket, each port of the plurality of ports being configured to accept connective wiring of rack-mounted equipment and to internally terminate, within the housing, a respective cable of the plurality of cables; and

at least one cable entry defined along the cable entry side of the housing, the at least one cable entry being configured to receive and to dispose the respective cable such that the respective cable exits or enters the housing at an angle of less than 90 degrees as defined between an outer surface of the respective cable and an external surface of the housing along the cable entry side;

coupling each respective cable of a plurality of cables to a corresponding connector head of the plurality of connector heads;

coupling each connector head of the plurality of connector heads to the mounting bracket, the mounting bracket configured to be secured to the equipment enclosure and including a body having the plurality of mounting apertures formed therein and the plurality of flanges being disposed along an edge thereof; and

mounting the mounting bracket to the equipment enclosure.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein mounting the mounting bracket includes attaching the mounting bracket at one of a horizontal orientation and a vertical orientation to the equipment enclosure.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mounting bracket is coupled to a first connector head of the plurality of connector heads and a second connector head that is adjacent and proximate to the first connector head and the method further comprises coupling at least one cable of the plurality of cables that is coupled to and extends from the first connector head to the second connector head.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of flanges of the mounting bracket and the plurality of tabs of each connector head of the plurality of connector heads are disposed symmetrically relative to one another along the housing of each connector head and coupling each connector head of the plurality of connector heads to the mounting bracket includes performing a reverse installation of each connector head to the mounting bracket.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mounting bracket is further configured to removably attach to a wall and mounting the mounting bracket to the equipment enclosure includes mounting the mounting bracket to the wall.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein mounting the mounting bracket to the equipment enclosure includes mounting the mounting bracket to an equipment rack.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein coupling each connector head of the plurality of connector heads to the mounting bracket includes removably and tool-lessly installing the housing to the mounting bracket.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mounting bracket is further configured to removably mount to the equipment enclosure and mounting the mounting bracket to the equipment enclosure includes removably mounting the mounting bracket to the equipment enclosure.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the housing further defines at least one slot, the at least one slot being configured to receive at least a portion of a fastener configured to support the respective cable and the method further comprising securing at least a portion of the respective cable adjacent and proximate to one connector head of the plurality of connector heads using the at least one slot and the fastener.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the housing is further configured to removably attach to a wall and coupling each connector head of the plurality of connector heads to the mounting bracket includes coupling the housing to the wall.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein each connector head is sized and is configured such that up to four of the plurality of connector heads removably attach to a mounting bracket and coupling each connector head of the plurality of connector heads to the mounting bracket includes coupling four connector heads to the mounting bracket.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of ports includes six ports and the method further comprises coupling the respective cable to the six ports.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein mounting the mounting bracket consumes a space of 1 U within the equipment enclosure.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises a conductor termination arrangement disposed internally within the housing, the conductor termination arrangement including at least one jack mounted internally within the housing and the method further comprises connecting, internally within the housing, at least one pair of conductors of the respective cable to the at least one jack.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises a conductor termination arrangement disposed internally within the housing, the conductor termination arrangement including at least one jack operatively connected to at least one printed circuit board, the at least one printed circuit board mounted internally within the housing and the method further comprises connecting, internally within the housing, at least one pair of conductors of the respective cable to the at least one printed circuit board.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein coupling each respective cable of the plurality of cables to the corresponding connector head of the plurality of connector heads includes terminating at least one of a telecommunications cable, a data transmission cable, a coaxial cable, a telephony cable and a fiber optic cable.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cable entry further disposes the respective cable such that the respective cable extends from the housing in either a substantially leftward orientation or a substantially rightward orientation relative to the housing and mounting the mounting bracket includes mounting the mounting bracket such that the respective cable extends from the equipment enclosure in either the substantially leftward orientation or the substantially rightward orientation.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of cables extends from the equipment enclosure substantially laterally in one direction and at least one other of the plurality of cables extends from the equipment enclosure substantially laterally in an opposite direction.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cable entry further disposes the respective cable such that the respective cable extends from the housing in either a substantially upward orientation or a substantially downward orientation relative to the housing and mounting the mounting bracket includes mounting the mounting bracket such that the respective cable extends from the equipment enclosure in either the substantially upward orientation or the substantially downward orientation.

20. The method according to claim 1, further comprising bundling at least two of the plurality of cables together.