GB2536256B - A fibre optic patch panel and rack system - Google Patents

Description

A FIBRE OPTIC PATCH PANEL AND RACK SYSTEM Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the field of computer and communications networking, and in particular patch panels and associated rack systems used in fibre optic networks. More specifically, the present invention provides an improved fibre optic patch panel and rack system for holding one or more of said patch panels.

Background of the Invention A patch panel contains a number of network ports that connect incoming and outgoing lines of a local area network (LAN) or other communication, electronic or electrical system. A number of panels are typically mounted upon a rack, which will be housed in a data, server or communications room within a building. In recent years optical fibre has become the preferred medium for transmitting data such as, for example, telephone signals, Internet communication, and cable television signals. Due to it having much lower attenuation and interference, optical fibre has large advantages over existing copper wire in long-distance and high-demand applications.

Patch panels and associated rack systems which manage the connections in such fibre optic networks are known. The panels typically contain one or more cassettes or trays which each have a plurality of input and output ports through which network connections can be made. When new connections are required from a cassette, or existing connections are to be moved, the cassette has to be removed from a recessed location within the panel before the connections can be made.

More than one cassette may be housed within a panel, and in many instances this means that when one cassette is removed from its panel then the other cassettes in that panel all move with it. This means that there is a lot of unnecessary movement of the fibre connections within a given panel, which increases the chances of one or more of the fibre optic cables becoming dislodged. Furthermore, the more movement there is of a fibre optic cable the greater the chance of the cable becoming damaged due to excessive pulling or bending on the cable as the cassettes are removed and replaced within the panel.

In addition, making connections in the cassette can be a delicate and awkward procedure for the engineer with so many connections and cables in close proximity. Very often the cassettes or trays removed from the panel are not secured when the engineer is working on them, which makes the connection process more awkward still. This also increases the likelihood of the cassette or tray falling from the panel and disconnecting one or more of the connections therein.

It is an aim of the present invention to obviate or mitigate one or more of the aforementioned disadvantages.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided an optical fibre patch panel for mounting in a rack, the patch panel comprising: a housing having at least one pair of guide channel therein; and at least one pair of runners, wherein a respective runner is located in each of the guide channels for sliding movement relative thereto; wherein the pair of runners are configured to hold an optical fibre cassette between them, wherein each runner has at least one locking member which can move between locked and unlocked positions, such that when in the locked position the locking member prevents removal of a cassette from the runner, and wherein each guide channel has a guide channel depth, and the or each locking member projects from the runner by a distance which is greater than the guide channel depth when the locking member is in the unlocked position.

The panel may comprise a plurality of pairs of guide channels arranged in a stacked and/or side by side arrangement, and a respective pair of runners located in each pair of guide channels for sliding movement relative thereto, wherein each pair of runners may slide in their respective guide channels independently of the other pairs of runners.

Each guide channel may include first and second recesses, and each runner may include a catch which is forced outwardly by a biasing means, the catch holding the runner in a first or second position within the guide channel when the catch locates in the first or second recess, respectively. In use, the first position may be a position in which a cassette held between a pair of runners is located inside the panel, and the second position may be a position in which the cassette is located outside the panel.

Each guide channel may include first and second end faces at opposing ends of the channel, and each runner may have a stop member which projects from the runner and abuts the end faces so as to limit the movement of the runner within the guide channel.

Each runner may have a first locking member adjacent a first end thereof, and a second locking member adjacent a second end thereof. In use, the cassette may be held so that it is located between the first and second locking members of a pair of runners, and can thus be removed via the first end or second end of the runners depending on which locking members are unlocked.

Each runner may include a cable guide aperture adjacent the first end thereof. Each runner includes a slot in a top surface thereof to allow the cables to access the cable guide aperture.

The or each locking member may be a button having an interference fit within an aperture in the runner, wherein the button has first and second faces which when pressed will move the button towards the locked and unlocked positions, respectively.

The panel may include a hinged access door which can be closed to protect the contents of the panel.

The patch panel may further comprise at least one removable optical fibre cassette having a plurality of optical fibre connections, the at least one cassette being held in the panel between the at least one pair of runners.

Each runner may have an elongate groove which extends along at least a part of the length of the runner, and first and second sides of the cassette may have an elongate tongue extending along at least a part of the side of the cassette, the tongues cooperating with the grooves in the runners to locate the cassette on the runners.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a fibre optic rack system comprising a frame and at least one panel according to the first aspect of the invention mounted upon the frame.

The frame may include at least one cable guide member located adjacent a front face of the at least one panel, the cable guide member having a curved cable guide surface. The rack system may comprise a plurality of panels mounted upon the frame, and the frame may include a corresponding plurality of cable guide members located adjacent the front face of each panel. When a cassette is located in the panel, the cable guide surface fixes the length of a patch cable or cord extending from the cassette, irrespective of whether the cassette is located inside or outside the panel.

Brief Description of the Drawings A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fibre optic patch panel;

Figure 2 is an exploded view of the patch panel shown in figure 1;

Figures 3-5 are sectional views of channel guide and runner components of the patch panel;

Figure 6 is a detail view of channel guide, runner and cassette components of the patch panel;

Figure 7 is a plan view of the patch panel when located in a fibre optic rack system; and

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the fibre optic rack system.

Detailed Description of the Drawings

Figures 1 and 2 show a preferred embodiment of an optical fibre patch panel in accordance with present invention. The patch panel 10 comprises a housing 12, which is made up of top and bottom plates 14,16. The top plate 14 has a pair of side walls 18,19 which project downwards in a generally perpendicular direction to the plate 14. Similarly, the bottom plate 16 has a pair of side walls 20,22 which project upwards in a generally perpendicular direction to that of the plate 16. When the plates 14,16 are brought together the respective pairs of side walls on either side of the panel are secured together using screws 23 or another suitable mechanical fixture.

The panel 10 also includes first and second guide members 24,26 which are secured against respective side walls 20,22 and face laterally across the panel 10. A third guide member 28 is located between the top and bottom plates 14,16 and lies parallel to the first and second guides 24,26 at a location equidistant the first and second guides. The third guide member 28 has a pair of opposed faces 30,32 which face the first and second guide member 24,26, respectively. The first and second guide members 24,26 and the two faces 30,32 of the third guide member 28 are each provided with a number of longitudinally extending guide channels 34. In the illustrated embodiment there are three guide channels 34 arranged vertically on each guide member 24,26,28.

This arrangement means that the guide channels 34 in the first guide member 24 and first face 30 of the third guide member 28, and the guide channels in the second guide member and the second face 32 of the third guide member 28, are paired with one another. Located in each paired set of guide channels 34 are a respective pair of elongate runners 36 which can slide in the guide channels. As best viewed in figure 1, an optical fibre cassette 38 having a plurality of optical fibre connections can be held between respective pairs of runners 36. The front face 11 of the panel 10 may include a hinged access door 40, which can be closed to protect the cassettes 38 and opened when access to the cassettes is needed.

The panel of the present invention may house at least one optical fibre cassette. However the illustrated embodiment of the panel can house up to six cassettes, with two sets of three cassettes arranged side by side. The number of guide members and guide channels in those guide members can be varied depending upon how many cassettes the panel is required to house. In any event, each pair of runners may slide in their respective guide channels independently of the others pairs of runners within that panel.

Figures 3-5 provide sectional views of the channel guides and runners used in the illustrated embodiment. Figures 3 and 4 provide sectional views of a runner 36 within the second guide member 26, along line Ill-Ill shown in Figure 1, whilst figure 5 provides a sectional view of the runner 36 and second guide member 26 along line V-V shown in Figure 1. Thus, the section taken in Figures 3 and 4 is through an outer portion of the runner 36 whilst that shown in Figure 5 is through a middle portion of the runner 36. For illustrative purposes, only a single runner 36 is shown in the lowest guide channel 34 in the guide member 26 but it should be understood that the arrangement described here may also apply to runners placed in the other guide channels.

Each guide channel 34 includes first and second end faces 42,44 at opposing ends of the channel, and the runner 36 has a stop member 46 which projects from the runner. Thus, the amount of travel available to the runner 36 in the guide channel 34 is limited as the stop member 46 will abut the end faces 42,44 when it reaches the ends of the guide channel 34. Figure 3 shows the stop member 46 abutting the first end face 42 where the runner 36 is in a retracted position and a cassette held between this runner and another runner making up a pair would be located inside the panel. Figure 4 shows the stop member 46 abutting the second end face 44 where the runner 36 is in a deployed position and a cassette held thereby would be located substantially outside the panel. It should be understood that the first face 30 of the third guide member 28 has an identical runner and guide channel arrangement to that shown in Figures 3-5. The first guide member 24 and the second face 32 of the third guide member 28 have a near identical arrangement, albeit with the runners therein arranged in the opposite orientation so as to mirror the arrangement shown in Figures 3-5. If runners must be removed entirely from the guide channels, they can be manipulated in such a way that the stop member can come past the second end face 44 and out of the panel.

As can be seen in the sectional view of Figure 5, each guide channel 34 includes first and second recesses 50,52 at opposite ends thereof. The runner 36 includes a catch 54 which is forced outwardly by a biasing means such as a spring 56. In the illustrated embodiment the catch 54 is a ball which is forced downwards by the biasing means. Consequently, the catch 54 holds the runner 36 in a first or second position within the guide channel 34 when the catch locates in the first or second recess 50,52. When a pair of runners 36 is held in the first position a cassette held between the runners is located inside the panel, and when the runners are held in the second position the cassette is located substantially outside the panel. Thus, the stop member 46 of each runner 36 limits the sliding movement of the runner within its guide channel 34, whilst the catch 54 allows the runner to be held in a predetermined position until a sufficient force is applied to the runner for it to overcome the biasing force on the catch and move the runner in the channel.

It can also be seen in Figures 3-5 that each runner 36 has at least one locking member 60 which is employed to secure a cassette within the runner 36, as well as a cable guide aperture 70 at a first end of the runner 36. These features will be described in further detail below.

Figure 6 is an exploded view showing the guide members, runners and cassette which make up part of the patch panel. In this view it is the second and third guide members 26,28 shown in the preceding figures which are being used for illustrative purposes. A pair of runners 36 are provided which will be located in a corresponding pair of the guide channels 34 in the second guide member 26 and the second face 32 of the third guide member 28. The fibre optic cassette 38 is held between the pair of runners 36 so that the assembled components can slide in the guide channels 34 relative to the guide members 26,28 and the remainder of the panel.

Each runner 36 has an elongate groove 66 which extends along at least a part of the length of the runner, and first and second sides of the cassette 38 each have an elongate tongue 68 extending along at least a part of the side of the cassette. The tongues 68 on the cassette 38 locate in the grooves 66 in the runners 36. At least one of the locking members 60 is provided on each runner 36 in order to secure the cassette 38 to each runner in the pair. In the preferred embodiment shown each runner 36 has two locking members 60, which are each located adjacent opposite ends of the runner. Each locking member 60 can move between locked and unlocked positions, such that when in the locked position the locking member prevents removal of the cassette 38 from its respective runner 36. In use, the cassette 38 is held on the runners 36 so that it is located between the first and second locking members 60 on the runners.

Each guide channel 34 in the guide members 24,26,28 has a guide channel depth D1, and each locking member 60 projects from the runner 36 by a distance D2 when the locking member is in the unlocked position. The distance D2 is greater than the depth D1. Hence, the locking member 60 cannot enter the guide channel 34 whilst in the unlocked position. As seen in the detail views of Figure 6, each locking member 60 is a button extending laterally across the runner 36 and having an interference fit within an aperture 62 in the runner, The locking member 60 has first and second faces 64,65 which when pressed will move the button towards the locked and unlocked positions, respectively. In Figure 6, each runner 36 is shown with a locking member 60 adjacent a front end of the runner (i.e. the end having the cable guide 70) in the unlocked position, and a locking member adjacent a rear end of the runner in the locked position. With this arrangement the cassette 38 can slide onto the runners 36 from the front end and then the front locking members 60 can be pressed into the locked position via their respective first faces 64 to secure the cassette on the runners.

Figure 7 is a plan view of the patch panel 10 when located in a fibre optic rack system 100, an example of which is shown in Figure 8. The rack system 100 comprises a frame 102 which is configured to have a plurality of panels 10 attached thereto in a vertical “rack” arrangement. The frame 102 may be contained within a housing 104, which may be provided with one or more access doors 106. Although not visible in Figure 8, Figure 7 shows that the frame may include at least one cable guide member 110 located adjacent the front face 11 of the panel 10. The cable guide member 110 may extend vertically over substantially the entire height of the frame 102 so as to serve all of the panels 10 within the fame 102, or else the frame 102 may include individual cable guide members 110 for each panel 10. A front, or outermost, face of the cable guide member 110 has a curved cable guide surface 112. The surface 112 has a predetermined radius of curvature R which is selected so that a patch cable 120 running from the rack system 100 to a port on a cassette 38 within the panel 10 does not get bent beyond a certain limit. When a cassette is located in the panel, running the patch cable(s) 120 to the cassette around the cable guide member 110 and through the cable guide aperture 70 on the runner 36 ensures that the cable 120 may flex as the runners and cassette are moved in and out of the panel, but the cable is not pulled or pushed and it is not bent beyond the predetermined radius R, so that the cable is not damaged during these movements of the cassette. The cable 120 is fed through the cable guide aperture 70 adjacent the first end of the runner 36 via a slot 72 in a top surface thereof.

Industrial Applicability

The present invention provides an improved fibre optic patch panel in which individual cassettes can be moved in and out of the panel without having to unnecessarily disturb other fibre connections on other cassettes within the panel. Thus, the chance of one or more of the fibre optic connections being disconnected or damaged is reduced. The chance of damage is reduced still further when one or more cable guide members are employed in a rack system in accordance with the present invention. By fixing the distance between the cable guide surface and the retracted and deployed positions of the cassette minimal stress and strain is placed on the patch cables which are connected into the panel. Furthermore, the fixed radius of curvature R of the cable guide surface means that optical transmissions are not attenuated by “macro bend” losses that are caused when fibres are bent on small radii.

In addition, by both limiting the amount of travel for the runners in the guide channels and providing biased catches in those channels, the handling of the cassettes is simplified. The cassettes cannot be completely removed from the panels whilst attached to the runners, and they can also be locked in position via the catches on the runners so that the cassette remains fixed whilst an engineer works on that cassette. Thus, the chances of cassettes being damaged by falling from the panel are negated, and the process of patching in cables or moving cables in the cassettes is simplified for the engineer.

The preferred embodiment of the panel illustrated comprises two side-by-side columns with three cassettes in each column. However, the panel of the present invention may simply comprise a single pair of runners in the housing, with the runners configured to hold a cassette between them.

Instead of being ball-shaped, the biased catch in each runner may be a tooth member.

The panel may further comprise a connecting member which is connected across two cassettes which are arranged in a row within the panel. The cassettes can then be moved in and out of the panel as one thanks to the connecting member.

Modifications and improvements may be incorporated without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims (15)

Claims

1. An optical fibre patch panel for mounting in a rack, the patch panel comprising: a housing having at least one pair of guide channels therein; and at least one pair of runners, wherein a respective runner is located in each of the guide channels for sliding movement relative thereto; wherein the pair of runners are configured to hold an optical fibre cassette between them, wherein each runner has at least one locking member which can move between locked and unlocked positions, such that when in the locked position the locking member prevents removal of a cassette from the runner; and wherein each guide channel has a guide channel depth, and the or each locking member projects from the runner by a distance which is greater than the guide channel depth when the locking member is in the unlocked position.

2. The optical fibre patch panel according to claim 1, wherein the panel comprises a plurality of pairs of guide channels arranged in a stacked and/or side by side arrangement, and a respective pair of runners located in each pair of guide channels for sliding movement relative thereto, wherein each pair of runners slide in their respective guide channels independently of the other pairs of runners.

3. The optical fibre patch panel according to either preceding claim, wherein each guide channel includes first and second recesses and wherein each runner includes a catch which is forced outwardly by a biasing means, the catch holding the runner in a first or second position within the guide channel when the catch locates in the first or second recess, respectively.

4. The optical fibre patch panel according to claim 3, wherein the first position is a position in which a cassette held between a pair of runners is located inside the panel, and the second position is a position in which the cassette is located outside the panel.

5. The optical fibre patch panel according to any preceding claim, wherein each guide channel includes first and second end faces at opposing ends of the channel, and each runner has a stop member which projects from the runner and abuts the end faces so as to limit the movement of the runner within the guide channel.

6. The optical fibre patch panel according to any preceding claim, wherein each runner has a first locking member adjacent a first end thereof, and a second locking member adjacent a second end thereof.

7. The optical fibre patch panel according to claim 6, wherein the cassette is held so that it is located between the first and second locking members of a pair of runners, and can thus be removed via the first end or second end of the runners depending on which locking members are unlocked.

8. The optical fibre patch panel according to any preceding claim, wherein each runner includes a cable guide aperture adjacent the first end thereof, and also includes a slot in an upper surface thereof to allow the cables to access the cable guide aperture.

9. The optical fibre patch panel according to any preceding claim, wherein the or each locking member is a button having an interference fit within an aperture in the runner, wherein the button has first and second faces which when pressed will move the button towards the locked and unlocked positions, respectively.

10. The optical fibre patch panel according to any preceding claim, wherein the panel includes a hinged access door which can be closed to protect the contents of the panel.

11. The optical fibre patch panel according to any preceding claim, wherein the patch panel further comprises at least one removable optical fibre cassette having a plurality of optical fibre connections, the at least one cassette being held in the panel between the at least one pair of runners.

12. The optical fibre patch panel according to claim 11, wherein each runner has an elongate groove which extends along at least a part of the length of the runner, and first and second sides of the cassette have an elongate tongue extending along at least a part of the side of the cassette, the tongues cooperating with the grooves in the runners to locate the cassette on the runners.

13. A fibre optic rack system comprising a frame and at least one panel according to any of the preceding claims mounted upon the frame.

14. The fibre optic rack system according to claim 13, wherein the frame includes at least one cable guide member located adjacent an outer face of the at least one panel, the cable guide member having a curved cable guide surface.

15. The fibre optic rack system according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the rack system comprises a plurality of panels mounted upon the frame, and the frame includes a corresponding plurality of cable guide members located adjacent the outer face of each panel.