Modular telecommunications frame and enclosure assembly

Abstract

Assemblies and methods for mounting telecommunications equipment, such as patch panels is provided. A mounting assembly is disclosed including a swing gate adapted to host a plurality of telecommunications equipment. The swing gate is hingedly attached to a support frame by a pair of aligned hinges adapted to allow the swing gate to open and close. The support frame includes support members defining an opening for fitting telecommunications equipment within the support frame when the swing gate is closed. The support frame is adapted to be mounted with respect to various mounting locations such as a support structure of a raised floor or drop ceiling, a wall, and / or a cabinet. A cabinet adapted to enclose the support frame includes walls defining a cavity. At least one of the walls is a front door adapted to open and close and allow access to the swing gate when the front door is open. The cabinet is adapted to be mounted with respect to a raised floor, drop ceiling, or a wall. The hinges connecting the swing gate to the support frame are aligned crooked arm hinges positioning the swing gate off set from the front face of the support frame. An exemplary assembly includes a cabinet having walls defining a cavity. One of the walls is a front door adapted to open and close. A swing gate is hingedly connected to the cabinet by a pair of aligned crooked arm hinges. The cabinet is plenum rated defining at least one fire stopped cable opening for drop ceiling mounting.

Description

BACKGROUND[0001]1. Technical Field[0002]The present disclosure relates to assemblies and methods for efficient and accessible mounting of telecommunications equipment within a ceiling, floor and / or a telecommunications closet.[0003]2. Background Art[0004]Wiring and connected hardware are an integral part of a typical commercial building telecommunications wiring system. Wiring standards of Category 5 Transmission, for example, require that items, such as, modular jack panels be mounted for easy installation and service. A typical piece of equipment upon which modular jack panels or patch panels are mounted is a floor-to-ceiling relay rack. In many installations, a floor-to-ceiling relay rack is not warranted for the number of panels which are to be utilized.[0005]A well-known piece of equipment for mounting a smaller number of panels is a wall rack typically mounted on a vertical wall. A wall rack generally includes a support frame which is fixed relative to the wall and a mounting ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012]In an exemplary embodiment where the support frame is mounted within a cabinet, at least one of the walls is hingedly attached to a rear side of the cabinet by a pair of aligned pivoting hinges and is partially detachably connected to a front side of the cabinet by a pair of aligned disengaging latches adapted to allow the hingedly attached wall to open, thereby allowing side access to the swing gate and allowing equipment mounted on the swing gate to fully swing open without physical interference by the cabinet. In an exemplary embodiment, a control cylinder can be attached with respect to the swing gate and adapted to accommodate for the opening and closing speed of the swing gate.

Problems solved by technology

In many installations, a floor-to-ceiling relay rack is not warranted for the number of panels which are to be utilized.

Cabinets having patch panels mounted on the back side of the front door create several complications.

When the door is in an open position, front side access to the patch panels is difficult.

A further drawback associated with front door mounting involves increased movement and flexing of the rear side cabling associated with the patch panel.

This creates increased wear and tear on the cabling system, potentially giving rise to unanticipated failures and / or a requirement for frequent replacement.

It is a further disadvantage of current systems that a typical mounting frame will only open to a 90 degree angle relative to the closed position.

Indeed, the enclosure or cabinet creates a physical block that does not allow the door to open further than 90 degrees.

This makes patch panel access more difficult, especially in a floor installation.

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