Field-Terminated Fiber Patch Panel Dual Mounting Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current fiber optic patch panels are application-specific, either designed for wall or rack mounting, leading to the need for separate inventory and lack of flexibility in custom outdoor installations.
Innovation Solution
A fiber optic patch panel with a versatile housing design featuring both wall and rack mounting capabilities, utilizing a base with perpendicular sides, including wall attachment and rack mounting portions, allowing for easy accessibility and stacking without substantial modifications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If patch panels are designed for specific mounting applications (wall or rack), then the mounting function is optimized, but the versatility and inventory requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patch panel housing is designed with dual mounting capabilities by integrating both wall mounting portions (on the base) and rack mounting portions (on the sides) into a single unified structure. This allows the same patch panel to be mounted on walls, racks, or stacked with other panels without requiring different product variants, thereby achieving universality and eliminating the need for contractors to maintain separate inventories for different mounting applications.
2Area of stationary object
If patch panels are mounted in stacked arrangements, then space efficiency is improved, but accessibility worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The side portions of the housing that engage with other panels in a stacked arrangement are designed to be movable relative to the base. This dynamic design allows the side mounting portions to be accessed and operated independently even when panels are stacked together, enabling contractors to access connectors and perform maintenance on mounted panels without requiring complete disassembly of the stacked arrangement.
3Adaptability or versatility
If custom solutions are used for outside plant enclosures, then installation flexibility is improved, but manufacturing complexity worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The standardized housing design incorporates multiple mounting interfaces including wall mounting portions on the base and rack mounting portions on the sides, enabling the same mass-produced patch panel to be installed in various locations including inside plant rooms, outside plant enclosures, on walls, and on racks. This universal design eliminates the need for custom-modified solutions for different installation environments while maintaining manufacturing standardization and economies of scale.
Data Source
AI summary
The fiber optics patch panel assembly includes a pair of patch panels each having a base and a pair of first sides. A wall attachment portion is disposed on the base of each panel, and a mounting portion disposed on each of the first sides of each of the panels. A rack mounting bracket is attached to the mounting portion of one of the first sides of each of the panels. A panel attachment is attached to the mounting portion of an other of the first sides of each of the panels and attaches the panels to one another. A single panel can be wall-mounted, or rack mounted in a standard rack mount assembly using two panels and the rack mounting bracket, or mounted in a half-sized custom rack without needing any modifications.