Rear Cable Management Guide Arm for Patch Panel Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in cable management systems for patch panels is accessing and organizing smaller connectors, such as LC connectors, which are difficult for technicians with larger or less dexterous hands due to their small size, and require servicing procedures that affect multiple connectors simultaneously.
Innovation Solution
A communication system with a housing, tray, and guide arm that allows the tray to move between positions, with a guide arm that rotates to manage rear cables and a cable sleeve to retain them, enabling easier access and organization of connectors by allowing the cables to extend in the same direction as the guide arm's free end, and featuring a hinged rear housing for improved accessibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If smaller connectors (LC connectors with 1.25 mm ferrule) are used to increase connector port density, then the number of connectors per unit rack space increases, but the ease of accessing and servicing individual connectors deteriorates due to their small size
Solution Approach 1:
The connector array is segmented into individually accessible positions, with each connector position designed to be independently serviceable. The tray structure divides the dense connector array into discrete, addressable units that can be accessed without affecting adjacent connectors, resolving the conflict between high density and individual accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
A cable management system with guides and routing structures acts as an intermediary between the dense connector array and the technician's hands. This intermediary system provides mechanical assistance for cable routing and connector access, making it easier to service small connectors despite their dense arrangement.
2Ease of operation
If multiple connectors are held together in a duplex configuration, then it becomes easier for technicians to access and remove connectors, but servicing procedures necessarily affect two connectors simultaneously rather than one
Solution Approach 1:
The duplex connector housing is segmented into two independently serviceable halves, each containing one connector. While the duplex configuration provides mechanical assistance for handling, each connector within the duplex can be independently accessed and serviced by separating the housing halves, thus maintaining both ease of operation and individual connector adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the duplex connector assembly have different functions: the outer housing provides mechanical support and ease of handling, while the inner connector regions are designed for independent access and servicing. This local differentiation allows the system to simultaneously provide both duplex handling benefits and individual connector serviceability.
3Quantity of substance
If more connectors are placed within the same amount of space, then connector port density increases, but cable routing and organization becomes more complex and difficult to manage
Solution Approach 1:
The cable management system utilizes three-dimensional routing paths and vertical stacking of cable guides to organize cables from the dense connector array. By transitioning from two-dimensional to three-dimensional cable routing, the system can accommodate high connector density while maintaining organized, manageable cable paths that reduce routing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Cable guides, routing structures, and management components act as intermediaries between the dense connector array and the external cable environment. These intermediary elements provide structured pathways for cable routing, reducing the complexity of organizing and managing cables in high-density connector configurations.
Data Source
AI summary
A communication system includes a housing, a tray, and a guide arm. The tray has a plurality of ports each having a rear face connectable to a rear cable. The tray is movably engaged with the housing and has a first position substantially inside the housing and a second position substantially outside the housing. The guide arm has a first end pivotably attached to the tray between the plurality of ports and a rear of the housing, and a second free end opposite the first end. The guide arm is adapted to rotate from a first rotational position in which the guide arm is substantially parallel to the rear of the housing to a second rotational position in which the free end points toward the rear of the housing as the tray transitions from the first position to the second position.