Keystone Jack Adaptor for Front-Panel Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Keystone jacks in patch panels can only be installed from the back, making it difficult for installers to access and manage cables due to space constraints and cable density, especially when adding subsequent cables.
Innovation Solution
A front-installable patch panel assembly with a keystone modular jack adaptor featuring a ridge and cantilevered latch, allowing the jack to be securely inserted and removed from the front, with a flexible tab for easy positioning and secure engagement within a rectangular aperture, ensuring the jack's front surface is flush with the adaptor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If keystone jacks are installed from the back of the patch panel, then the jacks can be securely connected to cables using punch down tools, but the installer must remove the panel or gain difficult access to the back side
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional installation approach by enabling front-side installation of keystone jacks instead of requiring back-side access. The adaptor includes a receiving region that accepts the jack from the front, with engagement structures that secure the jack without requiring panel removal or difficult back-side access.
Solution Approach 2:
The adaptor serves as an intermediary component between the patch panel front surface and the keystone jack. It provides the necessary mechanical engagement structures (ridges, slots, latches) that enable secure connection while maintaining front-side accessibility, eliminating the need for direct back-side access.
2Ease of operation
If hinged panels are used to gain access to the back, then some access can be obtained, but extra cable must be provided and adding subsequent cables remains difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of hinging the panel to access the back, the invention inverts the approach by providing all necessary access and installation capabilities through the front surface. The adaptor's engagement structures (lower edge engaging channel, upper edge engaging channel) enable secure mounting without requiring panel movement or additional cable length.
3Area of stationary object
If the patch panel is densely populated with existing cables, then cable management is compact, but an installer has difficulty gaining access to the back
Solution Approach 1:
The invention resolves the access difficulty by inverting the installation approach entirely. All installation operations are performed from the front surface through the adaptor, which provides engagement channels for both lower and upper edges of the jack, eliminating the need to access the back side even in densely populated configurations.
4Ease of operation
If keystone jacks are installed from the front using an adaptor, then installer accessibility is improved, but an additional adaptor component is required
Solution Approach 1:
The adaptor merges multiple functions into a single component: it provides the receiving region for the keystone jack, includes engagement structures (ridges, slots, latches) for secure connection, and incorporates mounting features (edge engaging channels) for attachment to the patch panel. This integration reduces overall system complexity despite adding a component.
Solution Approach 2:
The adaptor serves multiple functions simultaneously: it enables front-side installation, provides mechanical engagement for the keystone jack, secures the jack through latch mechanisms, and mounts the assembly to the patch panel. This multi-functionality justifies the additional component by eliminating the need for panel modification or complex installation procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
An adaptor for receiving a keystone type connector and insertion into a patch panel is provided, having a bottom wall with a ridge engaging lower slot and a lower edge engaging channel and a top wall having a flexible tab and a cantilevered latch engaging upper slot and an upper edge engaging channel in the flexible tab. The walls define a keystone modular jack receiving region and opening. The adaptor is dimensioned such that when the lower edge is received in the lower edge engaging channel, the upper edge is releasably engageable by the upper edge engaging channel, thereby releasably securing the adaptor within an aperture in a patch panel.