Patch Panel Cable Spool Layout for Dense Remote Connections
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need to efficiently provide for hard-wired connections between rack-mounted units and distant devices, particularly when multiple connections are required, and to manage long cable runs in patch panel configurations.
Innovation Solution
A patch panel design featuring an enclosure with front and back portions, where the back portions accommodate cable spools and connectors, and cable guides route inner cables from front side ports to rear side connectors, allowing superimposed cable spools along the height dimension.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If cable spools are stored in patch panels to enable remote connections, then connectivity capability is improved, but space consumption and cable management complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple cable spools are nested within a single patch panel enclosure, with spools arranged in stacked configurations. The cable spools are positioned within the rear portion of the enclosure, allowing multiple connection capabilities to be integrated into one compact unit rather than requiring separate storage locations for each cable spool.
Solution Approach 2:
Cable spools are arranged in a vertical stacked configuration along the height dimension of the patch panel enclosure. This vertical stacking approach allows multiple cable spools to be accommodated within the same horizontal footprint, effectively utilizing three-dimensional space to reduce cable management complexity while maintaining multiple connectivity options.
2Area of stationary object
If multiple cable spools are accommodated in a single patch panel, then space efficiency is improved, but cable routing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patch panel enclosure is divided into distinct functional zones: a front portion with connection ports and a rear portion with cable spools and connectors. Cable guides are segmented to route cables from specific front ports to specific rear connectors, creating organized pathways that simplify routing despite the presence of multiple cable spools.
Solution Approach 2:
Cable guides serve as intermediary elements between the front side ports and rear side connectors. These cable guides provide structured routing paths that mediate the connection between different components, making cable management more systematic and reducing the complexity of routing cables among multiple spools and connectors.
3Area of stationary object
If cable spools are stacked along the height dimension, then space utilization is improved, but access to individual spools becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The cable spools are designed to be rotatable within their mounted positions in the stacked arrangement. This rotational capability allows operators to access individual spools by rotating them into a convenient working position, maintaining the space-efficient stacked configuration while preserving ease of operation through dynamic positioning.
Data Source
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AI summary
A patch panel, including an enclosure having a height dimension, a width dimension, and a depth dimension, the enclosure having at least one front portion, each front portion configured to accommodate a plurality of front side ports, and at least one back portion, each back portion configured to accommodate two or more cable spools and two or more rear side connectors; and two or more cable guides corresponding to respective ones of the rear side connectors, each cable guide configured to route one or more inner cables from the front side ports to the respective rear side connector, wherein for each back portion the at least two or more cable spools are superimposed along the height dimension.