Patch Panel Cable Storage for Rack Access and Long Runs
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need to efficiently manage and store long cable runs for connecting rack-mounted patch panels to distant devices without the use of unwieldy external cables.
Innovation Solution
A patch panel design with an enclosure that includes a front portion for front side ports and a back portion for back side ports and extension cables, allowing for the storage and connection of extension cables within the panel, and a rack attachment mechanism for secure placement, enabling access to back side ports without disassembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If long external cables are used to connect patch panels to distant devices, then connection distance is increased, but cable manageability deteriorates and the system becomes unwieldy
Solution Approach 1:
The extension cable is stored within the patch panel enclosure, with the cable routed through the enclosure walls and stored in the back portion. This nesting approach allows long cable lengths to be contained within a compact form factor, providing extensive reach while maintaining neat organization and ease of management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patch panel enclosure serves as an intermediary structure that houses and manages the extension cable. The enclosure with its front and back portions acts as a mediator between the patch panel and distant devices, organizing the cable path and providing structured storage to prevent tangling and improve manageability.
2Ease of operation
If back side ports are accessed by disassembling the patch panel, then access is achieved, but installation complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patch panel is divided into distinct segments including a front portion with front side ports, a back portion with back side ports, and an enclosure with walls. This segmentation allows the back portion to be independently accessible through the enclosure walls without requiring disassembly of the entire patch panel structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of requiring disassembly to access back side ports, the design allows access through the enclosure walls from the outside. This inverted approach eliminates the need to open or disassemble the patch panel, enabling direct access to back side ports and extension cables while maintaining the integrity of the main enclosure.
3Quantity of substance
If extension cables are stored externally, then cable storage capacity is increased, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The extension cable storage function is merged with the patch panel enclosure structure. The back portion of the enclosure serves dual purposes: housing back side ports and storing extension cables. This integration eliminates separate external storage components, reducing system complexity while maintaining adequate cable storage capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The enclosure back portion is designed as a multi-functional space that simultaneously accommodates back side ports, extension cable storage, and cable routing. This universal design allows a single structure to perform multiple functions, avoiding the need for additional dedicated storage components and simplifying the overall system architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
A patch panel, including a front portion for accommodating a plurality of front side ports, and a back portion for accommodating one or more back side ports and for storing one or more extension cables; and one or more inner cables for connecting at least one of the front side ports to at least one of the back side ports, wherein the patch panel is configured such that when the patch panel is placed in a rack, the front side ports are proximate a first side of the rack, and the back side ports are proximate a second side of the rack, the first side of the rack and the second side of the rack being opposite, or substantially opposite, one another.