Patch Panel Tray Assembly for Dense LC Connector Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
The use of smaller connectors, such as the LC connector, in communication patch panels poses challenges for technicians with larger or less dexterous hands due to their compact size, making it difficult to access and manipulate multiple connectors in close proximity without affecting adjacent connectors.
Innovation Solution
A communication patch panel device with a tray and arms that allow for adjustable spacing and easy access to connectors, featuring a pivoting mechanism and attachment members that facilitate secure cable management, enabling technicians to easily access and maintain connectors without disturbing adjacent ones.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If smaller connectors (LC) are used to increase connector density, then the number of connectors per unit space increases, but the ease of accessing and manipulating connectors by hand deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The tray is designed with movable sections that can be dynamically adjusted to create spacing between connectors. The tray sections can be shifted apart laterally to provide technicians with adequate finger clearance to access and manipulate small LC connectors without accidentally affecting adjacent connectors, while maintaining high connector density when in the closed position.
Solution Approach 2:
The tray is divided into multiple separable sections that can be independently positioned. Each section can hold a group of connectors, and the sections can be moved relative to each other to create working space. This segmentation allows the system to maintain high overall connector density while providing localized access spaces for technician operations.
2Quantity of substance
If multiple connectors are placed in close proximity to increase port density, then the number of ports per unit area increases, but the risk of accidentally affecting adjacent connectors during maintenance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The movable tray sections enable dynamic creation of isolation zones. When a technician needs to service a specific connector, the adjacent tray sections can be shifted away to physically isolate the working area, preventing accidental contact with neighboring connectors while maintaining the high-density layout during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The tray sections themselves act as intermediary elements that can be positioned between the technician's hands and adjacent connectors. By moving these intermediate structures, the system provides a physical barrier that protects vulnerable adjacent connectors from accidental interference during maintenance operations.
3Volume of moving object
If smaller connectors are used to reduce space requirements, then the space per connector decreases, but the difficulty of grasping and manipulating connectors by hand increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing connector size, the solution creates additional spatial dimension through lateral movement of tray sections. This allows the system to provide adequate grasping space in the horizontal dimension while maintaining compact connector dimensions and high vertical density, effectively solving the grasping difficulty without compromising space efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic adjustment of tray section positions creates temporary expansion of the working envelope around each connector. This allows technicians to easily grasp and manipulate small connectors when needed, while the connectors remain in a compact configuration for space efficiency during normal operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A device and a system may facilitate access to communication connectors, adapters, and/or ports that are supported within a housing, e.g., a rack or cabinet. The system may include one or more of the devices. Each device may include a tray having a proximal portion pivotably coupled to a distal portion, the proximal portion including a lip extending at an oblique angle away from the tray. A plurality of arms may be pivotably attached to the distal portion of the tray. A plurality of cable attachment members may be coupled to the plurality of arms. A plate may be attached to a bottom surface of the tray, a proximal portion of the plate including a lip extending along a bottom portion of the proximal lip of the tray, and a distal portion including a lip extending at an oblique angle away from the distal portion of the tray.