Intelligent patching systems and components thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9078051-B2
Application number	US-201313769589-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 18, 2013
Priority date	Feb 18, 2013
Publication date	Jul 7, 2015
Grant date	Jul 7, 2015

Abstract

A kit for providing intelligence capability to a communications frame includes: a housing having a central portion, pairs of upper members extending from opposite sides of the central portion, and a plurality of fingers extending away from each of the upper members; a rear cover attached to the housing, the cover having a central body, pairs of upper legs extending from opposite sides of the central body, and a plurality of fingers extending away from each of the upper members; and a PCB having a central section, pairs of upper members extending from opposite sides of the central section, and a plurality of fingers extending away from each of the upper members, the PCB being adapted for attachment to the housing and rear cover, with the central section being sandwiched between the central portion and the central body, the PCB upper members being sandwiched between the rear cover upper members and the housing upper members, and the PCB fingers being sandwiched between the rear cover fingers and the housing fingers. The PCB further comprises electronic circuitry configured to detect the presence or absence of a connector positioned between adjacent PCB fingers.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A kit for providing intelligence capability to a communications frame, comprising:
a housing having a central portion, a pair of upper members extending from opposite sides of the central portion, and a plurality of fingers extending away from each of the upper members;
a rear cover attached to the housing, the cover having a central body, a pair of upper members extending from opposite sides of the central body, and a plurality of fingers extending away from each of the upper members; and
a PCB having a central section, a pair of upper members extending from opposite sides of the central section, and a plurality of fingers extending away from each of the upper members, the PCB being adapted for attachment to the housing and rear cover, with the central section being sandwiched between the central portion and the central body, the PCB upper members being sandwiched between the rear cover upper members and the housing upper members, and the PCB fingers being sandwiched between the rear cover fingers and the housing fingers; the PCB further comprising electronic circuitry configured to detect the presence or absence of a connector positioned between adjacent PCB fingers.

2. The kit defined in claim 1 , adapted to attach to a 1U communications frame.

3. The kit defined in claim 1 , wherein the housing includes latches adapted to mount the kit to a communications frame.

4. The kit defined in claim 1 , wherein the rear cover snaps onto the housing.

5. The kit defined in claim 1 , wherein the electronic circuitry of the PCB includes LEDs for indicating a port of a communications frame.

6. The kit defined in claim 5 , wherein the housing includes holes corresponding to the LEDs of the PCB to enable visual access to the LEDs.

7. The kit defined in claim 1 , wherein the housing further comprises a keypad configured to input signals to the electronic circuitry.

8. The kit defined in claim 1 , wherein the electronic circuitry includes a plurality of sensors for detecting the presence or absence of a connector positioned between adjacent PCB fingers, each of the sensors comprising a light mounted on one PCB finger and a detector for detecting light mounted to an adjacent PCB finger.

9. A communications assembly, comprising:
a communications frame; and
an intelligent patching assembly mounted to the communications frame, comprising:
a housing having a central portion, a pair of upper members extending from opposite sides of the central portion, and a plurality of fingers extending away from each of the upper members;
a rear cover attached to the housing, the cover having a central body, a pair of upper members extending from opposite sides of the central body, and a plurality of fingers extending away from each of the upper members; and
a PCB having a central section, a pair of upper members extending from opposite sides of the central section, and a plurality of fingers extending away from each of the upper members, the PCB being adapted for attachment to the housing and rear cover, with the central section being sandwiched between the central portion and the central body, the PCB upper members being sandwiched between the rear cover upper members and the housing upper members, and the PCB fingers being sandwiched between the rear cover fingers and the housing fingers;
the PCB further comprising electronic circuitry configured to detect the presence or absence of a connector positioned between adjacent PCB fingers.

10. The assembly defined in claim 9 , further comprising communications ports mounted in the communications frame.

11. The assembly defined in claim 10 , wherein the communications ports are configured to receive optical fibers.

12. The assembly defined in claim 9 , wherein the housing includes latches that mount the intelligent patching assembly to the communications frame.

13. The assembly defined in claim 9 , wherein the rear cover snaps onto the housing.

14. The assembly defined in claim 9 , wherein the electronic circuitry of the PCB includes LEDs for indicating a communications frame port.

15. The assembly defined in claim 14 , wherein the housing includes holes corresponding to the LEDs of the PCB to enable visual access to the LEDs.

16. The assembly defined in claim 9 , wherein the housing further comprises a keypad configured to input signals to the electronic circuitry.

17. The assembly defined in claim 9 , wherein the electronic circuitry includes a plurality of sensors for detecting the presence or absence of a connector positioned between adjacent PCB fingers, each of the sensors comprising a light mounted on one PCB finger and a detector for detecting light mounted to an adjacent PCB finger.

18. The assembly defined in claim 9 , further comprising fiber optic cords connected to connectors mounted to the communications frame.

Assignees

• Commscope Inc

Inventors

• Ruiz Guilibaldo
• Fariello Patrick

Classifications

• H04Q1/136 Primary

  having patch field management or physical layer management arrangements · CPC title

• G02B6/3895

  identification of connection, e.g. right plug to the right socket or full engagement of the mating parts (keying element on the plug or adapter G02B6/3831; keying element on the ferrule G02B6/3851; keying element for electrical connection H01R13/64) · CPC title

• H04Q1/13

  Patch panels for monitoring, interconnecting or testing circuits, e.g. patch bay, patch field or jack field; Patching modules · CPC title

• H01R13/641

  by indicating incorrect coupling; by indicating correct or full engagement · CPC title