Cable backplane system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9433121-B2
Application number	US-201314103321-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2013
Priority date	Dec 11, 2013
Publication date	Aug 30, 2016
Grant date	Aug 30, 2016

Abstract

A cable backplane system includes cable connectors having cables extending therefrom. Each cable connector has a header holding signal contacts at a mating end of the header configured for mating with a card connector. The cable backplane system includes a cable tray having side walls surrounding a cavity defining a raceway for the cables. The cable tray has a front edge. A plurality of connector bricks are received in the cable tray. The connector bricks each having a header frame comprising end spacers and side spacers defining a header opening receiving a plurality of the cable connectors. The end walls hold the headers of corresponding cable connectors. The side spacers have guide paddles extending from a front of the side spacers forward of the cable connectors.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cable backplane system comprising:
cable connectors having cables extending therefrom, each cable connector having a header holding signal contacts at a mating end of the header, the mating end being configured to be received in a corresponding connector opening in a backplane;
a cable tray having side walls surrounding a cavity defining a raceway for the cables, the cable tray having a front edge; and
a plurality of connector bricks received in the cable tray, the connector bricks each having a header frame comprising end spacers and side spacers defining a header opening receiving a plurality of the cable connectors between the side spacers with the mating ends of the cable connectors being forward facing, the end spacers holding the headers of corresponding cable connectors, the side spacers having guide paddles each configured to be loaded into the backplane to guide assembly of the connector brick to the backplane, the guide paddles extending from a front of the side spacers forward of the mating ends of the cable connectors for locating the plurality of cable connectors relative to the corresponding connector opening in the backplane.

2. The cable backplane system of claim 1 , wherein the side spacers are separate and discrete from the end spacers and independently coupled to the end spacers to define the header frame, the side spacers being positioned between the end spacers and define a width of the header opening between the end spacers.

3. The cable backplane system of claim 1 , wherein the guide paddles have planar sides extending to a front edge, the front edge being chamfered and configured to be loaded into the backplane to guide assembly of the connector brick to the backplane.

4. The cable backplane system of claim 1 , wherein the guide paddles each include an inner side facing the cable connectors and an outer side facing away from the cable connectors, the inner and outer sides extending to a front edge, the front edge being chamfered having a lead-in at the inner side and a lead-in at the outer side, the outer side having a greater lead-in than the inner side.

5. The cable backplane system of claim 1 , wherein the guide paddles have planar sides extending to a front edge and ends between the sides, the sides being chamfered at the front edge, the ends being chamfered at the front edge.

6. The cable backplane system of claim 1 , wherein the guide paddles have planar sides extending to a front edge, the front edge having a tip, the tip being offset with respect to a central midplane between the planar sides.

7. The cable backplane system of claim 1 , wherein the side spacers are secured to the end spacers using fasteners.

8. The cable backplane system of claim 1 , wherein the end spacers include slots, the headers comprising lugs received in corresponding slots, the slots being oversized relative to the lugs to allow a limited amount of floating movement of the headers relative to the end spacers.

9. The cable backplane system of claim 1 , further comprising a backplane having connector openings, the guide paddles being received in the connector openings to position the connector bricks relative to the backplane.

10. The cable backplane system of claim 9 , wherein the connector openings comprise notches receiving corresponding guide paddles, the notches being sized to have a predetermined paddle clearance gap between the backplane and the guide paddle, the connector opening being sized to have a predetermined header clearance gap between the connector opening and the headers of the cable connectors, the paddle clearance gap being smaller than the header clearance gap.

11. The cable backplane system of claim 1 , further comprising side frames coupled to the side walls of the cable tray, the header frame being secured to the side frames to secure the connector bricks in the cable tray.

12. The cable backplane system of claim 11 , wherein multiple connector bricks are coupled to the side frames prior to loading the side frames and corresponding connector bricks into the cable tray as a unit.

13. A cable backplane system comprising:
a backplane having connector openings extending therethrough; and
a cable rack coupled to the backplane, the cable rack comprising:
cable connectors having cables extending therefrom, each cable connector having a header holding signal contacts at a mating end of the header;
a cable tray having side walls surrounding a cavity defining a raceway for the cables, the cable tray having a front edge; and
a plurality of connector bricks received in the cable tray, the connector bricks each having a header frame comprising end spacers and side spacers defining a header opening receiving a plurality of the cable connectors, the end spacers holding the headers of corresponding cable connectors, the side spacers having guide paddles extending from a front of the side spacers forward of the cable connectors;
wherein the guide paddles are received in corresponding connector openings to guide loading of the headers into the connector openings.

14. The cable backplane system of claim 13 , wherein the side spacers are positioned between the end spacers and define a width of the header opening between the end spacers.

15. The cable backplane system of claim 13 , wherein the guide paddles have planar sides extending to a front edge, the front edge being chamfered.

16. The cable backplane system of claim 13 , wherein the guide paddles each include an inner side facing the cable connectors and an outer side facing away from the cable connectors, the inner and outer sides extending to a front edge, the front edge being chamfered having a lead-in at the inner side and a lead-in at the outer side, the outer side having a greater lead-in than the inner side.

17. The cable backplane system of claim 13 , wherein the guide paddles have planar sides extending to a front edge and ends between the sides, the sides being chamfered at the front edge, the ends being chamfered at the front edge.

18. The cable backplane system of claim 13 , wherein the guide paddles have planar sides extending to a front edge, the front edge having a tip, the tip being offset with respect to a central midplane between the planar sides.

19. The cable backplane system of claim 13 , wherein the end spacers include slots, the headers comprising lugs received in corresponding slots, the slots being oversized relative to the lugs to allow a limited amount of floating movement of the headers relative to the end spacers.

20. The cable backplane system of claim 13 , wherein the connector openings comprise notches receiving corresponding guide paddles, the notches being sized to have a predetermined paddle clearance gap between the backplane and the guide paddle, the connector opening being sized to have a predetermined header clearance gap between the connector opening and the headers of the cable connectors, the paddle clearance gap being smaller than the header clearance gap.

Assignees

• Tyco Electronics Corp
• Tyco Electonics Corp

Inventors

• Rossman Jared Evan
• Ritter Christopher

Classifications

• H05K7/1449 Primary

  with connections to the back board · CPC title

• H02G3/08

  Distribution boxes; Connection or junction boxes · CPC title

• H02G3/083

  Inlets · CPC title

• H02G3/16

  structurally associated with support for line-connecting terminals within the box · CPC title

• H02G3/18

  providing line outlets · CPC title