Rack mountable network switch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9451722-B2
Application number	US-201414275142-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2014
Priority date	May 12, 2014
Publication date	Sep 20, 2016
Grant date	Sep 20, 2016

Abstract

A rack mountable network switch, the rack mountable network switch comprising: a faceplate; a switch chassis coupled to the faceplate, the switch chassis including a plurality of connector openings on a surface of the switch chassis that is perpendicular to the faceplate; a plurality of moveable plug receptacles coupled to a printed circuit board (‘PCB’) mounted inside the switch chassis; and a mechanical positioning component coupled to the moveable plug receptacles, the mechanical positioning component configured to position the moveable plug receptacles to extrude from the switch chassis via the connector openings when the mechanical positioning component is in a first position, the mechanical positioning component further configured to position the moveable plug receptacles inside the switch chassis when the mechanical positioning component is in a second position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rack mountable network switch, the rack mountable network switch comprising:
a faceplate;
a switch chassis coupled to the faceplate, the switch chassis including a plurality of connector openings on a surface of the switch chassis that is perpendicular to the faceplate;
a plurality of moveable plug receptacles coupled to a printed circuit board (‘PCB’) mounted inside the switch chassis, wherein each moveable plug receptacle is coupled to the PCB mounted inside the switch chassis via a flexible cable strip, and wherein the flexible cable strip transmits signals from a cable inserted into one of the plurality of movable plug receptacles to the PCB mounted inside the switch chassis; and
a mechanical positioning component coupled to the moveable plug receptacles, wherein the mechanical positioning component positions the moveable plug receptacles to extrude from the switch chassis via the connector openings when the mechanical positioning component is in a first position, and wherein the mechanical positioning component positions the moveable plug receptacles inside the switch chassis when the mechanical positioning component is in a second position.

2. The rack mountable network switch of claim 1 wherein the mechanical positioning component is a lever.

3. The rack mountable network switch of claim 1 wherein the mechanical positioning component includes a motor.

4. The rack mountable network switch of claim 1 wherein each moveable plug receptacle is coupled to a moveable connection plane.

5. The rack mountable network switch of claim 4 wherein the mechanical positioning component is coupled to the moveable connection plane.

6. The rack mountable network switch of claim 1 wherein each of the moveable plug receptacles includes an 8 position 8 contact (‘8P8C’) female jack.

7. A rack mounted computing system, the rack mounted computing system including:
a plurality of blade servers mounted within blade server slots;
one or more rack wiring strips, each rack wiring strip including one or more network cable mounts;
one or more active network cables, each active network cable coupled on a first end to one of the plurality of blade servers, each active network cable inserted into one of the one or more network cable mounts; and
rack mountable network switch comprising:
a faceplate;
a switch chassis coupled to the faceplate, the switch chassis including a plurality of connector openings on a surface of the switch chassis that is perpendicular to the faceplate;
a plurality of moveable plug receptacles coupled to a printed circuit board (‘PCB’) mounted inside the switch chassis, wherein each moveable plug receptacle is coupled to the PCB mounted inside the switch chassis via a flexible cable strip, and wherein the flexible cable strip transmits signals from a cable inserted into one of the plurality of movable plug receptacles to the PCB mounted inside the switch chassis; and
a mechanical positioning component coupled to the moveable plug receptacles, wherein the mechanical positioning component positions the moveable plug receptacles to extrude from the switch chassis via the connector openings when the mechanical positioning component is in a first position, and wherein the mechanical positioning component positions the moveable plug receptacles inside the switch chassis when the mechanical positioning component is in a second position.

8. The rack mounted computing system of claim 7 wherein the mechanical positioning component is a lever.

9. The rack mounted computing system of claim 7 wherein the mechanical positioning component includes a motor.

10. The rack mounted computing system of claim 7 wherein each moveable plug receptacle is coupled to a moveable connection plane.

11. The rack mounted computing system of claim 10 wherein the mechanical positioning component is coupled to the moveable connection plane.

12. The rack mounted computing system of claim 7 wherein each of the moveable plug receptacles includes an 8 position 8 contact (‘8P8C’) female jack.

13. The rack mounted computing system of claim 7 wherein a second end of each active network cable is coupled to the network switch.

Assignees

• Lenovo Entpr Solutions Singapore Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Alshinnawi Shareef F
• Cudak Gary D
• Suffern Edward S
• Weber J Mark

Classifications

• H05K7/1492 Primary

  having electrical distribution arrangements, e.g. power supply or data communications · CPC title

• H05K5/0247

  Electrical details of casings, e.g. terminals, passages for cables or wiring · CPC title

• H05K5/0217

  Mechanical details of casings (covers, lids, hoods or members for covering apertures H05K5/03) · CPC title