Apparatus, system, and method for improving communicative connections between field-replaceable units and telecommunication systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9788454-B1
Application number	US-201615081824-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 25, 2016
Priority date	Mar 25, 2016
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

The disclosed apparatus may include (1) a housing designed to house a field-replaceable unit within a telecommunication system, (2) a connector that is designed to electrically interface the field-replaceable unit with the telecommunication system in the housing, (3) a spring that is coupled to the housing, and (4) a movable injection cam that is coupled to the spring such that, when the field-replaceable unit is installed in the housing by way of an ejection lever that presses against the movable injection cam, the spring applies a force on the movable injection cam that causes the movable injection cam to push the field-replaceable unit toward the connector. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a housing designed to house a field-replaceable unit within a telecommunication system;
a connector that is designed to communicatively interface the field-replaceable unit with the telecommunication system in the housing;
a spring that is coupled to the housing; and
a movable injection cam that is coupled to the spring such that, when the field-replaceable unit is installed in the housing by way of an ejection lever that presses against the movable injection cam, the spring applies a force on the movable injection cam that causes the movable injection cam to push the field-replaceable unit toward the connector.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the force applied by the spring causes the movable injection cam to push the field-replaceable unit toward the connector such that the field-replaceable unit fully mates with the connector.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the field-replaceable unit fully mates with the connector such that no air gap exists between the field-replaceable unit and the connector.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the field-replaceable unit fully mates with the connector such that any air gap that exists between the field-replaceable unit and the connector has a negligible effect on the integrity of signals exchanged between the field-replaceable unit and the telecommunication system via the connector.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the connector includes one or more conductors that facilitate exchanging signals between the field-replaceable unit and the telecommunication system; and
the field-replaceable unit includes one or more conductors that interface with the conductors of the connector such that the field-replaceable unit and the connector fully mate with one another.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the spring comprises an extension spring that applies the force by way of tension.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising a spring-loaded linkage mechanism that includes:
the extension spring;
the movable injection cam; and
a series of pivoted links that connect the extension spring to the movable injection cam.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the spring comprises a leaf spring that applies the force by way of bending.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the spring comprises a torsion spring that applies the force by way of twisting.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the ejection lever is coupled to the field-replaceable unit and rotatable about an axis of the field-replaceable unit.

11. A telecommunication system comprising:
a housing designed to house a field-replaceable unit;
a connector that is coupled to a unit concentrator and designed to communicatively interface the field-replaceable unit with the unit concentrator in the housing;
a spring that is coupled to the housing; and
a movable injection cam that is coupled to the spring such that, when the field-replaceable unit is installed in the housing by way of an ejection lever that presses against the movable injection cam, the spring applies a force on the movable injection cam that causes the movable injection cam to push the field-replaceable unit toward the connector.

12. The telecommunication system of claim 11 , wherein the force applied by the spring causes the movable injection cam to push the field-replaceable unit toward the connector such that the field-replaceable unit fully mates with the connector.

13. The telecommunication system of claim 12 , wherein the field-replaceable unit fully mates with the connector such that no air gap exists between the field-replaceable unit and the connector.

14. The telecommunication system of claim 12 , wherein the field-replaceable unit fully mates with the connector such that any air gap that exists between the field-replaceable unit and the connector has a negligible effect on the integrity of signals exchanged between the field-replaceable unit and the telecommunication system via the connector.

15. The telecommunication system of claim 11 , wherein:
the connector includes one or more conductors that facilitate exchanging signals between the field-replaceable unit and the telecommunication system; and
the field-replaceable unit includes one or more conductors that interface with the conductors of the connector such that the field-replaceable unit and the connector fully mate with one another.

16. The telecommunication system of claim 11 , wherein the spring comprises an extension spring that applies the force by way of tension.

17. The telecommunication system of claim 16 , further comprising a spring-loaded linkage mechanism that includes:
the extension spring;
the movable injection cam; and
a series of pivoted links that connect the extension spring to the movable injection cam.

18. The telecommunication system of claim 11 , wherein the spring comprises a leaf spring that applies the force by way of bending.

19. The telecommunication system of claim 11 , wherein the spring comprises a torsion spring that applies the force by way of twisting.

20. A method comprising:
coupling a spring to a housing that is:
designed to house a field-replaceable unit within a telecommunication system; and
equipped with a connector that is designed to communicatively interface the field-replaceable unit with the telecommunication system; and

coupling a movable injection cam to the spring such that, when the field-replaceable unit is installed in the housing by way of an ejection lever that presses against the movable injection cam, the spring applies a force on the movable injection cam that causes the movable injection cam to push the field-replaceable unit toward the connector.

Assignees

• Juniper Networks Inc

Inventors

• Leung Jimmy Chun-Chuen
• Kull John I
• Kim Seongchul C
• Boyden Franklin D

Classifications

• H05K7/186 Primary

  for supporting telecommunication equipment (selecting apparatus H04Q1/02) · CPC title

• H05K7/14

  Mounting supporting structure in casing or on frame or rack · CPC title

• H05K7/1411 Primary

  for securing or extracting box-type drawers · CPC title

• H04Q1/02

  Constructional details · CPC title