MXPA00000539A - Improvements in or relating to patch panels - Google Patents

Abstract

A patch panel (11) and cable management tray (12) are formed from a single sheet of material formed to provide a substantially planar front panel portion, a cable management tray (12) extending rearwardly of the front panel portion and securement arms (18) extending between the cable management tray (12) and the front panel portion (11) to reinforce the formed structure. The method of manufacture comprises the steps of taking a sheet of formable material, forming holes as desired, bending the sheet material to provide the front panel portion (11) and tray (12), bending the sheet material to provide the securement arms (18) and securing the free end of each arm (18) to the sheet material to provide the enforcement of the formed sheet structure.

Description

INTEGRAL SWITCH PANEL AND TRAY ASSEMBLY CABLE MANAGEMENT AND MANUFACTURING METHOD FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to the handling of the wiring and in particular to the handling of the data and voice communication wiring that is terminated to the switchboard, consoles and the like. More particularly still, the present invention is directed to an integral part of a switch panel and to the assembly of a cable control tray, which is formed from a single sheet of material.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the telecommunications industry and the wiring premises, it is common to place large numbers of connectors to be released in a single location, for example, in a switch panel. Typically large numbers of cables will be connected to the connectors. It is desirable for the cables to be neatly arranged on the back of the panel to easily remove a single cable and to avoid unwanted cable clutter. It is also important that the cable mass does not cause the cable connections to strain the connectors.

For that end, it is known to provide a cable management tray along the rear of the switch panel that allows cable organization and distension. However, such combinations of a switch panel and cable management tray have typically been fabricated into two separate sheets of material, the front switch panel and the cable management tray being separately formed and then joined using conventional techniques. This manufacturing technique is somewhat difficult and expensive, and in some cases, it may not be feasible. Accordingly, in view of the above disadvantages with the switchgear panel and cable management tray assemblies currently available, an integral switchboard and an improved cable management tray assembly and method are needed to overcome manufacturing difficulties. and to provide benefits in costs and reliability.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the purposes of the invention as it is modalized and broadly described herein, the present invention addresses the aforementioned needs by providing a one-piece integral cable management assembly comprising a substantially flat front commutator panel; a cable management tray that extends rearwardly of the front switch panel; and securing arms extending between the cable management tray and the switch panel to reinforce the formed assembly structure wherein the switch panel, the cable management tray and the securing arms are formed from a single sheet of material . In a preferred embodiment, the cable management tray extends rearwardly from the lower edge of the front switch panel, the cable management tray including a base portion positioned horizontally at the lower edge of the switch panel and a portion of the operating support of cables attached to the base portion. The front switch panel further comprises a flange extending rearwardly of an upper edge of the front switch panel and generally parallel to the portion of the base. The flange includes end portions that are bent to lie generally perpendicular to the plane of the flange to provide securing elements to which the securing arms are secured. The securing arms are positioned at each end of the cable management support portion respectively and are each bent to lie in a plane normal to the planes of the front switch panel and the cable management support portion, each arm is secured to a corresponding security element. Preferably, the securing arms are welded to the security elements. A method of manufacturing a complete one-piece cable management assembly is also provided by the present invention which, in a preferred embodiment, comprises the steps of providing a sheet of formable material; form holes in the material sheet to accept cables and fasteners; folding the sheet of material to provide a portion of the substantially flat front switch panel and a cable management tray that extends rearwardly of the front switch panel portion; further folding the sheet of material to provide securing arms, and securing a free end of each securing arm to the sheet of material to provide a reinforcement of the formed assembly. Preferably, the free end of each securing arm is secured to the front commutator panel portion by spot welding. The method may further include the steps of folding an upper edge of the front switch panel portion to create a flange that extends rearwardly; folding each end of the flange to create end support portions that normally lie on both the front switch panel portion and the flange; and securing each of the support ends to an associated securing arm. This and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent in the following appended claims and descriptions; or they can be learned by practicing the invention as set forth hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS To more fully understand the manner in which the advantages and objects of the invention recited above and others are obtained, a more particular description of the invention will be made with reference to the specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Note particularly that the attached drawings are not necessarily scale drawings. Understanding that these drawings represent only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not considered to limit their purpose, the invention and its best way of soon understanding and using it will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail by using the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a rear perspective view of an integral, one-piece switch panel, and assembly of a cable management tray incorporating the features of the present invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the part of Figure 1 showing the detail of the features incorporated in the assembly of the present invention; Figure 3 is a front perspective view of the switchgear and assembly panel of the cable management tray of Figure 1 incorporating the features of the present invention; Figure 4 and 5 are side elevational views of the switch panel and the cable management tray assembly of Figure 1 showing a folded profile of the sheet material incorporating the features of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to the drawings, a representative one-piece integral switchboard and cable management tray assembly, incorporating various features to the present invention, is generally indicated by the figures when referring to character 10. As illustrated, and more fully described below, the assembly 10 is fabricated from a sheet of an appropriate formable material such as the metal sheet. The assembly 10 preferably comprises two primary portions: the switch panel 11 and the cable management tray 12 whose purpose and functions are known in the art. Initially, the external shape of the assembly profile 10 is stamped from the material sheet (not shown). As will be discussed below in greater detail, the outer shape of the switch panel 11 includes portions of safety ends of the flanges 25, 26 and the cable management tray 12 includes the support or securing arms 17, 18. Together , while the assembly 10 is in a flat coplanar sheet shape, appropriate holes and / or openings are formed in the switch panel 11 preferably when stamping the sheet material. In a preferred embodiment, rectangular holes 13 for supporting connectors and cables and round holes 14 for the passage of standard fasteners such as screws or bolts are provided. Also, the wire alignment nodes 15 and holes 16, by which screws, bolts, link cables, or other fasteners can pass, are formed or pressed into the cable management tray 12. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the precise holes and nodes above, but must contemplate a wide variety of other designs as the circumstances warranted. Once the external and internal shape of the inlets and the profiles are formed, the sheet of material is then flexed according to the flexion profile as indicated in Figures 4 and 5. These figures clearly show the main elements of the switch panel 11 and the cable management tray 12 as well as an upper flange 30 extending rearwardly of the switch panel 11 and a rear rod 21 extending down the cable management tray to add rigidity to it . As is shown more clearly in Figure 2, the cable management tray 12 includes a base portion e29 and a cable management support portion 30. Figures 2, 4 and 5 show in greater detail the arrangement of the securing arms 17, 18 and as they are attached to the switch panel 11. When they are originally formed, before the sheet of material is folded in accordance with the Figures 4 and 5, the securing arms 17 and 18 lie in the plane of the sheet of material (example coplanar). After the first fold of the assembly shown in Figures 4 and 5, the arms 17 and 18 still lie in the plane of the cable management support portion 30 of the tray 12. For purposes of clarity, the arms 17, 18 They have been denoted 17 'and 181 in this position in Figures 2, 4 and 5. Together, as is more clearly shown in Figure 2, the arms 17', 18 'are flexed to lie in their last positions, denoted 17, 18 perpendicular to the plane of the cable management tray 12. Again referring to Figure 2, the tab 20 further includes portions of safety ends 25, 26 at each end extending backward like a cantilevered beam after the External profile of the material is formed. For purposes of clarity, these positions of the portions 25, 26 are shown in a dotted line and are denoted 25 ', 26'. Together, as is more clearly formed in Figure 2, the end portions 25, 26 are bent downwardly from the plane of the flange 20 to lie perpendicular both to the plane of the switch panel 11 and to the plane of the flange 20. In this In this manner, the portions of the safety ends 25, 26 and the securing arms 17, 18 lie against each other respectively and can be secured using conventional techniques, for example, by spot welding 27 or bolts 28 through sheets . The formation of the assembly 10 is thus a direct exercise of the sheet of stamped material and then bent with a direct spot welding 27 or nut and bolt 28 to secure the structure. This is a significant advantage over the assembly of the prior art both from the point of view of manufacturing facilities, costs, and also workability and strength. Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above in exemplary form, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the disclosed embodiments that are within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, it is contemplated that the manufacturing steps described above may be taken in a variety of different orders. Thus, the order of the manufacturing steps should not be limited to those exactly described above.

Claims (8)

1. An integral part of a cable management assembly, comprising: a) a substantially planar front switch panel; b) a cable management tray that extends rearwardly of said switch panel; and c) securing arms extending between said cable management tray and said switch panel to reinforce the structure of the formed assembly, characterized in that said switch panel, said cable management tray and said securing arms are formed of a single sheet of material. The cable management assembly of claim 1, characterized in that said cable management tray extends rearwardly of the lower edge of said front switch panel, said cable management tray including a base portion horizontally placed in the lower edge of said switch panel and a cable management support portion to said base portion. The cable management assembly of claim 2, characterized in that said front switch panel further comprises a flange extending rearwardly of an upper edge of said front switch panel and generally parallel to said base portion; said flange including end portions that are bent to lie generally perpendicular to the plane of said flange to provide security elements for which said securing arms are secured. The cable management assembly of claim 3, characterized in that said securing arms are positioned at each end of said cable management support portion respectively and are each folded to lie in a plane normal to the planes of said front switch panel and said cable management support portion, each said arm is secured to a corresponding safety element. 5. The cable management assembly of claim, characterized in that said securing arms are welded to said safety elements. 6. A method of manufacturing an assembly of an integral piece of cable management, comprising the steps of: (a) Providing a formable sheet of materials; (b) Form holes in said material sheet to accept cables and fasteners; (c) Flexing said sheet of material to provide a portion of the substantially planar front commutator panel and a cable management tray that extends rearwardly of said front commutator panel portion; (d) Further flexing said sheets of material to provide securing arms; and securing a free end of each said securing arms to said sheet material to provide a reinforcement of said formed assembly. The method of claim 6, characterized in that the free end of each of said securing arms is secured to said portion of the front commutator panel by spot welding. The method of claim 7 further comprises the steps of: (a) folding the top edge of said front switch panel portion to create a flange extending backward; (b) folding each end of said flange to create portions of support ends that normally lie on both said front switch panel portion and said flange; and (c) securing each portion of support ends to an associated securing arm.