WO2021034797A1

WO2021034797A1 - Power distribution panels and methods of making power termination connections

Info

Publication number: WO2021034797A1
Application number: PCT/US2020/046744
Authority: WO
Inventors: Thomas JC PETCH; Steven ZANFT
Original assignee: Commscope Technologies Llc
Priority date: 2019-08-20
Filing date: 2020-08-18
Publication date: 2021-02-25

Abstract

The present disclosure describes a power distribution panel. The power distribution panel may comprise an outer housing including a top side and a pair of opposing sides that define an interior having a front opening and a rear opening and an inner tray including a bottom side, a front side, a rear side, and two opposing sides that define an interior. The interior of the tray may be divided by a wall into a front compartment containing a plurality of electrical circuits connecting the plurality of power input terminals to the plurality of power output terminals and a rear compartment containing a plurality of power input terminals and a plurality of power output terminals. The panel may further comprise a removable protective cover mounted over the front compartment of the tray. Methods of making power termination connections in a power distribution panel are also provided.

Description

POWER DISTRIBUTION PANELS AND METHODS OF MAKING POWER TERMINATION CONNECTIONS

RELATED APPLICATIONS!

[0001] The present application claims priority from and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 62/889,194, filed August 20, 2019, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety.

FIELD

[0002] The present application is directed generally toward telecommunications equipment, and more particularly, toward power distribution panels and methods of making power termination connections in power distribution panels.

BACKGROUND

[0003] In telecommunications installations, equipment is often mounted in equipment racks. These racks permit greater density and organization of installation for this equipment. To simplify the provision of power to the equipment mounted within a cabinet, power distribution panels may be mounted in the same rack. These power distribution panels have one or more power input terminals to which higher capacity power supply cables may be attached. Within the panels is circuitry for distributing the current from the power input terminals to one or more power output terminals. From the output terminals, electrical cables may be led to the telecommunications equipment mounted within the rack.

[0004] To maximize the amount of rack space that can be devoted to telecommunications equipment, it is desirable to make the power distribution panels as compact as possible. The compact nature of the panels may make it difficult to access the interior of a panel, for instance, making power connections, repairs, or routine maintenance. However, removal of a panel from a cabinet may result in the equipment within that rack being depowered during the repair or maintenance. Removing the equipment and any circuits the equipment may support from service costs the service provider in terms of lost revenue.

SUMMARY

[0005] A first aspect of the present invention is directed to a power distribution panel. The power distribution panel may include an outer housing including a top side and a pair of opposing sides that define an interior having a front opening and a rear opening. The panel may further include an inner tray including a bottom side, a front side, a rear side, and two opposing sides that define an interior. The interior of the tray may be divided into a front compartment and a rear compartment by a wall. The rear compartment may contain a plurality of power input terminals and a plurality of power output terminals. The front compartment may contain a plurality of electrical circuits connecting the plurality of power input terminals to the plurality of power output terminals. Each electrical circuit may include at least one circuit protection device. The panel may further include a removable protective cover mounted over the front compartment of the tray. The tray may be configured to be received through the front opening of the housing and may be slidably mounted within the interior of the housing. The rear compartment of the tray may be accessible when the tray is slid out from the interior of the housing to an open position.

[0006] Another aspect of the present invention is directed to a method of making power termination connections in a power distribution panel. The method may include (/) providing a power distribution circuit mounted to an inner tray, the tray slidably mounted within an outer housing, the housing mounted to a rack and including a top side and a pair of opposing sides defining an interior having a front opening and a rear opening, wherein the tray is divided into a front compartment and a rear compartment by a wall, the rear compartment containing a plurality of power input terminals and a plurality of power output terminals and the front compartment containing a plurality of electrical circuits connecting the plurality of power input terminals to the plurality of power output terminals, each electrical circuit including a circuit protection device; (//) sliding the tray from a closed position within the interior of the housing to an open position to reveal access to the plurality of power input terminals and the plurality of power output terminals in the rear compartment; (iii) accessing the rear compartment of the tray without removing the entire tray from the housing; (zv) connecting one or more incoming power cables to the plurality of power input terminals and one or more outgoing power cables to the plurality of power output terminals in the rear compartment of the tray; and (v) sliding the tray from the open position back to the closed position.

[0007] It is noted that aspects of the invention described with respect to one embodiment, may be incorporated in a different embodiment although not specifically described relative thereto. That is, all embodiments and/or features of any embodiment can be combined in any way and/or combination. Applicant reserves the right to change any originally filed claim and/or file any new claim accordingly, including the right to be able to amend any originally filed claim to depend from and/or incorporate any feature of any other claim or claims although not originally claimed in that manner. These and other objects and/or aspects of the present invention are explained in detail in the specification set forth below. Further features, advantages and details of the present invention will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art from a reading of the figures and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments that follow, such description being merely illustrative of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0008] FIG. 1A is a top perspective view of a power distribution panel according to embodiments of the present invention.

[0009] FIG. IB is a front view of the panel of FIG. 1A.

[0010] FIG. 1C is a back view of the panel of FIG. 1A.

[0011] FIG. ID is a partial side view of the panel of FIG. 1A.

[0012] FIG. IE is a rear perspective view of the panel of FIG. 1A.

[0013] FIG. 2A is a rear perspective view of the outer housing of the panel of FIG. 1A.

[0014] FIG. 2B is a front perspective view of the housing of FIG. 2A.

[0015] FIG. 3A is a top perspective view of the inner tray of the panel of FIG. 1A.

[0016] FIG. 3B is a top view of the tray of FIG. 3A.

[0017] FIG. 4A is a top view of the panel of FIG. 1A in a closed position.

[0018] FIG. 4B is a top view of the panel of FIG. 1A in an open position.

[0019] FIG. 5A is a photograph of an exemplary power distribution panel according to embodiments of the present invention.

[0020] FIG. 5B is a photograph of the panel of FIG. 5 A with the protective cover removed showing the electrical circuit connections.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The present invention now is described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

[0022] The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which illustrative embodiments of the invention are shown. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout and different embodiments of like elements can be designated using a different number of superscript indicator apostrophes ( e.g ., 10', 10", 10'").

[0023] In the figures, certain layers, components or features may be exaggerated for clarity, and broken lines illustrate optional features or operations unless specified otherwise. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

[0024] It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the present invention. The sequence of operations (or steps) is not limited to the order presented in the claims or figures unless specifically indicated otherwise.

[0025] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the specification and relevant art and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein. Well-known functions or constructions may not be described in detail for brevity and/or clarity.

[0026] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising", when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. [0027] As used herein, phrases such as "between X and Y" and "between about X and Y" should be interpreted to include X and Y. As used herein, phrases such as "between about X and Y" mean "between about X and about Y." As used herein, phrases such as "from about X to Y" mean "from about X to about Y."

[0028] Pursuant to embodiments of the present invention, power distribution panels are provided that may be used to provide power for telecommunications or other electronic equipment mounted in equipment racks. Methods of making power termination connections in a power distribution panel according to embodiments of the present invention are also provided. Embodiments of the present invention will now be discussed in greater detail with reference to FIGS. 1A-5B.

[0029] Referring to FIGS. 1A-1E, a power distribution panel 100 according to embodiments of the present invention is illustrated. The power distribution panel 100 of the present invention may comprise an outer housing 102 and an inner tray 104. In some embodiments, the power distribution panel 100 may comprise two or more mounting flanges 132 adapted to mount the housing 102 (and tray 104) to an open internal equipment rack ( e.g ., NETpodium™ Rack, Product No. 1-1671405-1, CommScope, Inc., Joliet, Illinois) or an external weatherproof equipment cabinet (e.g., Joint Services Cabinet, Product No. A- 100472, CommScope, Inc.). The panel 100 may be secured to the rack frame by known methods in the art, for example, with threaded bolts/screws and nuts or the like.

[0030] Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the housing 102 of the power distribution panel 100 according to embodiments of the present invention is shown. The housing 102 has a length Lc, a width Wc, and a height He. The housing 102 has a height He of 1 rack unit (U) for a standard 19-inch rack frame (44.45 mm). In some embodiments, the housing 102 may have a length Lc (or depth) in the range of about 300 mm to about 350 mm. In some embodiments, the housing 102 may have a width Wc in the range of about 425 mm to about 500 mm. For example, in some embodiments, the panel 100 may have a width Wc of 483 mm, a height He of 44 mm, and a length Lc of 330 mm.

[0031] The housing 102 of the power distribution panel 100 may include a top side 102t and a pair of opposing sides 102s. The top side 102t and two opposing sides 102s of the housing 102 define an interior 106. The interior 106 may have a front opening 106f and a rear opening 106r. The front opening 106f is sized and configured to receive the tray 104. The rear opening 106r allows incoming and outgoing cables 170, 180 to enter and exit the power distribution panel 100 (see, e.g., FIG. 4B). [0032] In some embodiments, the housing 102 is a unitary member. For example, the housing 102 may be formed from a single piece of galvanized steel which is bent to form the top side 102t and the two opposing sides 102s. In some embodiments, the top side 102t of the housing 102 may comprise a cutout portion 102c adjacent to the front opening 106f. The cutout portion 102c may allow for easier accessibility to cable terminations in a rear compartment 114b of the tray 104, which will be discussed in further detail below.

[0033] In some embodiments, each of the opposing sides 102s may comprise a flange 108. Each flange 108 may extend along the entire length L_c of the housing 102 and extend inwardly towards the interior 106 of the housing 102. The flanges 108 may help to provide support to the tray 104 when the tray 104 is received through the front opening 106f of the housing 102 and may help to further secure the tray 104 within the interior 106 of the housing 102.

[0034] Still referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, in some embodiments, each of the opposing sides 102s of the housing 102 may further comprise a slot 110 that extends along the length Lc of the housing 102. Each slot 110 is adapted to receive one or more guide bolts 130 coupled to the tray 104. As discussed in further detail below, the slots 110 and guide bolts 130 together allow the tray 104 to be slidably mounted within the interior 106 of the housing 102 (see, e.g., FIGS. 1A-1E and FIGS. 4A-5B).

[0035] Referring now to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the tray 104 of the power distribution panel 100 according to embodiments of the present invention is shown. The tray 104 has a length L_M, a width W_M, and a height H_Mthat are each less than the length L_c, width Wc, and height H_c of the housing 102 such that the tray 104 may fit within the interior 106 of the housing 102. The tray 104 may include a bottom side 104b, a front side 104f, a rear side 104r, and a pair of opposing sides 104s. The bottom side 104 and four other sides (104f, 104r, 104s) of the tray 104 define an interior 116. A wall 112 divides the interior 116 of the tray 104 into a front compartment 114a and a rear compartment 114b.

[0036] As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, in some embodiments, the two opposing sides 104s of the tray 104 may extend a distance D₂ past the rear side 104r of the tray 104. In some embodiments, the one or more guide bolts 130 may be located on these extended portions 104e of the opposing sides 104s. As will be discussed in further detail below, the extended portions 104e of the two opposing sides 104s allow the tray 104 to be slid out from the interior 106 of the housing 102 a sufficient distance (i.e., D₃ shown in FIG. 4B) to provide accessibility to the rear compartment 114b of the tray 104 while the tray 104 remains secured to the housing 102 (i.e., when the tray 104 is in an "open" position). In addition, the extended portions 104e of the two opposing sides 104s may also allow additional space behind the power distribution panel 100 for the incoming and outgoing cables, for example, when the panel 100 is mounted in an equipment rack and the entire tray 104 is secured within the interior 106 of the housing 102 (i.e., when the tray 104 is in a "closed" position).

[0037] Still referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B ( see also, e.g., FIGS. 5A and 5B), the rear compartment 114b of the tray 104 may comprise a plurality of power input terminals 118 and a plurality of power output terminals 120. For example, in some embodiments, the rear compartment 114b may comprise two power input terminals 118 and four power output terminals 120. According to some embodiments of the present invention, each of the power input terminals 118 may be sized and configured to accommodate up to 100A of AC power. In some embodiments, each of the power output terminals 120 may be sized and configured to accommodate up to 32A of AC power. The rear compartment 114b of the tray 104 is accessible (and thus, the cable terminations at the input and output terminals 118, 120 are accessible) when the tray 104 is slid out from the interior 106 of the housing 102 to an open position (see, e.g., FIG. 4B and FIG. 5A).

[0038] In some embodiments, the rear side 104r of the tray 104 may comprise compression glands 126, 128 adapted to secure in place the incoming and outgoing cables 170, 180 that are connected to the power input terminals 118 and power output terminals 120, respectively. In some embodiments of the present invention, the power distribution panel 100 may be configured to accommodate input power cables 170 having a diameter of up to about 35 mm². For example, in some embodiments, the panel 100 may be configured to accommodate up to 35 mm² solid core cables or up to 25 mm² stranded cables. In some embodiments, the panel 100 may be configured to accommodate output power cables 180 having a diameter of up to about 6 mm.

[0039] The front compartment 114a may comprise a plurality of electrical circuits 122 connecting the plurality of power input terminals 118 to the plurality of power output terminals 120. The telecommunications or other electronic equipment connected to the power distribution panel 100 may be sensitive to fluctuations in the electrical power being supplied, and damaged by over-current or over-voltage conditions. Thus, in some embodiments, the power distribution panel 100 may include at least one circuit protection device 124. In some embodiments, the panel 100 may include three circuit protection devices 124. The circuit protection device 124 may be located in the front compartment 114a of the tray 104 and may be accessible through the front side 104f of the tray 104. In some embodiments, the circuit protection device 124 may include a circuit breaker. [0040] In some embodiments, the power distribution panel 100 may further comprise one or more locking mechanisms 150. The locking mechanism(s) 150 may be configured to secure the tray 104 within the interior 106 of the housing 102 when the tray 104 is in the closed position (see, e.g., FIG. IB, FIG. ID, and FIG. 4A). In some embodiments, the locking mechanism(s) 150 may be compression latches. For example, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the tray 104 may comprise two latches 150a adjacent to the front side 104f of the tray 104. The housing 102 may comprise two corresponding locking members 150b adjacent to the front opening 102f of the housing 102. Each locking member 150b may be configured to receive a respective latch 150a from the tray 104. When the tray 104 is in the closed position, each latch 150a may engage a respective locking member 150b, thereby securing the tray 104 within the interior 106 of the housing 102. To open the panel 100, the latches 150a may be disengaged from the locking members 150b, thereby allowing the tray 104 to be slid out from the interior 106 of the housing 102.

[0041] In some embodiments, panel 100 may allow for two different mounting positions (, i.e ., mounting flanges 132 and locking member 150b, see, e.g., FIG. 4B). In the first mounting position (i.e., mounting flanges 132), when the tray 104 is in the fully opened position, the tray 104 will extend about 308 mm out from the housing 102. In the second mounting position (i.e., locking members 150b), the tray 104 will extend about 333 mm out from the housing 102, when in the fully opened position.

[0042] In some embodiments, the power distribution panel 100 of the present invention may further comprise a removable protective cover 160. The protective cover 160 is sized and configured to be mounted over the front compartment 114a of the tray 104 (see, e.g., FIG. 4B and FIG. 5A). As shown in FIGS. 1A, ID and IE, in some embodiments, the protective cover 160 may comprise an overhang portion 160a that extends outwardly over the front side 104f of the tray 104 (see also, e.g., FIG. 4B and FIG. 5A). The overhang portion 160a extends outwardly a sufficient distance Di to protect the circuit protection device(s) 124 extending through the front side 104f of the tray 104 from vertical drops of water (e.g., rain). For example, in some embodiments, the overhang portion 160a of the protective cover 160 may extend outwardly a distance D, in the range of about 15 mm to about 30 mm.

[0043] As discussed above, in some embodiments, the tray 104 is slidably mounted within the interior 106 of the housing 102. FIG. 4A illustrates the power distribution panel 100 when slid into in the closed position and FIG. 4B illustrates the power distribution panel 100 when slid into the open position. The guide bolts 130 (in combination with the slots 110) allow the tray 104 to slide in and out of the housing 102 and also help to prevent the tray 104 from being completely removed from the housing 102. The tray 104 may slide out from the housing 102 a distance D₃ sufficient to access the rear compartment 114b. In some embodiments, the maximum distance D₃ that the tray may extend out from the housing 102 is in a range of about 300 mm to about 350 mm. As shown in FIG. 4B ( see also, e.g., FIGS. 5A and 5B), the extended portions 104e of the opposing sides 104s (i.e., distance D₂) allows the rear side 104r of the tray 102 (and thus, the incoming and outgoing cables (not shown)) to be easily accessible to a technician without requiring the technician to remove the entire tray 104 from the housing 102.

[0044] FIGS. 5A and 5B are photographs of an exemplary power distribution panel 100' according to embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 5A shows the panel 100' with the protective cover 160 mounted over the front compartment 114a of the tray 104. FIG. 5B shows the panel 100' with the protective cover 160 removed and exposing the electrical circuits 122 contained within the front compartment 114a of the tray 104.

[0045] Methods of making power termination connections in a power distribution panel are also provided. In some embodiments, a method may comprise (1) providing a power distribution circuit mounted to an inner tray, the tray slidably mounted within an outer housing, the housing mounted to a rack and including a top side and a pair of opposing sides defining an interior having a front opening and a rear opening, wherein the tray is divided into a front compartment and a rear compartment by a wall, the rear compartment containing a plurality of power input terminals and a plurality of power output terminals and the front compartment containing a plurality of electrical circuits connecting the plurality of power input terminals to the plurality of power output terminals, each electrical circuit including a circuit protection device; (2) sliding the tray from a closed position within the interior of the housing to an open position to reveal access to the plurality of power input terminals and the plurality of power output terminals in the rear compartment; (3) accessing the rear compartment of the tray without removing the entire tray from the housing; (4) connecting one or more incoming power cables to the plurality of power input terminals and one or more outgoing power cables to the plurality of power output terminals in the rear compartment of the tray; and (5) sliding the tray from the open position back to the closed position. In some embodiments, the method may further comprise securing the tray to the housing in the closed position using one or more locking mechanisms.

[0046] The foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not to be construed as limiting thereof. Although exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the claims. The invention is defined by the following claims, with equivalents of the claims to be included therein.

Claims

That which is claimed is:

1. A power distribution panel comprising: an outer housing including a top side and a pair of opposing sides defining an interior having a front opening and a rear opening; an inner tray including a bottom side, a front side, a rear side, and two opposing sides defining an interior, the interior of the tray divided into a front compartment and a rear compartment by a wall, the rear compartment containing a plurality of power input terminals and a plurality of power output terminals, the front compartment containing a plurality of electrical circuits connecting the plurality of power input terminals to the plurality of power output terminals, each electrical circuit including at least one circuit protection device; and a removable protective cover mounted over the front compartment of the tray; wherein the tray is configured to be received through the front opening of the housing and is slidably mounted within the interior of the housing, wherein the rear compartment of the tray is accessible when the tray is slid out from the interior of the housing to an open position.

2. The power distribution panel of Claim 1, wherein the panel comprises at least two mounting flanges adapted to mount the housing to a rack frame.

3. The power distribution panel of any one of Claims 1 or 2, wherein the opposing sides of the housing each include a slot adapted to receive one or more guide bolts coupled to the tray.

4. The power distribution panel of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the removable protective cover comprises an overhang portion that extends outwardly over the front side of the tray.

5. The power distribution panel of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rear compartment comprises two power input terminals and four power output terminals.

6. The power distribution panel of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one circuit protection device is accessible through the front side of the tray.

7. The power distribution panel of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the panel further comprises one or more locking mechanisms configured to secure the tray within the interior of the housing.

8. The power distribution panel of Claim 7, wherein the one or more locking mechanisms are compression latches.

9. The power distribution panel of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rear side of the tray comprises compression glands adapted to secure incoming and outgoing cables in place.

10. The power distribution panel of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the panel is sized and configured to accommodate input power cables having a diameter up to about 35 mm² and output power cables having a diameter up to about 6 mm.

11. The power distribution panel of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the plurality of power input terminals are each sized and configured to accommodate up to 100A of AC power and the plurality of power output terminals are each sized and configured to accommodate up to 32 A of AC power.

12. The power distribution panel of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the panel has a height of 1 rack unit (U) for a 19-inch rack.

13. The power distribution panel of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one circuit protection device includes a circuit breaker.

14. A method of making power termination connections in a power distribution panel, the method comprising: providing a power distribution circuit mounted to an inner tray, the tray slidably mounted within an outer housing, the housing mounted to a rack and including a top side and a pair of opposing sides defining an interior having a front opening and a rear opening, wherein the tray is divided into a front compartment and a rear compartment by a wall, the rear compartment containing a plurality of power input terminals and a plurality of power output terminals and the front compartment containing a plurality of electrical circuits connecting the plurality of power input terminals to the plurality of power output terminals, each electrical circuit including a circuit protection device; sliding the tray from a closed position within the interior of the housing to an open position to reveal access to the plurality of power input terminals and the plurality of power output terminals in the rear compartment; accessing the rear compartment of the tray without removing the entire tray from the housing; connecting one or more incoming power cables to the plurality of power input terminals and one or more outgoing power cables to the plurality of power output terminals in the rear compartment of the tray; and sliding the tray from the open position back to the closed position.

15. The method of Claim 14, further comprising: securing the tray to the housing in the closed position using one or more locking mechanisms.