Abstract:
Embodiments of a communication panel are disclosed that include structures that facilitate maintaining and assembling the communication panel, protect the keypad buttons, and/or protect the integrated circuits of the communication panel. Embodiments include structures such as perpendicular circuit board configurations, multi-sided removable cover surfaces, and multi-layered front panels with keypad holes. Elastomeric keypads may be included and buttons of the keypad protrude through holes in the multi-layered front panels.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
         [0001]    The present invention is directed to communication panels such as those used in central offices of telecommunication networks. More specifically, the present invention is directed to communication panels with structures for facilitating maintenance and assembly and/or for keypad and integrated circuit protection.  
         BACKGROUND  
         [0002]    Communication panels are generally used in central offices where other telecommunication devices are contained such as multiplexers, repeaters, etc. The communication panels are used to allow service technicians to call to various locations within the central office. The communication panel often functions as a multi-line telephone and permits the technician to establish a connection with multiple points of contact. Typically, a headset is connected to the communication panel to allow the technician to communicate verbally.  
           [0003]    Conventionally, communication panels contain several circuit boards with circuitry for placing the calls within the central office. The circuitry includes various integrated circuits and other components mounted to the several circuit boards. One or more circuit boards pass electrical signals in response to the technician pushing keys on a keypad to select a line or dial numbers. The multiple circuit boards are typically connected with ribbon cables and are placed in a side-by-side or stacked configuration.  
           [0004]    Maintaining the circuitry within the communication panel becomes difficult due to the multiple circuit boards and their position within the communications panel. Accessing each circuit board and all of the components on the circuit board is difficult unless the circuit boards of interest and/or ribbon cables are removed. Exterior panels further add difficulty to maintaining the communication panel because removing a single exterior surface may not adequately expose the circuit boards needing repair.  
           [0005]    In addition to being difficult to maintain, communication panels are vulnerable due to exposed buttons on keypads that protrude from the exterior of the panel. Integrated circuits housed on the circuit boards are vulnerable to electrostatic discharge that may originate from user contact with the keypads. Thus, there is a need for communication panels that are more easily maintained and/or are less vulnerable to button or integrated circuit damage.  
         SUMMARY  
         [0006]    Embodiments of the present invention provide structures that facilitate maintaining and assembling the communication panel, protect the keypad buttons, and/or protect the integrated circuits of the communication panel. Embodiments include structures such as perpendicular circuit board configurations, multi-sided removable cover surfaces, and multi-layered front panels with keypad holes.  
           [0007]    The present invention may be viewed as a communication panel. The panel includes a first surface and a second surface substantially perpendicular to the first surface. A first printed circuit board is included and has a first connector, and a second printed circuit board is substantially perpendicular to the first printed circuit board. The second printed circuit board has a second connector mated to the first connector of the first printed circuit board. The present invention also has a cover surface having a first portion and a second portion perpendicular to the first portion. The cover surface is mounted to the first and second surfaces such that the first portion is parallel to the first surface and the second portion is parallel to the second surface, and wherein the first and second printed circuit boards are disposed within an interior region defined by the first surface, second surface, and cover surface.  
           [0008]    The present invention may be viewed as another communication panel. The communication panel includes a first surface with a plurality of holes, and a first printed circuit board parallel to the first surface. The printed circuit board has a first connector. A first elastomeric keypad is positioned between the first surface and the first printed circuit board, and the first elastomeric keypad has a plurality of buttons that protrude through the plurality of holes of the first surface. A second printed circuit board is substantially perpendicular to the first printed circuit board, and the second printed circuit board has a second connector mated to the first connector of the first printed circuit board.  
           [0009]    The present invention may be viewed as another communication panel. The communication panel includes a first printed circuit board that has a first connector and a plurality of electrical contacts. A first elastomeric keypad abuts the first printed circuit board, and the elastomeric keypad has a plurality of conductive contact pads aligned with the plurality of electrical contacts of the first printed circuit board. A second printed circuit board is substantially perpendicular to the first printed circuit board, and the second printed circuit board has a second connector mated to the first connector of the first printed circuit board. The second printed circuit board is in electrical communication with the plurality of contacts of the first printed circuit board through the mated first and second connectors.  
           [0010]    The present invention may be viewed as another communication panel. The communication panel includes a first surface having a plurality of holes and a first printed circuit board parallel to the first surface. A first elastomeric keypad is positioned between a first side of the first surface and the first printed circuit board, and the first elastomeric keypad has a plurality of buttons that protrude through the plurality of holes of the first surface. A front surface has at least one opening that abuts a second side of the first surface. One or more of the plurality of buttons of the keypad protrude through the at least one opening. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the communication panel according to the present invention.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the communication panel of FIG. 1.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the communication panel of FIG. 1.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the communication panel of FIG. 1.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 5 is a right side elevational view of the communication panel of FIG. 1.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 6 is a left side elevational view of the communication panel of FIG. 1.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 7 is a rear elevational view of the communication panel of FIG. 1.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the communication panel of FIG. 1.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the communication panel according to the present invention.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 10 is a front elevational view of the communication panel of FIG. 9.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 11 is a top plan view of the communication panel of FIG. 9.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 12 is a bottom plan view of the communication panel of FIG. 9.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 13 is a right side elevational view of the communication panel of FIG. 9.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 14 is a left side elevational view of the communication panel of FIG. 9.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 15 is a rear elevational view of the communication panel of FIG. 9.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 16 is an exploded view of the communication panel of FIG. 9.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the communication panel according to the present invention.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 18 is a front elevational view of the communication panel of FIG. 17.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 19 is a top plan view of the communication panel of FIG. 17.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 20 is a bottom plan view of the communication panel of FIG. 17.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 21 is a right side elevational view of the communication panel of FIG. 17.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 22 is a left side elevational view of the communication panel of FIG. 17.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 23 is a rear elevational view of the communication panel of FIG. 17.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 24 is an exploded view of the communication panel of FIG. 17.  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 25 is a rear view of a front panel printed circuit board of an embodiment of the communication panel.  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 26 is a front view of the front panel printed circuit board of FIG. 25.  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 27 is a top view of a bottom printed circuit board of an embodiment of the communication panel. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0038]    Various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts and assemblies through the several views. Reference to various embodiments does not limit the scope of the invention, which is limited only by the scope of the claims attached hereto.  
         [0039]    [0039]FIG. 1 shows a horizontally oriented embodiment of a communication panel  100 . The communication panel  100  includes a front surface  101  that includes a top horizontal portion  104  and a front vertical portion  102 . The front surface  101  includes several openings discussed in more detail below. Several buttons protrude from the front surface, including dialing buttons  114 , line buttons  118 , and remote headset buttons  116 . Additionally, an on-hook button  124 , conference button  122 , and hold button  120  may protrude as well as other types of buttons performing various calling functions.  
         [0040]    The dialing buttons  114  allow the user to dial a desired number of another location within the central office. The line button  118  allows the user to select a line to use to place a call or to select a line providing an incoming call. Remote headset buttons  116  allow the user to channel communications for a call placed from or received by the communication panel  100  to a headset plugged into another location within the central office.  
         [0041]    An analog line jack  132 , headset jacks  128 ,  130 , and DC power jack  126  may also protrude from the front surface  101 . The analog line jack  132  is a pass-through jack to the other side of the panel  100  so that a laptop computer can access an analog line by being connected to the jack  132  of the communication panel  100 . The headset jacks  128 ,  130  allow the user to plug in a headset so that verbal communication can be established. The DC power jack  126  provides a −48 V power source for additional equipment.  
         [0042]    The communication panel  100  also includes sides  108  and a cover surface  106  that includes a top portion  140 . Top portion  140  includes an extension  134  that may fit within an opening of top horizontal portion  104  of the front surface  101  that is discussed below. Mounting brackets  110  and  112  may be mounted to the sides  108  to allow the communication panel  100  to be mounted within a rack (not shown). The brackets  110 ,  112  are may be mounted with the narrow side out or the wide side out so that the communication panel  100  may be mounted within racks of varying widths while using the same brackets  110 ,  112 .  
         [0043]    [0043]FIG. 2 is a front view of the same embodiment. As can be seen lights  168  for each line are placed above each line button  118 . Additionally, a remote headset button  116  for each line is placed underneath the corresponding line button  118 . As discussed below, many of the buttons such as the line buttons  118  and remote headset buttons may light up to provide extra visibility.  
         [0044]    [0044]FIG. 3 is a top view and FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the same embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the line buttons  118  extend only a very small distance beyond the front surface  101  of the panel  100  so that they are not as vulnerable as they would be if they extended the full distance of their travel beyond the front surface  101 . Using multiple front surfaces allows the buttons to maintain their depression travel while reducing their extension beyond the outermost surface  101 .  
         [0045]    As shown in FIG. 4, the communications panel  100  has a bottom surface  138 . As discussed below, bottom surface  138  may be formed from a continuous sheet of metal also used to form the sides  108 ,  136 . FIGS. 5 and 6 are right and left side views respectively, with the wide portion of the brackets  110 ,  112  mounted to the right and left sides  108 ,  136  respectively of the communication panel  100 . As shown, the brackets  110 ,  112  have multiple hole-patterns for installation of the communication panel in various racks such as WECO and EIA rack configurations.  
         [0046]    [0046]FIG. 7 is a rear view of the communication panel  100 . The cover surface  106  of the communication panel includes a rear portion  142  that is perpendicular to the top portion  140 . Several connectors protrude from the rear portion  142  including an analog pass through jack  144  that is linked to the analog jack  132  protruding from the front surface  101 . A power supply connector  148  may be included to receive −48 V power used by the communication panel  100  and −48 V power supplied to the power jack  126  protruding from the front surface  101 .  
         [0047]    An external connection jack  146  may be included to provide connection to an external ringer to alert the user when a call is incoming. The external connection jack  146  may also provide electrical connections that are routed to various locations within the central office where the remote headsets are located. The remote headset buttons  116  protruding from the front surface  101  activate these electrical connections of the remote headsets.  
         [0048]    A communication line jack  150  is included to provide electrical connections for the various communication lines selected by line buttons  118  protruding from the front surface  101 . Multi-switch  152  provides various switches that may be positioned on or off to select various modes of operation for the communication panel, including whether tone or pulse dialing is used.  
         [0049]    [0049]FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the communication panel  100 . As can be seen, the front surface  101  mounts to a second vertical surface  172  that interconnects the vertical sidewalls  108 ,  136 . The bottom surface  138  is also formed together with the second vertical surface  172  and sidewalls  108 ,  136  from the same sheet of metal. These surfaces as well as the front surface  101 , cover surface  106 , and brackets  110 ,  112  may be made from a cold-rolled steel material or aluminum.  
         [0050]    The second vertical surface  172  may contain several openings such as opening  184  that allows the analog jack  132  to protrude through. Opening  182  allows a jack plate  162  containing the headset jacks  128 ,  130  and power jack  1   26  to protrude through. Opening  180  allows on-hook button  124 , conference button  122 , and hold button  120  to protrude through. Openings  178  allow the line buttons  118  to protrude through. Openings  179  allow the line lights  168  to protrude through. Openings  176  allow the remote headset buttons  116  to protrude through. Openings  174  allow the dialing buttons  114  to protrude through.  
         [0051]    Similarly, the front surface  101  has several openings that allow the jacks and buttons to protrude through. Opening  202  allows the analog jack  132  to protrude through. Opening  204  allows the jack plate  162  to protrude through. Opening  206  allows the hold button  120  to protrude through. Opening  208  allows the conference button  122  to protrude through. Opening  210  allows the on-hook button  124  to protrude through. Opening  212  allows the remote headset buttons  116  to protrude through. Opening  214  allows the line buttons  118  to protrude through. Opening  216  allows the dialing buttons  114  to protrude through.  
         [0052]    The front surface  101  also has a lip  198  on the top horizontal portion  104  that abuts the top portion  104  of the cover surface  106 . The lip  198  includes opening  200  that receives the extension  134  of the top portion  140  of the cover surface  106 . The top portion  140  and rear portion  142  of the cover surface  106  also abuts the sidewalls  108 ,  136 . The rear portion  142  of the cover surface  106  also abuts the bottom surface  138 .  
         [0053]    The brackets  110 ,  112  include the narrow portion  190  and wide portion  188  that are perpendicularly arranged. The narrow portion  190  includes mounting holes  192  and the wide portion  188  includes mounting holes  194 . The sidewalls  108 ,  136  have several sets of mounting holes  196  that align with the mounting holes  192  or  194  to allow the brackets  110 ,  112  to be mounted in several positions on the sidewalls  108 ,  136 . These several sets of mounting holes  196  allow the amount of extension of the panel  100  from the rack to be variable.  
         [0054]    The sidewall  136  is continuous with a rear extension  185  that includes a rear hole  186 . The hole  186  allows the analog jack  144  to protrude through. The analog jack  144  is directly linked to the front analog jack  132  through conductors  160 . The headset and power jacks  128 ,  130 , and  126  include conductors  164  that may be connected to the main circuit board  154  through wires (not shown) attached to a connector  158 . The connector  158  is mounted directly to the circuit board  154 , along with the power connector  148 , ringer/headset connector  146 , line connector  150 , and multi-switch  152 .  
         [0055]    The main circuit board  154  is mounted to the bottom surface  138  by inserts  218 , such as PEM inserts, that attach to the metal bottom surface  138 . The main circuit board  154  then rests on the PEM inserts  218 . Similarly, a keypad circuit board  166  is mounted to the second vertical surface  172  through PEM inserts  219  that attach to the metal vertical surface  172 . The keypad circuit board  166 , which is positioned perpendicular to the main circuit board  154 , is electrically linked to the circuit board through a connector (shown schematically in FIG. 25) that engages connector  156  of the main circuit board  154  thereby eliminating ribbon cables connections between the circuit boards. The connector  156  is a right angle surface mount dual row header connector such as those manufactured by Samtec. The circuit boards  154 ,  166  thus lie within an interior region of the panel  100  defined by the vertical surface  172 , sides  108 ,  136 , top  140 , rear  142 , and bottom  138 .  
         [0056]    An elastomeric pad  170 , such as silicone rubber, with line indicator covers  168 , line buttons  118 , headset buttons  116 , dialing buttons  114 , and other buttons is placed between the keypad circuit board  166  and the vertical surface  172 . The elastomeric keypad  170  can be cut apart into various sections, as shown below with reference to second and third alternative embodiments. As discussed with reference to FIG. 26, the keypad includes four carbon contacts for each button that contact an electrical contact on the keypad circuit board  166  to complete a circuit.  
         [0057]    [0057]FIG. 9 shows a second horizontally oriented embodiment of a communication panel  300  that is similar to the first embodiment but lacks the remote headset buttons. The communication panel  300  includes a front surface  301  that includes a top horizontal portion  304  and a front vertical portion  302 . The front surface  301  includes several openings discussed in more detail below. Several buttons protrude from the front surface, including dialing buttons  314  and line buttons  318 . Additionally, an on-hook button  324 , conference button  322 , and hold button  320  may protrude as well as other types of buttons performing various calling functions.  
         [0058]    As with the previous embodiment, the dialing buttons  314  allow the user to dial a desired number of another location within the central office, and the line button  318  allows the user to select a line to use to place a call or to select a line providing an incoming call. An analog line jack  332 , headset jacks  328 ,  330 , and DC power jack  326  may also protrude from the front surface  301 . The analog line jack  332  is a pass-through jack to the other side of the panel  300  so that a laptop computer can access an analog line by being connected to the jack  332  of the communication panel  300 . The headset jacks  328 ,  330  allow the user to plug in a headset so that verbal communication can be established. The DC power jack  326  provides a −48 V power source for additional equipment.  
         [0059]    The communication panel  300  also includes sides  308 ,  336  and a cover surface  306  that includes a top portion  340 . Top portion  340  includes an extension  334  that may fit within an opening of top horizontal portion  304  of the front surface  301  that is discussed below. Mounting brackets  310  and  312  may be mounted to the sides  308 ,  336  to allow the communication panel  300  to be mounted within a rack (not shown). The brackets  310 ,  312  are may be mounted with the narrow side out or the wide side out so that the communication panel  300  may be mounted within racks of varying widths while using the same brackets  310 ,  312 .  
         [0060]    [0060]FIG. 10 is a front view of the same embodiment. As can be seen lights  368  for each line are placed above each line button  318 . As discussed below, many of the buttons such as the line buttons  318  may light up to provide extra visibility.  
         [0061]    [0061]FIG. 11 is a top view and FIG. 12 is a bottom view of the same embodiment. As shown in FIG. 11, the line buttons  318  extend only a very small distance beyond the front surface  301  of the panel  300  so that they are not as vulnerable as they would be if they extended the full distance of their travel beyond the front surface  301 . Using multiple front surfaces allows the buttons to maintain their depression travel while reducing their extension beyond the outermost surface  301 .  
         [0062]    As shown in FIG. 12, the communications panel  300  has a bottom surface  338 . As discussed below, bottom surface  338  may be formed from a continuous sheet of metal also used to form the sides  308 ,  336 . FIGS. 13 and 14 are right and left side views respectively, with the wide portion of the brackets  310 ,  312  mounted to the right and left sides  308 ,  336  respectively of the communication panel  300 . As shown, the brackets  310 ,  312  have multiple hole-patterns for installation of the communication panel in various racks such as WECO and EIA rack configurations.  
         [0063]    [0063]FIG. 15 is a rear view of the communication panel  300 . The cover surface  306  of the communication panel includes a rear portion  342  that is perpendicular to the top portion  340 . Several connectors protrude from the rear portion  342  including an analog pass through jack  344  that is linked to the analog jack  332  protruding from the front surface  301 . A power supply connector  348  may be included to receive −48 V power used by the communication panel  300  and −48 V power supplied to the power jack  326  protruding from the front surface  301 .  
         [0064]    An external connection jack  346  may be included to provide connection to an external ringer to alert the user when a call is incoming. A communication line jack  350  is included to provide electrical connections for the various communication lines selected by line buttons  318  protruding from the front surface  301 . Multi-switch  352  provides various switches that may be positioned on or off to select various modes of operation for the communication panel, including whether tone or pulse dialing is used.  
         [0065]    [0065]FIG. 16 is an exploded view of the communication panel  300 . As can be seen, the front surface  301  mounts to a second vertical surface  372  that interconnects the vertical sidewalls  308 ,  336 . The bottom surface  338  is also formed together with the second vertical surface  372  and sidewalls  308 ,  336  from the same sheet of metal. As with the previous embodiment, these surfaces as well as the front surface  301 , cover surface  306 , and brackets  310 ,  312  may be made from a cold-rolled steel material or aluminum.  
         [0066]    The second vertical surface  372  may contain several openings such as opening  384  that allows the analog jack  332  to protrude through. Opening  382  allows a jack plate  362  containing the headset jacks  328 ,  330  and power jack  326  to protrude through. Opening  380  allows on-hook button  324 , conference button  322 , and hold button  320  to protrude through. Openings  378  allow the line buttons  318  to protrude through. Openings  379  allow the line lights  368  to protrude through. Openings  374  allow the dialing buttons  314  to protrude through.  
         [0067]    Similarly, the front surface  301  has several openings that allow the jacks and buttons to protrude through. Opening  402  allows the analog jack  332  to protrude through. Opening  404  allows the jack plate  362  to protrude through. Opening  406  allows the hold button  320  to protrude through. Opening  408  allows the conference button  322  to protrude through. Opening  410  allows the on-hook button  324  to protrude through. Opening  414  allows the line buttons  318  to protrude through. Opening  416  allows the dialing buttons  314  to protrude through.  
         [0068]    The front surface  301  also has a lip  398  on the top horizontal portion  304  that abuts the top portion  304  of the cover surface  306 . The lip  398  includes opening  400  that receives the extension  334  of the top portion  340  of the cover surface  306 . The top portion  340  and rear portion  342  of the cover surface  306  also abuts the sidewalls  308 ,  336 . The rear portion  342  of the cover surface  306  also abuts the bottom surface  338 .  
         [0069]    The brackets  310 ,  312  include the narrow portion  390  and wide portion  388  that are perpendicularly arranged. The narrow portion  390  includes mounting holes  392  and the wide portion  388  includes mounting holes  394 . The sidewalls  308 ,  336  have several sets of mounting holes  396  that align with the mounting holes  392  or  394  to allow the brackets  310 ,  312  to be mounted in several positions on the sidewalls  308 ,  336 . These several sets of mounting holes  396  allow the amount of extension of the panel  300  from the rack to be variable.  
         [0070]    The sidewall  336  is continuous with a rear extension  385  that includes a rear hole  386 . The hole  386  allows the analog jack  344  to protrude through. The analog jack  344  is directly linked to the front analog jack  332  through conductors  360 . The headset and power jacks  328 ,  330 , and  326  include conductors  364  that may be connected to the main circuit board  354  through wires (not shown) attached to a connector  358 . The connector  358  is mounted directly to the circuit board  354 , along with the power connector  348 , ringer connector  346 , line connector  350 , and multi-switch  352 .  
         [0071]    The main circuit board  354  is mounted to the bottom surface  338  by inserts, such as PEM inserts, that attach to the metal bottom surface  338 . The main circuit board  354  then rests on the PEM inserts. Similarly, a keypad circuit board  366  is mounted to the second vertical surface  372  through PEM inserts  319  that attach to the metal vertical surface  372 . The keypad circuit board  366 , which is positioned perpendicular to the main circuit board  354 , is electrically linked to the circuit board through a connector (such as that shown schematically in FIG. 25) that engages connector  356  of the main circuit board  354  thereby eliminating ribbon cables connections between the circuit boards. As with the previous embodiment, the connector  356  is a right angle surface mount dual row header connector. The circuit boards  354 ,  366  thus lie within an interior region of the panel  300  defined by the vertical surface  372 , sides  308 ,  336 , top  340 , rear  342 , and bottom  338 .  
         [0072]    A elastomeric keypad  370  with line indicator covers  368 , line buttons  318 , dialing buttons  314 , and other buttons is placed between the keypad circuit board  366  and the vertical surface  372 . As shown, the remote headset button portion has been entirely removed from the keypad  370  as this embodiment does not employ remote headsets. The elastomeric keypad  370  can be further cut apart into various sections, as shown below with reference to the third alternative embodiment. In accordance with the discussion in relation to FIG. 26, the keypad  370  includes four carbon contacts for each button that contact an electrical contact on the keypad circuit board  366  to complete a circuit.  
         [0073]    [0073]FIG. 17 shows a vertically oriented third embodiment of a communication panel  500  that is similar to the second embodiment but is configured to be mounted vertically between two racks. The communication panel  500  includes a front surface  501  that includes a left vertical portion  504  and a front vertical portion  502 . The front surface  501  includes several openings discussed in more detail below. Several buttons protrude from the front surface  501 , including dialing buttons  514  and line buttons  518 . Additionally, an on-hook button  524 , conference button  522 , and hold button  520  may protrude as well as other types of buttons performing various calling functions.  
         [0074]    As with the previous embodiments, the dialing buttons  514  allow the user to dial a desired number of another location within the central office, and the line button  518  allows the user to select a line to use to place a call or to select a line providing an incoming call. An analog line jack  532 , headset jacks  528 ,  530 , and DC power jack  526  may also protrude from the front surface  501 . The analog line jack  532  is a pass-through jack to the other side of the panel  500  so that a laptop computer can access an analog line by being connected to the jack  532  of the communication panel  500 . The headset jacks  528 ,  530  allow the user to plug in a headset so that verbal communication can be established. The DC power jack  526  provides a −48 V power source for additional equipment.  
         [0075]    The communication panel  500  also includes top surface  508 , bottom surface  536 , and a cover surface  506  that includes a left portion  540 . Left portion  540  includes an extension  534  that may fit within an opening of left vertical portion  504  of the front surface  501  that is discussed below. Mounting brackets  510  and  512  may be mounted to the top  508  and bottom  536  to allow the communication panel  500  to be mounted between two racks (not shown). The brackets  510 ,  512  are may be mounted with the narrow side out or the wide side out so that the communication panel  500  may be mounted within racks with mounting holes of varying separation while using the same brackets  510 ,  512 .  
         [0076]    [0076]FIG. 18 is a front view of the same embodiment. As can be seen light  568  for each line are placed above each line button  518 . As discussed below, many of the buttons such as the line buttons  518  may light up to provide extra visibility.  
         [0077]    [0077]FIG. 19 is a top view and FIG. 20 is a bottom view of the same embodiment. As shown in FIG. 19, the line buttons  518  extend only a very small distance beyond the front surface  501  of the panel  500  so that they are not as vulnerable as they would be if they extended the full distance of their travel beyond the front surface  501 . Using multiple front surfaces allows the buttons to maintain their depression travel while reducing their extension beyond the outermost surface  501 .  
         [0078]    As shown in FIG. 21, the communications panel  500  has a right side surface  538 . As discussed below, right side surface  538  may be formed from a continuous sheet of metal also used to form the top and bottom  508 ,  536 . As shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, the brackets  510 ,  512  have multiple hole-patterns for installation of the communication panel in various racks such as WECO and EIA rack configurations.  
         [0079]    [0079]FIG. 23 is a rear view of the communication panel  500 . The cover surface  506  of the communication panel includes a rear portion  542  that is perpendicular to the left portion  540 . Several connectors protrude from the rear portion  542  including an analog pass through jack  544  that is linked to the analog jack  532  protruding from the front surface  501 . A power supply connector  548  may be included to receive −48 V power used by the communication panel  500  and −48 V power supplied to the power jack  526  protruding from the front surface  501 .  
         [0080]    An external connection jack  546  may be included to provide connection to an external ringer to alert the user when a call is incoming. A communication line jack  550  is included to provide electrical connections for the various communication lines selected by line buttons  518  protruding from the front surface  501 . Multi-switch  552  provides various switches that may be positioned on or off to select various modes of operation for the communication panel  500 , including whether tone or pulse dialing is used.  
         [0081]    [0081]FIG. 24 is an exploded view of the communication panel  500 . As can be seen, the front surface  501  mounts to a second vertical surface  572  that interconnects the top and bottom  508 ,  536 . The right side surface  538  is also formed together with the second vertical surface  572  and top and bottom  508 ,  536  from the same sheet of metal. As with the previous embodiments, these surfaces as well as the front surface  501 , cover surface  506 , and brackets  510 ,  512  maybe made from a cold-rolled steel material or aluminum.  
         [0082]    The second vertical surface  572  may contain several openings such as opening  584  that allows the analog jack  532  to protrude through. Opening  582  allows a jack plate  562  containing the headset jacks  528 ,  530  and power jack  526  to protrude through. Opening  580  allows on-hook button  524 , conference button  522 , and hold button  520  to protrude through. Openings  578  allow the line buttons  518  to protrude through. Openings  579  allow the line lights  568  to protrude through. Openings  574  allow the dialing buttons  514  to protrude through.  
         [0083]    Similarly, the front surface  501  has several openings that allow the jacks and buttons to protrude through. Opening  602  allows the analog jack  532  to protrude through. Opening  604  allows the jack plate  562  to protrude through. Opening  606  allows the hold button  520  to protrude through. Opening  608  allows the conference button  522  to protrude through. Opening  610  allows the on-hook button  524  to protrude through. Opening  614  allows the line buttons  518  to protrude through. Opening  616  allows the dialing buttons  514  to protrude through.  
         [0084]    The front surface  501  also has a lip  598  on the left vertical portion  504  that abuts the left portion  504  of the cover surface  506 . The lip  598  includes opening  600  that receives the extension  634  of the left portion  540  of the cover surface  506 . The left portion  540  and rear portion  542  of the cover surface  506  also abuts the top and bottom  508 ,  536 . The rear portion  542  of the cover surface  506  also abuts the right side surface  538 .  
         [0085]    The brackets  510 ,  512  include the narrow portion  590  and wide portion  588  that are perpendicularly arranged. The narrow portion  590  includes mounting holes  592  and the wide portion  588  includes mounting holes  594 . The top and bottom  508 ,  536  have several sets of mounting holes  596  that align with the mounting holes  592  or  594  to allow the brackets  510 ,  512  to be mounted in several positions on the top and bottom  508 ,  536 . These several sets of mounting holes  596  allow the amount of extension of the panel  500  from the racks to be variable.  
         [0086]    The bottom  536  is continuous with a rear extension  585  that includes a rear hole  586 . The hole  586  allows the analog jack  544  to protrude through. The analog jack  544  is directly linked to the front analog jack  532  through conductors  560 . The headset and power jacks  528 ,  530 , and  526  include conductors  564  that may be connected to the main circuit board  554  through wires (not shown) attached to a connector  558 . The connector  558  is mounted directly to the circuit board  554 , along with the power connector  548 , ringer connector  546 , line connector  550 , and multi switch  552 .  
         [0087]    The main circuit board  554  is mounted to the right side surface  538  by inserts, such as PEM inserts, that attach to the metal bottom surface  538 . The main circuit board  554  then rests on the PEM inserts. Similarly, a keypad circuit board  566  is mounted to the second vertical surface  572  through PEM inserts  519  that attach to the metal vertical surface  572 . The keypad circuit board  566 , which is positioned perpendicular to the main circuit board  554 , is electrically linked to the circuit board through a connector (such as that shown schematically in FIG. 25) that engages connector  556  of the main circuit board  554  thereby eliminating ribbon cables connections between the circuit boards. As with the previous embodiments, the connector  556  is a right angle surface mount dual row header connector. The circuit boards  554 ,  566  thus lie within an interior region of the panel  500  defined by the vertical surface  572 , sides  540 ,  538 , top  508 , rear  542 , and bottom  536 .  
         [0088]    A elastomeric keypad  570  with line indicator covers  568 , line buttons  518 , dialing buttons  514 , and other buttons is placed between the keypad circuit board  566  and the vertical surface  572 . As shown, the remote headset button portion has been entirely removed from the keypad  570  as this embodiment does not employ remote headsets. Additionally, the elastomeric keypad  570  has been further cut apart into various sections. In accordance with the discussion in relation to FIG. 26, the keypad  570  includes four carbon contacts for each button that contact an electrical contact on the keypad circuit board  566  to complete a circuit.  
         [0089]    [0089]FIG. 25 shows the rear side of circuit board  166  of the first embodiment. The circuit board  166  includes a row of openings  709  that lies behind each line indicator  168 . A light emitting diode (LED)  708  spans the opening  709  and is switched on when the corresponding line is in use. A row of openings  713  lies behind each line button  118 . An LED  712  spans the opening  713  and is on in response to a user pressing the line button  118  to cause the line buttons  118  to be constantly lit. A row of openings  715  lies behind each remote headset button  116 . An LED  714  spans the opening  715  and is on in response to a user pressing the remote headset buttons  116 .  
         [0090]    An additional LED  716  is includes for auxiliary lighting purposes, such as lighting a logo indicator. An opening  719  is included behind a button such as the conference button, and an LED  718  spans the opening  719  to cause the conference button to be lit, either constantly or in response to being depressed by the user. The keypad circuit board  166  also includes the connector  710  that mates to the connector  156  of the main circuit board  154  to eliminate ribbon cable connections between the circuit boards.  
         [0091]    [0091]FIG. 26 shows the front side and carbon contact mask of the keypad circuit board  166 . For each line button  118 , a set of four carbon pads  720  are included that allows the depressed button to complete a circuit of the main circuit board  154 . The pads  720  surround the LED opening  713 . Similarly, for each remote headset button  116 , a set of four carbon pads  722  allows the depressed button to complete a circuit of the main circuit board  154 . The pads  722  surround the LED opening  715 .  
         [0092]    The dialing buttons  114  include carbon pad sets  724 . The on-hook button  124  includes carbon pads  730 . The hold button  120  includes carbon pads  726 . The conference button  122  includes carbon pads  728  spaced around LED opening  719 .  
         [0093]    [0093]FIG. 27 shows the main circuit board  154  in greater detail. The circuit board includes the headset/power jack connector  158 , the power connector  148 , ringer/headset connector  146 , line connector  150 , and multi-switch  152 . Additionally, the circuit board includes the connector  156  that mates to the connector  710  of the keypad circuit board  166 . The main circuit board  154  contains communication panel circuitry well-known in the art such as tone and pulse generators. The main circuit board  154  utilizes several integrated circuits including but not limited to the integrated circuits  702 ,  704 , and  706 .  
         [0094]    The integrated circuits (ICs) of the communication panel  100  are protected from electrostatic discharge emanating from the user by including all of the ICs on the main circuit board  154  and by including all button contacts on the keypad circuit board  166 . If any static discharge occurs through or around one or more of the buttons of the keypad  170 , the discharge is greatly dissipated once it has traveled through the circuit paths of the keypad circuit board  166  and through the connectors  710  and  156 .  
         [0095]    The circuit board structures of FIGS.  25 - 27  are equally applicable to the second and third alternative embodiments, as well as others, by modification of the placement of the LEDs, openings, and/or carbon contacts which can be understood by one skilled in the art when referencing the description and figures of the alternative embodiments.  
         [0096]    While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various other changes in the form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.