Abstract:
A patch panel arrangement is disclosed having a two part cable terminating device into which a cable can enter. One part, for example, a main body has forward facing wiring contacts. The cable can pass through from the rear but has its wires terminated on the wiring contacts from the front. A front cover detachable from the main body via the front of the patch panel, exposes the front facing wiring contacts to permit wiring changes to be effected from the uncluttered front of the patch panel (rather than the crowded rear of conventional patch panels).

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to patch panel arrangements, the devices used to terminate cables in patch panels, and methods of terminating wires of cables leading to patch panels. 
         [0002]    Patch panels are widely used in light current electrical engineering and in data and telecommunications applications, in particular, to enable interconnections to be made which may need to be changed in future. Typical reasons for future changes include changes to the configuration of computer and other data systems, expansion of the number of telephone outlets provided at a given premises, and the like. 
         [0003]    Patch panels are typically mounted in racks or equivalent mounting structures such as cabinets or other housings having a door or pivoted front panel. Typically the panels are of a standard size and numerous panels are provided stacked one upon the other in a parallel relationship. Each panel has a series of apertures which are normally punched or drilled through the panel and each aperture holds a terminating device which normally takes the form of a multi-contact socket. The openings of the sockets are substantially flush with the front face of the panel. The cables which are connected to the sockets are connected by wiring contacts which are accessible only from the rear face of the patch panel. The rear face of the patch panel often includes a cable tidy or similar tray like device to which the ends of the cable adjacent to the patch panel are connected. 
         [0004]    As the number of cables connected to a particular patch panel increases, or the number of cables connected to adjacent patch panels increase, so it becomes increasingly difficult to access the wiring contacts at the rear face of a patch panel to make a further connection, or a number of further connections. This is a fundamental a problem which arises because the volume or space to the rear of the patch panel becomes increasingly congested and filled with cables, cable tidy trays, etc all of which restrict access to the rear of the patch panel. This is a particular problem where the patch panel may be nearly full and yet at some time after the initial installation some further connections are required. 
         [0005]    The genesis of the present invention is a desire to substantially overcome, or at least ameliorate, the abovementioned difficulty by providing access to the wiring contacts from the front of the patch panel. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a patch panel arrangement comprising at least one panel having a front face and a rear face, and having at least one aperture therethrough and means to mount the panel in a rack or equivalent mounting structure, wherein said aperture has a cable terminating device therein having wiring contacts accessible from said panel front face. 
         [0007]    In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a cable terminating device for a patch panel having a front face and a rear face, said device comprising a first member which abuts said rear face, a second member which abuts said front face, and said second member having wiring contacts accessible from said panel front face. 
         [0008]    In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a method of terminating wires of a cable onto a cable terminating device mounted in an aperture of a patch panel having a rear face and a front face, said method comprising the steps of: passing said cable from the rear of said patch panel through a cable opening provided in said terminating device; and passing said cable from the rear of said patch panel through a cable opening provided in said terminating device; and.            
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    Some embodiments of the invention will now be described, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the front of a prior art patch panel arrangement, the individual patch panels being mounted in a rack; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a schematic exploded cross-sectional view through the patch panel of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a view equivalent to  FIG. 2  but illustrating schematically the arrangement of a first embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a schematic exploded perspective view of a cable terminating device in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a front view of the wiring contacts illustrated in  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is an exploded perspective view similar to  FIG. 4  but illustrating the method of connecting the wires of the cable; 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view, partly exploded, of a patch panel fabricated in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a patch panel fabricated in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the cable terminating device of the third embodiment; 
           [0019]      FIG. 10  is an exploded perspective view from the front of the cable terminating device of  FIG. 9 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 11  is the same view of the cable terminating device as in  FIG. 10  but illustrating the cable inserted from the rear with the wiring contacts about to be made; 
           [0021]      FIG. 12  is an exploded perspective view of the cable terminating device of  FIG. 9  but illustrated from the rear; and 
           [0022]      FIG. 13  is the same view of the cable terminating device as in  FIG. 12  but illustrating the cable inserted from the rear with the wiring contacts about to be made. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0023]    As seen in  FIG. 1 , a patch panel arrangement  1  of the prior art is illustrated which takes the form of a rack  2  on which are mounted eight patch panels  3  (indicated in sequence  3 A,  3 B,  3 C, . . . etc.). One of the patch panels  3 C is shown removed from the rack. Each of the patch panels has a plurality of apertures  4  punched therein and each aperture  4  is arranged to take a cable terminating device  5  to which the individual wires  7  of a cable  8  are terminated. 
         [0024]    As seen in  FIG. 1 , the cable terminating device  5  is normally of a two part construction having a main body  51  and a front cover  52 . Illustrated in phantom in  FIG. 1  is a cable tidy tray  10  to which the cable  8 , and other cables (not illustrated) connecting to the patch panel  3 C can be secured by means of cable ties (not illustrated), or equivalent arrangements. 
         [0025]    Turning now to  FIG. 2 , the cable  8  passes through a cuff or boot  12  and is connected to the main body  51  by means of wiring contacts  13 . The patch panel  3 C has a front face  31  and a rear face  32 . A front cover  52  is provided with two pairs of snap engaging ramps  15  and  16  respectively. The snap engaging ramps  15  enable the front cover  52  to be pushed into the aperture  4  and snap engaged with the patch panel  3 C. The snap engaging ramps  16  cooperate with corresponding indentations  18  which therefore enables the main body  51  to be snap engaged with the front cover  52 . The cable terminating device  5  has a socket  53  which is connected to the wiring contacts  13 . The socket  53  is able to mate with a plug  60  which terminates one end of a lead  61 . The entire arrangement enables the cable  8  to be electrically connected to the lead  61 . 
         [0026]    It will be appreciated from  FIGS. 1 and 2  that the wiring contacts  13  are only accessible from the rear of the patch panel  3  and this makes accessing the wiring contacts  13  to make each subsequent connection increasingly more and more difficult as the volume to the rear of the patch panels  3  increasingly becomes filled with cables  8 . 
         [0027]    A schematic embodiment which substantially overcomes the difficulties of the prior art is illustrated in  FIG. 3 . The wires  7 , cable  8 , plug  60  and lead  61  are as in  FIG. 2 . A cuff or boot  112  is provided with a plate  21  having apertures  22  which are able to receive prongs  23  on the main body  151  of the cable terminating device  105 . The prongs  23  are provided with ramps  24  to enable a snap engagement mechanism. 
         [0028]    The cable terminating device  105  is provided with a front cover  152  having ramps  115  which engage with indentations  118  in the main body  15 . With the ramps  115  engaged with the indentations  118 , the front cover  152  is not only engaged with the main body  151 , but the inter-engaged parts are held in the aperture  4  because the patch panel  3 C is clamped between the plate  21  and the front cover  152 . 
         [0029]    Importantly, the wiring contacts  113  are provided on the front surface of the main body  151  and the main body  151  has an opening  55  through which the wires  7  are led before being connected to the wiring contacts  13 . The front cover  152  has the socket  153  (e.g. RJ45 or similar) which engages the plug  60  and completes the interconnection. 
         [0030]    Turning now to  FIGS. 4 to 7 , a second embodiment of the cable terminating device  205  is illustrated. The cable terminating device  205  has a boot or cuff  212 , a main body  251  and a front cover  252 . The boot or cuff  212  includes a housing  221  having apertures  222  which engage with ramps  224  on the main body  251 . In this way the patch panel  3  is clamped between the housing  221  and the main body  251 . 
         [0031]    As before, the main body  251  has an opening  255  around which are radially arranged channels  213  which each include an insulation stripping and contact forming cutting blade (not illustrated) which is itself well known in the electrical connection arts. 
         [0032]    The main body  251  also has ramps  215  which engage with corresponding apertures  218  in the front cover  252 . The front cover  252  is also provided with a conventional socket  253  the internal contacts of which (not illustrated) are connected to corresponding blades  260  which each enter a corresponding one of the channels  213 . 
         [0033]    From  FIG. 6  it will be apparent that the cable terminating device  205  can be installed on the patch panel  3  by inter-engagement of the cuff or boot  212  and the main body  251 . In this condition with the front cover  252  removed; the cable  8  can be pushed through the cuff or boot  212  and through the opening  255  of the main body  251 . Thereafter, the wires  7  can be radially splayed as schematically illustrated in  FIG. 6  and brought into the corresponding channels  213  so as to effect the making of the wiring contacts between the wires  7  and the main body  251 . Any excess wire is then trimmed so as to enable the front cover  252  to be snap engaged with the main body  251  thereby driving the blades  260  into the corresponding channels  213 . This forms the electrical interconnections between the socket  253  and the wires  7 . 
         [0034]    Turning now to  FIG. 7 , it will be seen that each of the cable terminating devices  205  can be grouped together, preferably in collections of eight. Each such group is covered by a flashing plate  230  which is merely cosmetic. 
         [0035]    It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that an additional cable can be installed onto the patch panel illustrated in  FIG. 7  at any time, without removing the patch panel from its rack or cabinet. Instead, all that is required to be done from the inside of the rack or cabinet is to push the new cable through the cuff or boot  212  of the corresponding cable terminating device  205 . Thereafter, with the flashing plate  230  and the front cover  252  removed, access from the front of the patch panel can be had to the channels  213  containing the wiring contacts and therefore the actual making of the contacts takes place from the front side of the patch panel. Since this work area is entirely uncluttered, ease of operation and assembly so as to make the necessary contacts is ensured, irrespective of the presence or absence of cable connections already made to adjacent cable terminating devices. 
         [0036]    A third embodiment is illustrated in  FIGS. 8-13 . A patch panel  303  is illustrated containing twenty four cable terminating devices  305 . One of the cable terminating devices  305  is illustrated in assembled form in  FIG. 9  and in exploded perspective views in  FIGS. 10-13 . The cable terminating device  305  has a front cover  352  with a female socket  353  of conventional configuration which receives a conventional male plug  354 . The main body  351  has a removable lid  355  which permits access to a slot for a screwdriver to permit the front cover to be detached from the main body  351 . The lid  355  is used to label the terminal device  305  corresponding to the cable installed in the terminal device. 
         [0037]    Housed within the front cover  352  is a contactor plate  357  which has contacts  340  on its front side which engage the plug  354 , and knife blades  360  on its rear side which make the electrical contacts with the wires  7  of the cable  8 . An apertured cover plate  341  retains the contactor plate  357  engaged with the front cover  352 . 
         [0038]    The cable  8  is passed from the rear through the cuff  312 . Then the individual wires  7  of the cable  8  are located in respective channels  313  which correspond to the knife blades  360 . The channels  313  and knife blades  360  preferably have a generally X-shaped layout which makes it easy to place the wires  7  in the desired corresponding one of the channels  313 . With the wires  7  located in the channels  313  re-connecting the front cover  352  with the main body  351  results in the knife blades  360  cutting through the installation of the wires  7  and making the desired electrical connections. As before, removal of the front cover  352  from the front of the patch panel  303  enables these wiring connections to be changed without any need to access the rear of the patch panel  303 . 
         [0039]    The foregoing describes only some embodiments of the present invention and modifications, obvious to those skilled in the electrical wiring arts, can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the main body  151 ,  251  can be arcuate in shape so that the opening  55 ,  255  is slot shaped rather than being tubular as illustrated. 
         [0040]    The term “comprising” (and its grammatical variations) as used herein is used in the inclusive sense of “including” or “having” and not in the exclusive sense of “consisting only of”. 
         [0041]    While the principles of the invention have been described above in connection with preferred embodiments, it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation of the scope of the invention.