Abstract:
A method for forming a telecommunications modular cardholder comprises providing a generally flat workpiece; cutting a handle in the workpiece while leaving the handle attached to the workpiece; and forming a front portion from the workpiece. The front portion is substantially perpendicular to a body portion of the workpiece. The front portion and the body portion of the workpiece form a modular face plate. The method also includes bending the handle with respect to the workpiece and the front portion to form a handle facing a desired direction.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to computer and telecommunications equipment hardware and more particularly to a telecommunications modular cardholder with an integral handle. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Telecommunications is becoming increasingly important in today&#39;s society. In particular, digital communications spurred by the Internet creates a need for improved telecommunications systems. As a result, improvements continue to be made. For example, digital subscriber lines (DSL) are becoming increasingly popular. Many of the improvements are implemented through semiconductor devices stored on printed circuit boards. Each circuit board generally forms a part of a larger sub-component. For example, a DSLAM includes a plurality of central office modems. 
     Many products, including such DSLAMs, in the telecommunications industry employ a modular construction that, for example, might involve a chassis or “cardcage” into which different cards may be installed by an operator to form the full assembly. Generally the cards are constructed with a sheet-metal (face plate) part that is affixed to the card to form a complete “card” assembly. The “faceplate”, or modular cardholders of each card engages with that of the other cards in order to form the front panel of the whole assembly. 
     It is generally necessary for the cards to employ some type of handle that facilitates extraction of the card from the assembly. Generally, this handle is a separate hardware element that attaches to the face plate. The addition of the handle hardware, the space to attach it to the faceplate, and the costs of the associated labor make this traditional handle an unfavorable necessity. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, a need has arisen for a telecommunications modular cardholder with integral handle. The present invention provides a telecommunications modular cardholder with integral handle that addresses shortcomings of prior systems and methods. 
     According to one embodiment of the invention, a telecommunications modular cardholder includes a generally rectangular body portion configured to affix to and secure a printed circuit board The generally rectangular body portion is formed from a workpiece and configured to fit in a slot. A front end portion of the cardholder is formed at a first end of the body portion. The front end portion is generally rectangular and disposed in a plane generally perpendicular to the body portion. A handle extends from the generally rectangular body portion. The handle is formed integral with the body portion and formed from the workpiece. 
     According to another embodiment of the invention, a method for forming a telecommunications modular cardholder includes: providing a generally flat workpiece; cutting a handle in the workpiece while leaving the handle attached to the workpiece; and forming a front portion from the workpiece. The front portion is substantially perpendicular to a body portion of the workpiece. The front portion and the body portion of the workpiece form a modular face plate. The method also includes bending the handle with respect to the workpiece and the front portion to form a handle facing a desired direction. 
     Embodiments of the invention provide numerous technical advantages. For example, some embodiments of the present invention allow construction of a modular cardholder with an integral handle that may be formed in an inexpensive manner. In particular, a modular cardholder may be formed by cutting the handle in sheet metal that also forms the cardholder and bending the handle back to a desired position. Doing so avoids costly hardware and avoids additional space requirements for the resulting handle. Additionally, apertures that would otherwise be needed to affix the handle to the faceplate of the cardholder are not required, reducing electromagnetic interference that may emanate from the attached printed circuit board. 
     Other technical advantages are readily apparent to one skilled in the art from the following figures, descriptions, and claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For a more complete understanding of the present invention and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of a telecommunications chassis that includes a plurality of modular cardholders with handles constructed according to the teachings of the invention; 
     FIG. 2A is an isometric drawing of a traditional cardholder constructed according to conventional techniques, showing a first side of the cardholder; 
     FIG. 2B is an isometric drawing of the faceplate of FIG. 2A, showing a second side of the faceplate; 
     FIG. 3A is an isometric drawing of one side of one of the modular cardholders of FIG. 1 during an initial stage of construction according to the teachings of the present invention, showing the initial formation of a handle; 
     FIG. 3B is a schematic diagram of the modular cardholder of FIG. 3A, showing a back side of the cardholder; 
     FIG. 4A is an isometric drawing of the modular cardholder of FIG. 1 after the handle has been bent to the desired position; 
     FIG. 4B is a schematic diagram of the modular cardholder of FIG. 4A showing the back side of the cardholder; and 
     FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing a method for forming a modular cardholder according to the teachings of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Embodiments of the present invention and its advantages are best understood by referring to FIGS. 1 through 5 of the drawings, like numerals being used for like and corresponding parts of the various drawings. 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of a telecommunications chassis  10 . Telecommunications chassis  10  includes a plurality of modular cardholders  14 , also known as faceplates, having handles  16 . Modular cardholders  14  fit into slots  12  in telecommunications chassis  10 . 
     Modular cardholders  14  generally hold an associated printed circuit board  18 , and in this embodiment, do so in a horizontal fashion; however, a vertical configuration may also be used. Printed circuit boards  18  combine to perform a plurality of functions associated with telecommunications chassis  10 . One example of telecommunications chassis  10  is a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM), and one example of the printed circuit board  18  is a DSL modem. 
     Handles  16  on modular cardholders  14  facilitate extraction of modular cardholder  14  from, and insertion of modular cardholder  14  into, slots  12  of chassis  10 . Modular cardholders  14  conventionally include a front portion  15  and a body portion  17 . 
     Conventionally, the addition of handle  16  to cardholder  14  requires handle hardware (not explicitly shown in FIG.  1 ), additional space on front portion  15  of faceplate  14 , and additional cost associated with the labor to make and attach handle  16 . According to the teachings of the invention, such problems are addressed by forming handle  16  integral with modular cardholder  14  by, in this embodiment, cutting the handle from body portion  17  and bending it back to the desired position. Additional details of such formation and the resulting modular cardholder with an integral handle are described with reference to FIGS. 2A-5. FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate a conventional cardholder, and FIGS. 3A-4B illustrate a cardholder according to the teachings of the invention during various stages of manufacture. FIG. 5 illustrates a method for forming the modular cardholder with an integral handle. 
     FIG. 2A is an isometric diagram of a conventional cardholder  18  constructed according to conventional techniques, showing a first side  19  of the faceplate. Conventional modular cardholder  18  includes a body portion  20  and a front portion  22 . Front portion  22  may be formed from a workpiece integral with body portion  20 . A handle  24  is attached to front portion  22 . Connectors  30  are used to attach handle  24  to front portion  22  through a plurality of apertures  32 . Body portion  20  includes a plurality of indentations  26  and  28  for facilitating connection of a printed circuit board to conventional modular cardholder  18 . Conventional cardholder  18  also includes a lip portion  34  opposite front portion  22 . 
     FIG. 2B is an isometric drawing of modular face cardholder  18  showing a back side  21  of the cardholder. As shown in this view, modular cardholder  18  also includes an electromagnetic shield  32  for preventing electromagnetic emissions that may emanate from the associated printed circuit board through apertures  32 . 
     As illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, handle  24  is formed separately from body portions  20  and front portion  22  and attached with hardware  30  to body portion  20 . In contrast, according to the teachings of the invention, a handle is formed integral with the corresponding body portions and front portions of a modular cardholder as illustrated in FIGS. 3A through 4B. 
     FIG. 3A is an isometric drawing of one of the modular cardholders  16  constructed according to the teachings of the invention, showing a front side  39 , and FIG. 3B is an isometric drawing of the modular cardholder  16  of FIG. 3A showing a back side  41 . As illustrated, modular cardholder  14  may be substantially similar to modular cardholder  18 , except for the associated handle. Modular cardholder  14  includes a body portion  40  and a front portion  42 . In addition, modular cardholder  14  may include a lip portion  54  disposed opposite the front portion  42 . 
     Body portion  40  may include a plurality of indentations  46  and  48  for facilitating connection of an associated printed circuit board. In addition, modular cardholder  14  may include a plurality of apertures  52 , as is the case with conventional modular cardholder  18 ; however, such apertures are not needed to secure a handle to modular cardholder  14  and may be eliminated if not needed for other reasons. This provides one advantage of the present invention because the elimination of apertures  52  reduces electromagnetic discharge from the associated printed circuit board from escaping chassis  10 . Body portion  40  and front portion  42  may be formed from a single workpiece. In one embodiment, the workpiece is sheet metal; however, the workpiece may be formed from other materials. Furthermore, if desired, front portion  42  may not be formed integral with body portion, but rather formed separately and attached with suitable hardware. 
     According to the teachings of the invention, a handle  16  (shown best in FIG. 3B) is cut from body portion  40  leaving a handle-shaped aperture  56  in body portion  40 . Handle  16  may be cut by hand, by laser, with a stamp, or by any other suitable method. Handle  16  is then bent along lines  60  to a desired position for use. Handle  16  may be bent into a desired position by hand, by press, or through any other suitable method. Such cutting and bending of handle  16  may occur after formation of front portion  22 , as shown, or before formation of front portion  22 . 
     FIG. 3B shows handle  16  in an intermediate position moving from body portion  40  to a desired position that in one embodiment is approximately 180° from body portion  4 . Also illustrated in FIG. 3B are gaps  58  formed in an electromagnetic shield  52  to allow handle  16  to bend to a position substantially parallel to, but 180° rotated from, body portion  16 . The formed cardholder  16  is illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B. As shown, handle  16  reaches a position substantially parallel to body portion  40  but approximately 180° from its initial position. 
     Thus, according to the teachings of the invention, a simple and economical manner for forming a modular cardholder with a handle is provided. Such formation reduces construction cost and, in some embodiments, may reduce any resulting electromagnetic interference by the associated printed circuit board. A method for forming such a handle is described in connection with FIG.  5 . 
     FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a method for forming a modular cardholder according to the teachings of the invention. The method begins at step  100 . At a step  102 , a workpiece is provided. The workpiece may be a flat sheet of sheet-metal. Alternatively, the workpiece may be a flat sheet of aluminum or other material, or may take other suitable forms. At a step  104 , a handle is formed in body portion of the workpiece. Step  104  of forming the handle may include cutting the handle by hand, stamping the handle, cutting the handle with a laser, or through other suitable techniques. At a step  106  the handle is bent into the desired position. According to one embodiment, the desired position is approximately 180° from the original unbent position of the handle; however, other desired positions may be utilized. Step  106  of bending the handle into position may be performed automatically, through a press, performed by hand, or other suitable techniques. 
     At a step  108  the remainder of the cardholder is formed. Such a step may include forming a front portion, such as front portion  42 , forming a plurality of indentations for facilitating attachment to a printed circuit board, and providing electromagnetic shielding where appropriate. Alternatively, many if not all of the steps associated with step  108  may be performed before formation or bending of the handle. The method concludes at step  110 . 
     Although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions, and alterations can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.