Abstract:
A prism-like frame for mounting telecom equipment made of a prism-like skeleton, which in turn is made of at least three vertical members coupled with at least six horizontal members, and at least one open panel connected to at least one lateral side of the skeleton, wherein the panel includes at least two horizontal members arranged apart from each other and away from the bottom and the top of the skeleton.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation and claims the benefit of U.S. Non-Provisional Application No. 13/400,870, filed Feb. 21, 2012, which is hereby incorporated by reference, to the extent that it is not conflicting with the present application. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not Applicable 
       REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX 
       [0003]    Not Applicable 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    1.Field of the Invention 
         [0005]    The invention relates generally to mounting frames for telecom units and more particularly to a new, compact and versatile mounting frame for telecom units. 
         [0006]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0007]    The wireless cell site equipment is changing from a few large equipment cabinets to many small cabinets and miscellaneous equipment which includes RRU (Remote Radio Unit), OBIF (Optical Basestation Interface), or PBC-02 (Power and Battery Cabinet-02). Furthermore, there are space limitations in the field of so called leased area and they restrain future growth. 
         [0008]    There are currently available on the market frames that may be used to mount telecom units or equipment such as RRU, OBIF or PBC-02. Examples of such frames are shown in  FIGS. 1   a - c . The frame in  FIG. 1   a  consists of two Facilities Interface Frame (FIF) racks with UNISTRUT® brackets (i.e., long connecting brackets), which provide a horizontal plane to mount telecom equipment or units. This frame also allows equipment to be installed on the reverse side as in a back to back arrangement. 
         [0009]    FIG.  1 - b  depicts an H-Frame consisting of two vertical pipes with UNISTRUT® brackets, which provide a horizontal plane to mount telecom equipment. This design also allows equipment to be installed on the reverse side, as in a back to back configuration. It is also possible to utilize only the UNISTRUT® brackets and mount the RRU, OBIF, or PBC-02 directly to the wall without any vertical supports. 
         [0010]    FIG.  1 - c  shows another existing frame, a pipe mount design, consisting of an RRU, OBIF, or the like, mounted to a vertical pipe, via mounting brackets, creating a vertical plane to mount equipment. This design also allows equipment to be installed on the reverse side, as in a back to back scenario. 
         [0011]    The problem with using any of the existing frame designs is that they are not conducive to equipment consolidation, and thus, space, which is often very expensive, is wasted. The current designs require either a high vertical space for mounting on a pole, or a large horizontal space such as when using the H-Frame design, the two FIF rack design, or the wall mounted design. In the wireless industry, when building cell sites, the carriers are required to secure leased space through a lease agreement. That leased space is what drives the need for equipment consolidation, because the space is often very small and/or very expensive. The more consolidation, the more room for growth, and this is what all the carries seek out. Thus, there is a need for a new, compact and versatile mounting frame, which allows for the telecom equipment to be consolidated into more compact and versatile, yet functional configurations that make highly efficient use of the space available to telecom companies. 
         [0012]    The problems and the associated solutions presented in this section could be or could have been pursued, but they are not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches presented in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their presence in this section of the application. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key aspects or essential aspects of the claimed subject matter. Moreover, this Summary is not intended for use as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
         [0014]    In one exemplary embodiment, the new adaptable mounting frame is a four-sided frame which has one or more doors, and which is configured to permit compact and versatile mounting of telecom equipment. Thus, an advantage is that it condenses the footprint of the telecom equipment, which saves a considerable amount of economic resources. Another advantage is that this is a versatile design because, among other things, it can be mounted in the middle of the room, against a wall, indoor, outdoor, and so on, and because it can also be expanded in width, depth, and/or height. Thus, this is a versatile and compact mounting frame that solves the known problems with the prior art described above. 
         [0015]    Again, the wireless cell site equipment is changing from a few large equipment cabinets to many small cabinets and miscellaneous equipment which includes RRU, OBIF, and PBC-02. The disclosed frame will be able to reduce the foot print of the new wireless equipment by arranging the equipment in a way which utilizes all horizontal and vertical space. 
         [0016]    In addition, again, the space restraints in the field of so called leased area limit future growth. The disclosed frame can be built in various shapes and sizes as described below. Thus, by using the new adaptable frame, wasted or dead space is eliminated, any available space is utilized and equipment count is maximized. By fully utilizing the leased space the wireless carriers can save money by not having to expand leased area to accommodate new wireless equipment. 
         [0017]    The above embodiment(s) and advantages, as well as other embodiments and advantages, will become apparent from the ensuing description and accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]    For exemplification purposes, and not for limitation purposes, embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0019]      FIG. 1   a  illustrates the perspective view of an existing frame design for mounting telecom units, using two Facilities Interface Frame (FIF) racks and UNISTRUT® brackets. 
           [0020]      FIG. 1   b  illustrates the perspective view of an existing H-frame for mounting telecom units, using vertical pipes and UNISTRUT® brackets. 
           [0021]      FIG. 1   c  illustrates the perspective view of an existing system for mounting telecom units, using vertical pipes and mounting brackets. 
           [0022]      FIG. 2  illustrates the elevation view of the new adaptable mounting frame for telecom units, according to one embodiment. 
           [0023]      FIG. 3  illustrates the plan view of the new adaptable mounting frame from  FIG. 2 . 
           [0024]      FIG. 4  illustrates the perspective view of a one-door version of the new adaptable mounting frame, with the door in close position, according to another embodiment. 
           [0025]      FIG. 5  illustrates the perspective view of the one-door version of the new adaptable mounting frame from  FIG. 4 , with the door in open position. 
           [0026]      FIG. 6  illustrates the perspective view of a two-door version of the new adaptable mounting frame, with the doors in open position, according to another embodiment. 
           [0027]      FIG. 7  illustrates the perspective view of a three-door version of the new adaptable mounting frame, with the doors in open position, according to another embodiment. 
           [0028]      FIG. 8  illustrates the perspective view of a four-door version of the new adaptable mounting frame, with the doors in open position, according to another embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0029]    What follows is a detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention in which the invention may be practiced. Reference will be made to the attached drawings, and the information included in the drawings is part of this detailed description. The specific preferred embodiments of the invention, which will be described herein, are presented for exemplification purposes, and not for limitation purposes. It should be understood that structural and/or logical modifications could be made by someone of ordinary skills in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the invention is defined by the accompanying claims and their equivalents. 
         [0030]    Referring now to  FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  4 , it is shown that the new adaptable mounting frame  400  for telecom units or equipment may be have a shape similar to that of a rectangular prism, which may be made by building a rectangular prism-like skeleton  201 ,  301 ,  401 , having four vertical members coupled or associated with eight horizontal members (four at the bottom and four at the top), and by removably or irremovably associating with each of the lateral faces (“lateral sides,” “sides”) of the skeleton, a panel  408 . The irremovable association, coupling or attachment may be accomplished by any standard technique known in the art such as by welding. The removable attachment may also be achieved by any standard and known techniques in the art, such as by using screws to secure the panel  408  to skeleton  401 . 
         [0031]    As shown in  FIG. 4 , the panel  408  has an open (i.e., skeleton-like, frame-like, as opposed to a panel of a cabinet) appearance itself (“open panel”), and it may be made of four exterior members, two vertical and two horizontal, and four interior and horizontal members  408 - a , and nothing in between them. As shown, two of the interior members are grouped at the bottom and two of the interior members are grouped at the top of the panel  408 . Each group of two is used for mounting telecom units or equipment  405  ( 205  and  305  in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , respectively) on each side of the panel  408 . Thus, each panel may accommodate four telecom units (two on each side), which means that the adaptable mounting frame  400  may accommodate a total of sixteen units. The telecom equipment or units  405  may be RRU (Remote Radio Unit), OBIF (Optical Basestation Interface), PBC-02 (Power and Battery Cabinet-02), and/or other similar equipment or units. 
         [0032]    As shown in FIGS.  2 , 3  and  4 , the panel  408  may be attached to the skeleton  201 ,  301 , 401  by using two or more known hinge mechanisms  202 ,  302 ,  402  and one or more locking mechanisms  204 ,  304  (not shown in  FIG. 4 ). It should be apparent that in this case, the panel becomes a door  203 ,  403 , which may be opened (see  303 - a  and  303 - b  in  FIG. 3 ) to access the inside of the adaptable mounting frame  400  when needed, for purposes such as mounting or demounting the telecom units  205 ,  305 ,  405  inside the frame  400  and/or on the other side of the door/panel. It should also be apparent that at least one door (or, alternatively, one removable panel) is needed to conveniently access the inside of the frame  400 . However, one of ordinary skills in the art would recognize that two (see  FIG. 6 ), three (see  FIG. 7 ) or four doors (see  FIGS. 3 and 8 ) may be used, without departing from the scope and essence of the invention. One factor that has to be considered when deciding with how many doors to equip the frame  400  is the door swing clearance needed, as shown in  FIG. 3  ( 303 - a ,  303 - b ). 
         [0033]    It should be understood that, alternatively, the panel  408  as well as the door  403  may be replaced, for the purpose of saving material and/or manufacturing costs for example, by two (one at the bottom and one at the top) smaller panels or doors, each comprising substantially only two (the bottom two or the top two, respectively) interior members  408 - a  (with some vertical elements used at each end to connect the two respective interior members). Then, each of the smaller panel (one at the top and one at the bottom on each side of the frame  400 ) may be secured to the skeleton  401  by, for example, welding, using of screws, or by using a hinge and a locking mechanism as explained above. 
         [0034]    It should also be apparent that each side of the frame  400  may have a combination of door and panel such as a panel on the bottom half of the side and a door on the top half of the same side. 
         [0035]    In addition, the panel  408  may be also reduced to simply its interior/horizontal members, which may then be coupled directly with the skeleton  401 . 
         [0036]    It should be noted that, as shown in  FIG. 3 , utility cables  306 , such as but not limited to coaxial cable, fiber optics and the like, may be conveniently secured or fastened to the frame. Seismic hooks may also be added to the frame for securing cables in indoor scenarios. 
         [0037]    It should also be understood that other modifications made be made without departing from the scope and essence of the invention. For example, instead of having a frame  400  that may accommodate, as shown, two levels of equipment units (eight units on the bottom level and eight units at the top level) the frame may be reduced in half (one level (i.e., eight units) only) or it may built such that it has three levels (twenty four units total) or even more levels. 
         [0038]    In addition, although the emphasis herein was on a rectangular prism-like shape, the disclosed adaptable mounting frame may work equally well, as described, in a triangular prism-like configuration, when the frame would have three lateral faces (“sides”) instead of four as described above. Preferably, a triangular prism-like frame would have all three sides equal in width for an easier and more space efficient arrangement of multiple frames, on, for example, the floor of a building. 
         [0039]    Furthermore, this new and adaptable mounting frame may have other shapes, such as hexagonal, octagonal, and so on, prism-like shapes, in order to, for example, accommodate more equipment or to fit better in the space allotted. Also, the frame can have various sizes in regards to its width, depth, and height depending on, for example, the size of the equipment to be mounted, the space requirement for leased space, building codes, or the field conditions. 
         [0040]    The frame&#39;s  400  versatile design allows it to be used in interior or exterior spaces and, if needed, in a stackable arrangement to fill the vertical space available inside of a building or outside (e.g., on top of a building). The frame may be anchored to the ground, the roof of a building and so on, with optional mounting depending on the local building codes. Furthermore, the frame can have various sizes in regards to width, depth, and height depending on space requirement for lease space or field condition. 
         [0041]    The frame may be made of materials such as steel, aluminum, fiber reinforced plastic (FRP), or other composite materials. The frame can be painted or finished for durability and/or camouflage to the surrounding area. 
         [0042]    The open concept of the disclosed frame (no panels on top and bottom of the frame and nothing in between the interior members  408 - a ) makes the frame advantageous in terms of decreased weight, lower manufacturing costs and better cooling of equipment. Furthermore, it permits the mounting of multiple equipment units and to access them with ease rather than trying to pull everything out of the frame to access them. It also allow for less wind loading (when running structural calculations) since this is not a solid design like standard cabinets are. 
         [0043]    It may be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases used in this patent document. The term “couple” and its derivatives refer to any direct or indirect communication between two or more elements, whether or not those elements are in physical contact with one another. The terms “include” and “comprise,” as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation. The term “or” is inclusive, meaning and/or. The phrases “associated with” and “associated therewith,” as well as derivatives thereof, may mean to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have, have a property of, or the like. 
         [0044]    Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein for the purpose of disclosing the preferred embodiments, someone of ordinary skills in the art will easily detect alternate embodiments and /or equivalent variations, which may be capable of achieving the same results, and which may be substituted for the specific embodiments illustrated and described herein without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of this application is intended to cover alternate embodiments and /or equivalent variations of the specific embodiments illustrated and/or described herein. Hence, the scope of the invention is defined by the accompanying claims and their equivalents. Furthermore, each and every claim is incorporated as further disclosure into the specification and the claims are embodiment(s) of the invention.