Patent Abstract:
A method and system for installing and removing a row of cables from a cable array is provided. The method includes providing an installation tool having a first body with a plurality of arms extending from one side. The plurality of arms being configured to receive a cable connector body, the plurality of arms including at least one first projection extending from one of the plurality of arms. The installation tool is moved onto a row of cables held coupled together by a bracket, each of the cables in the row of cables having a cable connector body. The connector bodies are engaged into receptacles and the bracket is moved with the at least one first projection.

Full Description:
DOMESTIC PRIORITY 
       [0001]    This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/791,119, filed Mar. 8, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The present application relates to a system for inserting and removing cables from computer receptacles and in particular to a system for inserting and removing entire rows of cables. 
         [0003]    One issue in the design of high-performance computing or networking equipment is the issue of interconnection between printed circuit boards (PCBs), i.e., from one PCB to another PCB. Within a PCB, electronic processing circuitry can be interconnected using wiring layers within the printed circuit board. This type of interconnect can provide high performance and density—supporting up to thousands of interconnection wires, operating at rates potentially greater than 1-10 Gbps. However, interconnections between PCBs are more difficult, requiring either backplane-style boards that the interconnecting circuit boards plug into using backplane connectors, or cables. This results in the use of cable connectors (or backplane-style connectors) and bulk cable with wires or flex circuitry. As processing circuitry has steadily improved in performance and density, these board-to-board interconnection methods have become an increasingly-large bottleneck in design, since the density and bandwidth performance of cable connectors and electrical backplane connectors has not increased at the same rate as the processing circuitry. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0004]    In accordance with an embodiment, a method is provided. The method includes providing an installation tool having a first body with a plurality of arms extending from one side, the plurality of arms being configured to receive a cable connector body, the plurality of arms including at least one first projection extending from one of the plurality of arms. The installation tool is moved onto a row of cables held coupled together by a bracket, each of the cables in the row of cables having a cable connector body. The connector bodies are engaged into receptacles. The bracket is moved with the at least one first projection. 
         [0005]    Another embodiment is directed to a tool for installing a row of cables from a cable array is provided. Each cable includes a connector configured to couple with a receptacle and a tab member configured to disengage the connector from the receptacle. The tool includes a body. A plurality of arms extending from one end of the body, the plurality of arms defining a plurality of openings, each of the plurality of openings sized to receive one of the connectors. At least one projection extends from an end of at least one of the plurality of arms. 
         [0006]    Still another embodiment is directed to a tool for removing a row of cables from a cable array is provided. Each cable includes a connector configured to couple with a receptacle and tab member configured to disengage the connector from the receptacle. The tool includes a body. A handle portion is arranged on one side of the body. A plurality of engagement members extend from one side of the body, each of the plurality of engagement members having a first projection and a second projection separated by a slot, the slot being configured to receive one of the tab members. 
         [0007]    Additional features and advantages are realized through the techniques of the present invention. Other embodiments and aspects of the invention are described in detail herein and are considered a part of the claimed invention. For a better understanding of the invention with the advantages and the features, refer to the description and to the drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    The subject matter which is regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other features, and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary row of cables in accordance with one or more embodiments; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  illustrates an exemplary array of cables coupled to a receptacle block in accordance with one or more embodiments; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary installation tool in accordance with one or more embodiments; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  illustrates a reverse perspective view of the installation tool of  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  illustrates an end view of the installation tool of  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  illustrates a perspective view of the installation tool of  FIG. 3  being coupled to a row of cables in accordance with one or more embodiments; 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  illustrates the installation of a row of cables into receptacles using the installation tool of  FIG. 3  in accordance with one or more embodiments; 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  illustrates a perspective view of the row of cables installed in the receptacles using the installation tool of  FIG. 3  in accordance with one or more embodiments; 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary removal tool in accordance with one or more embodiments; 
           [0018]      FIG. 10  illustrates a perspective view of the removal tool of  FIG. 10 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 11  illustrates an end view of the removal tool of  FIG. 10 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 12  illustrates a perspective view of the removal tool of  FIG. 10  being coupled to a row of cables tool in accordance with one or more embodiments; 
           [0021]      FIG. 13  illustrates a perspective view of the removal tool of  FIG. 10  coupled on a row of cables tool in accordance with one or more embodiments; and 
           [0022]      FIG. 14  illustrates a perspective view of the row of cables being removed from the receptacles using the removal tool of  FIG. 10  tool in accordance with one or more embodiments. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0023]    Embodiments of the disclosure may be used in connection with interconnection networks for computers, switches and other information technology equipment, such as high-density networks for large clustered systems, high-performance computing and supercomputing systems, and cloud computing systems, for example. Embodiments of the disclosure may be applied in the area of electrical backplanes or optical backplanes, arrays of cables, connector arrays, and cable harnesses that interconnect, e.g., dozens or hundreds of switching elements, also termed switches or switch ICs or switch chips. 
         [0024]    Embodiments of the disclosure may be used in connection with so-called “all-to-all” or “full mesh” networks, in one or more levels, where a multiplicity of switching elements (on the order of 16 to 64 or 128 switching elements in some embodiments) each have links to most or all of the other switching elements. Such networks, with ports interconnecting each switching element or with a large number of other switching elements (i.e., “high-radix” switching elements) are only recently technically feasible and cost-effective. Previously, integrated circuit switching chips could only be cost-effectively constructed using commonly-available CMOS integrated circuit technology, with a moderate number (e.g., 8-24) of ports. Such “all-to-all” or “full mesh” networks may be used to avoid or mitigate against deficiencies, such as congestion and extra latency that may be inherent in Multi-stage Interconnection networks using other topologies, such as Torus (in 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or more dimensions), or Omega (also called “Butterfly” or “Clos”, or “Fat Tree”) topologies, where traffic must traverse several intermediate switching elements to traverse the network. 
         [0025]    While all-to-all or full-mesh networks may have advantages over other network topologies in terms of performance, routing simplicity, and robustness against link failures, they might have several disadvantages or deficiencies. Such deficiencies may include one or more of: (a) each switching element must support a large number of ports, which must be tightly-packed, requiring high-density connector packing, (b) the network requires a large number (on the order of n 2 ) of interconnecting cables, and (c) the interconnecting cables form a complex topology, since the links connecting to each of the switching elements are “shuffled” and distributed across all of the other switching elements. 
         [0026]    In order to address or alleviate one or more of the aforementioned deficiencies, embodiments of the disclosure may be used to simplify the construction and manufacturing of such all-to-all interconnection networks. In some embodiments, a generic decomposition of a single all-to-all interconnection network topology into a multiplicity of smaller all-to-all interconnection network elements may be provided, which can be replicated in a modular fashion, to construct the full topology. In this manner, an all-to-all topology may be broken down into units that can be replicated, where each unit may be larger or include more connections than a base-unit of a wire. 
         [0027]    In the specific illustrative instance of optical networks with even numbers of drawers or books or blades, each containing a multiple of four (4) switching elements, use of multiple “shuffle cables” may be provided, where each shuffle cable may implement a 4×4 all-to-all topology, with a link width of one (1) or more fibers per link direction. Illustrative embodiments described herein show a topology with a drawer that contains eight (8) switching elements, and each link encompasses (6+6) fibers (i.e., six (6) fibers in each of the two directions), which implies that the entire structure may incorporate a modular aggregation of twenty-four (24) shuffle cables, with each shuffle cable implementing a 4×4×(6+6) all-to-all topology, incorporating one-hundred ninety-two (192) separate optical fibers or waveguides channels. Since each of the twenty-four (24) shuffle cables incorporates four (4) connectors on each of the two (2) ends, this complete optical backplane assembly may incorporate a total of one-hundred ninety-two (192) connectors, each of which may be a 48-fiber connector, using a standard “MT” or “MPO” Multi-fiber Push On/Pull Off optical connector design. 
         [0028]    Embodiments of the disclosure may be used to enclose all (e.g., 4,608) fibers in 192 connectors and 24 “shuffle cartridges” in a high-density aggregation of approximately 4″×16″×8″. An enclosure may incorporate both rigid and flexible components, providing: (a) close mechanical tolerances for connector plugging within each of the drawers (i.e., to approximately +/−0.1 millimeters in each of the 3 dimensions), while simultaneously maintaining looser mechanical tolerances (i.e., to approximately +/−5 millimeters) among the drawers, (b) robust protection of delicate optical fibers within a rigid shell, casing, or enclosure, and (c) incorporation of “gang-plug” handles that each actuate a multiplicity of the MPO. 
         [0029]    Embodiments of the disclosure may include one or more cables, such as a fiber optic cable  102  for example. A cable may be configured to convey multiple arrays of signals from multiple multi-fiber optical connectors associated with a first printed circuit board (PCB) to multiple multi-fiber optical connectors associated with a second or another PCB. 
         [0030]    An illustrative set of cables  100  is shown in  FIG. 1 . The cable  100  may contain a number of optical fibers. For example, in some embodiments the set of cables  100  may be arranged in rows of eight cables  102 , each having a connector  104  on each end. The cables may be those described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/614,391 entitled “Removable Sleeve for Fiber Optic Connectors for High Density Applications” filed on Nov. 6, 2009, which is incorporated herein by reference. Each row of cables may be grouped together with eight other rows to form an 8×8 matrix or block as shown in  FIG. 2  that couple with receptacles  106  in a drawer  110 . It should be appreciated that the drawer  110  includes a corresponding number of receptacles  106 . To assist in organizing, aligning and maintaining the connectors  104 , a bracket  108  or grouper member may be used for holding the connectors  104  during insertion and removal. 
         [0031]    Each of the connectors  104  includes a body  112  that is configured to couple the cable  102  to the receptacle  106  to allow signals to pass therebetween. The body  112  further includes an attachment mechanism, such as a snap fit for example, which mechanically couples the connector  104  to the receptacle  106 . To facilitate the coupling and uncoupling of the body  112  from the receptacle  106  a tab member  114 , sometimes called a “push/pull tab,” is provided that allows the operator to engage and disengage the attachment mechanism. In the exemplary embodiment, by moving the tab member  114  away from the receptacle  106  the attachment mechanism is disengaged. 
         [0032]    Referring now to  FIGS. 3-5 , an insertion tool  116  is provided that provides advantages in facilitating the insertion of a row of cables  102  into a row of receptacles  106  in drawer  110 . The insertion tool  116  includes a generally planar body  118  that has a U-shaped portion  120  that extends from one side. The U-shaped portion  120  defines an opening  122  that is sized to receive the operator&#39;s fingers. During use, the operator inserts their fingers through the opening  122  and grasps the U-shaped portion  120  to allow the operator to firmly hold the insertion tool  116 . 
         [0033]    Opposite the U-shaped portion  120 , the insertion tool  116  includes a plurality of arms  124  that extend outward from the body  118  (e.g. away from the U-shaped portion  120 ). In the exemplary embodiment, the insertion tool includes N+1 arms, where “N” is the number of cables  102  in the row being inserted. The plurality of arms  124  are spaced apart to define openings  126  that are sized to receive the connectors  104 . In the exemplary embodiment, the plurality of arms  124  includes a plurality of second arms  128 , a plurality of third arms  130  and a fourth arm  132 . Each of the plurality of third arms  130  includes a projection  134  that extends from an end opposite the body  118 . In the exemplary embodiment, the plurality of second arms  128  is interspersed between the plurality of third arms  130 . For example, the arm  130 A is arranged between the arms  128 B,  128 C while the arm  130 B is between the arms  128 C,  128 D and the arm  130 C is between the arms  128 D,  128 E. 
         [0034]    The arms  128  each have a body portion  136  having a height  138  that is generally the same as the body  118  and a width  140 . In one embodiment, the width  140  is larger on some arms  128  to accommodate non-uniform receptacle  106  spacing due to walls  141  ( FIG. 7 ). In one embodiment, the arm  128 A has a width  144  that is larger than the width  140  of the other arms  128  to provide additional structural support. Further, each arm  128  includes a flange  142  that extends generally perpendicular to the body portion  136  in a direction towards the arm  132 . The flange  142  forms an L-shaped structure that allows the arms  128  to fit tightly against the connectors  104  without interfering with the tab member  114 . 
         [0035]    The arms  130  are similarly arranged to the arms  128  having a body portion  146  and a width  148 . In the exemplary embodiment, the width  148  is larger than the width  140 . The arms  130  also include a flange  142  that extends generally perpendicular to the body portion  146  in a direction toward the arm  132 . The arm  132  does not include a flange, but rather has a substantially uniform thickness along the length since there is no adjacent tab member that it will interfere with. In one embodiment, the arm  132  has a square profile. 
         [0036]    Referring now to  FIGS. 6-8 , the operation of the insertion tool  116  will be described. First the operator prepares the cables  102  for installation by inserting the cables  102  and connectors  104  into the bracket  108 . The insertion tool  116  is then slid on to the assembly of cables ( FIG. 6 ) with the arms  128 ,  130 ,  132  disposed about the cables  102 . The insertion tool  116  is moved into position with the ends of the projections  134  in contact with the bracket  108  ( FIG. 7 ) such that the flanges  142  are disposed in contact on the bottom of the connectors  104 . Using the U-shaped portion  120  as a handle, the operator may orient and align the row of cables with the drawer  110  ( FIG. 7 ) and insert the connectors  104  into the receptacles  106  ( FIG. 8 ) with the bracket  108  pushed against the drawer  110  by the projections  134 . Once the cables  102  are coupled to the drawer  110 , the insertion tool  116  may be slid in the reverse direction to remove the insertion tool from the assembly. It should be appreciated that the insertion tool  116  may be used to insert the row of cables into any of the rows within the drawer  110  even if other rows of cables have already been installed. 
         [0037]    Referring now to  FIGS. 9-11 , an exemplary removal tool  150  is shown that may be used to decouple and extract a row of cables  102  from the drawer  110 . The removal tool  150  includes a generally planar body  152  with a U-shaped handle portion  154  extending from one end. The U-shaped handle portion  154  defines an opening  156  that is sized to receive the operator&#39;s fingers. The U-shaped handle portion  154  includes a flange member  158  that increases the thickness of the handle and facilitates the grasping of the handle by the operator while allowing the body portion  152  to remain relatively thin. It should be appreciated that a relatively thin body portion  152  allows the body portion  152  to be inserted between rows of cables  102  to allow an operator to remove an internal row of cables from the drawer  110  without removing the adjacent rows. 
         [0038]    Extending from one side  160  are a plurality of engagement members  162  that are configured to engage the tab member  114  and release the connector mechanism from the receptacle  106 . In the exemplary embodiment, each engagement member  162  is comprised of a first projection  164  and a second projection  166  that are separated by a slot  168 . The slot  168  is sized to fit around the shaft  115  ( FIG. 1 ) to allow the ends  170 ,  172  of the projections  164 ,  166  to engage the head portion  117  of the tab member  114 . In one embodiment, an angled surface is arranged on an end of the projections  164 ,  166  distal from the side  160  of the body portion  152 . 
         [0039]    On an opposing side  174  from the engagement member  162 , the removal tool  150  has a plurality of ribs  176 . The ribs  176  are generally tapered with a base portion being thicker than the tip to allow them to fit in between the cables  102  when the removal tool  150  is inserted into a matrix of cables. In one embodiment, the plurality of ribs  176  includes a first plurality of ribs  178  and a second plurality of ribs  180 . The ribs  180  are wider than the ribs  178  to accommodate the walls  141  in the drawer  110 . Each of the ribs  176  has a first side and a second side with the first side being positioned opposite one of the projections  164 . In one embodiment, the engagement members include a plurality of engagement members arranged opposite the ribs  176  and an engagement member arranged on the end. 
         [0040]    Referring now to  FIGS. 12-14 , the operation of the removal tool  150  is shown for extracting a row of cables  102  from the drawer  110 . First the operator identifies the row of cables  102  to be removed and slides the removal tool  150  over the row of cables  102  with the engagement members  162  facing the connectors  104  ( FIG. 13 ). The engagement members  162  are inserted onto the tab members  114  such that the shaft portion  115  is positioned within the slots  168 . In this position, the engagement member  162  is arranged between the head portion  117  and the receptacle  106 . The operator then grasps the handle portion  154  and moves the removal tool  150  in the direction away from the drawer  110 . This causes the ends  170 ,  172  to contact the head portion  117  of the tab member  114 , resulting in the connector mechanism disengaging from the receptacle  106  ( FIG. 14 ). The operator then continues to move the row of cables  102  away from the drawer  110  and separates the row of cables  102  from the cable matrix ( FIG. 14 ). It should be appreciated that the removal tool  150  may be used to extract any row of cables from the matrix and that the tool may be used to extract an internal row without removing the adjacent rows. 
         [0041]    Embodiments of the invention provide a system having the insertion tool  116  and the removal tool  150  that provides advantages in the insertion and extraction of rows of cables  102  having connectors  104  in a cable matrix coupled to a drawer. The system provides advantages in reducing the time for installation and removal. The system provides further advantages in increasing the reliability of servicing by reducing the risk of cables being installed in the wrong receptacles. 
         [0042]    The values shown and described herein in connection with the various embodiments are illustrative. In some embodiments, values or configurations different than those explicitly described herein may be used. 
         [0043]    The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. 
         [0044]    While the invention has been described in detail in connection with only a limited number of embodiments, it should be readily understood that the invention is not limited to such disclosed embodiments. Rather, the invention can be modified to incorporate any number of variations, alterations, substitutions or equivalent arrangements not heretofore described, but which are commensurate with the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, while various embodiments of the invention have been described, it is to be understood that aspects of the invention may include only some of the described embodiments. Accordingly, the invention is not to be seen as limited by the foregoing description, but is only limited by the scope of the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 8