Patent ID: 8456859

Claim:
A switching device for communications networks comprising a plurality of line cards aligned in parallel with their flat sides facing each other, each line card comprising connection means arranged on or close to an edge of said line card, at least one switch card comprising matching connection means arranged on a flat side of said at least one switch card and adapted for communication with the connection means of the line cards, characterized in that said at least one switch card is arranged substantially perpendicular to said plurality of line cards with said flat side facing and at least partially overlapping said edges of the line cards, such that interconnection is achieved between the connection means of the line cards and the matching connection means of the at least one switch card, and a backplane comprising connection means arranged on a flat side of said backplane, wherein the line cards further comprise second connection means on or close to a second edge of the line cards, the backplane being arranged substantially perpendicular to both the line cards and the at least one switch card with said flat side of the backplane facing and at least partially overlapping said second edges of the line cards such that interconnection is achieved between said second connection means of the line cards and the connection means of the backplane.