Patent Document

BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    Switch modules may connect incoming and outgoing cables of a network of electronic devices such as a local area network (“LAN”). Switch modules not only connect network nodes, but connect the network to the Internet or another network. The use of switch modules allows for moving individual electronic devices to different groups in the network by disconnecting cables and reconnecting them elsewhere on the same or other switch modules. Also, switch modules need to be serviced where the cables attached to them need to be removed and reinstalled. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0002]    For a detailed description of various examples, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0003]      FIG. 1  illustrates an external faceplate in accordance with at least some examples; 
           [0004]      FIG. 2  illustrates the external faceplate and an electronic device in accordance with at least some examples; and 
           [0005]      FIG. 3  illustrates the external faceplate, the electronic device, and a swing arm in accordance with at least some examples. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0006]    Often, electronic devices have a faceplate for external cables to couple the electronic devices to other electronic devices. Electronic devices may comprise switches, other networking elements, data processor devices, data storage devices, servers, blades, etc. Removing external cables from the faceplates is time consuming and error prone (e.g., an incorrect cable is removed or a cable is inadvertently knocked loose), and the external cables should be removed prior to each servicing of the electronic devices. After service is complete, the external cables should be reinstalled, which introduces another opportunity for error such incorrect cables being installed and more possibility for inadvertent loosening. 
         [0007]    This invention describes “blind-mate faceplate” connectors, mounted on an external faceplate, to bridge the external cables and electronic devices. The word “external” is with respect to the electronic device. A blind-mate faceplate connector assembly has blind-mate connectors on one side of the external faceplate to blind-mate an electronic device, and external cable connectors on the other side of the external faceplate to manually mate external cables Blind-mate connectors allow higher density connectivity compared to commonly used faceplate connectors. Blind-mate faceplate connectors have multiple advantages. First, electronic devices can be serviced without removing the external cables. Next, blind-mate connectors allows high-density signals which in turns allows for high-density external cable connectors to be used to couple the external faceplate with high-density external cables, which are more cost efficient than commonly used low-density cables. Also, the external cables can be pre-installed and tested before the electronic devices are installed enabling faster installation time. 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  illustrates an external faceplate apparatus  100  in accordance with at least some examples. The apparatus  100  may comprise an external faceplate  102  rigidly attached to a frame, for example a rack frame (not shown). The external faceplate  102  may be coupled to blind-mate connectors  104 . The blind-mate connectors  104  may comprise alignment features that allow for automatic alignment of the blind-mate connectors when mating and unmating with compatible connectors on the electronic devices. For example, the blind-mate connectors  104  may comprise guide rails, chamfered edges, pins, sockets, etc. that allow for automatic alignment of the blind-mate connectors when mating and unmating with compatible connectors on the electronic devices. The blind-mate connectors  104  may help transfer data to and from an electronic device in at least some examples. 
         [0009]    The external faceplate  102  may also be coupled to external cable connectors  106  in at least some examples. The external cable connectors  106  may removably couple to external cables  118  such as optical fiber cables or other network cables. The external cable connectors  106  may help transfer data to and from nodes external to the electronic device in at least some examples. The external faceplate may couple to an external cable  118  via the external cable connectors  106  prior to coupling with the electronic device via the blind-mate connectors  104 , and the external cables  118  need not be removed from the external cable connectors  106  when the electronic device is uninstalled or removed for servicing. As such, human errors such as misconnecting cables, knocking a connector loose, etc. can be minimized. Additionally, all cables can be connected to the external cable connectors  106  out of the sometimes cramped confines near the electronic device. Only coupling of the blind-mate connectors  104  needs to occur near the electronic device. In at least one example, a human installer may pre-connect many external cables  118  to the removed faceplate  102  while seated at a work bench and then install the faceplate (for example, in a rack), resulting in fewer errors than if the human installer were forced to connect the external cables  118  through a tangle of wires at the electronic device. The external cable connectors  106  may be coupled to the external faceplate  102  on an opposite side of the blind-mate connector  104  in at least one example. 
         [0010]    In at least one example, the external faceplate  102  of  FIG. 1  may comprise a blind mate connector  104 , and the external faceplate  102  may couple to a swing arm to secure the blind mate connector  104  to an electronic device. The external faceplate  102  may also couple to an attachment element  108  as discussed with regard to  FIG. 3  below. 
         [0011]      FIG. 2  illustrates the external faceplate  102  and an electronic device  113  in accordance with at least some examples. In the examples of  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the electronic device  113  is a switch labeled “switch module.” However, in other examples, electronic devices  113  may comprise other networking elements, data processor devices, data storage devices, servers, blades, etc. The electronic device  113  may comprise an electrical/optical conversion engine  114  that converts electrical signals to optical signals and converts optical signals to electrical signals. The electrical/optical conversion engine  114  may be mounted on mount  109  in at least one example, and may comprise pig-tail terminated ferrules  111  for transferring signals to and from the electrical/optical conversion engine  114 . In various other examples, the external cable connector  106  or the blind-mate connector  104  may comprise the electrical/optical conversion engine  114 . If low-density or standard cables are required to be coupled to external cable connectors  106 , electrical to optical and optical to electrical conversions may occur on a powered faceplate  102 . For example, a power source may connect to the external faceplate  102  to power the conversion engine. 
         [0012]    The electronic device  113  may comprise compatible connectors  110  removably coupled to blind-mate connectors  104 . As such, the faceplate  102  may be decoupled from the electronic device  113  without decoupling external cables  118  from external cable connectors  106 . Also, external cables  118  may be coupled to external cable connectors  106  prior to blind-mate connectors  104  coupling to compatible connectors  110 . Accordingly, connection mistakes can be mitigated because numerous external cable connections need not be disconnected prior to servicing the electronic device  113  and reconnected after servicing the electronic device  113 . 
         [0013]      FIG. 3  illustrates the external faceplate  102 , the electronic device  113 , and a swing arm  122  in accordance with at least some examples. The external faceplate  102  may be removably coupled to a swing arm  122  to secure the blind-mate connectors  104  and external faceplate  102  to the electronic device  113 . In at least one example, the swing arm  122  may comprise a first hinge  123  coupled to a securing arm  124 . The securing arm  124  may rotate about the first hinge  123  and comprise an extendible portion  125  that extends away from the hinge. The extendible portion  125  may extend and retract thus lengthening and shortening securing arm  124 . The swing arm  122  may comprise a lock to prevent the securing arm  124  from rotating about the first hinge  123  or prevent the extendible portion  125  from extending or retracting. When unlocked, the securing arm  124  may rotate freely about the first hinge  123  or the extendible portion  125  may extend and retract freely, respectively. The external faceplate and the extendible portion  125  may be connected via a second hinge  127 , so that the external faceplate  102  along with the external cables  118  can be swung in the direction of arrow  126 . The external cables  118  may be secured on the swing arm  122  using tie wraps or mechanical straps. As such, the swing arm  122  may be locked during operation of the electronic device  113 , and unlocked so that the external faceplate  102  may be swung away on the second hinge  127  and in the direction of arrow  126  for the electronic device  113  to be removed or uninstalled for servicing. Specifically, the swing arm  122  allows the external faceplate  102  to be decoupled from the electronic device  113  to allow for removal of the electronic device  113 . In at least one example, the swing arm  122  may comprise a plurality securing arms to secure a plurality of corresponding external faceplates against a plurality of corresponding electronic devices. 
         [0014]    The external faceplate  102  may comprise an attachment element  108  to couple to the swing arm  122 . Specifically, in at least one example, the securing arm  124  removably couples to the attachment element  108  of the external faceplate  102 . The attachment element  108  is obscured in  FIG. 3  because the external faceplate is reversed in the direction of arrow  126 . The attachment element  108  may comprise a mechanical fastener to couple to the swing arm. For example, the mechanical fastener may include a sheath into which the securing arm  124  and extendible portion  125  extends. The mechanical fastener may include a hook or latch to which the securing arm  124  and extendible portion fasten. In another example, the attachment element may comprise an adhesive to couple to the swing arm. For example, the attachment element may include adhesives such as glue, tape, or items with similar chemical compounds to adhere to securing arm  125 . 
         [0015]    In at least one example, when the electronic device  113  is serviced, the blind-mate connectors  104  are decoupled from the electronic device  113 , but the external faceplate  102  remains on the swing arm  124  and the securing arm  124  is rotated about the first hinge  123  and/or the second hinge  127  so that the electronic device  113  may be uninstalled. After the electronic device  113  is reinstalled, the blind-mate connectors  104  are coupled to the electronic device  113  by rotating the securing arm  124  about the first hinge  123  and/or the second hinge  127  in the opposite direction. The external cables  118  and external cable connectors  106  are not decoupled from the faceplate  102  during servicing of the electronic device  113 . 
         [0016]    In at least one example, the external faceplate  102  may removably couple to the electronic device  113  on an opposite side of the electronic device  113  that couples to the backplane. Specifically, backplane connector  128  couples the electronic device  113  to the backplane and other electronic devices coupled to the backplane via mating with a backplane compatible connector  129 . In at least one example, the backplane compatible connector  129  is also a blind-mate connector. A portion of the backplane compatible connector  129  and corresponding backplane cable  131  may be housed in a casing  130  to prevent accidental disconnection. Similarly, the external cable connectors  106 , in whole or in portion, may be housed in a casing with the external cables  118  to prevent loose connections. 
         [0017]    The above discussion is meant to be illustrative of the principles and various embodiments of the present invention. Numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated. It is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace all such variations and modifications.

Technology Category: g