Interchangeable adapter face plates

Details Interchangeable adapter face plates Interchangeable adapter face plates

1998-12-08

2001-06-05

Reichard, Dean A. (Department: 2831)

Electricity: conductors and insulators

Conduits, cables or conductors

Combined

C174S059000, C174S068300, C361S644000, C361S669000, C439S949000, C052S220700, C220S003200, C220S003300

Reexamination Certificate

active

06242698

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to cable management systems and particularly to telephone cable management systems using a wall or frame-mounted panel, and wiring blocks and troughs coupled to the panel, and more particularly to an adapter plate retained on the panel between the panel and the wiring blocks and troughs for facilitating installation of communication equipment.
BACKGROUND ART
As illustrated in
FIGS. 1 and 2
, conventional telephone cable management systems include a metal panel
10
defining a channel
11
attached to a wall. The panel
10
includes a base wall
12
, a pair of side walls
14
extending from the base wall
12
, and a plurality of tabs
16
extending inwardly from the side walls
14
. The tabs
16
include trough tabs
16
a
and wiring block tabs
16
b
alternating along the length of the panel
10
. A plurality of wiring blocks
20
and troughs
22
are alternately attached to the tabs
16
a
and
16
b,
respectively, and a duct assembly
24
is attached to the bottom of the panel
10
.
As illustrated in
FIG. 2
, a wiring bundle
30
is routed in the channel
11
behind the wiring blocks
20
and troughs
22
. Patch cords
26
are coupled to the wiring blocks
20
and run through the troughs
22
to wire rings
32
, and then routed down to the duct assembly
24
for further routing as necessary.
The conventional cable management system has worked well in the past, but it has several disadvantages. First, the alternating trough tabs
16
a
and wiring block tabs
16
b
limit the utility of the panel to a single configuration of alternating troughs and wiring blocks. Second, the panel is only available in two sizes, i.e., a 300 pair size and a 900 pair size. A third disadvantage arises with the advent of new high bit rate data type cables that have been increasing in diameter. The increased diameter has decreased the available free space in the channel
11
behind the wiring blocks
20
and troughs
22
. A fourth disadvantage becomes apparent during cable installation. When the cables are organized into their respective slots, and before the wiring blocks
20
are installed, the lack of any significant retention mechanism allows the sorted cables to fall out of their assigned positions. As a result, experienced craftspersons use wire ties or scrap wire to tie the cables into the panel. This procedure of tying the cables adds to the time required for installation and forces the craftsperson to carry wire ties or scrap wire, which is inconvenient. A related disadvantage is that the craftspersons must carry fasteners for attaching the wiring blocks and troughs to the panel, adding to the inconvenience and requiring additional parts inventory.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention overcomes the above cited disadvantages of conventional cable management systems and provides additional advantages by providing an adapter plate that easily and conveniently attaches to the wall panel and facilitates the attachment of varying configurations of cabling components, such as troughs and wiring blocks for retaining 110-type connector blocks, to the wall panel.
According to the present invention, a cable management system comprises an adapter plate disposed between a panel and a cabling component. The adapter plate includes a plurality of fasteners for retaining the cabling component on the panel.
According to one aspect of the invention, the adapter plate includes a first surface and a second surface, and the plurality of fasteners includes a first plurality of fasteners extending orthogonally from the first surface. Each of the first plurality of fasteners includes a proximal end attached to the first surface, a distal end, and an engagement portion attached to the distal end. The adapter plate further includes a first plurality of alignment pins and a second plurality of alignment pins. The first plurality of alignment pins extends orthogonally from the first surface, the alignment pins being disposed so as to engage alignment apertures formed in the panel. The second plurality of alignment pins extend orthogonally from the second surface, the second plurality of alignment pins being disposed to engage alignment apertures formed in the wiring block. According to another aspect of the invention, the adapter plate includes an abutment portion disposed to abut the panel and cooperate with the first plurality of fasteners to position the adapter plate relative to the panel.
In one embodiment of the invention, the abutment portion includes a flange depending from an edge of the adapter plate to orient the adapter plate at an angle relative to the panel, thereby providing an angled adapter plate to facilitate craftsperson access when the adapter plate is located at the top or bottom of the wall panel.
In another embodiment of the invention, the abutment portion includes a pair of flanges depending from opposite edges of the adapter plate, the flanges being sized to provide additional depth to the panel, thereby increasing the size of the channel behind the connector hardware.
The present invention includes integrally molded fasteners that engage the wall panel, wiring blocks, and troughs, thereby eliminating the need for fasteners to be carried by the craftsperson or maintained in inventory. In addition, the present invention positions the plurality of alignment pins and the plurality of fasteners to make use of existing features on the wiring blocks and troughs, thereby permitting the use of conventional wiring blocks and troughs with the invention.
These and other features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention which is provided in connection with the accompanying drawings.


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