Telecommunications panel flame shield and wire trough

Details Telecommunications panel flame shield and wire trough Telecommunications panel flame shield and wire trough

2003-08-04

2004-11-30

Martin, David (Department: 2841)

Electricity: electrical systems and devices

Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...

Support brackets

C361S818000, C361S816000, C361S800000, C174S034000, C174S051000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06826058

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to flame and heat shields. More particularly, the present invention relates to a flame and heat shield, which protects a housing and/or equipment employed on a rack-mounted electronics assembly.
2. Description of the Background Art
A rack-mounted electronics assembly is often employed in a central office equipment room or wiring closet. In the wiring closet, interconnections for telephone and network services are established. In other words, perhaps hundreds or thousands of twisted pairs, coaxial cables, fiber optic lines, etc. are selectively interconnected via various equipment.
FIG. 1
illustrates a front view of a rack system
10
in a typical wiring closet and
FIG. 2
illustrates a rear view the rack system
10
in the wiring closet. As illustrated in
FIGS. 1 and 2
, a plurality of digital cross connect (DSX) panels
5
are attached to a first rail
7
and a second rail
8
constituting the rails of the rack system
10
. Further, a power supply
4
is attached to the first and second rails
7
,
8
, below a lowermost DSX panel
5
′. Building wiring
12
, which is connected to various equipment throughout the building, e.g. jacks, computers, printers, facsimile machines, telephones, etc., enters and exits the rack system
10
from overhead. The building wiring
12
enters and exits the backs of respective DSX panels
5
and is connected therein to terminals, e.g. wire wrap terminals, insulation displacement connectors (IDC's). The fronts of the D$X panels
5
include a plurality of jacks and/or jumpers, so that a technician can make organized interconnections between the building wiring
12
.
FIG. 3
is a close-up view illustrating a rear perspective of the lowermost DSX panel
5
′ attached to the first and second rails
7
,
8
. The building wiring
12
has been removed to simplify the illustration. However, it should be noted that the building wiring
12
would enter and exit the lowermost DSX panel
5
′ via portals
13
. The lowermost DSX panel
5
′ includes a first side wall
14
, an opposite second side wall
15
, a bottom surface
16
and a rear surface
17
. The rear surface
17
includes the portals
13
. Further, the DSX panel
5
′ is attached to the rack system
10
by bolts or nuts
2
or similar fasteners, which pass through placement holes
3
formed in the first and second rails
7
,
8
and through mounting holes
18
formed in side tabs
19
of the DSX panel
5
′ (See FIG.
5
).
Occasionally, a!fire will occur in one of the components mounted on the rack system
10
. Fires are usually not started by a component part of the DSX panel
5
, since the wiring and interconnections therein are mostly passive. Most often, the fire is associated with a defective or failed component of the power supply
4
, such as a transistor, capacitor, or transformer. In accordance with the background art, a fire in the power supply
4
has occasion to destroy not only the component parts of the power supply, but also to destroy or damage one or more DSX panels
5
. The lowermost DSX panel
5
′ is most susceptible due to its immediate proximity to the power supply
4
and the fact that heat and flame will rise, and the fact that the DSX panels are typically manufactured of plastic.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to address one or more of the drawbacks associated with the background art.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a structure to limit the damage to the components mounted on a rack system.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a structure to shield one or more of the components of the rack system from heat and/or fire.
It is object of the present invention to provide a structure to guide wires and cables and hence simply the layout of wires and cabling, to improve the appearance of the wires and cables entering and exiting the components of the rack system, and to protect the wires and cables from heat and/or fire.
These and other objects are accomplished by a flame shield which redirects heat and flame away from an undersurface of a housing of electrical equipment, such as a DSX panel installed in a rack system in a wiring closet. The flame shield has a conforming shape to a lower surface of the DSX panel. The flame shield includes tabs with mounting holes, which permit the same fasteners used to initially attach the DSX panel to the rails of the rail system to be reused in attaching the flame shield and DSX panel combination to the rails of the rack system. Also, the flame shield includes an extended portion having a v-shaped cross section, which serves to shield wiring entering the DSX panel from heat and flame and also acts as a wiring guide.
Other objects and further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.


REFERENCES:
patent: 6477055 (2002-11-01), Bolognia et al.
patent: 6481582 (2002-11-01), Rinderer
patent: 6587354 (2003-07-01), Kutsch et al.
patent: 6646867 (2003-11-01), Tuttle et al.
-Fritz et al., Telecommunications chassis and card, Pub No. US 2002/0118526A1, Pub date. Aug. 29, 2002. -Shirakami et al., Housing structure for ultrafast communication apparatus, Pub No. US 2003/0214798 A1, Pub date. Nov. 20, 2003.*
-Varghese et al., Modular AC input section for a power supply unit, Pub No. US 2003/0058613A1, Pub date. Mar. 27, 2003.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Telecommunications panel flame shield and wire trough does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Telecommunications panel flame shield and wire trough, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Telecommunications panel flame shield and wire trough will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3287455