GB2379340A

GB2379340A - A removable pivoting cover with lock for patch panel

Info

Publication number: GB2379340A
Application number: GB0121320A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gordon Thomas Burgess
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-09-03
Filing date: 2001-09-03
Publication date: 2003-03-05
Anticipated expiration: 2021-09-03
Also published as: GB0121320D0; GB2379340B

Abstract

A cover assembly (2) for a standard patch panel, which cover assembly (2) comprises a cover (4), a first support member (6), a hinge (8) which hinges a first end (10) of the cover (4) to the first support member (6) such that the cover (4) can be completely removed from the first support member (6) in order to provide access to the standard patch panel without obstruction from the cover (4), a second support member (12), and locking means (14) for locking together a second end (16) of the cover (4) and the second support member (12).

Description

A COVER ASSEMBLY FOR A STANDARD PATCH PANEL This invention relates to a cover assembly for a standard patch panel.

Standard patch panels are widely used in the telecommunications industry for enabling cables to be connected to each other in appropriate sequences. The cables may be in the form of telephone wires or fibre optic cables. The connections made by the standard patch panels can be very important, for example in the case of financial transactions where banks may require to transfer large amounts of money at precise times. It is not commercially acceptable for the standard patch panels to be out of commission for long periods of time. They have to be precisely maintained and speedily repaired. The standard patch panels are usually used in groups and there may be, for example, 100 of the standard patch panels, all located together in a group and bolted onto a frame. The frame is a standard frame and the frame may be formed as part of a cabinet. In order to prevent unauthorised access to the standard patch panels, some kind of cover is usually employed. If the standard patch panels are bolted to a frame in the form of a cabinet, then the cover may take the form of a door to the cabinet. The standard patch panels are often located in confined spaces and open covers on the standard patch panels get in the way of persons trying to

maintain and/or repair the standard patch panels. The open covers also represent a potential danger in that they can easily be walked into by the persons conducting the maintenance and/or the repair.

It is an aim of the present invention to obviate or reduce the above mentioned problems.

Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention there is provided a cover assembly for a standard patch panel, which cover assembly comprises a cover, a first support member, a hinge which hinges a first end of the cover to the first support member such that the cover can be completely removed from the first support member in order to provide access to the standard patch panel without obstruction from the cover, a second support member, and locking means for locking together a second end of the cover and the second support member.

With the cover assembly of the present invention, security for the standard patch panel can be achieved simply by locking the cover in position. Maximum access for maintenance and/or repair can easily be obtained simply by unlocking the cover and then unhinging it from the first support member in order to enable the cover to be completely removed and stored in a convenient position whilst the maintenance and/or repair work is being conducted. When the maintenance and/or repair work has been finished, the cover can simply be rehinged to the

first support member, and then locked in position to the second support member.

Preferably, the cover assembly is one in which the hinge is formed by a hinge portion which is on the first support member and which returns back on itself and defines an open mouth, and by a bar which is on the inside of the cover and which is able to be passed through the open mouth of the hinge portion and thereby enable the hinge portion to hook around the bar. The bar will usually be of circular cross section.

The locking means preferably comprises a lock on the cover, and a keeper formation on the second support member.

A different arrangement may be employed if desired so that, for example, the lock could be on the second support member and the keeper formation could be on the cover.

Where the lock is on the cover and the keeper formation is on the second support member, the keeper formation is advantageously in the shape of the hinge portion, whereby the first support member and the second support member are of the same shape. Thus only one component needs to be manufactured instead of two separate components. In addition to ease of manufacture, ease of installation is also provided. There is no need for a person installing the cover assembly to make sure that they have got the correct support member as would be the case if

the first and second support members were of a different shape.

The lock will usually be a key operated lock but it may be a combination lock if desired.

Preferably, the first and second support members each comprise a locating portion for locating against the standard patch panel, and at least one slot in the locating portion for receiving a shank of a screw threaded fixing device that holds the standard patch panel in position and thereby to enable the locating portion to be positioned under a head of the fixing device. Preferably, the slot is an open slot so that the locating portion can be slid into position simply by loosening the fixing device. Usually, each one of the locating portions will have two of the slots. If desired however one slot or more than two of the slots may be employed. The fixing device will usually be a screw or a screw bolt.

Preferably, the cover is formed from bent sheet metal.

Also preferably the first and second support members are formed from bent sheet metal. The use of bent sheet metal enables the components of the cover assembly easily and cheaply to be formed. Other materials may be employed if desired so that, for example, the cover and the first and second support members may be made from moulded plastics materials.

The present invention also provides a standard patch panel when provided with the cover assembly.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a cover assembly in a nearly closed position; Figure 2 shows the cover assembly of Figure 1 in a fully closed position; Figure 3 shows first and second support members which form part of the cover assembly shown in Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 shows a cover which forms part of the cover assembly shown in Figures 1 and 2; Figure 5 shows alternative first and second support members to those shown in Figure 3; Figure 6 shows different first and second support members; Figures 7 shows a cover assembly for fitting to the first and second support members shown in Figure 6; and Figure 8 shows alternative support members to those shown in Figure 6.

Referring to Figures 1-4, there is shown a cover assembly 2 for a standard patch panel. The standard patch panel is well known and will not be described in detail because it is not central to the present invention.

The cover assembly 2 comprises a cover 4, a first support member 6 and a hinge 8. The hinge 8 hinges a first end 10 of the cover 4 to the first support member 6 such that the cover 4 can be completely removed from the first support 6 in order to provide access to the standard patch panel without obstruction from the cover 4.

The cover assembly 2 also comprises a second support 12 and locking means 14. The locking means 14 is for locking together a second end 16 of the cover 4 and the second support member 12.

The hinge 8 is formed by a hinge portion 18 which is on the first support member 6. As can best be seen from Figure 3, the hinge portion 18 returns back on itself and defines an open mouth 20. The hinge 8 is also formed by a bar 22 which is best seen from Figure 4. The bar 22 is of circular cross section and it is positioned on the inside of the cover 4. The bar 22 is able to be passed through the open mouth 20 of the hinge portion 18. This enables the hinge portion 18 to hook around the bar 22 and form the hinge 8 as a detachable hinge which enables the cover 4 to be removed from the first support member 6 as and when required.

The locking means 14 comprises a lock 24 on the cover 4, and a keeper formation 26 on the second support member 12. The keeper formation 26 is the same shape as the hinge portion 18. Thus the first support member 6 and the second

support member 12 are of the same shape. They are therefore interchangeable, which facilitates installation because a person installing the cover assembly 2 then does not have to worry about differentiating between the first and the second support members 6,12 as would be the case if these first and second support members 6,12 were different from each other. The lock 24 is a key operated lock having a key hole 28.

The first and the second support members 6,12 each comprise a locating portion 30 for locating against the standard patch panel. The locating portion 30 has two slots 32. Each slot 32 is an open slot as shown. Each slot 32 is for receiving a shank (not shown) of a screw threaded fixing device that holds the standard patch panel in position. Thus, simply by loosening the screw threaded fixing device, it is possible to position the locating portion 30 underneath the heads of a pair of the screw threaded fixing devices. Usually the screw threaded fixing devices will be screws or screw bolts.

As can be seen from Figure 1-4, the cover 4 and the first and the second support members 6,12 are formed from bent sheet metal. This enables the cover 4 and the first and the second support members 6,12 easily to be manufactured, with the slots 32 being stamped out.

The cables contained within the standard patch panel may be of varying thicknesses, for example depending upon

whether or not the cables are telephone cables or fibre optic cables. The cover assembly 2 may therefore need to be of varying depths. This is easily achieved by producing the first and the second support members 6,12 with arms 34 of differing lengths. As can be seen from a comparison of Figures 3 and 5, the first and the second support members 6,12 shown in Figure 5 have longer arms 34 than those in Figure 3. Thus a cover assembly 2 formed with the first and second support members 6,12 shown in Figure 5 would be deeper than a cover assembly 2 formed with the first and second support members 6,12 shown in Figure 3. The first and the second support members 6,12 can be made with arms 34 in predetermined lengths to provide cover assemblies 2 for all standard situations.

Figure 6 shows a first support member 36 and a second support member 38. The second support member 38 is the same as the second support member 12 shown in Figure 3.

However the first support member 36 differs from the first support member 6 shown in Figure 3. More specifically, the first support member 36 has a recessed part 40 and an extension part 42. In addition, the hinge portion 18 returns on the other side of the arm 34. Thus, when the cover 4 shown in Figure 7 is located on the first support member 36, the bar 22 latches into the hinge portion 18 but on the outside of the arm 34. The recessed part 40 enables

the top 44 of the cover 4 to pass over the top of the arm 34.

Figure 8 shows two modified first and second support members 36,38 which are basically the same as the first and second support members 36,38 shown in Figure 6 but which have longer arms 34 for the purpose mentioned above in connection with Figures 3 and 5. The cover 4 shown in Figure 7 can still be used with the first and second support members 36,38 shown in Figure 8. The cover 4 shown in Figure 7 can still be the same length as the cover 4 shown in Figure 4. However, to accommodate for the fact that with the cover 4 shown in Figure 7, the bar 22 is on the outside of the arm 34 of the first support member 36, the second support member 38 may need to be moved further along its slots 32 towards the second support member 38 than is the case for the first support member 6.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the cover 4, the first support members 6, 36 and the second support members 12,38 can be of different shapes to those shown. The various component parts of the cover assembly 2 can be made from any suitable and appropriate materials and in any suitable and appropriate sizes.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A cover assembly for a standard patch panel, which cover assembly comprises a cover, a first support member, a hinge which hinges a first end of the cover to the first support member such that the cover can be completely removed from the first support member in order to provide access to the standard patch panel without obstruction from the cover, a second support member, and locking means for locking together a second end of the cover and the second support member.
2. A cover assembly according to claim 1 in which the hinge is formed by a hinge portion which is on the first support member and which returns back on itself and defines an open mouth, and by a bar which is on the inside of the cover and which is able to be passed through the open mouth of the hinge portion and thereby enable the hinge portion to hook around the bar.
3. A cover assembly according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the locking means comprises a lock on the cover, and a keeper formation on the second support member.
4. A cover assembly according to claim 3 in which the keeper formation is the same shape as the hinge portion,

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whereby the first support member and the second support member are of the same shape.
5. A cover assembly according to claim 3 or claim 4 in which the lock is a key operated lock.
6. A cover assembly according to any one of the preceding claims in which the first and second support members each comprise a locating portion for locating against the standard patch panel, and at least one slot in the locating portion for receiving a shank of a screw threaded fixing device that holds the standard patch panel in position and thereby to enable the locating portion to be positioned under a head of the fixing device.
7. A cover assembly according to claim 6 in which the slot is an open slot so that the locating portion can be slid into position simply by loosening the fixing device.
8. A cover assembly according to claim 6 or claim 7 in which each one of the locating portions has two of the slots.
9. A cover assembly according to any one of the preceding claims in which the cover is formed from bent sheet metal.

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10. A cover assembly according to any one of the preceding claims in which the first and second support members are formed from bent sheet metal.
11. A cover assembly for a standard patch panel, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
12. A standard patch panel when provided with a cover assembly according to any one of the preceding claims.