Granted Patent B2

US 7,220,145 · App. 10/823,937 · Granted May 22, 2007

Abstract

Claims (37)

1. A patch panel system, comprising:

a frame;

a patch panel attachable to said frame, said patch panel including a first connectivity interface having multiple connector receiving sections extending along a substantially arcuate path and joined to form an N-sided portion of a non-closed polygon where N is greater than two, said patch panel including a wedge shaped body with opposed front and back walls, at least one of said front and back walls being generally arcuately shaped; and

connector ports provided on at least two adjacent sections of said first connectivity interface.

2. The patch panel system of claim 1 , wherein said multiple sections of said first connectivity interface have planar front surfaces that are oriented at obtuse angles to one another along a substantially arcuate path.

3. The patch panel system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said connector ports includes a rear face configured to be directly connected to a cable.

4. The patch panel system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said connector ports is configured to convey a single data stream associated with a single information source or destination.

5. The patch panel system of claim 1 , wherein said patch panel includes a second connectivity interface including at least one multi-port connector port communicatively interconnected with a plurality of said connector ports at said first connectivity interface.

6. The patch panel system of claim 1 , further comprising a multi-port connector provided in a second connectivity interface, said multi-port connector conveying multiple independent data streams associated with multiple independent information sources or destinations.

7. The patch panel system of claim 1 , further comprising a circuit board in said patch panel, said circuit board including at least one of a communications path and a power distribution path individually joined to said connector ports.

8. The patch panel system of claim 1 , wherein said patch panel further includes a second connectivity interface, said first and second connectivity interfaces extending along generally concentric arcuate paths.

9. The patch panel system of claim 1 , wherein said patch panel includes a latch tab thereon extending outward from said first connectivity interface, said latch tab being one of securely and hingeably attached to said frame.

10. The patch panel system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of said patch panels arranged adjacent one another in a stacked manner.

11. The patch panel system of claim 1 , wherein said connector ports are provided on immediately adjacent sections of said multiple sections of said first connectivity interface.

12. The patch panel system of claim 1 , wherein said multiple sections are joined at edges.

13. A patch panel, comprising:

a body;

a first connectivity interface provided on said body, said first connectivity interface having multiple sections extending along a substantially arcuate path and joined to form an N-sided portion of a polygon where N is greater than two; and

connector ports provided on at least two immediately adjacent sections of said multiple sections of said first connectivity interface, said connector ports provided at said first connectivity interface arranged into connector modules, each of said connector ports in a first connector module being communicatively coupled to a single common multi-data stream connector port provided at a second connectivity interface of said patch panel.

14. The patch panel of claim 13 , wherein said multiple sections of said first connectivity interface are planar and oriented at obtuse angles to one another along a substantially arcuate path.

15. The patch panel of claim 13 , wherein at least one of said connector ports includes a rear face configured to be directly connected to a cable.

16. The patch panel of claim 13 , wherein said connector ports are provided on at least three of said multiple sections of said first connectivity interface.

17. A patch panel, comprising:

a body having a front, wall and a back wall extending between opposed side walls, said front, back and side walls defining a wedge shape, at least one of said front and back walls being generally arcuately shaped;

a first connectivity interface provided on said body, said front wall defining said first connectivity interface, said first connectivity interface having multiple sections extending along a substantially arcuate path and joined to form an N-sided portion of a polygon where N is greater than two; and

connector ports provided on at least two of said multiple sections of said first connectivity interface.

18. The patch panel system of claim 17 , wherein said connector ports are provided on immediately adjacent sections of said multiple sections of said first connectivity interface.

19. The patch panel system of claim 17 , wherein said multiple sections are joined at edges.

20. A patch panel, comprising:

a body;

a first connectivity interface provided on said body, said first connectivity interface having multiple sections extending along a substantially arcuate path and joined to form an N-sided portion of a polygon where N is greater than two;

connector ports provided on at least two of said multiple sections of said first connectivity interface; and

a multi-port connector provided in a second connectivity interface of said patch panel, said multi-port connector conveying multiple independent data streams associated with multiple independent users.

21. The patch panel of claim 13 , further comprising a circuit board in said patch panel, said circuit board including at least one of a communications path and a power distribution path individually joined to said connector ports.

22. The patch panel of claim 13 , wherein multiple patch panel are stacked on one another.

23. The patch panel of claim 13 , wherein said multiple sections of said first connectivity interface are planar and each hold a plurality of connector ports groups into an array.

24. The patch panel of claim 20 , wherein said connector ports are provided on immediately adjacent sections of said multiple sections of said first connectivity interface.

Assignments (13)