US 12,155,979 B2Granted

Cable pillar for director switch systems

AssigneeMellanox Technologies, Ltd.

InventorsOfer Levy, Avi Gibbs, Samer Khoury, Igor Loiferman

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A cable pillar is provided for use in a switch system. The cable pillar includes a cavity that enables a plurality of cables to pass from a first side to a second side of the cable pillar. For example, the cables may be routed from sets of access paths located in rails mounted on the sides of the cable pillar to enlarged access paths located near the top or bottom of the cable pillar. The enlarged access paths may be sized to receive every cable that passes through a set of access paths located on an opposing side of the cable pillar from a corresponding enlarged access path. Additionally, the cable pillar may be configured to releasably attach to a chassis of the switch system. In some examples, the plurality of cables accommodated by the cable pillar may serve as a cable backplane of the switch system.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A cable pillar layer configured to be included in a cable pillar for use in a director switch, the cable pillar layer comprising:

a main support structure comprising a first face, a second face, a top end, a bottom end, a first side end, and a second side end, wherein the first face opposes the second face;
a first rail mounted on the main support structure, wherein the first rail comprises a first set of access paths and wherein the first rail is configured to attach to a chassis of the director switch;
and
a second rail mounted on the main support structure, wherein the second rail comprises a second set of access paths, wherein the second rail is configured to attach to the chassis of the director switch, and wherein the first rail and the second rail, when mounted on the main support structure, create a cavity adjacent to the first face of the main support structure that enable a plurality of cables to pass from the first side end of the main support structure across the first face of the main support structure and to the second side end of the main support structure.

1 more element

A switch, comprising:

a chassis;
a plurality of switch modules mounted in the chassis;
and
a cable backplane comprising a plurality of cables that interconnect the plurality of switch modules, wherein the cable backplane is at least partially contained in and supported by a cable pillar, wherein the cable pillar comprises at least one cable pillar layer comprising:
a main support structure comprising a first face, a second face, a top end, a bottom end, a first side end, and a second side end, wherein the first face opposes the second face;
a first rail mounted on the main support structure, wherein the first rail comprises a first set of access paths and wherein the first rail attaches to the chassis;
and
a second rail mounted on the main support structure, wherein the second rail comprises a second set of access paths, wherein the second rail attaches to the chassis, and wherein the first rail and the second rail create a cavity adjacent to the first face of the main support structure that enable the plurality of cables to pass from the first side end of the main support structure across the first face of the main support structure and to the second side end of the main support structure.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/706,119Filed 28 Mar 2022
Published: US 2023/0308785 A128 Sep 2023
Granted: 26 Nov 2024
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

H04Q 1/06
Constructional details: cable ducts or mountings specially adapted for exchange installations
H04Q 1/064
Cable ducts or mountings specially adapted for exchange installations: horizontal management arrangements
H04Q 1/068
Cable ducts or mountings specially adapted for exchange installations: arranged on the rear side
H04Q
Selecting