Horizontal cable troughs and tool drawer

• US 20040026105A1
• Filed: 04/27/2001
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADC Telecommunications Incorporated (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Mendoza, Jose-Filonel T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,172,077 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 174/50
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/0493 Service poles

Abstract

The present invention relates to telecommunications equipment racks including vertical cable guides, horizontal troughs, cross aisle panels and cross-connection modules for telecommunications equipment racks. The vertical cable guides define vertical cable channels for both network infrastructure and cross-connection cables. The structure defining the second cable channel is hingedly attached to the structure defining the first cable channel. The horizontal cable troughs include both upper and lower troughs. The upper cable trough defines two cableways for directing cross-connection and other cables, and provides access openings for cables to pass into and out of each cableway and between the two cableways. The lower cable trough defines a cableway and provides access openings for cables extending into and out of the cableway. Cable troughs attached to adjacently mounted equipment racks cooperate to form continuous horizontal cableways. The cross aisle panel includes movable cable guide structures to permit access to connectors mounted on the panel. The cross-connection modules provide multiple connector planes on the rear of the module to increase the number of circuits the module can support.

Claims

1. A cable trough structure for use with a telecommunications equipment rack wherein equipment is mounted in the rack and a cable extends from the equipment, the cable trough structure comprising:

a mounting side, a bottom extending generally perpendicular to the mounting side, a first outer wall a first distance from the mounting wall, the first outer wall extending upward from the bottom and a second outer wall a second distance from the mounting wall the second outer wall extending upward from the bottom;

a first cableway defined by the mounting wall, the bottom and the first outer wall;

a second cableway defined by the first outer wall, the bottom and the second outer wall.

2. The cable trough structure of claim 1, wherein an opening is defined in the second outer wall.

3. The cable trough structure of claim 1, wherein a cable passage opening is defined between the first cableway and the second cableway through the first outer wall.

4. The cable trough structure of claim 1, wherein a cable access opening is defined in the bottom within the first cableway.

5. The cable trough structure of claim 1, wherein a cable access opening is defined in the bottom within the second cableway.

6. A cable trough system comprising:

a plurality of telecommunications equipment racks having a top and a bottom, the racks positioned adjacent one another;

a first plurality of cable troughs, each trough including a mounting side, a bottom extending generally perpendicular to the mounting side, a first outer wall a first distance from the mounting wall, the first outer wall extending upward from the bottom and a second outer wall a second distance from the mounting wall the second outer wall extending upward from the bottom;

a first cableway defined by the mounting wall, the bottom and the first outer wall;

a second cableway defined by the mounting wall, the bottom and the second outer wall, and a cable access opening defined in the bottom within the second cableway;

wherein the mounting wall of one of the first plurality of cable troughs is attached to each equipment rack adjacent to the top of each equipment rack; and

the cable troughs of adjacent equipment racks cooperate to form a generally continuous upper cable raceway along the plurality of equipment racks.

7. The cable trough system of claim 6, wherein a second plurality of cable troughs is provided, the second plurality of cable troughs each including a mounting wall, a bottom extending generally perpendicular to the mounting side, a first outer wall a first distance from the mounting wall, the first outer wall extending upward from the bottom and a second outer wall a second distance from the mounting wall, the second outer wall extending upward from the bottom, a cableway being defined by the first outer wall, the bottom and the second outer wall, and further wherein the mounting wall of one of the second plurality of cable troughs is attached adjacent to the bottom of each equipment rack, and the cable troughs of adjacent equipment racks cooperate to form a generally continuous lower cableway along the plurality of equipment racks.

8. A method of managing cables attached to telecommunications equipment racks, the method comprising the steps of:

A. providing a plurality of telecommunications equipment racks having a top and a bottom, a first plurality of telecommunications equipment mounted to a first rack and a plurality of cables extending from the telecommunications equipment, the plurality of racks positioned adjacent to one another;

B. providing a plurality of cable troughs, each trough including a mounting side, a bottom extending generally perpendicular to the mounting side, a first outer wall a first distance from the mounting wall, the first outer wall extending upward from the bottom and a second outer wall a second distance from the mounting wall the second outer wall extending upward from the bottom;

a first cableway defined by the mounting wall, the bottom and the first outer wall;

a second cableway defined by the first outer wall, the bottom and the second outer wall, with a cable access opening defined in the bottom within the second cableway;

wherein the mounting wall of each cable trough is attached to one of the equipment racks adjacent the top of the equipment rack; and

wherein the cable troughs of adjacent equipment racks cooperate to form a generally continuous upper cable raceway along the plurality of equipment racks;

C. placing one of the cables extending from the plurality of equipment mounted to the first rack through the cable access opening in the bottom of the second cableway and into the cable trough attached to the first rack.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein one of the cables extending from equipment mounted in the first rack is connected to equipment mounted in the first rack and the first cable is placed in the second cableway.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein one of the cables extending from equipment mounted in the first rack is connected to equipment mounted in a second rack and the second cable is placed in the first cableway.

11. A cable trough system comprising:

a plurality of telecommunications equipment racks having a top and a bottom, the racks positioned adjacent to one another;

a first plurality of cable troughs, each trough including a mounting side, a bottom extending generally perpendicular to the mounting side, a first outer wall a first distance from the mounting wall, the first outer wall extending upward from the bottom and a second outer wall a second distance from the mounting wall the second outer wall extending upward from the bottom;

a cable access opening defined in the bottom between the mounting wall and the first outer wall;

a second cableway defined by the first outer wall, the bottom and the second outer wall;

wherein the mounting wall of one of the first plurality of cable troughs is attached to each equipment rack adjacent the bottom of the equipment rack; and

wherein the cable troughs of adjacent equipment racks cooperate to form a generally continuous lower cableway along the plurality of equipment racks.

12. An telecommunications equipment rack comprising:

a base having a top, a front, a rear, opposing ends, and a pair of vertical supports extending upward from the both ends of the base, a plurality of mounting locations for mounting electronic equipment to the vertical supports, the lowest mounting location for electronic equipment being positioned such that a gap exists between electronic equipment mounted in that location and the top of the base; and

a drawer including;

a shell attached to the equipment rack above the top of the base and beneath the lowest mounting location;

a tray movably mounted within the shell, the tray having a front and a rear and being configured to provide storage for cross-connect cables or tools;

a transport mechanism attached to the shell which permits the tray to move between an open position and a closed position, the front of the tray extending beyond the electronic equipment mounted in the lowest mounting location on the rack, when the tray is in the open position.