High density panel with rotating tray

• US 20040074852A1
• Filed: 10/21/2002
• Published: 04/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADC Telecommunications Incorporated (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Thompson, Patrick, Knudsen, Clinton M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,086,539 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 211/26
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3825 with an intermediate part, e.g. adapter, receptacle, linking two plugs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3897 Connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards G02B6/44528 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4452 Distribution frames
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4453 Cassettes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4455 characterised by the way of extraction or insertion of the cassette in the distribution frame, e.g. pivoting, sliding, rotating or gliding
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4471 Terminating devices demountable connectors G02B6/3807; Cable clamps
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4478 Bending relief means
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/021 using pivoting mechanisms for accessing the interior of the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/06 Cable ducts or mountings specially adapted for exchange installations
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2201/08 Pivotable parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2201/10 Housing details
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2201/804 in optical transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/186 for supporting telecommunication equipment selecting apparatus H04Q1/02

Abstract

The present invention relates to a telecommunications termination panel with a tray pivotably mounted within the front opening of a housing. The tray pivots about a hinge located adjacent one of the sides of the housing and includes a raised floor. The raised floor of the tray cooperates with the side adjacent the hinge and a bottom of the housing to define a cable path from a rear cable access port to an opening on the tray adjacent the hinge. The tray includes a plurality of connection locations and cable management structures to direct a telecommunications cable from the cable access port to a rear of the connection locations without violating bend radius rules. The tray may also include a temporary cable holder to assist in pulling cables through the rear opening into the housing. The present invention further relates to a telecommunications equipment rack with a termination panel with such a pivoting tray mounted to the rack.

Claims

1. A telecommunications termination panel comprising:

a housing including a top, bottom and opposing sides defining a front opening and a rear opening;

a tray pivotably mounted within the front opening of the housing, pivoting about a vertical axis located adjacent one of the sides and including a cable entry adjacent the axis of pivot and a plurality of connection locations;

the rear opening including a cable access structure adjacent the same side as the axis of pivot;

the tray including a raised floor adjacent the same side as the axis of pivot; and

,

the raised floor, the bottom of the housing and the side adjacent the axis of pivot defining a cable path from the rear opening to the cable entry of the tray.

2. The telecommunications termination panel of claim 1, wherein the connection locations include adapters to connect optical fiber cables.

3. The telecommunications termination panel of claim 2, wherein a plurality of modules mounted to the tray with each module moveably mounted along a line of travel, each one of the modules including a plurality of adapters for holding a fiber optic connector, each adapter having opposite ends for coupling to a fiber optic connector, each one of the adapters movable with one of the modules along the line of travel.

4. The telecommunications termination panel of claim 2, wherein the cable entry of the tray includes a bend radius protection structure.

5. The telecommunications termination panel of claim 2, wherein the tray is movable between a closed position and an open position about the axis of pivot, and the plurality of adapters are oriented to connect a first optical fiber extending to the rear of each adapter to a second optical fiber extending to the front of each adapter when the tray is in the closed position.

6. The telecommunications termination panel of claim 5, wherein the tray further includes a cable management structure for routing optical fiber cables from the cable entry to the rear of the adapters with bend radius protection.

7. The telecommunications termination panel of claim 5, wherein the tray includes a cable anchor adjacent the cable entry of the tray to anchor at least one multi-fiber fiber optic cable extending through the rear opening through the cable entry.

8. The telecommunications termination panel of claim 7, wherein the tray includes a cable management structure for routing optical fiber cables from the cable anchor to the rear of the adapters with bend radius protection and storing cable slack.

9. The telecommunications termination panel of claim 8, wherein a cable clamp is mounted to the panel adjacent the rear opening for clamping the multi-fiber fiber optic cable.

10. The telecommunications termination panel of claim 9, wherein the cable clamp is oriented horizontally.

11. The telecommunications termination panel of claim 5, wherein the tray swings through an arc of approximately ninety degrees between the closed and the open positions.

12. The telecommunications termination panel of claim 10, wherein a corner of the tray adjacent the cable access structure of the rear opening when the tray is in the closed position is relieved to improve access through the front opening into the housing when the tray is in the open position.

13. The telecommunications termination panel of claim 11, wherein the relieved corner of the tray includes a cable clamp for temporarily attaching an end of a cable through the cable access structure of the rear opening to the tray when the tray is in the closed position and movement of the tray to the open position after attaching the cable to the clamp will pull the cable through the cable access structure so that the end of the cable adjacent to and accessible through the front opening.

14. A telecommunications equipment rack comprising:

a vertical support structure defining a plurality of mounting locations for telecommunications equipment;

at least one termination panel mounted to one of the mounting locations, the termination panel including;

a housing including a top, bottom and opposing sides defining a front opening and a rear opening;

a tray pivotably mounted within the front opening of the housing, pivoting about a vertical axis located adjacent one of the sides and including a cable entry adjacent the axis of pivot and a plurality of connection locations;

the rear opening including a cable access structure adjacent the same side as the axis of pivot;

the tray including a raised floor adjacent the same side as the axis of pivot; and

,

the raised floor, the bottom of the housing and the side adjacent the axis of pivot defining a cable path from the rear opening to the cable entry of the tray.

15. The telecommunications equipment rack of claim 14, wherein the termination panel is configured to terminate optical fiber cables and the connection locations are adapters.

16. The telecommunications equipment rack of claim 14, wherein a plurality of termination panels are mounted to the vertical structure.

17. The telecommunications equipment rack of claim 16, wherein each of the termination panels is configured to terminate optical fiber cables and the connection locations are adapters.

18. A telecommunications termination panel comprising:

a housing defining a top, a bottom, an open front and an interior between the top and the bottom;

a tray pivotably mounted to the housing, wherein the tray is positioned in the interior when the tray is in a closed position and the tray is at least partially outside the housing when the tray is in a pivoted open position, the tray passing through the open front as the tray is moved between the open and closed positions;

a plurality of modules mounted to the tray with each module moveably mounted along a line of travel, each one of the modules including a plurality of adapters for holding a fiber optic connector, each adapter having opposite ends for coupling to a fiber optic connector, each one of the adapters movable with one of the modules along the line of travel.