Hybrid Wire-Fiber Management

• US 20060275009A1
• Filed: 05/23/2006
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telect Incorporated (Amphenol Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Telect Incorporated (Amphenol Corporation)
• Inventors: Dinwoodie, Christopher Aaron, Ellison, Steven W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,366,391 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/135
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4452 Distribution frames
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/44524 with frame parts or auxiliary devices mounted on the frame and collectively not covering a whole width of the frame or rack cassettes G02B6/4453
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/44528 Patch-cords; Connector arrangements in the system or in the box routing arrangements H04Q1/00

Abstract

Hybrid systems for managing wires and optical fibers include a first rack having trays for managing optical fibers, and a second rack proximate to the first rack. Modules are mounted to the second rack for managing wires. At least one of the racks is movable at least partially away from the other rack to provide access to both sides of each of the first and second racks.

Claims

1. A hybrid cabinet for managing wires and optical fibers, the cabinet comprising:

a housing;

a stationary rack in the housing for managing one of wires and optical fibers, the stationary rack having a front face and a back face; and

a movable rack in the housing for managing the other of wires and optical fibers, the movable rack having a front face and a back face and being movable relative to the stationary rack to provide access to both the front and back faces of both the stationary and movable racks.

2. The cabinet of claim 1, the movable rack being movable between a first position providing access to only one face of each of the stationary and movable racks, and a second position providing access to both the front and back faces of both the stationary and movable racks.

3. The cabinet of claim 2, wherein in the first position the movable rack is proximately adjacent to the stationary rack such that adjacent faces of the movable and stationary racks are inaccessible, and in the second position faces of the movable and stationary racks are spaced apart such that both front and back faces of each of the movable and stationary racks are accessible.

4. The cabinet of claim 1, the housing comprising an enclosure having top, bottom, front, back, and side walls, the front and back walls comprising doors for providing access to the contents of the housing from opposed, front and rear directions.

5. The cabinet of claim 1, the cabinet being an outdoor cabinet, with the housing providing a substantially weather-tight enclosure for protecting the contents of the cabinet from the weather.

6. The cabinet of claim 1, the movable rack being pivotably movable relative to the cabinet and the stationary rack, such that the movable rack can be swung out to provide access to both faces of the movable rack.

7. The cabinet of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of movable trays coupled to the stationary rack and movable relative to the stationary rack, and a plurality of modules coupled to the movable rack and fixed against movement relative to the movable rack.

8. The cabinet of claim 7, wherein the movable trays are pivotable relative to the stationary rack to provide access to fiber connectors managed by the trays.

9. The cabinet of claim 7, the movable rack being movable between a first position in which the trays and modules are each accessible from only one side, and a second position in which the trays and modules are accessible from both sides.

10. The cabinet of claim 7, wherein each tray comprises a plurality of fiber optic cross connects, and wherein each module comprises a plurality of wire cross connects.

11. The cabinet of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of slack storage spools coupled to at least one of the stationary rack and the movable rack and arranged in a W-shape.

12. A cabinet for managing wires and optical fibers, comprising:

a first rack in the cabinet having a plurality of trays for managing optical fibers; and

a second rack in the cabinet proximate to the first rack, a plurality of modules being mounted to the second rack for managing wires,

wherein at least one of the first and second racks is movable at least partially out of the cabinet and away from the other of the first and second racks, to provide access to both sides of each of the first and second racks.

13. The cabinet of claim 12, the movable rack being movable between a first position providing access to only one face of each of the first and second racks, and a second position providing access to both front and back faces of the both the first and second racks.

14. The cabinet of claim 13, wherein in the first position the first rack is proximately adjacent to the second rack such that adjacent faces of the first and second racks are inaccessible, and in the second position faces of the first and second racks are spaced apart such that both front and back faces of each of the first and second racks are accessible.

15. The cabinet of claim 12, the cabinet being an outdoor cabinet providing a substantially weather-tight enclosure for protecting the contents of the cabinet from the weather.

16. The cabinet of claim 12, the movable rack being pivotably movable relative to the cabinet and the other rack, such that the movable rack can be swung out to provide access to both faces of the movable rack.

17. The cabinet of claim 12, wherein the trays are movable relative to the first rack, and the modules are fixed against movement relative to the second rack.

18. The cabinet of claim 12, wherein the trays are pivotable relative to the first rack to provide access to fiber connectors managed by the trays.

19. The cabinet of claim 18, wherein the trays are pivotable into an open space in an interior of the cabinet to provide access to the trays in the interior of the cabinet.

20. The cabinet of claim 18, wherein the trays are pivotable so as to protrude out of the cabinet to provide access to the trays outside of the cabinet.

21. The cabinet of claim 12, wherein the plurality of trays comprises a first stack of trays stacked vertically along one edge of the first rack, and second stack of trays stacked vertically along an edge of the first rack opposed to the one edge.

22. The cabinet of claim 12, the movable rack being movable between a first position in which the trays and modules are each accessible from only one side, and a second position in which the trays and modules are accessible from both sides.

23. The cabinet of claim 12, wherein each tray comprises a plurality of fiber optic cross connects, and wherein teach module comprises a plurality of wire cross connects.

24. The cabinet of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of slack storage spools coupled to at least one of the first and second racks and arranged in a W-shape.

25. A method of migrating from a signal-carrying wire-based communications infrastructure to an optical fiber-based communications infrastructure, comprising installing a hybrid cabinet having first structure to manage signal-carrying wires and second structure to manage optical fibers, into an existing communications infrastructure.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising, subsequent to installation, replacing at least some of the signal-carrying wires managed by the cabinet with optical fibers.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the cabinet includes a plurality of signal-carrying wire cross connects and a plurality of optical fiber cross connects, the method further comprising, subsequent to installation, replacing at least some of the signal-carrying wire cross connects managed by the cabinet with optical fiber cross connects.