Fiber optic adapter module and tray

• US 20090067800A1
• Filed: 07/31/2008
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gonzalez, Juan Miguel, Valdez, Cesar E., Esparza, Fernando M., Vazquez, Mariano Perez, Ugolini, Alan W., Dennis, Robert W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,861,918 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/135
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2097/003 Cable holders; cable organisers
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 46/00 Cabinets, racks or shelf units, having one or more surfaces adapted to be brought into position for use by extending or pivoting A47B63/04, A47B77/10 take precedence; writing tables with extensible leaves A47B17/03; with extensible garment holders A47B61/02
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 97/00 Furniture or accessories for furniture, not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4401 Optical cables glass fibres with a protective coating G02B6/02395
• 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: H04Q 1/021 using pivoting mechanisms for accessing the interior of the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/066 arranged on the front side
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/142 Terminal blocks for distribution frames

Abstract

A fiber optic adapter module and tray. The fiber optic adapter module supports fiber optic adapters for fiber optic connections. The fiber optic adapter module may be included on an extendible tray portion of a fiber optic equipment tray and selectively configured to be tilted when extended for providing enhanced access to the fiber optic adapter module. In one embodiment, an adapter module panel of the fiber optic adapter module that supports fiber optic adapters contains at least two forward facing panel surfaces angled to one another to provide more surface area for supporting a higher density of fiber optic adapters and/or for neat routing and organizing of fiber optic connections. One or more fourth flared panel surfaces may also be included on an end(s) of the adapter module panel to provide sufficient interior space for fiber optic connections adjacent or proximate to sides of the fiber optic equipment tray.

Claims

1. A fiber optic adapter module, comprising:

a housing including a cover spanning a first and second side walls and an adapter module panel supporting a plurality of fiber optic adapters; and

wherein the adapter module panel comprises;

a first and second forward facing surfaces angled to one another; and

a third flared surface angled relative to the first forward facing surface and extending between the first forward facing surface and the first side wall.

2. The fiber optic adapter module of claim 1, wherein the first and second forward facing surfaces are angled relative to the first and second side walls.

3. The fiber optic adapter module of claim 1, wherein the first forward facing surface is aligned along a first longitudinal axis, and the second forward facing surface is aligned along a second longitudinal axis intersecting with the first longitudinal axis.

4. The fiber optic adapter module of claim 3, wherein the first longitudinal axis intersects with the second longitudinal axis proximate a centerline of the housing parallel to the first and second side walls.

5. The fiber optic adapter module of claim 3, wherein the third flared surface is aligned along a third longitudinal axis intersecting with the first longitudinal axis.

6. The fiber optic adapter module of claim 5, wherein the adapter module panel further includes a fourth flared surface aligned along a fourth longitudinal axis intersecting with the second longitudinal axis and extending between the second forward facing surface and the second side wall.

7. The fiber optic adapter module of claim 6, wherein the adapter module panel further includes a fifth surface aligned along a fifth longitudinal axis intersecting with the first and second longitudinal axes and is connected between the first forward facing surface and the second forward facing surface.

8. The fiber optic adapter module of claim 1, wherein the first forward facing surface and the second forward facing surface each support at least one of the plurality of fiber optic adapters.

9. The fiber optic adapter module of claim 6, wherein the third flared surface and the fourth flared surface each support at least one of the plurality of fiber optic adapters.

10. The fiber optic adapter module of claim 7, wherein the fifth surface supports at least one of the plurality of fiber optic adapters.

11. The fiber optic adapter module of claim 1;

wherein the plurality of fiber optic adapters are fiber optic adapters comprised from the group consisting of a single fiber optic adapter, duplex fiber optic adapters, and multi-fiber adapters.

12. The fiber optic adapter module of claim 1, further comprising at least one multi-fiber adapter disposed in the housing and optically coupled to the plurality of fiber optic adapters via a plurality of optical paths formed by a plurality of optical fibers disposed within the housing.

13. The fiber optic adapter module of claim 12, wherein the plurality of optical fibers disposed within the housing form a plurality of fiber pairs, wherein at least one of the plurality of fiber pairs is interconnected with at least two of the plurality of optical paths, the at least two of the plurality of optical paths selected from plurality of optical paths not being immediately adjacent to each other.

14. The fiber optic adapter module of claim 13, wherein at least eighty percent (80%) of the plurality of fiber pairs are optically interconnected with the plurality of optical paths selected from the plurality of optical paths not being immediately adjacent to each other.

15. A fiber optic adapter module, comprising:

a housing including a cover spanning a first and second side walls and an adapter module panel supporting a plurality of fiber optic adapters; and

wherein the adapter module panel comprises;

a first forward facing surface angled relative to the first and second side walls and aligned along a first longitudinal axis;

a second forward facing surface angled relative to the first and second side walls and the first forward facing surface and aligned along a second longitudinal axis intersecting with the first longitudinal axis;

a third flared surface angled relative to the first forward facing surface and extending between the first forward facing surface and the first side wall; and

a fourth flared surface angled relative to the second forward facing surface and connected between the second forward facing surface and the second side wall;

wherein at least one of the plurality of fiber optic adapters are supported by one or more of the first forward facing surface, the second forward facing surface, the third flared surface, and the fourth flared surface.

16. The fiber optic adapter module of claim 15, wherein the third flared surface connects to the first side wall at an angle perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the first side wall, and the fourth flared surface connects to the second side wall at an angle perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the second side wall.

17. The fiber optic adapter module of claim 15, wherein the adapter module panel further comprises a fifth surface intersecting with a centerline of the housing parallel to the first and second side walls, wherein the fifth surface is connected between the first forward facing surface and the second forward facing surface.

18. The fiber optic adapter module of claim 15, wherein at least one of the plurality of the fiber optic adapters are supported by each of the first and second forward facing surfaces.

19. A fiber optic adapter module tray, comprising:

at least one fixed receiver;

an extendible tray coupled to the at least one fixed receiver and selectively extendible from an interior position within the at least one fixed receiver to an exterior position generally external to the at least one fixed receiver;

wherein the extendible tray further includes a pivot mechanism configured to selectively tilt the extendible tray about a pivot plane at a tilt angle relative to the at least one fixed receiver; and

a fiber optic adapter module coupled to the extendible tray, wherein the fiber optic adapter module comprises;

a housing including a cover spanning a first and second side walls and an adapter module panel supporting a plurality of fiber optic adapters; and

wherein the adapter module panel comprises a first and second forward facing surfaces angled to one another.

20. The fiber optic adapter module tray of claim 19, wherein the first forward facing surface is aligned along a first longitudinal axis, and the second forward facing surface is aligned along a second longitudinal axis intersecting with the first longitudinal axis.

21. The fiber optic adapter module tray of claim 20, wherein the first longitudinal axis intersects with the second longitudinal axis proximate a centerline of the housing parallel to the first and second side walls.

22. The fiber optic adapter module tray of claim 20, wherein the adapter module panel further includes a third flared surface angled relative to the first forward facing surface and extending between the first forward facing surface and the first side wall.

23. The fiber optic adapter module tray of claim 22, wherein the third flared surface is aligned along a third longitudinal axis intersecting with the first longitudinal axis.

24. The fiber optic adapter module tray of claim 23, wherein the adapter module panel further includes a fourth flared surface aligned along a fourth longitudinal axis intersecting with the second longitudinal axis and extending between the second forward facing surface and the second side wall.

25. The fiber optic adapter module tray of claim 24, wherein the adapter module panel further includes a fifth surface aligned along a fifth longitudinal axis intersecting with the first and second longitudinal axes and connected between first forward facing surface and the second forward facing surface.

26. The fiber optic adapter module tray of claim 19, wherein the at least one fixed receiver supports a first sliding rail configured to extend traversely from the at least one fixed receiver;

wherein the extendible tray is coupled to the at least one fixed receiver via coupling to the first sliding rail.

27. The fiber optic adapter module tray of claim 19, wherein the tilt angle is an angle between approximately one (1) and ninety (90) degrees.

28. The fiber optic adapter module tray of claim 26, wherein the extendible tray is connected to a second sliding rail which is connected to and extendible from the first sliding rail such that the extendible tray is selectively extendible from the at least one fixed receiver and the first sliding rail.

29. The fiber optic adapter module tray of claim 28, wherein the extendible tray is selectively and independently extendible from the at least one fixed receiver and the first sliding rail.

30. The fiber optic adapter module tray of claim 28, wherein the extendible tray includes a locking mechanism located a distance adjacent to the pivot mechanism, wherein the locking mechanism is comprised of a plunger attached to the extendible tray that is configured to engage the second sliding rail.

31. The fiber optic adapter module tray of claim 19, wherein the extendible tray includes a locking mechanism located a distance adjacent to the pivot mechanism.

32. The fiber optic adapter module tray of claim 31, wherein the extendible tray is configured to be selectively titled about the pivot plane at the tilt angle when the locking mechanism is released.

33. The fiber optic adapter module tray of claim 19, wherein the extendible tray further comprises a bottom surface connected across the first and second side walls and a front surface connected to the bottom surface and connected to the first and second side walls at a substantially perpendicular plane thereby defining an interior tray space between the first and second side walls and the front surface.

34. The fiber optic adapter module tray of claim 33, further comprising at least one optical spool disposed within the interior tray space between the front surface and the fiber optic adapter module and extending a height above the bottom surface.

35. The fiber optic adapter module tray of claim 34, wherein the at least one optical spool is retractable down to a plane substantially co-planar with the bottom surface of the extendible tray.

36. The fiber optic adapter module tray of claim 35, wherein the front surface comprises a door adapted to lower to a plane substantially co-planar with the bottom surface.

37. The fiber optic adapter module tray of claim 19, further comprising at least one multi-fiber adapter disposed in the housing and optically coupled to the plurality of fiber optic adapters via a plurality of optical paths formed by a plurality of optical fibers disposed within the housing.

38. The fiber optic adapter module tray of claim 37, wherein a plurality of fiber pairs are formed by the plurality of optical fibers disposed within the housing, wherein at least one of the plurality of fiber pairs are interconnected with at least two of the plurality of optical paths, the at least two of the plurality of optical paths selected from the plurality of optical paths not being immediately adjacent to each other.