FIBER MANAGEMENT PANEL

• US 20090257726A1
• Filed: 04/10/2009
• Published: 10/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Electronics Services GmbH (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Redmann, Tim, Sievers, Scott C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,315,498 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/135
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4452 Distribution frames
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/44526 Panels or rackmounts covering a whole width of the frame or rack
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/44528 Patch-cords; Connector arrangements in the system or in the box routing arrangements H04Q1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4453 Cassettes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4454 with splices
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/021 using pivoting mechanisms for accessing the interior of the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/023 using sliding mechanisms for accessing the interior of the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/06 Cable ducts or mountings specially adapted for exchange installations

Abstract

A telecommunications termination panel includes a housing having a top, a bottom, a first side and a second opposing side defining a front opening and a rear opening. The housing defines a cable entry adjacent the rear opening and a cable exit adjacent the rear opening, wherein the rear opening is adjacent the first side. A tray is pivotably mounted within the front opening of the housing, pivoting about a vertical axis located adjacent the first side and including a cable entry and a cable exit adjacent the vertical pivot axis and a plurality of connection locations. A cable path is defined between the rear opening of the housing and the tray, the cable path defined by a cable guide defining a channel for receiving cables, the cable guide including a slidable structure configured for pushing cables into the channel defined by the cable guide.

Claims

1. A telecommunications termination panel comprising:

a housing including a top, a bottom, a first side and a second opposing side defining a front opening and a rear opening, the housing defining a cable entry adjacent the rear opening and a cable exit adjacent the rear opening;

a tray pivotably mounted within the front opening of the housing, pivoting about a vertical axis located adjacent the first side and including a cable entry and a cable exit adjacent the vertical pivot axis and a plurality of connection locations, the tray movable between an open position and a closed position;

the rear opening of the housing being adjacent the first side;

a cable path defined between the rear opening of the housing and the tray, the cable path defined by a cable guide defining a channel for receiving cables, the cable guide including a slidable structure configured for pushing cables into the channel defined by the cable guide.

2. A telecommunications termination panel according to claim 1, wherein the tray defines an outer perimeter and including a wall extending upward along at least a portion of the outer perimeter, the tray including a cover hingedly mounted to the wall, the cover pivotable between an open position and a closed position, wherein the tray and the cover define a larger dimension than the front opening of the housing when the cover is in the open position such that the tray is movable from the open position to the closed position only when the cover is in the closed position.

3. A telecommunications termination panel according to claim 2, wherein the connection locations include adapters to connect optical fiber cables, the adapters mounted in one of a plurality of modules mounted to the tray with each module moveably mounted along a line of travel above the tray, 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, and further wherein the cover may not be moved to the closed position when any module is extending upward along the line of travel.

4. A telecommunications termination panel according to claim 3, wherein the cover and the adapters are positioned such that when the tray is pivoted from the open position to the closed position, the cover, when in the open position, contacts the housing before the adapters contact the housing to prevent damage to the adapters.

5. A telecommunications termination panel according to claim 1, wherein the tray includes a first series of cable management structures for routing optical fiber cables from the connection locations toward the axis of pivot with bend radius protection.

6. A telecommunications termination panel according to claim 1, wherein the housing includes a cable management bracket adjacent the rear opening of the housing, the cable management bracket including two removable radius limiters that can be selectively mounted to route a set of incoming cables and a set of outgoing cables both upwardly relative to the termination panel, a set of incoming cables and a set of outgoing cables both downwardly relative to the termination panel, or a set of incoming cables downwardly and a set of outgoing cables upwardly relative to the termination panel.

11. A telecommunications termination panel according to claim 1, wherein the housing includes a cable management bracket adjacent the rear opening of the housing, the cable management bracket including two removable radius limiters that can be selectively mounted to route a set of incoming cables and a set of outgoing cables both upwardly relative to the termination panel, a set of incoming cables and a set of outgoing cables both downwardly relative to the termination panel, or a set of incoming cables downwardly and a set of outgoing cables upwardly relative to the termination panel.

7. A telecommunications termination panel comprising:

a housing including a top, a bottom, a first side and a second opposing side defining a front opening, the housing further including a rear opening defining a cable entry and a cable exit;

a tray pivotably mounted within the front opening of the housing, pivoting about a vertical axis located adjacent the first side and including a cable entry adjacent the axis of pivot and a plurality of connection locations, the tray movable between an open position and a closed position;

the tray including perimeter, a wall extending upward adjacent the perimeter to enclose the plurality of connection locations, a first portion of the wall closing the front opening when the tray is in the closed position, and a cover hingedly mounted to a second portion of the wall opposite the first portion;

the cover movable between an access position and an operational position when the tray is in the open position, only the operational position of the cover allowing the tray to move from the open position to the closed position, the access position allowing access to the connection locations and to cables extending to or away from the connection locations, and the cover in the access position preventing the tray from moving from the open to the closed position;

the termination panel including a cable guide extending between the rear opening of the housing and the cable entry of the tray, the cable guide defining two vertically stacked channels, the first channel for guiding cables coming into the termination panel and the second channel for guiding cables going out of the termination panel.

8. A telecommunications termination panel according to claim 7, wherein the connection locations include adapters to connect optical fiber cables, the adapters mounted in one of a plurality of modules mounted to the tray with each module moveably mounted along a line of travel above the tray, 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, and further wherein the cover may not be moved to the operational position when any module is extending upward along the line of travel.

9. A telecommunications termination panel according to claim 8, wherein the cover and the adapters are positioned such that when the tray is pivoted from the open position to the closed position, the cover, when in the access position, contacts the housing before the adapters contact the housing to prevent damage to the adapters.

10. A telecommunications termination panel according to claim 7, wherein the tray includes a first series of cable management structures for routing optical fiber cables from the connection locations toward the axis of pivot with bend radius protection.

12. A telecommunications termination panel comprising:

a housing including a top, bottom and opposing sides defining a front opening and a rear opening, the rear opening defining a cable entry and a cable exit;

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 and a cable exit adjacent the axis of pivot and a plurality of telecommunications modules housing fiber optic equipment, the telecommunications modules including fiber optic adapters extending from the telecommunications modules;

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

,

the telecommunications termination panel further including a cable guide extending from the rear opening of the housing to the cable entry and cable exit of the tray.

13. A telecommunications termination panel according to claim 12, wherein the tray defines an outer perimeter and including a wall extending upward along at least a portion of the outer perimeter, the tray including a cover hingedly mounted to the wall, the cover pivotable between an open position and a closed position, wherein the tray and the cover define a larger dimension than the front opening of the housing when the cover is in the open position such that the tray is movable from the open position to the closed position only when the cover is in the closed position.

14. A telecommunications termination panel according to claim 13, wherein each telecommunications module is moveably mounted along a line of travel above the tray, wherein the cover may not be moved to the closed position when any module is extending upward along the line of travel.

15. A telecommunications termination panel according to claim 14, wherein the cover and the telecommunications modules are positioned such that when the tray is pivoted from the open position to the closed position, the cover, when in the open position, contacts the housing before the modules contact the housing to prevent damage to the modules.

16. A telecommunications termination panel according to claim 12, wherein the tray includes a first series of cable management structures for routing optical fiber cables from the adapters toward the axis of pivot with bend radius protection.

17. A telecommunications termination panel according to claim 12, wherein the housing includes a cable management bracket adjacent the rear opening of the housing, the cable management bracket including two removable radius limiters that can be selectively mounted to route a set of incoming cables and a set of outgoing cables both upwardly relative to the termination panel, a set of incoming cables and a set of outgoing cables both downwardly relative to the termination panel, or a set of incoming cables downwardly and a set of outgoing cables upwardly relative to the termination panel.

18. A telecommunications equipment rack comprising:

a vertical support structure defining a plurality of mounting locations for telecommunications equipment, the vertical support including a front, a rear, a first side and a second side;

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, wherein the front opening is flush with the front of the vertical support when the termination panel is mounted to one of the mounting locations;

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 and a cable exit adjacent the axis of pivot and a plurality of connection locations within the tray;

the rear opening of the housing defining a cable entry into the panel and a cable exit from the panel, the rear opening of the housing being adjacent the same side as the axis of pivot;

the tray including a raised floor.

19. 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;

a plurality of splice trays mounted to the tray, the splice trays defining splice locations for splicing cables entering the housing to cables terminated to fiber optic connectors, the fiber optic connectors being coupled to the adapters of the movable modules.

20. A method of inserting cables into a telecommunications termination panel comprising:

providing a housing including a top, bottom and opposing sides defining a front opening and a rear opening, the rear opening defining a cable entry;

providing a cable guide extending from the rear opening of the housing toward the front opening, the cable guide including a bottom wall and a sidewall extending perpendicularly from the bottom wall, the bottom wall and the sidewall of the cable guide cooperating with one of the sides of the housing to define a channel for receiving cables, the cable guide defining a gap above the sidewall;

inserting a cable into the channel at least partially through the gap defined above the sidewall of the cable guide;

sliding a movable structure along a top edge of the sidewall of the cable guide in a direction extending from the rear opening toward the front opening of the housing to push the cable fully into the channel; and

closing the gap defined above the sidewall with the movable structure as the cable is inserted within the channel.