Movable Adapter Panel

• US 20110235985A1
• Filed: 03/26/2010
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Jay, Raymond G., Cote, Monique L., Frazier, Brent M., Rasmussen, Michael H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,913,866 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/135
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4453 Cassettes

Abstract

A support shelf for fiber optic hardware is disclosed. Generally, the support shelf includes a plurality of component mounting features that permits releasably mounting of fiber optic hardware at a plurality of locations on the support shelf. The component mounting features are generally openings in a base of the support shelf and may be slots in the base as well. With this improved configuration, fiber optic hardware such as adapter panels can be mounted at a variety of locations on the support shelf ranging from flush with a front edge of the support shelf to a recessed mounting, which is a distance from the front edge.

Claims

1. A support shelf for fiber optic hardware, the support shelf comprising:

a base having four edges, the four edges including,

opposite front and rear edges that are spaced apart from one another in a first direction,

opposite right and left edges that are spaced apart from one another in a second direction;

a plurality of component mounting features in the base, the component mounting features being spaced from the four edges, the component mounting features extending in either the first direction or the second direction, wherein the component mounting features in the base are for cooperating with mounting features of the fiber optic hardware so the fiber optic hardware is removably mounted at any one of a plurality of mounting locations in the base, the plurality of mounting locations extending from proximate the front edge to proximate the rear edge;

a right shelf support connected to the base and extending from proximate the right edge of the base; and

a left shelf support connected to the base and extending from proximate the left edge of the base, wherein the right and left shelf supports are adapted to be received by a housing such that the support shelf is movable relative to the housing in the first direction.

2. The support shelf as claimed in claim 1, wherein the component mounting features in the base comprise openings in the base for respectively receiving the mounting features of the fiber optic hardware.

3. The support shelf as claimed in claim 2, wherein the component mounting features in the base are arranged in a series and in pairs.

4. The support shelf as claimed in claim 3, wherein the pairs of component mounting features in the base form an array of pairs of the openings in the base.

5. The support shelf as claimed in claim 4, wherein the pairs of component mounting features extend in the first direction and the second direction.

6. The support shelf as claimed in claim 3 in combination with the fiber optic hardware, wherein the mounting features of the fiber optic hardware comprise a pair of protrusions extending from the fiber optic hardware, and the protrusions of the pair of protrusions are respectively received by the openings of one of the pair of component mounting features.

7. The support shelf as claimed in claim 2, wherein the openings are elongate slots that extend in the first direction.

8. The support shelf as claimed in claim 7 in combination with the fiber optic hardware, wherein the mounting features of the fiber optic hardware comprise a pair of protrusions extending from the fiber optic hardware and the protrusions of the pair of protrusions are respectively received by the slots of one of the pair of component mounting features.

9. The support shelf as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fiber optic hardware is an adapter panel.

10. The support shelf as claimed in claim 1 in combination with the housing, wherein the housing comprises a shelf door and the shelf door is arranged proximate the front edge of the support shelf and sized to cover a support shelf access.

11. A support shelf for receiving and supporting a fiber optic adapter panel, the support shelf comprising:

a base having

opposite front and rear edges that are spaced apart from one another in a longitudinal direction,

opposite right and left edges that extend in the longitudinal direction, wherein the right and left edges are spaced apart from one another in a lateral direction that extends crosswise to the longitudinal direction, and

a plurality of predetermined mounting locations that extend in the longitudinal direction so that the mounting locations are arranged in series in the longitudinal direction, wherein

the plurality of predetermined mounting locations are located between the front and rear edges of the base,

the plurality of predetermined mounting locations are located between the right and left edges of the base,

each of the mounting locations includes a plurality of mounting features that extends in the lateral direction, and

the mounting features of the base are for cooperating with mounting features of the fiber optic adapter panels so that the fiber optic adapter panels may be removably mounted at any one of the predetermined mounting locations;

a right shelf support connected to the base and extending from proximate the right edge of the base; and

a left shelf support connected to the base and extending from proximate the left edge of the base,

wherein the right and left shelf supports are adapted to be received by a housing such that the support shelf is movable relative to the housing in the longitudinal direction.

12. The support shelf as claimed in claim 11, wherein the mounting features of the base are fixtures mounted to the base.

13. The support shelf as claimed in claim 11, wherein the lateral direction extends perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

14. The support shelf according to claim 11, wherein the lateral direction extends obliquely to the longitudinal direction

15. The support shelf as claimed in claim 11, wherein the mounting features of the base comprise openings in the base for respectively receiving the mounting features of the adapter panels.

16. The support shelf as claimed in claim 15, wherein the openings in the base are elongate and extend in the longitudinal direction.

17. A rack for fiber optic hardware, comprising:

a rack frame configured to receive a storage shelf, wherein the storage shelf comprises;

a base having

opposite front and rear edges that are spaced apart from one another in a longitudinal direction,

opposite right and left edges that extend in the longitudinal direction, wherein the right and left edges are spaced apart from one another in a lateral direction that extends crosswise to the longitudinal direction, and

a plurality of predetermined mounting locations that extend in the longitudinal direction so that the mounting locations are arranged in series in the longitudinal direction, wherein

the plurality of predetermined mounting locations are located between the front and rear edges of the base,

the plurality of predetermined mounting locations are located between the right and left edges of the base,

each of the mounting locations includes a plurality of mounting features that extends in the lateral direction, and

the mounting features of the base are for receiving mounting features of the fiber optic adapter panel so that the fiber optic adapter panel may be removably mounted at any one of the predetermined mounting locations;

a right shelf support connected to the base and extending from proximate the right edge of the base and in communication with the storage rack; and

a left shelf support connected to the base and extending from proximate the left edge of the base and in communication with the storage rack.

18. The rack as claimed in claim 17, wherein the mounting features of the base comprise openings.

19. The rack as claimed in claim 18, wherein the openings in the base are elongate and extend in the longitudinal direction

20. The rack as claimed in claim 18, wherein the plurality of openings in the shelf base are spaced for respectively receiving mounting features of an adapter panel panel.

21. A support shelf for fiber optic hardware, the support shelf comprising:

a base having four edges, the four edges including,

opposite front and rear edges that are spaced apart from one another in a first direction,

opposite right and left edges that are spaced apart from one another in a second direction;

a right shelf support connected to the base and extending from proximate the right edge of the base;

a left shelf support connected to the base and extending from proximate the left edge of the base, wherein the right and left shelf supports are adapted to be received by a housing such that the support shelf is movable relative to the housing in the first direction; and

a plurality of component mounting features in the housing, the component mounting features extending in the first direction, wherein the component mounting features in the housing are for cooperating with mounting features of the right shelf support and mounting features of the left shelf support so the support shelf is releasably mounted at any one of a plurality of mounting locations, the plurality of mounting locations extending from proximate the front edge to proximate the rear edge.

22. The support shelf as claimed in claim 21, wherein the component mounting features in the housing comprise openings in the housing for respectively receiving the mounting features of the right shelf support and the mounting features of the left shelf support.

23. The support shelf as claimed in claim 22, wherein the mounting features of the right shelf support and the mounting features of the left shelf support comprise at least one protrusion extending from the right shelf support and at least one protrusion extending from the left shelf support.

24. The support shelf as claimed in claim 21, wherein the right shelf support is received by a first channel in the housing and the left support shelf is received by a second channel in the housing.

25. The support shelf as claimed in claim 21, wherein the component mounting features are generally circular openings in the housing.

26. The support shelf as claimed in claim 21, wherein the component mounting features are generally circular openings in the housing