Fiber containment system

• US 6,870,734 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2003
• Issued: 03/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADC Telecommunications Incorporated (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Mertesdorf, Daniel Ray, Knudsen, Clinton M., Durand, David Anthony, Follingstad, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): DUONG, HUNG V
• Application Number:
  US10/449,868
• Publication Number:
  US 20040251220A1
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 361683-687, 361724-730, 361/737, 439/928.1, 439/928, 439/929, 385134-135, 211/41.17, 211/26.2, 3122231-2232
• US Class Current: 361/679.4
• 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 6/4454 with splices
• 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 1/04 Frames or mounting racks for selector switches; Accessories therefor, e.g. frame cover
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/06 Cable ducts or mountings specially adapted for exchange installations
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/142 Terminal blocks for distribution frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2201/02 Details of frames
• 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

Abstract

The present invention relates to a telecommunications termination panel with a housing including a front opening and a rear opening. Pivotably mounted within the housing is a tray within the front opening, pivoting about a vertical axis located adjacent a first side of the housing. A cable path is defined along a bottom of the housing along the first side between the cable entry of the tray and the rear opening. A movable plate is positioned adjacent the first side and is movable between a first position defining an upper limit of the cable path when the tray is closed and a second position allowing access to the cable path when the tray is open. The movement of the plate between the first and second positions is actuated by the movement of the tray between the closed and open positions. The present invention further relates to a telecommunications termination panel with a housing including a front opening. Pivotably mounted within the housing is a tray within the front opening, pivoting about a vertical axis located adjacent a first side of the housing. The tray is pivotable between an open position and a closed position. The tray includes a cover which can be moved between an operational position and an access position when the tray is in the open position. With the cover in the operational position, the tray is prevented from moving from the open position to the closed position.

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;

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 rear opening adjacent the first side;

a cable path defined along the bottom of the housing, along the first side between the cable entry of the tray and the rear opening;

a movable plate above the cable path, the plate movable between a first lowered position when the tray is closed and a second raised position when the tray is open, and the movement of the plate between the first and second positions is actuated by the movement of the tray between the closed and open positions; and

,

wherein the movable plate in the first position defines an upper limit to the cable path beneath the tray and the movable plate in the second position is raised above the cable path to permit placement of cables within the cable path.

2. The telecommunications termination panel of claim 1, wherein the movable plate is approximately parallel to the bottom in the first position.

3. The telecommunications termination panel of claim 1, wherein the movable plate is approximately parallel to the bottom in the second position.

4. The telecommunications termination panel of claim 1, wherein a portion of the tray adjacent the cable path when the tray is in the closed position is raised above and positioned over the movable plate.

5. The telecommunications termination panel of claim 1, wherein the movable plate is mounted to the first side by a pair of swinging links and an actuator arm extends from the tray to move the movable plate between the first and second positions.

6. The telecommunications termination panel of claim 1, wherein a support slide is positioned between the tray and the bottom of the housing, the support slide rotatable connected to the tray and the bottom and extendable from a collapsed position adjacent to the cable path when the tray is in the closed position, to an extended position extending out the front opening when the tray is in the open position.

7. The telecommunications termination panel of claim 1, wherein the tray includes a wall extending from the tray adjacent the second side when the tray is in the closed position, the wall includes a mount to receive information cards such that the information cards are within the housing when the tray is in the closed position and are accessible to a user when the tray is in the open position.

8. The telecommunications termination panel of claim 5, wherein each of the swinging links includes a pivotable attachment to the movable plate and a pivotable attachment to the first side.

9. The telecommunications termination panel of claim 6, wherein the support slide is generally parallel to the cable path when the tray is in the closed position.

10. The telecommunications termination panel of claim 7, wherein the information cards may include one of instruction cards, warning labels, routing information cards and designation strips related to the telecommunications cables attached to the connection locations.

11. The telecommunications termination panel of claim 8, wherein the actuator arm is connected to at least one of the swinging links.

12. The telecommunications termination panel of claim 10, wherein the wall includes a portion adjacent the second side when the tray is in the closed position, the portion of the wall includes a mount to receive information cards such that the information cards are within the housing when the tray is in the closed position and are accessible to a user when the tray is in the open position.

13. The telecommunications termination panel of claim 12, wherein the information cards may include one of instruction cards, warning labels, routing information cards and designation strips related to the telecommunications cables attached to the connection locations.

14. A telecommunications termination panel comprising:

a housing including a top, a bottom, a first side and a second opposing side defining a front 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 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 connector 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.

15. The telecommunications termination panel of claim 14, 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.

16. The telecommunications termination panel of claim 15, wherein 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.

17. The telecommunications termination panel of claim 15, wherein the cover includes an opening directly above the modules holding the adapters permitting visibility of the modules and adapters when the cover is in the operational position and the tray is in the open position.

18. The telecommunications termination panel of claim 16, wherein the tray further includes a first series of cable management structures for routing optical fiber cables to the rear of the adapters with bend radius protection and the cover prevents access to the first series of cable management structures in the operational position.

19. The telecommunications termination panel of claim 16, wherein the tray further includes a second series of cable management structures for routing optical fiber cables from the front of the adapters away from the modules toward the axis of pivot with bend radius protection and the cover prevents access to the second series of cable management structures in the operational position.

20. The telecommunications termination panel of claim 17, wherein the cover includes areas for receiving indicia relating to the optical fiber cables connected to the adapters.

21. The telecommunications termination panel of claim 17, wherein the opening in the cover is positioned to avoid contact with optical fiber cables extending from the adapters on any module extended along the line of travel when the cover is moved from the access position toward the operational position while allowing the cover to contact the module and prevent the movement of the cover to the operational position.

22. A telecommunications device comprising:

a first component that defines a cable path;

a second component to which cables positioned along the cable path are routed, the second component being moveable between a first position where the second component is within the first component and a second position where the second component is outside the first component; and

a cable keeper positioned adjacent to the cable path, the cable keeper being operatively coupled to the second component such that the cable keeper moves toward a cable confining position when the second component is moved toward the first position, and moves toward a cable access position when the second component is moved toward the second position.