Drawer for the management of optical fibers

• US 6,925,241 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2003
• Issued: 08/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Corning Research & Development Corporation (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Bohle, Klaus Werner, Hoeschler, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THANH TAM T
• Application Number:
  US10/682,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20040120681A1
• Time in Patent Office: 663 Days
• Field of Search: 385/134, 385/135, 385/136
• US Class Current: 385/135
• 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

Abstract

A system for management of optical fibers. The system has a housing including a back side and a front side. There are a plurality of drawers mounted in the housing. The drawers have a front and a back and are mounted so as to be moveable between a first position and a second position. The drawers are in the first position, the housing substantially blocks access to the back of the drawers. When the drawers are in the second position, there is access to the back of the drawers. The system also includes an array of fiber optic connectors mounted on a respective one of each of the drawers and an array of fiber optic splicing cassettes mounted on a respective one of each of the drawers.

Claims

1. A system for management of optical fibers, comprising:

a housing including a back side and a front side;

a plurality of drawers mounted in said housing, wherein said drawers have a front and a back, and wherein said drawers are mounted so as to be moveable between a first position and a second position, wherein when said drawers are in said first position, said housing substantially blocks access to said back of said drawers, and wherein when said drawers are in said second position, there is access to said back of said drawers;

an array of fiber optic connectors mounted on a respective one of each of said drawers;

an array of fiber optic splicing cassettes mounted on a respective one of each of said drawers so as to permit each of said cassettes to extend out of said respective drawer while said drawer is in said first position.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of optical fibers connected with said optical connectors and of sufficient length and arrangement to allow said fibers to extend to said optical fiber splicing cassettes.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said optical fiber splicing cassettes are moveable between a closed position to an open position extending from said drawer, while said drawer is in either of said first or second positions.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said drawers further comprises a first guide adapted to guide an incoming optical fiber from the back of a respective one of said drawers to a respective one of said array of optical fiber splicing cassettes.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein each drawer further comprises a second guide adapted to guide an optical fiber from a respective on of said array of connectors to a respective one of said array of cassettes.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said drawers are adapted to be individually moved between said first and second positions.

7. The system of claim 1;

further comprising a plurality of rails on which said drawers move between said first and second positions.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said drawers is pivotally mounted to said housing such that each of said drawers may be rotated between said first and second positions.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said drawers rotate no more than 90 degrees between said first and second positions.

10. The system of claim 3, wherein each of said cassettes rotates between said open and closed positions.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said cassette rotates no more than 90 degrees between said open and closed positions.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said cassettes are rotated so that they simultaneously are also linearly moved away from a respective one of said drawers.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of guides extending from said housing to a respective one of said cassettes.