Adapter panel with lateral sliding adapter arrays

• US 8,340,490 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2011
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADC Telecommunications Incorporated (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Smrha, Mark, Coburn, Hutch, Sjodin, Chad
• Primary Examiner(s): Doan, Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US12/930,783
• Publication Number:
  US 20120020634A1
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 385/134, 385/135
• US Class Current: 385/135
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3825 with an intermediate part, e.g. adapter, receptacle, linking two plugs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3897 Connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards G02B6/44528 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4446 Cable boxes, e.g. splicing boxes with two or more multi fibre cables
• 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 6/4455 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 1/023 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/142 Terminal blocks for distribution frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0003 Details

Abstract

An adapter panel arrangement including a chassis and a panel of adapters. The adapters defining open rearward cable connections and open forward cable connections of the panel arrangement. The adapters being arranged in arrays that slide independently of other adapter arrays to provide access to the open rearward and open forward cable connections.

Claims

1. An adapter panel arrangement, comprising:

a) a chassis defining an interior, the chassis having a front opening;

b) a framework located within the interior of the chassis, the framework including a plurality of framework sections, each section defining an opening;

c) a front cover located adjacent to the front opening, the front cover and the chassis enclosing the framework when the front cover is closed; and

d) a plurality of unenclosed adapters mounted within the openings of the framework sections, each adapter having a front connection end and a rear connection end aligned along a respective insertion axis along which a fiber optic connector can plug into the adapter;

e) wherein each of the openings contains at least one row of adapters, and wherein each of the framework sections slides independent of the other framework sections toward the front opening of the chassis along a lateral axis that is parallel to the insertion axes of the adapters to provide access to the adapter arrays.

2. The adapter panel arrangement of claim 1, wherein the plurality of framework sections includes a first framework section and a second framework section, each framework section including a plurality of adapter blocks, each adapter block including a plurality of adapters.

3. The adapter panel arrangement of claim 2, wherein each framework section includes six adapter blocks.

4. The adapter panel arrangement of claim 2, wherein the first framework section is positioned adjacent the second framework section so that the adapters of the first and second framework sections define a single row of adapters.

5. The adapter panel arrangement of claim 2, wherein the first framework section is positioned adjacent the second framework section so that the adapters of the first framework section define a first row of adapters and the adapters of the second framework section define a second row of adapters positioned offset from the first row of adapters.

6. The adapter panel arrangement of claim 2, wherein framework includes a plurality of elongated rail members that extend forwardly of the adapters.

7. The adapter panel arrangement of claim 2, wherein framework including guides, each of the framework sections being slidably mounted to a pair of the guides.

8. The adapter panel arrangement of claim 7, wherein each framework section includes elongated rail members that slide within the guides of the framework.

9. The adapter panel arrangement of claim 8, further including a plurality of stop arrangements that each restrict sliding movement of one of the framework sections between a rearward position and a forward position.

10. The adapter panel arrangement of claim 9, wherein each stop arrangement includes a projection formed on one of the guides and the rail members and a detent formed in the other of the guides and the rail members.

11. The arrangement of claim 10, wherein each projection is formed on the guides of the framework and each detent is formed in the rail members of the framework sections.