Adapter panel with lateral sliding adapter arrays

• US 9,488,796 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2015
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Smrha, Mark, Coburn, Hutch, Sjodin, Chad James
• Primary Examiner(s): Doan, Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US14/813,740
• Publication Number:
  US 20150331215A1
• Time in Patent Office: 467 Days
• Field of Search: 385/134, 385/135, 385/136, 385/137
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 6/4455 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. A fiber optic apparatus, comprising:

a chassis having a first side and a second side; and

fiber optic connection equipment provided in the chassis, the fiber optic connection equipment comprising a row of forty-eight (48) fiber optic connection locations between the first and second sides of the chassis, each fiber optic connection location defining an LC connector port, each of the forty-eight (48) fiber optic connection locations aligned along the same horizontal plane, wherein each of the forty-eight (48) fiber optic connection locations is arranged in one of a plurality of groups, each group having at least four (4) of the forty-eight (48) fiber optic connection locations, and wherein the spacing between adjacent fiber optic connection locations within a group is less than the spacing between adjacent groups in the row.

2. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the row of forty-eight (48) fiber optic connection locations is a first row, wherein the fiber optic connection equipment further comprises a second row of forty-eight (48) fiber optic connection locations between the first and second sides of the chassis, wherein the second row is above the first row.

3. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the forty-eight (48) fiber optic connection locations are defined by LC adapters.

4. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 3, wherein the LC adapters are arranged in groups, each group having a plurality of LC adapters in the row.

5. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 4, wherein each group comprises two adapter pairs.

6. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a plurality of separate frame members mounted to the chassis, wherein each of the groups is mounted to one of the frame members.

7. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of frame members is slidably mounted to the chassis.

8. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of frame members is slidable relative to the other frame members.

9. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first and second rows of fiber optic connection locations fit within a vertical height of 1.7 inches.

10. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the chassis comprises first and second flanges at opposite sides of the chassis for mounting the chassis to a rack.

11. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fiber optic connection equipment comprises a plurality of rows of fiber optic connection locations between the first and second sides of the chassis, each of the plurality of rows comprising forty-eight (48) fiber optic connection locations.

12. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 11, wherein the plurality of rows comprises a first row and a second row, and wherein each of first and second rows consists of forty-eight (48) fiber optic connection locations.

13. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the row consists of forty-eight (48) fiber optic connection locations.

14. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the row comprises only forty-eight (48) fiber optic connection locations.

30. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 1, wherein each group is slidable in a direction parallel to the horizontal plane between a forward position and a rearward position relative to the chassis and to at least one other group in the plurality of groups.

31. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 1, further including a sliding member that carries at least two of the plurality of groups, wherein the sliding member is slidable in a direction parallel to the horizontal plane between a forward position and a rearward position relative to the chassis.

32. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 31, wherein the sliding member is a drawer.

33. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the groups includes additional fiber optic connection locations that are not in the row.

34. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 1, wherein each group has at least four (4) pairs of fiber optic connection locations.

35. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 1, wherein a forwardly extending member is horizontally aligned with at least one of the spacings between adjacent groups in the row, the forwardly extending member terminating in a vertical portion positioned in a vertical plane that is forward of a plane occupied by the row of connection locations, wherein the forwardly extending member can be used for cable routing.

36. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of groups includes a plurality of fiber optic connection locations from the first row and a plurality of fiber optic connection locations from the second row.

15. A fiber optic apparatus, comprising:

a rack-mountable chassis having first and second mounting flanges at opposite sides of the chassis; and

fiber optic connection equipment mounted within the chassis, the fiber optic connection equipment comprising first and second rows of fiber optic connection locations, each of the first and second rows comprising forty-eight (48) ports, each of the forty-eight (48) ports in each of the first and second rows configured to receive an LC connector, wherein a first plurality of ports from the first row are arranged on a first frame member and a second plurality of ports from the first row are arranged on a second frame member adjacent to the first frame member and aligned in the same horizontal plane with the first frame member.

16. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 15, wherein the fiber optic connection equipment comprises a plurality of adapters that define the fiber optic connection locations in each of the first and second rows.

17. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 15, wherein each of the first and second frame members is slidably mounted to the chassis.

18. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 15, wherein the second row is beneath the first row, and wherein each of the first and second rows comprises only forty-eight (48) ports.

37. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 15, wherein each of the first and second frame members slides relative to the chassis and slides relative to the other frame member.

38. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 15, further including a sliding member that carries the first and second frame members, wherein the sliding member is slidable in a horizontal plane between a forward position and a rearward position relative to the chassis.

39. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 15, wherein the ports within each of the first and second rows are not uniformly spaced as the ports extend between the opposite sides of the chassis.

40. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 39, wherein a gap separates the first plurality of ports on the first frame member and the second plurality of ports on the second frame member, wherein the gap is larger than the distance between adjacent ports on the first frame member and the distance between adjacent ports on the second frame member.

41. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 40, wherein a forwardly extending member is horizontally aligned with the gap, the forwardly extending member terminating in a vertical portion positioned in a vertical plane that is forward of a plane occupied by the first row of fiber optic locations, wherein the forwardly extending member can be used for cable routing.

42. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 15, wherein a first plurality of ports from the second row are arranged on the first frame member, and a second plurality of ports from the second row are arranged on the second frame member.

19. A fiber optic apparatus, comprising:

a chassis having a first side and a second side; and

fiber optic connection equipment mounted within the chassis, the fiber optic connection equipment configured to support ninety-six (96) a fiber optic connection locations in a one rack unit height, each fiber optic connection location defining an LC connector port, wherein the LC connector ports are not uniformly spaced as the ports extend between the first side and the second side of the chassis.

20. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 19, wherein the ninety-six (96) fiber optic connection locations comprise a first row of forty-eight (48) front ports all aligned along a first horizontal plane, the first row positioned between the first and second sides of the chassis.

21. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 20, wherein the ninety-six (96) fiber optic connection locations further comprise a second row of forty-eight (48) front ports all aligned along a second horizontal plane, the second row positioned between the first and second sides of the chassis.

22. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 19, wherein the fiber optic connection equipment comprises a plurality of adapters that define the fiber optic connection locations.

23. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 22, wherein the fiber optic connection equipment further comprises a plurality of separate frame members, wherein each of the plurality of adapters is mounted to one of the plurality of frame members.

24. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 23, wherein each of the plurality of frame members is slidably mounted to the chassis.

25. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 24, wherein each of the frame members slides relative to the other frame members in the plurality of frame members.

26. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 19, wherein the fiber optic connection equipment comprises two hundred and eighty-eight (288) fiber optic connection locations in a three rack unit height.

27. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 19, wherein the chassis comprises first and second flanges at opposite sides of the chassis for mounting the chassis to a rack.

28. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 22, wherein the adapters are LC adapters and are arranged in groups, each group comprising a plurality of LC adapters in a row.

29. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 19, wherein the fiber optic connection equipment has only ninety-six (96) fiber optic connection locations per one rack unit height.