Fiber management drawer and sliding slack limiter

• US 20040013390A1
• Filed: 07/22/2002
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADC Telecommunications Incorporated (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Smith, Trevor D., Wentworth, Michael J., Kim, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 6,748,155 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/135
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4453 Cassettes

Abstract

A telecommunications cable management system includes fanning trays and management panels, including slidable drawers, mounted to a rack for management of cables. The fanning tray includes fingers for managing vertical cables. The cables extend horizontally through the fanning tray. The fanning tray includes hinges to access the space or the rack behind the fanning tray. A lock holds the fanning tray in the pivoted up position. One drawer includes slack management devices including a radius limiter that selectively releases to release slack at desired times. A slidable termination panel can be mounted in another drawer to allow greater access to the panel. The fanning trays and drawers are mounted to a rack for managing and connecting the cables.

Claims

1. An optical fiber cable management panel comprising:

(a) a drawer assembly including a chassis and a drawer;

(i) the drawer being slidably mounted within the chassis;

(ii) the drawer assembly defining a storage interior and a first cable access entry to permit optical fiber cable to enter into the storage interior;

(b) a cable radius limiter slidably mounted to the drawer assembly;

(c) a releasable lock for selective locking of the cable radius limiter from sliding movement.

2. The optical fiber cable management panel of claim 1 further comprising:

(a) a second cable radius limiter slidably mounted relative to the drawer assembly; and

(b) a control mechanism secured to said drawer assembly to synchronize slidable movement of the second cable radius limiter relative to slidable movement of the drawer within the chassis.

3. The optical fiber cable management panel of claim 2 wherein:

(a) the control mechanism includes a rotating member oriented to rotate between the drawer and said chassis;

(b) the rotating member has an axis of rotation that is normal to the cable radius limiter.

4. The optical fiber cable management panel of claim 1, wherein the releasable lock includes a threaded shaft and a clamp member threaded to the threaded shaft.