Fiber optics deploy reel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11415767-B2
Application number	US-202016935330-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 22, 2020
Priority date	Jul 22, 2020
Publication date	Aug 16, 2022
Grant date	Aug 16, 2022

Abstract

An adjustable height optical fiber cable reel comprises a first piece having a first base plate and a first tab protruding from the first base plate, the first tab having a first opening and a second opening, a second piece having a second base plate and a second tab protruding from the second base plate, the second tab having a pin. The pin is configured to engage the first opening to lock the adjustable height reel at a first height, and to engage the second opening to lock the adjustable height reel at a second height. The adjustable height reel may also be coupled to a slack storage tray. Optical fiber enclosures may also be configured with adjustable height reels with optional slack storage trays.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An adjustable height reel comprising:
a first piece having a first base plate and a first tab protruding from the first base plate, the first tab having a first opening and a second opening;
a second piece having a second base plate and a second tab protruding from the second base plate, the second tab having a pin; and
wherein the pin is configured to engage the first opening to lock the adjustable height reel at a first height, and to engage the second opening to lock the adjustable height reel at a second height, and wherein the first piece and the second piece comprises:
a first plurality of tabs, each tab of the first plurality of tabs having a respective first opening and a respective second opening, and
a second plurality of tabs, each tab of the second plurality of tabs having a respective pin,
wherein the respective pins are configured to engage the respective first openings to lock the adjustable height reel at the first height, and to engage the respective second openings to lock the adjustable height reel at the second height.

2. The adjustable height reel of claim 1 , wherein the first opening is disposed at a distal portion of the first tab and the second opening is disposed at a proximal portion of the first tab.

3. The adjustable height reel of claim 2 , wherein the pin is disposed at a distal portion of the second tab.

4. The adjustable height reel of claim 3 , wherein the second height is smaller than the first height.

5. The adjustable height reel of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of tabs and the second plurality of tabs are arranged in an alternating order along each the first piece and the second piece.

6. The adjustable height reel of claim 5 , wherein the first plurality of tabs and the second plurality of tabs are arranged to form a cylindrical structure.

7. The adjustable height reel of claim 6 , wherein the first base plate and the second base plate have a first diameter and the cylindrical structure has a second diameter smaller than the first diameter.

8. The adjustable height reel of claim 1 , wherein the respective first openings are disposed at a distal portion of the first plurality of tabs and the respective second openings are disposed at a proximal portion of the first plurality of tabs.

9. The adjustable height reel of claim 8 , wherein the respective pins are disposed at a distal portion of the second plurality of tabs.

10. The adjustable height reel of claim 9 , wherein the second height is smaller than the first height.

11. The adjustable height reel of claim 1 , wherein the first piece and the second piece are substantially identical.

12. The adjustable height reel of claim 1 , further comprising a slack storage tray configured to couple to at least one of the first piece and the second piece.

13. The adjustable height reel of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the first piece and the second piece further comprises a central portion having a plurality of receptacles for coupling to the slack storage tray.

14. The adjustable height reel of claim 12 , wherein the slack storage tray further comprises a plurality of protrusions configured to hold slack fiber.

15. An enclosure comprising:
a housing having an interior space and a cover; and
an adjustable height reel configured to mount within the interior space, and comprising:
a first piece having a base plate and a plurality of tabs emanating therefrom and forming a cylindrical structure at a central portion of the base plate, wherein the plurality of tabs includes a first type and a second type arranged in alternating order, each tab of the first type having a respective first opening at a distal portion of the tab and a respective second opening at a proximal portion of the tab, and each tab of the second type having a respective pin at a distal portion of the tab, and
a second piece configured substantially identical to the first piece and configured to couple to the first piece.

16. The enclosure of claim 15 , wherein the respective pins of the plurality of tabs of the second type on the first piece are configured to engage the respective first openings of the plurality of tabs of the first type on the second piece to lock the adjustable height reel at a first height, and to engage the second openings of the plurality of tabs of the first type on the first piece to lock the adjustable height reel at the second height, and to engage the second openings of the plurality of tabs of the first type on the second piece to lock the adjustable height reel at a second height.

17. The enclosure of claim 16 , wherein the respective pins of the plurality of tabs of the second type on the second piece are configured to engage the respective first openings of the plurality of tabs of the first type on the first piece to lock the adjustable height reel at the first height, and to engage the second openings of the plurality of tabs of the first type on the first piece to lock the adjustable height reel at the second height.

18. The enclosure of claim 17 , wherein the second height is smaller than the first height.

19. The enclosure of claim 15 , further comprising a slack storage tray configured to couple to at least one of the first piece and the second piece.

Assignees

• Clearfield Inc

Inventors

• Hill John P
• Povlitzki Joshua J
• Defoe Dalen

Classifications

• B65H75/22

  collapsible; with removable parts · CPC title

• G02B6/4457 Primary

  Bobbins; Reels · CPC title

• B65H2701/32

  Optical fibres or optical cables · CPC title

• B65H75/2227 Primary

  with a flange fixed to the hub part · CPC title

• B65H75/241

  axially adjustable reels or bobbins · CPC title