Butt closures and organizer assemblies therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12181725-B2
Application number	US-202217952738-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2022
Priority date	May 14, 2018
Publication date	Dec 31, 2024
Grant date	Dec 31, 2024

Abstract

An organizer assembly includes a primary basket extending along a longitudinal axis between a first open end and a second closed end, the primary basket defining an interior. The organizer assembly further includes a bracket assembly extending along a transverse axis at the first open end of the basket, the bracket assembly including a plurality of hinge assemblies. The organizer assembly further includes a plurality of organizer trays, each of the plurality of organizer trays rotatably connectable to the bracket assembly at one of the plurality of hinge assemblies. Each of the plurality of organizer trays is rotatable between a first position wherein the organizer tray is aligned along the longitudinal axis and a second position wherein the organizer tray is aligned along the transverse axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An organizer assembly for a butt closure, the organizer assembly defining a mutually orthogonal coordinate system comprising a longitudinal axis, a lateral axis, and a transverse axis, the organizer assembly comprising:
an organizer tray, the organizer tray rotatably connectable to a hinge assembly, wherein the organizer tray is rotatable between the longitudinal axis and the transverse axis; and
a splice module connected to the organizer tray, wherein the splice module comprises a base and a plurality of partitions extending from the base, and wherein neighboring partitions of the plurality of partitions define a channel therebetween, wherein the channel defines a longitudinal channel axis, wherein the splice module comprises an arm extending from each neighboring partition into each channel defined by the neighboring partition at an angle to the longitudinal channel axis.

2. The organizer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the arm extends into the channel from a first partition of the neighboring partitions in a direction opposite a direction of the arm extending into the channel from a second partition of the neighboring partitions.

3. The organizer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the splice module is removably connected within the organizer tray.

4. The organizer assembly of claim 3 , wherein the splice module includes an overmolded portion.

5. The organizer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the splice module comprises an overmolded portion disposed on the base.

6. The organizer assembly of claim 5 , wherein the overmolded portion comprises an elastomer.

7. The organizer assembly of claim 6 , wherein the splice module comprises a plurality of legs and a cantilevered arm, and wherein one or more of the base, the plurality of legs, or the cantilevered arm is formed from a hard plastic.

8. The organizer assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a primary basket extending along the longitudinal axis between a first open end and a second closed end, the primary basket defining an interior.

9. The organizer assembly of claim 8 , wherein the primary basket comprises an upper peripheral lip extending between the first end and the second end, and wherein the primary basket further comprises a retainer tab, wherein the retainer tab is connectable to the primary basket adjacent the upper peripheral lip.

10. The organizer assembly of claim 8 , the organizer assembly comprising:
a bracket assembly extending along the transverse axis at the first open end of the basket, the bracket assembly comprises the hinge assembly.

11. The organizer assembly of claim 10 , comprising a secondary basket rotatably connectable to the bracket assembly below the hinge assembly along the transverse axis.

12. The organizer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the hinge assembly comprises a positioning tab and a release tab, wherein the organizer tray contacts and is releasably secured in a position non-aligned with the longitudinal axis by the positioning tab of the hinge assembly.

13. The organizer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the organizer tray comprises a base wall, and wherein the base wall comprises a module mounting location, wherein the module mounting location comprises a leg slot defined through the base wall and a positioning slot defined through the base wall.

14. The organizer assembly of claim 13 , wherein the splice module comprises a leg extending below the base and a cantilevered arm extending below the base, the cantilevered arm comprising a tab, and wherein the leg is inserted in the leg slot and the tab is inserted in the positioning slot to removably connect the splice module to the organizer tray.

15. An organizer assembly for a butt closure, the organizer assembly defining a mutually orthogonal coordinate system comprising a longitudinal axis, a lateral axis, and a transverse axis, the organizer assembly comprising:
an organizer tray, the organizer tray rotatably connectable to a hinge assembly, wherein the organizer tray is rotatable between the longitudinal axis and the transverse axis, the organizer tray comprising a base wall, and wherein the base wall comprises a module mounting location, wherein the module mounting location comprises a leg slot defined through the base wall and a positioning slot defined through the base wall; and
a splice module removably connected to the organizer tray at the leg slot, wherein the splice module comprises a base and a plurality of partitions extending from the base, and wherein neighboring partitions of the plurality of partitions define a channel therebetween, wherein the channel defines a longitudinal channel axis.

16. The organizer assembly of claim 15 , comprising a plurality of organizer trays, wherein each of the plurality of organizer trays comprises a plurality of positioning slots and a positioning tab, wherein the positioning tab of one of the plurality of organizer trays is inserted in one of the plurality of positioning slots of a neighboring organizer tray when the plurality of organizer trays is in a first position aligned with the longitudinal axis, and wherein the positioning tab of the one of the plurality of organizer trays is inserted in another one of the plurality of positioning slots of the neighboring organizer tray when the plurality of organizer trays is in a second position non-aligned with the longitudinal axis.

17. The organizer assembly of claim 16 , wherein the positioning tab of one of the plurality of organizer trays is inserted in yet another one of the plurality of positioning slots of the neighboring organizer tray when the plurality of organizer trays is removed from the bracket assembly and stacked together.

18. The organizer assembly of claim 15 , wherein the splice module comprises an arm extending from each neighboring partition into each channel defined by the neighboring partition at an angle to the longitudinal channel axis.

19. The organizer assembly of claim 18 , wherein the arm extends into the channel from a first partition of the neighboring partitions in a direction opposite a direction of the arm extending into the channel from a second partition of the neighboring partitions.

20. An organizer assembly for a butt closure, the organizer assembly defining a mutually orthogonal coordinate system comprising a longitudinal axis, a lateral axis, and a transverse axis, the organizer assembly comprising:
an organizer tray rotatably connectable to a hinge assembly, wherein the organizer tray is rotatable between the longitudinal axis and the transverse axis; and
a splice module connected to the organizer tray, wherein the splice module comprises a base and a plurality of partitions extending from the base, and wherein neighboring partitions of the plurality of partitions define a channel therebetween, wherein the channel defines a longitudinal channel axis, wherein the splice module comprises an overmolded portion disposed on the base, wherein the overmolded portion comprises an elastomer, and wherein the splice module comprises a plurality of legs and a cantilevered arm, and wherein one or more of the base, the plurality of legs, or the cantilevered arm is formed from a hard plastic.

21. An organizer assembly for a butt closure, the organizer assembly defining a mutually orthogonal coordinate system comprising a longitudinal axis, a lateral axis, and a transverse axis, the organizer assembly comprising:
a primary basket extending along the longitudinal axis between a first open end and a second closed end, the primary basket

Assignees

• Afl Telecommunications Llc

Inventors

• Wittmeier David
• Lane David
• Stout Cecilia
• Miller William

Classifications

• G02B6/4471

  Terminating devices (demountable connectors G02B6/3807); Cable clamps · CPC title

• G02B6/44526

  Panels or rackmounts covering a whole width of the frame or rack · CPC title

• G02B6/4454

  with splices · CPC title

• G02B6/4442

  Cap coupling boxes · CPC title

• G02B6/4455 Primary

  characterised by the way of extraction or insertion of the cassette in the distribution frame, e.g. pivoting, sliding, rotating or gliding · CPC title