Fiber management panel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9081164-B2
Application number	US-201213594474-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 24, 2012
Priority date	Aug 24, 2011
Publication date	Jul 14, 2015
Grant date	Jul 14, 2015

Abstract

A telecommunications termination panel includes a pivoting tray with cable connection locations. Cables extending to the connection locations enter through the rear or the side and exit through the side of the panel. Cable management structures direct cables to and away from the connection locations. A first trough extends from the rear to the front of the panel housing, the first trough raised from the floor thereof. A second trough extends from the rear to the front of the tray and is pivotal relative to the first trough with movement of the tray. When the tray is closed, the troughs are parallel and when the tray is open, the troughs are perpendicular to each other. The second trough is raised from the first trough such that cables extending from the first into the second trough are not pinched when the tray is pivoted closed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A telecommunications termination panel comprising:
a housing including a top, a bottom, a first side and a second opposing side defining a front opening and a rear opening, the rear opening adjacent the first side, the rear opening being usable as a cable entry/exit into/from the housing, the first side of the housing also defining a side opening adjacent the front opening, the side opening being usable as a cable entry/exit into/from the housing; and
a tray including a front wall, a rear wall, a first sidewall and a second sidewall, the tray pivotably mounted within the housing, the tray pivotable through the front opening of the housing between an open access position and a closed position wherein the front wall substantially blocks the front opening of the housing, the tray pivoting about a vertical axis located adjacent the first side of the housing, the tray defining a cable entry/exit opening adjacent the vertical pivot axis and a plurality of connection locations for connecting a first cable entering the housing to a second cable exiting the housing;
wherein the housing includes a first cable trough defining a cable path extending from the rear opening toward the cable entry/exit opening of the tray for guiding cables between the rear opening and the tray when the termination panel is used as a rear entry or exit panel;
wherein the tray includes a second trough defining a cable path extending from the cable entry/exit opening of the tray toward the rear wall of the tray, the second trough being pivotally disposed with respect to the first trough with the movement of the tray such that when the tray is in the open access position, the first and second troughs are generally perpendicular to each other and when the tray is in the closed position, the first and second troughs are parallel to each other with the second trough overlapping the first trough to prevent pinching of a cable extending from the rear opening of the housing to the tray if the panel is used as a rear entry or exit panel.

2. A telecommunications termination panel according to claim 1 , wherein the tray defines an outer perimeter, the tray including a wall extending upward along at least a portion of the outer perimeter, the tray including a cover hingedly mounted to the wall, the cover pivotable between an open position and a closed position, wherein the tray and the cover define a larger dimension than the front opening of the housing when the cover is in the open position such that the tray is movable from the open position to the closed position only when the cover is in the closed position.

3. A telecommunications termination panel according to claim 2 , wherein the connection locations include adapters to connect optical fiber cables, the adapters mounted in one of a plurality of telecommunications modules mounted to the tray with each module moveably mounted along a line of travel above the tray, each one of the modules including a plurality of adapters for holding a fiber optic connector, each adapter having opposite ends for coupling to a fiber optic connector, each one of the adapters movable with one of the modules along the line of travel, and further wherein the cover may not be moved to the closed position when any module is extending upward along the line of travel.

4. A telecommunications termination panel according to claim 3 , wherein the cover and the adapters are positioned such that when the tray is pivoted from the open position to the closed position, the cover, when in the open position, contacts the housing before the adapters contact the housing to prevent damage to the adapters.

5. A telecommunications termination panel according to claim 1 , wherein the tray includes a first series of cable management structures for routing optical fiber cables from the connection locations toward the axis of pivot with bend radius protection.

6. A telecommunications termination panel according to claim 1 , wherein the tray defines a recess underneath the second cable trough for accommodating the first cable trough of the housing.

7. A telecommunications termination panel according to claim 1 , wherein both the first cable trough and the second cable trough define cable management fingers for keeping cables within the troughs.

8. A telecommunications termination panel according to claim 1 , wherein the first cable trough is raised from the bottom of the housing and the second cable trough overlaps the first cable trough when the tray is in the closed position.

9. A telecommunications termination panel according to claim 1 , wherein the termination panel is mounted on an equipment rack either above or below a like termination panel.

10. A telecommunications termination panel according to claim 1 , further comprising a cable puller structure for temporarily attaching an end of a cable through the rear opening of the housing to the tray when the tray is in the closed position such that movement of the tray to the open position pulls the cable through the housing to position the attached end of the cable adjacent to and accessible through the front opening of the housing.

Assignees

• Badar Timothy G
• Mendoza Jose Federico
• Cano Gustavo
• Landry Edward T
• Ruiz Marcelo Enrique
• Louwagie Dominic J
• Adc Telecommunications Inc

Inventors

• Badar Timothy G
• Mendoza Jose Federico
• Cano Gustavo
• Landry Edward T
• Ruiz Marcelo Enrique
• Louwagie Dominic J

Classifications

• G02B6/44526

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

• G02B6/44528

  Patch-cords; Connector arrangements in the system or in the box (routing arrangements H04Q1/00) · CPC title

• G02B6/3897

  Connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards (G02B6/44528 takes precedence) · 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

• G02B6/4471 Primary

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