Slidable fiber optic connection module with cable slack management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9541725-B2
Application number	US-201514922996-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2015
Priority date	Oct 7, 2011
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

A fiber optic telecommunications device includes a frame and a fiber optic module. The fiber optic module includes a main housing portion defining fiber optic connection locations for connecting cables to be routed through the frame and a cable management portion for guiding cables between the main housing portion and the frame. The main housing portion of the fiber optic module is slidably mounted to the frame, the main housing portion slidable between a retracted position and an extended position in a sliding direction. The cable management portion of the fiber optic module includes a radius limiter slidably coupled to both the main housing portion and the frame, wherein movement of the main housing portion with respect to the frame slidably moves the radius limiter with respect to the main housing portion along the sliding direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fiber optic telecommunications device comprising:
a telecommunications frame; and
a fiber optic module mounted to the telecommunications frame, the fiber optic module comprising:
a main frame member defining fiber optic connection locations for connecting cables to be routed through the telecommunications frame;
a rack mount member for mounting the main frame member to the telecommunications frame;
a center member positioned between the main frame member and the rack mount member that includes a radius limiter defining a curved surface for routing cables with bend radius protection from the main frame member toward the rack mount member; and
a slide assembly for slidably coupling the main frame member to the rack mount member between an extended position and a retracted position along a sliding direction;

wherein the center member is slidable with respect to both the main frame member and the rack mount member and wherein the slide assembly is configured such that movement of the main frame member with respect to the rack mount member simultaneously moves the center member with respect to the rack mount member along the sliding direction, wherein the slide assembly includes a rack and pinion arrangement such that the center member moves at half the linear speed of the main frame member with respect to the rack mount member, the rack and pinion arrangement defining at least one gear disposed on the center member that meshes with both a rack provided on the main frame member and a rack provided on the rack mount member, and wherein the rack provided on the main frame member, the rack provided on the rack mount member, and the at least one gear disposed on the center member are all generally vertically aligned with the curved surface of the radius limiter of the center member.

2. A fiber optic telecommunications device according to claim 1 , wherein the fiber optic connection locations are defined by fiber optic adapters.

3. A fiber optic telecommunications device according to claim 2 , wherein the fiber optic adapters are SC format adapters.

4. A fiber optic telecommunications device according to claim 1 , wherein the telecommunications frame is mounted on a telecommunications rack.

5. A fiber optic telecommunications device according to claim 1 , wherein the fiber optic module defines a right side and a left side and includes a slide assembly at both the right side and the left side, wherein movement of the main frame member with respect to the telecommunications frame moves the radius limiters of the center members at both the right side and the left side of the module with respect to the telecommunications frame along the sliding direction.

6. A fiber optic telecommunications device according to claim 5 , wherein each slide assembly at the right side and the left side defines a rack mount member configured to mount the fiber optic module to the telecommunications frame and a center member that slidably connects the main frame member to the rack mount member.

7. A fiber optic telecommunications device according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the fiber optic modules are mounted to the telecommunications frame.

8. A fiber optic telecommunications device according to claim 1 , wherein each of the main frame member, the rack mount member, and the center member of the module includes portions with dovetail profiles for slidable coupling to each other.

9. A fiber optic telecommunications module comprising:
a main frame member defining fiber optic connection locations for connecting cables;
a rack mount member for mounting the main frame member to a piece of telecommunications equipment;
a center member positioned between the main frame member and the rack mount member that includes a radius limiter defining a curved surface for routing cables with bend radius protection from the main frame member toward the rack mount member; and
a slide assembly for slidably coupling the main frame member to the rack mount member between an extended position and a retracted position along a sliding direction;
wherein the center member is slidable with respect to both the main frame member and the rack mount member and wherein the slide assembly is configured such that movement of the main frame member with respect to the rack mount member simultaneously moves the center member with respect to the rack mount member along the sliding direction, wherein the slide assembly includes a rack and pinion arrangement such that the center member moves at half the linear speed of the main frame member with respect to the rack mount member, the rack and pinion arrangement defining at least one gear disposed on the center member that meshes with both a rack provided on the main frame member and a rack provided on the rack mount member, and wherein the rack provided on the main frame member, the rack provided on the rack mount member, and the at least one gear disposed on the center member are all generally vertically aligned with the curved surface of the radius limiter of the center member.

10. A fiber optic telecommunications module according to claim 9 , wherein the fiber optic connection locations are defined by fiber optic adapters.

11. A fiber optic telecommunications module according to claim 10 , wherein the fiber optic adapters are SC format adapters.

12. A fiber optic telecommunications module according to claim 10 , wherein the fiber optic adapters are LC format adapters.

13. A fiber optic telecommunications module according to claim 9 , wherein the fiber optic module defines a right side and a left side and includes a slide assembly at both the right side and the left side, wherein movement of the main frame member with respect to the rack mount member moves the radius limiters of the center members at both the right side and the left side of the module with respect to the rack mount member along the sliding direction.

14. A fiber optic telecommunications module according to claim 13 , wherein each slide assembly at the right side and the left side defines a rack mount member configured to mount the fiber optic module to the telecommunications frame and a center member that slidably connects the main frame member to the rack mount member.

15. A fiber optic telecommunications module according to claim 9 , wherein each of the main frame member, the rack mount member, and the center member of the module includes portions with dovetail profiles for slidable coupling to each other.

Assignees

• Commscope Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Holmberg Matthew
• Solheid James J

Classifications

• G02B6/444

  Systems or boxes with surplus lengths · 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

• G02B6/44528

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

• G02B6/44524 Primary

  with frame parts or auxiliary devices mounted on the frame and collectively not covering a whole width of the frame or rack (cassettes G02B6/4453) · CPC title

• G02B6/4452

  Distribution frames · CPC title