Abstract:
An optical fiber management shelf includes a housing having a first opening and a fiber optic termination module mounted to the fiber management shelf. A first door is pivotably mounted on the housing and pivotable about an axis from a first position substantially covering the first opening to a second position allowing access to the first opening. A first projection is on the first door, and a first receiver is on the housing configured to receive and selectively retain the first projection to releasably secure the first door to the housing. The first receiver includes a latch configured to retain the first projection when the first projection is initially inserted or pushed into the first receiver. The first receiver is also configured to release the first projection when the first projection is subsequently pressed or pushed toward the first receiver after the initial insertion into the first receiver.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Applications Nos. 61/153,611, 61/153,615 and 61/153,617, each filed Feb. 18, 2009, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention is directed to a fiber management shelf having at least one door with a latch that can be secured and released using one hand, and, more specifically, toward a fiber management shelf having at least one door provided with at least one push-push fastener to allow the door to be secured and released using one hand. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Data centers that support one or more businesses, factories or residential areas typically comprise one or more racks or cabinets filled with interconnection sites for optical fibers and fiber optic cables. In a typical installation, fiber optic cables that include multiple optical fibers from an external source (these are often known as “outside plant” or “OSP” fibers) enter the cabinet and are spliced together with individual optical fibers known as “pigtails.” Splicing typically occurs in a splice tray or similar component that includes multiple splice sites. The pigtail fibers are then connected within the cabinet to standard termination sites. The termination sites include termination ports that connect optically with “jumper” optical fibers that exit the rack or cabinet to supply data or other information in optical form to the remainder of the building or site. The termination sites can be provided in a number of forms, including fiber distribution cartridges, fiber distribution modules, multi-position adapter couplers and/or bezels. 
         [0004]    Fiber management shelves are often provided a front door for providing selective access to the termination sites and elements near the front of the shelf and/or a rear door providing selective access to the splice panel and elements at the rear of the shelf. These doors may be opened and closed as needed. However, in some cases, the doors are provided with latches or other mechanisms that must be manipulated with one or both hands in order to open the doors and/or fasten them securely. These latches can add to the complexity of fiber management shelves, and the latches on one fiber management shelf may interfere with the operation of the doors of adjacent fiber management shelves when the shelves are arranged one above another in a rack. Other types of latches may require a significant amount of force to release, and thus a user might have to pull forcefully on the door equipped with such a latch, possibly jarring the shelf and affecting the operation of the sensitive fiber optic components contained therein. It is also possible to provide fiber management shelves with doors that do not include latches, but this can lead to the undesirable condition of the doors coming open at unwanted times and failing to provide projection for the components they are intended to cover. It would therefore be desirable to provide a fiber management shelf with latchable doors that can be latched and unlatched with one hand, without pulling on the shelf, and that do not interfere with the operation of the doors of adjacent fiber management shelves stacked above or below the fiber management shelf equipped with such latches. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    These problems and other are addressed by the present invention, a first aspect of which comprises an optical fiber management shelf that includes a housing having a first opening, a fiber optic termination module mounted in the fiber management shelf, a first door pivotably mounted on the housing and movable from a first position substantially covering the first opening to a second position allowing access to the first opening, and at least one push-push fastener releasably securing a first portion of the first door to the housing. 
         [0006]    Another aspect of the invention comprises an optical fiber management shelf that includes a housing having a first opening, a fiber optic termination module mounted in the fiber management shelf and a first door pivotably mounted on the housing and pivotable about an axis from a first position substantially covering the first opening to a second position allowing access to the first opening. The first door includes a first projection, and there is a first receiver on the housing configured to receive and selectively retain the first projection to releasably secure the first door to the housing. The first receiver includes a latch configured to retain the first projection when the first projection is inserted into the first receiver and configured to release the first projection when the first door, while the first projection is retained in the first receiver, is pressed toward the first receiver. 
         [0007]    A further aspect of the present invention comprises an optical fiber management shelf that includes a housing having a first opening on a first side of the housing and a second opening on a second side of the housing opposite from the first side of the housing with a fiber optic termination module mounted in the first opening and a fiber optic splice panel mounted in the second opening. A first door is pivotably mounted on the housing and is movable from a first position substantially covering the first fiber optic termination module to a second position allowing access to the fiber optic termination module, and a second door is pivotably mounted on the housing and is movable from a first position substantially covering the splice panel to a second position allowing access to the splice panel. The first door includes a first projection and a second projection and the second door includes a third projection and a fourth projection. The housing includes a first receiver and a second receiver configured to receive and selectively retain the first projection and the second projection to releasably secure the first door to the housing. The first receiver and second receiver each include a latch configured to retain the first projection and the second projection, respectively, when the first projection is inserted into the first receiver and the second projection is inserted into the second receiver and configured to release the first projection and the second projection when the first door, while the first projection and second projection are retained by the first receiver and the second receiver, respectively, is pressed toward the housing. The first door is sufficiently rigid that pressing the first door toward the housing at a point between the first projection and the second projection when the first projection is retained in the first receiver and the second projection is retained in the second receiver releases the first projection from the first receiver and releases the second projection from the second receiver. The second door is sufficiently rigid that pressing the second door toward the housing at a point between the third projection and the fourth projection when the third projection is retained in the third receiver and the fourth projection is retained in the fourth receiver releases the third projection from the third receiver and releases the fourth projection from the fourth receiver. The first opening includes a bottom edge and a top edge, the first door includes a bottom edge pivotably mounted at the first opening bottom edge, and the first projection and the second projection are located on the first door at a location closer to the first door top edge than to the first door bottom edge. The second opening includes a bottom edge and a top edge, the second door includes a bottom edge pivotably mounted at the second opening bottom edge, and the third projection and the fourth projection are located on the second door at a location closer to the second door top edge than to the second door bottom edge. The first projection and the second projection are integrally molded with the first door and the third projection and the fourth projection are integrally molded with the second door. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    These and other aspects of embodiments of the present invention will be better understood after a reading of the following detailed description, together with the attached drawings, wherein: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is a side elevational view of an optical fiber management shelf having front and rear doors with push-push fasteners according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of the optical fiber management shelf of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a rear perspective view of the optical fiber management shelf of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged elevational view, partly in section of the push-push fastener of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a front perspective view of an optical fiber management shelf according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a front perspective view of an optical fiber management shelf according to a third embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    The present invention now is described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. 
         [0016]    Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. In the figures, the thickness of certain lines, layers, components, elements or features may be exaggerated for clarity. 
         [0017]    The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the specification and relevant art and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein. Well-known functions or constructions may not be described in detail for brevity and/or clarity. 
         [0018]    As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, phrases such as “between X and Y” and “between about X and Y” should be interpreted to include X and Y. As used herein, phrases such as “between about X and Y” mean “between about X and about Y.” As used herein, phrases such as “from about X to Y” mean “from about X to about Y.” 
         [0019]    It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “on”, “attached” to, “connected” to, “coupled” with, “contacting”, etc., another element, it can be directly on, attached to, connected to, coupled with or contacting the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being, for example, “directly on”, “directly attached” to, “directly connected” to, “directly coupled” with or “directly contacting” another element, there are no intervening elements present. It will also be appreciated by those of skill in the art that references to a structure or feature that is disposed “adjacent” another feature may have portions that overlap or underlie the adjacent feature. 
         [0020]    Spatially relative terms, such as “under”, “below”, “lower”, “over”, “upper”, “lateral”, “left”, “right” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature&#39;s relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is inverted, elements described as “under” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “over” the other elements or features. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the descriptors of relative spatial relationships used herein interpreted accordingly. 
         [0021]      FIG. 1  illustrates a fiber management shelf  10  comprising a housing  12  having a front opening  14  having a bottom edge  16  and a top edge  18  and a rear opening  20  having a bottom edge  22  and a top edge  24 . As used herein, “housing” refers to the elements surrounding a plurality of fiber optic components and may comprise the floor of a fiber optic management shelf, the side walls of the fiber optic management shelf or a rack (not illustrated) in which the shelf is mounted, and/or a top wall that may be formed by another element mounted above the fiber optic management shelf in a rack. The housing may also be defined at least in part by one or more fiber retainer rings mounted near either side of the door at the front of a fiber management shelf. A first or front door  26  has a bottom edge  28  and a top edge  30 , and bottom edge  28  of front door  26  is connected near bottom edge  16  of front opening  14  by a plurality of hinges  32 . A second or rear door  34  has a bottom edge  36  and a top edge  38 , and bottom edge  36  of rear door  34  is connected near bottom edge  22  of rear opening  20  by a plurality of hinges  40 . Front door  26  includes first and second projections  42  closer to top edge  30  than to bottom edge  28  which projections are configured to be releasably retained within first and second receivers  44  near top edge  18  of front opening  14 , and rear door  34  includes third and fourth projections  46  closer to rear door top edge  38  than to rear door bottom edge  36  which projections are configured to be releasably retained within third and fourth receivers  48  near top edge  24  of rear opening  20 . As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , first and second receivers  44  include a latch element  50  for selectively retaining first and second projections  42 . Third and fourth receivers  48  include similar latch elements (not illustrated). 
         [0022]    First projection  42  and first receiver  44  form a push-push connector or push-push fastener. As used herein, a “push-push” fastener is a fastener that selectively secures a relatively movable object, such as a door, to a relatively fixed object, such as a housing. The push-push fasteners are secured by pressing a fastener element on the moveable object against a fastener element on the fixed element, which pressing results in a connection between the fastener elements. The push-push fasteners are released by again pressing the movable object toward the fixed element, which pushing releases the fastener element on the movable object from the fastener element on the fixed element and allows the movable element to move. One such push-push fastener is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,489 to Bisbing, and the entire contents of this patent are hereby incorporated by reference. Other push-push fasteners are known, and the present invention is not limited to a particular push-push fastener. 
         [0023]      FIG. 2  illustrates front door  26  in an open configuration, providing access to fiber termination elements  52  mounted in front opening  14 . Only two fiber termination elements  52  are illustrated in  FIG. 2 ; however, in many cases, a sufficient number of fiber termination elements  52  would be provided to fill front opening  14 . To cover front opening  14 , front door  26  is pivoted about hinges  32  until first and second projections  42  approach first and second receivers  44  and then enter the first and second receiver  44 . Continued movement of front door  26  toward housing  12  causes latch elements  50  in first and second receivers  44  to engage first and second projections  42  and retain the first and second projections  42  in the receivers  44  and thus hold front door  26  securely in a closed position with top edge  30  of front door  26  close to the top edge  18  of the front opening. 
         [0024]    To open front door  26  and gain access to the fiber termination elements  52  in front opening  14 , pressure is applied against front door  26  near top edge  30  thereof between the first and second projections  42 . Front door  26  is sufficiently rigid that this pressing simultaneously moves both the first and second projections  42  further into first and second receivers  44  to release latch element  50  in the first and second receivers  44  from first and second projections  42  and allow front door  26  to pivot about hinges  32  and to the open position illustrated in  FIG. 3 . Thus front door  26  can be opened and closed with one hand without the need to apply any pulling force on the front door  26  or on the fiber management shelf  10 . Rear door  34  selectively covers rear opening  20  and splice panel  51  located therein, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , and is secured and released in a manner similar to that of front door  26 . 
         [0025]    A second embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in  FIG. 5  in which a housing  54  includes first and second spaced wall portions  56 ,  58  projecting from a front thereof and first and second fiber retainer rings  60  at opposite sides of the housing  54  between the first and second spaced wall portions  56 ,  58 . Fiber retainer rings  60  are provided to help guide patch cables (not illustrated) as they exit fiber termination elements  52 . Each fiber retainer ring  60  includes a receiver  62  for receiving and securing first and second projections  42  on front door  26  in the same manner as the first and second receivers  44  described above. Fiber retainer rings  60  are secured to housing  54  and thus providing receivers  62  on these fiber retainer rings  60  provides a secure connection between front door  26  and housing  54  while at the same time providing space between fiber termination elements  52  and front door  26  for the patch cables. 
         [0026]    A third embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in  FIG. 6  in which a housing  70  includes lower and upper spaced wall portions  72 ,  74  projecting from a front thereof, and a first row  76  of fiber termination elements  52  and a second row  78  of fiber termination elements  52  mounted in housing  70 . First and second fiber retainer rings  80  are provided on lower wall portion  72  for guiding patch cables leaving the fiber termination elements of the first row  76  of fiber termination elements  52 , and third and fourth fiber retainer rings  82  are stacked on each of the first and second fiber retainer rings  80  for guiding patch cables of the second row  78  of fiber termination elements  52 . Each of the third and fourth fiber retainer rings  82  includes a receiver  84  identical to the first and second receivers  44  of the first embodiment for receiving first and second projections  42  of front door  26  and securing front door  26  to third and fourth retainer rings  82  and thus to housing  70 . 
         [0027]    The present invention has been described in terms of several presently preferred embodiments. However, additions and modifications to these embodiments will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art upon a reading of the foregoing description. It is intended that all such additions and modifications form a part of the present invention to the extent they fall within the scope of the several claims appended hereto.