High density telecommunications mounting drawer

A drawer for mounting telecommunications equipment to a rack is disclosed. The drawer includes a lower platform and an upper platform for supporting the telecommunications equipment. The upper platform is pivotably coupled to the lower platform. The drawer further includes a mounting structure for mounting the drawer to the rack, wherein the mounting structure includes telescoping portions that allow the drawer to be slid away from and toward the rack.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The principles disclosed herein relate generally to a telecommunications device. Specifically, the principles disclosed herein relate to arrangements for mounting telecommunications equipment to a rack.

BACKGROUND

In telecommunications, high density is desirable, especially if provided in combination with standard sized equipment or standard footprints. However, achieving high density and standardization in telecommunication connectivity leads to certain design challenges. Cable management and easy access are both issues that must be taken into consideration in the configuration of high density equipment. There is a need in the art for telecommunications equipment and for mounting techniques thereof that can achieve high connectivity density, utilize standard footprints, and provide effective cable management as well as easy accessibility to all major components of the equipment.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates to a high density mounting arrangement for mounting telecommunications equipment on a rack.

In one particular aspect, the disclosure relates to a drawer including a lower platform and an upper platform for supporting telecommunications equipment, wherein the upper platform is pivotably coupled to the lower platform and the drawer further including a mounting structure for mounting the drawer to a rack, the mounting structure including telescoping portions that allow the drawer to slide away from and toward the rack.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring toFIGS. 1-4, a telecommunications drawer10having features that are examples of inventive aspects in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure is illustrated. The drawer10is shown mounted on two uprights12a,12b(i.e., rails, channels, etc.), forming part of a telecommunications rack, cabinet, etc. In one embodiment, the hole to hole spacing S is about 515 mm.

The drawer10is shown to include a plurality of telecommunication distribution blocks14mounted thereon. It should be noted that the telecommunication distribution blocks14are simply one example of telecommunications equipment that might be mounted on the drawer10having features that are examples of inventive aspects in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure. The telecommunication distribution blocks14, as will be explained further below, are an example telecommunications device that may include a high density of connection locations that is suitable for use with the drawer10illustrated and described herein. The telecommunication distribution blocks14will be referred to herein throughout the specification to describe the inventive features of the drawer10, but, in no way are intended to limit the scope of the inventive aspects of the disclosure.

Still referring toFIGS. 1-4, the drawer10includes a front end16, a rear end18, a right side20and a left side22. The drawer10includes a lower platform24and an upper platform26that is connected to the lower platform24with a vertical extension28(please seeFIG. 14). As shown in one embodiment, a pair of telecommunication distribution blocks14aare mounted on the lower platform24while two pairs of telecommunication distribution blocks, front pair14b, back pair14c, are mounted on the upper platform26. A controller unit30is also mounted on the lower platform24, directly under the telecommunication distribution blocks14a.

The telecommunication distribution blocks14are configured to provide telephone connectivity between a distribution (e.g., customer, subscriber, etc.) side and a service side (i.e., central office). Each block14generally includes a rectangular, box-like configuration.

The blocks14alocated on the lower platform24are configured to support connectors at a front side32of the blocks14aand to support connectors at a rear side34of the blocks14a. In the embodiment shown, the blocks14alocated on the lower platform24support connectors in the form of insulation displacement terminals (i.e., punch-downs) for connection to electrical cables. The insulation displacement connectors can be connected to circuitry (e.g., circuit boards) positioned within the blocks14. The cables connected to the front connectors can be customer cables, while the cables connected to the rear connectors can lead to a central office. As will be discussed in further detail below, the cable management features of the drawer10are configured to route all cables to the rear end18of the drawer10.

The upper platform26includes the two pairs of telecommunication distribution blocks14b,14cmounted thereon. The blocks14b,14con the upper platform26are configured similar to the blocks14aon the lower platform24. However, the blocks14b,14con the upper platform26are oriented in a perpendicular direction to the blocks14aon the lower platform24. Thus, for the upper blocks14b,14c, the front and rear sides (32,34of blocks14a) are oriented upwardly and downwardly and can be referred to as the top side36and the bottom side38, respectively. The upper blocks14b,14care, thus, configured to support card-edge connectors on the top36and the bottom sides38of the blocks14b,14c. The cables connected to the connectors on the top sides36of the blocks14b,14con the upper platform26can lead to the customers, while the cables connected to the connectors on the bottom sides38of the blocks14b,14c, can lead to the central office. As will discussed later, cables are also routed between the upper14b,14cand the lower blocks14a.

An example telecommunication distribution block and a controller are described in greater detail in commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/503,667, filed Aug. 14, 2006, entitled “CROSS-CONNECT DISTRIBUTION UNIT”, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

Still referring toFIGS. 1-4, the drawer10is mounted to the uprights12a,12bvia a pair of mounting brackets40a,40b. The mounting brackets40, in the depicted embodiment, include generally a triangular shape. Other shapes are possible. The mounting brackets40are fastened to the right and the left sides20,22of the drawer10. The mounting brackets40also include forward facing upright flanges42with fastener holes44that mate with holes46on the uprights12for adjustable mounting of the drawer10on the uprights12.

In one embodiment, the drawer10has a width W of approximately 515 mm, matching the hole to hole spacing S between the vertical rails12a, bof the rack, and a height H of approximately 400 mm or less including the height of the mounted blocks14. In one embodiment, the drawer10sized to fit within a standard rack unit of 19 inches. In another embodiment, the drawer10is sized to fit within a rack unit of 23 inches.

The drawer10is configured to provide access to the cable connections at the rear end18of the drawer10, as well as, access to cable connections at the bottom38of the upper blocks14b,14c.FIG. 2illustrates a slidability feature of the telecommunications drawer10. As indicated by the arrow A inFIG. 2, the drawer10is slidably mounted with respect to the uprights12. The drawer10can be slidably pulled away (e.g., in a forward direction) from the uprights12a,12bto gain access to the rear portion18of the drawer10. As illustrated inFIGS. 3-4, once the drawer10is slidably pulled out, the upper platform26of the drawer10, thus, the upper blocks14b,14c, can be pivotally moved away from the lower platform24to gain further access to the rear portion18of the drawer10and access to the bottom sides38of the upper blocks14b,14c.

The front to back slidability of the drawer10is provided by telescoping slide guides50of the drawer10that are fastened to the mounting brackets40used for mounting the drawer10to the uprights12. The slide guides50telescope to allow the drawer10to be pulled away from and pushed back toward the uprights12. Please note that the slide guides of the drawer are shown in a non-telescoped position inFIGS. 2-4,10, and19for the purpose of illustrating the fastener holes51on the outer slide guide for attachment to the fastener holes53of the mounting brackets12. A telescoped configuration of the slide guides50can be seen inFIGS. 2A and 6A. Such slide guide configurations are known in the art. Other configurations or types of structures are possible for providing slidability of the drawer10.

As shown inFIGS. 3-4and discussed previously, once the drawer10is slidably pulled out, the upper platform26of the drawer10can be pivoted away from the lower platform24to gain access to hard-to-reach areas of the telecommunications equipment mounted on the drawer.FIG. 3illustrates a partially pivoted position of the drawer10andFIG. 4illustrates the drawer10in a fully pivoted position.

FIGS. 5-10illustrate the drawer10and the mounting brackets40in isolation, removed from the uprights12of the rack andFIG. 11illustrates the drawer10without the mounting brackets40.

FIG. 14illustrates an exploded view of the drawer10, wherein the telecommunication distribution blocks14and the controller30are removed from the drawer10. The structural details of the upper and lower platforms26,24of the drawer10can be viewed in greater detail inFIG. 14.

Still referring toFIG. 14, the lower platform24of the telecommunications drawer10includes a lower frame52. The lower frame52includes a lower platform rear wall54, a lower platform right sidewall56, a lower platform left sidewall58, a lower platform front base plate60, and a lower platform rear base plate62. The right and the left sidewalls56,58include fastener holes64for mounting the controller unit30. The right sidewall56also includes an upwardly extending plate66with fastener holes68for mounting the telecommunication distribution blocks14a to the lower platform24.

The upper platform26of the telecommunications drawer10includes an upper frame70. The upper frame70includes an upper platform front mounting plate72, an upper platform rear mounting plate74and an upper platform middle base plate76. The plates72,74, and76of the upper frame70include fastener holes78for mounting the telecommunication distribution blocks14b,14cto the upper platform.

The upper platform26is connected to the lower platform24via the vertical extension28adjacent the left side22of the drawer10. The vertical extension28includes a vertical extension sidewall80that has front and rear bent flanges82,84. The vertical extension28also includes an angled reinforcement plate86extending from the rear bent flange84to the lower platform rear wall54.

An upper end88of the vertical extension28includes a pivot assembly90for pivotally mounting the upper platform26with respect to the lower platform24. The pivot assembly90includes a hinge92extending from the front16to the rear18of the drawer10. The pivot hinge92defines a pivot axis P that extends in a direction generally going from the front end16to the rear end18of the drawer10. The pivot assembly90also includes front and rear linkage arms94a,94bthat extend from the upper platform mounting plates72,74to the front and rear bent flanges82,84, respectively.

InFIGS. 12-13, a close up of one of the linkage arms94is illustrated. The upper ends96of the linkage arms94arc pivotally fastened to the upper platform front and rear mounting plates72,74. The lower ends98of the linkage arms94include an L-shaped cutout100that pivots about a pin102located on the front and rear bent flanges82,84. The linkage arms94are configured to stop pivoting of the upper platform26after the platform26has reached a fully pivoted position, as seen inFIG. 4. In certain embodiments, a locking or a biasing mechanism can also be used on the drawer10to hold the upper platform26in an open position and to prevent the upper platform10from falling down after it has been pivoted up.

Now referring to FIGS.11and15-18, the cable management features of the drawer10are illustrated in detail.FIGS. 15-18illustrate the drawer10in an “empty” configuration wherein the telecommunication distribution blocks14, the controller30, and the mounting brackets40have been removed. Please note that the cable management structures that are normally mounted on the top sides of the lower blocks14a are still shown inFIGS. 15-18, however, in an exploded view.

As discussed previously, the cable management structures located on the drawer10and on the blocks14are generally configured to route all cable away from the rear end18of the drawer10.

The drawer10includes a first cable management structure104fastened to the lower platform rear wall54. The first cable management structure104is an upright structure including a plurality of loops106. The first cable management structure104is oriented at an angle such that it routes cables coming from the rear18of the drawer10toward both lower blocks14a and toward the hinge92.

A second cable management structure108that has a similar structure to the first cable management structure104is located adjacent the hinge92. The second cable management structure108is fastened to the upper platform middle base plate76via a plate110. The second cable management structure108extends horizontally from the front end16of the drawer10to the rear end18of the drawer10. The second cable management structure108is designed to route cable coming from the lower platform24to the bottom sides38of the upper blocks14b,14c.

The lower telecommunication distribution blocks14aalso include cable management structures mounted thereon. A pair of third cable management structures112are fastened to the top side of the lower blocks14a, (SeeFIG. 11). The third cable management structures112also include loops and are designed to fan-out the cable extending from the rear34of the lowers block14ato the front32of the lower blocks14a, as the cable extends over the top side of the blocks14a.

As illustrated in theFIG. 11, both the lower blocks14a and the upper blocks14b,14cinclude additional cable management structures mounted thereon. The blocks14include fingers114located at the rear34of the lower blocks14a(at the bottom side38of the upper blocks14b,14c). The blocks14also include upper and lower tabs116in the front32of the lower blocks14a(upper and lower tabs116being oriented from front to rear on the upper blocks14b,14c).

The cable management structures are positioned such that generally all of the cabling going toward the blocks14b,14cin the upper platform26are routed toward the left side22of the drawer10, where the hinge92is located. In this manner, the amount of slack cable needed can be reduced in allowing for the pivotability of the upper platform26.

Since the cable is generally routed away from the drawer10from the rear end18of the drawer10and since the drawer10is configured to be slid forwardly, excess cable may be needed adjacent the rear end18of the drawer10to provide for sufficient slack. As illustrated inFIG. 11, the drawer10defines a space120for storing slack cable behind the lower blocks14a, underneath the upper rear blocks14c. This space120serves to store a large amount of slack cable that is routed from the rear18of the drawer10and that is needed to provide for the forward slidability of the drawer10.

FIGS. 19-20illustrate the routing of the cables going the upper14a and lower blocks14b,14cto the rear18of the drawer10and away from the drawer10.

It should be noted that, although in the foregoing description of the telecommunications drawer10, terms such as “front”, “back”, “right”, “left”, “top”, and “bottom” have been used for ease of description and illustration, no restriction is intended by such use of the terms.

The embodiments discussed above are provided as examples. Having described the preferred aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure, modifications and equivalents of the disclosed concepts may readily occur to one skilled in the art. However, it is intended that such modifications and equivalents be included within the scope of the claims which are appended hereto.