Abstract:
A telecommunications termination cabinet includes first and second connector bulkheads, the first bulkhead located in forward position relative to the second bulkhead. The first bulkhead is pivotally mounted to the cabinet. A splice cabinet is positioned below the termination cabinet.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to termination, connection and splicing systems for telecommunications cables.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Termination, connection and splicing systems are known in the field of telecommunications. In the recent past, there has been an explosive growth of demand for additional telecommunications paths and bandwidth. While the demand for such resources has grown, the space available to install the systems providing these resources has not. Thus, greater capabilities are being demanded which must be provided within the same physical space. This growth in demand has in some cases meant that previously adequate telecommunications installations have become overloaded. To use the same physical space for the installation of new telecommunication systems, higher density termination, connection, and splicing equipment has become apparent.  
           [0003]    In addition, in developing regions of the world, many of the facilities were not designed with dedicated space such as is required by modern telecommunications equipment. To serve these new and emerging markets, a product which provides high density and which combines as many of the required functions into a single piece of equipment is highly desirable.  
           [0004]    Existing technology available or known provides termination and connection in a single panel but not at a sufficiently high density to address the growing need for telecommunications growth. Also, current technology splicing products are offered in a separate cabinet or panel from the termination and connection products.  
           [0005]    Further development in telecommunications termination, connection and splicing systems is desired.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    One aspect of the present invention relates to a termination and cross-connect system including two cable connector bulkheads within a single cabinet. Cable management spools and guides within the cabinet support the cables within the cabinet. A rear cable opening for receiving cables, and openings and guides for the cross-connect cables exiting the cabinet are also provided. A first bulkhead for the termination and cross-connection of telecommunications cables is pivotally mounted at the front of the cabinet and swings open to provide access to a second bulkhead. Cable management devices are mounted to the first bulkhead for cables on both sides of the first bulkhead and these devices move with the first bulkhead as it moves between open and closed positions. The second bulkhead also has cable management devices for directing cables to and from the bulkhead.  
           [0007]    A further aspect of the invention relates to splicing and high-density termination and cross-connect functions within the same system. The termination and cross-connect function are handled in a first cabinet with two bulkheads as described above. A second cabinet in the same system provides a rear cable access and cable management devices for managing the incoming and outgoing cables within the cabinet. The second cabinet has a plurality of cable splice tray storage locations for storing splice trays used to splice telecommunications cables. The first and second cabinets preferably have the same footprint and can be mounted with the first cabinet vertically above the second cabinet.  
           [0008]    A variety of advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the detailed description that follows and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practicing the invention. It is understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specifications, illustrate several aspects of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. A brief description of the drawings is as follows:  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a first embodiment of a telecommunications cable connection assembly.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the telecommunications cable connection assembly in FIG. 1.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is a front view of the termination cabinet of FIG. 1 with the front door removed showing the front connectors connected to the first bulkhead and some representative cables.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional top view of the cabinet in FIG. 3 taken at line A-A with representative cables connected to both the first and second bulkheads.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the cabinet in FIG. 4 taken at line B-B showing the rear connectors connected to the first bulkhead and some representative cables.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of the cabinet shown in FIG. 4 with the top removed and the first bulkhead pivoted to an open position.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional top view of the cabinet in FIG. 6 with representative cables connected to both bulkheads.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the cabinet in FIG. 7 taken at line C-C showing the front connectors connected to the second bulkhead and some representative cables.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 9 is a rear view of the cabinet in FIG. 4 with the rear door removed showing the rear connectors connected to the second bulkhead and some representative cables.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 10 is a front perspective view of the splicing cabinet of FIG. 1 with the top and front door removed, and one of the splicing trays shown removed from the splicing cabinet.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 11 is a top view of the splicing cabinet shown in FIG. 10 with representative cables entering and exiting the cabinet from the rear and being led to the splicing trays.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 12 is a front view of the splicing cabinet shown in FIG. 10 with representative cables leading to and from the splicing trays.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 13 is a rear view of the splicing cabinet shown in FIG,  10  with the rear door removed and representative cables leading to and from the splicing trays.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0023]    Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary aspects of the present invention that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.  
         [0024]    Referring now to FIG. 1, a telecommunications assembly  10  is shown, consisting of a termination cabinet  12  and a splicing cabinet  14 . Cabinets  12 ,  14  can be mounted to a rack, frame or other support  15  through holes  17  and suitable fasteners. Termination cabinet  12  includes a top  16 , two sides  22  and  23 , and a front cover  20 . Front cover  20  is hinged to cabinet  12  with hinges  33  and releasably held closed by a latch  32 . Preferably, front cover  20  is removable from the rest of cabinet  12 . On the sides of cabinet  12  are vertical cable channels  24  and  26  defined by side covers  38  and  40 , movable finger guides  44  and fixed finger guides  46 . Toward the rear of cabinet  12  in side  22  is rear cable opening  28 .  
         [0025]    Splicing cabinet  14  includes sides  52  and  53 , and front cover  18 . Front cover  18  is hinged to splicing cabinet  14  with hinges  35  and releasably held closed by latch  34 . Preferably, front cover  18  is removable from the rest of splicing cabinet  14 . Vertical cable guides  25  and  27 , which align with vertical cable guides  24  and  26  when cabinets  12  and  14  are assembled to form assembly  10 , are defined by side covers  36  and  42  and by fixed front plates  48  and  50 . Toward the rear of sides  52  and  53  are rear cable openings  30  and  31 .  
         [0026]    Referring now to FIG. 2, the rear of assembly  10  is shown. Cabinet  12  includes a rear door  54  hinged to cabinet  12  by hinges  62  and releasably held closed by latches  58 . Splicing cabinet  14  includes a rear door  56  hinged to splicing cabinet  14  by hinges  64  and held releasably closed by hinges  60 . Preferably, rear doors  54 ,  56  are removable from the rest of cabinets  12  and  14 .  
         [0027]    [0027]FIGS. 3 through 9 illustrate termination and cross-connection of cables through cabinet  12  of telecommunications assembly  10 . Referring now to FIG. 3, the front of first bulkhead  100  inside cabinet  12  is shown. Also, bottom  66  of cabinet  12  can now be seen. Bulkhead  100  includes a plurality of connector assemblies  102  extending through the bulkhead for connecting telecommunications cables. Connector assemblies  102  are angled with respect to bulkhead  100  so that the cables connected to the front of connector assemblies  102  are angled toward vertical cable guide  26 . Representative cables  108  are shown in FIG. 3 connecting to the left-most column of connector assemblies  102 , passing through movable finger guides  44  and transitioning into vertical channel  26 . Bulkhead hinge  104  defines a vertical axis  105  about which bulkhead  100  rotates as it moves between open and closed positions. When bulkhead  100  is in the closed position, latch  106  releasably holds the bulkhead.  
         [0028]    Referring now to FIG. 4 and  5 , further details of the interior of cabinet  12  are shown. Second bulkhead  126  is mounted behind first bulkhead  100  in cabinet  12 . Extending through both bulkheads  100  and  126  are connector assemblies  102 . Connector assemblies  102  in bulkhead  100  are angled horizontally to direct front cables  108  to the left side of cabinet  12  to facilitate cables  108  exit from cabinet  12  via moving finger guides  44  and vertical cable guide  26 . Connector assemblies  102  in bulkhead  126  are angled horizontally to direct front cables  114  to the right side of cabinet  12  through cable guides  124  and out of cabinet  12  via fixed finger guides  46  and vertical cable guide  24 . Rear cables  109 ,  115  lead to the rear sides of bulkheads  100 ,  126 , respectively. At the end of each cable  108 ,  109 ,  114  and  115  is a connector  116  sized and shaped for insertion into an adapter  117  for making optical connections between cables  108  and  109 , and cables  114  and  115 . Adapters  117  mount to openings in bulkheads  100 ,  126 , such as from sheet metal, with angled retainers, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,214,735. Other angled mounting arrangements can be used to angle the front connectors left and right.  
         [0029]    Shown in these FIGS. are optical fiber cables, adapters and connectors. It is anticipated that copper telecommunications cables and connectors will also be used in cabinet  12 .  
         [0030]    Cables enter the rear of cabinet  12  through rear cable openings  28  and/or  29  and are ultimately connected to connector assemblies  102  in bulkheads  100  and  126 , respectively. Cables  108  and  114  are cross-connect cables (patch cords) inserted in the front of connector assemblies  102  and exit from cabinet  12  as indicated above. Rear cable spool  118  serves to protect cables  109  and cables  115  from violating bend radius rules and direct the cable into cable guides  120  and  122 . Cables  115  then pass through cable guides  122  and are fanned out as appropriate to be directed to the rear of connector assemblies  102  in bulkhead  126  and thus be optically connected with cables  114 . Cables  109  then pass through cable guides  120  which direct cables  109  so as not interfere with the passage of cables  115  to connector assemblies  102 . Cable guides  120  direct cables  109  to front cable spool  110 , mounted to the rear of bulkhead  100 . Front cable spool  110  serves to protect cables  109  from violating bend radius rules as cables  109  transition from the rear to the front of cabinet  12 . Under front cable spool  110  is cable fanning unit  128  for use with bundled style cables  109  and separates the individual cables  130  (such as individual fibers) within the bundled cables  109  so that each fiber can be connected to with an adapter  117  at the rear of connector assemblies  102  mounted to bulkhead  100 . Fibers  130  pass from fanning unit  128  over front cable spool  110 , through cable guides  112  and are inserted in the rear of connector assemblies  102  to be optically connected to cables  108  at the front of connector assemblies  102 .  
         [0031]    Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, more details of the interior of cabinet  12  and the rear of bulkhead  100  are shown. Rear bottom opening  29  in bottom  66  is shown in rear corner of cabinet  12 . Hinge  104  for bulkhead  100  is mounted to bulkhead  100  via a flange  138 . Flange  138  is sized and shaped so that when bulkhead  100  is in the closed position, bulkhead  100  is recessed with respect to front cover  20  so that front cover  20  can be closed without interfering with cables  108  and front connectors  116 . To the rear of bulkhead  100  are mounted top and bottom housings  136  and  137 . Rear housing  132  is releasably mounted to the rear of housings  136  and  137  with latches  134 . Together, housings  132 ,  136  and  137  comprise a rear protective cover  140  for cables  109 , fibers  130 , rear connectors  116  and front cable spool  110 . Cable guides  112  are mounted within protective cover  140 . The end of protective cover  140  proximate to front cable drum  110  is open to allow the passage of cables  109  into the area protected by cover  140 .  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 8 shows additional detail of second bulkhead  126  and the rear of cabinet  12 . Cables  114  are connected to adapters  117  with connectors  116  and are directed to the right side of cabinet  12 . There, cables  114  are organized by cable guide  124  before passing through fixed cable fingers  46  and into vertical cable channel  24 . Bulkhead  126  is shown mounted between top  16  and bottom  66  with gap  144  to the left side to allow cables  109  to pass through cable guides  120  into protective cover  140  for connection in bulkhead  100 . Other mounting arrangements for bulkhead  126  are anticipated provided that passage of cables  109  from rear cable opening  28  to protective enclosure  140 .  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 9 provides additional detail of the arrangement of the rear of bulkhead  126 . Cable fanning unit  146  is positioned beneath rear cable spool  118  and receives bundled cables  142  and separates the individual cables  115  (single fibers) within the bundled cables  142  so that each cable  115  can be connected to the rear of connector assemblies  102  mounted through bulkhead  126 . In FIG. 9, bundled cables  142  are shown entering cabinet  12  via bottom opening  29  in bottom  66 . Alternatively, bundled cables  142  could enter cabinet  12  via rear cable opening  28  in side  22 , shown in FIG. 6.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIGS. 10 through 13 illustrate splicing cabinet  14  of telecommunications assembly  10 . Referring now to FIG. 10, internal details of cabinet  14  are shown. Four splice trays  200  are slidably and removably mounted in slots  204 . Splice trays  200  shown are round splice trays for splicing fiber optic cables, and are described in more detail in PCT WO 00/17693. Splice trays  200  include splice holders and cable storage structure for storing the excess cable. Other shapes and designs of splice trays are anticipated for use with cabinet  14  and assembly  10 . Behind splice trays  200  and slots  204  is rear cable wall  206 , which cooperates with rear cover  56  to form rear cable channel  210 . At the right end of rear cable wall  206  is radius limiter  208  to prevent cables passing between the splice trays and the rear cable channel from violating bend radius requirements. Cables may enter and exit the rear cable channel from outside cabinet  14  through rear cable openings  30  and  31  in walls  52  and  53 , respectively, or through a top cable opening  214  in the removed cabinet top  216 . Cables going to and from splice trays  200  also pass around radius limiter  212  near the front of cabinet  14  and mounted proximate to slots  204 .  
         [0035]    Referring now to FIGS. 11 and 12, the routing of cables within cabinet  14  is shown. Outside plant cables  220  are shown entering rear cable channel  210  through rear cable opening  31 . Cables  220  pass through channel  210 , around radius limiter  208  and enters a splice tray  200 . In splice tray  200 , a cable  220  is spliced into either a cable  109  or a cable  142 . This cable  109  or cable  142  then passes out of splice tray  200  around radius limiter  212  and exits from cabinet  14  through rear cable opening  30  and into cabinet  12  through rear cable opening  28 . Alternatively, cable  109  or  142  could exit cabinet  14  through top cable opening  214  and enter cabinet  12  through rear bottom opening  29 .  
         [0036]    Referring now to FIG. 13, several alternative routes, labeled A through E, for cables  109  and  142  and outside plant cable  220  are shown. Alternative A shows cables  109  and  142  exiting from cabinet  14  via rear cable opening  30 . Alternative B shows cables  109  and  142  exiting cabinet  14  through rear top opening  214 . Alternative A, C, D, and E show different routes that outside plant cable  220  could take for entering rear cable channel  210  through rear cable openings  30  and/or  31 .  
         [0037]    With regard to the foregoing description, it is to be understood that changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of the construction materials employed and the shape, size and arrangement of the parts without changing the scope of the present invention. It is intended that the specification and depicted aspects be considered exemplary only, with the true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the broad meaning of the following claims.