Abstract:
A cable management fanning module includes an elongated base extending in a linear direction defining a longitudinal axis, and having a first end and an opposite second end. A plurality of cable retainers extend from the base, wherein each cable retainer includes a finger extending from the base to a distal end. The first and second ends of the base define an interlocking arrangement having reciprocal shapes, wherein the fanning module is mateable with additional fanning modules on one or both of the first and second ends having a reciprocal shape so as to form a fanning strip.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/242,598, filed Sep. 15, 2009; which application is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     This disclosure pertains to signal transmission systems with signals carried over optical fibers. More particularly, this disclosure pertains to cable management fanning strips and fiber distribution modules and frames. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A variety of cable management devices exist for managing cables extending to and from optical fiber terminations and other equipment. U.S. Pat. No. 6,381,393 illustrates one example management panel which includes fanning strips for cable management. Not withstanding prior design efforts, the telecommunications industry is in continued need of new designs of optical fiber distribution and management equipment. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to one aspect of the disclosure, a cable management fanning module includes an elongated base extending in a linear direction defining a longitudinal axis, and having a first end and an opposite second end. Multiple cable retainers extend from the base. Each cable retainer includes a finger extending from the base to a distal end. The first and second ends of the base define an interlocking arrangement having reciprocal shapes. The fanning module is mateable with another fanning module on one of the first and second ends having a reciprocal shape to the other of the first and second ends. 
     According to another aspect of the disclosure, a fanning strip includes a base defining a longitudinal axis and multiple cable retainers extending from the base. The fanning strip includes at least two fanning modules which interlock to form the fanning strip. In one example, all of the cable retainers extend from a single side of the fanning strip. In certain embodiments, the fingers extend away from the base and have an end which extends at least partially back toward the base. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a fiber optic panel including a fanning strip in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the panel of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a first perspective view of the fanning strip of  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a further perspective view of the fanning strip of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of the fanning strip of  FIG. 3 , the opposite side being identical; 
         FIG. 6  is a front view of the fanning strip of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a rear view of the fanning strip of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a top view of the fanning strip of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a bottom view of the fanning strip of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 10  is an exploded perspective view of the fanning strip of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 11  is a side view of one of the fanning strip modules used to assemble the fanning strip of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 12  is front view of the fanning strip module of  FIG. 11 ; 
         FIG. 13  is a rear view of the fanning strip module of  FIG. 11 ; 
         FIG. 14  is a top view of the fanning strip module of  FIG. 11 ; 
         FIG. 15  is a bottom view of the fanning strip module of  FIG. 11 ; 
         FIG. 16  is a side view of another one of the fanning strip modules used to assemble the fanning strip of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 17  is a front view of the fanning strip module of  FIG. 16 ; 
         FIG. 18  is a rear view of the fanning strip module of  FIG. 16 ; 
         FIG. 19  is a top view of the fanning strip module of  FIG. 16 ; 
         FIG. 20  is a bottom view of the fanning strip module of  FIG. 16 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to the Figures, a first example embodiment of a telecommunications panel  10  is shown. Panel  10  includes a chassis  24  defining an open front end  26 . Panel  10  also includes a front panel  20  that closes the front end  26  of the chassis  24 . The panel  10  includes flanges  22  with which the panel  10  is configured to be mounted to a telecommunications rack. For example, flanges  22  can extend outwardly from the chassis  24 . The chassis  24  also defines openings  38 . The front panel  20  includes side flanges  34  and horizontal flanges  35  that define openings  36 . Fasteners (not shown) can be inserted through openings  36  in the front panel  20  and into openings  38  in the chassis  24  to secure the front panel  20  to the chassis  24 . 
     The front panel  20  defines openings  28  that are configured to receive fiber optic adapters, such as SC adapters. The adapters are used to connect fiber optic connectors that terminate fiber optic cables. The front panel  20  also includes brackets  30  for mounting a fanning strip  40  to the front panel  20 . The fanning strip  40  is configured to facilitate cable/fiber routing to adapters mounted to the front panel  20 . In the illustrated embodiment, panel  20  can include a fanning strip  40  mounted on each end of panel  20 . In other embodiments, greater or fewer fanning strips  40  can be mounted to the front panel  20 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 3-20 , fanning strip  40  includes cable retainers  42  extending from a base  44 . The base  44  defines and extends generally linearly along a longitudinal axis  46 . In some embodiments, the base  44  defines holes  60 . Fasteners (not shown) can be inserted through holes  60  defined in the base  44  of the fanning strip  40  and into holes  32  defined in the brackets  30 . In other embodiments, the fanning strip  40  can be snap-fit, bonded, or otherwise mounted to the brackets  30 . 
     The cable retainers  42  define fingers  52 , which extend outwardly from a front surface  50  of the base  44 . The fingers  52  are flexible relative to the base  44  to enable cables/fibers to be inserted or removed from between the fingers  52  and the base  44 . Each finger  52  includes an extending portion  54 , a vertical portion  56 , and an angled portion  58 , which extends at least partially back toward the base  44  (see  FIG. 5 ). In other embodiments, however, different finger shapes are possible. As shown, a tip  62  of each finger  52  is positioned adjacent to the extending portion  54  of an adjacent finger  52  ( FIG. 5 ). 
     A variety of lengths for fanning strip  40  might be desired as the panel height varies with different telecommunication panels  10 . In accordance with aspects of the disclosure, the fanning strip  40  can be made from one or more separate modules or components that are assembled together. Each module includes at least one finger  52  extending outwardly from a base  44 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the fanning strip  40  has a length A extending along the longitudinal axis  46  from first end  64  to second end  66 . The length A of the fanning strip  40  can be made longer or shorter by using additional or fewer fanning modules, as will be described below. Accordingly, the length A of each fanning strip  40  can be customized to the height of the panel  20  to which the fanning strip  40  is to be mounted. 
     In the example shown in  FIGS. 3-10 , the fanning strip  40  includes three fanning modules assembled together. Other example fanning strips  40  can include greater or fewer fanning modules. In some embodiments, each fanning module within a fanning strip  40  has the same length. In other embodiments, however, a fanning strip can be assembled from fanning modules having different sizes. A first example fanning module  70  is shown in  FIGS. 11-15 . The first example fanning module  70  includes four fingers  52  and has a length B. A second example fanning module  72  is shown in  FIGS. 16-20 . The second example fanning module  72  includes two fingers  52  and has a length C. Other example fanning modules can include greater or fewer fingers  52 . 
     In accordance with some aspects of the disclosure, the same type (e.g., size) of fanning module can be used multiple times within one fanning strip  40 . For example, the fanning strip  40  shown in  FIGS. 3-10  includes a first example fanning module  70  assembled to either side of a second example fanning module  72 . Accordingly, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the length A of the fanning strip  40  is equal to about two times the length B of the first fanning module  70  plus the length C of the second fanning module  72  (i.e., A=B+C+B). 
     To assemble fanning strip  40  from multiple fanning modules  70 ,  72 , an interlocking arrangement  80  is provided. It is to be appreciated that a fanning strip  40  having a desired length can be made from combinations of fanning modules. For example, in some embodiments, fanning strips  40  having desired lengths may be assembled from first fanning modules  70 , second fanning modules  72 , or combinations of both. In other embodiments, other types and/or sizes of fanning modules can be utilized. Once assembled, the fanning strip  40  is mountable to brackets  30  of the panel  20 . 
     Each fanning module  70 ,  72  includes a projection or tip  82  having a smaller profile than the base  44 . The tip  82  includes four sides  84 ,  86 ,  88 ,  90  (e.g., see tip  82  shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 ). Sides  84  ( FIGS. 3) and 88  ( FIG. 4 ) of tip  82  define tip holes  92 . Side  86  ( FIG. 3 ) includes a post  94  extending outwardly from the base  44  transversely to axis  46 . Side  90  is generally coplanar with a rear surface  48  of the base  44 . An opposite end  95  from tip  82  of fanning module  70 ,  72 , includes a pocket or socket  96  (see  FIG. 4 ). The pocket  96  defines side holes  98  and a front hole  100 . 
     In use, the fanning modules are aligned in a series along a longitudinal axis  46  (e.g., see  FIGS. 3 and 10 ). The pocket  96  of the front fanning module receives the tip  82  and surrounds the sides  84 ,  86 ,  88  of the subsequent fanning module  70 ,  72 . For example, in the illustrated embodiment shown in  FIG. 10 , the post  94  of the second example fanning module  72  is received in the front hole  100  of the left-most first example fanning modules  70  (see  FIG. 3 ). Side holes  98  of the left-most first example fanning module  70  align with tip holes  92  of the second example fanning module  72  for receipt of a fastener, if desired. The post  94  of the right-most first example fanning module  70  is received in the front hole  100  of the second example fanning module  72  (see  FIG. 3 ). Side holes  98  of the second example fanning module  72  align with tip holes  92  of the right-most first example fanning module  72  for receipt of a fastener, if desired. 
     With interlocking arrangement  80  provided between each adjacent fanning module  70 ,  72 , a variety of lengths of fanning strips  40  can be achieved. For example, in accordance with one embodiment, the second fanning module  72  includes two hooks  52  and has a length of 1.75 inches, which correspond to one rack unit (RU), which is a common dimension in the telecommunications industry. Fanning module  70  has a two RU length and includes four fingers. Accordingly, an example three RU fanning strip can be assembled by using one fanning module  70  and one fanning module  72 . An example four RU fanning strip  40  can be assembled with two fanning modules  70 . The length A of the example fanning strip  40  illustrated in the Figures is five RU. 
     In this manner, fanning strips  40  of a variety of lengths can be provided without separately manufacturing and stocking each length for panels  10  having 1-5 RU or more. Further, a standard length cut to size is not necessary either, thereby saving product waste cut from the length needed. 
     The above specification, examples and data provide a complete description of the manufacture and use of the composition of the invention. Since many embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended.