Patent Publication Number: US-2023134513-A1

Title: Optic fiber cable guide assembly

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/120,617 filed on Dec. 14, 2020 which is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/546,492 filed on Aug. 21, 2019, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,866,379, which claims benefit, under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 62/722,556 filed on Aug. 24, 2018 and which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an optic fiber cable guide assembly. In particular, the present invention relates to an assembly comprising a cable guide that guides a fibre optic cable to a device mounted on a moveable tray. 
     BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION 
     Enclosures which house fiber optic equipment such as cross-connects or the like terminate a large number of fiber optic cables. Additionally, in many installations given limited space, enclosures are only easily accessible via the front of the enclosure for servicing or modifying connections or the like which requires that fiber optic cables both enter and exit the enclosure via the front. In order to provide ease of access to modules held within the enclosures, especially to the rear and without the necessity of removing the modules, slideable trays are provided which can be pulled forward to allow access to the modules. One drawback of such designs is that fiber optic cables entering the front of the enclosure become snagged on the trays which can lead to them being damaged or broken, or hindering the movement of the tray. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In order to address the above and other drawbacks there is provided a fiber optic cross connect system for interconnecting a first external equipment with a second external equipment. The system comprises an enclosure comprising a top, a bottom, a first side and a second side defining a tray receiving space therebetween, a slideable tray arranged horizontally and moveable between a stored position wherein the tray is within the tray receiving space and an extended position wherein the tray is substantially in front of the tray receiving space, an elongate fiber optic terminating equipment arranged on the tray for movement therewith and comprising a first interface arranged along a rearward edge and a second interface arranged along a forward edge, a first plurality of fiber optic cables each comprising a first end terminated at the first interface and a second end for termination at the first external equipment, a second plurality of fiber optic cables each comprising a first end terminated at the second interface and a second end for termination at the second external equipment, a flexible cable guide for guiding the first plurality of fiber optic cables and comprising a first end attached to an outside of the first side of the enclosure and defining an entrance, a second end attached to the tray adjacent the first side and an intermediate section between the first end and the second end comprising a plurality of spaced cable retainers interconnected by a elongate flexible side band, each of the cable retainers defining a cable passage wherein the plurality of cable passages together define a cable passageway arranged along the side band, the intermediate section comprising a curve delimited by the side band, the first end and the second end defining an access to the cable passageway in a direction the cable tray is extendable. 
     There is also provided a flexible cable guide for guiding a plurality of fiber optic cables from outside of an enclosure, the enclosure comprising a top, a bottom, a first side and a second side defining a tray receiving space therebetween, to inside the enclosure for termination at a network equipment on a tray, the tray slideable horizontally between a stored position wherein the tray is within the tray receiving space and an extended position wherein the tray is substantially in front of the tray receiving space. The guide comprises a first end for attachment to an outside of the first side of the enclosure and defining an entrance, a second end for attachment to the tray adjacent the first side, and an intermediate section between the first end and the second end comprising a plurality of spaced cable retainers interconnected by an elongate flexible side band, each of the cable retainers defining a cable passage wherein the plurality of cable passages together define a cable passageway arranged along the side band. When the first end is attached to the enclosure and the second end is attached to the tray, the intermediate section maintains a constant curve during sliding of the tray, the side band delimits an outside of the constant curve and both the first end and the second end define an access to the cable passage in a direction of extending the cable tray. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    provides a raised right front perspective view of a fiber optic cross connect system comprising a flexible cable guide in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG.  2 A  provides a raised right front perspective view of a tray of fiber optic cross connect system comprising a flexible cable guide in a stored position and in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG.  2 B  provides a raised right front perspective view of a tray of fiber optic cross connect system comprising a flexible cable guide in an extended position and in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG.  3 A  provides a raised right front perspective view of a flexible cable guide in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG.  3 B  provides a raised left perspective view of an end of a flexible cable guide and mounting plates in accordance with illustrative embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG.  4    provides a partial raised left front perspective sectional view of a fiber optic cross connect system comprising a flexible cable guide in accordance with an alternative illustrative embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG.  5    provides a raised right front perspective view of a flexible cable guide in accordance with an alternative illustrative embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to  FIG.  1   , a flexible cable guide, generally referred to using the reference numeral  10 , will be described. The flexible cable guide  10  is illustratively foreseen for use in a cross connect system  12 . The cross connect system  12  illustratively comprises an enclosure  14  dimensioned for mounting on a 19″ rack  16  or the like. The enclosure  14  comprises a top, bottom, first side and second side and defines a tray receiving space which houses one or more trays  18  which are arranged horizontally and slideably mounted and moveable between a stored position where the tray  18  is within the enclosure  14  and an extended position where the tray  18  is positioned in front of the enclosure  14  and accessible, for example by a technician or the like. 
     Still referring to  FIG.  1   , elongate fiber optic terminating equipment  20  such as fiber optic cassettes are illustratively arranged on the tray  18  for movement therewith. The terminating equipment  20  comprises a first interface terminating one or more of a first plurality of fiber optic cables  22  and a second interface for terminating one or more of a second plurality of fiber optic cables  24  and illustratively such that the first plurality of fiber optic cables  22  and the second plurality of fiber optic cables  24  are interconnected. Such cassettes  20  are removably mounted in trays  18  for example through the provision of tabs  26  which engage with tab receiving mounts  28  in the tray  18 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS.  2 A and  2 B , as discussed above each of the trays  18  is moveable on runners  30 , which run in complementary channels  32  attached to an inner surface of the enclosure  14 , between a stored position ( FIG.  2 A ) and an extended position ( FIG.  2 B ). A lever  34  is provided to release a latch (not shown) which holds the tray  18  in the stored position. The first plurality of fiber optic cables  22  are held in a cable way  36  which provides side access to the rear  38  of the tray  18 . The flexible cable guide  10  is placed in the cable way  36  and removably secured at a first end  40  to an outside of the enclosure  14  and at a second end  42  to the tray  18  for movement therewith. 
     Referring now to  FIG.  3 A , in a first embodiment the flexible cable guide  10  is illustratively manufactured in one piece from a pliable material such as a flexible plastic or rubber or the like. The flexible cable guide  10  comprises an elongate ribbon-like side band  44  which illustratively comprises a series of transverse notches  46  spaced regularly along a length thereof, thereby improving flexibility. A plurality of cable retainers  48  are spaced along the side band  44 . The retainers  48  each comprise a recloseable cover  50  allowing one or more fiber optic cables  22  to be secured using the cable guide  10 , or removed. A divider  52  is provided separating each retainer  48  into two (2) cable passages  54  when closed. The first end  40  and the second end  42  each comprise a plurality of flexible fingers  56  which serve to retain the cables  22  within the cable guide  10  while allowing them to be removed as necessary. Together the retainers  48  and their respective cable passages  54  define a cable passageway arranged generally along the side band  44 . 
     Referring back to  FIG.  1    and  FIG.  2 B  in addition to  FIG.  3 A , the first end  40  of the cable guide  10  is secured to the outside of the enclosure  14  at a point proximate to where the first plurality of fiber optic cables  22  will enter the enclosure  14 . The second end  42  is secured to the tray  18  for movement therewith. An intermediate portion of the cable guide  10  is flexible and curved and such that the side band  44  delimits an outside of the curve. A person of ordinary skill in the art will now understand that as the tray  18  is moved between the stored position and the extended position the location of the curve within the intermediate section of the side band  44  will change in order to accommodate the movement of the tray  18 . In this manner movement of the first plurality of fiber optic cables  22  is limited and such that they are not subject to excess strain and the like. Additionally, the first plurality of fiber optic cables  22  of one tray  18  are prevented from fouling or otherwise impeding the movement of the other trays  18 . 
     Still referring to  FIG.  1    and  FIG.  2 B  in addition to  FIG.  3 A , during installation of the first plurality of fiber cables  22  the tray  18  is first placed in the extended position and the covers  50  opened. One or more fiber optic cables  22  are placed within selected one of the passages  54  and interconnected with respective ones of the cassettes  20 . The covers  50  may then be closed the tray  18  placed in stored position of  FIG.  2 A . If fiber optic cables  22  must be removed or additional cables  22  added, the tray  18  is simply placed again in the extended position and the covers  50  opened. 
     Referring now to  FIG.  3 B  in addition to  FIG.  3 A , in order to removably secure the first end  40  to an outside of the enclosure  14  a plurality of horizontally extending mounting plates  52  are provided. The mounting plates  52  are arranged in vertical alignment and equally spaced such that the first ends  40  of each of the flexible cable guides  10  may be slid horizontally between successive ones of the mounting plates  52 . The ends  40  are retained in place through the combination of pairs of opposed raised guides  54  and pairs of flexible bosses  56  which are held within channels  58  moulded or otherwise formed within the mounting plate  52 . In this manner the first end  40  can be released and re-secured such that additional optical fibers (not shown) can be mounted within the cable guide  10 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS.  4  and  5   , in an alternative embodiment the covers  50  which provide access to the cable retainers  48  are removeable and fabricated from a relatively rigid material such as plastic or the like. Each cover  50  is secured to its respective cable retainers  48  at a proximate end via a hinge assembly  60  comprising a pair of clips  62  which receive a shaft  64  and about which the cover  50  can rotate. Each cover  50  can be opened thereby allowing one or more fiber optic cables  22  to be retained by or removed from the cable guide  10 . Each cover  50  may be subsequently be closed and retained in place by a tab  66  formed on an inside of a distal end  68  of each cover  50  and which engages a respective one of a plurality of tab receiving cut outs  70  moulded in the side band  44 . A bevelled surface  72  is provided adjacent each cut out  70  to ease closing. When closed, a middle portion of each cover  50  is stabilised by a boss  74  which engages a slot  76  in the cover  50 . Covers  50  of different trays  18  can be colour coded to improve cable management and the like. 
     Still referring to  FIGS.  4  and  5   , in an alternative embodiment the cable guide  10  further comprises a pull tab  78  at the first end  40  to aid in removing the first end  40  from between the mounting plates  52 . In order to ease reinsertion of the first end  40  between the mounting plates  52  an upper guide  80  and a lower guide  82  are provided which engage an outer edge  88  of respectively an upper mounting plate  52  and a lower mounting plate  52 . The first end  40  is held between the mounting plates  52  by a flexible clip  90  which engages a cut out  92  in an upper one of the mounting plates  52 . 
     Still referring to  FIGS.  4  and  5   , in an alternative embodiment a plurality of flexible fingers  94  are provided at both ends of the cable guide  10  to removeable retain the one or more fiber optic cables  22  there between. Additionally, the second end  42  comprises a flange  96  comprising a conical aperture  98  for receiving a screw  100  or the like for securing the second  42  to the tray  18 . The screw  100  works together with a ridge  102  which engages an aperture (not shown) in the tray  18  in order to retain the second end  42  securely for movement with the tray  18 . 
     Although the present invention has been described hereinabove by way of specific embodiments thereof, it can be modified, without departing from the spirit and nature of the subject invention as defined in the appended claims.