Patent Abstract:
An apparatus for supporting and mounting at least one module on a surface may be provided. The apparatus may comprise a housing that may be attachable to a portion of the surface. The housing may have a channel that may be sized to receive and support at least a portion of at least one module. The apparatus may also include at least one mounting member on the housing for attaching the housing to the surface.

Full Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/447,151 filed Feb. 13, 2003, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 

   BACKGROUND 
   The subject invention generally and in various embodiments relates to housings, and more particularly to devices for supporting and mounting telecommunications modules. 
   Many telecommunications providers are using optical networks to provide multiple and high bandwidth telecommunications services to businesses or homes. To accommodate the increasing numbers of customers using such services, some telecommunications providers are bringing more optical fibers to Remote Terminal (RTs) or remote cabinets to facilitate the delivery of high bandwidth services to subscribers. The RTs may be used to provide traditional voice as well as Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) services, so that RTs used to provide a local loop of 500 to 2000 homes are not uncommon. Additionally, the RTs may serve business customers with dedicated fibers. To increase the capacity of the fibers that are taken to the RTs, Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) modules, or cassettes, may be implemented. Such multiplexing modules increase the data-carrying capacity of an optical fiber by concurrently transmitting signals at different wavelengths through the same fiber. These multiplexing modules are housed in RT cabinets, which also include the fiber termination shelves, power shelves, and other hardware and electronics. A jumble of various components is often the result in crowded RT cabinets. 
   SUMMARY 
   Embodiments of the present invention may also include an apparatus for supporting and mounting at least one module on a surface. The apparatus may comprise a housing that may be attachable to a portion of the surface. The housing may have a channel therein that may be sized to receive and support at least a portion of at least one module therein. The apparatus may also include at least one mounting member on the housing for attaching the housing to the surface. 
   Embodiments of the present invention may include a housing for supporting and mounting at least one module. The housing may include a first panel member, a second panel member that may be connected to the first panel member, and a third panel member that may be connected to the second panel member opposite the first panel member. A slot may be formed between the first and third panel members and may also be capable of receiving at least one module. The housing may also include at least one mounting member that may be capable of mounting the housing to a surface. 
   Embodiments of the present invention may also include an apparatus for mounting at least one module on a surface. The apparatus may comprise housing means that may be attachable to the surface for forming a channel for receiving at least a portion of the at least one module therein, between a portion of the housing means and the surface. The apparatus may further include means for mounting the housing means to the surface. 
   Embodiments of the present invention may further include a method of mounting at least one module on an RT cabinet. The method may comprise forming an open ended channel on a portion of the cabinet, inserting at least a portion of the at least one module into the open ended channel and retaining the at least one module within the open ended channel. 
   Other systems, methods, and/or computer program products according to embodiments will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art upon review of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, and/or computer program products be included within this description, be within the scope of the present invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the accompanying Figures, there are shown embodiments of the present invention wherein like reference numerals are employed to designate like parts and wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of embodiments of a housing for a module according to the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of embodiments of a module; 
       FIG. 3  is a front view of embodiments of the housing of  FIG. 1 , shown mounted on a surface of a telecommunications Remote Terminal cabinet; 
       FIG. 4  is a front view of embodiments of the Remote Terminal cabinet showing the housing of  FIG. 1 ; and 
       FIG. 5  is a side view of embodiments of the housing shown in  FIG. 3 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   Referring now to the drawings for the purpose of illustrating the invention and not for the purpose of limiting the same, it is to be understood that standard components or features that are within the purview of an artisan of ordinary skill and do not contribute to the understanding of the various embodiments of the invention are omitted from the drawings to enhance clarity. In addition, it will be appreciated that the characterizations of various components and orientations described herein as being “vertical” or “horizontal”, “right” or “left”, “side”, “top”, “bottom”, “upper” or “lower” are relative characterizations only based upon the particular position or orientation of a given component for a particular application. 
     FIG. 1  shows an embodiment of a housing  100  for a WDM-type, splitter or multiplexing module  200 , an embodiment of which is shown in  FIG. 2 . The housing  100  may include a channel or slot  102  that may be defined by first, second and third panels  104 ,  106  and  108 , respectively. The slot  102  may be, for example, U-shaped. The first arid second panels  104  and  106  may be parallel and may be joined to the third panel  108  to form the slot  102 . The second panel  106  may be solid, as shown in  FIG. 1 , or may have one or more apertures therethrough to receive input to a module  200 . The housing  100  may be configured to accommodate the module  200 , or several modules  200 . The housing  100  may include a back cover panel  110  attached to the first, second and third panels  104 ,  106 ,  108 . 
   The housing  100  may include a first magnet  112  attached to a first side  114  of the third panel  108 . The first side  114  may extended further toward the first panel  104 , much like a flange, to assist in supporting the module  200 . See  FIG. 5 . The magnet  112  may be, for example, in the form of a magnetic strip with adhesive backing for attachment to the housing  100 . It would be appreciated that other types of magnets, such as solid magnets or electromagnets, for example, and other methods of attachment to the housing  100  may be used for mounting the housing  100  such as, for example, screws, hook and loop fasteners, etc. The magnet  112  may make it possible to removably mount the housing  100  to a magnet-attracting surface, such as a ferrous surface  126  next to or on a fiber optic termination shelf  300  in an RT cabinet  400  or other bandwidth distribution center, which is fabricated from, for example, steel or the like. 
   The module  200  may include a rectangular box  202 , which may contain various multiplexing, splitting and other components, and a face plate  204  attached to the box  202 . The face plate  204  may support two standardized fasteners  206 , such as, for example, push-on pins, quick-connect plungers, etc., and may include a number of fiber connectors  208  connected with fiber jumpers  302  to the fiber optic termination shelf  300 . The module  200  may be slid into the slot  102  such that the fasteners  206  may be inserted into corresponding orifices  120 , which may be provided in the first and third panels  104 ,  108  of the housing  100 , thereby providing a means for receiving the fasteners  206  and locking the module  200  in the housing  100 . Other means for receiving fasteners  206  may be provided for the particular fastener that may be employed on the module  200 . 
   In another embodiment, the housing  100  may include a second magnet  122  attached to a first side  124  of the first panel  104  to provide additional support for mounting the housing  100  on the metal surface  126 . See  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 5 . The first side  124  may extended further toward the third panel  108 , much like a flange, to assist in supporting the module  200 . See  FIG. 5 . Yet other embodiments may include, for example, three or more magnets, magnetized surfaces, hook and loop fasteners, etc. Permanent mounting may also be provided by fastening the housing  100  to the surface  126  through holes  140  on the first and third panels  104  and  108  or on the cover panel  110  through rear holes  125 . 
   The housing  100  of the invention, in various and several embodiments, may provide an inexpensive and convenient device for mounting modules  200  and similar devices inside RT cabinets  400 , such as the one shown in  FIG. 4 , in an orderly manner. The housing  100  may be fabricated, for example, as one piece by injection molded plastic, although other materials, including, for example, metals, sheet metals, and methods of manufacture that are available to a skilled artisan may also be used. 
   Whereas particular embodiments of the invention have been described herein for the purpose of illustrating the invention and not for the purpose of limiting the same, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous variations of the details, materials, configurations and arrangement of parts may be made within the principle and scope of the invention without departing from the spirit of the invention. The preceding description, therefore, is not meant to limit the scope of the invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 7