Patent ID: 12253731

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to presently preferred embodiments and methods of the present disclosure, which constitute the best modes of practicing the present disclosure presently known to the inventors. It is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the present disclosure that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for any aspect of the present disclosure and/or as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present disclosure.

It is also to be understood that this present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments and methods described below, as specific components and/or conditions may, of course, vary. Furthermore, the terminology used herein is used only for the purpose of describing particular embodiments of the present disclosure and is not intended to be limiting in any way. It must also be noted that, as used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular form “a,” “an,” and “the” comprise plural referents unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. For example, reference to a component in the singular is intended to comprise a plurality of components.

FIG.1illustrates an exemplary optical fiber communication system100. The system includes one or more racks110of optical fiber connectivity modules112and passageways, raceways, or ducting114around the racks110through which cables, for example, optical fiber cables, may be routed. Depending on the size of the enclosure containing the rack(s)110and/or the amount of space available around the rack(s)110, for example, above, below, left, and right of the rack(s)110, conventional slack fiber cable management structures, such as spools, may not be usable in such space around the rack(s)110.

As illustrated inFIG.1, a cable management panel116in accordance with the present disclosure is configured to be mounted to a rack110, for example, in an active street cabinet or an equipment rack with low to medium fiber density. The cable management panel116may be configured as a 2 rack unit (or 2U) panel, for example, a panel having a 2U height and a standard rack mountable length, for example, 19″ or 23″, where one rack unit is equal to 1.75 inches. In some aspects, the space available around the rack110for fiber cable slack management may be insufficient for conventional slack fiber cable management structures, such as spools.

The panel116is configured to store and/or manage slack cable (or a slack portion of cable), for example, fiber optic cables such as patch cables, pigtails, and the like. The fiber optic cables may be preconnectorized and/or ruggedized, as would be understood by persons skilled in the art.

Referring now toFIGS.2-4, the cable management panel116may include a base or base portion117, a first cable support or first cable support portion118, and a second cable support or second cable support portion120. In the illustrated embodiment, the cable management panel116includes four first cable supports118and one second cable support120. Of course, it should be understood that the panel116may include more or less than four first cable supports118and/or more than one second cable support120. The base117may include a planar portion126and a curved portion127at a first end160of the planar portion126. The planar portion126may be sized and arranged with a radius of curvature configured such that an optical fiber cable being wrapped around the curved portion127is prevented from being bent beyond a normal operation minimum bend radius. As would be appreciated by persons skilled in the art, if an optical fiber cable18is bent beyond the minimum bend radius, signal degradation, signal loss, and/or a broken fiber may result.

The first cable supports118and the second cable support120may extend substantially perpendicularly from a first side119of the base117, for example, the planar portion126of the base117, as best shown inFIG.3. The first cable supports118are spaced apart sequentially along a longitudinal direction of the base117from a second end162of the planar portion126toward the first end160. The second cable support120is spaced from the first cable support118′ that is nearest the first end160and is between the first cable support118′ and the curved portion127.

As illustrated inFIG.2, the first cable supports118are configured in a backward D shape when the panel116is viewed with the curved portion127to the right of the planar portion126. The second cable support118is configured in a D shape when the panel116is viewed with the curved portion127to the right of the planar portion126. For example, the first cable supports118include a curved portion164and a planar portion166that form the D shape, and the second cable support120includes a curved portion168and a planar portion170that form the D shape. The curved portions164,168are sized and arranged with a radius of curvature configured such that an optical fiber cable18being wrapped around any of the curved portions164,168is prevented from being bent beyond a normal operation minimum bend radius. As would be appreciated by persons skilled in the art, if an optical fiber cable18is bent beyond the minimum bend radius, signal degradation, signal loss, and/or a broken fiber may result.

The first and second cable supports118,120may include a retaining feature140at their end surfaces furthest from the first side119of the base117. The retaining feature140may comprise a tab extending outward from the first and/or second cable supports118,120, for example, the curved portions164,168, and substantially parallel to the planar portion170of the base117such that the retaining feature140is configured to retain a fiber optic cable between the retaining feature140and the first side119of the base117. In some embodiments, the retaining features140may include more than one tab extending from the curved portion164or168.

As shown, the planar portion170of the second cable support120faces in a direction toward the first cable supports118, and the curved portion168of the second cable support120faces in a direction away from the first cable supports118. Similarly, the planar portions166of the first cable supports118face in a direction toward the second cable support120, and the curved portions164of the first cable supports118face in a direction away from the second cable support120. The first cable supports118and the second cable support120are configured to provide multiple path lengths for managing and/or storing various slack lengths of optical fiber cable18, as will be described in more detail below.

The panel116may include a retaining structure122,142along a longitudinal edge124of the panel116, for example, the planar portion126of the panel116. The retaining structure122,142is configured to retain a portion of the slack length of optical fiber cable118in the 2U height of the panel116for management and storage. In some embodiments, the retaining structure122,142may comprise a substantially planar tab extending substantially perpendicularly from the first side119of the base117, for example, the planar portion126of the base117, in the same direction as the first and second cable supports118,120. The free end of the retaining structure122,142may comprise a lip125facing inward relative to the longitudinal edge124. The retaining structure122,142may comprise a plurality of spaced apart retaining structures122,142, as illustrated inFIGS.2-4, or a single elongated retaining structure122′, as shown inFIG.5. In some embodiments, the panel116may include a retaining structure122,142along both longitudinal edges124, as shown inFIGS.2-4, while is other embodiments, a panel116′ may include a retaining structure122,142along only one of the longitudinal edges124, as shown inFIG.5.

The panel116may include a cable management structure136at the first side119of the base117, for example, the planar portion126of the base117between the second cable support120and the first end160of the planar portion126. In some embodiments, the cable management structure136may comprise a clip or bracket138extending substantially perpendicularly from the first side119of the base117, for example, the planar portion126of the base117, in the same direction as the first and second cable supports118,120and the retaining structure122,142. The clip138may include an opening configured to receive a fiber optic cable and, in some embodiments, the clip138may be configured such that the opening is closable. In some embodiments, the cable management structure136may include two clips138that are spaced apart from one another in a direction from one of the longitudinal edges124to the other, as best illustrated inFIG.2. The cable management structure136may be configured such a first portion of a fiber optic cable18can pass through one clip138, a second portion can wrap around a first cable support118, and a third portion can pass through the other clip, as will be described in more detail below.

In use, as illustrated inFIG.1, the panel116is configured to be mounted horizontally in a rack110of an optical fiber communication system100. The panel116may be mounted in a first horizontal orientation180where the second cable support120and the first end160of the planar portion126are at the right side of the rack110or in a second horizontal orientation182where the second cable support120and the first end160of the planar portion126are at the left side of the rack110.

As shown inFIG.1, the panel116is configured to manage various different lengths of slack cable from various different lengths of preconnectorized fiber optic cables18, for example, patch cables or pigtails. For example, two fiber optic cables18ahaving the same length are received by panels116in the first horizontal orientation180. The fiber optic cables18aare fed from a first connectivity module112athrough a first clip138of the cable management structure136, wrapped around the left-most one of the first cable supports118, and fed back through a second clip138of the cable management structure136to a second connectivity module112b.

Another fiber optic cable18bhaving a length that is shorter than that of the fiber optic cable18asimilarly is fed from a first connectivity module112cthrough a first clip138of the cable management structure136, is wrapped around the third from the right of the first cable supports118, and is then fed back through a second clip138of the cable management structure136to a second connectivity module112d.

In another arrangement, two fiber optic cables18ahaving different lengths are received by panels116in the first horizontal orientation180. A fiber optic cable18chaving a first length of slack cable is fed from a first connectivity module112ethrough a first clip138of the cable management structure136, wrapped around the right-most one of the first cable supports118, and fed back through a second clip138of the cable management structure136to a second connectivity module112f. Another fiber optic cable18dhaving a length of slack cable that is longer than that of the fiber optic cable18csimilarly is fed from the first connectivity module112ethrough a first clip138of the cable management structure136, is wrapped around the second from the right of the first cable supports118, and is then fed back through a second clip138of the cable management structure136to the second connectivity module112f.

As illustrated, the cables18a,18b,18c,18dare selectively wrapped around the one of the first cable supports118such that management and storage of the slack of the cables18a,18b,18c,18dis optimized; that is, a path length from the cable management structure136to the curved portion164of the selected one of the first cable supports118(such that the slack can be wrapped around the curved portion164) and back to the cable management structure136substantially matches a length of the slack of the cable18a,18b,18c,18d. In such an optimized management and storage arrangement, the slack of the cables18a,18b,18cmay have a minimized amount of droop such that the slack remains between the longitudinal edges124of the base117. In some aspects, the retaining structure122,142may assist with maintaining the slack of the cables18abetween the longitudinal edges124.

In some aspects, the management and storage of the slack of the cables18a,18b,18c,18dis optimized when the slack of the cables18a,18b,18c,18dtakes the shortest path from the cable management structure136to being wrapped around a curved portion164of a first cable support118and back to the cable management structure136so as to eliminate the need for slack cable management structures in space about a rack to which the panel is mounted. In some aspects, the management and storage of the slack of the cables18a,18b,18cis optimized when the slack of the cables18a,18b,18chas the least amount of droop as the slack extends from the cable management structure136to being wrapped around a first cable support118(and optionally the second cable support) and back to the cable management structure136so as to eliminate the need for slack cable management structures in space about a rack to which the panel is mounted.

Although not illustrated, it should be appreciated that a panel116can receive a plurality of slack lengths of fiber optic cables18, and the fiber optic cables may have the same or different lengths and/or the slack portions of the fiber optic cables may have the same or different lengths. Further, it should be understood that a slack portion of a fiber optic cable may be sufficiently long such that when the cable is fed through the cable management structure136and wrapped around a furthest one of the first supports118, a remaining length of the slack portion may still need to be managed before the cable is fed back through the cable management structure136. In such a situation, the remaining length of the slack portion may be wrapped around the second support120and then wrapped around one of the first supports118before being fed through the cable management structure136.

In the above embodiments, the panel116is configured to optimize management and storage of the slack of a fiber optic cable by providing a path length from the cable management structure136to the curved portion164of a first cable support118(such that the slack can be wrapped around the curved portion164) and back to the cable management structure136that substantially matches a length of the slack of the cable18so as to eliminate the need for slack cable management structures in space about a rack to which the panel is mounted.

As described, the panel116may be reversibly mounted to a rack110such that the cable management structure136may be at the right side or the left side of the rack110, thereby permitting fibers to be routed to the panel116from the right side or the left side of the rack110.

Referring now toFIG.6, the panel116may also be arranged in a vertical orientation184to provide management and/or storage of a cable18laterally of the rack110. As a result, the rack110includes more space for mounting connectivity modules112. In the vertical orientation, the panel116permits various entry points for the cable, and the first and second supports118,120permit various lengths of slack cable to be wrapped around the curved portion164,168of a first cable support118and/or second cable support120.

It should be appreciated that in some aspects, the panel116may be a single, monolithic piece of unitary construction such that the base117, the first supports118, the second supports120, the retaining structure122,142, and the cable management structure136comprise a single, monolithic piece of unitary construction. In some aspects, the base117, the first supports118, the second supports120, the retaining structure122,142, and/or the cable management structure136may be constructed as separate elements and assembled into an integral structure via any conventional attachment means, for example, a screw, a snap connection, or the like.

It should be appreciated that the first and second support elements118,120may be hollow structures, as shown, or may be solid structures in other non-illustrated embodiments. In some aspects, the planar portions166,170may be omitted such that the first and second support elements118,120include only the curved portions164,168.

While at least one example, non-limiting embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the disclosure in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that various changes can be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the scope of the disclosure as set forth in the appended claims and the legal equivalents thereof.