Patent ID: 7627223

Claim:
Apparatus for storing slack fiber optic cabling, comprising: a cabinet enclosure having a front opening for allowing access to cabling when stored inside the enclosure; at least three elongated spool tracks mounted parallel with one another inside the enclosure; a number of cable spool assemblies each of which includes a cylindrical spool having a circumference dimensioned to guide a length of fiber optic cabling in a desired path with at least a certain minimum cable bend radius, and a mounting mechanism constructed and arranged for (i) mounting the spool on a corresponding spool track for sliding movement to a desired position along the track, and (ii) fixing the spool at the desired position; the cabinet enclosure forms a top opening for ingress and egress of slack fiber optic cabling to be stored; two cable spool assemblies are fixed in corresponding positions on left side and right side spool tracks near the top opening of the cabinet enclosure, so that the two cable spool assemblies define bend limiters for cabling that enters into and exits from the top opening of the enclosure; and at least one cable spool assembly is mounted for movement to a desired position along the left side spool track, at least one cable spool assembly is mounted for movement to a desired position along the right side spool track, and at least two cable spool assemblies are mounted for movement to desired positions along a third spool track intermediate the left and the right side spool tracks; wherein slack fiber optic cabling of various lengths can be stored in the cabinet enclosure with an optimum lay and without damaging fibers of the cabling when the cabling is guided over one or more selected spools of the moveable spool assemblies, and the selected spools are moved to and fixed at certain positions on their associated spool tracks.