CART FOR CONNECTING, SEPARATING AND / OR ROUTING FIBER OPTIC CABLES

Abstract

A cart is configured for mounting in a fiber distribution cabinet. The cart includes a cart body with a front end, a rear end, a first side, a second side, and a rear wall that work together to define a cavity. A top wall is located at the front end of the cart body, and multiple side walls extend from the rear wall to the top wall. The top wall, side walls, and rear wall define multiple openings at the front end of the cart body. The top wall includes multiple slots, and each slot is associated with a corresponding opening. These openings are sized and configured to receive an optical fiber component.

Description

CART FOR CONNECTING, SEPARATING AND / OR ROUTING FIBER OPTIC CABLES TECHNICAL FIELD This description refers, in general, to optical communication networks. More specifically, this description refers to a cart for connecting, separating, and / or routing fiber optic cables that can be used with a fiber distribution cabinet. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There are many types of FTTx networks. For example, FTTx networks include fiber to the curb (FTTC), fiber to the premises (FTTP), fiber to the business (FTTB), fiber to the home (FTTH), and fiber to the antenna (FTTA). The components required for cable management, such as cable reels and cable guides, and the fiber optic components, such as adapter plates, splitters, and splice cassettes, depend on the specific FTTx network application. These cable management and fiber optic components are typically housed within a cabinet or enclosure. The specific configuration of these components for handling fiber optic cables and components within the enclosure can vary greatly depending on the required components and their physical location. For example, some applications require pre-terminated splitter modules, some require patch cords, and some require a combination of both. However, space in fiber distribution cabinets is limited. Furthermore, when a conventional module containing multiple patch cords or multiple splitter modules needs to be replaced, all end users supplied through that module experience a service interruption while the entire module is being repaired or replaced. Therefore, there is a need for a universal cart that allows for the splitting and / or repair of fiber optic cables and provides guides for the fiber optic cables so that the same cart can be adapted and used in various FTTx applications. It may also be desirable to provide a cart that allows fiber optic cables and / or components to be added and / or removed from the cart without affecting other fiber optic cables and / or components carried by the cart. It may also be desirable to provide a cart that can be mounted in a fiber distribution cabinet in a zero-U space configuration. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to various aspects of the description, a cart is configured for mounting in a fiber distribution cabinet. The cart includes a cart body with a front end, a rear end, a first side, a second side, and a rear wall that together define a cavity. A top wall is located at the front end of the cart body, and multiple side walls extend from the rear wall to the top wall. The top wall, side walls, and rear wall define multiple openings at the front end of the cart body. The top wall includes multiple slots, and each slot is associated with a corresponding opening. These openings are sized and configured to receive an optical fiber component. In some respects, the multiple openings are sized and configured to receive either a fiber optic splitter or a fiber optic adapter. Depending on various aspects, the car is sized to accommodate either an LC duplex adapter or a single SC adapter. According to some aspects, the cavity is configured to receive fiber optic cables and / or fiber optic components. In several respects, the cart includes multiple fiber handling elements that extend perpendicular to the plane of the rear wall and are located in the cavity, and the multiple fiber handling elements are configured to guide fiber cables to and from the front end of the cart. In some respects, the slots are sized and configured to allow insertion and / or removal of fiber optic cables from the opening through the slot, while preventing the insertion and / or removal of the fiber optic component from the opening through the slot. According to various aspects, the opening is configured to receive the optical fiber component in one direction from the rear end of the cart to the front end of the cart. According to some aspects, the opening is configured to receive the optical fiber component in one direction from the front end of the cart to the rear end of the cart. In several respects, the car includes a second upper wall separated from the front end in a first direction parallel to a plane of the rear wall. In some respects, the second top wall includes multiple tabs separated from the back wall in a second direction perpendicular to the plane of the back wall. According to various aspects, the tabs are separated from each other by spaces that are sized and configured to allow insertion and / or removal of fiber optic cables from the opening through the slot, while preventing the insertion and / or removal of the fiber optic component from the opening through the slot. According to some aspects, the second upper wall is configured to cooperate with the side walls to firmly retain the fiber optic component that is inserted into the cavity through one of the openings. The foregoing and other elements of the construction and operation of the invention will be more easily understood and fully recognized from the following detailed description, which is taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the description, similar reference numbers will refer to similar parts in the various embodiments and drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a top view of an example of a cart according to various aspects of the present description. Fig. 2 is a top view of the example cart in Fig. 1 in a first example of usage configuration. Fig. 3 is a top view of the example cart from Fig. 1 in a second example of usage configuration. Fig. 4 is a top view of the example cart from Fig. 1 in a third example of usage configuration. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the example cart in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a top view of the example cart in Fig. 1 in a fourth example of usage configuration. Fig. 7 is a top view of the example cart in Fig. 1 in a fifth example of usage configuration. Fig. 8 is a top view of the example cart in Fig. 1 in a sixth example of usage configuration. Fig. 9 illustrates an example of a fiber distribution cabinet containing the example cart of Fig. 1. Fig. 10 illustrates multiple examples of Fig. 1 carts mounted to a rear wall of a fiber distribution cabinet in a zero-space U arrangement. Figures HA and 11B illustrate the example of the trolley in Figure 1 mounted to a support chassis of a fiber distribution cabinet in a zero-space U arrangement. Fig. 12 illustrates multiple examples of Fig. 1 carts mounted to a support chassis of a fiber distribution cabinet. Fig. 13 is a perspective view of an example of a separator according to various aspects of the description. Fig. 14 is a perspective view of another example of a separator according to various aspects of the description. Fig. 15 is a perspective view of the example of a separator mounted to a fiber distribution panel according to various aspects of the description. Fig. 16 is a perspective view of the separator example in a self-contained configuration according to various aspects of the description. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE MODALITIES Although certain embodiments of the present invention are shown and described in detail, it should be understood that various changes and modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the appended claims. The scope of the present invention is in no way limited to the number of components, their materials, their shapes, their relative arrangement, etc., and is described merely as an example of embodiments of the present invention. As a preamble to the detailed description, it should be noted that, as used in this descriptive memorandum and in the attached claims, the singular forms "a", "one", "an", "the" and "the" include plural references, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. With reference to the drawings, Figures 1-7 illustrate an example of a Cart 100 configuration according to various aspects of the description. The Cart 100 is configured to be mounted in any enclosure or cabinet, as will be described later. The trolley 100 includes a trolley body 101 with a front end 102, a rear end 104, a first side 106, and a second side 108. The front end 102 includes multiple openings 110. In the trolley example 100 shown in Fig. 1-7, the front end 102 includes seven openings 110. However, it should be recognized that the front end 102 could have more or fewer than seven openings. In the trolley example 100 shown in Fig. 1-6, each of the openings 110 is sized and configured to receive a single-line SC (connect subscriber) adapter, which is the same size as a duplex LC (connect lucent) adapter, for example, by means of an interference fit, a push fit, or similar. This 110 opening also allows the passage of fiber optic connection cables and / or a fiber cable harness, for example, an IFC harness (fiber cable assembly for different installations).However, it should be recognized that the 110 openings could be configured to any desired shape and size and / or one or more of the openings may have a different shape and / or size than the other openings. The cart 100 includes an internal cavity 112 in which the fiber optic cables and / or fiber optic components are located. The cavity 112 is bounded by the front end 102, the rear end 104, the first side 106, the second side 108, and a rear wall 114. In some embodiments, a top portion 116 of the cart 100 may be open to allow access to the fiber optic cables and / or fiber optic components inside. In some embodiments, the cart may include a cover (not shown) that can be detachably attached to the top portion 116 of the cart 100 to allow access to the fiber optic cables and / or fiber optic components inside. As shown in Fig. 1-7, the trolley 100 includes multiple fiber handling elements located in the cavity 112. For example, the trolley 100 includes a mandrel 120 that extends perpendicularly from the plane of the back wall 114 into the cavity 112. The mandrel 120 may be a full circle, as shown, or a partial circle configured to guide the optical fiber cable along a desired path within the cavity 112. The mandrel 120 may include one or more fingers 122 that extend from the mandrel 120 near the top 116 of the trolley 100 in a direction parallel to the plane of the back wall 114. The fingers 122 are configured to retain the optical fiber cables in the cavity 112. The trolley 100 may include one or more additional guides 126 that extend perpendicular to the plane of the back wall 114.The guides 126 may also include one or more fingers 128 extending from the guides 126 near the top 116 of the carriage 100 in a direction parallel to the plane of the rear wall 114. The fingers 128 are configured to retain the fiber optic cables in the cavity 112, as will be described in more detail below. In one embodiment, two guides 126 deploy the fiber cables for directional distribution. However, more or fewer guides 126 may be required depending on the bend tolerance specification of the particular fiber cables used. Mandrel 120, guides 126, and fingers 122 and 128 are configured to guide fiber optic cables safely and neatly. Mandrel 120 and guides 126 define multiple curved channels to receive the fiber optic cables. The curved channels defined by mandrel 120 and guides 126 have specific radii that prevent the fiber optic cables from bending beyond the limits specified by the fiber optic cable, thus minimizing bending loss within the fiber optic cables. Therefore, mandrel 120 and guides 122 provide a convenient and organized way to guide the fiber optic cables through the 100 trolley and maintain the integrity of the fiber optic cable signal. With reference again to Fig. 1-7, each of the openings 110 at the front end 102 of the carriage 100 may be bounded by the rear wall 114, a pair of side walls 115, and a top wall 117. In some respects, the side walls 115 may extend from the rear wall 114 to the top wall 117. In other respects, one or more of the side walls 115 may extend only along a portion of the path from the rear wall 114 to the top wall 117. The top wall 116 may include multiple slots 130, and each of the multiple slots 130 is associated with a respective opening of the openings 110.Slots 130 are wide enough to allow insertion and / or removal of a fiber cable from a patch cable opening through slot 130, while being narrow enough to prevent a separator or adapter in opening 110 from being inserted into and / or removed from opening 110 through slot 130. The carriage 100 may include a second top wall 119 comprising multiple tabs 134 separated from the front end 102 in a first direction parallel to the plane of the rear wall 114 and separated from the rear end 114 in a second direction perpendicular to the plane of the rear wall 114. The tabs 134 are separated from each other by gaps 136 that are sized and configured to permit the insertion and / or removal of a fiber cable from a patch cord opening through the slot 130, while being narrow enough to prevent a separator or adapter in the opening 110 from being inserted into and / or removed from the opening 110 through the slot 130. The tabs 134 are configured to cooperate with the side walls 115 to firmly retain an optical fiber component, for example, a separator, which is inserted into the cavity 112 through one of the openings 110.In some respects, one or more of the side walls 115 may include a coupling structure (not shown) that is configured to couple a coupling structure with a spacer (see Fig. 13) that is inserted into the cavity 112 through one of the openings 110, as will be understood by those skilled in the art. In some embodiments, the first side 106 may include one or more spring-loaded latches 140 configured to engage the carriage 100 with a keyway in a cabinet wall. The second side 108 may include a gripping structure 142 that facilitates the insertion and / or removal of the carriage 100 into / from a cabinet or enclosure. For example, the gripping structure 142 may include a wall 144 that is less than the depth of the carriage 100 so that a user can grip the gripping structure 142 with their fingers when multiple carriages 100 are positioned close together in the cabinet. In some aspects, the gripping structure 142 may include a surface having a series of grooves 146 or knots that facilitate gripping by the user. Next, with reference to Fig. 2, a first example of a configuration for using the trolley 100 is illustrated and described. In the configuration shown in Fig. 2, multiple fiber optic adapters 250, for example, LC duplex adapters, are inserted into the openings 110 at the front end 102 of the trolley 100. Fig. 2 shows six adapters 250 inserted into six of the openings 110. The seventh opening 110' receives twelve fiber patch cables 260 that enter the trolley 100 at the front end 102, run towards the rear end 104, and are guided around the mandrel 120. The fiber patch cables 260 are guided by the mandrel 120, the guides 126, and / or one of the walls of the trolley 100 back towards the front end 102 of the trolley 100. Each of the Fiber patch cables 260 have a first end that terminates in a fiber optic connector 262, for example an LC connector, which connects to a rear side 252 of fiber optic adapters 250.A second end (not shown) of each of the 260 fiber patch cables may include a connector (not shown) that is configured to connect to another fiber optic component, for example, in the cabinet within which the 100 cart is located. As illustrated, twelve LC 260 single cables are connected to six LC 250 duplex adapters. In other configurations, six duplex cables can be connected to the six LC duplex adapters. It should be noted that SC cables and adapters can be used in place of one or more of the LC cables and adapters. In fact, the principle of this configuration would be possible with any type of adapter and cable depending on the box design, box size, and shape of the opening (for the adapter), such as, for example, MPO connectors. Since the 260 patch cables and 250 through-adapters are located at the front end 102 of the cart, there is no need to access the rear of the patch panel / field to make through-connects from the back. Instead, all patch ports are accessible from one side—the front end 102—of the cart 100, making it easier for a technician to perform moves, additions, and changes. As will be described in more detail later, the Cart 100 can be used in a central data server cabinet and occupies zero shelf or chassis space within the cabinet. The Cart 100 can be used in any FTTX application requiring patch cable connections from one side. For example, the Cart 100 can be used in wall-mounted cabinets where cables enter and exit only from the bottom, pole-mounted applications where cables enter and exit only from one side, and / or street-level cabinet applications where patch panels must be handled in confined spaces or in the upper corner of the cabinet. Next, with reference to Fig. 3, a second example of a configuration for using the 100 trolley is illustrated and described. The configuration in Fig. 3 differs from that in Fig. 2 only in that a multi-fiber harness 364, for example, a twelve-fiber harness, which includes twelve single LC cables 360, is inserted into the seventh opening 110'. The harness 364 can facilitate faster installation by a technician than the twelve separate patch cables in the configuration of Fig. 2. The fiber cables 360 are guided by the mandrel 120, the guides 126 and / or one of the walls of the trolley 100 back towards the front end 102 of the trolley 100. Each of the fiber cables 360 has a first end terminating in a fiber optic connector 362, for example, an LC connector, which connects to a rear side 252 of the through-adapters 250.Harness 364 may include a multi-fiber cable 366 that extends through the seventh opening 110' and is configured to connect to another fiber optic component, e.g., in the cabinet within which the cart 100 is located. As illustrated, twelve single-core LC cables connect to six duplex LC adapters. In other configurations, the 364 harness may include six LC uniboot cores configured to connect to the six duplex LC adapters. It should be noted that SC cables and adapters can be used in place of one or more of the LC cables and adapters. In fact, the principle behind this configuration would be possible with any type of adapter and cable, depending on the enclosure design, enclosure size, and the shape of the opening (for the adapter). A third example of a configuration for using the trolley 100 is illustrated and described below, with reference to Figures 4 and 5. In the configuration shown in Figures 4 and 5, pre-connectorized splitter modules 450 are inserted into the openings 110 at the front end 102 of the trolley 100. Figure 4 shows six fiber optic splitter modules 450 inserted into six of the openings 110. The splitter modules 450 contain incoming fiber cables 452 that are guided by the mandrel 120, the guides 126, and / or one of the walls of the trolley 100 back toward the rear end 104 of the trolley 100 and around the mandrel 120 to the front end 102 of the trolley 100, where they can exit the trolley 100 through the seventh opening 110'. Each of the incoming fiber 452 cables may include a 453 connector configured to provide strain reduction to the 452 cables at an interface with the 450 splitter module. Each of the incoming cables 452 includes one end, distal to the splitter module 450, which has a fiber optic connector (not shown) that is configured to connect to another fiber optic component, for example, in the cabinet within which the cart 100 is located. The pre-terminated splitter modules 450 include outgoing fiber cables 456 which have one end (not shown), distal to the splitter module 450, which has a fiber optic connector (not shown) that is configured to connect to another fiber optic component, for example, in the cabinet within which the cart 100 is located. The slots 130 at the front end of the carriage 100 and the spaces 136 between the tabs 134 allow the incoming cables 452 from the separator modules 450 to be inserted into the cavity 112 so that they are guided by the mandrel 120 and the guides 126. For example, the outgoing fiber cables 456 from one of the separators 450 can be inserted through the openings 130 and spaces 136 with the separator module 450 toward the rear end 104 of the carriage 100. After the outgoing fiber cables 456 are in the opening 110, the separator 450 can be moved toward the front end 102 and into the opening 110. As mentioned earlier, the side walls 115 can be configured to securely retain the separator modules 450 in the carriage 100. According to this configuration, the 450 separator modules can be added and / or removed one at a time. Therefore, in the event of a problem with an end user associated with one of the 456 output cables, only one of the 454 separator bodies would need to be removed and / or replaced, and thus only a portion of the end users receiving power through the 100 trolley would be affected during the removal and / or replacement. With reference to Fig. 13, the separator modules 450 include a separator body 451, one or more separators 454, a front wall 455, a rear wall 456, and a cover 457. The separator body 451 may include a coupling element 458 configured to engage with a coupling element of at least one of the side walls 115 of the openings 110. For example, the coupling element 458 may comprise a flexible finger and a projection. The flexible finger is configured to be pushed inward when the separator module 450 is inserted into the opening, and the projection serves as a stop to limit the insertion of the module 450 into the opening.In some respects, the side wall coupling element 115 may be configured to be received between the finger and the projection, and the side wall 115 may be configured to allow the finger to flex outwards again to retain the side wall coupling element between the finger and the projection. The front wall 455 may include one or more ports configured to receive an incoming fiber cable 465, and the rear wall 456 may be retractable from the separator body 451. The rear wall 456 may include multiple openings, each of which is configured to receive an outgoing fiber cable 466. The incoming fiber cables 465 and the outgoing fiber cables 466 may be branch cables (or branch tubes) configured to receive an optical fiber, and the optical fibers are spliced ​​to the separator 454. As illustrated in Fig. 13, in some respects, each 450 splitter module may include two 454 splitters, and each splitter may be configured as a 1:8 splitter having one input fiber 465 and eight output fibers 466. Of course, in some respects, the 450 splitter module may include a splitter configured as a 1:16 splitter. It should be recognized that 450 splitter modules may contain any other conceivable arrangement of one or more splitters, and the splitters may have higher or lower splitter ratios than 1:8 and 1:16. With reference to Fig. 14, for a 100 car with one or more larger 110 openings, a larger 450' splitter module can be inserted into the larger opening. In some respects, each 450' splitter module can include four 454 splitters, and each splitter can be configured as a 1:8 splitter having one input fiber and eight output fibers. Of course, in some respects, the 450' splitter module can include one splitter configured as a 1:32 splitter, two splitters configured as 1:16 splitters, and so on. It should be recognized that the 450' splitter modules can contain any other conceivable arrangement of one or more splitters, and the splitters can have higher or lower splitter ratios. As shown in Fig. 15, one or more of the aforementioned separator modules 450, 450' can be attached to a panel 590 of a fiber distribution concentrator independent of the trolley 100. For example, a separator bracket 570 can be configured to attach to the panel, e.g., by means of fasteners or the like. The separator bracket 570 can include arms 571 configured to receive and support the separator modules 450, 450'. In another configuration, as illustrated in Fig. 16, the separator modules 450, 450' mentioned above can be configured for independent use from the trolley 100 and the panel. As shown in Fig. 16, the separator module 450, 450' can include a pre-terminated incoming fiber cable 552 and an outgoing multi-fiber cable 566 with a multi-connector 567 that splits the fibers of the outgoing fiber cable 566 into multiple pre-terminated outgoing fiber cables 569. A fourth example of a configuration for using the trolley 100 is illustrated and described below, with reference to Fig. 6. In the configuration shown in Fig. 6, a connecting cable 660 is inserted into the openings 110 at the front end 102 of the trolley 100. Fig. 2 shows only one connecting cable inserted into one of the openings 110. However, it should be recognized that any number of connecting cables 660 can be inserted into the openings 110 and the cavity 112, limited only by the size of the openings 110 and the trolley 100. The connecting cable 660 is guided by the mandrel 120, at least one of the guides 126, and / or one of the walls of the trolley 100 back toward the rear end 104 of the trolley 100 and around the mandrel 120 toward the front end 102 of the trolley 100, where it can exit the trolley. 100 through another of the openings 110.The slots 130 at the front end of the carriage 100 and the spaces 136 between the tabs 134 allow the connecting cable 660 to be inserted into the openings 110 and the cavity 112 so that it can be guided by the mandrel 120 and the guides 126. In the configuration shown in Fig. 6, there is no connectivity within the 100 trolley; instead, the 100 trolley is used solely as a means of suspending the 660 patch cables. The 660 patch cables can be suspended in the same manner as the splitter, making cable management much easier within the cabinet. Complex cable management within the cabinet is not required for the installer. This arrangement is useful for any application that requires suspending a patch cable within a cabinet so that the two individual 666 connectorized ends can be connected to two different ports. A fifth example of a trolley 100 usage configuration is illustrated and described below, with reference to Fig. 7. In the configuration shown in Fig. 7, pre-connectorized splitter modules 450 are inserted into some of the openings 110 at the front end 102 of the trolley 100. Fig. 7 shows four fiber optic splitter modules 450 inserted into four of the openings 110. The splitter modules 450 include incoming fiber cables 452 that are guided by the mandrel 120, the guides 126, and / or one of the trolley 100 walls back toward the rear end 104 of the trolley 100 and around the mandrel 120 to the front end 102 of the trolley 100, where they have ends terminating in a connector 462, for example, an LC connector, which connects to a rear side 252 of the fiber optic adapters 250. which are received by the openings 110' at the first end 102 of the carriage 100. Fig.Figure 7 shows two through-adapters 250, for example, LC duplex adapters, inserted into two of the 110' openings. It should be recognized that the universal nature of the 100 trolley allows it to include any combination of 250 adapters, 260 connecting cables, 364 harnesses, 450 separator modules, and / or 660 connecting cables that a customer may require. For example, as shown in Fig. 8, the 100 trolley can include four 450 separator modules and one 660 connecting cable. The quantity and size of these items are limited only by the size and configuration of the 100 trolley. The arrangement of the 100 trolley in a 980 fiber distribution cabinet is illustrated and described below, with reference to Figures 9-12. Figure 9 illustrates a typical 980 fiber distribution cabinet, and the 100 trolley is mounted in the 980 cabinet in a vertical orientation. That is, the 100 trolley is mounted with the front end 102 facing downward, the rear end 104 facing upward, the first side 106 facing a rear wall 982 of the 980 cabinet, and the second side 108 facing a front portion 984 of the cabinet, which may be enclosed by a door 986. As shown, the 100 trolley is used for a point-to-point (P2P) patch cable connection, similar to that shown in Figure 6.In other words, one end of the 660 patch cable connects to an optical fiber distribution frame (ODF), i.e., when the signal comes from the distribution center / head office, and the other end is connected to an ODF, which is where the signal sent to end users is directed. Figure 10 illustrates multiple 100 trolleys mounted in the upper right corner of a fiber cabinet in the vertical orientation and in a zero space U of the cabinet. For example, one or more spring-loaded latches 140 may be engaged with keyway(s) in the rear wall 982 of the cabinet 980. The 100 trolleys may be configured according to one of the configuration examples mentioned above or any other desired configuration. Figure 10 illustrates eight 100 trolleys. If the 100 trolleys are configured as shown in Figure 4, which includes six 450 divider modules, the eight 100 trolleys would include a total of 48 450 divider modules. Each 450 divider module may include two 454 dividers, each of which includes a 1:8 divider, a 1:16 divider, and so on, as described above. Figures 11A and 11B illustrate another zero-U space mounting position for the 100 trolley in a cabinet. Zero-U space is a term used when patch panels are mounted in a location other than between the mounting rails of a support chassis. In this case, the patch panel does not occupy valuable space within the support chassis, and therefore, the space in the support chassis can be used for revenue-generating servers or switches. The trolley can thus be used to house standard cabinets that have not been adapted to accept this enclosure—that is, they do not have keyways configured to receive the 140 locking clips. For example, in this arrangement, a folded metal plate could be attached to the standard mounting rail of the support chassis (behind the equipment mounting elements) and is shaped to allow the enclosure to be secured to the plate.The slots in the backplate of the support would facilitate this arrangement. Furthermore, with reference to Fig. 12, it should be noted that the 100 trolley can also be mounted to a 19, 21, or 23 panel stacked either vertically or horizontally. It should be recognized that, in some respects, the 100 cart can be pre-wired and pre-equipped with a fiber optic panel for delivery to an end user. For example, the 100 cart can be populated with one or more pre-configured 450, 450' splitter modules before being delivered to an end user. Each 450 splitter module can include one or more fiber inlet cables and multiple fiber outlet cables, depending on the number of splitters contained within the module. Each fiber outlet cable can be pre-terminated and inserted into a port on the fiber optic panel, and each fiber inlet cable can be pre-terminated so that, when delivered to an end user's location, only the fiber inlet cables need to be connected to an adapter port to provide input signals to the 450, 450' splitter modules. Additional modalities include any of the modalities described above, where one or more of its components, functionalities, or structures are exchanged, replaced, or augmented with one or more of the components, functionalities, or structures of a different modality described above. It should be understood that several changes and modifications to the embodiments described herein will be evident to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this description and without diminishing its desired advantages. Therefore, it is intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims. Although several embodiments of the description have been outlined in the preceding specification, those skilled in the art will understand that many modifications and other embodiments of the description will be evident from the subject matter and will benefit from the principles set forth in the preceding specification and the associated drawings. It is therefore understood that the description is not limited to the specific embodiments described above and that various modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, although specific terms are used herein and in the claims that follow, these terms are used only in a generic and descriptive sense and not for the purpose of limiting this disclosure or the claims that follow.

Claims

1. A cart configured to be mounted in a fiber distribution cabinet, comprising: a cart body with a front end, a rear end, a first side, a second side, and a rear wall cooperating to define a cavity; a top wall at the front end of the cart body; multiple side walls extending from the rear wall to the top wall, wherein the top wall, side walls, and rear wall define multiple openings at the front end of the cart body, wherein the top wall includes multiple slots, each of the multiple slots being associated with a respective opening of the multiple openings, and wherein the multiple openings are sized and configured to receive an optical fiber component.

2. The cart of claim 1, wherein the multiple openings are sized and configured to receive an optical fiber separator or an optical fiber adapter.

3. The cart of claim 2, wherein the cart is sized to receive either an LC duplex adapter or an SC single-pole adapter.

4. The cart of any of the preceding claims, wherein the cavity is configured to receive the fiber optic cables and / or fiber optic components.

5. The cart of any of the preceding claims, further comprising: multiple fiber handling elements extending perpendicular to the plane of the rear wall and located in the cavity, the multiple fiber handling elements being configured to guide the fiber cables to and from the front end of the cart.

6. The cart of any of the preceding claims, wherein the slots are sized and configured to allow insertion and / or removal of optical fiber cables from the opening through the slot, while preventing the insertion and / or removal of the optical fiber component from the opening through the slot.

7. The cart of any of the preceding claims, wherein the opening is configured to receive the optical fiber component in a direction from the rear end of the cart to the front end of the cart.

8. The cart of any of claims 1-6, wherein the opening is configured to receive the optical fiber component in a direction from the front end of the cart to the rear end of the cart.

9. The carriage of any of the preceding claims, further comprising: a second upper wall separated from the front end in a first 5 direction parallel to a plane of the rear wall.

10. The carriage of claim 9, wherein the second upper wall includes multiple tabs separated from the rear wall in a second direction perpendicular to the plane of the rear wall.

11. The carriage of claim 10, wherein the tabs are separated from each other by spaces that are sized and configured to allow insertion and / or removal of optical fiber cables from the opening through the slot, while preventing the insertion and / or removal of the optical fiber component from the opening through the slot.

12. The carriage of any of claims 9-11, wherein the second upper wall is configured to cooperate with the side walls to firmly retain the optical fiber component that is inserted into the cavity through one of the openings.

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