Telecommunications equipment with pre-cabled splice trays

Abstract

Telecommunications equipment is connected to a splice element with a cable. The splice element is mountable to a splice plate of a splice frame. The telecommunications equipment is mountable to an equipment frame. The splice element is mounted with a plurality of additional splice elements to a splice plate to form a column of splice elements. The splice element includes a plurality of hinged splice trays, and a cable fixation flange.

Description

[0001] TELECOMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT WITH PRE-CABLED SPLICE TRAYS

[0002] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0003] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 601,595, filed November 21, 2023, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

[0004] BACKGROUND

[0005] Telecommunications equipment is often mounted in a frame or bay. Often the telecommunications equipment is spliced to cables to connect the telecommunications equipment to an incoming cable for example. The splicing area may be in an adjacent frame or bay to the telecommunications equipment.

[0006] Ease of installation of the telecommunications equipment is one concern for telecommunications service providers. Other concerns for telecommunications service providers is the speed and accuracy of the installation of the equipment.

[0007] SUMMARY

[0008] In one aspect of the disclosure, telecommunications equipment is connected to a splice element with a cable. The splice element is mountable to a splice plate of a splice frame. The telecommunications equipment is mountable to an equipment frame.

[0009] In one aspect of the disclosure, the splice element is mounted with a plurality of additional splice elements to a splice plate to form a column of splice elements.

[0010] In one aspect of the disclosure, the splice element includes a plurality of hingedly mounted splice trays, and a cable fixation flange.

[0011] The pre-cabled telecommunications equipment and splice unit can be assembled at a manufacturing site with the cable preterminated with smaller cables and connectors at the telecommunications equipment on one end of the cable. An opposite end of the cable can be affixed to the splice element, and the individual fibers pre-routed and positioned ready for access for splicing to a further cable on the splice element.

[0012] In one aspect of the disclosure, a system and method is provided where a column of splice elements is assembled in one frame, and a column of telecommunications equipment is assembled in a second frame. In one further method, cable slack is unwound from each of the splice elements, and a splice is formed with a second cable, thereby connecting the second cable to the telecommunications equipment.

[0013] In one aspect of the disclosure, the splice element includes a two-part construction including a groove plate and an adapter plate.

[0014] A variety of additional inventive aspects will be set forth in the description that follows. The inventive aspects can relate to individual features and to combinations of features. It is to be understood that both the forgoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the broad inventive concepts upon which the embodiments disclosed herein are based.

[0015] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the description, illustrate several aspects of the present disclosure. A brief description of the drawings is as follows:

[0017] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example telecommunications equipment connected by a cable to a splice element.

[0018] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a plurality of splice elements mounted to a splice plate.

[0019] FIG. 3 shows the splice plate of FIG. 2 with the splice elements removed.

[0020] FIG. 4 shows a further perspective view of the splice plate.

[0021] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the splice plate with one splice element attached.

[0022] FIG. 6 is an opposite perspective view of the view of FIG. 5.

[0023] FIG. 7 shows the splice element being mounted to the splice plate.

[0024] FIG. 8 shows the splice element in exploded view.

[0025] FIG. 9 shows the splice element of FIG. 8 in a different perspective view.

[0026] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the groove plate of the splice element with portions in exploded view.

[0027] FIG. 11 is a rear and left side perspective view of the groove plate.

[0028] FIG. 12 is a schematic view of an equipment location showing a telecommunications frame, a cable management frame, and a cable splice frame.

[0029] FIG. 13 is a packaging arrangement for the example telecommunications equipment connected with a splice element by a cable. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] Referring to FIG. 1, telecommunications equipment 10 is shown connected to a splice element 12 with a cable 14. Telecommunications equipment 10, splice element 12, and cable 14 form a pre-cabled telecommunications equipment and splice unit 20. In one example, telecommunications unit 20 is part of a fiber optic system connecting service providers to customers.

[0031] Pre-cabled telecommunications equipment and splice unit 20 can be assembled at a manufacturing site with the cable 14 preterminated with cables and connectors at telecommunications equipment 10 on one end of cable 14. An opposite end of cable 14 is affixed to splice element 12, and the individual fibers pre-routed and positioned ready for splicing to a further cable on splice element 12.

[0032] Referring to FIG. 2, a plurality of splice elements 12 are shown mounted to a splice plate 30.

[0033] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the splice plate 30 includes a base 32 and mounting features 40, 42 to allow mounting of splice elements 12 to splice plate 30. In one example, mounting feature 40 includes a first flange 44 and first openings 46. In one example, mounting feature 42 is on an opposite side of base 32 and includes a plurality of second openings 48.

[0034] In one example the mounting features 40, 42 are different types of mounting features, at least in part.

[0035] Splice plate 30 includes attachment devices 50 for mounting to a splice frame or bay 26. See also FIG. 12. Splice plate 30 further includes rear cable manager plates 52. Splice plate 30 further includes a cable attachment plate 54 for attaching second cables to the splice plate 30. These second cables can be spliced to cable 14 at the splice elements 12.

[0036] Referring to FIGS. 5-7, splice element 12 includes a base portion 70 and a plurality of hingedly mounted splice trays 80. On one end of base portion 70 is a mounting tab 72 which is received in a first opening 46 of splice plate 30. At an opposite end of the base portion 70 is a swell latch 74 which is received in one of the second openings 48. Base portion 70 includes a cable tie off flange 78 for attachment of cable 14, as shown in FIG. 1.

[0037] Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, base portion 70 is shown as two main parts, a groove plate 90 and an adapter plate 110. Groove plate 90 includes first pins 92 on one end of groove plate 90. An opposite end of groove plate 90 includes two snaps 94 and two second pins 96. Adapter plate 110 includes a first flange portion 112 and a second flange portion 114 on an opposite end. First flange portion 112 includes first openings 116 for receipt of one or more of the first pins 92. Second flange portion 114 includes second openings 118 for receipt of one or more of snaps 94 and / or pins 96.

[0038] In some examples, groove plate 90 is a type that can mount to other telecommunications equipment, such as a FIST UMS frame by CommScope Inc., like that shown in EP2680055A1 and WO2022 / 035966A1.

[0039] In the example shown, cable tie off flange 78 extends from first flange portion 112 of adapter plate 110. In one example, cable tie off flange 78 extends at an angle to both the horizontal and vertical axes of adapter plate 110. Cable tie off flange 78 includes notches 134 for receiving cable tie offs to secure a cable to cable tie off flange 78.

[0040] Referring to FIGS. 8-11, trays 80 include cable routing paths 140, a slack storage area 144, and a splice storage area 146, with splice chip holders 148. Groove plate 90 includes cable routing paths 150, 152. Groove plate 90 also includes hinge elements 156 for hingedly attaching each of trays 80 to allow access to a desired tray 80.

[0041] In some examples, trays 80 are FIST-SOSA type splice trays available from CommScope Inc.

[0042] Referring to FIGS. 9-11, the illustrated groove plate 90 includes two fiber retention covers 160 with retention clips 162.

[0043] Adapter plate 110 is made from metal in the example embodiment. In other examples, adapter plate 110 can be made from molded plastic. In further examples, base portion 70 can be made as a single part. In one example, the single part may be made from molded plastic.

[0044] Referring to FIG. 12, a telecommunications system 200 is shown including an equipment frame or bay 22, a cable management frame or panel 24, and a splice frame or bay 26. Telecommunications system 200 may reside in a central office.

[0045] Equipment frame 22 provides a structure for mounting telecommunications equipment 10. In one example, the frame 22 can have uprights 222. The uprights 222 receive fasteners to fasten to brackets 224 of telecommunications equipment 10. Cable management frame 24 can include cable spools or other structures for mounting and supporting cables 14 (and cable slack) extending between telecommunications equipment 10 and splice elements 12. Splice frame 26 can include a framework 226 or other structure for supporting each of splice plates 30. Four splice plates 30 are shown in FIG. 12. The telecommunications equipment and splice unit 20 facilitates improved set up of system 200 in that telecommunications equipment 10 mounts to equipment frame 22, and splice element 12 mounts to splice frame 26. Cables 14 with their individual fibers are routed to the individual trays 80 and are ready for being spliced to an incoming cable. The individual fibers are provided with enough slack length to reach fiber splicing equipment at the installation facility. If cables 14 were not pre-cabled to the splice elements 12, a technician at the installation location of telecommunications system 200 would be required to prepare the end of cable 14 by stripping the outer jacket and the inner tubes away to expose the bare fibers, then routing the bare fibers through the groove plate 90 onto individual trays 80, and then forming a cable tie off.

[0046] In high fiber count systems 200, it would be difficult or impossible to pre-cable a plurality of telecommunications equipment 10 with a large volume of splice trays 80 all mounted to two or more frames (equipment frame, and splice frame) at one site and ship to a second site. With the telecommunications equipment and splice unit 20, these items can be handled at an individual level and then assembled in place within frames 22, 26 at the facility to form larger groupings of the equipment and the splice trays.

[0047] In system 200, cables 314 from the central office extend to a respective splice element(s) 12. At splice element 12, individual fibers are spliced from one of cables 314 to one of cables 14. At telecommunications equipment 10, cables 14 are connected to customer cables 414 through fiber optic adapters 416.

[0048] Referring to FIG. 13, the example telecommunications equipment and splice unit 20 can be conveniently transported from the assembly site to the installation site in a box or other packaging arrangement 500. In some examples, a plurality of separate telecommunications equipment and splice units 20 can be packaged in the same box 500.

[0049] Telecommunications equipment 10 can be a termination panel including the plurality of the fiber optic adapters 416. Fiber optic adapters 416 connect to customer cables or patch cords 414 on the front. One example of telecommunications equipment 10 is an MFPS termination panel, available from CommScope Inc. An example of an MFPS termination panel is shown in US 10,025,055, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. Cable 14 is secured to telecommunications equipment 10 with an internal tie off or other cable securement device. Cable 14 extends into telecommunications equipment 10 and connectors on the end of that cable connect to the fiber optic adapters 416 on the back side of the front panel. In one example, each splice plate 30 includes at least 480 fiber splices. In a further example each splice plate 30 includes at least 960 fiber splices.

[0050] In one example, each splice element 12 includes at least four trays 80. In a further example, each splice element 12 includes eight trays 80. In a further example, each splice element 12 includes at least four trays 80, and eight or less trays 80.

[0051] In further examples, each splice plate 30 includes at least four splice elements 12, at least six splice elements 12, at least eight splice elements 12, or at least 10 splice elements 12.

[0052] In one example, telecommunications equipment 10 includes N number of fiber optic adapters 416, and the corresponding splice element 12 holds N number of fiber optics splices. In one further example, telecommunications equipment 10 includes 96 fiber optic adapters 416 and the corresponding splice element 12 holds 96 fiber optics splices.

[0053] In one example, telecommunications equipment 10 is 1 RU high.

[0054] In one example, cable 14 is at least 8 meters long and less than 100 meters long. In a further example cable 14 is at least 8 meters long and less than 60 meters long. In a further example cable 14 is at least 8 meters long and less than 40 meters long.

[0055] In one example, a plurality of telecommunications equipment and splice units 20 are provided with the same or similar lengths of cable 14 at one site, then shipped to a second site and assembled into two columns of equipment 10 and splice elements 12, respectively. Then slack is removed from each splice tray 80 that holds slack, and a splice is made to a second cable or cables at the second site.

[0056] Having described the preferred aspects and implementations of the present disclosure, modifications and equivalents of the disclosed concepts may readily occur to one skilled in the art. However, it is intended that such modifications and equivalents be included within the scope of the claims which are appended hereto.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A pre-cabled telecommunications equipment and splice unit comprising: telecommunications equipment; a splice element; a cable from the equipment to the splice element; wherein the splice element is mountable to a splice plate of a splice frame; wherein the telecommunications equipment is mountable to an equipment frame.

2. The pre-cabled telecommunications equipment and splice unit of claim 1 , wherein the splice element is mounted with a plurality of additional splice elements to a splice plate to form a column of splice elements.

3. The pre-cabled telecommunications equipment and splice unit of claims 1 or 2, wherein the splice element includes a plurality of splice trays.

4. The pre-cabled telecommunications equipment and splice unit of any of claims 1-3, wherein the splice element includes a cable fixation flange.

5. The pre-cabled telecommunications equipment and splice unit of any of claims 1-3, wherein the splice element includes a two-part construction including a groove plate and an adapter plate.

6. The pre-cabled telecommunications equipment and splice unit of any of claims 1-5, wherein the splice element includes a plurality of hingedly mounted splice trays.

7. The pre-cabled telecommunications equipment and splice unit of any of claims 1-6, wherein the telecommunications equipment includes a termination panel including a plurality of fiber optic adapters.

8. A method of assembling telecommunications equipment comprising: providing a plurality of pre-cabled telecommunications equipment and splice units, each unit having a cable preterminated with cable ends and connectors at thetelecommunications equipment on one end of the cable, and an opposite end of cable affixed to the splice element, and the individual fibers pre-routed and ready for splicing to a further cable on the splice element; assembling a column of splice elements in one frame; assembling a column of telecommunications equipment in a second frame; unwinding cable slack from each of the splice elements; forming a splice with a second cable, thereby connecting the second cable to the telecommunications equipment.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein each splice element includes a plurality of hingedly mounted splice trays.

10. The method of claims 8 or 9, wherein the telecommunications equipment includes a termination panel including a plurality of fiber optic adapters.

11. A telecommunications system comprising: a plurality of pre-cabled telecommunications equipment and splice units, each unit comprising: telecommunications equipment; a splice element including a plurality of splice trays and a cable fixation element; a cable from the equipment to the splice element, the cable affixed to the cable fixation element, the cable including cable slack stored on one or more of trays of the plurality of splice trays; an equipment frame, wherein the telecommunications equipment of each unit is mounted to the equipment frame in a column; a splice frame, wherein the splice element of each unit is mounted to the splice frame in a column.

12. The telecommunications system of claim 11, wherein the splice element includes a plurality of hingedly mounted splice trays.

13. The telecommunications system of claims 11 or 12, wherein the telecommunications equipment includes a termination panel including a plurality of fiber optic adapters.

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