Fiber Optic Adapter Tray With Tilted Access for Dense Cable Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-density fiber optic connections in data centers pose challenges for technicians due to complex fiber management and difficult access to optical components, especially with increasing bandwidth demands and multi-fiber cables, which require improved access and organization solutions.
Innovation Solution
A fiber optic adapter module with angled and flared panel surfaces in a modular tray design that can be extended and tilted for enhanced access, combined with a pivot mechanism to reduce cable bending and improve hand access, allowing for neat routing and organization of high-density connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If fiber optic adapter modules are designed with higher connectivity density to meet bandwidth demands, then the number of fiber optic connections increases, but hand access to optical components and cable routing becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a pull-out tray mechanism that moves the fiber optic adapter module from a fixed position to an extendable position, adding a spatial dimension for access. The tray can be pulled out horizontally from the equipment rack, creating additional working space in front of the adapters while maintaining high connection density within the compact module itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The adapter module is designed with dynamic accessibility - the tray can be extended and retracted as needed. This allows the system to transition between a compact stored state (when full connectivity is needed) and an expanded accessible state (when technicians need to work with the connections), resolving the contradiction between density and accessibility.
2Quantity of substance
If fiber optic adapter modules are designed with higher connectivity density, then more connections are supported, but cable routing and organization becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cable management complexity from the fixed rack mounting and relocates it to the movable tray. The tray provides dedicated cable routing channels and organization spaces that move with the adapters, separating the high-density connection function from the cable management function and reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The pull-out tray acts as an intermediary between the equipment rack and the fiber optic cables. It provides a transition zone with built-in cable guides, retention mechanisms, and routing paths that simplify cable management while allowing the high-density adapters to remain compact within the rack.
3Area of stationary object
If fiber optic equipment is mounted in equipment racks to maximize space, then space utilization increases, but access to fiber optic adapters requires removing the module from the rack
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into two functional parts: the fixed equipment rack that provides structural support and mounting, and the movable tray that provides access. This segmentation allows the rack to maintain high space utilization while the tray portion can be independently extended for technician access without removing adapters from the rack-mounted module.
Solution Approach 2:
The adapter module transitions from a static fixed mounting to a dynamic system where the tray can be extended outward from the rack. This allows the module to maintain its compact rack-mounted form for space efficiency while providing extended accessibility when needed, eliminating the need to remove modules from the rack for routine access.
Data Source
AI summary
A fiber optic adapter module and tray. The fiber optic adapter module supports fiber optic adapters for fiber optic connections. The fiber optic adapter module may be included on an extendible tray portion of a fiber optic equipment tray and selectively configured to be tilted when extended for providing enhanced access to the fiber optic adapter module. In one embodiment, an adapter module panel of the fiber optic adapter module that supports fiber optic adapters contains at least two forward facing panel surfaces angled to one another to provide more surface area for supporting a higher density of fiber optic adapters and/or for neat routing and organizing of fiber optic connections. One or more fourth flared panel surfaces may also be included on an end(s) of the adapter module panel to provide sufficient interior space for fiber optic connections adjacent or proximate to sides of the fiber optic equipment tray.