Slack Fiber Optic Cable Storage Cabinet with Sliding Spool Tracks
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Fiber optic cables in switching centers often require excessive length to account for installation inaccuracies, leading to significant slack that must be stored without damaging the fibers, and existing solutions struggle to manage long lengths within a small volume while maintaining a safe bend radius.
Innovation Solution
A cabinet enclosure with sliding spool tracks and cylindrical spools that guide fiber optic cabling with a minimum bend radius, allowing for optimal lay and storage of slack cables without damage, using a system of spool assemblies that can be mounted and fixed along the tracks to manage cable slack effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If cable slack is stored in traditional troughs or folded layers, then storage capacity is achieved, but cable fibers may be damaged due to insufficient bend radius control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs cylindrical spools with predetermined radii to guide and store cable slack. The spools provide a curved surface that maintains the minimum bend radius requirement, preventing fiber damage while accommodating cable slack. This curvilinear approach replaces traditional linear or folded storage methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The spool assemblies act as intermediary devices between the cable and the storage space. These spools with specific radii serve as mediators that control the cable path and maintain proper bend radius, transferring the cable from a potentially damaging straight or folded state to a protected curved state.
2Reliability
If cable slack is allowed to extend freely, then cable fiber integrity is maintained, but excessive space is required in switching centers
Solution Approach 1:
The spool assemblies are designed to be mounted within cabinet enclosures, nesting the cable storage function within the existing switching center infrastructure. Multiple spools can be arranged vertically or horizontally within a compact volume, allowing efficient space utilization while maintaining cable integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional cable laying (flat troughs or folded layers) to three-dimensional spool-based storage. By utilizing the radial dimension of cylindrical spools and vertical mounting arrangements, the system achieves compact storage while maintaining proper cable geometry.
3Length of stationary object
If equipment is installed precisely at planned locations, then cable length requirements are minimized, but installation flexibility and adaptability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The spool assemblies are designed with adjustable positioning capabilities, allowing them to be mounted at various locations within the cabinet enclosure. This dynamic positioning flexibility enables adaptation to different equipment placements while maintaining proper cable management and bend radius control.
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus for storing slack fiber optic cabling. A cabinet enclosure has an opening for allowing access to cabling and other components inside the enclosure, and a number of spool tracks are supported inside the enclosure. Each of a number of cable spool assemblies includes a spool dimensioned to guide a length of fiber optic cabling in a desired path over part of the spool circumference with at least a minimum cable bend radius, and a mechanism 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. Slack fiber optic cabling can be stored in the cabinet with an optimum lay when the cabling is guided by selected spools of the spool assemblies, and the spools are moved to and fixed at certain positions on the spool tracks.