Fiber Optic Slack Module with Nested Spools for Bend Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions for optical fiber cable termination and storage lack high-density designs for space efficiency, ease of access, and protection from excessive bending, particularly in outside plant enclosures.
Innovation Solution
A fiber optic cable slack management module with a base featuring a first spool and a pair of stacked trays that provide snap-fit interlocks, flexible cantilever arms, and cable retention fingers to manage and store cable slack while preventing damage from excessive bending, allowing for easy access and modification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If high density design is implemented to minimize space, then space efficiency is improved, but accessibility and ease of operation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The cable management module incorporates movable trays that can be selectively extended outward from the enclosure. This dynamic mechanism allows the system to maintain a compact form factor when trays are retracted (improving space efficiency) while providing easy access to cables when trays are extended (improving operability). The trays move along guide rails or tracks, transforming the static high-density storage into a dynamically accessible configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable management system is divided into multiple independent trays or compartments, each capable of being accessed and operated separately. This segmentation allows individual cable groups to be managed independently without requiring access to the entire enclosure, thus maintaining high density while improving accessibility to specific cable portions.
2Area of stationary object
If cable slack is stored in compact form, then space efficiency is improved, but protection from excessive bending deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cable storage mechanism incorporates curved guides, rounded corners, and arc-shaped pathways that ensure cables are always bent along smooth curves with radii exceeding the minimum bend radius requirement. This curvature-based design prevents sharp angles and kinks while maintaining compact storage, thus protecting fiber reliability without sacrificing space efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable management system uses nested spools or coiled storage configurations where cables are wound in concentric layers. This nesting approach allows compact storage of cable slack while maintaining proper bend radii through controlled winding patterns, preventing excessive bending even in limited space.
3Adaptability or versatility
If modular design with multiple trays is used, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cable management module employs standardized, universal components such as uniform trays, common mounting mechanisms, and interchangeable cable guides. These universal elements can be configured in various arrangements to accommodate different cable quantities and types, providing adaptability without requiring complex custom-designed components for each configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides adaptability through adjustable parameters such as the number of trays, their positions, and extension ranges, rather than through structurally complex mechanisms. By varying these parameters within a standardized framework, the system achieves versatility while keeping the base design relatively simple.
Data Source
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AI summary
A fiber optic cable slack management module includes a base defining a first cable management spool, an outer face of which is configured to contact cables when cables are pulled away from the base and a second cable management spool, within which the first cable management spool is located. An inner face of the second cable management spool is configured to contact cables when cables are in a relaxed, non-pulled state. The fiber optic cable slack management module defines a cable exit adjacent the first cable management spool and defined at least partially by the inner face of the second cable management spool, the cable exit defined by a channel positioned between the first and second cable management spools.