Mini Duplex Fiber Optic Assembly With Sliding Tray Guide
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing demand for higher density optical connections with mini duplex fiber optic connectors (MDC) requires new hardware and equipment to manage and facilitate easy access to these connectors, as existing solutions do not adequately address the need for maximizing connector density and ease of insertion/removal in tight spaces.
Innovation Solution
A fiber optic assembly comprising a chassis with sliding trays and guide tracks that securely hold MDC modules, allowing vertical installation and preventing horizontal, lateral, and rotational movement, along with access doors and cable management features for efficient handling and connection management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If mini duplex connectors are used to maximize connector density, then the number of connections per unit area increases, but access and insertion/removal become more difficult in tight spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements sliding trays that can move horizontally between a first position (for dense packing) and a second position (for access). This dynamic mechanism allows the same space to serve both high-density storage and easy access functions, resolving the contradiction between maximizing connector density and facilitating operational access.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new spatial dimension by using sliding trays that move along guide tracks. Instead of arranging connectors only in fixed vertical stacks, the horizontal movement dimension is added, allowing connectors to be accessed by moving trays laterally while maintaining high vertical density.
2Volume of moving object
If compact housing is used to accommodate multiple MDC modules, then space efficiency increases, but heat dissipation and cable management become more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the compact housing into modular sections with guide tracks and sliding trays. Each tray is a separate module that can be independently manipulated, allowing cable management to be performed on individual modules rather than attempting to manage all cables in a single crowded space.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces cable management features as intermediary structures within the housing, including guide tracks and tray mechanisms that mediate between the compact space constraint and the need for organized cable routing. These intermediary structures provide pathways and organization points for cables without requiring excessive space.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are fiber optic assemblies for handling mini duplex connectors (MDC) including a rack-mountable chassis, independent sliding trays disposed in the chassis, and a plurality of MDC modules removably installable in the sliding trays. Each MDC module includes protruding features configured to interact with tray guides having corresponding features that permit vertical installation of the modules in the trays while preventing horizontal translation and rotational motion of the installed MDC modules. MDC modules may have various configuration, for instance MTP module, patching module and pre-terminated tailed module configurations. The assemblies and components disclosed herein maximize connections densities of MDC connectors while improving access thereto in high density applications.