Rack Enclosure Tray and Spool for Flexible Fiber Cable Payout
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Solution Overview
Problem
The varying lengths of fiber optic cables needed between fiber optic equipment and distribution racks pose challenges in efficient management and connection, as existing systems do not adequately address the need for flexible cable routing and spooling solutions.
Innovation Solution
A telecommunication device with a slidable tray and rotatable spool system that allows for cable payout and retraction, featuring a stop mechanism to prevent spool rotation when fully enclosed and enabling easy spool exchange and tool-free top cover removal for enhanced accessibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fiber optic cables are routed between fiber optic equipment and distribution racks, then connectivity is established, but cable management becomes complex due to varying cable lengths
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic cable management system where a spool can rotate to payout or retract fiber optic cables. The spool is mounted on a tray that can slide along the rack, allowing the cable length to be dynamically adjusted according to the distance between equipment and rack. This dynamic mechanism resolves the contradiction by providing flexible cable length adjustment without compromising connectivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical parameter of cable length by allowing the spool to rotate and payout/retract cables. The tray's position along the rack can be adjusted, changing the effective cable length needed. This parameter change capability enables efficient cable management while maintaining reliable connectivity between equipment at various distances.
2Device complexity
If a fixed spool position is used, then cable routing is simple, but cable length adjustment becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The spool is mounted on a movable tray that can slide along the rack, transforming the fixed spool position into a dynamic configuration. This allows the spool to be repositioned to adjust cable length while maintaining simple routing. The dynamic positioning resolves the contradiction by enabling both simple routing and flexible length adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable management system is segmented into modular components: the spool, the movable tray, and the rack mounting structure. This segmentation allows independent adjustment of the tray position and spool rotation, making cable length adjustment easy while keeping the overall system simple to operate and maintain.
3Ease of operation
If the spool is freely rotatable, then cable payout is easy, but spool stability is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The spool's rotation is made dynamic and conditional - it can rotate freely when the tray is in the payout position to allow easy cable deployment, but the rotation is constrained when the tray is in the retracted position to maintain stability. This dynamic rotational behavior resolves the contradiction by providing both ease of operation and stability as needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system prevents unwanted spool rotation through mechanical constraints when the tray is in the retracted position. A stop or constraint mechanism is provided to prevent the spool from rotating in the wrong direction, thereby maintaining stability. This preliminary anti-action against unwanted rotation resolves the contradiction between free rotation for ease of operation and stability for secure cable management.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a telecommunication device including an enclosure configured to be mounted to a telecommunication rack. The device also includes a tray that mounts within the enclosure, the tray being slidably movable relative to the enclosure along a front-to-rear axis between a first position and a second position. The tray is fully within the enclosure when in the first position. A forward portion of the tray projects forwardly from the front end of the enclosure and a rearward portion of the tray is within the enclosure when the tray is in the second position. A spool mounts on the tray and is moveable with the tray as the tray is moved between the first and second positions. The spool being rotatable relative to the tray and the enclosure to allow cable to be paid out from the spool at least when the tray is in the second position.