Slidable fiber optic connection module with cable slack management

Abstract

A fiber optic telecommunications device includes a frame and a fiber optic module including a rack mount portion, a center portion, and a main housing portion. The rack mount portion is stationarily coupled to the frame, the center portion is slidably coupled to the rack mount portion along a sliding direction, and the main housing portion is slidably coupled to the center portion along the sliding direction. The main housing portion of the fiber optic module includes fiber optic connection locations for connecting cables to be routed through the frame. The center portion of the fiber optic module includes a radius limiter for guiding cables between the main housing portion and the frame, the center portion also including a latch for unlatching the center portion for slidable movement. Slidable movement of the center portion with respect to the rack mount portion moves the main housing portion with respect to the frame along the sliding direction.

1 . A fiber optic module comprising:
 a rack mount portion configured for mounting the fiber optic module to a telecommunications fixture;   a center portion slidably coupled to the rack mount portion along a sliding direction; and   a main housing portion slidably coupled to the center portion along the sliding direction, the main housing portion including fiber optic connection locations for connecting cables to be routed through the module;   wherein the center portion of the fiber optic module includes a radius limiter for guiding cables between the main housing portion and the rack mount portion, the center portion also including a latch for unlatching the center portion for slidable movement;   wherein slidable movement of the center portion with respect to the rack mount portion moves the main housing portion with respect to the rack mount portion along the sliding direction.   
     
     
         2 . A fiber optic module according to  claim 1 , wherein the connection locations are defined by fiber optic adapters. 
     
     
         3 . A fiber optic module according to  claim 2 , wherein the fiber optic adapters are mounted to the main housing portion of the fiber optic module with a snap-fit interlock. 
     
     
         4 . A fiber optic module according to  claim 2 , wherein the fiber optic adapters are provided as part of a fiber optic cassette that is configured to relay an incoming signal to an outgoing signal via fiber optic cables within the cassette. 
     
     
         5 . A fiber optic module according to  claim 4 , wherein the fiber optic adapters are snap-fit to the fiber optic cassette. 
     
     
         6 . A fiber optic module according to  claim 4 , wherein the fiber optic cables are terminated with fiber optic connectors on at least one of the ends thereof. 
     
     
         7 . A fiber optic module according to  claim 6 , wherein the fiber optic connectors mate with one side of the fiber optic adapters within the interior of the cassette. 
     
     
         8 . A fiber optic module according to  claim 2 , wherein the fiber optic adapters are LC-format adapters. 
     
     
         9 . A fiber optic module according to  claim 1 , wherein when the center portion is moved with respect to the rack mount portion, the center portion is configured to move at half the linear speed of the main housing portion with respect to the rack mount portion. 
     
     
         10 . A fiber optic cassette comprising:
 a body defining a front and an opposite rear and an enclosed interior;   a fiber optic signal entry location defined on the body for a fiber optic signal to enter the interior of the cassette via a fiber optic cable;   an adapter block defining a plurality of fiber optic adapters, the adapter block removably mounted to the cassette body with a snap-fit interlock, each adapter of the block including a front outer end, a rear inner end, and internal structures which allow mating of fiber optic connectors that are mounted to the front and rear ends, respectively;   optical fibers terminated with fiber optic connectors extending from the fiber optic signal entry location to the rear inner ends of at least some of the fiber optic adapters of the snap-fit adapter block for relaying the fiber optic signal to fiber optic connectors to be coupled to the front outer ends of the adapters.   
     
     
         11 . The cassette of  claim 10 , wherein the adapters of the adapter block are integrally formed with the block as a unitary piece. 
     
     
         12 . The cassette of  claim 10 , wherein the fiber optic signal entry location is defined by the adapters of the block. 
     
     
         13 . The cassette of  claim 10 , further comprising an optical device within the interior of the cassette configured to process the fiber optic signal entering the cassette at the fiber optic signal entry location. 
     
     
         14 . The cassette of  claim 13 , wherein the optical device includes a fiber optic splitter. 
     
     
         15 . The cassette of  claim 13 , wherein the optical device includes a fiber optic coupler. 
     
     
         16 . The cassette of  claim 13 , wherein the optical device includes a multiplexer/demultiplexer. 
     
     
         17 . The cassette of  claim 10 , further including radius limiters for guiding the optical fibers from the signal entry location to the rear inner ends of the fiber optic adapters. 
     
     
         18 . The cassette of  claim 17 , wherein the radius limiters include removable cable retention fingers. 
     
     
         19 . The cassette of  claim 17 , wherein the radius limiters are defined at least in part by integral portions of the body. 
     
     
         20 . The cassette of  claim 10 , wherein the fiber optic cable carrying the fiber optic signal entering the interior of the cassette includes a jacket, a strength member, and the fibers, wherein the strength member is crimped to a crimp tube and is mounted to the cassette body, allowing the fibers to extend past the crimp tube into the interior of the cassette body. 
     
     
         21 . The cassette of  claim 20 , wherein the cassette body defines curved portions adjacent the crimp tube for providing bend radius protection to the fiber optic cable without the use of a strain relief boot. 
     
     
         22 . The cassette of  claim 10 , wherein the fiber optic cable carrying the fiber optic signal entering the interior of the cassette is terminated by an MPO connector. 
     
     
         23 . The cassette of  claim 10 , wherein the fiber optic adapters of the adapter block are of LC format. 
     
     
         24 . The cassette of  claim 10 , wherein the fiber optic signal entry location is located at the rear of the cassette body opposite to the front. 
     
     
         25 . The cassette of  claim 10 , wherein the cassette body defines a top surface and a bottom surface which define major sides of the cassette body and extend between the front and the rear, wherein the adapters of the adapter block are defined along the front and extend in a longitudinal direction parallel to the major surfaces defined by the top and the bottom of the cassette body. 
     
     
         26 . The cassette of  claim 25 , wherein the fiber optic cable at the signal entry location extends parallel to the longitudinal direction before entry into the cassette body. 
     
     
         27 . The cassette of  claim 10 , wherein the cassette can be utilized in a chassis which includes a stationary mount relative to the chassis, or the cassette can be movably mounted, such as in a variety of sliding movements to allow access to a selected cassette, thereby improving access to connectors mounted to the front outer ends of the adapters of the cassette. 
     
     
         28 . A telecommunications module comprising:
 a fixture;   a fiber optic cassette mounted to the fixture via a first snap-fit interlock structure, the fiber optic cassette including:
 a body defining a front and an opposite rear and an enclosed interior; 
 a fiber optic signal entry location defined on the body for a fiber optic signal to enter the interior of the cassette via a fiber optic cable; 
 an adapter block defining a plurality of fiber optic adapters, the adapter block removably mounted to the cassette body via a second snap-fit interlock structure, each adapter of the block including a front outer end, a rear inner end, and internal structures which allow mating of fiber optic connectors that are mounted to the front and rear ends, respectively; 
 optical fibers terminated with fiber optic connectors extending from the fiber optic signal entry location to the rear inner ends of at least some of the fiber optic adapters of the snap-fit adapter block for relaying the fiber optic signal to fiber optic connectors to be coupled to the front outer ends of the adapters; 
 wherein at least a portion of the first snap-fit interlock structure is defined by the adapter block. 
   
     
     
         29 . A telecommunications module according to  claim 28 , wherein the first snap-fit interlock structure is configured to allow the adapter block to be mounted to the fixture without the remainder of the fiber optic cassette.