Communications bladed panel systems

Abstract

A fiber panel system includes a chassis and at least blades configured to mount to the chassis. Each blade is moveable relative to the chassis between a retracted (closed) position and at least one extended position. Cable slack is managed at the front and/or rear of each chassis to facilitate movement of the blades without pulling or bending the cables beyond a maximum bend limit. Each blade may be locked into one or more positions relative to the chassis.

1 . A bladed panel system comprising:
 a chassis defining an interior accessible through an open front and accessible through an open rear, the chassis having opposite first and second sidewalls extending between the open front and the open rear, the sidewalls including channel members;   a blade extending between opposite first and second sides that engage the channel members of the chassis, the blade being slidable within the channel members along a front-to-rear axis that extends between the open front and the open rear of the chassis to insert the blade into and to remove the blade from the interior of the chassis, the blade being insertable into and removable from the interior of the chassis through the open front and through the open rear at a discretion of a user, the blade including a base that carries a plurality of optical adapters, the base of the blade being slidable relative to the chassis along the front-to-rear axis between at least first and second discrete positions, the second discrete position being located forwardly of the first discrete position relative to the chassis, the base of the blade being disposed within the interior of the chassis when in the first position, the optical adapters defining front ports facing the open front of the chassis when the blade is disposed in the first position; and   a management arrangement disposed at the open rear of the chassis, the management arrangement including a bottom wall extending rearwardly from the open rear and management sidewalls extending rearwardly upwardly from the bottom wall, the management arrangement defining side ports that face transverse to the front-to-rear axis.   
     
     
         2 . The bladed panel system of  claim 1 , further comprising a retention arrangement including a first retention portion disposed at the first sidewall of the chassis and a second retention portion carried by the base of the blade, wherein interaction between the first retention portion and the second retention portion retains the blade at the first discrete position. 
     
     
         3 . The bladed panel system of  claim 2 , wherein the first retention portion is a forward stop member and the second retention portion is an engagement member carried by the blade. 
     
     
         4 . The bladed panel system of  claim 3 , wherein the forward stop member includes a ramped structure disposed at an inner surface of the first sidewall and the engagement member includes a tab extending laterally outwardly from the blade. 
     
     
         5 . The bladed panel system of  claim 2 , wherein the retention arrangement also includes a third retention portion disposed at the first sidewall of the chassis, wherein interaction between the second retention portion and the third retention portion retains the blade at the second discrete position. 
     
     
         6 . The bladed panel system of  claim 5 , wherein the third retention portion is a rearward stop member and the second retention portion is an engagement member carried by the blade. 
     
     
         7 . The bladed panel system of  claim 6 , wherein the rearward stop member includes a ramped structure disposed at an inner surface of the first sidewall and the engagement member includes a tab extending laterally outwardly from the blade. 
     
     
         8 . The bladed panel system of  claim 1 , wherein the optical adapters are configured to optically couple first fibers received at the front ports to second fibers extending through the side ports of the management arrangement. 
     
     
         9 . The bladed panel system of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom wall of the management arrangement aligns with a bottom wall of the chassis. 
     
     
         10 . The bladed panel system of  claim 1 , wherein the management sidewalls of the management arrangement align with the first and second sidewalls of the chassis. 
     
     
         11 . The bladed panel system of  claim 1 , wherein the first sidewall includes a forward stop member disposed at the open front and a rearward stop member disposed at the open rear, the forward stop member preventing unintentional sliding of the blade through the open front of the chassis, the rearward stop member preventing unintentional sliding of the blade through the open rear of the chassis. 
     
     
         12 . The bladed panel system of  claim 1 , wherein the chassis is sized to fit a plurality of blades. 
     
     
         13 . The bladed panel system of  claim 12 , further comprising a plurality of blades mountable to the chassis to enable sliding of the blades along the front-to-rear axis. 
     
     
         14 . The bladed panel system of  claim 13 , wherein the first sidewall includes a plurality of forward stop members disposed at the open front and a plurality of rearward stop members disposed at the open rear, each of the rearward stop members aligned with one of the forward stop members, each forward stop member preventing unintentional sliding of a respective one of the blades through the open front of the chassis, each rearward stop member preventing unintentional sliding of a corresponding one of the blades through the open rear of the chassis. 
     
     
         15 . The bladed panel system of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of retention fingers carried by and extending forwardly from the blade. 
     
     
         16 . The bladed panel system of  claim 1 , wherein the channel members of the first sidewall each include mounting pegs that fit into apertures defined in the first sidewall of the chassis. 
     
     
         17 . The bladed panel system of  claim 1 , wherein the side ports of the management arrangement include seals. 
     
     
         18 . The bladed panel system of  claim 17 , wherein the side ports of the management arrangement include a first port and a second port at each management sidewall, the first port being located above the second port. 
     
     
         19 . The bladed panel system of  claim 1 , wherein the side ports of the management arrangement include a first port and a second port at each management sidewall, the first port being located above the second port. 
     
     
         20 . The bladed panel system of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom wall of the management arrangement includes a rear lip.