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 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A panel system comprising:
 a chassis defining an interior accessible through an open front;   a blade mounted to the chassis to move relative to the chassis along a forward-rearward axis between a retracted position and an extended position, the blade being disposed within the chassis when in the retracted position, the blade extending partially through the open front when in the extended position;   a circuit board carried with the blade between the retracted and extended positions, the circuit board including a plurality of pairs of contact pads;   a plurality of optical adapter carried with the blade between the retracted and extended positions; and   a plurality of presence detection sensors carried with a respective one of the optical adapters, each presence detection sensor including a portion configured to contact the circuit board only after being pushed external of the respective one of the optical adapters by a plug connector, each of the presence detection sensors being configured to form a complete circuit when contacting both contact pads of a respective one of the pairs of contact pads.   
     
     
         22 . The panel system of  claim 21 , wherein each of the presence detection sensors includes one or more contact members. 
     
     
         23 . The panel system of  claim 22 , wherein each contact member includes a resilient portion that biases a contact surface out of the optical adapter when engaged by the plug connector. 
     
     
         24 . The panel system of  claim 21 , wherein each of the presence detection sensors includes four contact members. 
     
     
         25 . The panel system of  claim 21 , wherein the optical adapters are held to the blade by a mounting frame defining a plurality of openings at which the optical adapters are disposed. 
     
     
         26 . The panel system of  claim 25 , wherein the mounting frame is a separate piece from the blade. 
     
     
         27 . The panel system of  claim 25 , wherein the plurality of openings includes a first opening spaced from a second opening, and wherein a first group of the optical adapters is mounted at the first opening and a second group of the optical adapters is mounted at the second opening, the first group being stationary relative to the second group. 
     
     
         28 . The panel system of  claim 21 , wherein the chassis defines a pair of channels extending parallel to the forward-rearward axis of the chassis, the blade being slidable along the channels. 
     
     
         29 . The panel system of  claim 28 , wherein the blade carries a latching arrangement that is configured to releasably latch the blade relative to the chassis in the retracted position and in the extended position. 
     
     
         30 . The panel system of  claim 29 , wherein the latching arrangement includes a forward stop member and a rearward stop member biased to extend outwardly from a first side of the blade. 
     
     
         31 . The panel system of  claim 30 , wherein the rearward stop member is a first of a pair of rearward stop members, wherein a second of the pair of rearward stop members extends outwardly from a second side of the blade that is opposite the first side. 
     
     
         32 . The panel system of  claim 30 , wherein the latching arrangement includes a release actuator carried by the blade, the release actuator being configured to move the rearward stop member counter to the bias. 
     
     
         33 . The panel system of  claim 32 , wherein the release actuator moves both the forward and rearward stop member counter to the bias. 
     
     
         34 . The panel system of  claim 32 , wherein the release actuator is moveable along the forward-rearward axis. 
     
     
         35 . The panel system of  claim 32 , wherein the release actuator extends over a handle by which the blade is configured to be pulled out of the chassis. 
     
     
         36 . The panel system of  claim 35 , wherein the handle is located at a center of the blade between the first side and an opposite second side of the blade. 
     
     
         37 . The panel system of  claim 21 , wherein the blade extends along the forward-rearward axis between a front of the blade and a rear of the blade; and wherein the optical adapters are carried at the front of the blade. 
     
     
         38 . The panel system of  claim 37 , further comprising a connection interface carried at the rear of the blade to electrically couple the circuit board to a network. 
     
     
         39 . The panel system of  claim 37 , further comprising a plurality of retention fingers mounted to the front of the blade, each retention finger including a bottom arm, a top arm, and an end that cooperate to define an opening facing transverse to the forward-rearward axis. 
     
     
         40 . The panel system of  claim 37 , wherein the circuit board is a front circuit board disposed at the front of the blade; and wherein the panel system further comprises a rear circuit board disposed at the rear of the blade, the rear circuit board being electrically coupled to the front circuit board.