Fiber optic cassette system with reversible cassettes
A reversible fiber optic cassette for mounting with other like cassettes in a rack comprising a cassette receiving tray, the tray comprising a plurality of cassette engaging features on an upper surface is disclosed. The cassette comprises N duplex pairs of optic fiber receptacles arranged along a front thereof, a multifiber receptacle on a back thereof and 2*N optic fiber segments each between a respective one of the optic fiber receptacles and the multifiber receptacle, N discrete port identifiers on a first surface thereof and N discrete port identifiers on a second surface opposite the first surface. The first set of N identifiers is the same as the second set of N identifiers and for M between 1 to N, an M th port identifier of the first set and an (N-M+1) th port identifier of the second set is adjacent an M th one of the duplex pairs of optic fiber receptacles.
1. A fiber optic cassette system comprising:
a case comprising a tray slideably received within a tray receiving space for movement between a stored position and an accessible position;
a plurality of substantially flat rectangular fiber optic cassettes each comprising a housing comprising a top surface and a bottom surface and arrangeable horizontally in parallel side by side along a front end of said tray in one of a first position wherein said bottom surface is secured to said tray and a second position wherein said top surface is secured to said tray and such that when arranged on said tray in either said first position or said second position a forward portion of said housing of each of said cassettes extends in front of said tray, each of said cassettes further comprising an even plurality of N duplex pairs of optic fiber receptacles arranged along a front thereof, a multifiber receptacle on a back thereof and 2*N optic fiber segments each between a respective one of said optic fiber receptacles and said multifiber receptacle, a first set of N discrete port identifiers on said top surface and visible from above when said cassette is in said first position, each of said first set of port identifiers adjacent and identifying respective ones of said duplex pairs of optic fiber receptacles, and a second set of N discrete port identifiers on said bottom surface and visible from above when said cassette is in said second position, each of said second set of N port identifiers adjacent and identifying respective ones of said pairs of optic fiber receptacles wherein said first set of N identifiers is the same as said second set of N identifiers and wherein for M between 1 to N, an M th port identifier of said first set and an (N-M+1) th port identifier of said second set is adjacent an M th one of said duplex pairs of optic fiber receptacles.
2. The fiber optic cassette system of claim 1 , wherein each of said cassettes comprises an engagement for securing a selected one of said top surface and said bottom surface to said tray, said engagement comprising a first engaging part on said tray, a second engaging part on said top surface and a third engaging part on said bottom surface.
3. The fiber optic cassette system of claim 2 , wherein said first engaging part comprises at least one slot, said second engaging part comprises at least one first flexible hooked tab and said third engaging part comprises at least one second flexible hooked tab and further wherein when in said first position, said second flexible hooked tab is engaged in said slot and when in said second position, said first flexible hooked tab is engaged in said slot.
4. The fiber optic cassette system of claim 2 , wherein said tray comprises a raised shoulder comprising said second engaging part along a forward edge thereof, each of said cassette housing comprises a forward portion adjacent a shoulder receiving channel portion comprising said first engaging part and further wherein, when installed on said tray, said first engaging part extends no farther than a plane defined by a bottom surface of said forward portion.
5. The fiber optic cassette system of claim 1 , wherein said case comprises a top wall and a bottom wall and two opposed side walls, each of said sidewalls attached between respective side edges of said top and bottom wall, said walls together defining said tray receiving space there between and a forward edge of each said wall together defining an opening to said tray receiving space.
6. The fiber optic cassette system of claim 5 , wherein in said stored position said cassettes are completely inside said tray receiving space and in said accessible position said toward portions of said cassettes are positioned in front of said opening and outside of said tray receiving space.
7. The fiber optic cassette system of claim 1 , wherein said system is for mounting in a rack and further comprising a pair of mounting brackets, one of said brackets attached to each of said sidewalls on either side of an outside of said case, said mounting brackets for securing said case to the rack.
8. The fiber optic cassette system of claim 1 , wherein each cassette is immediately adjacent at least one other cassette.