Optical fiber management tray assemblies with improved fiber routing configurability
Optical fiber management tray assemblies for optical fiber closures. The tray assemblies include features that enable different fiber routing schemes and configurations depending on specific fiber routing needs at a given fiber optic closure. A plurality of inner fiber management trays can pivotally mount to an outer fiber management tray.
1 . An optical fiber management assembly, comprising:
a first fiber management tray including a planar first fiber management surface and a first wall extending away from the first fiber management surface about a portion of a perimeter of the first fiber management surface, the first fiber management tray including a plurality of fiber retainers to retain looped fiber or portions of looped fiber at the first fiber management surface, the first fiber management surface defining a plurality of first mounting structures for mounting fiber management components; and
a plurality of second fiber management trays pivotally mountable to the first mounting structures such that the plurality of second fiber management trays can be pivoted away from and toward the first fiber management surface, each of the second fiber management trays including a planar second fiber management surface and a second wall extending away from the second fiber management surface about a portion of a perimeter of the second fiber management surface, the second fiber management trays including pluralities of fiber retainers to retain looped fiber or portions of looped fiber at the second fiber management surfaces,
wherein the second fiber management surfaces define a plurality of second mounting structures for mounting fiber management components, wherein the first and second mounting structures are of identical construction.
2 . The optical fiber management assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of second fiber management trays are pivotally mounted to the fiber mounting structures, and further comprising:
a fiber management component attached to the second fiber management structures; and
another fiber management component mounted to one or more of the first mounting structures, the another fiber management component being an optical fiber splice holder or an optical fiber splitter holder.
3 . The optical fiber management assembly of claim 1 ,
wherein the first wall is higher than a transverse width of a 12-fiber fiber ribbon that can be spliced at a ribbon fiber splice holder mounted to one of the first mounting structures; and
wherein the second wall is shorter than a transverse width of a 12-fiber fiber ribbon that can be spliced at a ribbon fiber splice holder mounted to one of the first mounting structures.
4 . The optical fiber management assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of adapters, the adapters including first coupling portions configured to connect to the second fiber management trays and second coupling portions configured to connect to the first mounting structures.
5 . The optical fiber management assembly of claim 4 , wherein each adapter body defines a guide channel for guiding a fiber from the first fiber management tray to one of the plurality of second fiber managements tray via the guide channel.
6 . The optical fiber management assembly of claim 1 ,
wherein the first coupling portions include hinge elements configured to pivotally mate with complementary hinge elements of the second fiber management trays; and
wherein the plurality of second trays include flexible tabs positioned to impede disengagement of the hinge elements of the first coupling portions from the hinge elements of the second fiber management trays.
7 . The optical fiber management assembly of claim 1 ,
wherein the first fiber management tray is configurable in a first fiber routing configuration in which at least 192 first pairs of fibers can be spliced to each other at 192 splices held by splice holders mounted directly to the first mounting structures;
wherein the first fiber management tray is configurable in a second fiber routing configuration in which at least 60 second pairs of fibers can be spliced to each other at splices held by splice holders mounted at fiber management surfaces of up to five of the plurality of second fiber management trays, the second fiber management trays being pivotally mounted to the first mounting structures; and
wherein the first fiber management tray is configurable in a third fiber routing configuration in which fewer than 192 of the first pairs of fibers can be spliced to each other at splices held by splice holders mounted directly to the first mounting structures, and fewer than 60 of the second pairs of fibers can be spliced to each other at splices held by splice holders mounted at fiber management surfaces of up to four of the plurality of second fiber management trays.
8 . The optical fiber management assembly of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of second fiber management trays extends along a horizontal axis from a proximal end to a distal end and along a vertical axis from a top to a bottom;
wherein each second fiber management surface faces upward and is configured to support an optical fiber splice holder; and
wherein each of the plurality of second fiber management trays includes a planar upward facing third fiber management surface configured to support a looped fiber, the third fiber management surface being positioned distally from the second fiber management surface along the horizontal axis and lower than the second fiber management surface along the vertical axis.
9 . The optical fiber management assembly of claim 8 , further comprising, for each of the plurality of second fiber management trays:
a vertically extending dividing wall positioned between the second fiber management surface and the third fiber management surface; and
a vertical step at a bottom of the second fiber management tray, the vertical step transitioning the second fiber management surface to the third fiber management surface.
10 . The optical fiber management assembly of claim 9 , wherein, for each of the plurality of second fiber management trays, the second fiber management surface defines a splice region and the third fiber management surface defines a fiber loop storage region, wherein the splice region includes a splice region wall about at least a portion of a perimeter of the second fiber management surface, the splice region wall being vertically shorter than the dividing wall and extending to the same vertical height as the dividing wall.
11 . The optical fiber management assembly of claim 8 , wherein, for each of the plurality of second fiber management trays, the second fiber management surface defines a splice region and the third fiber management surface defines a fiber loop storage region, wherein the splice region includes a plurality of horizontally extending first fiber retaining fingers, wherein the fiber loop storage region defines a plurality of horizontally extending second fiber retaining fingers, and wherein the second fiber retaining fingers are vertically lower than the first fiber retaining fingers.
12 . An optical fiber management assembly, comprising:
a first fiber management tray including a planar first fiber management surface and a first wall extending away from the first fiber management surface about a portion of a perimeter of the first fiber management surface, the first fiber management tray including a plurality of fiber retainers to retain looped fiber or portions of looped fiber at the first fiber management surface, the first fiber management surface defining a plurality of first mounting structures for mounting fiber management components; and
a plurality of second fiber management trays pivotally mountable to the first mounting structures such that the plurality of second fiber management trays can be pivoted away from and toward the first fiber management surface, each of the second fiber management trays including a planar second fiber management surface and a second wall extending away from the second fiber management surface about a portion of a perimeter of the second fiber management surface, the second fiber management trays including pluralities of fiber retainers to retain looped fiber or portions of looped fiber at the second fiber management surfaces,
wherein the plurality of second fiber management trays are pivotally mounted to the first fiber mounting structures;
wherein when the second fiber management trays are in pivoted down positions, adjacent pairs of the second fiber management trays overlap each other;
wherein the plurality of second fiber management trays are pivotally mounted to the first fiber mounting structures; and
wherein when the second fiber management trays are in pivoted down positions, one of the second fiber management trays of each of the adjacent pairs nests within a portion of the other of the trays of the pair.
13 . An optical fiber management assembly, comprising:
a first fiber management tray including a planar first fiber management surface and a first wall extending away from the first fiber management surface about a portion of a perimeter of the first fiber management surface, the first fiber management tray including a plurality of fiber retainers to retain looped fiber or portions of looped fiber at the first fiber management surface, the first fiber management surface defining a plurality of first mounting structures for mounting fiber management components; and
a plurality of second fiber management trays pivotally mountable to the first mounting structures such that the plurality of second fiber management trays can be pivoted away from and toward the first fiber management surface, each of the second fiber management trays including a planar second fiber management surface and a second wall extending away from the second fiber management surface about a portion of a perimeter of the second fiber management surface, the second fiber management trays including pluralities of fiber retainers to retain looped fiber or portions of looped fiber at the second fiber management surfaces,
wherein bottoms of the second fiber management trays facing away from the second fiber management surfaces include stepped portions.
14 . An optical fiber management assembly, comprising:
a first fiber management tray including a planar first fiber management surface and a first wall extending away from the first fiber management surface about a portion of a perimeter of the first fiber management surface, the first fiber management tray including a plurality of fiber retainers to retain looped fiber or portions of looped fiber at the first fiber management surface, the first fiber management surface defining a plurality of first mounting structures for mounting fiber management components; and
a plurality of second fiber management trays pivotally mountable to the first mounting structures such that the plurality of second fiber management trays can be pivoted away from and toward the first fiber management surface, each of the second fiber management trays including a planar second fiber management surface and a second wall extending away from the second fiber management surface about a portion of a perimeter of the second fiber management surface, the second fiber management trays including pluralities of fiber retainers to retain looped fiber or portions of looped fiber at the second fiber management surfaces,
wherein the first mounting structures each include a cantilever portion and a slide-to-lock-portion, the cantilever portion being positioned to inhibit a slide-to-unlock movement of a fiber management component mounted to the first mounting structure.
15 . An optical fiber management assembly, comprising:
a first fiber management tray including a planar first fiber management surface and a first wall extending away from the first fiber management surface about a portion of a perimeter of the first fiber management surface, the first fiber management tray including a plurality of fiber retainers to retain looped fiber or portions of looped fiber at the first fiber management surface, the first fiber management surface defining a plurality of first mounting structures for mounting fiber management components; and
a plurality of second fiber management trays pivotally mountable to the first mounting structures such that the plurality of second fiber management trays can be pivoted away from and toward the first fiber management surface, each of the second fiber management trays including a planar second fiber management surface and a second wall extending away from the second fiber management surface about a portion of a perimeter of the second fiber management surface, the second fiber management trays including pluralities of fiber retainers to retain looped fiber or portions of looped fiber at the second fiber management surfaces,
wherein the first fiber management tray is configured to pivotally mount to a tray support positioned within a sealable and re-enterable fiber optic closure.