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EP-3948379-B1 - FIBER OPTIC TRAY SYSTEMS

EP3948379B1EP 3948379 B1EP3948379 B1EP 3948379B1EP-3948379-B1

Inventors

  • GUZZO, LOU

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20200312

Claims (15)

  1. A fiber optic tray system (11) defining a mutually orthogonal coordinate system having a longitudinal axis, a lateral axis, and a transverse axis, the fiber optic tray system (11) comprising: a tray (12), the tray (12) comprising: a tray body (20), the tray body (20) extending along the longitudinal axis between a front and a rear and extending along the lateral axis between a first side and a second side; a plurality of alignment rails (40), each of the plurality of alignment rails (40) protruding from the tray body (20) along the transverse axis; and a plurality of retainer features (50, 52) disposed at the rear of the tray body (20); and a fiber optic module (60), the fiber optic module (60) comprising an outer housing (62) and at least one retainment feature (74, 76), wherein the at least one retainment feature (74, 76) is interfaced with at least one of the plurality of retainer features (50, 52) to retain the fiber optic module (60) on the tray (12); characterised by the at least one retainment feature (74, 76) extending from a rear (64) of the outer housing (62).
  2. The fiber optic tray system (11) of claim 1, wherein the fiber optic module (60) further comprises at least one alignment channel (70) defined in the outer housing (62), wherein the at least one alignment channel (70) is provided on at least one of the plurality of alignment rails (40) to align the fiber optic module (60) on the tray (12).
  3. The fiber optic tray system (11) of claim 1, wherein the plurality of alignment rails (40) each extend along the longitudinal axis and are spaced apart from each other along the lateral axis.
  4. The fiber optic tray system (11) of claim 1, wherein the tray (12) further comprises a plurality of alignment clips (42).
  5. The fiber optic tray system (11) of claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of alignment clips (42) is aligned with one of the plurality of alignment rails (40) along the longitudinal axis.
  6. The fiber optic tray system (11) of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of retainer features is a retainer clip (50) and the at least one retainment feature is a retainer plug (74).
  7. The fiber optic tray system (11) of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of retainer features is a retainer slot (52) and the at least one retainment feature is a retainer tab (76).
  8. The fiber optic tray system (11) of claim 1, wherein the tray (12) further comprises a first side rail (44) extending along the transverse axis from the tray body (20) at the first side and a second side rail (46) extending along the transverse axis from the tray body (20) at the second side, and wherein the fiber optic module (60) further comprises at least one side protrusion (72) mountable on one of the first side rail (44) or second side rail (46) to align the fiber optic module (60) on the tray (12).
  9. The fiber optic tray system (11) of claim 1, wherein the fiber optic module (60) is adapted to be alignable and retainable by movement of the fiber optic module (60) relative to the tray (12) along the longitudinal axis.
  10. The fiber optic tray system (11) of claim 1, wherein the fiber optic module (60) is a plurality of fiber optic modules (60), each of the plurality of fiber optic modules having a differently-sized outer housing (62) from others of the plurality of fiber optic modules.
  11. The fiber optic tray system (11) of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of fiber optic modules (60) is adapted to be interchangeably alignable and retainable on the tray (12) using one or more of the plurality of alignment rails (40) and one or more of the plurality of retainer features (50, 52).
  12. The fiber optic tray system (11) of claim 1, wherein the fiber optic module (60) is a wavelength division multiplexing module.
  13. The fiber optic tray system (11) of claim 1, wherein the plurality of retainer features is a plurality of retainer clips (50), wherein the at least one retainment feature is a retainer plug (74), and wherein the fiber optic module (60) is adapted to be alignable and retainable by movement of the fiber optic module (60) relative to the tray (12) along the longitudinal axis such that the at least one retainer plug (74) is captured by at least one of the plurality of retainer clips (50) to retain the fiber optic module (60) on the tray (12).
  14. The fiber optic tray system (11) of claim 13, wherein the tray (12) further comprises a plurality of alignment clips (42), and wherein the at least one alignment channel (70) is provided on at least one of the plurality of alignment clips (42) such that the at least one of the plurality of alignment clips (42) contacts the outer housing (62) to align the fiber optic module (60) on the tray (12).
  15. The fiber optic tray system (11) of claim 13, wherein the tray (12) further comprises a plurality of retainer slots (52) defined at the rear of the tray body (20), wherein the fiber optic module (60) further comprises a retainer tab (76), and wherein the retainer tab (76) is inserted into one of the retainer slots (52) to retain the fiber optic module (60) on the tray (12).

Description

PRIORITY STATEMENT The present application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 16/448,699, filed June 21, 2019, and to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 62/827,291, filed April 1, 2019. FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to fiber optic tray systems, and more particularly to trays and modules having modular features which allow for differently-sized modules to be interchangeably aligned and retained on the trays. BACKGROUND Large data centers frequently deploy racks, cabinets, or enclosures which contain components for facilitating data communication, such as fiber optic connection components. For example, such racks, cabinets, or enclosures frequently contain a significant number of fiber optic modules, each of which facilitates multiple fiber optic connections. In many cases, the fiber optic modules are mounted on trays. The trays may be movable relative to the racks, cabinets, or enclosures, and the modules may be movable relative to the trays, to facilitate ease of installation and maintenance of the modules and fiber optic connections therein. Currently known trays and modules utilize various rail systems or other components to retain the modules to the trays. However, a significant limitation of such known designs is that only a single size and shape of module may be utilized with a tray so that the various components of the tray and module fit together to retain the module to the tray. In many cases, it would be desirable to utilize differently-sized fiber optic modules on a tray. For example, it would be desirable to utilize differently-sized modules on the same tray and/or replace a module of one size with a module of a different size. Accordingly, improved trays, modules, and tray systems are desired in the art. WO2011/143537A1 discloses a fiber optic cable management module and panel. BRIEF DESCRIPTION Aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention. The invention provides a fiber optic tray system according to claim 1. Different embodiments are set out in the dependent claims. These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures, in which: FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of an enclosure housing a plurality of trays, each tray containing a plurality of fiber optic modules, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of a tray in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of a fiber optic module in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of another fiber optic module in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of yet another fiber optic module in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;FIG. 6 is a side perspective view of a plurality of fiber optic modules aligned and retained in a tray in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;FIG. 7 is a bottom view of a plurality of fiber optic modules aligned and retained in a tray in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;FIG. 8 is a top perspective view of a plurality of fiber optic modules aligned and retained in a tray in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure; andFIG. 9 is a top perspective view of another plurality of fiber optic modules aligned and retained in a tray in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 9, embodiments of enclosures 10 and fiber optic tray systems 11 in accordance with the present disclosure are utilized. It should be understood that tray systems 11 in accordance with the present disclosure need not necessarily be utilized in enclosures 10, and rather than tray systems 11 may be utilized in racks, cabinets, or another other suitable environment. In particular, tray systems 11 are suitable for use in high density environments, but it should be understood that the application of tray systems 11 in accordance with the present disclosure is not