Device and method for storing slack fiber

An assembly comprising:

• an enclosure;
• and
• a device for storing fiber slack,
• said device having a pair of spool portions on opposite sides of said device, each spool portion shaped so that fiber slack can be wound back and forth between the two spool portions,
• said device being pivotally mounted within the enclosure, so that the pair of spool portions can be accessed by pivoting the device about a pivot axis,
• said device having a first top channel extending between a top of a first one of the pair of spool portions and a top of a second one of the pair of spool portions, and a second bottom channel extending between a bottom of the first one of the pair of spool portions and a bottom of the second one of the pair of spool portions,
• wherein the pair of spool portions and the first and second channels form an elongated spool for storing fiber, the elongated spool extending around a first side face, and a second side face and wherein the elongated spool wraps around a first end of the device between the first and second side faces, without extending around a second end face that is opposite the first end face and between the first and second side faces and the elongated spool wraps partially around the pivot axis without completely enclosing the pivot axis within the elongated spool.

A method for storing slack fiber, comprising the steps of:

• (a) alternately pivoting a storage device around a pivot axis in opposite directions during slack fiber storage, between:
• (1) a first position in which a first spool portion on a first side face of the storage device can be accessed, and
• (2) a second position in which a second spool portion on a second side face of the storage device opposite the first side face can be accessed;
• (b) winding the fiber around the first spool portion while the first spool portion can be accessed;
• (c) winding the fiber around a front end of the storage device between the first and second side faces;
• and
• (d) winding the fiber around the second spool portion while the second spool portion can be accessed so the fiber partially wraps around the pivot axis without completely enclosing the pivot axis,
• wherein steps (a), (b), (c) and (d) are performed during slack fiber storage without winding the fiber around a back end of the storage device that is between the first and second side faces and opposite the front end and without completely enclosing the pivot axis within the wound fiber.