Mounting assembly for fiber optic equipment

#The technology of the disclosure relates to a fiber optic apparatus, and more particularly to a mounting assembly for mounting fiber optic equipment to a cable tray.

#Benefits of optical fiber use include extremely wide bandwidth and low noise operation. Because of these advantages, optical fiber is increasingly being used for a variety of applications, including but not limited to broadband voice, video, and data transmission. Fiber optic networks employing optical fiber are being developed and used to deliver voice, video, and data transmissions to subscribers over both private and public networks. These fiber optic networks often include separated connection points at which it is necessary to link optical fibers in order to provide “live fiber” from one connection point to another connection point. In this regard, fiber optic equipment is located in data centers or central offices to support such interconnections.

#The fiber optic equipment is typically located and mounted in equipment racks. Fiber optic cables, particularly fiber optic cables containing multiple optical fibers, route to and between the equipment racks to allow for such interconnections to the equipment mounted in the particular equipment rack. The fiber optic cables may route to and between the equipment racks in cable trays or raceways mounted overhead or in a sub-floor beneath a raised floor of the data center or central office.

#FIG. 1 is a top, perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a mounting assembly mounting 4 U-size fiber optic equipment to a wire mesh cable tray;

#FIG. 2 is a top, perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the mounting assembly of FIG. 1 mounting 1 U-size fiber optic equipment to a wire mesh cable tray;

#FIGS. 3A and 3B are detail, perspective views of a support frame front side and support frame back side, respectively, for use in a mounting assembly of FIGS. 1 and 2;

#Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments are shown. Indeed, the embodiments may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Whenever possible, like reference numbers will be used to refer to like components or parts.

#To optimize space management in a central office or data center, it is desirable to develop ways in which some fiber optic equipment or components may be located, positioned, and/or mounted in the data center or central office so as not to occupy any equipment rack space. Typically in such case, such equipment or component may be referred to as being “zero-U,” which means that they take up zero or no units of space in the equipment rack. Further space management optimization may be accomplished by locating or mounting the zero-U equipment or components in a manner to utilize already existing structures in the data center or central office. In this way, those existing structures may thereby be transformed into multiple-use structures.

#One such existing structure is the cable tray or raceway. Fiber optic cables which route to or between the equipment racks are typically routed using a cable tray or raceway. As used in this document, the term “cable tray” shall be understood to mean, without limitation, any wire tray, raceway, passageway, ladder, ladder rack, channel, mesh, basket and/or any other structure, system or means used to support, organize, and/or distribute fiber optic cables or optical fibers between locations. The cable tray may be at least partially located above the fiber optic equipment rack in an overhead installation or orientation in the data center or central office. Additionally or alternatively, the cable tray may be at least partially located below the fiber optic equipment rack, which may be in a space under the floor of the data center or central office, for example in a sub-floor. As used herein, the term “fiber optic equipment rack” shall mean, without limitation, any structure in which or on which fiber optic equipment, components, or hardware are located and/or mounted, other than a cable tray.