Telecommunications chassis

Abstract

A fiber optic system includes a telecommunications chassis defining a front and a rear, a plurality of blades slidably mounted to the chassis, the blades slidable in a direction extending from the front to the rear, and a plurality of fiber optic cassettes removably mounted to each blade. Each fiber optic cassette includes a housing defining a maximum cassette height, the housing formed by a base and a cover mounted thereon. Each cassette defines fiber optic connection locations. The base of each cassette defines a notched area for receiving a portion of the blade on which the cassette is mounted such that the blade does not increase the overall maximum height defined by the housing.

1 . A fiber optic telecommunications system comprising:
 a telecommunications chassis defining a front and a rear;   a plurality of blades slidably mounted to the chassis, the blades slidable in a direction extending from the front to the rear; and   a plurality of fiber optic cassettes removably mounted to each blade, each fiber optic cassette including a housing defining a maximum cassette height, the housing formed by a base and a cover mounted thereon, each cassette defining fiber optic connection locations;   wherein the base of each cassette defines a notched area for receiving a portion of the blade on which the cassette is mounted such that the blade does not increase the overall maximum height defined by the housing.   
     
     
         2 . A fiber optic telecommunications system according to  claim 1 , wherein each blade includes at least one cable manager removably mounted between two cassettes. 
     
     
         3 . A fiber optic telecommunications system according to  claim 2 , wherein the cable manager defines a profile that tapers from wider cable management end portions to a thinner middle portion. 
     
     
         4 . A fiber optic telecommunications system according to  claim 3 , wherein each of the cable managers defines alignment tabs that are configured to abut portions of the cable manager thereabove to keep the cable managers vertically aligned. 
     
     
         5 . A fiber optic telecommunications system according to  claim 1 , wherein each cassette includes a housing defining a front side and an opposite rear side;
 a cable entry location defined on the housing for a cable to enter the cassette, wherein a plurality of optical fibers from the cable extend into the cassette and form terminations at non-conventional connectors adjacent the front side of the housing; and   a flexible substrate positioned between the cable entry location and the non-conventional connectors adjacent the front of the housing, the flexible substrate rigidly supporting the plurality of optical fibers;   wherein each of the non-conventional connectors adjacent the front side of the housing includes a ferrule, a ferrule hub supporting the ferrule, and a split sleeve surrounding the ferrule.   
     
     
         6 . A fiber optic telecommunications system according to  claim 5 , wherein the cassette includes twelve non-conventional connectors adjacent the front side of the housing. 
     
     
         7 . A fiber optic telecommunications system according to  claim 6 , wherein the cassette defines a plurality of adapters adjacent the front side of the housing for receiving incoming fiber optic connectors that mate with the non-conventional connectors that are adjacent the front side of the housing. 
     
     
         8 . A fiber optic telecommunications system according to  claim 7 , wherein the adapters are configured to receive incoming fiber optic connectors that are of the LC format. 
     
     
         9 . A fiber optic telecommunications system according to  claim 5 , wherein the cable entry location is defined by a multi-fiber connector. 
     
     
         10 . A fiber optic telecommunications system according to  claim 5 , wherein at least a portion of the flexible substrate is physically inserted into at least a portion of each ferrule hub. 
     
     
         11 . A fiber optic telecommunications system according to  claim 5 , wherein the cassette includes at least two flexible substrates in a vertically stacked arrangement, each flexible substrate rigidly supporting a plurality of optical fibers. 
     
     
         12 . A fiber optic telecommunications system according to  claim 9 , wherein the non-conventional connectors adjacent the front of the housing are also multi-fiber connectors. 
     
     
         13 . A fiber optic telecommunications system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a flexible cable manager that extends from the rear of the chassis to the fiber optic cassettes for managing optical cables leading to the cassettes, the flexible cable manager configured such that when the blades are slid forwardly or rearwardly, minimum bend radius requirements are met for the optical cables. 
     
     
         14 .- 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . A fiber optic telecommunications system comprising:
 a telecommunications chassis defining a front and a rear;   a plurality of blades slidably mounted to the chassis, the blades stacked vertically and slidable in a direction extending from the front to the rear; and   at least one fiber optic cassette removably mounted to each blade, wherein a portion of a first fiber optic cassette mounted on a first blade abuts a portion of a second fiber optic cassette mounted on a second blade positioned directly above the first blade.   
     
     
         28 . A fiber optic telecommunications system according to  claim 27 , wherein each of the first and second cassettes includes a housing defining a front side and a rear side, a plurality of fiber optic connection locations defined by adapter ports positioned on the front side of the housing and a cable entry location defined on the housing for a cable to enter the cassette for providing an optical signal leading to the adapter ports at the front side of the housing, wherein the portions of the first and second cassettes that abut each other are adjacent the adapter ports. 
     
     
         29 . A fiber optic cassette comprising:
 a housing defining a front side, an opposite rear side, a top, a bottom, and a maximum cassette height defined between the top and the bottom;   a cable entry location defined on the housing for a cable to enter the cassette, wherein a plurality of optical fibers from the cable extend into the cassette and form terminations at non-conventional connectors adjacent the front side of the housing;   a flexible substrate positioned between the cable entry location and the non-conventional connectors adjacent the front of the housing, the flexible substrate rigidly supporting the plurality of optical fibers;   a notched area defined by the bottom for receiving a portion of a telecommunications fixture when the cassette is mounted to the fixture; and   a flexible tab protruding from the cassette, the flexible tab configured to removably mount the cassette to the telecommunications fixture with a snap-fit interlock, the flexible tab positioned within the notched area so as to lie within the maximum cassette height defined between the top and the bottom of the cassette.   
     
     
         30 . A fiber optic cassette according to  claim 29 , wherein each of the non-conventional connectors adjacent the front side of the housing includes a ferrule, a ferrule hub supporting the ferrule, and a split sleeve surrounding the ferrule. 
     
     
         31 . A fiber optic cassette according to  claim 29 , wherein the cassette is configured to be slidably mounted to the telecommunications fixture. 
     
     
         32 . A fiber optic cassette according to  claim 29 , wherein the cassette includes twelve non-conventional connectors adjacent the front side of the housing. 
     
     
         33 . A fiber optic cassette according to  claim 29 , wherein the cassette defines a plurality of adapters adjacent the front side of the housing for receiving incoming fiber optic connectors that mate with the non-conventional connectors that are adjacent the front side of the housing. 
     
     
         34 . A fiber optic cassette according to  claim 33 , wherein the adapters are configured to receive incoming fiber optic connectors that are of the LC format. 
     
     
         35 . A fiber optic cassette according to  claim 29 , wherein the cable entry location is defined by a multi-fiber connector. 
     
     
         36 . A telecommunications blade for mounting optical equipment to a telecommunications chassis, the telecommunications blade comprising:
 a generally thin-profile, planar body defining front end, a rear end, a right side, and a left side;   slide portions defined at each of the right and left sides for slidably mounting the blade to the telecommunications chassis; and   a plurality of first mounting locations for mounting optical equipment to the blade and a plurality of second mounting locations positioned between the first mounting locations for mounting cable management structures to the blade;   wherein the blade is configured such that when receiving optical equipment for mounting, the generally thin-profile body is configured to fit within a portion of the optical equipment such that the blade body does not add to the maximum overall height of the optical equipment.   
     
     
         37 . A telecommunications blade according to  claim 36 , wherein the first and second mounting locations are defined by outwardly extending tabs. 
     
     
         38 . A fiber optic telecommunications system comprising:
 a telecommunications chassis defining a right side and a left side and a plurality of mounting slots at each of the right and left sides;   at least one telecommunications blade slidably mounted to the chassis, the telecommunications blade configured for mounting optical equipment to the chassis, the telecommunications blade further comprising:
 a generally thin-profile, planar body defining front end, a rear end, a right side, and a left side; 
 slide portions defined at each of the right and left sides for insertion into mounting slots of the chassis for mounting the blade to the chassis; and 
 a plurality of first mounting locations for mounting optical equipment to the blade and a plurality of second mounting locations positioned between the first mounting locations for mounting cable management structures to the blade; 
   wherein the blade is configured such that when receiving optical equipment for mounting, the generally thin-profile body is configured to fit within a portion of the optical equipment such that the blade body does not add to the maximum overall height of the optical equipment.   
     
     
         39 . A fiber optic telecommunications system according to  claim 38 , wherein the chassis is configured to fit within a standard 19-inch telecommunications rack. 
     
     
         40 . A fiber optic telecommunications system according to  claim 39 , wherein the chassis is configured to receive at least four telecommunications blades within one standard unit of rack space (1RU). 
     
     
         41 . (canceled) 
     
     
         42 . (canceled) 
     
     
         43 . (canceled) 
     
     
         44 . (canceled) 
     
     
         45 . A fiber optic telecommunications system according to  claim 38 , further comprising a cable manager configured for managing cables directed into and out of the telecommunications chassis, the cable manager including a fixed portion that is fixedly mounted to the chassis and a slidable portion that is configured to linearly slide with respect to the fixed portion, wherein when the slidable portion is latched with respect to the fixed portion, the cable manager forms a complete ring for retaining the cables and when the slidable portion has been unlatched from the fixed portion and linearly moved with respect thereto, the cable manager forms a split-ring for allowing removal of the cables. 
     
     
         46 . A fiber optic telecommunications system according to  claim 45 , wherein the slidable portion is latched to the fixed portion via a snap-fit interlock formed by elastically flexible structures. 
     
     
         47 .- 54 . (canceled)