Prior art

To identify the most relevant prior art for US Patent 10996417, I have reviewed the "Citations" section within the provided full patent text, which lists documents cited by the patent itself. Given the significant number of citations, I have selected five patents published or filed prior to the priority date of US10996417 (August 6, 2007) that appear to be most conceptually aligned with the key features of its independent claims, particularly concerning cable spooling, fiber optic termination, and enclosure design.

Here is an analysis of five relevant prior art documents:

1. US4587801A: System for rotationally slaving an optical fiber feeding and dispensing device in a cabling line

   • Full Citation: US4587801A, "System for rotationally slaving an optical fiber feeding and dispensing device in a cabling line," assigned to Societe Anonyme De Telecommunications.
   • Publication/Filing Date: Published May 13, 1986 (Filed May 30, 1984).
   • Brief Description: This patent describes a system for handling optical fiber during cabling, where an optical fiber feeding device is rotationally slaved to a dispensing device. The core idea is the rotational management and dispensing of optical fiber.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent potentially anticipates the general concept of a rotating spool for dispensing fiber optic cable as described in Claim 1, 13, and 22, specifically the element of the "fiber optic cable being payable from the spool... wherein the spool rotates relative to the enclosure arrangement about an axis of rotation as the second fiber optic cable is paid out from the spool" (Claim 1) or "wherein the spool rotates relative to the housing about an axis of rotation as the fiber optic cable is paid out from the spool" (Claim 13, 22). While it does not appear to disclose an enclosure with a movable cover or a termination module on the spool, the fundamental mechanical concept of controlled rotational payout of optical fiber is present.

2. US4657140A: Fiber optic cable storage device

   • Full Citation: US4657140A, "Fiber optic cable storage device," assigned to The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Air Force.
   • Publication/Filing Date: Published April 14, 1987 (Filed December 18, 1985).
   • Brief Description: This patent details a fiber optic cable storage device designed to store a length of optical fiber. It focuses on safely managing and storing the cable.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This document anticipates the element of a "second fiber optic cable spooled about the spooling portion of the spool" (Claim 1) or "a fiber optic cable coiled about a spooling portion of the spool" (Claim 13, 22). It establishes the concept of a dedicated device for storing fiber optic cable in a spooled configuration, which is a foundational element for the cable payout system in US10996417.

3. US5069523A: Cassette for spare lengths of light waveguides to be used at the site to be spliced

   • Full Citation: US5069523A, "Cassette for spare lengths of light waveguides to be used at the site to be spliced," assigned to Siemens Aktiengesellschaft.
   • Publication/Filing Date: Published December 3, 1991 (Filed December 8, 1988).
   • Brief Description: This patent describes a cassette specifically designed for storing spare lengths of optical fibers (light waveguides) in a protective manner, particularly for splicing applications. It focuses on organized management of slack fiber.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent potentially anticipates elements related to "cable management" and "slack storage" found in dependent claims of US10996417, such as "a cable manager for storing slack cable within the enclosure arrangement at a location separate from the spooling portion of the spool" (Claim 7) or "a cable management structure so that the cable management structure rotates in unison with the cable spool" (Claim 26). While it describes a cassette rather than a large payout spool, the principle of managing excess fiber length in a coiled fashion within a component is present.

4. US5317663A: Optical fiber adapter for telecommunications connections

   • Full Citation: US5317663A, "Optical fiber adapter for telecommunications connections," assigned to Commscope Technologies LLC (originally Siemens Aktiengesellschaft).
   • Publication/Filing Date: Published May 31, 1994 (Filed January 26, 1993).
   • Brief Description: This patent describes a specific design for an optical fiber adapter, such as an SC-type adapter, used for making telecommunications connections. It details the mechanical features of the adapter body and its retaining mechanisms. The patent US10996417 explicitly references this patent for its description of SC-type adapters.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent directly anticipates the specific structure of the "fiber optic adapter" and "fiber optic connector" elements mentioned in Claim 1, 13, and 22 of US10996417, particularly where it describes the adapter receiving a fiber optic connector. For instance, "a fiber optic adapter... including a first connector port for receiving the fiber optic connector and also including an opposite second connector port" (Claim 1). It provides a fundamental component, though not in the context of a rotating spool assembly within an enclosure.

5. US20070025675A1: Fiber optic adapter modules

   • Full Citation: US20070025675A1, "Fiber optic adapter modules," assigned to Commscope Technologies LLC.
   • Publication/Filing Date: Published February 1, 2007 (Filed July 28, 2006).
   • Brief Description: This patent application describes various fiber optic adapter modules, including sliding adapter modules, used to provide optical fiber connections. It focuses on modularity and accessibility of these connections within a larger system. This publication is explicitly referenced in US10996417 for sliding adapter modules.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This publication anticipates the concept of "a termination module" (Abstract and claims of US10996417) and "fiber optic adapter" (Claim 1, 13, 22) in a modular form. It specifically relates to the elements describing the adapter within an enclosure for managing fiber connections. Although it doesn't describe the rotation of these modules with a spool, it establishes the prior art for the adapter module itself, which is a component of the claimed invention.