Fiber drop terminal

• US 10,042,136 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2017
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Reagan, Randy, Gniadek, Jeffrey, Noonan, Michael, Baren-Boym, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): LEPISTO, RYAN A
• Application Number:
  US15/443,810
• Publication Number:
  US 20170168256A1
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3885 Multicore or multichannel optical connectors, i.e. one single ferrule containing more than one fibre, e.g. ribbon type optical ribbon cable G02B6/4403, G02B6/448
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3897 Connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards G02B6/44528 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4441 Boxes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4442 Cap coupling boxes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4444 Seals
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4446 Cable boxes, e.g. splicing boxes with two or more multi fibre cables
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4457 Bobbins; Reels
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/475 Mechanical aspects of installing cables in ducts or the like for buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25891 Transmission components H04B10/40 takes precedence

Abstract

A drop terminal mounting system includes a fiber drop terminal having a housing and a base attached to the housing. The housing includes an outer surface containing a plurality of receptacles and cooperatively defines an inner cavity with the base. The drop terminal mounting system further includes a bracket having a first fastening region and a second fastening region adapted to secure the drop terminal to the bracket.

Claims

1. A fiber drop terminal comprising:

a cylindrical enclosure extending along a centerline from a first end to a second end, wherein the cylindrical enclosure includes a first housing piece and a second housing piece, the second housing piece defining the second end of the cylindrical enclosure, the first housing piece extending further along the centerline than the second housing piece, wherein a weather tight seal is formed when the first and second housing pieces are coupled together;

an input receptacle disposed at the first end, the input receptacle being configured to receive a multi-fiber connector;

a plurality of output receptacles disposed at the first housing piece, the output receptacles being disposed about the centerline, the output receptacles facing at least partially towards the first end of the cylindrical enclosure, each of the output receptacles being configured to receive a single-fiber connector;

a plurality of fibers routed from the input receptacle to the output receptacles, the fibers being environmentally protected, wherein excess length of the fibers is stored at the second end of the cylindrical enclosure.

2. The fiber drop terminal of claim 1, wherein the excess length of the optical fibers are wound in coils at the second end.

3. The fiber drop terminal of claim 1, wherein retaining hooks retain the excess length of the optical fibers in a desired orientation.

4. The fiber drop terminal of claim 1, wherein the second end includes a storage end cap.

5. The fiber drop terminal of claim 1, further comprising a weather tight seal disposed between sections of the cylindrical enclosure.

6. The fiber drop terminal of claim 5, wherein the weather tight seal is an o-ring.

7. The fiber drop terminal of claim 1, wherein the output receptacles are separated by a common spacing.

8. The fiber drop terminal of claim 1, wherein the output receptacles include a first plurality of output receptacles offset from a second plurality of output receptacles, wherein the second plurality of output receptacles are disposed further from the first end than the first plurality of output receptacles.

9. The fiber drop terminal of claim 1, wherein the cylindrical enclosure includes a plurality of sections, each section including a plurality of output receptacles, the sections being mateable.

10. The fiber drop terminal of claim 1, wherein each output receptacle is disposed in a receptacle pocket.

11. A fiber drop terminal comprising:

a cylindrical enclosure extending along a centerline from a first end to a second end, wherein the cylindrical enclosure includes a first housing piece and a second housing piece, the first housing piece extending further along the centerline than the second housing piece, the second housing piece defining the second end of the cylindrical enclosure, wherein a weather tight seal is formed when the first and second housing pieces are coupled together;

an input receptacle disposed along the centerline at the first end, the input receptacle being configured to receive a fiber optic connector terminating an input cable;

a plurality of output receptacles disposed at the first housing piece, the output receptacles being radially offset from the centerline and circumferentially spaced about the centerline, the output receptacles facing at least partially towards the first end of the cylindrical enclosure, each of the output receptacles being configured to receive a fiber optic connector terminating an output cable;

a plurality of fibers routed from the input receptacle to the output receptacles, the fibers being environmentally protected, wherein excess length of the fibers is stored at the second end of the cylindrical enclosure by winding the excess length in coils.

12. The fiber drop terminal of claim 11, further comprising a splitter disposed within the cylindrical enclosure.

13. The fiber drop terminal of claim 11, wherein the input cable includes a multi-fiber cable.

14. The fiber drop terminal of claim 11, wherein retaining hooks retain the excess length of the optical fibers in a desired orientation.

15. The fiber drop terminal of claim 11, wherein the output receptacles are separated by a common spacing.

16. A fiber drop terminal comprising:

an enclosure having an annular periphery centered about a longitudinal axis that extends between first and second ends of the enclosure, the enclosure defining an interior that is environmentally sealed from an exterior of the enclosure, the enclosure including a first housing piece and a second housing piece sealingly coupled together, the second housing piece defining the second end of the enclosure, each of the first and second housing pieces having a length extending along the longitudinal axis, the first housing piece having a longer length than the second housing piece;

an input port disposed along the longitudinal axis at the first end of the enclosure; and

a plurality of output ports disposed at the first housing piece, the output ports being radially offset from the longitudinal axis and circumferentially spaced about the longitudinal axis, the output ports facing at least partially towards the first end of the enclosure.

17. The fiber drop terminal of claim 16, further comprising a plurality of fibers routed within the enclosure from the input port to the output ports, the fibers being environmentally protected within the enclosure.

18. The fiber drop terminal of claim 17, wherein excess length of the fibers is stored in coils towards the second end of the enclosure.

19. The fiber drop terminal of claim 17, wherein fiber guides retain the excess length of the fibers.