Fiber termination enclosure with modular plate assemblies

• US 10,371,914 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2018
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Coan, Jonathan Walter, Krampotich, Dennis, Kaml, Jonathan R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stahl, Michael
• Application Number:
  US15/875,756
• Publication Number:
  US 20180143386A1
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 6/445 with lateral pivoting cover
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4452 Distribution frames
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4457 Bobbins; Reels
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4471 Terminating devices demountable connectors G02B6/3807; Cable clamps
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4479 Manufacturing methods of optical cables
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/08 Distribution boxes; Connection or junction boxes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

Certain types of fiber termination enclosures include an enclosure and at least one of a plurality of plate module mounting assemblies. Example plate module mounting assemblies include a termination panel plate assembly; a splice tray plate assembly; a cable spool plate assembly; and a drop-in plate assembly. Example cable spool plate assemblies include a cable spool arrangement rotationally coupled to a mounting plate, which fixedly mounts within the enclosure housing. A stand-off mount element may be disposed on the front of the cable spool arrangement to rotate in unison with the cable spool arrangement. The stand-off mount element may include one or more termination adapters.

Claims

1. An enclosure system comprising:

a housing having opposite sidewalls extending between a top and a bottom and between a rear wall and a front to define an interior, the front of the housing defining a front opening providing access to the interior, the bottom of the housing defining an aperture;

a plurality of subassemblies configured to be selectively and interchangeably mounted to the rear wall within the housing interior through the front opening, the plurality of subassemblies including;

a first subassembly including a rotatable spool that rotates relative to the housing when mounted therein to allow a cable to be paid off from the spool, the first subassembly further including a mounting plate that carries the rotatable spool, the mounting plate mounting to the rear wall of the housing, the first subassembly also including a fiber optic connector terminating one end of the cable, the fiber optic connector rotating with the spool when the cable is paid off; and

a second subassembly including cable splice mounts and a row of fiber optic adapters; and

a cable port module disposed at the aperture in the bottom of the housing, the cable port module including a plate defining a cable port extending therethrough, the plate covering the aperture when mounted to the bottom of the housing.

2. The enclosure system of claim 1, wherein the cable port module includes a plurality of cable ports extending through the plate.

3. The enclosure system of claim 1, wherein the bottom of the housing defines a plurality of apertures;

and wherein the cable port module is one of a plurality of cable port modules, each cable port module including a respective plate sized to cover one of the apertures, each of the plates defining at least one cable port extending through the respective plate.

4. The enclosure system of claim 1, wherein the cable port module is one type of a plurality of cable port module types that can be selected to interchangeably mount at the bottom of the housing to cover the aperture, each of the cable port module types having a different configuration of cable ports from others of the cable port module types.

5. The enclosure system of claim 1, wherein the fiber optic connector is a first fiber optic connector;

wherein a second fiber optic connector terminates an opposite end of the cable from the first fiber optic connector; and

wherein the second fiber optic connector is external of the housing.

6. The enclosure system of claim 1, wherein the first subassembly includes a second row of fiber optic adapters.

7. The enclosure system of claim 6, wherein each of the fiber optic adapters on the first subassembly defines first and second aligned ports, wherein insertion axes of the first and second ports extend perpendicular to a rotation axis of the spool.

8. The enclosure system of claim 6, wherein the adapters on the first subassembly are carried by the spool so that the adapters rotate with the spool relative to the housing when the cable is paid off.

9. The enclosure system of claim 1, wherein the fiber optic connector is fixed in a position relative to the spool so that the connector does not move relative to the spool when the cable is paid off the spool.

10. The enclosure system of claim 1, wherein the spool extends across a majority of a width of the mounting plate.

11. The enclosure system of claim 1, wherein the spool of the first subassembly includes a manual lock.

12. The enclosure system of claim 1, wherein the cable is a multi-fiber cable;

and wherein a fanout is carried by the spool so that the fanout rotates with the spool relative to the housing when the cable is paid off, the fanout separating out optical fibers of the multi-fiber cable.

13. The enclosure system of claim 1, wherein the spool includes a flange and a drum, the flange being spaced from the mounting plate by the drum.

14. The enclosure system of claim 13, wherein the flange defines an aperture through which a fastener can be inserted to rotationally fix the spool relative to the housing.

15. The enclosure system of claim 1, wherein the first subassembly includes a fiber management arrangement including a radius limiter.

16. The enclosure system of claim 15, wherein the fiber management arrangement includes a plurality of radius limiters.

17. The enclosure system of claim 15, wherein the fiber management arrangement includes a management plate at which the radius limiter is disposed, the management plate being mounted to the spool.