Fiber management apparatus

• US 20040028368A1
• Filed: 05/01/2003
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Electronics Ltd. (TE Connectivity Ltd. (United Kingdom))
• Inventors: Hileman, Ronald Allan, Hopkins, Eric James, Shipe, Jeffrey Dean
• Granted Patent: US 6,788,846 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/135
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3897 Connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards G02B6/44528 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/44528 Patch-cords; Connector arrangements in the system or in the box routing arrangements H04Q1/00

Abstract

A modular fiber management system that comprises: (a) a tray defining a set of first ports, a set of second ports, and paths interconnecting at least a portion of the first and second ports, the paths being configured to limit the bend radius of one or more fibers contained therein to no less than the minimum bend radius of the fibers; (b) one or more first connectors and one or more second connectors, each first connector being disposed in a first port, and each second connector being disposed in a second port, each connector having an x, y and z orientation such that the z axis is along the optical axis of the connector; (c) a plurality of fibers interconnecting at least a portion of the first and second connectors and lying in the paths, each fiber having a certain amount of slack between the first connector and the second connector; and (d) wherein each connector is limited in movement along its x y and z axes relative to the tray, each connector being limited in movement along its x and y axes by the port in which it is contained, and each connector being limited in movement along its z axis by the amount of slack in the fiber terminated in the connector.

Claims

1. A module for managing fibers comprising:

a tray defining a set of first ports, a set of second ports, and paths interconnecting at least a portion of said first and second ports, said paths being configured to limit the bend radius of one or more fibers contained therein to no less than the minimum bend radius of the fibers;

one or more first connectors and one or more second connectors, each first connector being disposed in a first port, and each second connector being disposed in a second port, each connector having an x, y and z orientation such that the z axis is along said optical axis of the connector;

a plurality of fibers interconnecting at least a portion of said first and second connectors and lying in said paths, each fiber having a certain amount of slack between said first connector and said second connector;

wherein each connector is limited in movement along its x y and z axes relative to the tray, each connector being limited in movement along its x and y axes by the port in which it is contained, and each connector being limited in movement along its z axis by the amount of slack in the fiber terminated in the connector.

2. The module of claim 1, wherein the movement of a particular connector along its x and y axes is no greater than twice the distance across the particular connector along its x and y axes, respectively.

3. The module of claim 1, wherein the movement of a particular connector along its x and y axes is no greater than the distance across the particular connector along its x and y axes, respectively.

4. The module of claim 1, wherein the movement of a particular connector along its x and y axes is no greater than half the distance across the particular connector along its x and y axes, respectively.

5. The module of claim 1, wherein said connector'"'"'s movement along the z axis is no greater than twice the length of the connector along its z axis.

6. The module of claim 1, wherein said connector'"'"'s movement along the z axis is no greater than the length of the connector along its z axis.

7. The module of claim 1, wherein said connector'"'"'s movement along the z axis is no greater than half the length of the connector along its z axis.

8. The module of claim 1, wherein said first connectors are multi-fiber connectors and said second connectors are single fiber connectors

9. The module of claim 1, wherein fibers in a first connector are terminated in two or more second connectors.

10. The module of claim 1, wherein said tray comprises a series of recesses and a cover and wherein said first ports are defined at least in part by said recesses and said cover.

11. The module of claim 10, wherein said lid comprises a generally flat surface and a rib extending along the length of said lid.

12. The module of claim 10, wherein said base tray and said plurality of recesses in said base tray are formed using a vacuum forming process.

13. The module of claim 10, wherein said tray comprises a series of clips wherein said second ports are defined at least in part by said clips.

14. The module of claim 1, wherein said tray further comprises a slack absorbing spool mounted along one or more paths, said slack absorbing spool being adapted to spool a variable amount of fiber to control the amount of slack in the fiber

15. The module of claim 14, wherein said slack absorbing spool is formed in said base tray using a vacuum forming process.

16. The module of claim 14, wherein said tray further comprises a plurality of fiber directors, wherein said fiber directors cause said fibers to follow a predetermined path from said slack absorbing spool to said second connector.

17. The module of claim 16, wherein each director of said plurality of fiber directors further comprise a first raised portion, a second raised portion, and a recessed portion, wherein said recessed portion is located between said first raised portion and said second raised portion.

18. The module of claim 17, wherein said tray comprises a lid having a generally flat surface and a rib extending along the length of said lid, rib residing in said recessed portion of said plurality of fiber directors upon installation of said lid on apparatus.

19. The module of claim 1, wherein said minimum bend radius is 1 in.

20. The module of claim 1, wherein each first connector is moveable relative to the tray such that it can be mated with a host connector disposed within a certain space relative to the tray and that the certain space associated with a particular first connector is exclusive of the other certain spaces associated with other first connectors.

21. The module of claim 20, wherein each second connector is moveable relative to the tray such that it can be mated with a host connector disposed within a certain space relative to the tray and that the certain space associated with a particular second connector is exclusive of the other certain spaces associated with other second connectors.