Multi-port optical connection terminal

• US 20050163448A1
• Filed: 01/27/2004
• Published: 07/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corning Cable Systems LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Reagan, Jason B., Menke, Brett A., Smith, Kelly J., Blackwell, Chois A. Jr., Strause, Kevin L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,120,347 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 6/4441 Boxes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/475 Mechanical aspects of installing cables in ducts or the like for buildings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/501 underground installation of connection boxes

Abstract

A multi-port optical connection terminal for use as a branch point in a fiber optic communications network at a distance from a mid-span access location provided on a distribution cable having a plurality of optical fibers. The multi-port terminal includes a base and a cover affixed to the base. A stub cable port formed through one of the base and the cover receives a stub cable having at least one optical fiber extending continuously from the multi-port terminal to the mid-span access location. A first end of the optical fiber is optically connected to a respective optical fiber of the distribution cable at the mid-span access location and a fiber optic connector is mounted upon the second end. At least one connector port is provided on the multi-port terminal for receiving the fiber optic connector and a connectorized end of a fiber optic drop cable extending from the multi-port terminal.

Claims

1. An outside plant optical connection terminal for use at a branch point in a fiber optic communications network including a distribution cable comprising a plurality of optical fibers and a mid-span access location provided on the distribution cable, the terminal comprising;

a base;

a cover affixed to the base;

a stub cable port provided in one of the base and cover;

a stub cable comprising a first end received in the stub cable port and a second end received at the mid-span access location provided on the distribution cable, the stub cable further comprising at least one optical fiber extending between the first end and the second end and having a fiber optic connector mounted thereon at the first end of the stub cable; and

a plurality of connector ports provided in one of the base and the cover, each connector port adapted to receive the fiber optic connector;

wherein the at least one optical fiber is optically connected at the second end of the stub cable to a respective one of the plurality of optical fibers of the distribution cable.

2. The terminal of claim 1, wherein one of the base and the cover comprises a fiber routing and slack storage hub disposed therein for routing and storing excess lengths of the at least one optical fiber.

3. The terminal of claim 2, wherein the fiber routing and slack storage hub comprises an outer wall defining a generally cylindrical surface, a flange extending radially outward and generally perpendicular to a plane tangent to the outer wall and at least one retaining tab extending radially outward from the flange.

4. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the base comprises opposed first and second end walls and a base panel having the connector ports formed therethrough.

5. The terminal of claim 4, wherein the base panel comprises a plurality of angled surfaces having the connector ports formed therethrough.

6. The terminal of claim 4, wherein the stub cable port is disposed in the first end wall and wherein at least one drop cable is optically connected to a respective one of the connector ports and extends away from the connector ports in the same direction that the stub cable extends away from the terminal to provide a butt configuration terminal.

7. The terminal of claim 4, wherein the stub cable port is disposed in the second end wall and wherein at least one drop cable is optically connected to a respective one of the connector ports and extends away from the connector ports in the opposite direction that the stub cable extends away from the terminal to provide a through configuration terminal.

8. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the cover comprises opposed first and second end walls and a cover panel having the connector ports formed therethrough.

9. The terminal of claim 8, wherein the cover panel comprises a plurality of angled surfaces having the connector ports formed therethrough.

10. The terminal of claim 8, wherein the stub cable port is disposed in the first end wall and wherein at least one drop cable is optically connected to a respective one of the connector ports and extends away from the connector ports in the same direction that the stub cable extends away from the terminal to provide a butt configuration terminal.

11. The terminal of claim 8, wherein the stub cable port is disposed in the second end wall and wherein at least one drop cable is optically connected to a respective one of the connector ports and extends away from the connector ports in the opposite direction that the stub cable extends away from the terminal to provide a through configuration terminal.

12. The terminal of claim 4, wherein the stub cable port comprises a first stub cable port and a second stub cable port disposed on the opposed first and second end walls of the base.

13. The terminal of claim 8, wherein the stub cable port comprises a first stub cable port and a second stub cable port disposed on the opposed first and second end walls of the cover.

14. A multi-port optical connection terminal for interconnecting optical fibers of one or more fiber optic drop cables with respective optical fibers of a fiber optic distribution cable, the multi-port terminal comprising:

a base and a cover affixed to the base, the base and cover each having opposed first and second end walls, the base further comprising a base panel opposite the cover and the cover further comprising a cover panel opposite the base to define an interior cavity;

a first stub cable port provided in one of the base and the cover;

a first stub cable comprising a first end received in the cable port and a second end received at a mid-span access location provided on the distribution cable, the first stub cable further comprising at least one optical fiber extending between the first end and the second end and having a fiber optic connector mounted upon the at least one optical fiber at the first end of the first stub cable;

at least one connector port disposed through one of the base panel and the cover panel, each connector port adapted to receive the at least one fiber optic connector from inside the terminal and a connectorized end of a fiber optic drop cable from outside the terminal.

15. The multi-port terminal of claim 14, wherein the first stub cable port is disposed in the first end wall of the base and wherein the drop cable extends away from the connector ports in the same direction that the first stub cable extends away from the terminal to provide a butt configuration terminal.

16. The multi-port terminal of claim 14, wherein the first stub cable port is disposed in the second end wall of the base and wherein the drop cable extends away from the connector ports in the opposite direction that the first stub cable extends away from the terminal so that the terminal provides a through configuration terminal.

17. The multi-port terminal of claim 14, wherein the first stub cable port is disposed in the first end wall of the cover and wherein the drop cable extends away from the connector ports in the same direction that the first stub cable extends away from the terminal to provide a butt configuration terminal.

18. The multi-port terminal of claim 14, wherein the first stub cable port is disposed in the second end wall of the cover and wherein the drop cable extends away from the connector ports in the opposite direction that the first stub cable extends away from the terminal so that the terminal provides a through configuration terminal.

19. The multi-port terminal of claim 14, wherein one of the base and the cover further comprises a fiber routing and slack storage hub disposed therein for routing and storing excess lengths of the at least one optical fiber, the fiber routing and slack storage hub comprising an outer wall defining a generally cylindrical surface, a flange extending radially outward and generally perpendicular to a plane tangent to the outer wall and at least one retaining tab extending radially outward from the flange.

20. The multi-port terminal of claim 14, wherein the base panel further comprises a plurality of angled surfaces having the connector ports formed therethrough.

21. The multi-port terminal of claim 14, wherein the cover panel further comprises a plurality of angled surfaces having the connector ports formed therethrough.

22. The multi-port terminal of claim 14, wherein a second cable port is provided in the other of the base and the cover for receiving a first end of a second stub cable.

23. A multi-port optical connection terminal for interconnecting an optical fiber of at least one connectorized fiber optic drop cable with a respective optical fiber of a distribution cable, the multi-port terminal comprising:

a cap having a generally domed shape and comprising a generally planar panel, the cap defining opposed first and second ends;

a base defining a first end and a second end opposite the first end and removably attached to the first end of the cap;

a stub cable port formed through the second end of the base;

a stub cable comprising a first end received in the stub cable port and a second end extending from the base in the direction of the distribution cable, the stub cable further comprising at least one optical fiber extending between the first end and the second end and having a fiber optic connector mounted upon the at least one optical fiber at the first end of the stub cable; and

at least one connector port disposed through the planar panel of the cap and adapted to receive the fiber optic connector mounted upon the at least one optical fiber of the stub cable from inside the base and the connectorized drop cable from outside the base.

24. A multi-port optical connection terminal for providing a branch point in a fiber optic communications network to interconnect an optical fiber of a connectorized drop cable with a respective optical fiber of a distribution cable, the multi-port terminal comprising:

a base and a cover affixed to the base, one of the cover and the base having a stub cable port formed therethrough for receiving a stub cable, the stub cable having a first end adjacent the multi-port terminal and a second end adjacent the distribution cable and comprising at least one optical fiber extending continuously between the first end and the second end, the at least one optical fiber having a fiber optic connector mounted thereon at the first end of the stub cable and being optically connected to a respective optical fiber of the distribution cable at the second end of the stub cable; and

at least one connector port formed through one of the base and the cover for receiving the fiber optic connector mounted on the first end of the stub cable and the connectorized drop cable to optically connect the optical fiber of the drop cable with the respective optical fiber of the distribution cable at a location other than a mid-span access location provided on the distribution cable.

25. A fiber optic communications network comprising:

a distribution cable comprising a plurality of optical fibers;

a mid-span access location provided on the distribution cable;

a multi-port optical connection terminal positioned in the fiber optic network at a distance from the mid-span access location, the multi-port terminal comprising a stub cable extending from the multi-port terminal to the mid-span access location and the stub cable comprising at least one optical fiber extending continuously through the stub cable and optically connected to one of the plurality of optical fibers of the distribution cable at the mid-span access location; and

at least one connector port provided on the multi-port terminal for receiving a fiber optic connector mounted upon the at least one optical fiber of the stub cable and a connectorized end of a drop cable comprising at least one optical fiber.