Multi-position fiber optic connector holder and method

• US 20050281526A1
• Filed: 06/18/2004
• Published: 12/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Commscope Emea Limited (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.), CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADC Telecommunications Incorporated (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Vongseng, Soutsada, Smith, Trevor D., Barth, Michael K., Norris, Jeffrey J., Blenker, Bernard
• Granted Patent: US 7,218,827 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/135
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3825 with an intermediate part, e.g. adapter, receptacle, linking two plugs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3897 Connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards G02B6/44528 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/445 with lateral pivoting cover
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4452 Distribution frames
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/44524 with frame parts or auxiliary devices mounted on the frame and collectively not covering a whole width of the frame or rack cassettes G02B6/4453
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/44526 Panels or rackmounts covering a whole width of the frame or rack
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/44528 Patch-cords; Connector arrangements in the system or in the box routing arrangements H04Q1/00

Abstract

A housing including a plurality of openings for receiving fiber optic connectors and protecting the polished end face of the connectors from damage while the connectors are stored within a telecommunications connection cabinet. A module with a plurality of optical fiber cables connected to a first optical fiber cable and terminated by a fiber optic connector. Each of the connectors are inserted within openings in a connector holder for storage and protection until the cables need to be connected to a customer equipment cable.

Claims

1. A telecommunications connection cabinet comprising:

a top, a floor, a pair of opposing sides, a front and a rear defining an interior, the front including an opening for accessing the interior;

a fiber optic splitter receiving a first fiber optic cable and splitting an optical signal carried by the cable into a plurality of fiber distribution cables, each fiber distribution cable terminated by a fiber optic connector and a polished end face;

a cable management structure within the interior;

at least one first fiber connection panel including a plurality of fiber optic adapters and at least one second fiber storage panel including a plurality of openings, each second fiber storage panel having a front side and a rear side;

the adapters of the first panel configured to optically connect two optical fiber cables terminated with fiber optic connectors, one cable on a rear side of the adapter and one cable on a front side of the adapter;

at least one housing mounted within one of the openings of the at least one second panel, the housing including a plurality of connector holder openings, each connector holder opening accessible through the front opening and configured to receive one of the fiber optic connectors and protect the polished end face of the connector from contamination, the housings adapted to be inserted into the openings of the second panel through the front side, and the openings of the housing accessible from a front side of the second panel.

2. The telecommunications connection cabinet of claim 1, further comprising a second cable management structure within the interior including a cable slack storage spool.

3. The telecommunications connection cabinet of claim 1, further comprising a splice panel for splicing the first fiber optic cable to an outside plant cable.

4. The telecommunications connection cabinet of claim 1, wherein the splitter splits the optical signal from the first cable into thirty-two fiber distribution cables.

5. The telecommunications connection cabinet of claim 1, wherein each housing includes eight openings for receiving eight fiber optic connectors of the fiber distribution cables.

6. The telecommunications connection cabinet of claim 1, further comprising a set of doors closing off the front opening.

7. The telecommunications connection cabinet of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of splitters mounted within a splitter mounting area.

8. A telecommunications fiber optic connector holder comprising:

a housing with a front and a rear, a first end and a second end, and defining a plurality of openings in the front, each opening adapted to receive a connector terminating a fiber optic telecommunications cable, each connector including a polished end face where an optical fiber within the telecommunications cable is terminated;

each opening configured to receive one of the fiber optic connectors and protect the polished end face of the connector from contamination;

each opening including at least one latching arm for releasably engaging one of the fiber optic connectors;

each opening of the housing is not configured to receive a fiber optic connector through the rear of the housing.

9. A telecommunications fiber optic connector holder comprising:

a housing with a front and a rear, a first end and a second end, and defining a plurality of openings in the front, each opening adapted to receive a connector terminating a fiber optic telecommunications cable, each connector including a polished end face where an optical fiber within the telecommunications cable is terminated;

each opening configured to receive one of the fiber optic connectors and protect the polished end face of the connector from contamination;

each opening including at least one latching arm for releasably engaging one of the fiber optic connectors;

the housing defining an exterior perimeter equal in size to the perimeter defined by a number of SC connectors equal to the number of openings in the housing, when connector receiving openings of the SC connectors are similarly arranged with the openings of the housing.

10. A telecommunications fiber optic connector holder comprising:

a housing with a front and a rear, a first end and a second end, and defining at least one opening in the front, each opening adapted to receive a connector terminating a fiber optic telecommunications cable, each connector including a polished end face where an optical fiber within the telecommunications cable is terminated;

each opening configured to receive one of the fiber optic connectors and protect the polished end face of the connector from contamination;

each opening including at least one latching arm for releasably engaging one of the fiber optic connectors;

the housing molded as an integral unit and including a releasable latch on the first end and a cooperating mounting tab on the second end, the mounting tabs configured to releasably mount the housing within an opening in a bulkhead with the rear of the housing is inserted within the opening of the bulkhead.

11. The telecommunications fiber optic connector holder of claim 10, further comprising a plurality of openings in the front for receiving connectors terminating fiber optic telecommunications cables.

12. A method of positioning a multi-strand fiber optic device within a telecommunications cabinet, the method comprising:

providing a first fiber optic splitter including an enclosure, a plurality of first fiber optic cables extending from the enclosure and a second fiber optic cable extending into the enclosure, the enclosure including means for optically connecting the second fiber optic cable to the first fiber optic cables, each of the first fiber optic cables terminated with a fiber optic connector at an end opposite the enclosure, and the plurality of first fiber optic cable connectors inserted within openings in a connector holder;

providing a telecommunications connection cabinet into which a plurality of fiber optic cables connecting to customer equipment are extended, each of the customer equipment cables inserted within a rear opening of one of a plurality of fiber optic adapters mounted within the cabinet, the cabinet including an equipment mounting area, a cable management structure, an adapter array within which the fiber optic adapters are mounted, and an excess fiber storage area with a mounting bulkhead including at least one mounting opening;

mounting the first fiber optic splitter within the equipment mounting area of the cabinet;

optically connecting the second fiber optic cable to an outside plant cable within the cabinet;

extending the plurality of first fiber optic cables from the equipment mounting area into the cable management structure and directing the first optical fiber cables and the connector holder to the excess fiber storage area; and

inserting and releasably mounting the housing with the plurality of connectors of the first cables into the mounting opening in the bulkhead, the housing being inserted into the opening from a front side of the bulkhead.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising removing one of the plurality of connectors of the first cables from the housing and inserting the connector within an opposing front opening of one of the plurality of adapters of the adapter array, optically connecting the corresponding first cable to one of the customer premises cables.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of connectors inserted within the connector holder are sequentially removed from the connector openings of the housing and inserted into one of the plurality of adapters in the adapter array, until the no more connectors of first cables are inserted within the connector holder, and further comprising removing the connector holder from the mounting opening in the bulkhead.

15. The method of claim 14, further providing a second fiber optic splitter, similarly configured to the first fiber optic splitter, and further comprising mounting the second fiber optic splitter in the equipment mounting area, directing the first plurality of fiber optic cables of the second fiber optic splitter through the cable management structure, and releasably mounting the connector holder of the second fiber optic splitter within the opening in the bulkhead of the excess cable storage area.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein a successive number of fiber optic splitters are mounted within the equipment mounting area and the connectors of the first cables of these successive splitters are directed to adapters in the adapter area, until each customer equipment cable has been optically connected to a first cable from one of the fiber optic splitters, then removing the connector holder from the mounting opening in the excess fiber storage area and inserting a plurality of fiber optic adapters within the mounting opening.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein a customer equipment cable is inserted within the rear of each of the fiber optic adapters now mounted within the mounting opening of the excess fiber storage area.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein an additional fiber optic splitter is mounted in the equipment mounting area and each of the plurality of first cables and connectors are inserted within the front side of one of the adapters now mounted in the mounting opening of the excess cable storage area, optically connecting each of the plurality of first fiber optic cables of the additional fiber optic device to one of the customer equipment cables.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the outside plant cable is optically connected to the second cable of the fiber optic splitter by splicing.

20. A fiber optic telecommunications module comprising:

a housing;

a first fiber optic cable entering the housing and optically connected with a plurality of second fiber optic cables exiting the housing;

each of the plurality of second fiber optic cables terminated at an end opposite the housing by a fiber optic connector with a polished end face;

each fiber optic connector of the second fiber optic cables inserted within and releasably held within an opening of a connector holder, the connector holder configured to hold a plurality of fiber optic connectors through the opening in a front and not configured to receive a fiber optic connector into the opening through a rear.

21. A fiber optic telecommunications module comprising:

a housing;

a first fiber optic cable entering the housing and optically connected with a plurality of second fiber optic cables exiting the housing;

each of the plurality of second fiber optic cables terminated at an end opposite the housing by a fiber optic connector with a polished end face;

each fiber optic connector of the second fiber optic cables inserted within and releasably held within an opening of a connector holder, the connector holder configured to hold a plurality of fiber optic connectors within an integral molded connector holder housing.