Optical fiber termination apparatus with connector adaptor and method for using the same

• US 20060133758A1
• Filed: 12/14/2005
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Carrico, William Alan, Mullaney, Julian, Grice, Michael Eugene, Thompson, Roy Keller
• Granted Patent: US 7,428,366 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/139
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3825 with an intermediate part, e.g. adapter, receptacle, linking two plugs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3849 using mechanical protective elements, e.g. caps, hoods, sealing membranes G02B6/3816 takes precedence; provisionally see H01R13/44
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3897 Connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards G02B6/44528 takes precedence

Abstract

An optical fiber termination apparatus includes a housing defining an optical fiber receiving chamber and having a connector adaptor receiving opening. A connector adaptor is positioned in the connector adaptor receiving opening. The connector adaptor has a connector opening therein extending from outside the housing to the optical fiber receiving chamber. The connector opening is configured to mate with a connector of a predetermined connector type. Methods of terminating optical fiber using optical fiber termination apparatus are also provided.

Claims

1. An optical fiber termination apparatus, comprising:

a housing defining an optical fiber receiving chamber and having a connector adaptor receiving opening; and

a connector adaptor positioned in the connector adaptor receiving opening and having a connector opening therein extending from outside the housing to the optical fiber receiving chamber, the connector opening being configured to mate with a connector of a predetermined connector type.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a seal member positioned between an inner wall of the housing and the connector adaptor to seal a gap therebetween.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising at least one of the connector or a removable closure member in the connector opening that closes the connector opening.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a removable attachment member that retains the connector adaptor in the connector adaptor receiving opening.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the removable attachment member comprises a spring member and wherein the housing and the connector adaptor each have an opening therein for receiving the spring member.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the opening in the connector adaptor comprises a first channel in an outer surface thereof and a second channel in the outer surface thereof on an opposite side of the connector adaptor.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the optical fiber receiving chamber is configured to receive and retain a loop of optical fiber at a bend radius exceeding a minimum bend radius of the optical fiber.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the optical fiber receiving chamber is configured to receive a length of the optical fiber sufficient to allow removal of the connector adaptor from the housing to allow access to a back fiber connection member of the connector while retaining the loop of optical fiber at a bend radius exceeding the minimum bend radius of the optical fiber.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the housing includes an optical fiber receiving opening therein extending into the optical fiber receiving chamber.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the apparatus comprises:

a plurality of housings, each having a connector adaptor and an optical fiber receiving opening;

an optical junction box;

an optical fiber tube extending from the optical fiber receiving opening of each of the housings to the optical junction box;

an optical fiber extending through each of the optical fiber tubes between the optical junction box and the plurality of housings; and

an optical fiber splice member in the optical junction box configured to optically couple the optical fibers to respective source optical fibers extending into the optical junction box.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the optical fiber splice member comprises an optical fiber splice tray.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising an optical fiber termination connector on an end of the optical fiber in each of the plurality of housings, the optical fiber termination connector being configured to releasably couple to the back fiber connection member.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising a sealant in each of the tubes between the respective housings and the optical junction box.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising the connector positioned in the connector opening, the connector having a closable front fiber connection member on a face thereof extending from the housing and wherein the optical fiber receiving chamber is environmentally sealed when the front fiber connection member is closed.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising, for each housing, a seal member positioned between the connector and the connector opening and a seal between the optical fiber tube and the optical fiber receiving opening and wherein the optical fiber receiving chamber is environmentally sealed by the seal member positioned between the connector and the connector opening, the seal between the optical fiber tube and the optical fiber receiving opening and the sealant in the optical fiber tube and wherein opening the front fiber connection member on the connector of one of the housings will not break the environmental seal for other of the housings.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the seal between the optical fiber tube and the optical fiber receiving opening comprises an adhesive and the seal member positioned between the connector and the connector opening comprises an O-ring.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein each of the housings is configured to receive only a single connector.

18. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the respective source optical fibers extending into the optical junction box comprise an optical drop cable coupled to an optical distribution source.

19. An optical fiber termination kit comprising the optical fiber termination apparatus of claim 1 and a second connector adaptor having a connector opening configured to mate with a connector of a second predetermined connector type different from the predetermined connector type of the optical fiber termination apparatus.

20. A method of terminating optical fiber comprising:

routing an optical fiber from a main distribution line to an optical fiber termination apparatus housing;

selecting a desired connector type for terminating the routed optical fiber;

installing a connector of the selected connector type in a connector adaptor having a connector opening therein configured to mate with the selected connector type;

coupling the routed optical fiber to a back fiber connection member of the connector; and

installing the connector adaptor in the housing.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein routing an optical fiber comprises:

routing the optical fiber from the main distribution line to an optical junction box;

splicing the optical fiber from the main distribution line to a termination optical fiber in the optical junction box; and

routing the termination optical fiber to the optical fiber termination apparatus housing.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein a plurality of optical fibers are routed from the main distribution line to the optical junction box and spliced to respective termination optical fibers and wherein routing the termination optical fiber comprises routing respective ones of the termination optical fibers to different optical fiber termination apparatus housings to provide a multi-drop connection from the main distribution line.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising providing environmental sealing of the routing of the respective termination optical fibers configured so that breach of the environmental sealing for one of the termination optical fibers will not break the environmental sealing for other of the termination optical fibers.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein routing an optical fiber comprises:

separating a plurality of optical fibers from the main distribution line;

singulating the respective separated optical fibers; and

routing respective ones of the singulated optical fibers to different optical fiber termination apparatus housings to provide a multi-drop connection from the main distribution line.