Multi-port optical connection terminal

• US 20060280420A1
• Filed: 08/23/2006
• Published: 12/14/2006
• 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 7,333,708 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 6/44465 Seals
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/44515 Fibre drop terminals with surplus length without surplus length G02B6/4472
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/44528 Patch-cords; Connector arrangements in the system or in the box routing arrangements H04Q1/00
• 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

1-25. -25. (canceled)

26. An outside plant optical connection terminal for housing an optical connectidson between at least one input cable and at least one drop cable, the terminal comprising;

at least one housing portion, wherein the at least one housing portion defines an exterior surface and an interior cavity;

at least one cable opening located in the exterior surface for receiving the at least one input cable within the interior cavity; and

a plurality of connector ports located in the exterior surface of the housing portion, wherein the connector ports are adapted to optically connect the at least one input cable to the at least one drop cable,

wherein the at least one input cable is received within the cable opening in a first direction and the connector ports are oriented outwardly in a second direction such that an angle defined between the first direction and the second direction is greater than zero degrees and less than ninety degrees.

27. The terminal according to claim 26, wherein the angle defined between the first direction and the second direction is approximately forty-five degrees.

28. The terminal according to claim 26, wherein the angle defined between the first direction and the second direction is less than forty-five degrees.

29. The terminal according to claim 26, wherein the at least one drop cable is routed away from the terminal in a direction generally parallel to the first direction, such that the terminal defines a butt configuration terminal.

30. The terminal according to claim 26, wherein the at least one housing portion comprises a plurality of angled surfaces having the plurality of connector ports located therein.

31. The terminal according to claim 26, wherein the at least one cable opening comprises at least one input cable port, wherein the at least one input cable port is adapted to threadably receive the at least one input cable.

32. The terminal according to claim 26, further comprising a fiber routing and slack storage hub disposed within the interior cavity of the at least one housing portion of the terminal for routing and storing excess lengths of optical fibers of the at least one input cable.

33. The terminal according to claim 26, wherein the interior cavity of the terminal is substantially free of filler material such that movement of at least one optical fiber of the at least one input cable is generally uninhibited within the interior cavity and wherein the at least one optical fiber of the at least one input cable is routed from the at least one cable opening to the at least one connector port without defining a substantial amount of excess length of optical fiber within the interior cavity of the terminal.

34. The terminal according to claim 26, further comprising at least one pigtail to optically connect the at least one input cable to the plurality of connector ports.

35. The terminal according to claim 26, wherein the exterior surface of the at least one housing portion defines at least one generally cylindrical surface.

36. An outside plant optical connection terminal for housing an optical connection between at least one input cable and at least one drop cable, the terminal comprising;

at least one housing portion, wherein the at least one housing portion defines an exterior surface and an interior cavity;

a plurality of connector ports located in the exterior surface of the housing portion, wherein the connector ports are adapted to optically connect the at least one input cable to the at least one drop cable; and

at least one stub cable port located in the exterior surface of the housing portion,

wherein the at least one stub cable port is adapted to threadably receive a stub cable assembly comprising the at least one input cable.

37. The terminal according to claim 36, wherein the at least one stub cable port is adapted to receive an input cable comprising a single optical fiber.

38. The terminal according to claim 36, wherein the at least one stub cable port is adapted to receive an input cable comprising a plurality of optical fibers.

39. The terminal according to claim 36, wherein the at least one stub cable port is adapted to receive an input cable comprising at least one optical fiber ribbon.

40. The terminal according to claim 36, further comprising a second stub cable port adapted to receive at least one output cable, wherein the second stub cable port is located opposite the plurality of connector ports from the first stub cable port, such that the terminal defines a through configuration terminal.

41. The terminal according to claim 36, wherein the at least one stub cable port is internally threaded.

42. An outside plant optical connection terminal for housing an optical connection between at least one input cable comprising at least one preterminated optical fiber and at least one drop cable, the terminal comprising;

at least one housing portion, wherein the at least one housing portion defines an exterior surface and an interior cavity;

at least one cable opening located in the exterior surface for receiving the at least one input cable within the interior cavity;

a plurality of connector ports located in the exterior surface of the housing portion, wherein the at least one preterminated optical fiber of the at least one input cable is directly received by at least one connector port of the plurality of connector ports and is optically connected to the at least one drop cable from outside the interior cavity,

wherein the interior cavity of the terminal is substantially free of filler material such that movement of the at least one preterminated optical fiber is generally uninhibited within the interior cavity and wherein the at least one preterminated optical fiber is routed from the at least one cable opening to the at least one connector port without defining a substantial amount of excess length of optical fiber within the interior cavity of the terminal.

43. The terminal according to claim 42, wherein the terminal comprises at least two housing portions that are moveable relative to one another to provide selective access to the interior cavity of the terminal.

44. The terminal according to claim 42, wherein the at least one preterminated optical fiber of the at least one input cable comprises a SC fiber optic connector.

45. The terminal according to claim 42, wherein the at least one housing portion comprises a plurality of angled surfaces having the plurality of connector ports located therein.