Fiber distribution hub with modular termination blocks

• US 20070165995A1
• Filed: 08/30/2006
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADC Telecommunications Incorporated (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Reagan, Randy, Millea, Keith, Leblanc, Tom
• Granted Patent: US 7,623,749 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/135
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4452 Distribution frames
• 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 fiber distribution hub includes a cabinet; a termination region positioned within the interior of the cabinet; at least one termination module mounted in at least one opening defined at the termination region; fiber optic connectors coupled to termination adapters of the termination module; intermediate fibers extending rearwardly of the fiber optic connectors; and a multi-fiber connector terminating the intermediate fibers. The termination module includes a housing enclosing the termination adapters. One or more termination modules can be incrementally added to the fiber distribution hub.

Claims

1. A fiber distribution hub adapted to provide an interface between an incoming fiber and a plurality of outgoing fibers, the fiber distribution hub comprising:

a cabinet having a front and a rear, the cabinet including a front door for accessing an interior of the cabinet from the front of the cabinet;

a termination region positioned within the interior of the cabinet, the termination region including a front side that faces toward the front of the cabinet and a rear side that faces toward the rear of the cabinet, the termination region defining at least one opening;

at least one termination module mounted to the at least one opening defined by the termination region, the termination module including a housing holding a plurality of termination adapters, the termination adapters being configured to receive fiber optic connectors from both the front and the rear of the housing,

a plurality of fiber optic connectors coupled to the termination adapters held by the housing of the termination module;

a plurality of intermediate fibers extending rearwardly of the fiber optic connectors coupled to the termination adapters; and

a multi-fiber connector terminating the plurality of intermediate fibers extending from the termination adapters.

2. The fiber distribution hub of claim 1, further comprising a bulkhead positioned within the interior of the cabinet, the termination region being located on the bulkhead.

3. The fiber distribution hub of claim 2, further comprising:

a splitter region positioned within the interior of the cabinet, the splitter region configured to receive at least one splitter; and

a storage region position on the bulkhead within the interior of the cabinet, the storage region configured to receive at least one storage module.

4. The fiber distribution hub of claim 2, wherein labeling is provided on the bulkhead adjacent the at least one opening of the termination region.

5. The fiber distribution hub of claim 1, wherein the at least one opening of the termination region includes a plurality of spaced, elongated slots.

6. The fiber distribution hub of claim 1, wherein the plurality of termination adapters includes twelve termination adapters arranged in a row.

7. The fiber distribution hub of claim 1, wherein the bulkhead is part of a swing frame that is pivotally mounted within the interior of the cabinet.

8. The fiber distribution hub of claim 4, further comprising at least one cable interface, the cable interface being configured to receive the multi-fiber connector terminating the intermediate fibers.

9. The fiber distribution hub of claim 8, wherein the cable interface includes at least one fiber optic adapter.

10. The fiber distribution hub of claim 1, wherein the at least one termination modules includes a plurality of termination modules, each termination module including a plurality of termination adapters retaining fiber optic connectors, each fiber optic connector being optically coupled to an intermediate fiber extending from the connector, the intermediate fibers of each termination module being terminated by a multi-fiber connector.

11. The fiber distribution hub of claim 10, wherein the cable interface includes a plurality of fiber optic adapters, each fiber optic adapter extending from a front to a rear, the front of each fiber optic adapter being configured to receive one of the multi-fiber connectors terminating the intermediate fibers of the termination modules.

12. The fiber distribution hub of claim 1, further comprising a termination shelf extending rearwardly from the termination region, the termination shelf providing cable management of the intermediate fibers.

13. The fiber distribution hub of claim 12, wherein the cable interface is a panel provided on the termination shelf, the panel retaining at least one termination adapter.

14. The fiber distribution hub of claim 1, wherein the termination module is configured to be installed in the opening defined by the termination region from a rear of the termination region.

15. The fiber distribution hub of claim 1, wherein the termination module includes a latch.

16. A termination module comprising:

a body having a front and a rear;

a plurality of fiber optic adapters coupled to the body, the fiber optic adapters arranged in a row and extending from the front to the rear of the body, the fiber optic adapters also being configured to receive fiber optic connectors at both the front and the rear;

a plurality of fiber optic connectors inserted into the rear of the fiber optic adapters;

a plurality of optical fibers, each optical fiber extending from one of the fiber optic connectors; and

a multi-fiber connector terminating the plurality of optical fibers.

17. The termination module of claim 16, further comprising a latch coupled to the body, the latch configured to enable the termination module to couple to a bulkhead.

18. The termination module of claim 16, wherein the fiber optic adapters are configured to receive SC/APC connectors.

19. The termination module of claim 16, wherein twelve fiber optic adapters are coupled to the body.

20. The termination module of claim 16, further comprising dust plugs extending from a front side of the fiber optic adapters.