FIBER DROP TERMINAL

• US 20090148120A1
• Filed: 02/12/2009
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADC Telecommunications Incorporated (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Reagan, Randy, Gniadek, Jeffrey, Noonan, Michael, Baren-Boym, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,805,044 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/135
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3885 Multicore or multichannel optical connectors, i.e. one single ferrule containing more than one fibre, e.g. ribbon type optical ribbon cable G02B6/4403, G02B6/448
• 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 6/4442 Cap coupling boxes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4444 Seals
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4446 Cable boxes, e.g. splicing boxes with two or more multi fibre cables
• 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 6/4457 Bobbins; Reels
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/44775 Cable seals e.g. feed-through cable seals integrated to the box seals G02B6/4444; pulling eyes G02B6/44465
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/475 Mechanical aspects of installing cables in ducts or the like for buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25891 Transmission components H04B10/40 takes precedence

Abstract

A drop terminal includes an enclosure having a housing and a base attached to the housing. The housing includes an outer surface containing a plurality of receptacles and cooperatively defines an inner cavity with the base. The drop terminal further includes a splitter incorporated into the enclosure.

Claims

1. A drop terminal comprising:

an enclosure including;

a housing having a mounting surface;

a base sealingly engaged to the housing;

a plurality of ruggedized output receptacles sealingly engaged with the mounting surface of the housing, each output receptacle having a first side and a second side with each of the first and second sides being adapted to receive a connector, wherein the first side of each of the plurality of output receptacles is accessible from an exterior of the housing;

an interior cavity defined by the base and the housing of the enclosure, wherein the second side of each of the plurality of ruggedized output receptacles is accessible from the interior cavity;

an incoming fiber group disposed in the interior cavity of the enclosure, wherein the incoming fiber group includes a plurality of connectors engaged with the second sides of the plurality of ruggedized output receptacles; and

a splitter incorporated into the enclosure.

2. A drop terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing includes a first stepped face and a second stepped face with at least one of the plurality of ruggedized output receptacles being in sealing engagement with the first stepped face and at least one of the plurality of ruggedized output receptacles being in sealing engagement with the second stepped face.

3. A drop terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein an o-ring is disposed at an interface between the mounting surface and each of the plurality of ruggedized output receptacles.

4. A drop terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first side of each of the plurality of ruggedized output receptacles includes a radial seal adapted to seal an interface between the ruggedized output receptacle and an output connector.

5. A drop terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the splitter is a passive splitter.

6. A drop terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the splitter is an active splitter.

7. A drop terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the splitter is selected from the group consisting of a 1×

2 splitter, a 1×

4 splitter, and a 1×

8 splitter.

8. A drop terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein a gasket is disposed between the housing and the base.

9. A drop terminal as claimed in claim 8, wherein the base includes a channel that is configured to receive the gasket.

10. A drop terminal assembly comprising:

an enclosure including;

a housing having a first stepped face and a second stepped face, each of the first and second stepped faces being in sealing engagement with one or more ruggedized output receptacles, each output receptacle having a first side and a second side with each of the first and second sides being adapted to receive a connector, wherein the first side of the output receptacles is accessible from an exterior of the housing;

a base engaged to the back side of the housing;

a seal disposed between the base and the housing;

an interior cavity defined by the base and the housing, wherein the second sides of the first and second ruggedized output receptacles are accessible from the interior cavity;

an input channel defined by the enclosure, wherein the input channel provides a passage to the interior cavity;

an incoming fiber group disposed in the interior cavity of the drop terminal, wherein the incoming fiber group includes a plurality of connectors engaged with the second sides of the first and second ruggedized output receptacles;

a splitter disposed in the enclosure; and

an input cable being in sealing engagement with the input channel of the enclosure.

11. A drop terminal assembly as claimed in claim 10, wherein the splitter is a passive splitter.

12. A drop terminal assembly as claimed in claim 10, wherein the splitter is an active splitter.

13. A drop terminal assembly as claimed in claim 10, wherein the splitter is selected from the group consisting of a 1×

2 splitter, a 1×

4 splitter, and a 1×

8 splitter.

14. A drop terminal assembly as claimed in claim 10, wherein a strain relief is molded to the input cable.

15. A drop terminal assembly as claimed in claim 10, wherein the input channel is defined by the housing.

16. A drop terminal mounting system comprising:

an enclosure including;

a housing having a front side and an oppositely disposed back side, the front side having a first stepped face and a second stepped face;

a base attached to the back side of the housing, wherein the base defines a channel disposed proximate to a perimeter of the base;

a weather tight seal disposed in the channel of the base;

a first plurality of ruggedized output receptacles being in sealing engagement with the first stepped face;

a second plurality of ruggedized output receptacle being in sealing engagement with the second stepped face, each of the first and second pluralities of ruggedized output receptacles having a first side and a second side with each of the first and second sides being adapted to receive a connector, wherein the first sides of the first and second pluralities of ruggedized output receptacles are accessible from an exterior of the housing;

an interior cavity defined by the base and the housing, wherein the second sides of the first and second pluralities of ruggedized output receptacles are accessible from the interior cavity;

an input channel defined by the enclosure, wherein the input channel provides a passage to the interior cavity;

an incoming fiber group disposed in the interior cavity of the drop terminal, wherein the incoming fiber group includes a plurality of connectors engaged with the second sides of the first and second pluralities of ruggedized output receptacles;

a splitter disposed in the enclosure; and

an input cable being in sealing engagement with the input channel of the enclosure.

17. A drop terminal assembly as claimed in claim 16, wherein the first side of each of the first and second plurality of ruggedized output receptacles includes a radial seal adapted to seal an interface between the ruggedized output receptacle and an output connector.

18. A drop terminal assembly as claimed in claim 16, wherein the splitter is selected from the group consisting of a 1×

2 splitter, a 1×

4 splitter, and a 1×

8 splitter.

19. A drop terminal assembly as claimed in claim 16, wherein an o-ring is disposed at an interface between each of the first plurality of ruggedized output receptacles and the first stepped face of the housing and between each of the second plurality of ruggedized output receptacles and the second stepped face.

20. A drop terminal assembly as claimed in claim 16, wherein the input channel is defined by the housing.