FIBER OPTIC ADAPTER CASSETTE AND PANEL

• US 20090214171A1
• Filed: 02/16/2009
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADC Telecommunications Incorporated (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Coburn, Hutch, Smrha, Mark, Sjodin, Chad
• Granted Patent: US 8,195,022 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 6/4452 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
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4453 Cassettes

Abstract

An adapter cassette including a housing and a plurality of fiber optic adapters. The fiber optic adapters being angled relative to a front plane defined by the housing. The fiber optic adapters being interconnected to a multi-fiber cable connecter by fiber optic cables located within an interior of the housing. The adapter cassette further including a quick-release cover that provides access to the interior of the housing.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A termination panel, comprising:

a) a chassis; and

b) a plurality of adapter cassettes mounted to the chassis, each of the cassettes including;

i) a wedge-shape housing having a number of walls that define an interior, the number of walls including a rear wall and a corrugated front wall, the corrugated front wall defining openings, the openings being located within angled notches of the corrugated front wall;

ii) a multi-fiber cable adapter mounted to the rear wall of the wedge-shape housing;

iii) a plurality of fiber optic adapters mounted within the openings of the corrugated front wall, the fiber optic adapters being oriented at a non-perpendicular angle relative to a front plane defined by the corrugated front wall of the wedge-shape housing;

iv) optical cable connections located within the interior of the wedge-shape housing, the optical cable connections being connected to the multi-fiber cable adapter and the fiber optic adapters; and

v) mounting flanges for mounting the adapter cassette to the chassis, the mounting flanges extending outward from the corrugated front wall of the wedge-shape housing.

3. The termination panel of claim 2, wherein the rear wall of the wedge-shape housing is shorter than the corrugated front wall.

4. The termination panel of claim 2, wherein the number of walls of the wedge-shape housing further includes first and second opposing side walls, the first and second side walls being non-parallel to one another.

5. The termination panel of claim 2, wherein the fiber optic adapters include LC type adapters.

6. The termination panel of claim 2, wherein the fiber optic adapters include SC type adapters.

7. The termination panel of claim 2, wherein each angled notch of the corrugated front wall defines two openings, each opening receiving one fiber optic adapters of the plurality of fiber optic adapters.

8. The termination panel of claim 2, further including a multi-fiber cable connected to the multi-fiber cable connector, and at least one patching cable connected to one of the fiber optic adapters.

9. The termination panel of claim 2, wherein the number of walls of the wedge-shape housing further includes a top wall, the top wall being defined by an attachable cover.

10. The termination panel of claim 9, wherein the attachable cover includes only a single moveable latch that affixes the cover relative to the other walls of the wedge-shape housing.

11. The termination panel of claim 2, wherein the chassis includes a sliding drawer.

12. The termination panel of claim 11, wherein lateral space is provided adjacent to a wedged portion of the wedge-shape housing of the adapter cassettes for selective use as cable routing space.

13. The termination panel of claim 2, wherein the number of walls of the wedge-shape housing further includes a first side wall extending between the corrugated front wall and the rear wall and a second angled side wall extending between the corrugated front wall and the rear wall, and wherein the plurality of adapter cassettes are mounted in a side-by-side relationship such that the first side walls of the adapter cassettes are located adjacent to one another.

14. The termination panel of claim 13, wherein the adapter cassettes mounted in the side-by-side relationship define a first pair of adapter cassettes, the plurality of adapter cassettes including a second pair of adapter cassettes stacked upon the first pair of adapter cassettes.