Modules including multiple rows of adapters for high density optical fiber distribution frame

• US 20100322577A1
• Filed: 04/04/2008
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADC Telecommunications Incorporated (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Bolster, Kristofer J., Miller, Heidi L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,139,913 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/135
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4453 Cassettes

Abstract

A fiber optic telecommunications frame is provided including termination modules positioned on left and right sides of the frame. The frame further includes left and right vertical cable guides. The frame includes a horizontal passage linking the left and right panels and the cable guides. The termination modules hold fiber optic modules with front termination locations. The fiber optic modules can house couplers, such as splitters, combiners, and wave length division multiplexers. A retention mechanism retains each fiber optic module in a partially removed position from the termination module. An adapter retainer may be removably mounted within an open front of the fiber optic modules, and a fiber optic module may include a plurality of rows of adapters.

Claims

1. A fiber optic module adapted to be held by a frame, the fiber optic module comprising:

a housing including two spaced-apart major sides extending parallel to one another, the major sides interconnected by two spaced-apart minor sides, extending parallel to one another, the major and minor sides extending between front and rear ends of the housing, the front end being open and defined by edges of the two major and minor sides;

at least one adapter retainer removably mounted in the open front end of the housing, each adapter retainer including two spaced apart major walls and two spaced apart minor walls extending between the major walls, the major walls extending generally parallel to the edges of the major sides, each of the major walls including a plurality of apertures;

a bracket removably mounted to the housing adjacent the adapter retainer and securing the adapter retainer to the housing;

a plurality of fiber optic adapters mounted to the retainer, each adapter including two projections, each projection received in one of the apertures in the major walls of the adapter retainers;

fiber optic circuitry within the housing connecting the fiber optic adapters.

2. The fiber optic module of claim 1, further comprising front flanges on opposite ends of the front end, one of front flanges including a latch for latching the front end of the housing to the frame.

3. The fiber optic module of claim 2, wherein the bracket includes one of the front flanges.

4. The fiber optic module of claim 3, wherein the latch is mounted to the front flange opposite the front flange of the bracket.

5. The fiber optic module of claim 1, wherein one of the major sides of the housing is a top and includes a recess adjacent the front edge, and the bracket is mounted to the housing within the recess of the top.

6. The fiber optic module of claim 5, wherein the top is removable from the housing independent of the bracket.

7. The fiber optic module of claim 1, wherein the minor sides each include a slot adjacent the open front end extending between at least partially between the major sides, and each adapter retainer includes an outward projecting tab on each minor wall, each of the tabs of each adapter retainer extending within one of the slots of the minor sides of the housing.

8. The fiber optic module of claim 7, wherein the bracket is positioned within a recess in one of the major sides over the slot in one of the minor sides, and removal of the bracket permits removal of the adapter retainer'"'"'s tab from the slot and removal of the adapter retainer from the housing.

9. The fiber optic module of claim 8, wherein the bracket is positioned within a recess in one of the minor side and forms a portion of the slot in that minor side.

10. The fiber optic module of claim 9, further comprising more than one adapter retainers mounted within the open front end of the housing and one of the tabs of one of the adapter retainers is within the portion of the slot in one of the minor sides formed by the bracket.

11. The fiber optic module of claim 1, wherein one of the major sides defines first and second planar flanges extending beyond the minor sides.

12. The fiber optic module of claim 1, wherein one of the minor sides includes first and second round openings, the first opening positioned further from the rear end than the second opening, each of the first and second openings sized to receive a ball end of a spring loaded ball plunger.

13. The fiber optic module of claim 10, wherein the first opening is smaller than the second opening.

14. A fiber optic module adapted to be held by a frame, the fiber optic module comprising:

a housing including two spaced-apart major sides extending parallel to one another, the major sides interconnected by two spaced-apart minor sides, extending parallel to one another, the major and minor sides extending between front and rear ends of the housing, the front end being open and defined by the two major and minor sides;

at least one adapter retainer mounted within the front end extending between the minor sides, the adapter retainer having first and second major sides extending generally parallel to the major sides of the housing, the major sides of the adapter retainer including a plurality of apertures;

front flanges on opposite ends of the front end, one of the front flanges including a latch for latching the front end of the housing to the frame;

two side flanges extending in opposite directions from one of the major sides.

15. The fiber optic module of claim 14, further comprising:

a plurality of fiber optic adapters mounted to the front end, each adapter including two projections, each projection received in one of the apertures in each of the major sides of one of the adapter retainers;

a fiber optic coupler mounted within the housing;

cables connecting the fiber optic adapters and the fiber optic couplers.

16. The fiber optic module of claim 14, wherein two adapter retainers are mounted within the front end of the housing, and each adapter retainer defines a row of positions to receive fiber optic connectors.

17. The fiber optic module of claim 14, wherein the at least one adapter retainer is removably mounted in the front end of the housing.

18. The fiber optic module of claim 17, further comprising a bracket removably mounted to one of the major sides of the housing and positioned to prevent removal of the at least one adapter retainer from the housing.

19. The fiber optic module of claim 18, wherein each of the adapter retainers includes a pair of minor sides extending between the major sides of the adapter retainer, and each of the minor sides includes an outward extending tab, the minor sides of the housing each include a slot for receiving one of the tabs of the adapter retainer, and the bracket is positioned in one of the major sides of the housing and above the slot in one of the minor sides of the housing.

20. The fiber optic module of claim 19, wherein the bracket includes a first segment extending generally coplanar to and within a cutout in one of the minor sides of the housing, and a second segment extending generally coplanar to and within a cutout of one of the major surfaces of the housing, the first segment of the bracket including a slot which cooperates with the slot of the minor side to receive tabs extending from one of the minor sides of the adapter retainer.

21. The fiber optic module of claim 20, wherein the first segment of the bracket extends downward from one of the major sides of housing along one of the minor sides of the housing a distance generally the same as a height defined by one of the minor sides of the adapter retainer.

22. The fiber optic adapter of claim 20, wherein the bracket further includes a flange extending outward from the first segment and forming a portion of one of the front flanges of the housing.

23. A method of using a fiber optic module comprising:

providing a housing including at least two fiber optic adapter retainers in a stack, each adapter retainer configured for holding a plurality of fiber optic adapters;

removing a portion of the housing to allow selective removal of at least one of the adapter retainers; and

,

removing the selected adapter retainer from the remainder of the housing.