MINI DROP TERMINAL

• US 20110067452A1
• Filed: 11/29/2010
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADC Telecommunications Incorporated (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Rudenick, Paula, Gronvall, Erik, Lu, Yu
• Granted Patent: US 8,213,761 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 65/402
• 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 6/4471 Terminating devices demountable connectors G02B6/3807; Cable clamps
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4477 with means for strain-relieving to interior strengths element

Abstract

A terminal for mounting to a fiber distribution cable includes a housing having a base and a cover. The cover is connectedly engaged with the base. The terminal further includes a plurality of adapters disposed on the cover. A fiber routing tray having a top panel and a bottom panel is disposed in an interior cavity. The fiber routing tray includes a storage space defined between the top and bottom panels for storing a length of optical fiber. A method for installing a terminal includes providing a terminal having a housing defining an interior cavity. A cable is pulled from the interior cavity of the housing. The cable is spliced to a fiber distribution cable with a splice. The cable is inserted back into the interior cavity. A spliced end of the cable, a spliced end of the fiber distribution cable and the splice are inserted in a retention device.

Claims

1. A retention device for securing a fiber distribution cable to a terminal, comprising:

a base piece;

a body having a lower surface engaged with the base piece and an oppositely disposed upper surface, wherein the upper surface of the body defines a fiber passage having a recess configured to receive a splice that couples a first cable and a second cable; and

a cover piece having a top surface and a bottom surface defining a passage configured to receive the first cable and the second cable, wherein the cover piece is adapted for snap-fit engagement with the base piece such that the body is disposed between the base piece and the cover piece.

2. A retention device for securing a fiber distribution cable to a terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base piece includes longitudinal slots that engage longitudinal protrusions on the lower surface of the body.

3. A retention device for securing a fiber distribution cable to a terminal as claimed in claim 2, wherein the longitudinal slots are generally parallel to the fiber passage.

4. A retention device for securing a fiber distribution cable to a terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recess of the body is adapted to receive the splice and a crimp that couples strength members of the first cable to strength members of the second cable.

5. A retention device for securing a fiber distribution cable to a terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the body defines a plurality of adhesive recesses.

6. A retention device for securing a fiber distribution cable to a terminal as claimed in claim 5, wherein one adhesive recess is disposed on each longitudinal side of the fiber passage.

7. A retention device for securing a fiber distribution cable to a terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base piece is engaged to the terminal.

8. A retention device for securing a fiber distribution cable to a terminal as claimed in claim 7, wherein the base piece is integral with the terminal.

9. A retention device for securing a fiber distribution cable to a terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fiber passage includes a cable jacket cavity that is adapted to receive a cable jacket of the second cable.

10. A retention device for securing a fiber distribution cable to a terminal as claimed in claim 9, wherein the cable jacket cavity includes a plurality of grasping protrusions that extend outwardly from the cable jacket cavity, the grasping protrusions being adapted to aid in the retention of the second cable in the retention device.

11. A method for installing a terminal, the method comprising:

providing a terminal including a housing defining an interior cavity;

pulling a multi-fiber cable from the interior cavity;

splicing the multi-fiber cable to a fiber distribution cable with a multi-fiber splice;

inserting the multi-fiber cable back into the interior cavity of the housing; and

inserting a spliced end of the multi-fiber cable, a spliced end of the fiber distribution cable and the multi-fiber splice in a retention device.

12. A method for installing a terminal as claimed in claim 11, further comprising molding a boot over the retention device.

13. A method for installing a terminal as claimed in claim 11, wherein the multi-fiber cable is disposed in a storage space of a fiber routing tray that is disposed the interior cavity of the terminal.

14. A method for installing a terminal as claimed in claim 13, wherein the fiber routing tray defines a plurality of mounting holes adapted to receive a plurality of mounting pins of the terminal for retaining the fiber routing tray in the interior cavity.

15. A method for installing a terminal as claimed in claim 14, wherein optical fibers of the multi-fiber cable pass through a passage defined between one of the mounting pins and an adjacent sidewall of the terminal and are loosely coiled in the storage space so that the coils are interiorly disposed with respect to the mounting pins.