FIBER OPTIC ADAPTER PLATES WITH INTEGRATED FIBER OPTIC ADAPTERS

• US 20110085774A1
• Filed: 10/13/2009
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Murphy, James, Sauter, Tom, Borg, Loren, Everett, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,261,654 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/134
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3825 with an intermediate part, e.g. adapter, receptacle, linking two plugs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3865 fabricated by using moulding techniques shaping techniques of plastic materials in general B29C; producing plastic optical fiber connectors B29D11/0075
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3893 Push-pull type, e.g. snap-in, push-on
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3895 identification of connection, e.g. right plug to the right socket or full engagement of the mating parts keying element on the plug or adapter G02B6/3831; keying element on the ferrule G02B6/3851; keying element for electrical connection H01R13/64
• 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: H04Q 1/09 Frames or mounting racks not otherwise provided for

Abstract

Structures, devices and methods are provided for creating fiber optic adapter plates with integrated fiber optic adapters. In one aspect, fiber optic adapter plates having integrated fiber optic adapter subassemblies are formed from a moldable plastic. For example, a molded plastic fiber optic adapter plate can include a molded plastic adapter back plate having a plurality of integrated fiber optic adapter subassemblies and one or more attachment mechanisms that facilitate locating and attaching an adapter front plate having a corresponding plurality of integrated fiber optic adapter subassemblies on the adapter front plate. Advantages provided by integrating fiber optic adapters into the molded plastic assemblies include superior mechanical strength, manufacturing cost reductions and adapter placement flexibility among other advantages.

Claims

1. A molded plastic fiber optic adapter plate comprising:

a molded plastic adapter back plate having a plurality of integrated fiber optic adapter subassemblies;

a first attachment mechanism adapted to align and attach an adapter front plate having a corresponding plurality of integrated fiber optic adapter subassemblies; and

a second attachment mechanism adapted to attach the molded plastic fiber optic adapter plate to an enclosure.

2. The molded plastic fiber optic adapter plate of claim 1, the first attachment mechanism comprises a recessed portion of the molded plastic adapter back plate that accepts a raised mating portion of the adapter front plate.

3. The molded plastic fiber optic adapter plate of claim 1, the second attachment mechanism comprises holes on the molded plastic adapter back plate that align to corresponding portions of the enclosure.

4. The molded plastic fiber optic adapter plate of claim 1, the first attachment mechanism comprises a raised portion of the molded plastic adapter back plate that inserts into a recessed mating portion of the adapter front plate.

5. The molded plastic fiber optic adapter plate of claim 1, the first attachment mechanism comprises mating surfaces on the molded plastic adapter back plate and the adapter front plate suitable for at least one of plastic welding, heat staking, adhesive bonding, or snap fitting.

6. The molded plastic fiber optic adapter plate of claim 1, further comprising the adapter front plate.

7. The molded plastic fiber optic adapter plate of claim 6, the second attachment mechanism comprises holes on the adapter front plate that align to corresponding portions of the enclosure.

8. The molded plastic fiber optic adapter plate of claim 6, the adapter front plate further comprises labels molded into the adapter front plate.

9. The molded plastic fiber optic adapter plate of claim 6, the adapter front plate comprises colored plastic selected based on an intended usage of the plastic fiber optic adapter plate according to a color scheme.

10. The molded plastic fiber optic adapter plate of claim 6, further comprising:

at least one fiber optic cable interface component located within the adapter front plate and the adapter back plate when the adapter front plate is attached to the adapter back plate via the first attachment mechanism.

11. A method for producing a plastic fiber optic adapter plate comprising:

molding a rigid or semi-rigid material including forming a first fiber optic adapter plate having a first set of integrated fiber optic adapter subassemblies and forming a plurality of fiber optic enclosure attachment points on the first fiber optic adapter plate.

12. The method of claim 11, the molding includes at least one of molding a colored plastic based on an intended usage and a color scheme or molding labels into the first fiber optic adapter plate.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

molding another rigid or semi-rigid material including forming a molded plastic second fiber optic adapter plate for mating with the first fiber optic adapter plate and including forming a second set of integrated fiber optic adapter subassemblies as part of the molded plastic second fiber optic adapter plate corresponding to the first set of integrated fiber optic adapter subassemblies.

14. The method of claim 13, the forming includes at least one of forming a colored plastic based on an intended usage and a pre-defined color scheme or forming labels into the molded plastic second fiber optic adapter plate.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

joining the first fiber optic adapter plate and the molded plastic second fiber optic adapter plate including aligning the first set of integrated fiber optic adapter subassemblies with the second set of integrated fiber optic adapter subassemblies; and

affixing the first fiber optic adapter plate to the molded plastic second fiber optic adapter plate.

16. The method of claim 15, the affixing includes at least one of plastic welding, heat staking, adhesive bonding, or snap fitting.

17. The method of claim 15, the joining includes inserting fiber optic cable interface components between the first fiber optic adapter plate and the molded plastic second fiber optic adapter plate.

18. A fiber optic adapter plate having an array of integrated fiber optic adapters comprising:

an adapter back plate having a first array of integrated fiber optic adapter subassemblies;

an adapter front plate having a second array of integrated fiber optic adapter subassemblies arranged to match the first array; and

a mount point for mounting the fiber optic adapter plate to a fiber optic rack.

19. The fiber optic adapter plate of claim 18, the adapter back plate and the adapter front plate have a mating shoulder and corresponding recess that positions the adapter front plate relative to the adapter back plate to align the first and second arrays.

20. The fiber optic adapter plate of claim 18, the adapter back plate and the adapter front plate are each comprised of any of a set of moldable plastics configurable to join the adapter back plate and the adapter front plate via at least one of plastic welding, heat staking, adhesive bonding, or snap fitting.

21. A molded fiber optic adapter plate comprising:

a molded first adapter plate having a first plurality of integrated fiber optic adapter subassemblies;

an alignment mechanism adapted to align and attach to a second adapter plate having a second plurality of integrated fiber optic adapter subassemblies; and

an attachment mechanism adapted to attach the molded fiber optic adapter plate to an enclosure.

22. The molded fiber optic adapter plate of claim 21, the alignment mechanism comprises a recessed portion of the molded first adapter plate that accepts a raised mating portion of the second adapter plate.

23. The molded fiber optic adapter plate of claim 21, further comprising the second adapter plate.

24. The molded fiber optic adapter plate of claim 23, the alignment mechanism comprises a raised portion of the molded first adapter plate that inserts into a recessed mating portion of the second adapter plate.

25. A molded fiber optic apparatus, comprising:

first molded means for retaining a first number of integrated fiber optic adapter subassemblies;

means for aligning the first molded means to a second number of integrated fiber optic adapter subassemblies of a second molded means, the second number equal to a subset of the first number; and

means for attaching the first molded means to an enclosure.

26. A method for producing a plastic fiber optic adapter plate comprising:

molding a rigid or semi-rigid material including forming a first fiber optic adapter plate having a first set of integrated fiber optic adapter subassemblies;

molding another rigid or semi-rigid material including forming a second fiber optic adapter plate for mating with the first fiber optic adapter plate and including forming a second set of integrated fiber optic adapter subassemblies as part of the second fiber optic adapter plate corresponding to the first set of integrated fiber optic adapter subassemblies; and

joining the first fiber optic adapter plate and the second fiber optic adapter plate including aligning the first set of integrated fiber optic adapter subassemblies with the second set of integrated fiber optic adapter subassemblies.

27. The method of claim 26, the molding includes at least one of molding a colored plastic based on an intended usage and a color scheme or molding labels into the first fiber optic adapter plate.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

affixing the first fiber optic adapter plate to the second fiber optic adapter plate.

29. The method of claim 28, the affixing includes at least one of plastic welding, heat staking, adhesive bonding, or snap fitting.