RAPID DEPLOYMENT INDEXING TERMINAL ARRANGEMENT

• US 20160238810A1
• Filed: 02/18/2016
• Published: 08/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Commscope Technologies Australia Pty Ltd. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADC Communications (Australia) Pty Limited (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.), Commscope Connectivity Australia Pty Ltd. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hubbard, Paul David, Oxlee, Wesley Edward
• Granted Patent: US 10,033,463 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3897 Connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards G02B6/44528 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/445 with lateral pivoting cover
• 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 6/4472 Manifolds
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25 Arrangements specific to fibre transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25753 Distribution optical network, e.g. between a base station and a plurality of remote units

Abstract

A fiber optic distribution terminal includes a cable spool rotatably disposed within an enclosure; an optical power splitter and a termination region carried by the cable spool; an optical cable deployable from the enclosure by rotating the cable spool by pulling on a connectorized end of the optical cable; and splitter pigtails extending between the optical power splitter and the termination region. One fiber of the optical cable extending between the connectorized end and the splitter input. The other fibers of the optical cable extend to a multi-fiber adapter.

Claims

1. A fiber optic distribution terminal comprising:

an enclosure including a base and a cover that is moveable relative to the base between an open position and a closed position, the enclosure defining a first cable port, a second cable port, and a plurality of subscriber ports;

a cable spool disposed within the enclosure and being configured to rotate relative to the enclosure;

an optical power splitter carried by the cable spool so that the optical power splitter rotates in unison with the cable spool relative to the enclosure; and

a termination region carried by the cable spool so that the termination region rotates in unison with the cable spool relative to the enclosure, the termination region including a plurality of single-fiber optical adapters and a multi-fiber optical adapter, each of the single-fiber optical adapters defining an adapter port that faces one of the subscriber ports of the enclosure, and the multi-fiber optical adapter defining an adapter port that faces the second cable port.

2. The fiber optic distribution terminal of claim 1, further comprising a first optical cable extending from a first end to a second end, the first optical cable being wrapped around the cable spool, the first optical cable extending through the first cable port so that the first end is disposed external of the enclosure, the second end of the first optical cable being routed to the termination region.

3. The fiber optic distribution terminal of claim 2, wherein a first optical fiber of the first optical cable is separated from a remainder of the optical fibers of the first optical cable at the second end of the first optical cable, wherein the first optical fiber is directed to an input of the optical power splitter, which splits optical signals carried over the first optical fiber onto a plurality of splitter pigtails.

4. The fiber optic distribution terminal of claim 3, wherein connectorized ends of the splitter pigtails are received at the single-fiber optical adapters.

5. The fiber optic distribution terminal of claim 3, wherein a multi-fiber optical connector terminates the remainder of the optical fibers of the first optical cable, and wherein the multi-fiber optical connector is received at the multi-fiber adapter.

6. The fiber optic distribution terminal of claim 1, wherein the cable ports are sealed with a gasket when the base and cover are disposed in the closed position.

7. The fiber optic distribution terminal of claim 6, wherein the gasket includes a first portion mounted to the base and a second portion mounted to the cover.

8. The fiber optic distribution terminal of claim 1, wherein the enclosure is configured to be mounted to a wall.

9. The fiber optic distribution terminal of claim 1, further comprising cable management structures carried by the cable spool so that the cable management structure rotate in unison with the cable spool relative to the enclosure.

10. A fiber distribution system comprising:

a network access node receiving a network cable from a fiber optic network;

a plurality of distribution terminals mounted at separate locations remote from the network access node; and

a plurality of optical cables routed between the network access node and the distribution terminals so that optical signals carried by the network cable are carried to each of the distribution terminals along a first path in a first indexing direction and along a second path in a second indexing direction, wherein at least some of the optical cables are paid out from the distribution terminals and wherein excess length of the optical cables are stored in the distribution terminals.

11. The fiber distribution system of claim 10, wherein the network access node includes a fiber distribution hub.

12. The fiber distribution system of claim 10, wherein the network access node is disposed in a basement of a multi-story building, and wherein the distribution terminals are deployed at the various stories in the building.

13. The fiber distribution system of claim 10, wherein the network access node and the distribution terminals are disposed on a common floor in an office environment, each of the distribution terminals being spaced from each other and from the network access node.

14. The fiber distribution system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the distribution terminals includes a cable spool disposed in an enclosure, the cable spool being rotatable relative to the enclosure to payout the respective optical cable, the cable spool also being configured to store any excess length of the respective optical cable.

15. The fiber distribution system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the distribution terminals includes an optical power splitter that splits optical signals onto a plurality of splitter pigtails that are plugged into a plurality of optical adapters within the distribution terminal.

16. The fiber distribution system of claim 15, further comprising a plurality of subscriber fibers that enter the enclosure and plug into the optical adapters to optically couple to the splitter pigtails.

17. The fiber distribution system of claim 16, wherein the enclosure is environmentally sealed even when the subscriber fibers are extending through the enclosure.

18. A fiber optic distribution terminal comprising:

an enclosure defining a first cable port, a second cable port, and a plurality of subscriber ports;

a cable spool disposed within the enclosure and being configured to rotate relative to the enclosure;

an optical power splitter carried by the cable spool so that the optical power splitter rotates in unison with the cable spool relative to the enclosure;

an optical cable wrapped around the cable spool, the optical cable including a plurality of optical fibers, first ends of the optical fibers being terminated at a first optical connector, a second end of a first of the optical fibers being routed to a splitter input, and second ends of others of the optical fibers being terminated at a second optical connector, wherein the others of the optical fibers are indexed between the first and second optical connectors;

a termination region carried by the cable spool so that the termination region rotates in unison with the cable spool relative to the enclosure, the termination region including a plurality of single-fiber optical adapters and a multi-fiber optical adapter, each of the single-fiber optical adapters defining an adapter port that faces one of the subscriber ports of the enclosure, and the multi-fiber optical adapter defining an adapter port that faces the second cable port, the multi-fiber optical adapter receiving the second optical connector; and

a plurality of splitter pigtails extending between the optical power splitter and the single-fiber optical adapters.

19. The fiber optic distribution terminal of claim 18, further comprising a second input fiber extending between the optical splitter and the second optical connector.

20. The fiber optic distribution terminal of claim 18, wherein the cable ports and subscriber ports are environmentally sealed.