Connector holders and distribution frame and connector holder assemblies for optical cable

• US 5,071,211 A
• Filed: 10/18/1989
• Issued: 12/10/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siecor Technology, Inc. (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Northern Telecom Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Beaulieu, Laurence A. J., Debortoli, George, Osborne, Brian T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, John D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARNS, STEPHEN
• Application Number:
  US07/423,281
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: 350/96.20, 350/96.21, 350/96.22, 174/50, 174/52.4, 174/54, 361/338, 361/340, 361/391
• US Class Current: 385/76
• 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 6/4454 with splices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4455 characterised by the way of extraction or insertion of the cassette in the distribution frame, e.g. pivoting, sliding, rotating or gliding

Abstract

A planar connector holder for optical fibers having storage compartments for incoming fibers and a mounting region for connectors to outgoing fibers. Two storage compartments lie back-to-back on each side of a planar base of the holder, the compartments being interconnected for fiber to pass from compartment-to-compartment. The mounting region and the storage compartments are aligned from end-to-end of the holder. With connector mounts mounted in the mounting region, the mounts lie in planes common with the two storage compartments in a depth direction of the holder. Also included is a distribution frame and holder combination in which the holders are mounted in two banks with patch cords extending between the banks and selectively between connectors.

Claims

1. A planar connector holder for holding terminal connectors for optical fibers, the holder having:

a front end region, a rear end region remote from the front end region, and sides extending from the front end region to the rear end region;

a storage facility for the storage of a plurality of coiled lengths of fiber with the fiber with the fiber coils in planes of the holder, the storage facility lying between the sides of the holder;

means in the storage facility for limiting the minimum bend radius of the associated optical fiber coils;

a mounting region for a plurality of optical terminal connectors, the mounting region disposed at the front end region of the holder with the storage facility directly disposed between the mounting region and the rear end region of the holder with the mounting region comprising a plurality of connector mounting positions disposed in a series which extends, from mounting position to mounting position along the front end region of the holder for location of terminal connectors in the mounting positions with an end of each connector facing forwardly from the front end region of the holder; and

a connector guard pivotally movable into and out of a connector guarding position, in which it is located forwardly in front of the mounting region to provide a space between the guard and the mounting region for passage of optical fibers, the guard being movable from the guarding position to allow for access from a position in front of the mounting region, to said forwardly facing ends of the connectors when in their mounting positions.

2. A planar connector holder according to claim 1 wherein said holder is provided at the sides with side walls which extend longitudinally of the sides, each side wall defining an outer limit to the storage facility and having a lateral direction which extends in a depth direction of the holder normal to the plane of the holder, and each side wall is provided with longitudinally extending guide means.

3. A planar connector holder according to claim 2 wherein the storage facility has tow means for limiting the minimum bend radius of optical fiber coils, the two means being separated so as to limit the bend radius of two sets of coils with each set at a different location int he facility.

4. A planar connector holder according to either claim 1 or claim 3 having means by which a strain relieve may be applied to optical fibers or to an optical fiber carrying tube.

5. A planar connector holder according to claim 2 wherein each guide means comprises a guide rail projecting outwardly from the respective side wall.

6. A planar connector holder according to claim 2 comprising a planar base extending between front and rear end regions;

wherein the storage facility comprises a first storage compartment on one side of the base and a second storage compartment on the other side of the base, the storage compartments for storing two sets of coils of fiber, one set to each compartment, with the compartments being interconnected to enable fibers to extend along a path from one compartment to the other to be optically coupled with optical terminal connectors mounted in the mounting region, means by which strain relief may be applied to optical fibers or to a tube carrying optical fibers;

and wherein means is provided in each compartment for limiting the minimum bend radius of the associated coils with the means by which the strain relief may be applied disposed between the two bend radius limiting means along the path of the fibers;

the mounting region being interconnected with the second compartment which is disposed between the mounting region and the rear end region of the holder, the mounting region having a mounting surface for mounting terminal connectors, the mounting surface extending along the front end region of the holder and having location and retaining means for locating and retaining terminal connectors in the mounting positions; and

the mounting surface lying on one side of the general plane of the base and facing towards the general plane of the base.

7. A planar connector holder according to claim 6 wherein said location and retaining means comprises a plurality of location grooves formed in the mounting surface, the grooves oriented to extend towards the rear end region, while being spaced along the front end region of the holder.

8. A planar connector holder according to claim 7 wherein the mounting region comprises a recess lying to said one side of the base and extending along the front end region of the holder with the mounting surface forming a base surface of the recess, the location and retaining means also comprising two opposing side surfaces of the recess with one of the side surfaces overhanging the mounting surface.

9. A planar connector holder according to claim 6 wherein the holder comprises a main body and a front portion which is detachably mountable upon the main body, the front portion having the mounting region for the connectors.

10. A planar connector holder according to claim 6 provided with an optical fiber splice block which is disposed, laterally of the holder, at one side of the second storage compartment and the splice block is also disposed between the side walls and directly between the mounting region and the rear end region of the holder.

11. A planar connector holder according to claim 1 wherein at the mounting region there is provided a mounting surface for mounting terminal connectors, the mounting surface extending along the front end region of the holder and having location and retaining means for locating and retaining terminal connectors in mounting positions.

12. A planar connector holder according to claim 11 wherein said location and retaining means comprises a plurality of location grooves formed in the mounting surface, extending towards the rear end region and laterally spaced along the front end region of the holder.

13. A planar connector holder according to claim 11 wherein the mounting region comprises a recess extending along the front end region of the holder with the mounting surface forming a base surface of the recess, the location and retaining means also comprising two opposing side surfaces of the recess with one of the side surfaces overhanging the mounting surface.

14. A planar connector holder according to claim 1 provided with a plurality of optical terminal connectors detachably mounted in the mounting region and disposed laterally of one another along the front end region of the holder with each connector having a rear end facing towards the rear end region of the holder and a front end facing outwardly from the front end region of the holder and a group of optical fibers extending in coiled lengths in the storage facility, each of the fibers optically coupled to the rear end of a respective optical connector mounted in the mounting region.

15. A planar connector holder according to claim 1 wherein the connector guard defines an access at a side of the guard for passage of optical fibers into the space.

16. A method of optically coupling a group of incoming optical fibers to optical terminal connectors and locating the fibers and connectors in a distribution frame having a front and a rear comprising:

directing the group of fibers to cause it to extend from the frame to a planar connector holder for optical terminal connectors, the holder disposed in a position spaced from the distribution frame and having front and rear end regions remote from each other;

at a position spaced from ends of the fibers in the group, disposing the group of fibers in a fixed location on the holder by passing the group through a strain relief to provide end portions of the fibers extending from one side of the strain relief and lengths of the group of fibers extending from the other side of the strain relief to the distribution frame;

optically coupling ends of the fibers of the group to the optical connectors;

mounting the connectors in an array disposed along the front end region of the holder and in the plane of the holder;

forming the fiber extending from the connectors into coils in a storage facility of the holder, the storage facility disposed directly between the array of connectors and the rear end region of the holder;

moving the holder towards the distribution frame while forming the lengths of the group extending form the strain relief to the distribution frame into coils in the storage facility;

and moving the holder into a receiving station in the distribution frame with the front end region of the holder at the front of the frame.

17. A method according to claim 16 comprising forming the fibers extending from the connectors into coils in a first storage compartment of the storage facility;

passing said lengths extending from the strain relief to the distribution frame to a second storage compartment of the storage facility and forming said lengths into coils in said second storage compartment.

18. A method according to claim 17 comprising directing the group of fibers to the holder with the group contained within a tube and with a length of tube containing said length of fibers extending from the strain relief to the frame, securing a portion of the tube in the strain relief with said end portions of fibers extending from the tube, and passing the length of tube to the second storage compartment and forming said length of tube into coils in the second storage compartment to form the coils of the lengths of the group of fibers in the second compartment.

19. A method according to claim 18 wherein, after securing the tube into the strain relief, the method comprises:

splicing end s of said end portions of the incoming fibers to ends of pigtail fibers of pigtails which also have the optical terminal connectors at the other ends of the pigtail fibers;

and forming the pigtail fibers and the end portions of the incoming fibers into coils in the first storage compartment and mounting the connectors in the array before moving the holder towards the distribution frame and forming the tube into coils in the second compartment.

20. A method according to claim 16 wherein the distribution frame comprises two bands of receiving stations, the method comprising:

optically coupling a plurality of groups of incoming fibers to optical connectors in a plurality of the holders forming a first set of holders;

moving the holders of the first set into respective receiving stations in one bank in the frame;

coupling a plurality of distribution optical fibers to optical connectors in a plurality of the holders forming a second set of holders;

moving the holders of the second set into respective receiving stations in the other bank in the frame;

and selectively optically coupling individual connectors of one set with individual connectors of the other set by means of patch cords extending into a channel disposed between the banks of receiving stations.

21. A method according to claim 20 comprising:

passing each end of each patch cord outwardly from its respective holder by causing it to emerge from a face of the set of holders which is directed towards the channel and towards the other set of holders;

disposing each patch cord towards the rear of the distribution frame and at each side of the channel by locating it through a corralling ring at the side of the channel;

and causing an excess length of each patch cord to hang in a loop in the channel over a loop forming bracket rearwardly in the frame of the corralling ring.

22. A planar connector holder for holding terminal connectors for optical fibers, the holder having:

a front end region, a rear end region remote from the front end region and side walls extending from the front end region to the rear end region;

a mounting region for a plurality of optical terminal connectors, the mounting region disposed at the front end region of the holder and comprising a plurality of connector mounting positions disposed in a series which extends, from mounting position to mounting position along the front end region of the holder for location of terminal connectors in the mounting positions with an end of each connector facing forwardly from the front end region of the holder;

a storage facility for the storage of a plurality of coiled lengths of fiber in planes of the holder, the storage facility comprising a first storage compartment and a second storage compartment for storing two sets of coils of fiber, one set to each compartment, with the side walls defining outer limits to each storage compartment, the first storage compartment being provided for storage of a tube containing incoming optical fibers and comprising a tube retainer which is movable between an inner operative position to prevent removal of coils of tube from within the first storage compartment and an outward position to permit removal of coils, the first and second storage compartments being interconnected by an interconnecting channel, an inlet being provided to the first storage compartment, and the mounting region interconnected with the second compartment which is disposed between the mounting region and the rear end region of the holder;

and means in the storage facility for limiting the minimum bend radius of he associated coils.

23. A planar connector holder according to claim 22 wherein the inlet is disposed adjacent the mounting region.

24. A planar connector holder according to claim 22 wherein the inlet to the first storage compartment is formed in a side wall of the holder and is open at an edge of the side wall.

25. A planar connector holder according to claim 24 wherein the interconnecting channel between the first and second storage compartment opens at the far end region of the holder.

26. An apparatus, comprising, in combination:

a plurality of planar connector holders for connecting a plurality of groups of incoming optical fibers of an incoming optical fiber cable to outgoing optical fibers, each aid holder having;

front and rear end regions remote from each other and sides extending from the front to the rear end regions;

a storage facility for the storage of a plurality of coiled lengths of incoming fiber with the fiber coils in planes of the older, the storage facility lying between the sides of the holder;

means in the storage facility for limiting the minimum bend radius of the associated coils; and

a mounting region for a plurality of optical terminal connectors, the mounting region disposed at the front end region of the holder with the storage facility directly disposed between the mounting region and the rear end region of the holder, the mounting region contained between the sides and mounting said optical terminal connectors in an array along the front end region of the holder and in the plane of the holder, each of said terminal connector being oriented with one end facing forwardly at the front end region of the holder so as to be accessible from said front end region and such that outgoing optical fibers attached to said one ends of said connectors extend generally in a forward direction, the terminal connectors also having rearwardly facing ends optically connected to the incoming fibers; and

a frame having a front and a rear and having a plurality of holder receiving stations extending from said front to said rear, each said receiving station having front access for slidably receiving an associated holder to support said associated holder in a first position fully received in said receiving station with said rear end region of the associated holder in the rear of said frame and the front end region of the associated holder in the front of said frame, a second position slidably displaced form said first position in which said associated holder front end region protrudes slightly from said front for facilitating access to said terminal connectors from the front of said frame, and a third position slidably displaced form said second position in which said associated holder front end region protrudes further form said front to facilitate access to said mounting region.

27. A combination according to claim 26 wherein the groups of incoming optical fibers extends one to each receiving station and to the holder in said receiving station and for each holder:

the storage facility comprises a first storage compartment and a second storage compartment, the compartments being interconnected;

means is provided in each compartment for limiting the minimum bend radius of the associated coils; and

the associated group of incoming optical fibers extends in coiled form around the minimum bend radius limiting means in the first compartment, passes through a strain relief and is then optically coupled to the optical terminal connectors by optical fiber coils extending around the minimum bend radius limiting means in the second compartment.

28. A combination according to claim 27 wherein each holder has a holder base extending between the front and rear end regions in the plane of the holder with the compartments being spaced apart one on each side of the holder base and opposed to one another in a depth direction normal to the plane of the holder.

29. A combination according to claim 28 wherein each holder is provided with a plurality of connector mounts with each optical terminal connector held by an individual mount, and wherein at the mounting region there is provided a mounting surface extending along the front end region of the holder and having location and retaining means for locating and retaining the terminal connectors in their mounts in specific locations, said location and retaining means providing the mounting positions and positioning and retaining the individual mounts in the mounting positions.

30. A combination according to claim 29 wherein each holder base is generally planar and the mounting surface lies on one side of the general plane of the holder base and faces towards the general plane of the base with the connector mounts overlapping the two compartments in the depth direction of the holder.

31. A combination according to claim 30 wherein the location and retaining means of each holder comprises a plurality of location grooves formed in the mounting surface and extending towards the rear end region and laterally spaced along the front end region of the holder and each connector mount has one surface provided with at least one groove engaging projection for locating the mount in a desired position along the mounting surface.

32. A combination according to claim 31 wherein, in each holder, the mounting region comprises a recess extending along the front end region of the holder with the mounting surface forming a base surface of the recess, the location and retaining means also comprising two opposing side surfaces of the recess with one of the side surfaces overhanging the mounting surface, and each connector mount extends across the mounting surface to engage both side surfaces while extending between the overhang and the mounting surface to retain the connector mount in its mounting position.

33. A combination according to claim 28 wherein each holder is provided with an optical fiber splice block which is disposed, laterally of the holder, to one side of the second compartment, an the splice block is also disposed directly between the mounting region and the rear end region of the holder, and wherein the connectors each form part of a pigtail having a pigtail optical fiber extending from the connector and each incoming optical fiber extends to and is spliced in the splice block to a respective pigtail optical fiber which extends in coiled form around the second compartment.

34. A combination according to claim 33 wherein each group of incoming optical fibers is contained within a tubular member of the incoming optical cable and each tubular member extends in coiled form around the minimum bend radius limiting means in the first compartment, passes through and is held by the strain relief and the incoming optical fibers then extend from an end of the tube into the second compartment and are spliced in the splice block to their respective pigtail optical fibers.

35. A combination according to claim 27 wherein each holder comprises a main body and a front portion which is detachably mountable on the main body, the front portion having the mounting region for the connectors.

36. A combination according to claim 27 wherein each group of incoming optical fibers is contained within a tubular member of the incoming optical cable and each tubular member extends in coiled form around the minimum bend radius limiting means in the first compartment, passes through and is held by the strain relief and the incoming optical fibers then extend from an end of the tube into the second compartment.

37. A combination according to claim 27 wherein the holder receiving stations are provided in two side-by-side banks with the holder receiving stations in each bank lying side-by-side an the incoming optical fibers extend to receiving stations in each row.

38. A combination according to claim 27 wherein said plurality of holder receiving stations are disposed side-by-side in a first bank with the plurality of connector holders disposed within the first bank of receiving stations being a first set of holders, the combination also comprising another plurality of side-by-side holder receiving stations disposed in a second bank with the two bank parallel, and another plurality of the planar connector holders providing a second set disposed within the receiving stations of the second bank and a plurality of groups of distribution optical fibers extending one group to each of the holder receiving stations of the second bank;

wherein in each holder of the second set the first storage compartment houses a corresponding group of distribution optical fibers in coiled form with the coils in planes parallel to the plane of the holder and the distribution optical fibers are optically coupled to a plurality of optical terminal connectors mounted in the mounting region of the holder of the second set; and

wherein the outgoing fibers are provided by patch cords which extend selectively from optical terminal connectors of the first set of holders to optical terminal connectors of the second set of holders.

39. A combination according to claim 38 wherein, each holder of each set is provided with an optical fiber splice block which is disposed, laterally of the holder, to one side of the second compartment, and each splice block is also disposed directly between the mounting region and the rear end region of its respective holder and wherein, in each set of holders, the optical connectors each form part of a pigtail having a pigtail optical fiber extending from the connector with the pigtail optical fibers extending in coiled form around their respective second storage compartments, the pigtail optical fibers in the first set of the holders being spliced in corresponding splice blocks to respective incoming optical fibers and the pigtails in the second set of holders being spliced in corresponding splice blocks to respective distribution optical fibers.

40. A combination according to claim 38 wherein the two banks of receiving stations are horizontally spaced apart to provide a forwardly opening vertical storage channel for fiber between the hanks and the patch cords extending from the one set to the other set of holders pass into the storage channel and a patch cord positioning and control means is provided within the channel and which holds and contains the patch cords in the channel.

41. A combination according to claim 40 wherein each set of holders has a face facing laterally away from the other set and outwardly of the frame, and another face directed towards the channel and towards the other set and the patch cords emerge from the holders by extending from said another face.

42. A combination according to claim 41 wherein the patch cord positioning and control means comprises a convex surface member disposed at each side of the channel;

and extending along each bank of holder receiving stations, open-sided corralling hooks at each side of the channel and rearwardly of the frame with regard to the convex surface members, and patch cord loop forming brackets extending partly across the channel and rearwardly of the corralling hooks;

the patch cords extending from said other faces, around the convex surface members to provide a minimum bend radius to the patch cords, through the corralling hooks into the channel and then over the patch cord loop forming brackets with excess lengths of the patch cords hanging as loops over the brackets.

43. A combination according to claim 26 wherein each holder comprises a guide rail projecting away from each side of the holder and at each side of the respective receiving station the frame has a guide channel for slidably receiving the guide rail.

44. A combination according to claim 43 wherein, in respect of each holder, a releasable latch is provided on the frame at each side of the respective receiving station, the latch engageable alternatively in either of two spaced recesses formed in the associated guide rail, said alternative engagement being dependent upon the location of the holder in the frame, and said releasable latch being releasable from either recess upon application of a load to slidably move the holder.

45. A combination according to claim 26 wherein each older comprises a connector guard movable into and out of a connector guarding position, in which it is located spaced forwardly in front of the mounting region and, with each holder in its first position, the respective guard is in its guarding position and, with each holder in its second position, the respective guard is movable into and out of its guarding position, the guard when out of the guarding position allowing for access from a position in front of the mounting region to said forwardly facing ends of the connectors.

46. A planar connector holder according to claim 45 wherein with each holder in its first position, the connector guards are all in their guarding positions and the connector guards collectively from a substantially continuous connector guard wall at the front of the frame.

47. An optical fiber distribution frame and connector holder combination comprising:

a distribution frame having a front and a rear and providing a first and second vertical banks of holder receiving stations with access at the front of the frame for insertion of each holder into a respective station, the first and second banks horizontally spaced apart to provide a forwardly opening vertical storage channel for fiber between the banks;

a plurality of connector holders, each holder for holding optical terminal connectors for optical fibers and comprising a plurality of mounting positions for optical terminal connectors, the mounting positions disposed in a series which extends from mounting position to mounting position along a front end region of the holder with optical terminal connectors located in the mounting positions and with one end of each connector facing forwardly from the front end region of the holder, the holders being slidably insertable into and removable from the receiving stations of the first and second banks without impinging upon the storage channel and with each older in the receiving station, the forward end region of each connector faces forwardly from the front of the distribution frame;

a plurality of groups of optical fibers which extend one group to each holder in each bank of receiving stations with the fibers in each group stored in coils in a storage facility in a corresponding holder and optically connected to the other ends of the connectors which face rearwardly of the holder;

and other fibers which are optically connected to the forward facing ends of the connectors in the two banks and extend into the storage channel between the two banks.

48. A combination according to claim 47 provided with means for locating each holder in a fully operative location in the respective receiving station and an access location forwardly of the operative location to allow for access to the mounting positions of the holder, from the front of the frame.

49. A combination according to claim 47 wherein said plurality of groups of optical fibers comprising a plurality of groups of incoming optical fibers extending one group to each holder int eh first bank of receiving stations, and a plurality of groups of outgoing optical fibers extending one group to each holder in the second bank of receiving stations, the other fibers are provided by patch cords each of which extends from an individual optical connector in a holder in the first bank to an individual optical connector in a holder in a second bank of receiving stations, and a patch cord positioning means is provided to position excess lengths of patch cord in the storage channel, each excess length of patch cord being supported by the positioning means to hang as a loop in the storage channel.

50. A combination according to either claim 47 or claim 49 wherein the distribution frame has stowage for the plurality of groups of optical fibers, the stowage extending alongside the banks of holder receiving stations and being accessible for insertion of the groups of fibers from the front of the frame.

51. A combination according to claim 50 wherein each connector holder has an inlet to its storage facility, the inlet being disposed adjacent to the mounting positions so as to face towards the stowage when the holder is in its receiving station.