Optical fiber distribution center

• US 5,420,958 A
• Filed: 07/15/1994
• Issued: 05/30/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 3M Company
• Original Assignee: 3M Company
• Inventors: Piekarczyk, Anthony J., Meis, Michael A., Henson, Gordon D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bovernick, Rodney B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ngo, John
• Application Number:
  US08/276,211
• Time in Patent Office: 319 Days
• Field of Search: 350/96.2, 350/96.21, 385/135, 385/70, 385/71, 385/72, 385/83, 385/84
• US Class Current: 385/135
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3806 Semi-permanent connections, i.e. wherein the mechanical means keeping the fibres aligned allow for removal of the fibres dismountable connectors G02B6/3807
• 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 compact optical fiber distribution center has a housing provided by a pair of stackable containers. One container encloses a fiber connector zone in which a plurality of card-like modules are slidably mounted, normally aligned in single file, and each extending vertically when the distribution center is in use. The other container has a jumper routing zone at the front, a fiber routing zone at the rear, and an intermediate fiber storage zone which is divided by partitions, each of which is aligned with a space between adjacent modules. Each module carries a row of optical fiber connectors. At one side of the housing, the rear ends of the connectors can be connected to optical fibers of one or more feeder cables, and at the other side, the rear ends can be connected to optical fibers of one or more distribution cables. The front ends of the connectors at said one side can be connected by optical fiber jumpers to the front ends of connectors at said other side, thus interconnecting any feeder fiber with any distribution fiber. Easy access to the connectors is afforded by sliding individual modules out of the single file toward a front or a rear opening in the housing, which openings are closable by hinged doors.

Claims

1. An optical fiber distribution center comprising:

a housing enclosing a fiber connector zone and a fiber storage zone, which housing is formed with a front opening in the fiber connector and a rear opening in said fiber connector zone,

a plurality of modules,

means for mounting the modules in the housing within said fiber connector zone and for moving each module individually through said front opening and through said rear opening,

a plurality of optical fiber connectors mounted on each module, each connector having front and rear ends, each front end being for receiving an optical fiber jumper that is also connected to another front end and each rear end being for receiving an optical fiber that runs through the fiber storage area and a fiber exit.

2. An optical fiber distribution center as defined in claim 1 wherein said housing comprises a pair of containers of equal size, one including said fiber connector zone and the other, said fiber storage zone.

3. An optical fiber distribution center as defined in claim 2 wherein the containers are rectangular and can be stacked in pairs.

4. An optical fiber distribution center as defined in claim 2 wherein the container that includes said fiber connector zone further includes means for slidably mounting the modules and a door for closing said front opening.

5. An optical fiber distribution center as defined in claim 1 wherein the modules are card-like and extend substantially vertically when the distribution center is in use.

6. An optical fiber distribution center as defined in claim 5 wherein the connectors of each module are in a vertical row on one side of the module.

7. An optical fiber distribution center as defined in claim 6 wherein the fiber storage zone is subdivided by fixed partitions, each approximately aligned with a space between adjacent card-like modules.

8. An optical fiber distribution center as defined in claim 7 and further comprising a plurality of flexible routing tubes and a group of optical fibers extending from the rear ends of the connectors of each module through one of the routing tubes and emerging in the fiber storage zone between two adjacent partitions.

9. An optical fiber distribution center as defined in claim 8 and further comprising a plurality of optical fiber jumpers, each connected between the front end of a connector of one module and the front end of a connector of another module.

10. An optical fiber distribution center as defined in claim 9 wherein the housing encloses a jumper routing zone at which is mounted a jumper retainer including means for separately retaining each group of jumpers connected to a module.

11. An optical fiber distribution center as defined in claim 10 wherein the jumper retainer is formed with a slot adjacent each module and means for releasably securing in each slot a plurality of optical fiber jumpers of said module in a group.

12. An optical fiber distribution center as defined in claim 11 wherein the length of each jumper is selected to create an easy slack loop through the jumper routing zone between two slots.

13. An optical fiber distribution center as defined in claim 12 wherein the housing is open at the front of the jumper routing zone for easy access to the jumper retainer, and contains a flexible trough for receiving said slack loops.

14. An optical fiber distribution center comprising:

a housing comprising a connector container and a stackable storage container, each container being formed with a front opening and a rear opening, the storage container having a pair of sidewalls, each formed with a fiber exit,

a plurality of card-like modules,

means for slidably mounting each module in the connector container to be normally aligned in single file and individually slidable through either of the front and rear openings of the connector container,

a row of connectors mounted on one side of each module, each connector having a front end adjacent said front opening and a rear end adjacent said rear opening of the connector container and including means for mechanically optically connecting an optical fiber to each rear end and an optical fiber jumper to each front end,

a fixed partition mounted in the storage container in approximate alignment with each space between adjacent card-like modules when the containers are stacked, the spaces between the partitions defining a fiber storage zone, there being a space between the partitions and the rear opening of the storage container to provide a fiber routing zone,

a flexible routing tube mounted to extend between each module and the space between adjacent partitions, which space is approximately aligned with the connectors of said module,

an elongated fiber retainer extending across the fiber routing zone close to the fiber storage zone, which retainer is formed with a plurality of slots, each slot including means for releasably securing a group of optical fibers from one flexible routing tube,

means partitioning the storage container to provide a jumper routing zone adjacent the front opening of the storage container, and

an elongated jumper retainer extending across the jumper routing zone, which retainer is formed with a plurality of slots, each including means for releasably securing a group of said optical fiber jumpers from one module.

15. An optical fiber distribution center as defined in claim 14 and further comprising a group of optical fibers extending from the rear ends of the connectors of each module through one of the routing tubes and in slack loops through the fiber storage zone between two adjacent partitions to a slot of said elongated fiber retainer, and fanning out in gentle curves to one of said fiber exits.

16. An optical fiber distribution center as defined in claim 14 and further comprising a plurality of optical fiber jumpers, each connected between the front end of a connector of one module and the front end of a connector of another module, all of the jumpers that are connected at one module being releasably secured in one slot of said jumper retainer.

17. An optical fiber distribution center as defined in claim 16 wherein each jumper is from 0.75 to 1.5 mm in diameter.