Multi-media connection housing

• US 5,781,686 A
• Filed: 03/25/1997
• Issued: 07/14/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Merrow, Jack K., Newman, Peter H., Robinson, Scott T., Anderson, DeWayne J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ullah, Akm E.
• Application Number:
  US08/823,621
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• Field of Search: 385/134-137, 385/147, 439/76, 439/535, 439/540, 339/122 R
• US Class Current: 385/135
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4454 with splices

Abstract

A housing of the type for receiving telecommunication cables and multi-media connection members, wherein the housing includes a base plate with a side edge portion for supporting a plurality of multi-media connection members, a first optical fiber storage ring that is attached to the base, and a second optical fiber storage ring that is attached to the base substantially side-by-side with the first optic storage guide. The first and second optic storage guides each have a substantially cylindrical outer guide surface with a radius that is equal to or greater than the minimum bend radius of the optical fibers. The first and second optical fiber storage rings are spaced apart from each other to define a cross-over junction therebetween that is adapted to receive the optical fibers extending between the first and second fiber storage rings. An outer guidewall is selectively spaced about the first and second optical fiber storage guides to retain the optical fibers wrapped about the storage rings. The outer guidewalls have openings to receive the optical fibers into an optical fiber path about the first and second storage rings such that the optical fibers extend substantially tangentially toward the first or second optical fiber storage ring. A connection support platform is positioned in the first optical fiber storage ring, and is adapted to removably receive an electrical connector in a substantially fixed position relative to the base to facilitate a wire installation procedure.

Claims

1. A housing of the type for receiving optical fibers therein, the optical fibers being connectable to connectors, the optical fibers having a minimum bend radius to avoid signal degeneration in the optical fibers, comprising:

a base;

a first fiber-storage guide attached to the base and having first fiber support surface portions arranged to define a curvature that is greater than the minimum bend radius, the first fiber storage guide being sized to receive the optical fibers therearound to prevent the optical fibers from bending with a bend radius that is smaller than the minimum bend radius; and

a second fiber-storage guide attached to the base and having second fiber support surface portions arranged to define a curvature with a radius of curvature that is greater than the minimum bend radius, the second fiber-storage guide being sized to receive the optical fibers therearound to prevent the optical fibers from bending with a bend radius that is smaller than the minimum bend radius, the first and second fiber-storage guides being spaced apart from each other with a cross-over junction therebetween, the first and second fiber-storage guides being positioned to allow the optical fibers to selectively wrap around portions of the first and second fiber-storage guides, to pass through the cross-over junction, and to extend between the first and second fiber-storage guides without bending in a radius that is smaller than the minimum bend radius.

2. The housing of claim 1 wherein the base has an optical fiber access aperture therein exterior of the first and second fiber-storage guides, the optical fiber access aperture being sized to receive the optical fibers therethrough to allow the optical fibers to pass through the base.

3. The housing of claim 1 wherein the base has an optical fiber access aperture therein that communicates with the cross-over junction, the optical fiber access aperture being sized to receive the optical fibers therethrough to allow the optical fibers to pass through the base and into the cross-over junction.

4. The housing of claim 1 further including a plurality of retaining tabs attached to the first and second fiber-storage guides and projecting away from the first and second fiber-storage guides over the base, the retaining tabs being spaced away from the base to allow the optical fibers to pass therebetween.

5. The housing of claim 1 further including a connector support platform attached to the base, the connector support platform being shaped to removably support a selected one of the connectors in a generally fixed position relative to the base and the first fiber-storage guide.

6. The housing of claim 5 wherein the first fiber-storage guide terminates in a top edge portion spaced away from the base, and the connector support platform has a platform portion adjacent to the top edge portion.

7. The housing of claim 5 wherein the connector support platform is within the first fiber-storage guide.

8. The housing of claim 1 wherein the base has a connector receiving portion adapted to receive the connectors when the connectors are in an installed position and the optical fibers are connected to the connectors, and the housing further includes a connector support platform attached to the base at a position spaced apart from the connector receiving portion, the connector support portion being shaped to removably support a selected one of the connectors to provide access to the selected one of the connectors for connecting the optical fibers to the selected one of the connectors.

9. The housing of claim 1 further including outer guides selectively spaced about the first and second fiber-storage guides and spaced away from the cross-over junction, the outer guides having spaces therebetween to receive the optical fibers so the optical fibers pass therethrough.

10. The housing of claim 9 wherein the outer guides have curved portions, one of the curved portions being adjacent to the cross-over junction, the one curved portion having a radius of curvature that is greater than the minimum bend radius of the optical fibers.

11. The housing of claim 9 wherein the outer guides have two curved portions on opposite sides of the cross-over junction, the two curved portions extending toward the cross-over junction, each of the two curved portions having a radius of curvature that is greater than the minimum bend radius of the optical fibers.

12. The housing of claim 9 wherein the optical fibers extend substantially tangentially toward the first and second fiber storage guides, the spaces between the outer guides being positioned to receive the optical fibers therethrough as the optical fibers extend substantially tangentially toward one of the first and second fiber-storage guides without the optical fibers bending in a radius that is smaller than the minimum bend radius.

13. The housing of claim 9 further including a cable access aperture within the first fiber-storage guide, the cable access aperture being sized to receive a wire cable therethrough.

14. The housing of claim 1 further including a fiber-splicing support extending between the first and second fiber storage guides and positioned spaced away from the base adjacent to the cross-over junction.

15. The housing of claim 14 wherein the fiber-splicing support is removably connected to the first and second fiber-storage guides.

16. The housing of claim 1 further including a fiber-splicing support coupled to the base and positioned to support portions of two optical fibers in selected positions during a splicing procedure to join the two optical fibers together.

17. The housing of claim 1 wherein the first fiber support surface portions are arranged with a ring shape.

18. The housing of claim 1 wherein the first fiber support surface portions define a first fiber-storage ring, and the second fiber support surface portions define a second fiber-storage ring.

19. The housing of claim 1 further including a cover coupled to the base to cover the base and the first and second fiber-storage guides.