Optical fiber organizing tray

• US 5,796,908 A
• Filed: 09/11/1996
• Issued: 08/18/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fitel USA Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Vicory, William Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Palmer, Phan T.H.
• Application Number:
  US08/712,504
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• Field of Search: 385/135, 385/136, 385/137, 385/138, 385/139
• US Class Current: 385/135
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/2804 forming multipart couplers without wavelength selective elements, e.g. "T" couplers, star couplers
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4454 with splices

Abstract

An optical fiber organizing tray for holding and protecting optical fibers and modular components connected thereto and adapted to be mounted in an enclosure, is symmetrical about both longitudinal and transverse axes. The tray has a centrally located hub member about which fibers are to be wound extending from a substantially planar floor. A peripheral wall extends about the floor member, spaced from the hub member and has spaced keeper bars extending from the wall on one side of the floor to the wall on the other side of the floor. First and second pairs of spaced walls extending higher than the peripheral wall and spaced from the hub member provide storage space for the modular components.

Claims

1. An optical fiber organizing tray for holding and protecting optical fibers typified by having a critical bend radius and modular components connected thereto, said tray comprising:

a base member having a substantially planar surface floor and first and second ends;

a peripheral wall having a first height extending around the periphery of said floor and defining a fiber containing space;

a hub member approximately centrally located on said floor, said hub member having at least a first curved portion whose radius of curvature is greater than the critical bend radius of the optical fibers;

a first pair of spaced upstanding walls having a second height on a first side of said hub member and spaced therefrom;

a second pair of spaced upstanding walls having a second height on a second side of said hub member opposite said first side and spaced therefrom;

each of said first and second pairs of walls defining a module containing space extending beyond the height of said peripheral wall;

said tray having a longitudinal centerline and being symmetrical relative thereto;

mounting means on said hub displayed from the longitudinal centerline of said tray; and

wherein the second height is being greater than the height of the first height.

2. An optical fiber organizing tray as claimed in claim 1 and further including a first keeper bar extending across said tray from one side thereof to the other.

3. An optical fiber organizing tray as claimed in claim 2 and further including a second keeper bar extending across said tray from one side thereof to the other.

4. An optical fiber organizing tray as claimed in claim 3 wherein said first and second keeper bars are spaced from said floor of said base member.

5. An optical fiber organizing tray as claimed in claim 4 wherein each of said keeper bars are located between said hub and one end of said base member.

6. An optical fiber organizing tray as claimed in claim 1 wherein said mounting means comprises first and second bore in said hub spaced from each other said bores being offset from the longitudinal centerline on opposite sides thereof.

7. An optical fiber organizing tray for mounting in a splitter module protection enclosure, said tray comprising:

an elongated substantially planar floor member having first and second ends and first and second sides, said floor being symmetrical about a longitudinal center line and a transverse center line;

a peripheral wall member extending around the periphery of said floor member and extending to a first height above the plane thereof;

an elongated hub member approximately centrally located on said floor member having first and second sides, said hub having first and second radiused ends wherein the radius of curvature is greater than the critical bend radius of the optical fiber;

a first pair of spaced upstanding walls having a second height on the first side of said floor member and spaced from a side of said hub member;

a second pair of spaced upstanding walls having a second height on the second side of said floor member and spaced from the second side of said hub member, the second height of said first pair of spaced walls and of said second pair of spaced walls being greater than the height of said peripheral wall member;

a first keeper bar extending from said peripheral wall member on the first side of said floor member to said peripheral wall member on the second side of said floor member;

said first and second keeper bars being affixed to said peripheral wall member and spaced from said floor member; and

means in said hub member for mounting said tray to the splitter module protection enclosure.

8. An optical fiber organizing tray as claimed in claim 7 wherein said means for mounting comprises a first bore in said hub member located on one side of the longitudinal centerline and spaced therefrom and spaced from the transverse centerline and a second bore in said hub member located on the other side of the longitudinal centerline from said first bore and spaced therefrom and located on the opposite side of the transverse centerline from said first bore and spaced therefrom.

9. An optical fiber organizing tray as claimed in claim 8 wherein said first and second bores are spaced equidistantly from the longitudinal centerline.

10. An optical fiber organizing tray as claimed in claim 9 wherein said first and second bores are spaced equidistantly from the transverse centerline.

11. An optical fiber organizing tray as claimed in claim 8 wherein said hub member has a hollow space on the underside thereof and each of said bores extends through a boss extending in said hollow space.

12. An optical fiber organizing tray as claimed in claim 8 wherein said floor member has first and second transversely extending slots therein.

13. An optical fiber organizing tray as claimed in claim 12 wherein each of said slots underlies one of said keeper bars.

14. An optical fiber organizing tray as claimed in claim 13 wherein each of said slots is substantially coextensive with its corresponding keeper bar.