Fiber optic closure with couplers and splice tray

• US 6,434,313 B1
• Filed: 10/31/2000
• Issued: 08/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corning Cable Systems LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Clapp, Donnie R. Jr., Smith, Kelly J., Strause, Kevin L., Torres, Manuel A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sircus, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zarroli, Michael C.
• Application Number:
  US09/702,627
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: 385/134, 385/135, 385/137
• 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 6/4442 Cap coupling boxes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4454 with splices

Abstract

A splice closure has a frame with an end cap on one end, the end cap having apertures for the passage of express cables and drop cables. Coupler cassettes are carried by the frame in a coupler cassette subassembly. Each coupler cassette houses a plurality of couplers. The coupler cassettes are interconnected such that a single input optical fiber entering the coupler cassette subassembly results in multiple output optical fibers leaving the coupler cassette subassembly. A splice organizer comprising a plurality of splice holders is carried by the frame exterior and adjacent to the coupler cassette subassembly for retaining splices to and from the coupler cassettes. A housing encloses the frame, coupler cassette subassembly and splice organizer. An optical fiber storage tray is located adjacent the splice organizer for storing any excess express or drop cable optical fibers that are not spliced to any of the output optical fibers of the coupler cassette subassembly.

Claims

1. A fiber optic splice closure comprising:

a frame;

an end cap at one end of the frame having apertures for the passage of a plurality of express cable optical fibers and a plurality of drop cable optical fibers;

a plurality of coupler cassettes carried by the frame in a coupler cassette subassembly, each of the coupler cassettes containing at least one coupler, the plurality of coupler cassettes connecting optical fibers such that an input optical fiber to the subassembly results in a plurality of output optical fibers from the subassembly;

a splice organizer carried by the frame and exterior of the coupler cassettes, the splice organizer comprising at least one splice holder for retaining a splice between at least one of the incoming express cable optical fibers and the input optical fiber to the subassembly and for retaining a splice between at least one of the drop cable optical fibers and at least one of the plurality of output optical fibers from the subassembly; and

a housing attached to the end cap.

2. The splice closure according to claim 1, further comprising:

an optical fiber storage tray carried by the frame adjacent the splice organizer for storing optical fibers that are not spliced to the optical fibers leading from and to the coupler cassettes.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an optical fiber storage tray carried by the frame adjacent the splice organizer for storing optical fibers, the optical fiber storage tray being mounted by a hinge and movable between a closed position overlying the splice organizer and an open position exposing the splice organizer.

4. The splice closure according to claim 1, further comprising:

an optical fiber storage tray carried by the frame adjacent the splice organizer for storing optical fibers, the optical fiber storage tray having a lid for opening and closing the tray, the optical fiber storage tray being mounted by a hinge and movable between a closed position overlying the splice organizer and an open position exposing the splice organizer.

5. The splice closure according to claim 1, further comprising:

a main splice tray defining a generally planar platform on which the coupler cassettes and the splice organizer are mounted.

6. The splice closure according to claim 1, further comprising:

a main splice tray forming a fixed part of the frame, the coupler cassettes and the splice organizer being mounted to the main tray.

7. The splice closure according to claim 1, further comprising:

a slot defined by the frame; and

a main splice tray on which the coupler cassettes and the splice organizer are mounted, the main splice tray being removably carried in the slot.

8. The splice closure according to claim 1, wherein the coupler cassettes of the subassembly are stacked one on another.

9. A splice closure comprising:

a frame;

an end cap at one end of the frame having apertures for the passage of optical fibers;

a main splice tray carried by the frame;

a plurality of coupler cassettes mounted to the main splice tray in an array overlying one another, each of the coupler cassettes housing at least one coupler for connecting a single input optical fiber entering the array to multiple output optical fibers leaving the array;

a splice organizer carried by the main splice tray adjacent the array of coupler cassettes, the splice organizer comprising a plurality of splice holders for retaining splices to and from the array;

an optical fiber storage tray mounted to the main splice tray adjacent the splice organizer for storing optical fibers, the optical fiber storage tray being mounted to the main splice tray by a hinge and movable between a closed position overlying the splice organizer and an open position exposing the splice organizer, and

a housing attached to the end cap.

10. The splice closure according to claim 9, further comprising:

a lid removably attached to the optical fiber storage tray for opening and closing the optical fiber storage tray.

11. The splice closure according to claim 9, further comprising:

a slot defined by the frame; and

wherein

the main splice tray on which the coupler cassettes and the splice organizer are mounted is removably carried in the slot.

12. The splice closure according to claim 9, wherein the main splice tray defines a generally planar platform such that the coupler cassettes and the splice organizer are located on the same splice tray within the splice closure.

13. A method for connecting a plurality of drop cable optical fibers to an express cable optical fiber in a splice closure, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) mounting at least one coupler connecting an input optical fiber to multiple output optical fibers in each of a plurality of coupler cassettes and connecting the couplers cassettes together into a subassembly so that each of the output optical fibers of one of idle coupler cassettes defines the input optical fiber of one of the other coupler cassettes;

(b) mounting the coupler cassette to a main splice tray positioned on a frame within the splice closure;

(c) splicing the express optical fiber to the input optical fiber and splicing the drop cable optical fibers to the output optical fibers; and

(d) enclosing the frame, coupler cassette and main splice tray.

14. A fiber optic splice closure comprising:

a frame;

an end cap at one end of the frame having apertures for the passage of optical fibers;

at least one coupler cassette carried by the frame, the coupler cassette containing at least one coupler that has an input optical fiber connected to a plurality of output optical fibers;

a splice organizer carried by the flame and exterior of the coupler cassette, the splice organizer comprising a plurality of splice holders for retaining splices of optical fibers to and from the coupler cassette;

an optical fiber storage tray carried by the fame adjacent the splice organizer for storing optical fibers, the optical fiber storage tray being mounted by a hinge and movable between a closed position overlying the splice organizer and an open position exposing the splice organizer; and

a housing attached to the end cap.

15. The splice closure according to claim 14, further comprising:

a main splice tray defining a generally planar platform on which the coupler cassette and the splice organizer are mounted.

16. The splice closure according to claim 14, further comprising:

a main splice tray forming a fixed part of the frame, the coupler cassette and the splice organizer being mounted to the main splice tray.

17. A fiber optic splice closure comprising:

a frame;

an end cap at one end of the frame having apertures for the passage of optical fibers;

at least one coupler cassette carried by the frame, the coupler cassette containing at least one coupler that has an input optical fiber connected to a plurality of output optical fibers;

a splice organizer carried by the frame and exterior of the coupler cassette, the splice organizer comprising a plurality of splice holders for retaining splices of optical fibers to and from the coupler cassette;

an optical fiber storage tray carried by the frame adjacent the splice organizer for storing optical fibers, the optical fiber storage tray having a lid for opening and closing the tray, the optical fiber storage tray being mounted by a hinge and movable between a closed position overlying the splice organizer and an open position exposing the splice organizer, and

a housing attached to the end cap.

18. The splice closure according to claim 17, further comprising:

a main splice tray defining a generally planar platform on which the coupler cassette and the splice organizer are mounted.

19. The splice closure according to claim 17, further comprising:

a main splice tray forming a fixed part of the fame, the coupler cassette and the splice organizer being mounted to the main splice tray.

20. A fiber optic splice closure comprising:

a frame defining a slot;

an end cap at one end of the frame having apertures for the passage of optical fibers;

at least one coupler cassette carried by the frame, the coupler cassette containing at least one coupler that has an input optical fiber connected to a plurality of output optical fibers;

a splice organizer carried by the frame and exterior of the coupler cassette, the splice organizer comprising a plurality of splice holders for retaining splices of optical fibers to and from the coupler cassette;

a main splice tray on which the coupler cassette and the splice organizer are mounted, the main splice tray being removably carried in the slot; and

a housing attached to the end cap.