Optical connector retainer panel and system

• US 6,526,210 B1
• Filed: 06/27/2000
• Issued: 02/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Harrison, Carl G., Hoyl, Bradley S., Smart, Denise L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Lynn D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WEBB, BRIAN SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US09/604,355
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• Field of Search: 385/134, 385/147, 385/59
• US Class Current: 385/134
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3825 with an intermediate part, e.g. adapter, receptacle, linking two plugs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3897 Connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards G02B6/44528 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/44528 Patch-cords; Connector arrangements in the system or in the box routing arrangements H04Q1/00

Abstract

A connector retainer panel provides a number of openings for connector adapters, where the number of openings is an integer power of 2. Each of the adapters is any type of optical adapter that mates two connectors. The connector adapters are placed within the panel in a vertical orientation, in a side-by-side relation to one another. Mounting holes may be provided in order to attach the connector adapters to the panel. Additional mounting holes may be provided to mount the retainer panel to a chassis. Within a chassis, multiple retainer panels are provided in a top-to-bottom orientation.

Claims

1. A connector retainer panel for use in fiber optic communications, comprising:

a planar frame having a front surface and a back surface;

the fame defining a plural number of adapter openings, the plural number being a positive integer power of 2 and corresponding to a register size of a hardware and a software structure for use in controlling and monitoring said fiber optic communications;

each of the adapter openings being adapted to releasably receive at least one connector adapter in a vertical orientation, the at least one connector adapter being selected from a plurality of types of connector adapters, each of the plurality of types of connector adapters having one or more sets of two ports, each port being adapted to releasably secure a set of first and second mating connectors; and

the adapter openings being disposed within the frame in a side-by-side orientation.

2. The panel recited in claim 1, wherein:

the frame further comprises an upper frame portion and a lower frame portion; and

the frame further defines a plurality of mounting holes, one mounting hole being defined along the upper frame portion to correspond to each of the at least one connector adapter, one mounting hole being defined along the lower frame portion to correspond to each of the at least one connector adapter.

3. The panel recited in claim 1, wherein each of the last one connector adapter comprises a duplex optical fiber connector adapter.

4. The panel recited in claim 1, wherein each of the adapter openings is adapted to releasably receive two duplex fiber optic connectors, the duplex fiber optics connectors being disposed within the adapter opening in a side-to-side relation.

5. A connector retainer system for use in fiber optic communications, comprising:

a chassis that includes a wall, the wall defining a plurality of frame openings oriented in a top-to-bottom relation;

a plurality of planar frames, each frame being shaped to be substantially rectangular, each frame being coupled to one of the frame openings such that the frame lies in a horizontal orientation in relation to an axis parallel to the longer sides of the frame, the planar frames having a front surface and a back surface, each of the planar frames defining a plural number of adapter openings, the plural number being a positive integer power of 2 and corresponding to a register size of a hardware and a software structure for use in controlling and monitoring said fiber optic communications, the adapter openings being disposed within the frames in a side-to-side relation;

a plurality of connector adapters, the connector adapters being selected from a plurality of types of connector adapters, each of the plurality of types of connector adapters having one or more sets of two ports, each port being adapted to releasably secure a set of first and second mating connectors, each of the adapter openings being adapted to releasably receive one or more of the connector adapters in a vertical orientation;

a plurality of first mating connectors secured to the connector adapter ports, the connector adapters being releasably oriented within the adapter openings so that the first mating connectors extend outwardly from the front surface of the frame at a substantially orthogonal angle, the connector adapters being releasably coupled within the adapter openings in a vertical orientation; and

a plurality of second mating connectors secured to the connector adapter ports, the connector adapters being releasably oriented within the adapter openings so that the second mating connectors extend outwardly from the back surface of the frame at a substantially orthogonal angle.

6. The system recited in claim 5, wherein:

each of the plurality of frames further comprises an upper frame portion and a lower frame portion; and

each of the plurality of frames further defines a plurality of mounting holes, one mounting hole being defined along the upper frame portion to correspond to each of the at least one connector adapters that the adapter opening is adapted to releasably receive, one mounting hole being defined along the lower frame portion to correspond to each of the at least one connector adapters that the adapter opening is adapted to releasably receive.

7. The system recited in claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of connector adapters is a duplex fiber optic connector.

8. The system recited in claim 5, wherein each of the adapter openings is adapted to releasably receive two duplex fiber optic connectors, the duplex fiber optic connectors being disposed within the adapter opening in a side-to-side relation.

9. A method for providing a connector retainer system for use in fiber optic communications, comprising:

coupling a plurality of substantially rectangular planar frames to a chassis, the chassis having a wall that defines a plurality of frame openings, each of the plurality of planar frames defining a plural number of adapter openings, the plural number being a positive integer power of 2 and corresponding to a register size of a hardware and a software structure for use in controlling and monitoring said fiber optic communications, the plurality of planar frames being coupled to the chassis in a top-to-bottom relation, wherein each frame lies in a horizontal orientation in relation to an axis parallel to the longer sides of the frame;

releasably coupling a plurality of connector adapters to the adapter openings in a side-to-side relation, the plurality of connector adapters being releasably coupled to the adapter openings in a vertical orientation, each of the connector adapters having a set of two ports; and

coupling at least one set of mating first and second connectors to the plurality of connector adapters.

10. The method recited in claim 9, wherein the releasably coupling a plurality of connector adapters further comprises releasably coupling a plurality of duplex fiber optic connector adapters.

11. The method recited in claim 9, wherein the releasably coupling a plurality of connector adapters to the adapter openings further comprises releasably coupling two duplex fiber optic connector to the adapter openings.

12. The method recited in claim 9 further comprising coupling at least one set of mating first and second optical connectors to the plurality of connector adapters.

13. A connector retainer system for use in fiber optic communications, comprising:

a plurality of frame means for releasably coupling a plural number of connector adapters together in a side-by-side relation, the frame means providing a means for releasably coupling the connector adapters in a vertical orientation, the plural number being a positive integer power of 2 and corresponding to a register size of a hardware and a software structure for use in controlling and monitoring said fiber optic communications;

a chassis means for coupling the plurality of frame means together in a top-to-bottom relation; and

at least one connector means coupled to at least one of the connector adapters, the connector means providing a means for joining two optical fiber cables.

14. The connector system recited in claim 13, wherein the frame means further comprisess at least on first mounting means for releasably coupling the frame means to the connector adapters.

15. The connector system recited in claim 13, wherein the frame means further comprises at least one second mounting means for coupling the frame means to the chassis means.