Optical fiber splicing and connecting assembly with coupler cassette

• US 6,539,160 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2000
• Issued: 03/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corning Cable Systems LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Carlson, James M., Battey, Jennifer A., Fontaine, Steve A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Field, Lynn
• Assistant Examiner(s): WEBB, BRIAN SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US09/748,916
• Publication Number:
  US 20020051616A1
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 385/134-7
• US Class Current: 385/135
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4442 Cap coupling boxes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4454 with splices

Abstract

A fiber optic closure includes a panel assembly having at least two panels hinged to one another. The panel assembly includes a storage bay sandwiched between a pair of fiber management and connection assemblies. Each fiber management and connection assembly includes a sleeve connector panel that supports at least one sleeve connector array for establishing optical fiber connections. The splice panel having splice tube holders is also provided for establishing splices. The splice panel may further have at least one coupler cassette for splitting at least one input optical fiber into two or more output optical fibers. Preferably, the splice panel is positioned adjacent the sleeve connector panel so that a craftsperson can easily form custom sleeve connections within the fiber optic closure utilizing the splice panel to splice connectors onto selected optical fibers and utilizing the sleeve connector panel to interconnecting the connectors with opposing connectors.

Claims

1. A fiber optic closure comprising:

a first panel mounted within the closure and configured for holding sleeve-type connections between optical fibers, the first panel having at least one sleeve connector array mounted thereon for receiving opposing fiber optic connectors therein to establish an optical connection between optical fibers, the first panel defining a plane and a longitudinal axis parallel to the plane and the sleeve connector array mounted on the first panel with the fiber optic connectors parallel to the plane;

a second panel mounted within the closure adjacent the first panel, the second panel having at least one coupler cassette mounted thereon for splitting a signal from an input optical fiber into a plurality of output optical fibers, the second panel defining a plane that is parallel to the plane defined by the first panel a storage bay mounted within the closure for retaining a length of slack fiber optic cable therein, the storage bay defining a plane that is parallel to the plane defined by the first panel.

2. The closure of claim 1 wherein the second panel comprises at least one splice tube holder mounted thereon for receiving opposing optical fibers therein to establish an optical connection between the optical fibers.

3. The closure of claim 1 further comprising a routing guide that is affixed to an end of the second panel for routing optical fiber between the storage bay and the second panel and between the second panel and the first panel.

4. The closure of claim 1 further comprising a base to which the first panel and the second panel are secured and a cover that is shaped and sized to be removably affixed to the base and wherein the second panel is mounted inwardly of the first panel and the fist panel is movable relative to the second panel to provide access to the optical fibers.

5. A panel assembly for use within a fiber optic closure, the panel assembly adapted to manage fiber optic cable and optical fiber connections, the panel assembly comprising:

a first mounting platform having at least one sleeve connector array mounted thereon for receiving at least a pair of opposed fiber optic connectors, the first mounting platform defining a plane and a longitudinal axis parallel to the plane and the sleeve connector array mounted on the first mounting platform with the fiber optic connectors parallel to the plane;

a second mounting platform having at least one coupler cassette mounted thereon for splitting a signal from an input optical fiber into a plurality of output optical fibers, the second mounting platform defining a plane that is parallel to the plane defined by the first mounting platform and a storage bay mounted for retaining a length of slack fiber optic cable therein, the storage bay defining a plane that is parallel to the plane defined by the first mounting platform.

6. The panel assembly of claim 5 wherein the second mounting platform further comprises at least one splice tube holder mounted thereon, the splice tube holder receiving opposing optical fibers therein to establish an optical connection between the optical fibers.

7. The panel assembly of claim 5 wherein the fiber optic connectors are mounted in the sleeve connector array at an angle of about 45 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the first mounting platform a storage bay mounted for retaining a length of slack fiber optic cable therein, the storage bay defining a plane that is parallel to the plane defined by the first mounting platform.

8. The panel assembly of claim 5 wherein the sleeve connector array comprises a retainer shaped and sized to receive the pair of opposed fiber optic connectors.

9. A fiber management assembly for use within a fiber optic closure, the fiber management assembly comprising:

at least one sleeve connector array, the sleeve connector array configured to receive at least a pair of opposed fiber optic connectors therein to establish an optical connection between optical fibers;

at least one coupler cassette operatively associated with the sleeve connector array, the coupler cassette configured to split a signal from an input optical fiber into a plurality of output optical fibers; and

a storage bay operatively associated with at least one of the sleeve connector array and the coupler cassette for retaining and organizing at least one length of slack fiber optic cable, the storage bay defining a plane and a longitudinal axis parallel to the plane, the fiber optic connectors received in the sleeve connector array with the fiber optic connectors parallel to the plane defined by the storage bay and the coupler cassette defining plane that is parallel to the plane defined by the storage bay.

10. The fiber management assembly of claim 9 further comprising at least one splice tube holder for receiving opposing optical fibers therein to establish an optical connection between the optical fibers.

11. The fiber management assembly of claim 9 wherein the sleeve connector array is mounted on a first panel and the coupler cassette is mounted on a second panel, the first panel and the second panel being hingedly affixed to one another and wherein the second panel is mounted inwardly of the first panel and the first panel is movable relative to the second panel to provide access to the optical fibers.

12. The fiber management assembly of claim 9 comprising:

a first fiber management and connection panel assembly comprising at least one sleeve connector array and at least one coupler cassette; and

a second fiber management and connection panel assembly comprising at least one sleeve connector array and at least one coupler cassette;

wherein the first fiber management and connection panel assembly and the second fiber management and connection panel assembly are positioned on either side of the storage bay so that the storage bay is sandwiched therebetween.

13. A fiber optic closure comprising:

a first fiber management and connection panel assembly positioned within the closure and configured to establish at least one sleeve connection between a first pair of opposing fiber optic connectors and to split a signal from an input optical fiber into a plurality of output optical fibers, the first fiber management and connection panel assembly defining a first plane with the first pair of fiber optic connectors parallel to the first plane; and

a second fiber management and connection panel assembly positioned within the closure and configured to establish at least one sleeve connection between a second pair of opposing fiber optic connectors and to split a signal from an input optical fiber into a plurality of output optical fibers, the second fiber management and connection panel assembly defining a second plane parallel to the first plane with the second pair of fiber optic connectors parallel to the second plane;

wherein the first fiber management and connection panel assembly and the second fiber management and connection panel assembly are spaced apart and define a storage bay therebetween for retaining and organizing a length of slack fiber optic cable, the storage bay defining a third plane parallel to the first plane and the second plane.

14. The fiber optic closure of claim 13 wherein the first fiber management and connection panel assembly and the second fiber management and connection panel assembly each comprises a coupler cassette subassembly having at least one coupler cassette for splitting the signal from the input optical fiber into the plurality of output optical fibers.

15. The fiber optic closure of claim 13 wherein at least one of the first fiber management and connection panel assembly and the second fiber management and connection panel assembly is movable relative to the storage bay to provide access to the length of slack fiber optic cable.