Optical polarity modules and systems

• US 6,758,600 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2002
• Issued: 07/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corning Cable Systems LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ugolini, Alan W., Del Grosso, Steven C., Shook, Larry K. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KHIEM M
• Application Number:
  US10/256,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20040062498A1
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 385/59, 385/65, 385/71, 385/80, 385/83, 385/46, 385/49, 385/50, 385/114, 385/115, 385/120, 385/121, 385/137
• US Class Current: 385/71
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3825 with an intermediate part, e.g. adapter, receptacle, linking two plugs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3831 comprising a keying element on the plug or adapter, e.g. to forbid wrong connection keying element on the ferrule G02B6/3851; keying element for electrical coupling H01R13/64
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3851 Ferrules having keying or coding means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3885 Multicore or multichannel optical connectors, i.e. one single ferrule containing more than one fibre, e.g. ribbon type optical ribbon cable G02B6/4403, G02B6/448
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4471 Terminating devices demountable connectors G02B6/3807; Cable clamps

Abstract

An optical interconnection module having: an enclosure defining walls and a cavity within the walls for receiving and supporting optical fibers and connectors; an optical interconnection section formed in a wall of the module, the optical interconnection section having a multi-fiber connector with multiple optical paths formed therein, the optical paths being arranged in a generally planar array with the paths being immediately adjacent to at least one other optical path for optical alignment with optical fibers in an optical fiber ribbon; an optical connector station formed in a wall of the module having a plurality of optical fiber connectors; the optical paths and the optical connectors being optically interconnected by optical fibers disposed in the cavity, fiber pairs being formed by the optical fibers, at least one of the fiber pairs being routed to a respective connector station that is in optical communication with the optical paths. In addition, an optical assembly, having: at least two optical interconnection modules; the modules being optically interconnected by optical paths, the optical paths being established through connectors and adapters having respective keys being positioned in the same place on the connectors, and optical fiber ribbons; the connectors and adapters being mated with keys in the same relative position; and polarity of the optical fibers located externally of the modules is not reversed.

Claims

1. An optical interconnection module, comprising:

a) an enclosure defining walls and a cavity within said walls for receiving and supporting optical fibers and connectors;

b) an optical interconnection section formed in a wall of said module, said optical interconnection section having a multi-fiber connector with multiple optical paths formed therein, said optical paths being arranged in a generally planar array with the paths being immediately adjacent to at least one other optical path for optical alignment with optical fibers in an optical fiber ribbon;

c) an optical connector station formed in a wall of said module having a plurality of optical fiber connectors;

d) said optical paths and said optical connectors being optically interconnected by optical fibers disposed in said cavity, fiber pairs being formed by the optical fibers, at least one of the fiber pairs being routed to a respective connector station that is in optical communication with said optical paths, said at least one optical fiber pair being optically interconnected with at least two of said optical paths, said at least two optical paths selected from optical paths not being immediately adjacent to each other.

2. The optical interconnection module of claim 1, at least 80% of said fiber pairs being optically interconnected with optical paths selected from optical paths not being immediately adjacent to each other.

3. An optical assembly, comprising:

(a) at least two optical interconnection modules;

(b) said modules being optically interconnected by optical paths, said optical paths being established through connectors and adapters having respective keys being positioned in the same place on the connectors, and optical fiber ribbons;

(c) said connectors and adapters being mated with keys in the same relative position; and

(d) polarity of the optical fibers located externally of the modules is not reversed, such that at least some of said optical paths remain with their respective color, blue is in optical communication with blue (fibers 1-1), orange with orange (fibers 2-2), green with green (fibers 3-3), and so on, from one module to another.

4. The optical assembly of claim 3, wherein all of said optical paths remain with their respective color from one module to another.