Fiber panel with integrated couplers
First Claim
1. A telecommunications panel for connecting fiber optic cables comprising:
- an open fronted housing with an interior and a movable drawer slidably mounted within the interior;
a splice tray with a plurality of optical fiber splice locations;
a coupler tray with a plurality of coupler locations, each coupler configured for splitting an optical signal carried on an optical fiber into a transmission fiber and a monitoring fiber;
a plurality of adapters for optically connecting the transmission and monitoring fibers to optical fiber cables;
the movable drawer defining an adapter holding region, a splice tray holding region, and a coupler tray holding region.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to a telecommunications panel for connecting optical fiber cables from inter-facility cables (IFC) to fiber optic termination equipment. The telecommunications panel receives the IFC cable into a tray where the optical fibers within the cable are spliced and coupled to monitor fibers and transmission fibers. These monitor and transmission fibers are terminated at adapters within the panel for connection to cables extending to the FOT equipment. The IFC cables may be multi-strand optical fiber cables or single strand cables. The present invention also relates to a drop-in tray for use with a telecommunications panel which provides both splice and coupling devices on the same tray. The drop-in tray also includes adapters where the transmission and monitor fibers are terminated for connection to cables extending to FOT equipment.
281 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A telecommunications panel for connecting fiber optic cables comprising:
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an open fronted housing with an interior and a movable drawer slidably mounted within the interior;
a splice tray with a plurality of optical fiber splice locations;
a coupler tray with a plurality of coupler locations, each coupler configured for splitting an optical signal carried on an optical fiber into a transmission fiber and a monitoring fiber;
a plurality of adapters for optically connecting the transmission and monitoring fibers to optical fiber cables;
the movable drawer defining an adapter holding region, a splice tray holding region, and a coupler tray holding region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An insert for a telecommunications panel for connecting fiber optic cables, the insert comprising:
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a mounting plate configured to be positioned and removably mounted within a movable drawer of the telecommunications panel;
a splice tray mounted to the mounting plate, the splice tray including a plurality of optical fiber splice holder locations;
a coupler tray mounted to the mounting plate, the coupler tray including a plurality of coupler holder locations, each coupler configured for splitting an optical signal carried on an optical fiber into a transmission fiber and a monitoring fiber;
a plurality of adapters mounted to the mounting plate, the adapters for optically connecting the transmission and monitoring fibers to optical fiber cables. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for preparing the termination and monitoring an optical fiber cable comprising the steps of:
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providing an outside plant cable containing at least one strand of optical fiber;
extending the outside plant cable into a telecommunications connection plate;
receiving the at least one strand of optical fiber from the outside plant cable into a splice tray mounted to the connection plate and optically connecting the strand of optical fiber to a transition fiber;
extending the transition fiber from the splice tray to a coupler tray mounted to the connection plate and optically connecting the transition fiber to a pair of optical fibers;
extending each of the pair of optical fibers from the coupler tray to an adapter mounted to the connection plate. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification