Adjustable tether assembly for fiber optic distribution cable

• US 7,228,036 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2004
• Issued: 06/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corning Cable Systems LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Luther, James P., Theuerkorn, Thomas, Knecht, Dennis M., Elkins, Robert B. II, Nielsen, Lars K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Font; Frank G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anderson; Guy G.
• Application Number:
  US10/999,691
• Publication Number:
  US 20060115220A1
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 385100-105, 385/135, 294/011
• US Class Current: 385/100
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4441 Boxes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4472 Manifolds

Abstract

An adjustable tether assembly for a fiber optic distribution cable includes a tether cable and an overmolded housing secured at the end of the tether cable having at least one connector port. The tether assembly is attached to the distribution cable such that the position of the connector port is adjustable along the length of the distribution cable for mitigating differences between the pre-engineered span length distance and the actual span length distance following installation of the distribution cable. A method for mitigating a span length measurement difference in a pre-engineered fiber optic communications network is provided that includes optically connecting an adjustable tether assembly at a mid-span access location of a fiber optic distribution cable and positioning a housing secured at the free end of a tether cable having at least one connector port at a desired location in the network to compensate for the span length measurement difference.

Claims

1. A fiber optic cable assembly, comprising:

a fiber optic cable including at least one mid-span access location;

an overmolded body positioned over the at least one mid-span access location;

a tether cable having a first end attached to the overmolded body and including at least one optical fiber optically connected to at least one terminated optical fiber of the fiber optic cable;

a protective housing secured to a second end of the tether cable and attached to the fiber optic cable, the housing comprising at least one connector port; and

a receptacle within the at least one connector port operable for receiving a connectorized fiber optic drop cable and optically connecting at least one optical fiber of the connectorized fiber optic drop cable with the at least one optical fiber of the tether cable;

wherein the protective housing is adjustable along the length of the fiber optic cable; and

wherein the at least one terminated optical fiber is terminated at the at least one mid-span access location.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing is removably attached to the fiber optic cable for the purpose of positioning the at least one connector port at a desired location within a fiber optic communications network.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing is overmolded around the fiber optic cable such that the housing is slidable along the length of the fiber optic cable.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing has a C-shaped channel for receiving the fiber optic drop cable such that to housing is both slideable along the length of the fiber optic cable and removably attached to the fiber optic cable.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first end of the tether cable is splice-ready so that the tether assembly may be attached to the fiber optic cable in the field.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first end of the tether cable is connectorized so that the tether assembly may be attached to the fiber optic cable in the field.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the tether cable has a length greater than about 3 feet and less than about 100 feet.

8. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the fiber optic cable is a fiber optic distribution cable including a plurality of mid-span access locations at predetermined spaced apart positions along the length of the distribution cable, and wherein the tether cable is attached to the fiber optic distribution cable at one of the mid-span access locations.

9. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the receptacle comprises an alignment sleeve operable for receiving and aligning the at least one optical fiber of the tether cable and the at least one optical fiber of the connectorized drop cable.

10. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing is overmolded around the fiber optic cable and defines a plurality of connector ports.

11. A fiber optic distribution cable assembly, comprising:

a distribution cable comprising a tube containing a plurality of optical fibers and at least one mid-span access location positioned along the length of the distribution cable;

an overmolded body positioned over the at least one mid-span access location;

at least one optical fiber accessed and terminated from the distribution cable at the at least one mid-span access location;

a tether cable comprising a first end attached to the distribution cable at the at least one mid-span access location and at least one optical fiber optically connected to the at least one optical fiber accessed and terminated from the distribution cable;

a housing secured to a second end of the tether cable and attached to the distribution cable, the housing comprising at least one connector port; and

a receptacle within the at least one connector port operable for receiving a connectorized fiber optic drop cable and optically connecting at least one optical fiber of the connectorized fiber optic drop cable with the at least one optical fiber of the tether cable;

wherein the position of the housing is adjustable along the length of the distribution cable.

12. The fiber optic distribution cable assembly of claim 11, wherein the tether cable is lashed to the distribution cable and the housing is removable attached to the distribution cable.

13. The fiber optic distribution cable assembly of claim 11, wherein the receptacle comprises a dust cap operable for protecting and sealing the receptacle when the connectorized fiber optic drop cable is not disposed within the receptacle.

14. The fiber optic distribution cable assembly of claim 11, wherein the first end of the tether cable is splice-ready so that the tether assembly maybe attached to the fiber optic cable in the field.

15. The fiber optic distribution cable assembly of claim 11, wherein the first end of the tether cable is connectorized so that the tether assembly may be attached to the fiber optic cable in the field.

16. The fiber optic distribution cable assembly of claim 11, wherein the receptacle comprises an alignment sleeve operable for receiving and aligning the at least one optical fiber of the tether cable and the at least one optical fiber of the connectorized drop cable.

17. The fiber optic distribution cable assembly of claim 11, wherein the housing is overmolded around the distribution cable and defines a plurality of connector ports.

18. A method for mitigating a span length measurement difference in a pre-engineered fiber optic communications network employing a fiber optic distribution cable assembly comprising a distribution cable having a plurality of optical fibers disposed within a sheath and at least one mid-span access location along the length of the distribution cable, the method comprising:

optically connecting an adjustable tether assembly comprising at least one connector port and a tether cable at the at least one mid-span access location and positioning the connector port at a desired location in the fiber optic communications network to compensate for the span length measurement difference; and

wherein the tether cable comprises a first end for attachment to the mid-span access location and at least one optical fiber optically connected to at least one accessed and terminated optical fiber of the distribution cable and wherein the tether assembly further comprises a housing secured to the tether cable at a second end and slideably attached to the distribution cable.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the tether cable is connected to the fiber optic distribution cable in the field.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the tether cable is connected to the fiber optic distribution cable in the factory.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the housing is overmolded around the distribution cable and the tether assembly comprises a plurality of connector ports for receiving and optically connecting an optical fiber of a connectorized drop cable with the at least one optical fiber of the tether cable.