Fiber optic connector holders

• US 7,734,138 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2007
• Issued: 06/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corning Cable Systems LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Giraud, William Julius McPhil, Mitchell, Todd Edward, Garcia, Cesar Geronimo, Bloodworth, Stephen Guy
• Primary Examiner(s): LEPISTO, RYAN A
• Application Number:
  US11/880,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20080298764A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 385/87, 385/135, 385/137, 385/139
• US Class Current: 385/136
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3849 using mechanical protective elements, e.g. caps, hoods, sealing membranes G02B6/3816 takes precedence; provisionally see H01R13/44
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3887 Anchoring optical cables to connector housings, e.g. strain relief features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3897 Connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards G02B6/44528 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4452 Distribution frames

Abstract

There is provided a fiber optic connector holder adapted to selectively retain two or more fiber optic connectors that include a dust cap on the ferrule. The connector holder comprises a boot retainer to selectively retain a portion of the boot of the connector, and the connector holder comprises a dust cap retainer to selectively retain a portion of the dust cap of the connector. The connector holder is provided in a telecommunications enclosure to provide convenient parking for fiber optic connectors that are not optically connected within a distribution field or the like or that are generally not in service at the time. The connector holders may be selectively installed and/or removed from the telecommunications enclosure to assist in the installation of new fiber optic hardware, such as splitter modules.

Claims

1. A fiber optic connector holder adapted to selectively retain two or more fiber optic connectors that include a dust cap generally protecting a ferrule of the connector, the connector holder comprising:

a body comprising an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the lower portion of the body defines a base of the fiber optic connector holder;

a plurality boot retainers defined by the upper portion of the body, wherein at least one of the plurality of boot retainers is adapted to selectively retain at least a portion of a boot of a fiber optic connector;

a plurality of dust cap retainers defined by the lower portion of the body, wherein at least one of the plurality of dust cap retainers is adapted to selectively retain at least a portion of the dust cap generally protecting the ferrule of the connector; and

a holder retainer generally extending from the base of the fiber optic connector holder.

2. A connector holder according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of dust cap retainers comprises a generally semi-circular opening defining a radius of curvature generally larger than a radius of the dust cap of the fiber optic connector that is selectively received by the at least one of the dust cap retainers.

3. A connector holder according to claim 1, wherein the holder retainer comprises at least one T-tab.

4. A connector holder according to claim 1, wherein the holder retainer comprises two or more clips.

5. A fiber optic connector holder adapted to selectively retain two or more fiber optic connectors that include a dust cap generally protecting a ferrule of the connector, the connector holder comprising;

a body comprising an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the lower portion of the body defines a base of the fiber optic connector holder;

a boot retainer defined by the upper portion of the body, wherein the boot retainer is adapted to selectively retain at least a portion of a boot of a fiber optic connector;

a dust cap retainer defined by the lower portion of the body, wherein the dust cap retainer is adapted to selectively retain at least a portion of the dust cap generally protecting the ferrule of the connector, wherein the body defines a front side and a back side, and wherein both the front side and the back side comprise at least one boot retainer and at least one dust cap retainer; and

a holder retainer generally extending from the base of the fiber optic connector holder.

6. A fiber optic connector holder adapted to selectively retain two or more fiber optic connectors that include a dust cap generally protecting a ferrule of the connector, the connector holder comprising:

a body comprising an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the lower portion of the body defines a base of the fiber optic connector holder;

a boot retainer defined by the upper portion of the body, wherein the boot retainer is adapted to selectively retain at least a portion of a boot of a fiber optic connector;

a dust cap retainer defined by the lower portion of the body, wherein the dust can retainer is adapted to selectively retain at least a portion of the dust cap generally protecting the ferrule of the connector, wherein the body defines channel dividers extending generally from the upper portion to the lower portion of the body, and wherein the channel dividers are generally located between adjacent boot retainers and between adjacent dust cap retainers; and

a holder retainer generally extending from the base of the fiber optic connector holder.

7. A fiber optic connector holder adapted to selectively retain two or more fiber optic connectors that include a dust can generally protecting a ferrule of the connector, the connector holder comprising:

a body comprising an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the lower portion of the body defines a base of the fiber optic connector holder;

a boot retainer defined by the upper portion of the body, wherein the boot retainer is adapted to selectively retain at least a portion of a boot of a fiber optic connector, wherein the boot retainer comprises a generally semi-circular opening defining a radius of curvature generally smaller than a radius of the portion of the boot of the fiber optic connector that is selectively received by the boot retainer;

a dust cap retainer defined by the lower portion of the body, wherein the dust can retainer is adapted to selectively retain at least a portion of the dust cap generally protecting the ferrule of the connector; and

a holder retainer generally extending from the base of the fiber optic connector holder.

8. A fiber optic connector holder adapted to selectively retain two or more fiber optic connectors that include a dust cap generally protecting a ferrule of the connector, the connector holder comprising:

a body comprising an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the lower portion of the body defines a base of the fiber optic connector holder;

a boot retainer defined by the upper portion of the body, wherein the boot retainer is adapted to selectively retain at least a portion of a boot of a fiber optic connector;

a dust cap retainer defined by the lower portion of the body, wherein the dust can retainer is adapted to selectively retain at least a portion of the dust can generally protecting the ferrule of the connector, wherein the dust cap retainer comprises a groove defining a width generally larger than a diameter of the dust cap of the fiber optic connector that is selectively received by the dust cap retainer; and

a holder retainer generally extending from the base of the fiber optic connector holder.

9. A connector holder according to claim 8, wherein the groove of the dust cap retainer comprises at least one angled portion that decreases the width of the groove as the groove generally extends away from a center of the lower portion.

10. A telecommunications enclosure comprising a distribution field of two or more adapters and comprising two or more connectorized fiber optic cables adapted for selective insertion into the adapters, wherein the connectorized fiber optic cables selectively include a dust cap that generally protects a ferrule of the connector, the telecommunications enclosure comprising comprising:

a panel within an interior cavity of the telecommunications enclosure; and

at least one fiber optic connector holder joined to the panel, the fiber optic connector holder comprising;

a body comprising an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the lower portion of the body defines a base of the fiber optic connector holder;

a boot retainer defined by the upper portion of the body, wherein the boot retainer is adapted to selectively retain at least a portion of a boot of a fiber optic connector;

a dust cap retainer defined by the lower portion of the body, wherein the dust cap retainer is adapted to selectively retain at least a portion of the dust cap generally protecting the ferrule of the connector; and

a holder retainer generally extending from the base of the fiber optic connector holder;

wherein the panel is adapted to selectively retain the holder retainer of the fiber optic connector holder to join the fiber optic connector holder to the panel.

11. A telecommunications enclosure according to claim 10, wherein the panel is defined on a swing-out frame.

12. A telecommunications enclosure according to claim 10, wherein the panel is defined on a swing-out way.

13. A telecommunications enclosure according to claim 10, wherein the telecommunications enclosure defines a vertical axis and wherein the panel is defined at an angle relative to the vertical axis of the telecommunications enclosure.

14. A telecommunications enclosure according to claim 10, wherein the panel defines the plurality of openings for selectively receiving the holder retainer of the fiber optic connector bolder.

15. A telecommunications enclosure according to claim 10, wherein the panel defines at least one slot for selectively receiving the holder retainer of the fiber optic connector holder.

16. A method of organizing at least one fiber optic connector within a telecommunications enclosure, wherein the fiber optic connector is disconnected from a fiber optic adapter and includes a dust cap that generally protects a ferrule of the connector, the method comprising:

providing a fiber optic connector holder within an interior cavity of the telecommunications enclosure, wherein the connector holder defines a boot retainer and a dust cap retainer;

positioning the dust cap within the dust cap retainer of the fiber optic connector holder such that the dust cap is selectively retained by the dust cap retainer; and

selectively inserting a portion of a boot of the fiber optic connector into the boot retainer such that the boot is selectively retained by the boot retainer.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein positioning the dust cap and selectively inserting the boot is performed by grasping a connector body of the fiber optic connector, wherein the connector body is located between the dust cap and the boot

18. A method according to claim 16, wherein providing a fiber optic connector holder comprises selectively inserting a holder retainer of the connector holder into at least one of a slot and an opening defined by a panel of the telecommunications enclosure.

19. A method according to claim 16, wherein providing a fiber optic connector holder comprises providing the connector holder on at least one of a swing-out frame and a swing-out tray.