Removably mountable fiber optic terminal

• US 8,520,996 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2010
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corning Cable Systems LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Cowen, Andrew P., Mures, Marcel G., Prevratil, Karyne P., Weeks, Joseph A.
• Primary Examiner(s): ROJAS, OMAR R
• Application Number:
  US12/751,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20100247053A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,245 Days
• Field of Search: 385/135
• US Class Current: 385/135
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4453 Cassettes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4459 Ducts; Conduits; Hollow tubes for air blown fibres

Abstract

A zero-U, high-density fiber optic terminal for data centers and central offices is disclosed. The terminal may be used for optical fiber interconnection and/or optical fiber and fiber optic cable storage. The terminal is removably mountable to a cable tray above fiber optic equipment, in a subfloor below fiber optic equipment or on a wall in proximity of fiber optic equipment. Additionally, the terminal may have an adapter panel with fiber optic adapters for optically connecting the optical fiber of a first fiber optic cable received from the cable tray and the optical fiber of a second fiber optic cable. The second fiber optic cable is intended to extend to the fiber optic equipment. The adapter panel and the fiber optic adapters are angled generally in the direction in which the second fiber optic cable is intended to extend. Angling the fiber optic adapters in this manner accommodates routing of second fiber optic cable, and provides ease of access to the fiber optic adapters for connecting and disconnecting fiber optic connectors and to slack storage components for cable management mounted in the terminal.

Claims

1. A fiber optic terminal, comprising:

a housing for receiving a first fiber optic cable routed in a cable tray, wherein the housing has a top, a bottom, a front section and a back side, and wherein the housing is removably mounted to the cable tray, and wherein the bottom is connected to the back side by a hinge allowing the housing to be opened and closed by rotating the bottom about the hinge;

a fiber optic adapter for optically connecting an optical fiber of the first fiber optic cable with an optical fiber of a second fiber optic cable, and wherein the second fiber optic cable is intended to extend to fiber optic equipment, and wherein the fiber optic adapter is angled in the direction in which the second fiber optic cable is intended to extend;

at least one of a slack management device and routing guide mounted to a bottom surface of the top such that the at least one of the slack management device and routing guide extends towards the bottom, and

a latch plate on the front section, wherein the latch plate has a latch mechanism configured to releasably engage the bottom to the latch plate when the housing is in the closed position.

2. The fiber optic terminal of claim 1, further comprising a bracket for removably mounting the housing to the cable tray.

3. The fiber optic terminal of claim 1, wherein the fiber optic adapter comprises a plurality of fiber optic adapters.

4. The fiber optic terminal of claim 1, further comprising an adapter panel having an aperture, wherein the fiber optic adapter inserts into the aperture to attach to the adapter panel.

5. The fiber optic terminal of claim 1, further comprising a furcation body attached to an end of the first fiber optic cable, wherein the furcation body separates optical fibers in the first fiber optic cable into individual optical fibers.

6. The fiber optic terminal of claim 1, wherein the slack management device comprises a cylindrical body extending vertically from a bottom surface of the top, and wherein one or more tabs extend radially from the cylindrical body, and wherein the one or more tabs retain optical fibers of the first fiber optic cable to the slack management device.

7. The fiber optic terminal of claim 1, wherein the routing guide comprises one or more projections extending vertically from a bottom surface of the top, and wherein the one or more projections terminate with a retaining member, and wherein the routing guide facilitates routing of an optical fiber of the first fiber optic cable to the fiber optic adapter.

8. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing is removably mounted to a side of the cable tray.

9. The fiber optic apparatus of claims 1, wherein the housing is removably mounted to a bottom of the cable tray.

10. A fiber optic terminal, comprising:

a housing for receiving a first fiber optic cable routed, wherein the housing has a top, a bottom, a front section and a back side, wherein the bottom is connected to the back side by a hinge allowing the housing to be opened and closed by rotating the bottom about the hinge;

a latch plate on the front section, wherein the latch plate has a latch mechanism configured to releasably engage the bottom to the latch plate when the housing is in the closed position;

at least one of a slack management device and routing guide mounted to a bottom surface of the top such that the at least one of the slack management device and routing guide extends towards the bottom and;

a fiber optic adapter for optically connecting an optical fiber of the first fiber optic cable with an optical fiber of a second fiber optic cable, and wherein the second fiber optic cable is intended to extend to fiber optic equipment proximate the fiber optic terminal, and wherein the fiber optic adapter is angled in the direction in which the second fiber optic cable is intended to extend, and wherein the housing is adapted to be removably mountable to one of a cable tray above the fiber optic equipment, a sub-floor below the fiber optic equipment, and a wall in proximity to the fiber optic equipment.

11. The fiber optic terminal of claim 10, further comprising a furcation body attached to an end of the first fiber optic cable, wherein the furcation body separates optical fibers in the first fiber optic cable into individual optical fibers.

12. The fiber optic terminal of claim 10, wherein the slack management device comprises a cylindrical and one or more tabs extending radially from the cylindrical body, and wherein the one or more tabs retain the optical fibers of the first fiber optic cable to the slack management device.

13. The fiber optic terminal of claim 10, wherein the routing guide comprises one or more projections extending vertically from a bottom surface of the top, and wherein the one or more projections terminate with a retaining member, and wherein the routing guide facilitates routing of an optical fiber of the first fiber optic cable to the fiber optic adapter.