Outside plant termination enclosure

• US 8,770,861 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2012
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Commscope Emea Limited (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.), CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADC Telecommunications Incorporated (TE Connectivity Limited), Tyco Electronics Corporation (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Smith, Trevor D., Braga, David, Alston, Eric E., Hangebrauck, Daniel B., Barefoot, Christopher Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): ROJAS, OMAR R
• Application Number:
  US13/628,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20130114930A1
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• Field of Search: 385/135
• US Class Current: 385/76
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/36 Mechanical coupling means G02B6/255, G02B6/42 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4444 Seals
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/44465 Seals
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/44765 with means for strain-relieving to exterior cable layers

Abstract

A termination enclosure includes a base, a cover, and at least one optical component. An input member extends outwardly from the base. At least a portion of the input member extends along the bottom of the termination enclosure. The input member defines a sealed input passage that extends through the base. A sealing chamber is defined by the base and cover. A gasket disposed at the sealing chamber seals and/or retains drop cables routed into the enclosure even when the cover is moved relative to the base. The sealing chamber defines ports that are located on a common side of the enclosure as an end of the input member.

Claims

1. A termination enclosure for optical fiber cables comprising:

a base defining a bottom of the termination enclosure and partially defining sidewalls of the enclosure extending upwardly from the bottom;

a cover moveably coupled to the base to provide access to an interior of the enclosure, the cover defining a top of the termination enclosure and partially defining the sidewalls of the enclosure extending downwardly from the top;

at least one optical component disposed within the interior;

an input member that extends outwardly from the base, at least a portion of the input member extending along the bottom of the termination enclosure, the input member defining a sealed input passage that extends through the base, the sealed input passage extending between an outer port at a distal end of the input member and an inner port that provides access to the interior of the enclosure from the input passage; and

a sealing chamber defined by the base and cover at which a gasket is disposed to seal a plurality of drop cables routed through the enclosure, the gasket being configured to provide retention of the drop cables even when the cover is moved relative to the base, the sealing chamber defining ports through which the drop cables are routed into the interior, the ports and the outer port of the sealed input passage being located at a common side of the termination enclosure.

2. The termination enclosure of claim 1, wherein the optical component includes a sliding module.

3. The termination enclosure of claim 2, wherein the sliding module includes one or more adapter packs.

4. The termination enclosure of claim 2, wherein the sliding module includes one or more parking modules.

5. The termination enclosure of claim 2, wherein the sliding module includes one or more optical splitters.

6. The termination enclosure of claim 1, wherein a rear of the enclosure is generally solid and the cover attaches to the base at the rear of the enclosure.

7. The termination enclosure of claim 1, wherein the inner port is defined through the bottom of the termination enclosure.

8. The termination enclosure of claim 1, wherein the inner port is defined through a front of the termination enclosure.

9. The termination enclosure of claim 1, further comprising a feeder cable precabled through the sealed input passage prior to deployment of the termination enclosure.

10. The termination enclosure of claim 9, wherein the feeder cable is a stub cable that has a first end that is disposed within the interior of the enclosure, an intermediate section that extends through the input passage, and a second end that is disposed outside the enclosure.

11. The termination enclosure of claim 10, wherein a length of the stub feeder cable ranges from about fifty feet to about one hundred feet.

12. The termination enclosure of claim 10, wherein a length of the stub feeder cable ranges from about forty feet to about eighty feet.

13. The termination enclosure of claim 10, wherein a length of the stub feeder cable ranges from about 80 feet to about 120 feet.

14. The termination enclosure of claim 10, wherein the stub feeder cable includes multiple optical fibers.

15. The termination enclosure of claim 10, wherein a first end of the stub feeder cable located within the interior of the enclosure is terminated by at least one optical connector.

16. The termination enclosure of claim 15, wherein a second end of the stub feeder cable is unterminated.

17. The termination enclosure of claim 15, wherein a second end of the stub feeder cable is terminated by at least one single fiber connector.

18. The termination enclosure of claim 15, wherein a second end of the stub feeder cable is terminated by at least one multi-fiber connector.

19. The termination enclosure of claim 15, wherein a second end of the stub feeder cable is terminated by a ruggedized connector.

20. The termination enclosure of claim 1, wherein the sidewalls of the base are taller towards a rear of the enclosure and shorter towards a front of the enclosure.