High-density multi-fiber adapter housings

• US 8,985,862 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corning Cable Systems LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Cote, Monique Lise, Kelly, Sean Christopher, Rasmussen, Michael Heath
• Primary Examiner(s): Radkowski, Peter
• Application Number:
  US13/833,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20140241667A1
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 385/59, 385/135
• US Class Current: 385/59
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3825 with an intermediate part, e.g. adapter, receptacle, linking two plugs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3885 Multicore or multichannel optical connectors, i.e. one single ferrule containing more than one fibre, e.g. ribbon type optical ribbon cable G02B6/4403, G02B6/448
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3897 Connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards G02B6/44528 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4441 Boxes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4452 Distribution frames
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/44524 with frame parts or auxiliary devices mounted on the frame and collectively not covering a whole width of the frame or rack cassettes G02B6/4453
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/44528 Patch-cords; Connector arrangements in the system or in the box routing arrangements H04Q1/00

Abstract

An adapter housing for receiving a plurality of multi-fiber connectors includes a rectangular, box-like housing structure having opposing side walls and a back wall that to adapted to mount in a 2-U space in an equipment rack, wherein the housing structure has a width of no greater than about 17.75 inches and a height of no greater than about 3.50 inches. A bank of adapters is provided for receiving multi-fiber connectors. The bank of adapters includes individual connector-adapter-connector locations that together receive at least 200 multi-fiber connector pairs within the housing structure.

Claims

1. An adapter housing for receiving a plurality of multi-fiber connectors, the adapter housing comprising:

a rectangular, box-like housing structure having opposing side walls and a back wall adapted to mount in a 2-U space in an equipment rack, wherein the housing structure has a width of no greater than about 17.75 inches and a height of no greater than about 3.50 inches; and

a bank of adapters comprising at least one grouping of a plurality of adapters, wherein each adapter is configured to receive two multi-fiber connectors, and wherein each adapter is aligned side-by-side in the grouping with major side walls of adjacent adapters facing each other, the bank of adapters comprising individual connector-adapter-connector locations of at least 200 adapters configured to receive up to 2400 connector pairs within the housing structure.

2. The adapter housing of claim 1, wherein the individual connector-adapter-connector locations are configured to receive MTP-type connectors.

3. The adapter housing of claim 1, further comprising one or more shelves, the bank of adapters comprising multiple adapter rows, wherein at least one adapter row is supported by the one or more adapter shelves.

4. The adapter housing of claim 3, wherein the one or more shelves are slidably supported within the housing structure.

5. The adapter housing of claim 4, wherein each shelf includes a single adapter row.

6. The adapter housing of claim 5, wherein each adapter row includes at least about 40 individual connector-adapter-connector locations.

7. The adapter housing of claim 1, further comprising at least one MTP-type multi-fiber adapter in at one of the individual connector-adapter-connector locations of the bank of adapters.

8. The adapter of claim 7, wherein the multi-fiber adapter is configured to receive a multi-fiber connector comprising at least 12 optical fibers.

9. An adapter housing for receiving a plurality of multi-fiber connectors, the adapter housing comprising:

a rectangular, box-like housing structure having opposing side walls and a back wall that mounts in a 2-U space in an equipment rack, wherein the housing structure has a width of no greater than about 17.75 inches and a height of no greater than about 3.50 inches;

at least one shelf within the housing structure; and

an adapter row supported by the at least one shelf the adapter row comprising at least 40 individual connector-adapter-connector locations at least one connector-adapter-connector location having an adapter configured to receive two multi-fiber connectors.

10. The adapter housing of claim 9, further comprising multiple adapter rows forming a bank of multi-fiber adapters for receiving multi-fiber connectors, the multi-fiber adapters comprising individual connector-adapter-connector locations that together receive at least 200 multi-fiber connector pairs within the housing structure.

11. The adapter housing of claim 9, wherein the individual connector-adapter-connector locations are configured to receive MTP-type connectors.

12. The adapter housing of claim 9, wherein the housing structure comprises five shelves, wherein each shelf includes a single adapter row.

13. The adapter housing of claim 12, wherein each adapter row includes at least about 40 individual connector-adapter-connector locations.

14. The adapter housing of claim 9, further comprising at least one MTP-type multi-fiber connector connected to one of the individual connector-adapter-connector locations.

15. The adapter housing of claim 9, wherein the multi-fiber connector comprises at least 12 optical fibers.