Apparatuses and related components and methods for expanding capacity of fiber optic housings

• US 9,075,217 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2010
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corning Cable Systems LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Giraud, William J., Rasmussen, M. Heath, Rodriguez, Diana
• Primary Examiner(s): Ullah, Akm Enayet
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOONEY, MICHAEL P
• Application Number:
  US12/953,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20110268409A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,687 Days
• Field of Search: 385134-139, 385/147, 2111261-1262, 294/011
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4452 Distribution frames
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/44526 Panels or rackmounts covering a whole width of the frame or rack
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/44528 Patch-cords; Connector arrangements in the system or in the box routing arrangements H04Q1/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49716 Converting

Abstract

Apparatuses, related components, and methods for expanding capacity of fiber optic housings are disclosed. A fiber optic apparatus comprising an attachment housing comprising a side, a top, and a bottom defining an attachment interior chamber configured to support at least a portion of fiber optic equipment is provided. The attachment housing is tool-lessly, and by other than external fasteners, configured to removably attach to a fiber optic housing comprising a housing interior chamber configured to support fiber optic equipment to couple the attachment interior chamber and the housing interior chamber, which may be done by means of snap attachments integral to at least one of the attachment housing and the fiber optic housing. One or more optical components, which may include, without limitation, one or more splitter trays, fiber optic jumper slack storage, and one or more strain relief devices, may be mounted within the attachment housing.

Claims

1. A fiber optic apparatus, comprising:

an attachment housing comprising a top, a bottom, and at least one side defining an attachment interior chamber configured to support at least a portion of fiber optic equipment,

wherein the attachment housing is tool-lessly, and by other than external fasteners, configured to removably attach to a fiber optic housing comprising a top, a bottom, and at least one side defining a housing interior chamber configured to support fiber optic equipment to couple the attachment interior chamber and the housing interior chamber, and thereby expand an effective depth of the fiber optic housing by combining a depth of the attachment housing with a depth of the fiber optic housing; and

wherein upon attaching the attachment housing to the fiber optic housing, the attachment interior chamber and the housing interior chamber are configured to form a continuous combined chamber bounded along top, bottom, and side portions thereof by the top, the bottom, and the at least one side of each of the attachment housing and the fiber optic housing.

2. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the attachment housing removably attaches to the fiber optic housing by a snap attachment integral to at least one of the attachment housing and the fiber optic housing.

3. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 1, wherein a door of the fiber optic housing is removed from the fiber optic housing and installed to the attachment housing.

4. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a tab disposed on an edge of the bottom of the fiber optic housing configured to receive a channel on a hinge portion of the door to allow the door to be easily installed and removed to and from the fiber optic housing.

5. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a tab disposed on an edge of the bottom of the attachment housing configured to receive a channel on a hinge portion of the door to allow the door to be easily installed and removed to and from the attachment housing.

6. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 1, further comprising one or more optical components disposed within the attachment interior chamber of the attachment housing.

7. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 6, wherein the one or more optical components comprise one or more splitter trays.

8. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 6, wherein the one or more optical components comprise one or more fiber optic jumper slack storage devices.

9. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 6, wherein the one or more optical components comprise one or more strain relief devices.

10. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least a portion of the fiber optic equipment disposed in the attachment interior chamber.

11. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least a portion of the fiber optic equipment comprises at least one of at least a portion of a fiber optic module and at least a portion of a fiber optic panel.

12. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 1, further comprising the fiber optic equipment disposed in the attachment interior chamber and the housing interior chamber.

13. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 2, further comprising at least one release button configured to allow the attachment housing to be detached from the fiber optic housing.

26. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the fiber optic apparatus comprises at least one of the following features (i) to (iii);

(i) at least a portion of the top of the attachment housing is substantially coplanar with at least a portion of the top of the fiber optic housing;

(ii) at least a portion of the bottom of the attachment housing is substantially coplanar with at least a portion of the bottom of the fiber optic housing; and

(iii) at least a portion of the at least one side of the attachment housing is substantially coplanar with at least a portion of the at least one side of the fiber optic housing.

27. The fiber optic apparatus of claim 1, wherein coupling of the attachment interior chamber and the housing interior chamber expands the effective depth of the fiber optic housing without expanding a height of the fiber optic housing.

14. A method of expanding capacity of a fiber optic housing, comprising:

providing a fiber optic housing comprising a top, a bottom, and at least one side defining a housing interior chamber configured to support fiber optic equipment; and

attaching an attachment housing comprising a top, a bottom, and at least one side defining an attachment interior chamber configured to support at least a portion of the fiber optic equipment tool-lessly to the fiber optic housing to couple the attachment interior chamber and the housing interior chamber, and thereby expand an effective depth of the fiber optic housing by combining a depth of the attachment housing with a depth of the fiber optic housing;

wherein upon attaching the attachment housing to the fiber optic housing, the attachment interior chamber and the housing interior chamber form a continuous combined chamber bounded along top, bottom, and side portions thereof by the top, the bottom, and the at least one side of each of the attachment housing and the fiber optic housing.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising tool-lessly detaching the attachment housing from the fiber optic housing.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising attaching the attachment housing to the fiber optic housing by engaging a snap attachment integral to at least one of the attachment housing and the fiber optic housing.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising removing a door of the fiber optic housing from the fiber optic housing and installing the door to the attachment housing.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising engaging a tab disposed on an edge of the bottom of the fiber optic housing configured to receive a channel on a hinge portion of the door to remove the door from the fiber optic housing and attach the door to the attachment housing.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising mounting one or more optical components within the attachment interior chamber of the attachment housing.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the one or more optical components comprise one or more splitter trays.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the one or more optical components comprise one or more fiber optic jumper slack storage devices.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the one or more optical components comprise one or more strain relief devices.

23. The method of claim 14, further comprising disposing at least a portion of the fiber optic equipment in the attachment interior chamber.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the at least a portion of the fiber optic equipment is comprised of at least one of at least a portion of a fiber optic module and at least a portion of a fiber optic panel.

25. The method of claim 14, further comprising disposing the fiber optic equipment in the attachment interior chamber and the housing interior chamber.

28. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the fiber optic housing and the attachment housing comprise at least one of the following features (i) to (iii);

(i) at least a portion of the top of the attachment housing is substantially coplanar with at least a portion of the top of the fiber optic housing;

(ii) at least a portion of the bottom of the attachment housing is substantially coplanar with at least a portion of the bottom of the fiber optic housing; and

(iii) at least a portion of the at least one side of the attachment housing is substantially coplanar with at least a portion of the at least one side of the fiber optic housing.

29. The method of claim 14, wherein coupling of the attachment interior chamber and the housing interior chamber expands the effective depth of the fiber optic housing without expanding a height of the fiber optic housing.