Fiber optic cassette, system, and method

• US 9,535,229 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2012
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ott, Michael James, Murray, David Patrick, Thompson, Patrick J.
• Primary Examiner(s): PEACE, RHONDA S
• Application Number:
  US13/645,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20130089292A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,551 Days
• Field of Search: 385/135
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3895 identification of connection, e.g. right plug to the right socket or full engagement of the mating parts keying element on the plug or adapter G02B6/3831; keying element on the ferrule G02B6/3851; keying element for electrical connection H01R13/64
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3897 Connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards G02B6/44528 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/443 Protective covering
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4453 Cassettes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4457 Bobbins; Reels
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4471 Terminating devices demountable connectors G02B6/3807; Cable clamps

Abstract

A fiber optic cassette including a body defining a front and an opposite rear and an enclosed interior. A cable entry location is defined in the body for a cable to enter the interior of the cassette. The cable which enters at the cable entry location is attached to the cassette body and the fibers are extended into the cassette body and form terminations at connectors. The connectors are connected to adapters located at the front of the cassette. A front side of the adapters defines termination locations for cables to be connected to the fibers connected at the rear of the adapters. A cable including a jacket, a strength member, and fibers enters the cassette. The strength member is crimped to a crimp tube and is mounted to the cassette body, allowing the fibers to extend past the crimp tube into the interior of the cassette body. A strain relief boot is provided at the cable entry location.

Claims

1. A fiber optic cassette comprising:

a body defining a front and an opposite rear and an enclosed interior;

a cable entry location defined in the body for a cable to enter the interior of the cassette,

wherein a cable that enters at the cable entry location is attached to the cassette body, and fibers are extended into the cassette body and form terminations at first connectors that are non-traditional connectors, wherein each of the first connectors are formed of only a ferrule terminating a fiber and a ferrule hub mounted to the ferrule;

wherein the first connectors are connected to a rear side of adapters located at the front of the cassette, wherein the rear side of each adapter defines a structure for receiving the ferrule and the ferrule hub of one of the first connectors;

wherein a front side of the adapters define termination locations for cables to be connected to the fibers connected at the rear of the adapters, wherein the termination locations are configured to receive second connectors having a different format than the first non-traditional connectors connected to the rear side of the adapters, wherein each second connector is a traditional connector including one of an SC or an LC connector; and

wherein the cable includes a jacket, a strength member, and fibers, wherein the strength member is crimped to a crimp tube and is mounted to the cassette body, allowing the fibers to extend past the crimp tube into the interior of the cassette body, and wherein a strain relief boot is provided at the cable entry location.

2. The cassette of claim 1, wherein the cable entry location is located at the rear of the cassette body opposite to the front.

3. The cassette of claim 1, wherein the cassette body defines a top surface and a bottom surface which define major sides of the cassette body and extend between the front and the rear, wherein the adapters along the front are arranged linearly and extend in a longitudinal direction parallel to the major surfaces defined by the top and the bottom of the cassette body.

4. The cassette of claim 3, wherein the cable at the cable entry location extends parallel to the longitudinal direction before entry into the cassette body.

5. The cassette of claim 1, further comprising cable radius limiters which provide cable management of the fibers extending from the cable entry location to the first connectors at the rear side of the adapters.

6. The cassette of claim 1, wherein the adapters are in the form of an adapter block with a plurality of adapters and include a front end, a rear end, and internal structures which allow mating with fiber optic connectors at the front end.

7. The cassette of claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of adapters are configured to receive SC format fiber optic connectors at the front end.

8. The cassette of claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of adapters are configured to receive LC format fiber optic connectors at the front end.

9. The cassette of claim 6, wherein the adapter block is removable from a remainder of the cassette.

10. The cassette of claim 1, wherein the structure defined at the rear side of each adapter includes a rear clip which retains a split sleeve and the hub and the ferrule of a first connector which terminates an interior fiber.

11. The cassette of claim 1, wherein the cassette can be utilized in a chassis which includes a stationary mount relative to the chassis, or the cassette can be movably mounted, in a variety of sliding movements to allow access to a selected cassette, thereby improving access to a selected front second connector attached to the cassette.

12. A fiber optic cassette comprising:

a body defining a front and an opposite rear and an enclosed interior, the body further defining a top surface and a bottom surface which define major sides of the cassette body and extend between the front and the rear;

a cable entry location defined in the body for a cable to enter the interior of the cassette,

wherein a cable that enters at the cable entry location is coupled to the cassette body and fibers are extended into the cassette body and form terminations at first connectors;

wherein the first connectors are connected to a rear side of adapters of an adapter block located at the front of the cassette, each of the first connectors including a hub and ferrule and each of the adapters including a split sleeve, wherein the first connectors are non-traditional connectors formed of only the ferrule terminating a fiber and the hub mounted to the ferrule, wherein the rear side of each adapter defines a structure for receiving the ferrule and the hub of one of the first connectors;

wherein a front side of the adapters define termination locations for cables to be connected to the fibers connected at the rear side of the adapters, the termination locations configured to receive second fiber optic connectors having a different format than the first connectors, wherein each second connector is a traditional connector including one of an SC or an LC connector; and

wherein the adapters along the front of the cassette body are arranged linearly and extend in a longitudinal direction parallel to the major surfaces defined by the top and the bottom of the cassette body.

13. The cassette of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of adapters are configured to receive LC format fiber optic connectors at the front side.

14. The cassette of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of adapters are configured to receive SC format fiber optic connectors at the front side.

15. The cassette of claim 12, wherein the cable entry location is located at the rear of the cassette body opposite to the front.

16. The cassette of claim 12, wherein the adapter block is removable from a remainder of the cassette.

17. The cassette of claim 12, wherein the cable at the cable entry location extends parallel to the longitudinal direction before entry into the cassette body.

18. The cassette of claim 12, further comprising cable radius limiters which provide cable management of the fibers extending from the cable entry location to the first connectors at the rear side of the adapters.

19. The cassette of claim 12, wherein the cassette can be utilized in a chassis which includes a stationary mount relative to the chassis, or the cassette can be movably mounted, in a variety of sliding movements to allow access to a selected cassette, thereby improving access to a selected second fiber optic connector attached to the cassette.