FIBER OPTIC ENCLOSURE WITH INTERNAL CABLE SPOOL

• US 20100310224A1
• Filed: 06/03/2010
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADC Telecommunications Incorporated (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Kaml, Jonathan R., Kowalczyk, Scott C., Coan, Jonathan Walter
• Granted Patent: US 7,894,701 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/135
• 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 6/4446 Cable boxes, e.g. splicing boxes with two or more multi fibre cables
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/445 with lateral pivoting cover
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4452 Distribution frames
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4453 Cassettes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4454 with splices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4457 Bobbins; Reels
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4471 Terminating devices demountable connectors G02B6/3807; Cable clamps
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/46 Processes or apparatus adapted for installing or repairing optical fibres or optical cables installation of cables containing electric conductors and optical fibres H02G

Abstract

A fiber optic enclosure assembly includes a housing having an interior region and a bearing mount disposed in the interior region of the housing. A cable spool is connectedly engaged with the bearing mount such that the cable spool selectively rotates within the housing. A termination module disposed on the cable spool so that the termination module rotates in unison with the cable spool. A method of paying out a fiber optic cable from a fiber optic enclosure includes rotating a cable spool, which has a subscriber cable coiled around a spooling portion of the cable spool, about an axis of a housing of the fiber optic enclosure until a desired length of subscriber cable is paid out. A termination module is disposed on the cable spool.

Claims

1. A fiber optic enclosure assembly for enclosing optical fiber connections, the fiber optic enclosure assembly comprising:

a housing having an interior;

a fiber optic cable including a plurality of optical fibers, the fiber optic cable including a first portion in which the optical fibers are collectively contained within a jacket and a second portion in which the optical fibers are broken out into individual optical fibers having connectorized ends, the first portion of the fiber optic cable being capable of being paid out from the interior of the housing;

a cable storage spool about which the first portion of the fiber optic cable is wrapped, the cable storage spool being positioned within the interior of the housing, wherein the cable storage spool rotates about an axis to allow the first portion of the fiber optic cable to be paid out from the interior of the housing;

a cable management spool about which the second portion of the first optic cable is wrapped; and

a plurality of fiber optic adapters that receive the connectorized ends of the individual optical fibers, wherein the cable management spool and the plurality of fiber optic adapters are carried with the cable storage spool as the cable storage spool is rotated about the axis to allow the first portion of the fiber optic cable to be paid out from the interior of the housing.

2. The fiber optic enclosure assembly of claim 1, wherein the connectorized ends of the individual optical fibers are located at a first end of the fiber optic cable and a multi-fiber connector is mounted at a second end of the fiber optic cable.

3. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 1, wherein the fiber optic adapters include sliding adapter packs.

4. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a main body defining a front opening, and a movable front cover for selectively covering and uncovering the front opening.

5. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 4, wherein the main body of the housing is adapted to be connected to a wall.

6. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 5, wherein the cable management spool is positioned in front of the cable storage spool.

7. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 1, further comprising subscriber optical fibers routed to subscriber locations, the subscriber fibers also being routed inside the interior of the housing, the subscriber fibers having connectorized ends that are inserted in the fiber optic adapters such that the subscriber optical fibers are optically connected to the optical fibers of the fiber optic cable.

8. A fiber optic enclosure assembly for enclosing fiber optic connections, the fiber optic enclosure assembly comprising:

a housing defining an interior;

a first spool positioned within the interior of the housing, the first spool defining a first storage space at which a fiber optic cable can be spooled, the first spool being rotatable within the interior of the housing about an axis of rotation;

a second spool positioned within the interior of the housing, the second spool defining a second storage space at which a fiber optic cable can be spooled, the first storage space being separated from the second storage space by at least one spool flange;

a plurality of fiber optic adapters positioned within the interior of the housing;

wherein the plurality of fiber optic adapters and the second spool rotate in unison with the first spool when the first spool is rotated about the axis of rotation.

9. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 8, wherein the fiber optic adapters include sliding adapter packs.

10. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 8, wherein the housing includes a main body defining a front opening, and a movable front cover for selectively covering and uncovering the front opening.

11. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 10, wherein the main body of the housing is adapted to be connected to a wall.

12. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 11, wherein the second spool is positioned in front of the first spool.

13. A fiber optic enclosure assembly for enclosing fiber optic connections, the fiber optic enclosure assembly comprising:

a housing defining an interior;

a fiber optic cable including a plurality of optical fibers, the fiber optic cable including a first portion in which the optical fibers are collectively contained within a jacket and a second portion in which the optical fibers are broken out into individual optical fibers having connectorized ends, the first portion of the fiber optic cable being capable of being paid out from the interior of the housing;

a cable management and connection assembly including

a first spooling location at which the first portion of the fiber optic cable is coiled;

a second spooling location separate from the first spooling location, the second portion of the fiber optic cable being coiled at the second spooling location; and

a plurality of fiber optic adapters that receive the connectorized ends of the individual optical fibers;

wherein an entirety of the cable management and connection assembly is positioned within the interior of the housing, and wherein the entirety of the cable management and connection assembly rotates about an axis of rotation to allow the first portion of the fiber optic cable to be paid out from the interior of the housing.

15. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 13, wherein the fiber optic adapters include sliding adapter packs.

16. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 13, wherein the housing includes a main body defining a front opening, and a movable front cover for selectively covering and uncovering the front opening.

17. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 16, wherein the main body of the housing is adapted to be connected to a wall.

18. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 17, wherein the second spooling location is positioned in front of the first spooling location.

19. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 13, further comprising subscriber optical fibers routed to subscriber locations, the subscriber fibers also being routed inside the interior of the housing, the subscriber fibers having connectorized ends that are inserted in the fiber optic adapters such that the subscriber optical fibers are optically connected to the optical fibers of the fiber optic cable.

14. The fiber optic enclosure assembly 13, wherein the connectorized ends of the individual optical fibers are located at a first end of the fiber optic cable and a multi-fiber connector is mounted at a second end of the fiber optic cable.