Methods and systems for distributing fiber optic telecommunications services to local area

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10146017-B2
Application number	US-201715729248-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 10, 2017
Priority date	Jun 19, 2008
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

A fiber optic drop terminal assembly includes a housing, a spool and a fiber optic distribution cable. The housing has a first exterior surface and an oppositely disposed second exterior surface. A plurality of ruggedized adapters is mounted on the first exterior surface of the housing. The ruggedized adapters include a first port accessible from outside the housing and a second port accessible from inside the housing. The spool is engaged with the second exterior surface and includes a drum portion. The fiber distribution cable is coiled around the drum portion. The distribution cable includes a first end and an oppositely disposed second end. The second end is disposed inside the housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fiber optic cable spooling system comprising:
a first spool including a first core and first and second radial flanges that are axially spaced apart along the first core, the first core having an exterior surface;
a second spool including a second core and front and back radial flanges that are axially spaced apart along the second core of the second spool, the front radial flange of the second spool being secured to the second radial flange of the first spool, the first spool having a diameter that is substantially larger than a diameter of the second spool;
a terminal device mounted on the back radial flange of the second spool, the terminal device including an environmentally sealed terminal housing that defines an enclosed interior, the terminal device also including a plurality of ruggedized fiber optic adapters carried with the terminal housing, each one of the plurality of ruggedized fiber optic adapters including an exterior adapter port accessible from outside the terminal housing for receiving a ruggedized fiber optic connector and an interior adapter port inside the terminal housing, the terminal housing including a front housing piece and a rear housing piece, the front housing piece of the terminal housing defining a plurality of openings at which the plurality of ruggedized fiber optic adapters are mounted, the terminal device also including a seal positioned between the front and rear housing pieces of the terminal housing; and
a fiber optic cable having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of the fiber optic cable being arranged in a coil around the second core of the second spool and contained between the front and back radial flanges, the second portion of the fiber optic cable being arranged in a coil around the exterior surface of the first core of the first spool and contained between the first and second radial flanges;
wherein the second radial flange of the first spool defines a cable transition notch through which the fiber optic cable extends between the first spool and the second spool;
wherein the first and second spools and the terminal device all rotate in unison when the second portion of the fiber optic cable is dispensed from the first spool; and
wherein once the second portion of the fiber optic cable has been completely removed from the first spool, the first portion of the fiber optic cable begins to pay off of the second spool.

2. The fiber optic cable spooling system of claim 1 , wherein the fiber optic cable includes a plurality of optical fibers separated at the second portion of the fiber optic cable, at least some of the separate optical fibers having connectorized ends, the connectorized ends of the separate optical fibers being plugged into respective ones of the interior adapter ports of the plurality of ruggedized fiber optic adapters within the enclosed interior of the terminal housing.

3. The fiber optic cable spooling system of claim 1 , further comprising a central passage that extends axially through both the first and second spools, the central passage being configured to receive a mandrel about which the terminal device and the first and second spools rotate in unison.

4. The fiber optic cable spooling system of claim 1 , wherein a bottom end of the cable transition notch is generally flush with an outer circumferential surface of the first core of the first spool.

5. The fiber optic cable spooling system of claim 1 , wherein the first spool is removable.

6. The fiber optic cable spooling system of claim 1 , wherein the front housing piece of the terminal housing includes a plurality of front steps, and wherein the plurality of ruggedized fiber optic adapters are mounted on the plurality of front steps.

7. The fiber optic cable spooling system of claim 2 , wherein a fan-out is provided within the terminal housing for separating the plurality of optical fibers.

8. The fiber optic cable spooling system of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the fiber optic cable has a multi-fiber connector.

9. The fiber optic cable spooling system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of ruggedized fiber optic adapters are mounted at an oblique angle relative to a plane that extends through a central longitudinal axis of the terminal housing and across a width of the terminal housing.

10. The fiber optic cable spooling system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second radial flanges project radially outwardly from the first core of the first spool, and the front and back radial flanges project radially outwardly from the second core of the second spool.

11. A fiber optic distribution network comprising:
a fiber distribution hub;
a fiber distribution cable including a plurality of optical fibers configured to be routed to the fiber distribution hub, the fiber distribution cable including a first end and an oppositely disposed second end, the plurality of optical fibers being separated at the second end of the fiber distribution cable, at least some of the separate optical fibers having connectorized ends;
a drop terminal mounted at an outdoor mounting location remote from the fiber distribution hub, the drop terminal including an environmentally sealed terminal housing that defines an enclosed interior, the drop terminal also including a plurality of ruggedized fiber optic adapters carried with the terminal housing, each one of the plurality of ruggedized fiber optic adapters including an exterior adapter port accessible from outside the terminal housing and an interior adapter port inside the terminal housing, the connectorized ends of the separate optical fibers being plugged into respective ones of the interior adapter ports of the plurality of ruggedized fiber optic adapters within the enclosed interior of the terminal housing;
a first spool including a first core and first and second radial flanges that are axially spaced apart along the first core, the first core having an exterior surface; and
a second spool including a second core and front and back radial flanges that are axially spaced apart along the second core of the second spool, the front radial flange of the second spool being secured to the second radial flange of the first spool, the first spool having a diameter that is substantially larger than a diameter of the second spool;
the drop terminal being mounted on the back radial flange of the second spool;
the fiber distribution cable having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of the fiber optic cable being arranged in a coil around the second core of the second spool and contained between the front and back radial flanges, the second portion of the fiber distribution cable being arranged in a coil around the exterior surface of the first core of the first spool and contained between the first and second radial flanges;
wherein the second radial flange of the first spool defines a cable transition notch through which the fiber distribution cable extends between the first spool and the second spool;
wherein the first and second spools and the drop terminal all rotate in unison when the second portion of the fiber distribution cable is dispensed from the first spool; and
wherein once the second portion of the fiber distribution cable has been completely removed from the first spool, the first portion of the fiber distribution cable begins to pay off of the second spool.

12. The fiber optic distribution network of claim 11 , further comprising a central passage that extends axially through both the first and second spools, the central passage being configured to receive a mandrel about which the drop terminal and the first and second spools rotate in unison.

Assignees

• Commscope Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Smith Trevor D
• Hagen Raymond
• Leblanc Thomas G
• Marcouiller Thomas

Classifications

• H04B10/275

  Ring-type networks · CPC title

• G02B6/4444

  Seals · CPC title

• H04B10/25

  Arrangements specific to fibre transmission · CPC title

• G02B6/444

  Systems or boxes with surplus lengths · CPC title

• G02B6/4494

  Physics · mapped topic