Fiber indexing systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10151897-B2
Application number	US-201715416246-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2017
Priority date	Jan 26, 2016
Publication date	Dec 11, 2018
Grant date	Dec 11, 2018

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to systems and method for deploying a fiber optic network. Distribution devices are used to index fibers within the system to ensure that live fibers are provided at output locations throughout the system. In an example, fibers can be indexed in multiple directions within the system. In an example, spare ports can be providing in a forward direction and reverse direction ports can also be provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An indexing component comprising:
an upstream multi-fiber connection location;
a downstream multi-fiber connection location;
an optical splitter housed within the indexing component having a splitter output coupled to forward feed adapter ports;
an optical fiber dropped from the upstream multi-fiber connection location that couples to an input of the optical splitter;
a reverse feed port;
an optical fiber dropped from the downstream multi-fiber connection location that couples to the reverse feed port; and
optical fibers indexed between non-dropped fiber locations of the upstream multi-fiber connection location and non-dropped fiber locations of the downstream multi-fiber connection location.

2. The indexing component of claim 1 , further comprising a forward spare port coupled to a drop fiber from the upstream multi-fiber connection location.

3. The indexing component of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of reverse feed ports coupled to the downstream multi-fiber connection location.

4. The indexing component of claim 1 , wherein the forward feed adapter ports include ruggedized single-fiber fiber optic adapters.

5. The indexing component of claim 1 , further comprising a terminal housing the optical splitter and the optical fibers.

6. The indexing component of claim 1 , wherein the upstream multi-fiber connection location is ruggedized.

7. The indexing component of claim 1 , wherein the downstream multi-fiber connection location is ruggedized.

8. The indexing component of claim 1 , wherein the reverse feed port includes a ruggedized single-fiber fiber optic adapter.

9. The indexing component of claim 5 , wherein the upstream multi-fiber connection location is provided at the terminal.

10. The indexing component of claim 5 , wherein the upstream multi-fiber connection location is provided at a multi-fiber connector mounted at an end of a stub cable having fibers routed into the terminal.

11. An indexing scheme for an indexing component including 24 fiber connection locations each including 24 fiber positions with fiber positions 1 - 12 in a first row and fiber positions 13 - 24 in a second parallel row , the indexing scheme comprising:
indexing positions 4 - 9 and 16 - 21 as a first set and dropping fibers from the first set to ports dedicated for PON service; and
indexing positions 1 - 3 ; 10 - 12 ; 13 - 15 and 22 - 24 as a second set and dropping fibers from the second set to ports for other services.

12. A fiber optic network comprising:
a fiber distribution hub including one or more optical power splitters and one or more fiber distribution panels;
at least one chain of multi-fiber indexing components, the chain of multi-fiber indexing components being optically coupled to the fiber distribution hub; and
optical fibers routed to the fiber distribution hub that are optically connected to the at least one chain of multi-fiber indexing components at the fiber distribution hub, wherein the optical fibers include pass-through optical fibers that are routed through the fiber distribution hub without being optically power split, and power split optical fibers that are optically power split at the fiber distribution by the passive optical power splitters, wherein at least one of the pass-through optical fibers and at least one of the power split optical fibers are optically coupled to the chain of multi-fiber indexing components, the optical fibers transmitting either: a) an overlay of PON and WDM signals; or b) PON and WDM signals transmitted over separate ones of the optical fibers.

13. The fiber optic network of claim 12 , wherein the PON and WDM signals are overlaid at a central location and are transmitted to the fiber distribution hub without subsequent power splitting of the overlaid PON and WDM signals at a first location.

14. The fiber optic network of any of claims 12 and 13 , wherein the fiber distribution hub includes first and second passive optical power splitters having different split ratios.

15. The fiber optic network of claim 12 , wherein the pass-through optical fiber and the power split optical fiber are optically connected to the chain of multi-fiber indexing components in a forward direction.

16. The fiber optic network of claim 12 , wherein the pass-through optical fiber is optically connected to the chain of multi-fiber indexing components in a reverse direction and the power split optical fiber is optically connected to the chain of multi-fiber indexing components in a forward direction.

17. The fiber optic network of claim 12 , wherein one or more of the multi-fiber indexing components includes a passive optical power splitter having a split ratio coordinated with a split ratio of one of the passive optical power splitters at the fiber distribution hub.

18. The fiber optic network of claim 12 , wherein one or more of the multi-fiber indexing components includes a passive optical power splitter, and wherein the one or more multi-fiber indexing components include first drop ports optically coupled to the passive optical power splitter of the indexing component and at least one second drop port not optically coupled to the passive optical power splitter of the indexing component.

19. The fiber optic network of claim 12 , further comprising a wavelength division multi-plexer at the fiber distribution hub for splitting signals from at least one of the optical fibers based on wavelength, and wherein an output side of the wavelength division multi-plexer is optically coupled to the chain of multi-fiber indexing components.

20. The fiber optic network of claim 12 , wherein the output side of the wavelength division multi-plexer is optically coupled to drop ports of the multi-fiber indexing components that are not optically coupled to passive optical power splitters of the multi-fiber indexing components.

21. The fiber optic network of claim 12 , wherein the pass-through optical fibers are optically coupled to drop ports of the multi-fiber indexing components that are not optically coupled to passive optical power splitters of the multi-fiber indexing components.

22. The fiber optic network of claim 12 , wherein one or more of the multi-fiber indexing components are in accordance with the multi-fiber indexing component of claim 1 .

23. A fiber optic network comprising:
a fiber distribution hub including one or more optical power splitters and one or more fiber distribution panels, wherein the fiber distribution hub includes first and second passive optical power splitters having different split ratios;
at least one chain of multi-fiber indexing components, the chain of multi-fiber indexing components being optically coupled to at least one of the optical power splitters of the fiber distribution hub; and
a wavelength division multi-plexer at the fiber distribution hub for splitting signals from a feed optical fiber based on wavelength, and wherein an output side of the wavelength division multi-plexer is optically coupled to the chain of multi-fiber indexing components.

24. A fiber optic network comprising:
a fiber distribution hub including one or more optical power splitters and one or more fiber distribution panels;
at least one chain of multi-fiber indexing components, the chain of multi-fiber indexing components being optically coupled to at least one of the optical power splitters of the fiber distribution hub; and
a pass-through optical fiber that is routed t

Assignees

• Commscope Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Gronvall Erik J
• Rousseaux Olivier Hubert Daniel Yves
• Smith Trevor D
• Solheid James J
• Holmberg Matthew J

Classifications

• G02B6/4471

  Terminating devices (demountable connectors G02B6/3807); Cable clamps · CPC title

• G02B6/4475

  with provision for lateral branching (G02B6/4431 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/4455

  characterised by the way of extraction or insertion of the cassette in the distribution frame, e.g. pivoting, sliding, rotating or gliding · CPC title

• G02B6/3874

  using tubes, sleeves to align ferrules · CPC title

• H04B10/808

  Electrical power feeding of an optical transmission system · CPC title