Node fiber connectorization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10955635-B2
Application number	US-201816126569-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 10, 2018
Priority date	Sep 10, 2018
Publication date	Mar 23, 2021
Grant date	Mar 23, 2021

Abstract

A HFC network includes an optical node, a first fiber optic cable, and a second fiber optic cable. The first fiber optic cable has a first end that is connected to the optical node for delivering signals to the optical node. The second fiber optic cable has a first end that is positioned within the optical node. Optical fibers of the first optic cable are ribbonized and spliced to ribbonized optical fibers of the second fiber optic cable at a spliced connection such that signals can be transmitted between the fiber optic cables. An optical fiber of the first fiber optic cable is spliced to a connectorized fiber pigtail at a spliced connection, and the connectorized fiber pigtail is optically connected to a broadband optical transceiver in the optical node. The spliced connections are stored in a fiber splice tray within the optical node.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hybrid fiber coax (HFC) network comprising:
an optical node including an enclosure defining an interior space, and at least one broadband optical transceiver mounted within the interior space of the enclosure;
a first fiber optic cable comprising a plurality of optical fibers, the first fiber optic cable having a first end that is connected to the optical node for delivering signals to the optical node, wherein at least one optical fiber of the first fiber optic cable is spliced to a connectorized fiber pigtail at a spliced connection, and the connectorized fiber pigtail is optically connected to the broadband optical transceiver; and
a second fiber optic cable comprising a plurality of optical fibers, the second fiber optic cable having a first end that is positioned within the optical node, wherein optical fibers of the first fiber optic cable are ribbonized and spliced to ribbonized optical fibers of the second fiber optic cable at a spliced connection such that signals can be transmitted between the first fiber optic cable and the second fiber optic cable,
wherein the spliced connections are stored in the optical node.

2. The HFC network of claim 1 further comprising a fiber splice tray positioned within the interior space of the optical node, and wherein the spliced connections are stored in the fiber splice tray within the optical node.

3. The HFC network of claim 1 further comprising a second optical node including an enclosure defining an interior space and at least one broadband optical transceiver mounted within the enclosure of the second optical node, wherein the second fiber optic cable includes a second end that is connected to the second optical node for delivering signals to the second optical node.

4. The HFC network of claim 3 , wherein the second node is the last active in the HFC network.

5. The HFC network of claim 3 further comprising a third fiber optic cable having a first end that is positioned within the second optical node, wherein optical fibers of the third fiber optic cable are ribbonized and spliced to ribbonized optical fibers of the second fiber optic cable at a spliced connection such that signals can be transmitted between the first, second and third fiber optic cables.

6. The HFC network of claim 3 , wherein the nodes are interconnected in a point-to-point and hub-to-spokes topology.

7. The HFC network of claim 3 , wherein the nodes are interconnected in a ring and hub-to-spokes topology.

8. The HFC network of claim 1 , wherein at least one optical fiber of the first fiber optic cable is used as a spare fiber and is stored in a splice tray of the optical node.

9. The HFC network of claim 1 wherein the broadband optical transceiver of the optical node is configured to convert an optical signal from the connectorized fiber pigtail to an electrical signal and transmit the electrical signal to a coaxial cable that is connected to the node.

10. The HFC network of claim 1 , wherein the optical node comprises a first port disposed in the enclosure through which the first fiber optic cable is positioned, and a second port disposed in the enclosure through which the second fiber optic cable is positioned.

11. The HFC network of claim 1 , wherein the HFC network does not comprise a fiber optic splice enclosure that is separate from the optical node.

12. The HFC network of claim 1 , wherein at least one optical fiber of the second fiber optic cable is spliced to a connectorized fiber pigtail, and the connectorized fiber pigtail is optically connected to another broadband optical transceiver within the optical node.

13. A method of arranging a hybrid fiber coax (HFC) network comprising:
a. connecting a first end of a first fiber optic cable comprising a plurality of optical fibers to an optical node for delivering signals to the optical node;
b. positioning a first end of a second fiber optic cable comprising a plurality of optical fibers within an interior space of the optical node;
c. splicing at least one optical fiber of the first optic cable to at least one optical fiber of the second fiber optic cable at a spliced connection such that signals can be transmitted between the first fiber optic cable and the second fiber optic cable;
d. splicing at least one optical fiber of the first fiber optic cable to a connectorized fiber pigtail at a spliced connection;
e. optically connecting the connectorized fiber pigtail to a broadband optical transceiver of the optical node; and
f. storing the spliced connections within the optical node.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein step (c) further comprises ribbonizing and then splicing at least two optical fibers of the first optic cable to at least two ribbonized optical fibers of the second fiber optic cable at a spliced connection such that signals can be transmitted between the first fiber optic cable and the second fiber optic cable.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of splicing at least one optical fiber of the second fiber optic cable to a connectorized fiber pigtail, and connecting the connectorized fiber pigtail of the second fiber optic cable to another broadband optical transceiver within the optical node.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising connecting a second end of the second fiber optic cable to a second optical node for delivering signals to the second optical node.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising splicing at least one optical fiber of the second fiber optic cable to at least one optical fiber of a third fiber optic cable at a spliced connection such that signals can be transmitted between the first, second and third fiber optic cables, and storing the spliced connection in the second optical node.

18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising storing at least one optical fiber of the first fiber optic cable in the optical node as a spare fiber.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein step (a) further comprises delivering the first fiber optic cable through a first port in the enclosure of the optical node, and step (b) further comprises delivering the second fiber optic cable through a second port in the enclosure of the optical node.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein step (f) comprises storing the spliced connections in a fiber splice tray of the optical node.

Assignees

• Arris Entpr Llc

Inventors

• Maricevic Zoran
• Caezza John O
• Kahoun Scott
• Ishler Scott T
• Orazietti Kevin P
• Sun Zhijian
• Harbert Roy A
• Solomon Brian

Classifications

• G02B6/4454 Primary

  with splices · CPC title

• H04B10/27

  Arrangements for networking · CPC title

• G02B6/4292

  the light guide being disconnectable from the opto-electronic element, e.g. mutually self aligning arrangements · CPC title

• G02B6/4472

  Manifolds · CPC title

• G02B6/4285

  Optical modules characterised by a connectorised pigtail · CPC title