Optical assemblies with managed connectivity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11143833-B2
Application number	US-202016799328-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2020
Priority date	Feb 5, 2013
Publication date	Oct 12, 2021
Grant date	Oct 12, 2021

Abstract

An adapter assembly includes a single-piece or two-piece multi-fiber adapter defining a recess at which a contact assembly is disposed. The adapter assemblies can be disposed within adapter block assemblies or cassettes, which can be mounted to moveable trays. Both ports of the adapters disposed within adapter block assemblies are accessible. Only one port of each adapter disposed within the cassettes are accessible. Circuit boards can be mounted within the block assemblies or cassettes to provide communication between the contact assemblies and a data network.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An adapter block comprising:
a body extending between opposite first and second ends, the body defining a mounting arrangement at each of the first and second ends, the body defining a plurality of first multi-fiber ports facing in a first direction and a plurality of second multi-fiber ports facing in an opposite second direction, each of the first multi-fiber ports being disposed in a first row extending between the opposite first and second ends, and each of the second multi-fiber ports being disposed in a second row extending between the opposite first and second ends, wherein the body includes a first block portion and a second block portion coupled together by a joining member, each of the first and second block portions defining a respective group of the first multi-fiber ports and a respective group of the second multi-fiber ports;
a circuit board carried by the body;
a circuit board connector mounted to the circuit board, the circuit board connector being aligned with the joining member; and
a plurality of presence sensors mounted to the circuit board so that a portion of each presence sensor extends into a respective one of the first multi-fiber ports.

2. The adapter block of claim 1 , wherein the body includes a plurality of multi-fiber adapters disposed within a housing, the multi-fiber adapters defining the first and second multi-fiber ports, the housing providing access to the first and second multi-fiber ports.

3. The adapter block of claim 2 , wherein the housing defines a plurality of first openings aligned with the first multi-fiber ports and a plurality of second openings aligned with the second multi-fiber ports.

4. The adapter block of claim 2 , wherein the housing includes a bottom arrangement and a cover arrangement that cooperate to enclose the multi-fiber adapters.

5. The adapter block of claim 4 , wherein the bottom arrangement includes the first block portion sized to hold a first group of the multi-fiber adapters and second block portion sized to hold a second group of the multi-fiber adapters.

6. The adapter block of claim 5 , wherein each adapter block defines a plurality of first openings aligned with the first multi-fiber ports of the respective multi-fiber adapters and a plurality of second openings aligned with the second multi-fiber ports of the respective multi-fiber adapters.

7. The adapter block of claim 5 , wherein a joining member couples together the first and second adapter blocks.

8. The adapter block of claim 4 , wherein the cover arrangement includes a plurality of light pipes that provide a path through which light travels from an interior to an exterior of the body.

9. The adapter block of claim 4 , wherein the cover arrangement includes a plurality of pieces.

10. The adapter block of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of pieces includes a first cover piece configured to be latched to the bottom arrangement, a second cover piece configured to be latched to the bottom arrangement, and an intermediate piece configured to mount between the first and second cover pieces to inhibit unlatching of the first and second cover pieces.

11. The adapter block of claim 2 , wherein the housing includes first and second housing pieces that cooperate to enclose the optical adapters, the first housing piece defining first apertures aligned with the first multi-fiber ports and the second housing piece defining second apertures aligned with the second multi-fiber ports.

12. The adapter block of claim 1 , wherein the joining member defines a shroud through which contacts of the circuit board connector extend away from the circuit board.

13. The adapter block of claim 12 , wherein the joining member defines two shrouds.

14. The adapter block of claim 1 , wherein the circuit board is a first of a plurality of circuit boards carried by the body, each of the circuit boards carrying a respective plurality of presence sensors.

15. The adapter block of claim 14 , wherein only the first circuit board of the plurality of circuit boards includes a circuit board connector that extends out of the body.

16. The adapter block of claim 14 , wherein the presence sensors of a second of the plurality of circuit boards extend into respective ones of the second multi-fiber ports.

17. The adapter block of claim 16 , wherein the presence sensors of a third of the plurality of circuit boards extend into respective ones of the second multi-fiber ports.

18. The adapter block of claim 17 , wherein the first and second multi-fiber ports are defined by a plurality of optical adapters, and wherein the second and third circuit boards are disposed at an opposite side of the optical adapters from the first circuit board.

19. An adapter block comprising:
a body extending between opposite first and second ends, the body defining a mounting arrangement at each of the first and second ends, the body defining a plurality of first multi-fiber ports facing in a first direction and a plurality of second multi-fiber ports facing in an opposite second direction, each of the first multi-fiber ports being disposed in a first row extending between the opposite first and second ends, and each of the second multi-fiber ports being disposed in a second row extending between the opposite first and second ends, the body including a plurality of multi-fiber adapters disposed within a housing, the multi-fiber adapters defining the first and second multi-fiber ports, the housing providing access to the first and second multi-fiber ports, the housing including a bottom arrangement and a cover arrangement that cooperate to enclose the multi-fiber adapters, the cover arrangement having a plurality of pieces including a first cover piece configured to be latched to the bottom arrangement, a second cover piece configured to be latched to the bottom arrangement, and an intermediate piece configured to mount between the first and second cover pieces to inhibit unlatching of the first and second cover pieces;
a circuit board carried by the body; and
a plurality of presence sensors mounted to the circuit board so that a portion of each presence sensor extends into a respective one of the first multi-fiber ports.

20. An adapter block comprising:
a body extending between opposite first and second ends, the body defining a mounting arrangement at each of the first and second ends, the body defining a plurality of first multi-fiber ports facing in a first direction and a plurality of second multi-fiber ports facing in an opposite second direction, each of the first multi-fiber ports being disposed in a first row extending between the opposite first and second ends, and each of the second multi-fiber ports being disposed in a second row extending between the opposite first and second ends, wherein the body includes a plurality of multi-fiber adapters disposed within a housing, the multi-fiber adapters defining the first and second multi-fiber ports, the housing providing access to the first and second multi-fiber ports, wherein the housing includes a bottom arrangement and a cover arrangement that cooperate to enclose the multi-fiber adapters, wherein the cover arrangement includes a plurality of light pipes that provide a path through which light travels from an interior to an exterior of the body;
a circuit board carried by the body; and
a plurality of presence sensors mounted to the circuit board so that a portion of each presence sensor extends into a respective one of the first multi-fiber ports.

21. An adapter block c

Assignees

• Commscope Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Petersen Cyle D
• Ogren Bruce
• Sievers Scott C
• Marcouiller Thomas
• Taylor Chris
• Meredith Mark
• Eberle Jr James Joseph

Classifications

• G02B6/4453 Primary

  Cassettes · CPC title

• G02B6/44524

  with frame parts or auxiliary devices mounted on the frame and collectively not covering a whole width of the frame or rack (cassettes G02B6/4453) · CPC title

• G02B6/44528

  Patch-cords; Connector arrangements in the system or in the box (routing arrangements H04Q1/00) · CPC title

• G02B6/3817 Primary

  containing optical and electrical conductors (cables including electrical and optical conductors H01B11/22; G02B6/3816 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/3895

  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 title