Fiber optic closures and support structures and assemblies for fiber optic closures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11630277-B2
Application number	US-201917278016-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 18, 2019
Priority date	Sep 20, 2018
Publication date	Apr 18, 2023
Grant date	Apr 18, 2023

Abstract

Closure-mounted support structures and associated assemblies for supporting fiber optic management devices within a fiber optic closure defining a closure volume. The support structures are adapted to receive and hold axially distal portions of protection tubes that hold and protect portions of optical fibers as they are routed through the closure volume, and also to support optical fiber management trays into which the optical fibers can be routed upon exiting the protection tubes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A telecommunications management tray support structure, comprising:
a body, the body defining one or more tray coupler retainers adapted to receive and retain a fiber management tray coupler of a fiber management tray, the body further defining one or more protection tube holders adapted to hold a distal end portion of an optical fiber protection tube holding at least one optical fiber, each of the one or more protection tube holders including a shoulder adapted to act as a distal stop for a distal end of the protection tube.

2. The telecommunications management tray support structure of claim 1 , wherein the body defines a plurality of the protection tube holders.

3. The telecommunications management tray support structure of claim 1 , wherein the body defines a plurality of the protection tube holders and a plurality of the tray coupler retainers.

4. The telecommunications management tray support structure of claim 3 , wherein a ratio of a number of the protection tube holders to a number of the tray coupler retainers is at least 2:1.

5. The telecommunications management tray support structure of claim 3 , wherein a ratio of a number of the protection tube holders to a number of the tray coupler retainers is 4:1.

6. The telecommunications management tray support structure of claim 1 , wherein the body extends from a first end to a second end, wherein the tray coupler retainers alternate with at least one of the protection tube holders from the first end to the second end.

7. The telecommunications management tray support structure of claim 1 , wherein the body extends from a first end to a second end, wherein the tray coupler retainers alternate with pairs of the protection tube holders from the first end to the second end.

8. The telecommunications management tray support structure of claim 3 , wherein each of the protection tube holders includes a first open longitudinal end defining a first opening and an opposing second longitudinal end defining a second opening, the first opening being wider than the second opening and being sized to receive a distal portion of a protection tube.

9. The telecommunications management tray support structure of claim 8 , wherein each of the protection tube holders includes a first longitudinal portion extending longitudinally from the first opening and defining a first receiving section, and a second longitudinal portion extending longitudinally from the second opening and defining a second receiving section, the second receiving section defining a lateral inner diameter that is smaller than a corresponding lateral inner diameter defined by the first receiving section such that the first receiving section is sized to receive a distal portion of a protection tube, such that the second receiving section is sized to be too small to receive the distal portion of the protection tube, and such that a transition between the first receiving section and the second receiving section defines the shoulder, the shoulder projecting radially towards a longitudinal axis of the protection tube holder.

10. The telecommunications management tray support structure of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of protection tube holders are arranged in pairs, and wherein the first openings of each of the pairs are positioned at opposite ends of the respective protection tube holders.

11. The telecommunications management tray support structure of claim 2 , wherein each of the protection tube holders is adapted to receive one, two, or more protection tubes.

12. The telecommunications management tray support structure of claim 2 , wherein each of the protection tube holders defines a slot through which one or more protection tubes can be inserted to be received by the protection tube holder.

13. A telecommunications closure system, comprising:
a telecommunications management tray support structure including a body, the body defining tray coupler retainers each adapted to receive and retain a fiber management tray coupler, the body further defining one or more protection tube holders adapted to hold a distal end portion of an optical fiber protection tube;
at least one optical fiber management tray coupled to the tray support; and
a protection tube having a distal end portion and a distal end positioned in one of the one or more protection tube holders, the protection tube holding a plurality of optical fibers,
wherein the telecommunications management support structure and the at least one optical fiber management tray are arranged such that one of the optical fibers extending from the distal end of the protection tube can be routed onto the fiber management tray via the one of the one or more protection tube holders.

14. A method of routing an optical fiber onto an optical fiber management tray, comprising:
providing a telecommunications management tray support structure including a body, the body defining one or more tray coupler retainers adapted to receive and retain a fiber management tray coupler, the body further defining one or more protection tube holders;
coupling an optical fiber management tray to one of the tray coupler retainers;
inserting a distal end portion and a distal end of a protection tube into one of the protection tube holders; and
feeding a portion of an optical fiber extending distally beyond the distal end of the protection tube into the optical fiber management tray.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the optical fiber management tray includes a first end and an opposite second end, the first end including a coupler for coupling the tray to one of the tray coupler retainers, and wherein the feeding includes feeding the portion of the optical fiber extending distally beyond the distal end of the protection tube through a fiber entryway defined by the tray and positioned at the first end of the tray.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the inserting includes inserting distal end portions of first and second protection tubes into one of the protection tube holders.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the inserting includes inserting distal end portions of first and second protection tubes into first and second of the protection tube holders, wherein one of the tray coupler retainers is positioned between the first and second protection tube holders.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the feeding includes feeding a portion of a first optical fiber extending distally beyond a distal end of the first protection tube through a first fiber entryway defined by a first or a second optical fiber management tray and positioned at the first end of the first or the second optical fiber management tray and on a first side of the tray support structure, and feeding a portion of a second optical fiber extending distally beyond a distal end of the second protection tube through a second fiber entryway defined by the first or the second optical fiber management tray and positioned at the first end of the first or the second optical fiber management tray and on a second side of the tray support structure.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the feeding of the portion of the first optical fiber is onto the same optical fiber management tray as the feeding of the portion of the second optical fiber.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the feeding of the portion of the first optical fiber is onto a different one of the first and second optical fiber management trays than the feeding of the portion of the second optical fiber.

21. The method of claim 14 , wherein ea

Assignees

• Commscope Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Claessens Bart Mattie
• Alaerts Roger Joseph

Classifications

• G02B6/501

  underground installation of connection boxes · CPC title

• G02B6/44775

  Cable seals e.g. feed-through (cable seals integrated to the box seals G02B6/4444; pulling eyes G02B6/44465) · CPC title

• G02B6/44465

  Seals · CPC title

• G02B6/44528

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

• G02B6/445

  with lateral pivoting cover · CPC title