Optical splice and termination module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11860433-B2
Application number	US-202217849041-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 24, 2022
Priority date	Apr 4, 2017
Publication date	Jan 2, 2024
Grant date	Jan 2, 2024

Abstract

An optical module includes a housing; an optical adapter arrangement disposed at the housing; a cable inlet leading from an exterior of the housing to the interior of the housing; and a splice location disposed within the interior of the housing. Optical pigtails extend from the optical adapter arrangement to the splice location. Certain types of modules have a removable splice tray having a bend radius limiting arrangement surrounding multiple splice channels. Certain types of modules have first and second chambers separated by a wall defining a pass-through aperture.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical module comprising:
a housing defining an interior, the housing including a management spool having at least one alignment aperture;
an optical adapter arrangement disposed at the housing, the optical adapter arrangement having inner ports accessible from the interior of the housing and outer ports accessible from an exterior of the housing;
a cable inlet leading from the exterior of the housing to the interior of the housing, the cable inlet being configured to receive an optical cable including a plurality of optical fibers;
a splice location disposed within the interior of the housing;
a plurality of optical pigtails extending from unterminated ends to connectorized ends, the unterminated ends being disposed at the splice location, the connectorized ends being plugged into the inner ports of the optical adapter arrangement; and
a separator disposed within the interior of the housing, the separator disposed over a portion of the optical pigtails extending from the inner ports of the optical adapter arrangement, the separator having at least one alignment tab configured to partially engage the at least one alignment aperture of the management spool and to align the separator within the housing.

2. The optical module of claim 1 , wherein the at least one alignment aperture forms a notch extending from a base of the housing and continuing partially along a circumference of the management spool.

3. The optical module of claim 1 , wherein the at least one alignment aperture continues from an outer diameter of the management spool through an inner diameter of the management spool.

4. The optical module of claim 1 , wherein the management spool has a plurality of alignment apertures, and wherein the separator has a corresponding plurality of alignment tabs.

5. The optical module of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of alignment apertures are evenly spaced about a circumference of the management spool.

6. The optical module of claim 1 , wherein the at least one alignment tab is integral to the separator.

7. The optical module of claim 1 , wherein the at least one alignment tab is at least partially retained within the interior of the housing by the engagement between the at least one alignment tab and the at least one alignment aperture.

8. An optical module comprising:
a housing defining an interior;
an optical adapter arrangement disposed at the housing, the optical adapter arrangement having inner ports accessible from the interior of the housing and outer ports accessible from an exterior of the housing;
a cable inlet leading from the exterior of the housing to the interior of the housing, the cable inlet being configured to receive an optical cable including a plurality of optical fibers;
a splice location disposed within the interior of the housing;
a plurality of optical pigtails extending from unterminated ends to connectorized ends, the unterminated ends being disposed at the splice location, the connectorized ends being plugged into the inner ports of the optical adapter arrangement;
a support ring disposed within the interior of the housing, the support ring not being sufficiently high to provide bend radius protection for the plurality of optical pigtails; and
a separator disposed within the interior of the housing and resting on the support ring, the separator disposed over a portion of the optical pigtails extending from the inner ports of the optical adapter arrangement.

9. The optical module of claim 8 , wherein the support ring is at least as high as the diameter of one of the optical pigtails.

10. The optical module of claim 8 , wherein the support ring is at least as high as the combined diameter of two of the optical pigtails.

11. An optical module comprising:
a housing defining an interior;
an optical adapter arrangement disposed at the housing;
a cable inlet leading from an exterior of the housing to the interior of the housing, the cable inlet being configured to receive an optical cable including a plurality of optical fibers;
a splice location disposed within the interior of the housing;
a plurality of optical pigtails extending from unterminated ends to connectorized ends, the unterminated ends being disposed at the splice location;
a separator disposed within the interior of the housing, the separator disposed over a portion of the optical fibers;
guide fingers disposed between the splice location and the optical adapter arrangement, the guide fingers being sufficiently spaced to enable the plurality of optical pigtails to pass therebetween, the guide fingers extending through holes of the separator to align the separator with the housing; and
a splice component disposed within the interior of the housing over the separator at the splice location.

12. The optical module of claim 11 , wherein the splice component is a removable splice tray.

13. The optical module of claim 11 , wherein the splice component is a splice chip.

14. The optical module of claim 11 , wherein the splice component is configured to receive a mass fusion splice.

15. The optical module of claim 11 , wherein the splice component has a bend radius limiting arrangement.

16. The optical module of claim 11 , wherein the guide fingers extend past the separator when the separator is positioned in the housing.

17. The optical module of claim 11 , wherein the guide fingers are monolithically formed with a base of the housing.

18. The optical module of claim 11 , wherein the guide fingers are arranged in a curved path along the housing.

19. The optical module of claim 11 , wherein there are at least two guide fingers.

20. The optical module of claim 11 , wherein there are six guide fingers arranged in a curved path.

Assignees

• Commscope Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Schoenfelder Rodney C
• Johnsen David J
• Holmberg Matthew J
• Pomroy Jackson Ray

Classifications

• G02B6/4478

  Bending relief means · CPC title

• G02B6/4454 Primary

  with splices · CPC title

• G02B6/4457

  Bobbins; Reels · CPC title

• G02B6/3616

  Holders, macro size fixtures for mechanically holding or positioning fibres, e.g. on an optical bench (supporting carriers of a microbench type G02B6/3648; micromanipulators B25J7/00; cassettes, bobbins G02B6/4439) · CPC title