Connection module for cable seal gel block

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11860436-B2
Application number	US-202217682532-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2022
Priority date	Apr 25, 2017
Publication date	Jan 2, 2024
Grant date	Jan 2, 2024

Abstract

Aspects and techniques of the present disclosure relate to an enclosure including a housing, a volume of sealant that defines a port in communication with an interior of the housing, and a fiber optic connection module including a sleeve that mounts within the port with the volume of sealant forming a seal about an exterior of the sleeve. The sleeve includes an inner end adjacent the interior of the housing and an outer end outside the housing. The fiber optic connection module also includes a demateable fiber optic connection interface adjacent the outer end of the sleeve. The demateable fiber optic connection interface includes a fiber optic connector. Other aspects of the present disclosure relate to fiber optic connection modules having features that make such modules suitable to be mounted within a port defined by a volume of sealant.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An enclosure comprising:
a housing;
a volume of sealant that defines a port in communication with an interior of the housing;
a fiber optic indexing module including a main body that mounts within the port with the volume of sealant forming a seal around an exterior of the main body, the indexing module including first and second de-mateable multi-fiber connection interfaces each having sequential fiber positions; and
a plurality of indexing optical fibers and a pigtail cable, wherein the plurality of indexing optical fibers is routed between the first and second de-mateable multi-fiber connection locations and through the main body and the pigtail cable;
wherein the first de-mateable multi-fiber connection interface includes an MPO connector and the second de-mateable multi-fiber connection interface includes a hardened multi-fiber connector; and
wherein the hardened multi-fiber connector is mounted at an end of the pigtail cable having a base end anchored to the main body.

2. The enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of optical fibers is sealed within the main body by a sealant.

3. The enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the sequential fiber positions are arranged sequentially in a row.

4. The enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the sequential fiber positions are arranged in an array.

5. The enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the sequential fiber positions are defined by a multi-fiber ferrule.

6. The enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of indexing optical fibers are indexed such that first ends of the plurality of indexing optical fibers at the first de-mateable multi-fiber connection interface are at different ones of the sequential fiber positions as compared to second ends of the plurality of indexing optical fibers at the second de-mateable multi-fiber connection interface.

7. An enclosure comprising:
a housing;
a volume of sealant that defines a port in communication with an interior of the housing;
a fiber optic indexing module including a main body that mounts within the port with the volume of sealant forming a seal about an exterior of the main body, the indexing module including first and second de-mateable multi-fiber connection interfaces each having sequential fiber positions; and
a plurality of indexing optical fibers and a pigtail cable, wherein the plurality of indexing optical fibers is routed between the first and second de-mateable multi-fiber connection locations and through the main body and the pigtail cable
wherein the fiber optic indexing module includes a first drop de-mateable fiber optic connection location optically coupled to a first fiber position of the first de-mateable multi-fiber connection interface by a first drop fiber and a second drop de-mateable fiber optic connection location optically coupled to a twelfth fiber position of the second de-mateable multi-fiber connection interface by a second drop fiber;
wherein the second de-mateable multi-fiber connection interface and the first drop de-mateable connection location are provided at free ends of tethers that extend from the main body.

8. The enclosure of claim 7 , wherein the first and second drop de-mateable fiber optic connection locations include fiber optic connectors.

9. The enclosure of claim 7 , wherein the first drop de-mateable connection location couples to a plurality of first drop fibers coupled to sequential fiber positions of the first de-mateable multi-fiber connection interface.

10. An enclosure comprising:
a housing;
a volume of sealant that defines a port in communication with an interior of the housing;
a fiber optic indexing module including a main body that mounts within the port with the volume of sealant forming a seal about an exterior of the main body, the indexing module including first and second de-mateable multi-fiber connection interfaces each having sequential fiber positions; and
a plurality of indexing optical fibers and a pigtail cable, wherein the plurality of indexing optical fibers is routed between the first and second de-mateable multi-fiber connection locations and through the main body and the pigtail cable;
wherein the fiber optic connectors are mounted at an end of the pigtail cable anchored to the main body.

11. An enclosure comprising:
a housing;
a volume of sealant that defines a port in communication with an interior of the housing;
a fiber optic indexing module including a main body that mounts within the port with the volume of sealant forming a seal around an exterior of the main body, the indexing module including first and second de-mateable multi-fiber connection interfaces each having sequential fiber positions; and
a plurality of indexing optical fibers and a pigtail cable, wherein the plurality of indexing optical fibers is routed between the first and second de-mateable multi-fiber connection locations and through the main body and the pigtail cable;
wherein the first de-mateable multi-fiber connection interface includes an MPO connector and the second de-mateable multi-fiber connection interface includes a hardened multi-fiber connector; and
wherein the hardened multi-fiber connector includes a an internally threaded sleeve adapted to interlock with a mating hardened multi-fiber connector.

12. The enclosure of claim 11 , wherein the hardened multi-fiber connector includes one or more seals.

13. The enclosure of claim 11 , further comprising a removable dust cap coupled to the internally threaded sleeve.

14. An enclosure comprising:
a housing;
a volume of sealant that defines a port in communication with an interior of the housing;
a fiber optic indexing module including a main body that mounts within the port with the volume of sealant forming a seal about an exterior of the main body, the indexing module including first and second de-mateable multi-fiber connection interfaces each having sequential fiber positions;
a plurality of optical fibers routed through the main body; and
fiber optic pigtails extending outwardly from the main body and including base ends anchored to the main body, wherein the plurality of optical fibers extend through the fiber optic pigtails and hardened multi-fiber connectors are mounted at outer ends of the fiber optic pigtails.

15. The enclosure of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of optical fibers are ribbonized.

Assignees

• CommScope Connectivity Belgium BVBA

Inventors

• Geens Johan
• Vos Bart

Classifications

• G02B6/44775

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

• G02B6/44715

  Fan-out devices · CPC title

• G02B6/44528 Primary

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

• G02B6/4471 Primary

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

• G02B6/3809

  without a ferrule embedding the fibre end, i.e. with bare fibre end · CPC title