Fiber optic assemblies for tapping live optical fibers in fiber optic networks employing parallel optics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016277111-A1
Application number	US-201615172470-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 3, 2016
Priority date	Dec 6, 2013
Publication date	Sep 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A fiber optic assembly for supporting optical connections in a fiber optic network employing parallel optical configurations is described. In one embodiment, the fiber optic assembly includes at least two live multi-fiber components and at least one tap multi-fiber component. Optical signals are routed from one live multi-fiber component to another in a parallel optical connection configuration, with each group of optical signals corresponding to a respective group of fiber positions on each live multi-fiber component. Each group of optical signals is also routed to one of the first and second groups of fiber positions of the at least one tap multi-fiber component in a parallel optical connection configuration. In this manner, fiber optic signals can be simultaneously provided and monitored within an active fiber optic network using a parallel optical configuration without the need for interrupting network operations.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fiber optic assembly for supporting optical connections in a fiber optic network, comprising:
a first live multi-fiber component having a first plurality of live input fiber positions; a second live multi-fiber component having a second plurality of live output fiber positions optically connected to the first plurality of live input fiber positions; and at least one tap multi-fiber component having a first plurality of tap input fiber positions optically connected to the second plurality of live output fiber positions having a parallel optical connection configuration therebetween.

2 . The fiber optic assembly according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first live multi-fiber component further comprises a first plurality of live output fiber positions; the second live multi-fiber component further comprises a second plurality of live input fiber positions optically connected to the first plurality of live output fiber positions; and the at least one tap multi-fiber component further comprises a second plurality of tap input fiber positions optically connected to the second plurality of live output fiber positions having a parallel optical connection configuration therebetween.

3 . The fiber optic assembly of claim 2 disposed in a fiber optic module.

4 . The fiber optic assembly of claim 2 , wherein:
the first live multi-fiber component is a first live multi-fiber connector; the second live multi-fiber component is a second live multi-fiber connector; and each of the at least one tap multi-fiber component is a tap multi-fiber connector.

5 . The fiber optic assembly of claim 4 , wherein:
the first live multi-fiber connector and a second tap multi-fiber connector are disposed in a first side of an enclosure; and the second live multi-fiber connector and a first tap multi-fiber connector are disposed in a second side of the enclosure opposite the first side.

6 . The fiber optic assembly of claim 4 , wherein:
the first live multi-fiber connector is received by a first live multi-fiber adapter; the second live multi-fiber connector is received by a second live multi-fiber adapter; and the tap multi-fiber connector is received by at least one tap multi-fiber adapter.

7 . The fiber optic assembly of claim 2 , further comprising:
a first plurality of optical splitters and a second plurality of optical splitters each having a live input, a live output and a tap output; a first plurality of live optical fibers connected between the live input of the first plurality of optical splitters and the first plurality of live output fiber positions; a second plurality of live optical fibers connected between the live outputs of the first plurality of optical splitters and the second plurality of live input fiber positions; a third plurality of live optical fibers connected between the live inputs of the second plurality of optical splitters and the second plurality of live output fiber positions; a fourth plurality of live optical fibers connected between the live outputs of the second plurality of optical splitters and the first plurality of live input fiber positions; a first plurality of tap optical fibers connected between the tap outputs of the first plurality of optical splitters and the first plurality of tap input fiber positions of one of the at least one tap multi-fiber component; and a second plurality of tap optical fibers connected between the tap outputs of the first plurality of optical splitters and the second plurality of tap input fiber positions of one of the at least one tap multi-fiber component.

8 . The fiber optic assembly of claim 7 , wherein the first plurality of live input fiber positions and the first plurality of live output fiber positions of the first live multi-fiber component have a first parallel optical configuration having a plurality of fiber positions such that one half of the plurality of fiber positions is the first plurality of live input fiber positions and another half of the plurality of fiber positions is the first plurality of live output fiber positions;
the second plurality of live input fiber positions and the second plurality of live output fiber positions of the second live multi-fiber component have the first parallel optical configuration having a plurality of fiber positions such that one half of the plurality of fiber positions is the second plurality of live input fiber positions and another half of the plurality of fiber positions is the second plurality of live output fiber positions; the first plurality of tap input fiber positions of one of the at least one tap multi-fiber component has the first parallel optical configuration having a plurality of fiber positions such that one half of the plurality of fiber positions is the first plurality of tap input fiber positions; and the second plurality of tap input fiber positions of one of the at least one tap multi-fiber component has the first parallel optical configuration having a plurality of fiber positions such that one half of the plurality of fiber positions is the second plurality of tap input fiber positions.

9 . The fiber optic assembly of claim 8 , wherein a first plurality of fiber positions corresponding to one half of the plurality of fiber positions and a second plurality of fiber positions corresponding to another half of the plurality of fiber positions have an equal number of fiber positions.

10 . The fiber optic assembly of claim 9 , wherein each of the first and second pluralities of optical splitters has a number of optical splitters equal to the number of fiber positions in each of the first and second pluralities of fiber positions.

11 . The fiber optic assembly of claim 9 , wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth plurality of live optical fibers has a number of live optical fibers equal to the number of fiber positions in each of the first and second pluralities of fiber positions; and
each of the first and second pluralities of tap optical fibers has a number of tap optical fibers equal to the number of fiber positions in the first and second pluralities of fiber positions.

12 . The fiber optic assembly of claim 9 , wherein each of the first and second pluralities of fiber positions consists of four (4) fiber positions.

13 . The fiber optic assembly of claim 9 , wherein each of the first and second pluralities of fiber positions consists of six (6) fiber positions.

14 . The fiber optic assembly of claim 9 , wherein the first parallel optical configuration is part of a second parallel optical configuration comprising the first and second pluralities of fiber positions of the first parallel optical configuration, a third plurality of fiber positions and a fourth plurality of fiber positions; and
each of the third and fourth pluralities of fiber positions has a number of fiber positions equal to half the number of fiber positions in each of the first and second pluralities of fiber positions.

15 . The fiber optic assembly of claim 14 , wherein each of the first and second pluralities of fiber positions consists of four (4) fiber positions; and
each of the third and fourth pluralities of fiber positions consists of two (2) fiber positions.

16 . The fiber optic assembly of claim 15 , wherein the second parallel optical configuration is compatible with a multi-fiber connector having twelve (12) fiber positions, wherein:
the first plurality of fiber positions corresponds to fiber positions 1-4 of the multi-fiber connector; the second plurality of fiber positions corresponds to fiber positions 9-

Assignees

• Corning Optical Communications LLC

Inventors

• Buff Scott Eaker
• Cooke Terry Lee
• Rhoney Brian Keith

Classifications

• H04B10/25 Primary

  Arrangements specific to fibre transmission · CPC title

• G02B6/3897

  Connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards (G02B6/44528 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04B10/27 Primary

  Arrangements for networking · CPC title

• G02B6/3879

  Linking of individual connector plugs to an overconnector, e.g. using clamps, clips, common housings comprising several individual connector plugs · CPC title

• G02B6/4286

  Optical modules with optical power monitoring · CPC title