Slidable fiber optic connection module with cable slack management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9329353-B2
Application number	US-201514728747-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 2, 2015
Priority date	Oct 7, 2011
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

A fiber optic telecommunications device includes a frame and a fiber optic module including a rack mount portion, a center portion, and a main housing portion. The rack mount portion is stationarily coupled to the frame, the center portion is slidably coupled to the rack mount portion along a sliding direction, and the main housing portion is slidably coupled to the center portion along the sliding direction. The main housing portion of the fiber optic module includes fiber optic connection locations for connecting cables to be routed through the frame. The center portion of the fiber optic module includes a radius limiter for guiding cables between the main housing portion and the frame, the center portion also including a latch for unlatching the center portion for slidable movement. Slidable movement of the center portion with respect to the rack mount portion moves the main housing portion with respect to the frame along the sliding direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fiber optic cassette for removable mounting to a telecommunications fixture via a first snap-fit interlock structure, the fiber optic cassette comprising:
a body;
a fiber optic signal entry location defined on the body for a fiber optic signal to enter the cassette via a fiber optic cable;
an adapter block defining a plurality of fiber optic adapters, the adapter block removably mounted to the cassette body via a second snap-fit interlock structure, each adapter of the block defining an outer end, an inner end, and internal structures which allow mating of fiber optic connectors that are mounted to the outer and inner ends, respectively; and
optical fibers terminated with fiber optic connectors extending from the fiber optic signal entry location to the inner ends of at least some of the fiber optic adapters of the snap-fit adapter block for relaying the fiber optic signal to fiber optic connectors to be coupled to the outer ends of the adapters;
wherein at least a portion of the first snap-fit interlock structure is defined by the adapter block.

2. The cassette of claim 1 , wherein the cassette body defines a front and an opposite rear and an enclosed interior.

3. The cassette of claim 1 , wherein the cassette body defines a front and an opposite rear, and the fiber optic signal entry location is defined on the rear.

4. The cassette of claim 1 , wherein the first snap-fit interlock structure is configured to allow the adapter block to be mounted to the telecommunications fixture without the remainder of the fiber optic cassette.

5. The cassette of claim 1 , wherein the adapters of the adapter block are integrally formed with the block as a unitary piece.

6. The cassette of claim 1 , wherein the fiber optic signal entry location is defined by the adapters of the adapter block.

7. The cassette of claim 1 , further comprising an optical device housed by the cassette configured to process the fiber optic signal entering the cassette at the fiber optic signal entry location.

8. The cassette of claim 7 , wherein the optical device includes a fiber optic splitter.

9. The cassette of claim 7 , wherein the optical device includes a fiber optic coupler.

10. The cassette of claim 7 , wherein the optical device includes a multiplexer/demultiplexer.

11. The cassette of claim 1 , further including radius limiters for guiding the optical fibers from the signal entry location to the inner ends of the fiber optic adapters.

12. The cassette of claim 11 , wherein the radius limiters include removable cable retention fingers.

13. The cassette of claim 11 , wherein the radius limiters are defined at least in part by integral portions of the body.

14. The cassette of claim 1 , wherein the fiber optic cable carrying the fiber optic signal entering the cassette includes a jacket, a strength member, and the optical fibers, wherein the strength member is crimped to a crimp tube and is mounted to the cassette body, allowing the optical fibers to extend past the crimp tube into the cassette body.

15. The cassette of claim 14 , wherein the cassette body defines curved portions adjacent the crimp tube for providing bend radius protection to the fiber optic cable without the use of a strain relief boot.

16. The cassette of claim 1 , wherein the fiber optic cable carrying the fiber optic signal entering the cassette is terminated by an MPO connector.

17. The cassette of claim 1 , wherein the fiber optic adapters of the adapter block are of LC format.

18. The cassette of claim 1 , wherein the cassette body defines a front, an opposite rear, a top surface and a bottom surface, the top and bottom surfaces defining major sides of the cassette body and extending between the front and the rear, wherein the adapters of the adapter block are stacked along the front and extend in a longitudinal direction parallel to the major surfaces defined by the top and the bottom of the cassette body.

19. The cassette of claim 18 , wherein the fiber optic cable at the signal entry location extends parallel to the longitudinal direction before entering the cassette body.

20. The cassette of claim 18 , wherein the fiber optic cable at the signal entry location extends perpendicular to the longitudinal direction before entering the cassette body.

Assignees

• Adc Telecommunications Inc
• Commscope Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Solheid James J
• Marcouiller Thomas
• Bran De León Oscar Fernando
• Holmberg Matthew
• Haataja Timothy Jon
• Mertesdorf Daniel Ray
• Vongseng Soutsada
• Chen Darren
• Thompson Patrick J
• Pfarr John T
• Bolster Kristofer
• Campbell Brent
• Saucedo Raul Mario
• Cano Gustavo
• Sievers Scott C

Classifications

• G02B6/44526

  Panels or rackmounts covering a whole width of the frame or rack · CPC title

• G02B6/44528

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

• G02B6/4452 Primary

  Distribution frames · CPC title

• G02B6/4471

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

• G02B6/4472

  Manifolds · CPC title