Fiber optic cassette

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9897767-B2
Application number	US-201615299768-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2016
Priority date	Sep 28, 2012
Publication date	Feb 20, 2018
Grant date	Feb 20, 2018

Abstract

A fiber optic cassette includes a body defining a front and an opposite rear. A cable entry location is defined on the body for a cable to enter the cassette, wherein a plurality of optical fibers from the cable extend into the cassette and form terminations at non-conventional connectors adjacent the front of the body. A flexible substrate is positioned between the cable entry location and the non-conventional connectors adjacent the front of the body, the flexible substrate rigidly supporting the plurality of optical fibers. Each of the non-conventional connectors adjacent the front of the body includes a ferrule, a ferrule hub supporting the ferrule, and a split sleeve surrounding the ferrule.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fiber optic cassette comprising:
a body defining a front and an opposite rear;
a cable entry location defined on the body for a cable to enter the cassette, wherein a plurality of optical fibers from the cable extend into the cassette and form terminations at non-conventional connectors adjacent the front of the body; and
a flexible substrate positioned between the cable entry location and the non-conventional connectors adjacent the front of the body, the flexible substrate rigidly supporting the plurality of optical fibers;
wherein each of the non-conventional connectors adjacent the front of the body is formed of only a ferrule, a ferrule hub supporting the ferrule, and an alignment sleeve surrounding the ferrule;
wherein at least a portion of the flexible substrate is physically inserted into at least a portion of the ferrule hub of each non-conventional connector.

2. A fiber optic cassette according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate supports two optical fibers.

3. A fiber optic cassette according to claim 1 , wherein the cassette includes twelve non-conventional connectors adjacent the front of the body.

4. A fiber optic cassette according to claim 1 , wherein the cassette defines a plurality of adapters adjacent the front of the body for receiving incoming fiber optic connectors that mate with the non-conventional connectors that are adjacent the front of the body.

5. A fiber optic cassette according to claim 4 , wherein the adapters are configured to receive incoming fiber optic connectors that are of the LC format.

6. A fiber optic cassette according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate is configured to allow bending in a direction generally perpendicular to the direction extending from the front to the rear of the cassette.

7. A fiber optic cassette according to claim 1 , wherein the cable entry location is defined by a multi-fiber connector.

8. A fiber optic cassette according to claim 7 , wherein the multi-fiber connector is positioned adjacent the rear of the body of the cassette.

9. A fiber optic cassette according to claim 1 , wherein the cassette defines an interior that houses the flexible substrate, the interior enclosed by a removable cover.

10. A fiber optic cassette according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible substrate and the non-conventional connectors adjacent the front of the body are removable.

11. A fiber optic cassette according to claim 1 , wherein each of the non-conventional connectors adjacent the front of the body is mounted to a separate front extension of the flexible substrate, the front extensions being separated by cut-outs defined by the substrate for providing separate flexibility to each front extension.

12. A fiber optic cassette according to claim 1 , wherein each ferrule is spring-biased forwardly by a spring clip.

13. A fiber optic cassette according to claim 1 , wherein the cassette includes a plurality of flexible substrates in a vertically stacked arrangement, each flexible substrate rigidly supporting a plurality of optical fibers.

14. A fiber optic cassette according to claim 13 , wherein the cassette includes a clamp structure including an upper member and a lower member that are snap-fit together to fixedly mount the plurality of flexible substrates in the vertically stacked arrangement.

15. A fiber optic cassette according to claim 14 , wherein the clamp structure is shaped to transition the optical fibers of the cassette from a stepped arrangement to a flat planar configuration.

16. A fiber optic cassette according to claim 1 , further including a slack length of optical fiber located between the flexible substrate and each of the non-conventional connectors adjacent the front of the body.

17. A fiber optic cassette according to claim 1 , wherein the cable entry location is defined by a multi-fiber connector that defines a longitudinal axis that is generally perpendicular to those of the non-conventional connectors adjacent the front of the body.

18. A fiber optic cassette according to claim 1 , wherein the ferrule hubs of all of the non-conventional connectors adjacent the front of the body are integrally molded as a single piece that supports multiple ferrules.

19. A method of assembling a fiber optic cassette comprising:
providing a body;
mounting a multi-ferrule connector terminated to a multi-fiber cable to the body;
separating out at least a plurality of the optical fibers of the multi-fiber cable and fixedly supporting the plurality of the optical fibers extending from the multi-ferrule connector on a flexible substrate; and
terminating each of the plurality of optical fibers supported by the flexible substrate with a non-conventional connector that is formed of only a ferrule, a ferrule hub supporting the ferrule, and an alignment sleeve surrounding the ferrule, and physically inserting at least a portion of the flexible substrate into at least a portion of the ferrule hub of each non-conventional connector.

20. A flexible optical circuit comprising:
a flexible substrate; and
a plurality of optical fibers physically supported by the flexible substrate;
wherein a first end of each of the optical fibers is terminated to a multi-ferrule connector that is coupled to the flexible substrate and a second end of each of the optical fibers is terminated to a non-conventional fiber optic connector that is coupled to the flexible substrate, the non-conventional fiber optic connector formed of only a ferrule, a ferrule hub that supports the ferrule, and an alignment sleeve surrounding the ferrule;
wherein at least a portion of the flexible substrate is physically inserted into at least a portion of the ferrule hub of each non-conventional fiber optic connector.

21. A flexible optical circuit according to claim 20 , wherein the flexible substrate is configured to allow a limited amount of bending.

22. A flexible optical circuit according to claim 20 , wherein the multi-ferrule connector is an MPO connector.

23. A flexible optical circuit according to claim 20 , wherein the plurality of optical fibers includes at least twelve optical fibers.

24. A flexible optical circuit according to claim 20 , wherein ends of all of the ferrules of the non-conventional fiber optic connectors are polished simultaneously.

25. A flexible optical circuit according to claim 20 , wherein each of the non-conventional connectors is mounted to a separate front extension of the flexible substrate, the front extensions being separated by cut-outs defined by the substrate for providing separate flexibility to each front extension.

26. A flexible optical circuit according to claim 20 , wherein the multi-ferrule connector defines a longitudinal axis that is generally perpendicular to those of the non-conventional connectors.

27. A flexible optical circuit according to claim 26 , wherein the optical fibers follow a generally “S” shaped configuration extending between the multi-ferrule connector and the non-conventional connectors.

Assignees

• Commscope Technologies Llc
• Commscope Asia Holdings Bv
• Commscope Connectivity Spain Sl
• Commscope Connectivity Uk Ltd

Inventors

• Murray David Patrick
• Bolhaar Ton
• Schneider Paul
• Mateo Rafael
• Cabacho Luis
• Wentworth Michael
• Brandt Steven J
• Buijs Marcellus P J
• Dorrestein Alexander
• Rietveld Jan Willem

Classifications

• G02B6/3855

  characterised by the method of anchoring or fixing the fibre within the ferrule (G02B6/3854 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y10T29/49954

  Fastener deformed after application · 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

• G02B6/387

  Connector plugs comprising two complementary members, e.g. shells, caps, covers, locked together · CPC title

• G02B6/40 Primary

  having fibre bundle mating means · CPC title