Telecommunication enclosure having integrated termination tools

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9910235-B2
Application number	US-201715609891-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2017
Priority date	Feb 13, 2015
Publication date	Mar 6, 2018
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018

Abstract

A communication enclosure is described that includes an enclosure body having a first body portion and a second body portion. An adapter mounting mechanism is disposed in the first body portion, and a connector adapter mounted into the mounting mechanism that is configured to accept an optical fiber connector. The enclosure includes at least one integrated tool for terminating field mountable optical fiber connectors wherein the at least one integrated tool is disposed on one of the first body portion and the second body portion. In an exemplary aspect, the at least one integrated tool is a connector polishing platform.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A communication enclosure, comprising:
an enclosure body that includes a first body portion and a second body portion, wherein the second body portion is hingeably attached to the first body portion to provide access to an interior of the communication enclosure;
an adapter mounting mechanism disposed on the first body portion;
a connector adapter mounted into the mounting mechanism that is configured to accept an optical fiber connector; and
at least one integrated tool configured for use in mounting a field mountable optical fiber connector on an optical fiber cable wherein a base portion of the at least one integrated tool is integrally molded in one of the first body portion and the second body portion.

2. The enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the at least one integrated tool is a connector polishing platform.

3. The enclosure of claim 2 , wherein the optical connector polishing platform comprises a base portion to support a polishing media, and a polishing puck having a connector mount, to receive and hold the optical fiber connector secured to a terminal end of an optical fiber.

4. The enclosure of claim 3 , wherein the connector mount is rotatably disposed in a polishing gear that engages with a ring gear disposed in the base portion such that a fiber tip of optical fiber disposed on the optical fiber connector traces a roulette pattern on the polishing media upon rotational engagement of the polishing gear within the ring gear.

5. The enclosure of claim 4 , wherein the connector mount is asymmetrically mounted in the polishing gear.

6. The enclosure of claim 4 , wherein the ring gear has a plurality of interior teeth disposed along an interior circumferential edge of the ring gear; and wherein the polishing gear has a plurality of exterior teeth protruding from the circumferential edge of the polishing gear that engage with the interior teeth of the ring gear of the polishing platform and wherein a ratio of interior gear of the base portion of the housing to the exterior teeth on the polishing gear has a non-integer value.

7. The enclosure of claim 3 , further comprising one or more compliant backing pads disposed between the polishing media and the base portion of the optical connector polishing platform.

8. The enclosure of claim 3 , wherein the connector is held in the mount at a predetermined angle, the predetermined angle providing for one of a flat polish that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the fiber and an angled polish.

9. The enclosure of claim 8 , wherein the angled polish comprises an angle from perpendicular from about 2° to about 12°.

10. The enclosure of claim 8 , wherein a portion of the optical connector polishing platform in integrally molded in one of the first body portion and the second body portion.

11. The enclosure of claim 1 , further comprising a slack storage system for retaining excess lengths of optical fiber.

12. The enclosure of claim 11 , wherein the slack storage system includes a plurality of retention tabs disposed periodically around the base portion of the integrated tool to guide and retain the excess lengths of optical fiber.

13. The enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the mounting mechanism is configured to accept a plurality of connector adapters.

14. The enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure is a network interface device.

15. The enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure is a terminal.

16. The enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure is a closure/terminal.

17. The enclosure of claim 1 , further comprises a plurality of cable entries having a sealing member disposed therein through which the optical fiber cable passed when entering the enclosure.

18. The enclosure of claim 17 , further comprising a strain relief device positioned at each cable entry.

19. The enclosure of claim 17 , wherein the polishing platform has an elliptical shape.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Larson Donald K
• Sawicki Joseph C
• Thompson Zachary M
• Clatanoff William J

Classifications

• G02B6/4441

  Boxes · CPC title

• B24B19/226

  of the ends of optical fibres · CPC title

• G02B6/4452

  Distribution frames · CPC title

• G02B6/4439 Primary

  Auxiliary devices · CPC title

• G02B6/3863

  fabricated by using polishing techniques (grinding of the fibre ends B24B19/226) · CPC title