Fiber optic enclosure for retrofitting pedestals in the field

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9958628-B2
Application number	US-201615262713-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 12, 2016
Priority date	Sep 11, 2014
Publication date	May 1, 2018
Grant date	May 1, 2018

Abstract

A telecommunications device includes a module that mounts within an interior of a housing. The housing has a door that latches closed. The module includes a module frame having a bulkhead that divides the interior of the housing into first and second regions. Fiber optic adapters are mounted to the bulkhead. First ports of the adapters are accessible at the first region of the housing interior and second ports are accessible at the second region of the housing interior. The module includes a removable cover for restricting access to the first region. The removable cover including a latch catch that interlocks with the door latch to secure the door in the closed position. The module includes a tray mounted to the module frame within the first region of the housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of installing an optical module into a telecommunications device, the method comprising:
accessing an interior of a housing through an access opening;
inserting a module through the access opening and into the interior of the housing, the module including a module frame having a bulkhead that divides the interior of the housing into first and second regions, the module including a plurality of fiber optic adapters mounted to the bulkhead, the fiber optic adapters including first ports accessible at the first region of the housing interior and second ports accessible at the second region of the housing interior, the module including a removable cover mountable to the module frame for restricting access to the first region, the module including a tray mounted to the module frame within the first region of the housing;
mounting a wavelength division multiplexer in the first region of the housing interior;
coupling a first output of the wavelength division multiplexer to an input side of a passive optical power splitter provided at a front side of the tray; and
plugging connectorized outputs of the passive optical power splitter into the first ports of the fiber optic adapters.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising attaching the housing to a frame using at least one bracket.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising passing a cable through a notch defined by the bulkhead.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising routing a second output of the wavelength division multiplexer out of the housing.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein routing the second output out of the housing comprises routing the second output about a cable pathway provided at a rear side of the tray to provide strain relief.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein routing the second output about the cable pathway comprises routing the second output from the rear side of the tray, through a notch defined by the bulkhead to the second region of the housing interior, and out of the housing through a sealed cable access opening defined at the second region of the housing interior.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising routing a cable about a cable pathway to provide strain relief, the cable pathway being defined by a rear side of the tray, wherein the tray includes a front side for holding optical components, and wherein the front side of the tray defines one or more fiber routing paths that define fiber storage loops.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising restricting access to the first region of the interior by mounting the removable cover to the module frame.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising closing a door of the housing to cover the access opening.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the housing defines a plurality of sealed cable access openings at the second region of the housing interior for allowing cables to be routed in or out of the housing, wherein the door blocks open ends of the cable access openings when the door is in the closed position.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising interlocking the door to the removable cover.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the housing is environmentally sealed.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a main housing body having an open front, a rear housing base, opposite first and second housing side walls projecting forwardly from the rear housing base, and opposite first and second housing end walls projecting forwardly from the rear housing base that extend between the opposite first and second housing side walls.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the bulkhead includes first and second side tabs that attach respectively to the first and second housing side walls.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first end wall corresponds to the first region of the interior of the housing and the second end wall corresponds to the second region of the interior of the housing, and wherein the second end wall defines a plurality of sealed cable access openings having open ends at the front of the main housing body for allowing cables to be inserted within the cable access openings when a front door is in the open position, and wherein the front door blocks the open ends of the cable access openings when the front door is in the closed position.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the module frame includes posts that project forwardly from the module rear base, wherein the tray includes receptacles that receive the posts, and wherein fasteners engaging the posts are used to secure the tray to the posts.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the module frame includes a module rear base having first and second opposite module ends, wherein a module end wall projects forwardly from the module rear base at the first module end, wherein the bulkhead projects forwardly from the rear base at the second module end, wherein a front flange projects from a forward end of the module end wall, wherein a cover catch is provided on the front flange, wherein the removable cover includes a cover latch that engages with the cover catch, and wherein the removable cover includes tabs that are received within slots defined by the bulkhead.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the bulkhead includes first and second side tabs that are respectively fastened to the first and second housing side walls at intermediate locations between the first and second housing end walls, and wherein the module end wall is fastened to the first housing end wall.

19. An optical module comprising:
a module frame having a bulkhead that at least partially bounds an interior volume, the module including a plurality of fiber optic adapters mounted to the bulkhead, the fiber optic adapters including first ports accessible from within the interior volume at a first side of the bulkhead and second ports accessible at an opposite second side of the bulkhead;
a wavelength division multiplexer disposed in the interior volume of the module frame, the wavelength division multiplexer having a first output;
a passive optical power splitter disposed in the interior volume of the module frame, the passive optical power splitter having an input receiving the first output of the wave division multiplexer, the passive optical power splitter having connectorized outputs plugged into the first ports of the fiber optic adapters; and
a removable cover mountable to the module frame for restricting access to the interior volume, the first ports, the wavelength division multiplexer, and the passive optical power splitter.

20. The optical module of claim 19 , further comprising a tray mounted within the interior volume of the module frame, the passive optical power splitter being provided at a front side of the tray.

Assignees

• Commscope Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Kowalczyk Scott C
• Schoenfelder Rodney C
• Moser John D

Classifications

• G02B6/4453

  Cassettes · CPC title

• G02B6/3897

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

• G02B6/4446

  Cable boxes, e.g. splicing boxes with two or more multi fibre cables · CPC title

• G02B6/4452

  Distribution frames · CPC title

• G02B6/445 Primary

  with lateral pivoting cover · CPC title