NZ618893B2 - Fiber termination enclosure with modular plate assemblies - Google Patents
Fiber termination enclosure with modular plate assemblies Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- NZ618893B2 NZ618893B2 NZ618893A NZ61889312A NZ618893B2 NZ 618893 B2 NZ618893 B2 NZ 618893B2 NZ 618893 A NZ618893 A NZ 618893A NZ 61889312 A NZ61889312 A NZ 61889312A NZ 618893 B2 NZ618893 B2 NZ 618893B2
- Authority
- NZ
- New Zealand
- Prior art keywords
- termination
- enclosure
- plate
- cable spool
- fiber
- Prior art date
Links
Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
- G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
- G02B6/36—Mechanical coupling means
- G02B6/38—Mechanical coupling means having fibre to fibre mating means
- G02B6/3807—Dismountable connectors, i.e. comprising plugs
- G02B6/3897—Connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
- G02B6/44—Mechanical structures for providing tensile strength and external protection for fibres, e.g. optical transmission cables
- G02B6/4439—Auxiliary devices
- G02B6/444—Systems or boxes with surplus lengths
- G02B6/4441—Boxes
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
- G02B6/44—Mechanical structures for providing tensile strength and external protection for fibres, e.g. optical transmission cables
- G02B6/4439—Auxiliary devices
- G02B6/444—Systems or boxes with surplus lengths
- G02B6/4441—Boxes
- G02B6/445—Boxes with lateral pivoting cover
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
- G02B6/44—Mechanical structures for providing tensile strength and external protection for fibres, e.g. optical transmission cables
- G02B6/4439—Auxiliary devices
- G02B6/444—Systems or boxes with surplus lengths
- G02B6/4452—Distribution frames
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
- G02B6/44—Mechanical structures for providing tensile strength and external protection for fibres, e.g. optical transmission cables
- G02B6/4439—Auxiliary devices
- G02B6/4457—Bobbins; Reels
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
- G02B6/44—Mechanical structures for providing tensile strength and external protection for fibres, e.g. optical transmission cables
- G02B6/4439—Auxiliary devices
- G02B6/4471—Terminating devices ; Cable clamps
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
- G02B6/44—Mechanical structures for providing tensile strength and external protection for fibres, e.g. optical transmission cables
- G02B6/4479—Manufacturing methods of optical cables
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
- H02G—INSTALLATION OF ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES, OR OF COMBINED OPTICAL AND ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES
- H02G3/00—Installations of electric cables or lines or protective tubing therefor in or on buildings, equivalent structures or vehicles
- H02G3/02—Details
- H02G3/08—Distribution boxes; Connection or junction boxes
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T29/00—Metal working
- Y10T29/49—Method of mechanical manufacture
- Y10T29/49826—Assembling or joining
Abstract
Disclosed is an optical fibre termination enclosure system. The enclosure housing includes a top wall, a bottom wall, a first side wall, a second side wall, and a rear wall defining an interior having an open front with a door for selectively covering the open front. The enclosure includes a plurality of modular plate assemblies that are each configured to be selectively mounted within the interior of the enclosure housing. Each modular plate assembly includes a mounting plate that is configured to be coupled to the rear wall of the enclosure housing. The plurality of modular plate assemblies includes: a termination panel plate assembly including a plurality of termination adapters coupled to the respective mounting plate; a splice tray plate assembly including at least one splice tray disposed on the respective mounting plate; a cable spool plate assembly including a cable spool disposed on the respective mounting plate, the cable spool being configured to rotate relative to the enclosure housing; and a drop-in plate assembly including at least one termination adapter disposed on a horizontally extending drop-in plate disposed on the respective mounting plate. lity of modular plate assemblies that are each configured to be selectively mounted within the interior of the enclosure housing. Each modular plate assembly includes a mounting plate that is configured to be coupled to the rear wall of the enclosure housing. The plurality of modular plate assemblies includes: a termination panel plate assembly including a plurality of termination adapters coupled to the respective mounting plate; a splice tray plate assembly including at least one splice tray disposed on the respective mounting plate; a cable spool plate assembly including a cable spool disposed on the respective mounting plate, the cable spool being configured to rotate relative to the enclosure housing; and a drop-in plate assembly including at least one termination adapter disposed on a horizontally extending drop-in plate disposed on the respective mounting plate.
Description
FIBER TERMINATION ENCLOSURE
WITH MODULAR PLATE ASSEMBLIES
Cross-Reference to Related Applications
This application is being filed on 22 June 2012, as a PCT
International Patent application in the name of ADC Telecommunications, Inc., a
U.S. national corporation, applicant for the designation of all countries except the
U.S., and, Jonathan Walter Coan, a citizen of the U.S., Dennis Krampotich, a citizen
of the U.S., and Jonathan R. Kaml, a citizen of the U.S., applicants for the
designation of the U.S. only, and claims priority to U.S. Patent Application Serial
No. 61/500,764 filed on 24 June 2011, U.S. Patent Application Serial No.
61/500,769 filed on 24 June 2011, U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 61/507,263
filed on 13 July 2011, and U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 61/507,270 filed on 1 3
July 2011, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their
entirety.
Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to fiber optic enclosure, and more
particularly, to a fiber optic enclosure with cable payout.
Background
As demand for the telecommunication services increases, fiber optic
networks are being extended in more and more areas (e.g., multiple dwelling units,
apartments, condominiums, businesses, distributed antenna systems, cell towers,
rural areas, single family residences). This growth has been particularly notable in
the area of wireless communications, e.g., cellular, personal communication services
(PCS) and other mobile radio systems. To efficiently distribute fiber optic services
to these various different subscribers, system design flexibility is significant.
System design flexibility can include the ability to efficiently provide different
varying fiber optic cable lengths and the ability to efficiently provide fiber optic
enclosures having interior components customized to meet a given customer's
needs.
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Summary
The present invention provides a fiber termination enclosure system
comprising: an enclosure housing including a top wall, a bottom wall, a first side
wall, a second side wall, and a rear wall defining an interior having an open front,
the enclosure housing including a door for selectively covering the open front; and a
plurality of modular plate assemblies that are each configured to be selectively
mounted within the interior o the enclosure housing, each modular plate assembly
including a mounting plate that is configured to be coupled to the rear wall of the
enclosure housing; the plurality of modular plate assemblies including: a termination
panel plate assembly including a plurality of termination adapters coupled to the
respective mounting plate; a splice tray plate assembly including at least one splice
tray disposed on the respective mounting plate; a cable spool plate assembly
including a cable spool disposed on the respective mounting plate, the cable spool
being configured to rotate relative to the enclosure housing; and a drop-in plate
assembly including at least one
termination adapter disposed on a horizontally
extending drop-in plate disposed on the respective mounting plate.
The term 'comprising' as used in this specification and claims means
'consisting at least in part of. When interpreting statements in this specification and
claims which include the term 'comprising', other features besides the features
prefaced by this term in each statement can also be present. Related terms such as
'comprise' and 'comprised' are to be interpreted in similar manner.
The present invention further provides a method of assembling a fiber
termination enclosure comprising: providing an enclosure housing including a top
wall, a bottom wall, a first side wall, a second side wall, and a rear wall defining an
interior having an open front, the enclosure housing including a door for selectively
covering the open front; selecting at least one of a plurality of modular plate
assemblies that are each adapted and configured to be mounted within the interior of
the enclosure housing, each modular plate assembly including a mounting plate that
is configured to be coupled to the rear wall of the enclosure housing; the plurality of
modular plate assemblies including: a termination panel plate assembly including a
plurality of termination adapters coupled to the respective mounting plate; a splice
tray plate assembly including at least one splice tray disposed on the respective
mounting plate; a cable spool plate assembly including a cable spool disposed on the
respective mounting plate, the cable spool being configured to rotate relative to the
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enclosure housing; and a drop-in plate assembly including at least one termination
adapter disposed on a horizontally extending drop-in plate disposed on the
respective mounting plate; and disposing the selected modular plate assembly within
the interior of the enclosure housing and coupling the mounting plate of the selected
modular plate assembly to the rear wall of the enclosure housing.
An aspect of the present disclosure relates to a fiber optic enclosure
assembly. The fiber optic enclosure includes an enclosure housing that is adapted to
optically connect incoming fibers to outgoing fibers. One or more modular plate
assemblies may be mounted within an interior of the enclosure to customize the
fiber optic enclosure.
In accordance with some aspects of the disclosure, certain types of
modular plate assemblies include termination adapter arrangements. In accordance
with some aspects of the disclosure, certain types of modular plate assemblies
include splice trays arrangements. In accordance with some aspects of the
disclosure, certain types of modular plate assemblies include cable spool
arrangements.
In accordance with some aspects of the disclosure, modular cable
port arrangements may be disposed at the enclosure housing. In some
implementations, various types of modular cable port arrangements can be
selectively mounted at the enclosure housing.
In accordance with certain aspects of the disclosure, a cable spool
arrangement is connected to an interior of the enclosure to rotate relative to the
enclosure. One or more fiber cables may be paid out from the enclosure by pulling
one end of the fiber cable through a cable port to unwind the fiber cable from the
cable spool arrangement. In certain implementations, one or more adapters may be
disposed on the cable spool arrangement to rotate in unison with the cable spool
arrangement. In certain implementations, the termination adapters are disposed on a
stand-off mount element that is spaced from the cable spool arrangement, but
configured to rotate in unison with the cable spool arrangement.
A variety of additional aspects will be set forth in the description that
follows. These aspects can relate to individual features and to combinations of
features. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the
following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not
6055258_2.doc
restrictive of the broad concepts upon which the embodiments disclosed herein are
based.
Brief Description of the Drawings
The present invention will now be described, by way of non-limiting
example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
is a schematic diagram of a fiber termination enclosure having
an example mounting assembly disposed therein in accordance with the principles of
the present disclosure;
is a front, top perspective view of an example fiber
termination enclosure including an enclosure configured in accordance with the
principles of the present disclosure and shown with a door in a closed position;
is a front, bottom perspective view of the example fiber
termination enclosure of in which two cable port modules are visible;
is a front, top perspective view of the example fiber
termination enclosure of shown with the door in the open position and a cable
spool mounting assembly exploded from the interior of the enclosure;
is a schematic diagram of the fiber termination enclosure of
configured in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure;
is a front, top perspective view of the example fiber
termination enclosure of in which with the cable spool mounting assembly is
exploded to show various example components of the cable spool mounting
assembly including a mounting plate, a cable spool arrangement, and a stand-off
mount element;
is a front, top perspective view of the example fiber
termination enclosure of shown with the cable spool mounting assembly
installed within the interior of the enclosure housing;
is a front, top perspective view of the example fiber
termination enclosure of shown with an example splice tray reel mounting
assembly installed within the interior of the enclosure housing;
is a front, top perspective view of the example fiber
terinination enclosure of
shown with an example termination panel mounting
assembly installed within the interior of the enclosure housing;
60552582.doc
is a front, top perspective view of the example fiber
termination enclosure of shown with an example cover disposed over the
cable spool mounting assembly;
is a front, top perspective view of the example fiber
termination enclosure of shown with the door in the open position, an
example sliding adapter mounting assembly disposed within the interior of the
enclosure, and an example drop-in plate mounting assembly exploded from the
interior of the enclosure;
is a front, top perspective view of the example fiber
termination enclosure of shown with the example drop-in plate mounting
assembly disposed within the interior of the enclosure and partially cabled;
is a front, top perspective view of the example fiber
term lation enclosure of shown with cabling extending between the
example drop-in plate mounting assembly and the example sliding adapter
mounting assembly;
is a front, top perspective view of the example fiber
termination enclosure of shown with an example splice tray mounting
assembly and an example sliding adapter mounting assembly disposed within the
interior of the enclosure housing;
is a front, top perspective view of the example fiber
termination enclosure of shown with an example cover disposed over the
splice tray mounting assembly; and
is a schematic representation of a telecommunications
network having exemplary features of aspects in accordance with the principles of
the present disclosure.
Detailed Description
Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary aspects of t he
present disclosure that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever
possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer
to the same or like structure.
is a schematic diagram of an example fiber optic enclosure
100. The fiber optic enclosure 100 includes a housing, generally designated 110, at
which telecommunications cables (e.g., optical and/or electrical cables) can be
60552582.doc
optically coupled and/or stored. One or more modular plate assemblies 120 may be
mounted within the interior of the enclosure housing 110. Each modular plate
assembly 120 includes a mounting plate 121 that is configured to mount to the
enclosure housing 110 in a stationary configuration. Each modular plate assembly
120 includes a coupling arrangement 170 at which one or more optical fibers 182 of
at least a first fiber cable 180 are optically coupled to optical fibers 192 of at least a
second fiber cable 190. The fiber cables 180, 190 enter the enclosure housing 110
through cable ports 101.
In use, the enclosure housing 110 is deployed by securing the
enclosure housing 110 to a mounting location (e.g., a wall, a pole, etc.). In some
implementations, the enclosure housing 110 has brackets disposed on the top and
bottom walls 111, 112. In other implementations, the enclosure housing 110 may
have brackets disposed on other walls to secure the enclosure housing 110 to the
mounting location. In still other implementations, the enclosure housing 110 is
adapted to be otherwise secured to a mounting location.
FIGS. 2-4 illustrate one example enclosure housing 110 having a top
wall 111, a bottom wall 112 (, a first side wall 113, a second side wall 114
(, and a rear wall 115 ( defining an interior. The enclosure housing
110 also defines an open front 116 that provides access to the interior of the
enclosure housing 110 (see . At least one cover 118 is coupled to the
enclosure housing 110 to selectively close the open front 116 of the enclosure
housing 110. The cover 118 is pivotally coupled to the enclosure housing 110 using
one or more hinges 103 disposed on one of the side walls 113, 114 (see .
The hinge 103 allows the cover 118 to selectively pivot between a closed position
(shown in and an open position (shown in . The cover 118 can be
held closed using locking flanges 117, 119 (. In one implementation, the
enclosure housing 110 is molded from a plastic material. In one implementation, the
enclosure housing 110 is molded from a plastic material. In another
implementation, the enclosure housing 110 is molded from a metal material.
In some implementations, the enclosure housing 110 defines one or
more cable ports 101 ( at which cables 180, 190 may enter and exit the
interior of the enclosure housing 110. In certain implementations, the cable ports
101 are disposed at the bottom wall 112 of the enclosure housing 110. In other
implementations, however, the cable ports 101 may be disposed elsewhere on the
60552582.doc
enclosure housing 110, such as at the top wall 111, the rear wall 115, or one of the
side walls 113, 114.
In some implementations, the enclosure housing 110 is configured to
receive one or more cable port modules 150 at the cable ports 101 (e.g., see FIGS. 3
and 4). For example, the cable ports 101 may define openings 155 ( in one
or more walls 111-115 of the enclosure housing 110 at which the cable port modules
150 may be received. Each cable port module 150 receives one or more cables 180,
190. In some implementations, a first cable port module 150 may receive one or
more service cables and a second cable port module 150 may receive one or more
subscriber cables. In other implementations, the same cable port module 150 may
receive both service cables and subscriber cables. In still other implementations, the
enclosure housing 110 may receive an even greater number of cable port modules
150, each of which may receive service cables and/or subscriber cables.
In certain implementations, a variety of cable port modules 150 may
be configured to fit at the same opening 155, thereby enabling a user to select which
of the cable port modules 150 to mount at the opening 155. In certain
implementations, the cable port modules 150 may be removably mounted to the
enclosure housing at the openings 155, thereby enabling a user to switch which
cable port modules 150 are mounted at any particular enclosure housing 110.
Two example implementations or cable port modules 150, 150' are
shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Each of the cable port modules 150, 150' includes a port
panel 151 configured to be mounted at an opening 155 defined in an enclosure
housing 110. For example, the port panel 151 may define one or more openings 152
through which fasteners (e.g., screws, bolts, etc.) may extend to secure the port
panel 151 to one of the walls 111-115 of the enclosure housing 110. One or more
grommets extend through the port panel 151. Each grommet enables one or more
cables 180, 190 or fibers to enter the enclosure housing 110 while inhibiting the
ingress of environmental contaminants, such as water, dirt, and rodents.
A first example cable port module 150 includes a first type of
grommet 153 and a second type of grommet 154. The second type of grommet 154
is larger than the first type of grommet 153. In the example shown, a cable 180 to
be dispensed extends through the smaller grommet 153. A second example cable
port module 150' includes only the second type of grommet 154 extending through
60552582.doc
the port panel 151. Other implementations may include still other types of cable
port modules, each having its own configuration of grommets.
Referring to FIGS. 4-15, the mounting plates 121 of the modular
plate assemblies 120 are adapted and configured to be mounted to the rear wall 115
of the enclosure housing 110. In some implementations, the rear wall 115 defines
one or more openings through which fasteners may extend to secure a mounting
plate 121 to the rear wall 115. In other implementations, the rear wall 115 may
include one or more pegs over which the mounting plate 121 may be pressed. In
other implementations, one or more panel fastening structures can be attached,
secured, or mounted to the rear wall 115. In still other implementations, the rear
wall 115 may include one or more pems 104 that are pressed into the rear wall 115
(see . The pems 104 are sized and configured to be inserted through
openings 122 defined in the mounting plate 121. The pems 104 define threaded
passages that are configured to receive fasteners that secure the mounting plate 121
to the rear wail 115, or can be exterior threaded shanks.
In accordance with some aspects, the mounting plates 121 of the
modular plate assemblies 120 extend over a majority of the area of the rear wall 115.
In some implementations, a mounting plate 121 has a rectangular shape (e.g., see
. In other implementations, a mounting plate 121 may define one or more
cutouts 129 or otherwise have a non-rectangular shape (e.g., see FIGS. 9-12). In
accordance with other aspects, the mounting plates 121 of the modular plate
assemblies 120 may extend over only a portion of the area of the rear wall 115. For
example, some implementations, of the mounting plates 121 may be configured to
extend over about half of the area of the rear wall 115 (e.g., see FIGS 11-14).
FIGS. 4-7 illustrate a first implementation of a modular plate
assembly 120 that includes a cable spool arrangement 130 ( that is
rotationally mounted to the modular plate assembly 120. As shown in the
cable spool arrangement 130 includes a first storage area 102, a second storage area
104, and a termination region 108. In some implementations, the termination region
108 is spaced from the second storage area 104, which is spaced from the first
storage area 102. In certain implementations, the termination region 108 is spaced
forwardly of the second storage region 104, which is spaced forwardly of the first
storage region 102 (e.g., see . In certain implementations, the second storage
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area 104 forms part of a protected fiber management region 106 at which optical
fibers can be separated out from optical cables.
At least a first fiber cable (e.g., distribution cable) 180 and at least a
second cable (e.g., subscriber cable) 190 enter the housing 110 through cable ports
101. Fibers 192 of the second fiber cable 190 are routed to the termination region
108. The first fiber cable 180 is routed to the first storage area 102 of the cable
spool arrangement 130. From the first storage area 102, the first fiber cable 180 is
routed to the second storage area 104. The first fiber cable 180 is broken out into
individual optical fibers 182 at the protected fiber management region 106. The
fibers 182 are routed to the termination region 108 at which the optical fibers 184
are connected to optical fibers 192 of the second fiber cable 190.
The fiber optic enclosure 100 provides an enclosure from which
lengths of a cable (e.g., a distribution cable) 180 can be dispensed following the
mounting of the fiber optic enclosure 100 to a mounting location. The distribution
cable 180 is dispensed from the fiber optic enclosure 100 by pulling on an end (e.g.,
a connectorized end) 185 of the cable 180 (see FIGS. 4 and 7). As the distribution
cable 180 is dispensed, the cable spool arrangement 130 rotates about an axis
relative to the stationary mounting plate 121 of the fiber optic enclosure 100. In the
event that there is a residual length of distribution cable 180 that is not dispensed
during the cable payout, the fiber optic enclosure 100 can store this residual length.
As shown in the cable spool mounting assembly 120 includes
a mounting plate 121 and a cable spool arrangement 130. The mounting plate 121
includes a first side 124 and an opposite second side 123. The mounting plate 121 is
adapted for stationary mounting to the rear wall 115 of the housing enclosure. In
certain implementations, the second side 123 of the mounting plate 121 is
configured to be mounted to an interior surface of the rear wall 115 so that the
mounting plate 121 is disposed within the interior of the housing enclosure 110. For
example, in certain implementations, the mounting plate 121 defines one or more
fastener openings 122 that are disposed to align with fastener openings provided on
the rear wall 115 of the housing enclosure 110. Certain types of mounting plates
121 extend along substantially the entire rear wall 115 of the enclosure housing 110.
The cable spool arrangement 130 includes a drum 131 extending
between first and second support flanges 132, 133 to form a first cable spool 134.
The first cable spool 134 defines the first storage region 102 (. In some
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implementations, the cable spool arrangement 130 also includes a termination region
108 (. In certain implementations, a protected fiber management region 106
( is defined between the first storage region 102 and the termination region
108. For example, in certain implementations, in the cable spool
arrangement 130 includes a stand-off mounting assembly 140, at which the
termination region 108 ( is disposed as will be described in more detail
herein. The protected fiber management region 106 ( is defined between the
stand-off mounting assembly 140 and one of the first cable spool 134 (e.g., see FIG.
In certain implementations, the drum portion 131 of the first cable
spool 134 is generally cylindrical in shape. The drum portion 131 includes a first
end portion that couples to the first support 'flange 132 and an oppositely disposed
second end portion that couples to the second support flange 133. The support
flanges 132, 133, which are generally parallel to each other, are configured to rotate
with the drum 131. An outer surface of the drum 131 and inner surfaces of the
support flanges 132, 133 define the first storage region 102 ( within which
optical fibers or cables (e.g., distribution cable 180) may be coiled.
The drum portion 131 has a sufficient diameter to provide bend
radius protection to optical fibers wound around the fiber spool 134. The drum
portion 131 defines a central bore that extends through the drum portion 131. In the
subject embodiment, the central bore is adapted to receive a spindle 129 (. In
certain implementations, the spindle 129 extends through the bore in the drum 131
and secures to the second side 123 of the mounting plate 121. For example, in
certain implementations, the mounting plate 121 defines openings 125 at which the
spindle 129 is fastened to the mounting plate 121. The first cable spool 134 is
configured to rotate about the spindle 129 relative to the mounting plate 121.
The support flanges 132, 133 are sized and shaped to retain the
optical fibers wound around the drum 131 in the first storage region 102. In some
implementations, the support flanges 132, 133 are generally circular. In certain
implementations, the support flanges 132, 133 have a sufficient diameter to cover a
majority of a surface area of the mounting plate 121. In other implementations,
however, one or both of the support flanges 132, 133 may have a smaller diameter.
In some implementations, the cable spool arrangement 130 is
configured to be releasably locked in a rotationally fixed position relative to the
6055258_2.doc
mounting plate 121. For example, in certain implementations, the mounting plate
121 includes a forwardly extending flange 126 that is configured to extend past the
support flanges 132, 133 of the drum 131 to interact with the front of the cable spool
arrangement 130 (see . The forwardly extending flange 126 defines an
opening 127. The second flange 133 of the cable spool 134 defines an opening 136
that is disposed to align with the opening 127 of the forwardly extending flange 126
when the cable spool arrangement 130 is disposed in one rotational position. In
certain implementations, the opening 136 is defined in a tab 135 that extends
outwardly from the generally annular circumference of the second support flange
133. A fastener 128 may be inserted through the openings 136, 127 to lock the cable
spool arrangement 130 in the rotationally fixed position.
In some implementations, the second support flange 133 of the cable
spool 134 defines an aperture 139 through which optical fibers or cables (e.g.,
distribution cable 180) may pass between the first storage area 102 and the front of
the cable spool 134. In certain implementations, the cables pass through aperture
139 from the first storage region 102 to the protected fiber management region 106.
For example, in certain implementations, the aperture 139 is located directly
adjacent to the protected fiber management region 106 and allows cables from inside
the first storage region 102 of the spool to be routed from the drum surface 131 to
the protected storage region 106.
The protected fiber management region 106 provides a
mounting location for a fan out arrangement. The fan out arrangement includes one
or more fan outs 138 disposed between the back side of the stand-off 140 and the
front side of the cable spool 134 (see . For example, the fan outs 138 may be
disposed on the front side of the second support flange 133 of the cable spool 134.
Accordingly, the fan outs 138 rotate with the cable spool 134. The cable 180
wrapped around the supplemental spool region 104 can be routed to one of the fan
outs 138 where individual optical fiber are broken out to form individual fiber optic
pigtails 182. The pigtails 182 have ends connectorized by fiber optic connectors that
are inserted into the fiber optic adapters 147 at the termination field 108 (see . Fiber optic connectors corresponding to fibers 192 of subscriber cables 190 also
may be inserted into the adapters 147 to provide optical connections between the
subscriber cables 190 and the cables 180 routed from the first cable spool 134.
6055258_2.doc
The protected fiber management region 106 also can include bend
radius protectors 137 attached to the front spool flange 133 (. The bend
radius protector 137 can form a supplemental spooling region 104 where cables
routed from drum 131 through aperture 139 can be wrapped/spooled to provide
cable storage and cable management. The pigtails 182 also may be
wrapped/spooled around the bend radius limiters 137. In some implementations, the
supplemental spooling region 104 provides strain relief to the cables (e.g.,
distribution cables) 180. Axial loads applied to the outside end 185 of the cables
180 will be transferred through the cable 180 to the wrapped portions of the cable
180. However, the axial loads will not be transferred to the connectorized ends of
the pigtails 182. Accordingly, pulling on the first cable end 185 will not detach the
connectorized pigtails 182 from the adapters 147 at the termination region 108.
Still referring to FIGS. 4-7, a stand-off mount element 140 may be
coupled to the front of the first cable spool 134. For example, the stand-off mount
element 140 may be secured to the second support flange 133 of the first cable spool
134 so that the stand-off mount element 140 unitarily rotates with the first cable
spool 134. The stand-off mount element 140 provides a front plate 141 where
optical components (e.g., fiber optic adapters, splitters, splice trays, spools, bend
radius protector, etc.) can be mounted. For example, fiber optic adapters 147 may
form a termination region 108 on the front plate 141. Cable management structures
(e.g., bend radius limiters, spools, etc.) 148 also may be provided on the stand-off
plate 141. In the example shown, two opposing bend radius limiters 148 form a
fiber spool on the stand-off plate 141.
In certain implementations, one or more legs 142 extend rearwardly
from the stand-off plate 141 of the stand-off mount element 140. Each leg 142
defines an opening 143 configured to receive a peg 145 or fastener to secure the feet
143 to the front support flange 133 of the cable spool 134. In the example shown,
the stand-off mount element 140 includes four legs 142. In other implementations,
however, the stand-off mount element 140 may include greater or fewer legs 142. In
still other implementations, the legs 142 may be unitary with the cable spool 134
and secure to the stand-off plate 141.
The stand-off plate 141 is forwardly offset from the front side of the
spool flange 133, thereby forming the protected fiber management region 106
between the front side of the first cable spool 134 and back side of the stand-off
60552582.doc
mount element 140 (e.g., see . The separated fibers 184 in the protected fiber
management region 106 are routed around the bend radius limiters 137 or other
management structures on the front of the cable spool 134 to the stand-off mount
element 140. In the example shown, the separated fibers 184 have connectorized
ends that plug into first ports of termination adapters 147 disposed at the stand-off
plate 141.
Components disposed on the stand-off mount element 140 are spaced
forwardly of the cable spool 134. Accordingly, the fiber optic adapters 147 are
disposed on a different layer or plane than the fan outs 138, which are disposed on a
different layer or plane than the first cable spool 134. In certain implementations,
the fan outs 138 are disposed on the same layer or plane as the bend radius limiters
137. The spacing between the cable spool layer and the stand-off layer enhances
slack storage of optical fibers routed through the protected fiber management region
106. In some implementations, the spacing between the cable spool layer and the
stand-off layer inhibits over-bending of the fibers when routed between the fan out
arrangements 138 and the fiber optic adapters 147.
In certain implementations, the termination adapters 147 are included
in one or more termination modules 146. In certain implementations, the adapter
modules 146 are sliding adapter modules. Similar sliding adapter modules have
been described in commonly owned U.S. Patent Nos. 5,497,444; 5,717,810;
6,591,051; and 7,416,349, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by
reference. In the example shown, the stand-off mount element 140 includes six
sliding adapter modules 146, each holding four fiber optic adapters 147. In other
implementations, the stand-off mount element 140 may include greater or fewer
sliding adapter modules 146 holding greater or fewer termination adapters 147. In
certain implementations, sufficient slack length of the separated fibers 182 is left
between the fan out arrangement 138 and the adapters 147 to accommodate the
sliding movement of the sliding adapter modules 146.
In some implementations, the cable spool arrangement 130 may be
precabled at the factory or manufacturing center with one or more optical fibers or
cables 180. For example, one or more multi-fiber cables 180 may be wound around
the storage area 102 of the cable spool 134. In certain implementations, the multi-
fiber cables 180 may be precabled to pass through the aperture 139 to the fan out
arrangement 138 disposed in the protected fiber management region 106 (e.g., see
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and 7). The fan out arrangement 138 separates the cables 180 into pigtails
182. In certain implementations, the fan out arrangement 138 also upjackets the
fibers 182. In other implementations, however, the cable spool arrangement 130
may be cabled with the one or more multi-fiber cables 180 after the enclosure
housing 110 is deployed.
The precabled cable spool mounting assembly 120 is mounted within
the enclosure housing 110. For example, the mounting plate 12 l is secured to a rear
wall 115 of the enclosure housing 110. When the mounting assembly 120 is
installed in the enclosure housing 110, the second ends of the multi-fiber cables 180
may be routed through one of the cable ports so that the second ends are disposed
outside of the enclosure housing 110. In some implementations, the second ends of
the one or more precabled multi-fiber cables 180 may be terminated at one or more
multi-fiber connectors 185. In other implementations, the second end of a precabled
multi-fiber cable 180 is separated into two or more connectorized optical fibers
(jacketed or unjacketed). In still other implementations, the second ends of the
multi-fiber cables 1S0 are configured to be spliced to one or more optical fiber
cables.
A user may pull on the second ends to dispense the stored length of
cable 180 from the cable spool arrangement 130. For example, a user may pull a
second end of a cable 180 to a fiber distribution hub, drop terminal, or other network
connection. Because the adapters 147 rotate in unison with the cable spool
arrangement 130, the second end of each multi-fiber cable 180 may be paid out
without interfering with the cabling of the first ends of the multi-fiber cable 180.
When the second ends 185 of the one or more multi-fiber cables 180 are each
connected to the network, the fastener 128 may be inserted through aligned openings
135, 128 to secure the cable spool arrangement 130 in a fixed rotational position
relative to the mounting plate 121.
When the cable spool arrangement 130 is secured in a rotationally
fixed position, additional optical fiber cables may be routed into the enclosure
housing 110 to secure to second ports of the termination adapters 147. For example,
the additional optical fiber cables may be routed into the enclosure through one or
more cable ports defined in the enclosure housing 110. The termination adapters
147 are configured to align and optically couple connectors terminating the
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additional optical cables with the connectorized ends of the multi-fiber cable 180
plugged into the first ports of the adapters 147.
illustrates a second example modular plate assembly 220
implemented as a second example cable spool mounting assembly 120 for mounting
within the enclosure housing 110. The second cable spool mounting assembly 220
includes a rectangular mounting plate 221 that extends over a majority of the rear
wall 115. A cable spool arrangement 241 is disposed on the mounting plate 221 and
is configured to rotate relative to the mounting plate 221 (e.g., about a spindle).
Since the mounting plate 221 is configured to remain stationary on the rear wall 115,
the cable spool arrangement 241 is configured to rotate relative to the enclosure
housing 110.
The cable spool arrangement 241 defines a storage area including a
drum about which optical fibers or cables (e.g. of a multi-fiber distribution cable
180) may be coiled. The drum has a sufficient diameter to provide bend radius
protection to optical fibers wound around the fiber spool arrangement 241. Rotating
the cable spool arrangement 241 dispenses or retracts the optical fibers or cables
wound around the drum. In some implementations, the cable spool arrangement 241
may be locked in a rotational orientation relative to the mounting plate 221.
In certain implementations, one or more splice trays 242 are disposed
on the cable spool arrangement 241. Each splice tray 242 is configured to optically
couple together two or more optical fibers. For example, each splice tray 242 may
optically couple together at least one optical fiber of the distribution cable 180 and at
least one optical fiber of a subscriber cable 190 (. Certain types of splice tray
242 may be pivoted between open and closed positions to provide access to the
splices contained therein. In certain implementations, the splice trays 242 are
stacked upon each other so that a bottom of the stack extends over the cable spool
arrangement 241 and a top of the stack faces the open front 116 of the enclosure
housing 110.
One or more fiber management structures may be disposed on the
cable spool arrangement 241. For example, in certain implementations, one or more
bend radius limiters 243 are disposed on a front of the cable spool arrangement 241.
In the example shown, four bend radius limiters are disposed at a top, bottom, and
sides of the cable spool arrangement 241. The cable spool arrangement 241 also
defines one or more channels 244 through which optical fibers or cables can pass
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between the storage area of the cable spool arrangement 241 and the splice trays
242. In the example shown, the cable spool arrangement 241 defines four openings
244 spaced between the bend radius limiters 243.
In some implementations, the second cable spool mounting assembly
220 may be precabled at the factory or manufacturing center with one or more
distribution cables 180. The one or more distribution cables 180 may be wound
around the drum in the storage area of the second cable spool arrangement 241. In
certain implementations, the first end of each distribution cable fiber may be routed
through one of the openings 244 in the cable spool arrangement 241, around one or
more of the bend radius limiters 243, and into one of the splice trays 242 disposed at
a front of the cable spool arrangement 241 (e.g., see .
The precabled second cable spool mounting assembly 220 is mounted
within the enclosure housing 110 to deploy the one or more distribution cables 180.
For example, the mounting plate 221 is secured to the rear wall 115 of the enclosure
housing 110 as described above. The second ends 185 of the distribution cables 180
may be routed out of the housing 110 through one of the cable port modules 101 so
that the second ends 185 are disposed outside of the enclosure housing 110 (e.g., see
. Additional optical fiber cables (e.g., subscriber cables 190 of may
be routed into the enclosure housing 110 (e.g., through the same or other port
modules 101). Unconnectorized ends of the subscriber cable fibers may be optically
coupled to the first ends of the service cable fibers at the splice trays 242. For
example, each subscriber cable fiber may be routed from the respective cable port
module 101 to the respective splice tray 242 (e.g., either directly or after being
wound around some of the bend radius limiters 243 of the second cable spool
mounting assembly 220.
FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate a third example modular plate assembly 120
implemented as a termination panel mounting assembly 320. The termination panel
mounting assembly 320 includes a mounting plate 321 that is sized to extend over a
majority of the rear wall 115 of the enclosure housing 110. In particular, the
mounting plate 321 has a height that extends over a majority of a height of the rear
wall 115 and the mounting plate 321 has a width that extends over a majority of a
width of the rear wall 115. The mounting plate 321 defines one or more apertures
322 or pems that facilitate connection to the rear wall 115.
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Certain types of mounting plates 321 define one or more cutouts 329.
In the example shown in the mounting plate 321 defines a cutout 329 at an
upper, right corner of the mounting plate 321, thereby resulting in an L-shaped
mounting panel 321. In other implementations, the mounting plate 321 may have
other configurations.
A termination plate 351 is coupled to the mounting plate 321. In
some implementations, the termination plate 351 is a bent portion of the mounting
plate 321. In other implementations, the termination plate 351 is a separate piece
that attaches to the mounting plate 321 (e.g., via snap-fit connection, latches,
fasteners, etc.). In the example shown, the termination plate 351 extends vertically
with a first side facing the first side wall 113 and a second side facing he second side
wall 114 of the enclosure housing 110. In other implementations, the termination
plate 351 has a first side that faces the rear wall 115 and a second side that faces the
open front 116 of the enclosure housing 110.
One or more termination adapters 352 are disposed on the
termination plate 351. Each termination adapter 352 has a first port and a second
port. In the example shown, the first port faces the first side wall 113 and the
second port faces the second side wall 114 of the enclosure housing 110. In other
plementations, the adapter ports may face the rear wall 115 and open front 116 of
the enclosure housing 110. In still other implementations, the adapters 352 and the
termination plate 351 may be oriented at any desired angle relative to the mounting
plate 321. In certain implementations, adapter dust caps 353 may be provided at the
adapter ports.
In certain implementations, one or more cable management structures
may be provided on the termination plate 351 or mounting plate 321. In the
example shown, four bend radius limiters 354 are disposed on a front of the
mounting plate 321. The bend radius limiters 354 are configured to form two fiber
spools. In certain implementations, the bend radius limiters 354 form a -first fiber
spool located between the termination plate 351 and the first side wall 113 of the
housing 110 and a second fiber spool located between the termination plate 351 and
the second side wall 114 of the housing 110. In certain implementations, the bend
radius limiters 354 are located substantially below the termination plate 351. In
other implementations, the same or other types of cable management structures may
be disposed in different configurations.
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During deployment of the termination panel mounting assembly 350,
one or more optical fiber cables (e.g., distribution cables 180) may be routed into the
enclosure housing 110 (e.g., through one or more port modules 101). Connectorized
ends of the distribution cables may be secured to the first ports of the termination
adapters 352. Additional optical fiber cables (e.g., subscriber cables 190) also may
be routed into the enclosure housing 110 (e.g., through the same or other port
rnodules 101). Connectorized ends of the subscriber cables may be secured to the
second ports of the termination adapters 352, which align and optically couple
together the connectorized ends of the subscriber cables with the connectorized ends
of the service cables.
In certain implementations, a cover 330 may be positioned within the
enclosure housing 110 to enclose or otherwise inhibit access to at least a portion of
the optical components location within the enclosure housing 110 (see ). In
some implementations, the cover 330 extends from one of the side walls 113, 114 to
the termination plate 351 to block access to at least some of the fiber connectors
plugged into one side of the termination adapters 352. In the example shown, the
cover 330 extends from the second side wall 114 to the termination plate 351 to
block access to any cables (e.g., service cables) entering the enclosure housing 110
through the left cable ports 101, while allowing access to the cables (e.g., subscriber
cables) entering the enclosure housing 110 through the right cable ports 101. In
other implementations, the cover 330 may extend across the entire termination panel
mounting assembly 320.
In the example shown, the cover 330 includes a front plate 366 and a
side plate 367 -forming an L-shaped flange. The front plate 366 extends from the
second side wall 114 of the enclosure to the termination plate 351, thereby covering
the bend radius limiters 354 located to the left of the termination plate 351. The
front plate 366 also blocks access to the second ports of the adapters 352 from the
open front 116 of the enclosure housing 110. The side plate 367 extends
downwardly from the termination plate 351 to inhibit access to the second side of
the termination plate 351 from the right side of the enclosure housing interior. In
other implementations, the cover 330 may include two side plates and be located at a
central portion of the enclosure interior. In still other implementations, the cover
330 rnay include a planar panel that extends across the open front 116 of the
enclosure housing 110.
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In some implementations, the cover 330 defines one or more finger
holes 368 by which the cover 330 may be installed and/or removed from the
enclosure housing 110. For example, in one implementation, the front plate 366 of
the cover 330 defines two finger holes 368. In other implementations, the cover 330
may include a handle or other structure to facilitate manipulation of the cover 330.
In certain implementations, the cover 330 may be secured in place by a lock
arrangement 369.
FIGS. 11-13 illustrate fourth and fifth example modular plate
assemblies 120 implemented as an example drop-in plate mounting assembly 400
and an example sliding adapter mounting assembly 450, respectively. The fourth
and fifth modular plate assemblies 400, 450 each extend over only a portion of the
rear wall 115. For example, each of the fourth and fifth modular plate assemblies
400, 450 includes a mounting plate 401, 451 that has a height that extends
substantially over a height of the rear wall 115 and a width that extends over less
than half of the rear wall 115. In some implementations, the mounting plate 401,
451 is rectangular. In other implementations, the mounting plate 401, 451 is
generally rectangular with notched corners. The mounting plate 401, 451 defines
one or more apertures 402, 452 through which fasteners extend to secure the mount
plate 401, 451 to the enclosure housing 110.
The drop-in plate assembly 400 includes a drop-in plate 411 defining
one or more holes 412 at which adapters 413 may be secured. In some
implementations, the drop-in plate 411 is formed from a bent portion of the
mounting plate 401. In other implementations, the drop-in plate 411 is attached to
the mounting plate 401. In some implementations, the drop-in plate 411 extends
generally horizontally (i.e., parallel with the top wall 111 and bottom wall 112 of the
enclosure housing 110). In other implementations, the drop-in plate 411 may be
angled relative to the top and bottom walls 111, 112.
In certain implementations, the adapters 413 are snap-fit or press-fit
into the holes 412 of the drop-in plate 411. In some implementations, the adapters
413 are configured to receive and align multi-fiber (MPO) connectors. A
description of example MPO connectors can be found in U.S. Patent No. 5,214,730,
the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. In certain
implementations, the adapters 413 are configured to receive and align hardened
multi-fiber adapters (HMFOCs). A description of example HMFOCs can be found
60552582.doc
in U.S. Patent No. 6,648,520, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein
by reference. In other implementations, the adapters 413 are configured to receive
and align single optical connectors (e.g., LC-connectors, SC-connectors, ST-
connectors, FC-connectors, etc.).
In certain implementations, the drop-in plate assembly 400 includes
fiber management structures to facilitate routing optical fibers or cable between the
adapters 413 and other components within the enclosure housing 110. For example,
the drop-in plate assembly 400 may include bend radius limiters extending
forwardly from the mounting plate 401. In the example shown, smaller bend radius
limiters 414 are disposed above the drop-in plate 411 and larger bend radius limiters
415 are disposed below the drop-in plate 411. The larger bend radius limiters 415
form a slack storage spool.
The example sliding adapter mounting assembly 450 includes at least
one sliding adapter module 461. Each sliding adapter module 461 includes a
plurality of adapters that are slideably mounted to rails. In the example shown, each
sliding adapter module 461 includes a row of six adapters. In the example shown,
the example sliding adapter mounting assembly 450 includes a first group of two
sliding adapter modules 461 spaced from another group of two sliding adapter
modules 461. In other implementations, however, the example sliding adapter
mounting assembly 450 may greater or fewer groups each having greater or fewer
sliding adapter modules 461.
In some implementations, the sliding adapter modules 461 are
configured to slide generally horizontally in a forward-rearward direction relative to
the enclosure housing 110. In certain implementations, the sliding adapter modules
461 slide at an angle (e.g., at least partially in an upward-downward direction). In
the example shown, the adapter modules 461 are oriented so that ports of the adapter
modules 461 face towards the upper and lower walls 111, 112 of the enclosure
housing 110. In other implementations, the adapter modules 461 may be oriented to
face the side walls 113, 114 of the enclosure housing 110.
As noted above, additional details pertaining to example sliding
adapter modules are provided in commonly owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,497,444;
,717,810; 6,591,051; and 7,416,349, the disclosures of which are incorporated
above.
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The example sliding adapter mounting assembly 450 also includes a
fanout arrangement 462 including one or more fanouts. Each fanout separates
optical fibers from a multi-fiber cable. In the example shown, the fanout
arrangement 462 is disposed between the two groups of adapter modules 461. In
other implementations, the fallout arrangement 462 may be disposed elsewhere on
the mounting panel 401. In certain implementations, two or more fanouts are
stacked together so that a bottom of the stack abuts the mounting panel 401 and a
top of the stack faces the open front 116 of the enclosure housing 110.
The example sliding adapter mounting assembly 450 also includes
fiber management structures to facilitate routing optical fibers or cables from the
sliding adapter modules 461 to other components within the enclosure housing 110.
In certain implementations, the sliding adapter mounting assembly 450 may include
one or more bend radius limiters 463 (). In the example shown, each group
of adapter modules 461 has two corresponding bend radius limiters 463 at a bottom
of the mounting panel 401 and at least one bend radius limiter 463 at a top of the
mounting panel 401.
In certain implementations, the mounting panel 401 also may include
guide flanges 464 () that facilitates retaining optical fibers or cables within
the area of the mounting panel 401. In some implementations, the mounting panel
401 defines a guide flange 464 on each side of the mounting panel 401. In the
example shown in , each guide flange 464 is bent forwardly from the
mounting panel 401. In other implementations, each guide flange 464 may be a
separately attached piece. In the example shown, each guide flange 464 extends
vertically to inhibit the fibers from spilling into the rest of the enclosure interior.
In the example shown in , the mounting panel 401 includes
retaining flanges 465 defining a guide channel through which one or more fibers or
cables may be routed. The retaining flanges 465 include a first portion extending
forwardly of the mounting plate and a second portion that extends across the fibers
disposed in the channel. For example, each retaining flange 465 may have an L-
shaped cross-section. The mounting panel 401 of also includes another type
of guide flange 466 is T-shaped. The guide flange 466 is disposed between the two
groups of sliding adapter modules 461.
In some implementations, the sliding adapter mounting assembly 450
may be precabled at the factory or manufacturing center with one or more
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intermediate fibers 467. Some example intermediate fibers 467 each include a
single optical fiber. First ends of the intermediate fibers 467 are connectorized and
plugged into first ports of the sliding adapter modules 461. Second ends of the
intermediate fibers 467 are joined at a fanout arrangement 462 to form one or more
multi-fiber cables 417. In certain implementations, the second ends of the multi-
fiber cables 417 are connectorized (e.g., see optical connectors 418 of ). In
other implementations, the second ends of the multi-fiber cables 417 are
unconnectorized.
The separate intermediate fibers 467 are routed around from the
sliding adapter modules 461 and around the fiber management structures (e.g., bend
radius limiters 463 and/or any of flanges 464-466). In certain implementations,
sufficient slack length of the separated fibers 467 is left between the fanout
arrangement 462 and the adapter modules 461 to accommodate the sliding
movement of the sliding adapter modules 461. In other implementations, however,
the sliding adapter mounting assembly 450 may be cabled after the enclosure
housing 110 is deployed. As shown i
n , the connectors 418 terminating the
multi-fiber cables 417 may be plugged into the first ports of the adapters 418 of the
drop-in plate assembly 400 when both the drop-in plate assembly 400 and the
sliding adapter mounting assembly 450 are disposed within the enclosure housing
110.
A first set of additional optical fiber cables (e.g., distribution cables
180) may be routed into the enclosure housing 110 (e.g., through one or more ports
101). Connectorized ends of the first set of optical fiber cables 180 may be plugged
into the second ports of the adapters 413 at the drop-in plate assembly 400. A
second set of additional optical fiber cables (e.g., subscriber cables 190) may be
routed into the enclosure housing 110 (e.g., through the same or other port modules
101). Connectorized ends of the second set of optical fiber cables 190 may be
secured to second ports of the sliding adapter modules 461. Accordingly, optical
signals carried by the first group of optical fibers 182 may be passed to the multi-
fiber cables 417 via the drop-in adapters 413 and then to the second group of optical
fibers 192 via the sliding adapter modules 461.
illustrates a sixth example modular plate assemblies 120
implemented as an example splice tray mounting assembly 500. In the example
shown, the splice tray mounting assembly 500 extends over only a portion of the
6055258_2.doc
rear wall 115. For example, the splice tray mounting assembly 500 includes a
mounting plate 501 that has a height that extends substantially over a height of the
rear wall 115 and a width that extends over less than half of the rear wall 115. In
some implementations, the mounting plate 501 is rectangular. In other
implementations, the mounting plate 501 is generally rectangular with notched
corners. In still other implementations, the mounting plate 501 has notched sides.
The mounting plate 501 defines one or more apertures 502 through which fasteners
extend to secure the mount plate 501 to the enclosure housing 110.
In certain implementations, one or more splice trays 511 are disposed
on the mounting plate 501. Each splice tray 511 is configured to optically couple
together two or more optical fibers. For example, each splice tray 511 may optically
couple together at least one optical fiber of a service cable and at least one optical
fiber of a subscriber cable or an intermediate fiber. Certain types of splice trays 511
may be pivoted between open and closed positions to provide access to the splices
contained therein. In certain implementations, the splice trays 511 are stacked upon
each other so that a bottom of the stack extends over the mounting plate 501 and a
top of the stack faces the open front 116 of the enclosure housing 110.
One or more support members 503 may aid in securing the splice tray
511 to the mounting plate 501. In , a support member 503 is illustrated as at
least one flange bent forwardly from the mounting late 501 at one side of the splice
tray 511. One or more fiber management structures may be disposed on the
mounting plate 501 about the splice tray arrangement 511. For example, in certain
implementations, one or more bend radius limiters 512 are disposed on a front of the
mounting plate 501. In the example shown, four bend radius limiters 512 are
disposed at four corners of the splice tray arrangement 511. In other
implementations, greater or fewer bend radius limiters 512 may be disposed in other
configurations.
When the splice tray mounting assembly 500 is installed within the
interior of the enclosure housing 110, two or more optical fibers may be spliced at
the splice trays 511. In some implementations, one or more optical fiber cables
(e.g., service cables) may be routed into the enclosure housing 110 through one or
more modular cable ports 101. One or more additional optical fiber cables (
subscriber cables) also may be routed into the enclosure housing 110 through the
same or other modular cable ports 101. In some implementations, unconnectorized
6055258_2.doc
ends of both groups of optical fiber cables are coupled together at the splice trays
511.
In other implementations, the splice tray mounting assembly 500 is
disposed within the enclosure housing 110 with the sliding adapter mounting
assembly 450. In such implementations, the splice trays 511 are configured to
optically couple together unconnectorized ends of a first group of optical fibers (e.g.,
from one or more service cables) to unconnectorized ends of intermediate fibers 467
plugged into the sliding adapter modules 461 of the sliding adapter mounting
assembly 450.
As shown in , an example cover 600 may be positioned
within the enclosure housing 110 to enclose or otherwise inhibit access to at least a
portion of the optical components location within the enclosure housing 110. In
some implementations, the cover 600 extends from one of the side walls 113, 114 to
an intermediate portion of the enclosure interior to block access to at least some of
the fiber optical connectors disposed within the enclosure interior. In the example
shown, the cover 600 extends from the second side wall 114 to cover the drop-in
mounting assembly 400. Accordingly, the cover 600 blocks access to the drop-in
adapters 413 and to any fiber optic connectors plugged into the drop-in adapters 413.
In other implementations, the cover 600 may extend across both the drop-in
mounting assembly 400 and the sliding adapter module assembly 450. In still other
implementations, the cover 600 may extend across the splice tray mounting
assembly 500.
In the example shown, the cover 600 includes a front plate 601 and a
side plate 602 forming a generally L-shaped flange. The front plate 601 extends
from one side of the mounting plate 401 of the drop-in mounting assembly 400 (or
plate 501 of splice tray assembly 500) to the opposite side of the mounting plate
401. The front plate 601 also extends a majority of the distance between the top
wall 111 and the bottom wall 112. The side plate 602 extends from the -
front plate
601 to the rear wall 115 of the enclosure housing 110. In certain implementations,
the side plate 602 defines an opening, cutout, or other routing channel 603 through
which optical fibers may be routed between the interior spaced enclosed by the
cover 600 and the interior space accessible through the open front 116 of the
enclosure housing 110. In other implementations, the cover 600 may include two
side plates and be located at a central portion of the enclosure interior. In still other
6055258_2.doc
implementations, the cover 600 may include a planar panel that extends across the
open front 116 of the enclosure housing 110.
In some implementations, the cover 600 defines one or more finger
holes 604 by which the cover 600 may be installed and/or removed from the
enclosure housing 110. For example, in one implementation, the front panel 601 of
the cover 600 defines two finger holes 604. In other implementations, the cover 600
may include a handle or other structure to facilitate manipulation of the cover 600.
In certain implementations, the cover 600 may be secured in place by a lock
arrangement 605.
In some implementations, implementations of the fiber termination
enclosure 100 disclosed above may be used in cell site applications. For example,
certain implementations 992 of the fiber tem -iination enclosure 100 may be mounted
to a top of a cellular tower or in a hut at a base of a cellular tower. is a
schematic representation of one example telecommunications network 910 utilizing
such a cell site application. In the depicted embodiment, the telecommunications
network 910 is a cellular network 910. The cellular network 910 includes a cell site
912, a demarcation point 914, a backhaul 916 and a core network 918.
The cell site 912 creates an area of telecommunications coverage
(i.e., a cell) in the cellular network 910. In one embodiment, the cell site 912
includes a tower or mast 920 and a hut 922 that is in communication with the tower
920. In another embodiment, the cell site 912 includes a hut 922 that is in
communication with an antenna or a plurality of antenna. The tower 920 includes a
base portion 924 and an oppositely disposed top portion 926. In the depicted
embodiment, the base portion 924 is rigidly fixed at a mounting location. In one
embodiment, the top portion 926 of the tower 920 may include an antenna. The
remote transceiver 928 may be integrated into the antenna.
The top portion 926 includes a remote transceiver 928 (e.g., a remote
radio head). The remote transceiver 928 is adapted to transmit and receive signals to
and from devices (e.g., mobile phones, smart-phones, devices with wireless intemet
connectivity, etc.) of subscribers to the cellular network 910. In certain
plementations, the top portion 926 of the tower 920 includes multiple remote
transceivers. In certain implementations, some of the remote transceivers are
backup remote transceivers. The top portion 926 of the tower 920 further includes a
multi-service terminal 930. Terminal that are suitable for use as the multi-service
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terminal 930 of the present disclosure have been described in U.S. Patent Nos.
7,292,763 and 7,512,304, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by
reference in their entirety.
The fiber optic cable 952 from the multi-service terminal 930 is
routed to an enclosure 992 at the hut 922. The fiber optic cable 952 includes a first
end 962 and an oppositely disposed second end 964. The first end 962 includes a
plurality of connectors that are engaged to the inner ports of the fiber optic adapters
of the multi-service terminal 930. The second end 964 includes a multi-fiber
connector that is adapted for engagement to one of the 'first and second multi-fiber
connectors of the enclosure 992.
A jumper cable 966 provides communication between the enclosure
992 and the base transceiver station 990. The jumper cable 966 includes a first end
968 and an oppositely disposed second end 970. The first end 968 is connected to
the enclosure 992 while the second end 970 is connected to the base transceiver
station 990. In one embodiment, the first end 968 includes a plurality of connectors
that are engaged with the second side 924 of the fiber optic adapters 920 of the
enclosure 992. In one embodiment, the second end 970 of the jumper cable 966
includes a multi-fiber connector that is engaged to the base transceiver station 990.
In another embodiment, the second end 970 includes a plurality of connectors that is
engaged to the base transceiver station 990.
The base transceiver station 990 is in communication with a
telecommunications equipment rack 980 through a multi-fiber patch cable 982. The
telecommunications equipment rack 980 is disposed in the hut 922. In one
embodiment, the telecommunications equipment rack 980 includes any one or more
of a power distribution unit, a fiber distribution unit, a transport switch, a mobile
router, a media converter, an Ethernet panel, a DSX panel, protection and a battery.
The telecommunications equipment rack 980 is in communication with the
demarcation point 914. The demarcation point 914 is in communication with he
backhaul 916, which is in communication with the core network 918.
Further details on such a telecommunications network 910 may be
found in U.S. Patent Application No. 13/087,022, filed April 14, 2011, and titled
"Fiber to the Antenna," the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by
reference.
6055258_2.doc
In other implementations, the fiber termination enclosure disclosed
above may be used with other applications. For example, some fiber termination
enclosures may be installed at facilities, such as multiple dwelling units, apartments,
condominiums, businesses, etc., to provide a subscriber access point to the fiber
optic network. Other fiber termination enclosures may be installed on towers
located on top of high rise buildings or other tall structures. Various
implementations of fiber termination enclosures may be installed at walls, H-frame
racks, and poles.
Having described the preferred aspects and implementations of the
present disclosure, modifications and equivalents of the disclosed concepts may
readily occur to one skilled in the art. For example, one or more pass-through
connections may be provided with any of the above-described types of modular
plate assemblies 120. However, it is intended that such modifications and
equivalents be included within the scope of the claims which are appended hereto.
6055258_2.doc
Claims (33)
1. A fiber termination enclosure system comprising: an enclosure housing including a top wall, a bottom wall, a first side wall, a second side wall, and a rear wall defining an interior having an open front, the enclosure housing including a door for selectively covering the open front; and a plurality of modular plate assemblies that are each configured to be selectively mounted within the interior of the enclosure housing, each modular plate assembly including a mounting plate that is configured to be coupled to the rear wall of the enclosure housing; the plurality of modular plate assemblies including: a termination panel plate assembly including a plurality of termination adapters coupled to the respective mounting plate; a splice tray plate assembly including at least one splice tray disposed on the respective mounting plate; a cable spool plate assembly including a cable spool disposed on the respective mounting plate, the cable spool being configured to rotate relative to the enclosure housing; and a drop-in plate assembly including at least one termination adapter disposed on a horizontally extending drop-in plate disposed on the respective mounting plate.
The fiber termination enclosure system of claim 1, further comprising a fallout arrangement coupled to a forward side of the cable spool.
The fiber termination enclosure system of any one of claims 1-2, wherein a stand-off mount element is coupled to the cable spool of the cable spool plate assembly, the stand-off mount element being configured to rotate with the cable spool relative to the enclosure housing, the stand-off mount element including a plurality of termination adapters.
The fiber termination enclosure system of claim 3, wherein the stand-off mount element including a mounting surface spaced forwardly of the cable spool arrangement, wherein the termination adapters are located at the mount surface. 6055258_2.doc
5. The fiber termination enclosure system of any one of claims 3 and 4, wherein the termination adapters of the stand-off mount element are disposed on sliding adapter modules.
6. The fiber termination enclosure system of claim 5, wherein the sliding adapter modules are oriented so that the termination adapters have insertion axes extending parallel with the mounting surface of the stand-off mount element.
7. The fiber termination enclosure system of any one of claims 1-6, wherein the cable spool defines a locking opening that is configured to align with a flange extending forwardly of the mounting plate when the cable spool is oriented in a first rotational position relative to the mounting plate, wherein insertion of a fastener through both a fastening opening defined in the flange and the locking opening defined in the cable spool releasably fixes the cable spool arrangement in the first rotational position.
8. The fiber termination enclosure system of any one of claims 1-7, wherein the cable spool arrangement is mounted on a bearing that is mounted to the panel.
9. The fiber termination enclosure system of any one of claims 1-3, wherein at least one splice tray is mounted to the cable spool of the cable spool plate assembly, the splice tray being configured to rotate with the cable spool relative to the enclosure housing.
The fiber termination enclosure system of claim 9, wherein a plurality of splice trays are stacked on the cable spool, wherein a bottom of the stack faces the cable spool and a top of the stack faces the open front of the enclosure housing.
The fiber termination enclosure system of claim 1, wherein the termination plate panel assembly includes a vertically extending termination plate on which the termination adapters are disposed. 6055258_2.doc
12. The fiber termination enclosure system of claim 1, wherein the termination adapters arc disposed on at least one sliding adapter module that is disposed on the mounting plate of the termination panel plate assembly.
The fiber termination enclosure system of claim 1, wherein the termination adapter disposed on the drop-in plate is configured to receive two multi-fiber connectors.
The fiber termination enclosure system of any one of claims 1, 12, and 13, wherein the modular plate assembly has a height that extends over a majority of a height of the rear wall and a width that extends over less than half of a width of the rear wall when the modular plate assembly is mounted to the rear wall of the enclosure housing.
15. The fiber termination enclosure system of any one of claims 1, and 11-14, further comprising a cover that is configured to mount within the interior of the enclosure housing to cover and inhibit access to at least a portion of the modular plate assembly disposed within the enclosure housing.
16. The fiber termination enclosure system of any one of claims 1-15, wherein the bottom wall of the enclosure housing defines at least one opening at which at least one cable port can be mounted.
17. The fiber termination enclosure system of claim 16, further comprising a port arrangement including a port panel through which at least one cable port extends, the port panel being coupled to the bottom wall of the enclosure housing at the opening defined in the bottom wall.
The fiber termination enclosure system of any one of claims 1-17, further comprising a plurality of brackets coupled to the top and bottom walls of the enclosure housing, the brackets being configured to secure the enclosure housing to a surface. 6055258_2.doc
19. The fiber termination enclosure system of any one of claims 1-18, wherein the cable spool has first and second spaced, parallel support walls located at forward and rearward ends, respectively, of a drum, the cable spool being configured to receive the optical fiber around the drum between the support walls.
The fiber termination enclosure system of claim 19, further comprising at least one bend radius limiter coupled to a forward side of the first support wall of the cable spool arrangement. 1 9, wherein the cable spool
21. The fiber termination enclosure system of claim has a generally annular circumference.
22. The fiber termination enclosure system of claim 1, wherein at least some of the modular plate assemblies are sized to extend over a majority of an area of the rear wall, wherein the enclosure housing is configured to receive only one of the these modular plate assemblies at any given time.
23. The fiber termination enclosure system of claim 2, wherein the cable spool plate assembly has a height that is sized to extend over a majority of a height of the rear wall and a width that is sized to extend over a majority of a width of the rear wall when the mounting plate of the cable spool plate assembly is coupled to the rear wall of the enclosure housing. 1, wherein the termination
24. The -fiber termination enclosure system of claim panel plate assembly has a height that is sized to extend over a majority of a height of the rear wall and a width that is sized to extend over a majority of a width of the rear wall when the mounting plate of the termination panel plate assembly is coupled to the rear wall of the enclosure housing.
25. The -fiber termination enclosure system of any one of claims 1 and wherein the termination plate is formed from a bent portion of the mounting plate. 6055258_2.doc
26. The fiber termination enclosure system of any one of claims 1 and 12, wherein the drop-in plate assembly includes bend radius limiters disposed below the drop-in plate.
27. The fiber termination enclosure system of any one of claims 1 and 13, wherein the termination adapter is configured to receive hardened multi-fiber connectors.
28. The fiber termination enclosure system of claim 15, wherein the cover inhibits access to one of the modular plate assemblies disposed within the enclosure housing.
A method of assembling a fiber termination enclosure comprising: providing an enclosure housing including a top wall, a bottom wall, a first side wall, a second side wall, and a rear wall defining an interior having an open front, the enclosure housing including a door for selectively covering the open front; selecting at least one of a plurality of modular plate assemblies that are each adapted and configured to be mounted within the interior of the enclosure housing, each modular plate assembly including a mounting plate that is configured to be coupled to the rear wall of the enclosure housing; the plurality of modular plate assemblies including: a termination panel plate assembly including a plurality of termination adapters coupled to the respective mounting plate; a splice tray plate assembly including at least one splice tray disposed on the respective mounting plate; a cable spool plate assembly including a cable spool disposed on the respective mounting plate, the cable spool being configured to rotate relative to the enclosure housing; and a drop-in plate assembly including at least one termination adapter disposed on a horizontally extending drop-in plate disposed on the respective mounting plate; and disposing the selected modular plate assembly within the interior of the enclosure housing and coupling the mounting plate of the selected modular plate assembly to the rear wall of the enclosure housing. 6055258_2.doc
30. The method of claim 29, further comprising precabling the selected modular plate assembly before disposing the selected modular plate assembly in the enclosure housing.
31. The method of claim 29, further comprising: selecting at least one of a plurality of cable port modules, each cable port module of the plurality of having at least one gasket disposed on a mounting plate; mounting the selected cable port module to the enclosure housing by coupling the mounting plate of the selected cable port module to the bottom wall of the enclosure housing.
37. A fiber termination enclosure system being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
33. A method of assembling a fiber termination enclosure, the method being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 6055258_2.doc
Applications Claiming Priority (9)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US201161500769P | 2011-06-24 | 2011-06-24 | |
US201161500764P | 2011-06-24 | 2011-06-24 | |
US61/500,764 | 2011-06-24 | ||
US61/500,769 | 2011-06-24 | ||
US201161507263P | 2011-07-13 | 2011-07-13 | |
US201161507270P | 2011-07-13 | 2011-07-13 | |
US61/507,270 | 2011-07-13 | ||
US61/507,263 | 2011-07-13 | ||
PCT/US2012/043827 WO2012178070A2 (en) | 2011-06-24 | 2012-06-22 | Fiber termination enclosure with modular plate assemblies |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
NZ618893A NZ618893A (en) | 2015-06-26 |
NZ618893B2 true NZ618893B2 (en) | 2015-09-29 |
Family
ID=
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