Corning Cable Systems

Jennifer A Battey

Steve A Fontaine

James M Carlson

Terry Dean Cox

Chanh C Vo

Guy Castonguay

Donnie R Clapp, Jr

Brett A Menke

Jason B Reagan

Michael W Canning

Christopher L Holderness

Richard B Laporte

Aaron I Blankenship

William J Cregan

An optical connection closure has at least one connector port located within an external wall of the closure for receiving a connectorized optical fiber of a distribution cable on the inside of the closure and a pre-connectorized fiber optic drop cable on the outside of the closure. The closure includes a base, a cover affixed to the base and movable between a closed position and an opened position, and an end wall that defines at least a portion of at least one cable opening for receiving the distribution cable in a butt-type or a through-type closure configuration. The base and the cover define an interior cavity that optionally contains a splice tray for interconnecting the optical fiber of the distribution cable with a pigtail to create the connectorized optical fiber. The connector port may be located within an end wall, a bottom wall or a top wall of the closure.

Optical connection closure having at least one connector port for optically connecting a drop cable to a distribution cable

Optical connection closure having at least one connector port

A fiber management frame and an interconnection closure including the fiber management frame are provided for securely retaining optical fiber connection trays once the closure is placed into service, while also permitting access to any of the trays to reconfigure the connections of the optical fibers without disturbing the remaining trays. The fiber management frame includes a support for holding at least one such tray selected from the group consisting of a splice tray, a coupler tray, and a connector panel. The fiber management frame may also include a bias member, such as one or more tension members, for urging each tray toward the support. As such, the bias member releasably secures each tray to the support. The fiber management frame may also include at least one adjustable member, such as an upstanding bracket, that cooperates with the support to define a space for housing at least one tray.

Fiber management frame for securely retaining optical fiber connection trays

A fiber management frame and an associated interconnection closure are provided that may be configured to house splice connections or to connect pre-connectorized optical fibers by means of connector sleeves. The fiber management frame includes a frame, at least one optical fiber connection tray, and a connector platform including at least one connector sleeve. The connector platform may be detachably mounted to the frame such that the connector platform is removable. In order to provide access to the connector platform, the connector platform may also be slidably connected to the frame. The fiber management frame facilitates routing of the optical fibers. For example, the fiber management frame may include stacks of connector sleeves that are spaced from adjacent stacks to define a gap therebetween through which optical fibers may be routed. The connector platform may also include at least one routing guide for guiding optical fibers to respective connector sleeves.

Fiber management frame having connector platform

A distribution terminal is provided for interconnecting one or more fiber optic drop cables with at least one fiber optic distribution cable at a convenient access point in a telecommunications network. The terminal comprises a base and a cover adapted to be opened and closed on the base. The base defines an interior cavity having a lower fiber management area for accessing the distribution cable and an upper fiber management area for accessing the drop cables. The upper fiber management area includes a transition panel that is movable relative to the base to provide access to the lower fiber management area. Thus, both the lower fiber management area and the upper fiber management area are easily and readily accessible to a field technician initially installing the terminal and subsequently reconfiguring the optical fiber connections within the terminal at the access point.

Distribution terminal for network access point

A fiber management frame and a closure are provided that are adapted to be utilized in a universal manner for both FTTH and FTTC applications. The closure includes a housing and the fiber management frame disposed within the housing. The fiber management frame includes a back panel attached to the housing and four separate compartments for routing optical fibers and, in FTTC applications, electrical conductors. In FTTH applications, the first compartment receives express optical fibers of the fiber optic feeder cable, while in FTTC applications, the first compartment receives at least one electrical conductor of the electrical feeder cable. The second compartment is proximate the first compartment. In FTTH applications, the second compartment stores at least one coupler tray that splits a first optical fiber of the fiber optic feeder cable into a plurality of second optical fibers. In FTTC applications, the second compartment receives express optical fibers of the fiber optic feeder cable. The third compartment extends in a lengthwise direction alongside the second compartment and stores slack. lengths of the optical fibers of the drop cable. The fourth compartment is proximate the third compartment and is adapted to store at least one of a splice tray or a connector panel, or both. The fourth compartment interconnects an optical fiber of the fiber optic feeder cable, such as one of the second optical fibers provided by the coupler tray, to a respective optical fiber of a drop cable.

Fiber management frame for closure

A fiber optic closure includes a panel assembly having at least two planar panels affixed to another in a hinged manner. The panel assembly includes a storage bay sandwiched between a pair of fiber connection management assemblies. Each fiber connection management assembly includes a sleeve connector panel that supports one or more sleeve connector arrays within which fiber optic cable connectors may be inserted to establish fiber optic connections. The panel assembly also provides a conventional splice panel having splice holders within which splice connections are established. It is preferred to position the splice panel directly adjoining the sleeve connector panel. In this manner, a craftsperson can easily form custom sleeve connections within the fiber optic closure by splicing connectors onto selected optical fibers utilizing the splice panel and then interconnecting the connectors with opposing connectors utilizing the sleeve connector panel.

Optical fiber splicing and connecting assembly

A fiber optic closure includes a panel assembly having at least two panels hinged to one another. The panel assembly includes a storage bay sandwiched between a pair of fiber management and connection assemblies. Each fiber management and connection assembly includes a sleeve connector panel that supports at least one sleeve connector array for establishing optical fiber connections. The splice panel having splice tube holders is also provided for establishing splices. The splice panel may further have at least one coupler cassette for splitting at least one input optical fiber into two or more output optical fibers. Preferably, the splice panel is positioned adjacent the sleeve connector panel so that a craftsperson can easily form custom sleeve connections within the fiber optic closure utilizing the splice panel to splice connectors onto selected optical fibers and utilizing the sleeve connector panel to interconnecting the connectors with opposing connectors.

Optical fiber splicing and connecting assembly with coupler cassette

A fiber management frame having a movable work platform and an interconnection closure including the fiber management frame are provided for supporting and securely retaining various sized optical fiber connection trays and test equipment adjacent the fiber management frame, while also permitting a technician to readily support and retain any one of the trays without damaging the optical connections housed by the trays. The work platform includes a generally planar shelf and a bias member positioned on the shelf opposite a pair of upwardly and inwardly extending first outer flanges. The bias member biases the tray in the direction of the first outer flanges so as to securely retain the tray between the bias member and the first outer flanges. Preferably, the work platform is hingedly mounted to the fiber management frame such that the work platform can be rotated between an operational position and a stowed position.

Fiber management frame having movable work platform

An apparatus and method for splitting or otherwise separating and routing optical fibers are provided in which a splitter housing having first and second separable halves is mounted upon a plurality of optical fibers without having to cut all of the optical fibers. The splitter housing generally includes an inline portion and a branch portion. The inline portion defines an input port at one end for receiving a plurality of optical fibers and a primary output port at the opposed end through which at least one optical fiber exits. The branch portion extends outwardly from the inline portion at one end and defines a secondary output port at the opposed end. The branch portion is in communication with the inline portion such that at least one optical fiber that enters through the input port can be separated from the remainder of the optical fibers and routed through the branch portion.

Apparatus and method for splitting optical fibers

An apparatus is provided for strain relieving a communications cable having a non-cylindrical cross section and for optimally positioning a plurality of the cables. The apparatus includes at least two plates oriented adjacent one another. Each of the plates has at least one mounting surface and at least one strain relief surface. The strain relief surface may be angled relative to the mounting surface. At least one fastener draws the plates together to grip the cable between the strain relief surfaces. The apparatus may further include a plurality of laterally extending teeth depending from the strain relief surface of at least one of the plates. The teeth increase the gripping force applied to the cable. The cable may have an electrically conductive inner sheath that is pierced by the teeth on the strain relief surface and the apparatus may be further provided with a ground strap for grounding the cable.

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Euless, TX, United States of America

Jennifer A Battey