U.S. patent application number 16/221061 was filed with the patent office on 2020-06-18 for fiber optic pigtail assembly.
The applicant listed for this patent is Leviton Manufacturing Co., Inc.. Invention is credited to Jamie Leonard, Sean McCloud, Tony Yuen.
Application Number | 20200192047 16/221061 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 70774975 |
Filed Date | 2020-06-18 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20200192047 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
McCloud; Sean ; et
al. |
June 18, 2020 |
FIBER OPTIC PIGTAIL ASSEMBLY
Abstract
A fiber optic pigtail assembly that includes a plurality of
optical fibers and at least one optical connector. The optical
fibers each have a first end opposite a second end. The plurality
of optical fibers are ribbonized together from the first end of
each of the plurality of optical fibers partway toward the second
end of each of the plurality of optical fibers and form a
ribbonized end portion. The at least one optical connector is
connected to the second end of each of the plurality of optical
fibers. A loose portion of the plurality of optical fibers is
positioned between the at least one optical connector and the
ribbonized end portion.
Inventors: |
McCloud; Sean; (Melville,
NY) ; Yuen; Tony; (Melville, NY) ; Leonard;
Jamie; (Melville, NY) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Leviton Manufacturing Co., Inc. |
Melville |
NY |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
70774975 |
Appl. No.: |
16/221061 |
Filed: |
December 14, 2018 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G02B 6/4471 20130101;
G02B 6/4454 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G02B 6/44 20060101
G02B006/44 |
Claims
1. A fiber optic pigtail assembly for use with a cassette and a
fiber optic cable, the cassette defining an interior and having a
cable opening into the interior, the cassette comprising an
adapter, a splice holder, and a routing path defined along a
periphery of the interior, the fiber optic cable comprising cable
optical fibers that are either ribbonized or not ribbonized, the
fiber optic cable being configured to extend into the interior
through the cable opening, the fiber optic pigtail assembly
comprising: a connectorized end; a non-connectorized end opposite
the connectorized end; a plurality of optical fibers extending
between the non-connectorized end and the connectorized end, the
plurality of optical fibers being configured to be spliced with the
cable optical fibers to define at least one splice configured to be
attached to the cassette by the splice holder, the plurality of
optical fibers being configured to complete at least one loop along
the routing path starting from the splice holder and positioning
the connectorized end at the adapter without exceeding a bend
radius of the plurality of optical fibers, each of the plurality of
optical fibers having a first end opposite a second end, the
plurality of optical fibers being ribbonized together from the
first end of each of the plurality of optical fibers partway toward
the second end of each of the plurality of optical fibers and
forming a ribbonized first end portion positioned at the
non-connectorized end, the plurality of optical fibers being
ribbonized together from the second end of each of the plurality of
optical fibers partway toward the first end of each of the
plurality of optical fibers and forming a ribbonized second end
portion, a loose portion of the plurality of optical fibers being
positioned between the ribbonized first and second end portions,
the ribbonized first end portion at the non-connectorized end being
configured to be spliced with the cable optical fibers to define
the at least one splice when the cable optical fibers are
ribbonized, the ribbonized first end portion at the
non-connectorized end being removable to allow the loose portion of
the plurality of optical fibers to be spliced with the cable
optical fibers to define the at least one splice when the cable
optical fibers are not ribbonized; and a multi-fiber optical
connector connected to the ribbonized second end portion at the
connectorized end, the multi-fiber optical connector being
configured to be coupled to the adapter.
2.-4. (canceled)
5. The fiber optic pigtail assembly of claim 1, further comprising:
a demarcation positioned at or near a junction of the ribbonized
first end portion and the loose portion.
6. The fiber optic pigtail assembly of claim 5, wherein the
demarcation is a piece of heat shrink tape.
7. (canceled)
8. The fiber optic pigtail assembly of claim 1, wherein each of at
least a portion of the plurality of optical fibers has a different
length.
9. A method of terminating a fiber optic cable comprising a
plurality of cable fibers that are either ribbonized or not
ribbonized, the method comprising: obtaining a fiber optic pigtail
assembly comprising a connectorized end, a non-connectorized end, a
plurality of optical fibers, and a multi-fiber optical connector,
the non-connectorized end being opposite the connectorized end, the
plurality of optical fibers extending between the non-connectorized
end and the connectorized end, the plurality of optical fibers
comprising a ribbonized first end portion opposite a ribbonized
second end portion and a loose portion positioned between the
ribbonized first and second end portions, the ribbonized first end
portion being at the non-connectorized end, the ribbonized second
end portion being connected to the multi-fiber optical connector at
the connectorized end; cutting the fiber optic pigtail assembly to
remove the ribbonized first end portion when the plurality of cable
fibers are not ribbonized; splicing the plurality of optical fibers
with the plurality of cable fibers to define at least one splice by
either splicing the plurality of optical fibers within the loose
portion to the plurality of cable fibers when the plurality of
cable fibers are not ribbonized, or splicing the ribbonized first
end portion with the plurality of cable fibers when the plurality
of cable fibers are ribbonized; and installing the fiber optic
pigtail assembly in a cassette defining an interior and having a
cable opening into the interior, the cassette comprising an
adapter, a splice holder, and a routing path defined along a
periphery of the interior, installing the fiber optic pigtail
assembly in the cassette comprising (a) attaching the at least one
splice to the splice holder, (b) inserting the fiber optic cable
into the interior through the cable opening, (c) attaching the
splice holder to the cassette to thereby attach the at least one
splice to the cassette, (d) routing the plurality of optical fibers
to complete at least one loop along the routing path starting from
the splice holder and positioning the connectorized end at the
adapter without exceeding a bend radius of the plurality of optical
fibers, and (e) coupling the multi-fiber optical connector to the
adapter.
10.-12. (canceled)
13. The method of claim 9 for use with the plurality of cable
fibers not being ribbonized, wherein each of the plurality of
optical fibers has an initial length, the initial length of at
least a portion of the plurality of optical fibers are different,
and installing the fiber optic pigtail assembly in the cassette
comprises: removing a portion of each of the plurality of optical
fibers exceeding a desired length that is shorter than the initial
length of the optical fiber, the initial length of each of the
plurality of optical fibers being configured to reduce an amount of
the optical fiber that is removed.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein installing the fiber optic
pigtail assembly in the cassette comprises: routing each of the
plurality of optical fibers over a distance that corresponds to the
initial length of the optical fiber before removing the portion of
the optical fiber; and marking the desired length on each of the
plurality of optical fibers after routing the optical fiber and
before removing the portion of the optical fiber.
15. A fiber optic pigtail assembly for use with a cassette and a
fiber optic cable, the cassette defining an interior and having a
cable opening into the interior, the cassette comprising an
adapter, a splice holder, and a routing path defined along a
periphery of the interior, the fiber optic cable comprising cable
optical fibers that are either ribbonized or not ribbonized, the
fiber optic cable being configured to extend into the interior
through the cable opening, the fiber optic pigtail assembly
comprising: a connectorized end; a non-connectorized end opposite
the connectorized end; a plurality of optical fibers extending
between the non-connectorized end and the connectorized end, the
plurality of optical fibers being configured to be spliced with the
cable optical fibers to define at least one splice configured to be
attached to the cassette by the splice holder, the plurality of
optical fibers being configured to complete at least one loop along
the routing path starting from the splice holder and positioning
the connectorized end at the adapter without exceeding a bend
radius of the plurality of optical fibers, the plurality of optical
fibers having a ribbonized first end opposite a ribbonized second
end with a loose portion being between the ribbonized first and
second ends, the ribbonized first end being at the
non-connectorized end and configured to be spliced with the cable
optical fibers to define the at least one splice when the cable
optical fibers are ribbonized; and a multi-fiber optical connector
connected to the ribbonized second end at the connectorized end,
the multi-fiber optical connector being configured to be coupled to
the adapter.
16.-19. (canceled)
20. The fiber optic pigtail assembly of claim 15, wherein each of
at least a portion of the plurality of optical fibers has a
different length.
21. The fiber optic pigtail assembly of claim 15, wherein the
ribbonized first end is removable to allow the loose portion of the
plurality of optical fibers to be spliced with the cable optical
fibers to define the at least one splice when the cable optical
fibers are not ribbonized.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
[0001] The present invention is directed generally to methods of
terminating fiber optic cables and, more particularly, to fiber
optic pigtails used to terminate fiber optic cables.
Description of the Related Art
[0002] A fiber optic pigtail includes a factory-installed optical
connector on a first end of an optical fiber. A second end of the
optical fiber is not pre-terminated to a connector at the factory
but may later be terminated by an end-user, either by mechanical or
fusion splicing, to a single fiber of a fiber optic cable.
Typically, a fiber optic pigtail includes multiple optical fibers
each having a factory-installed optical connector at a first end,
being unterminated at a second end and thus available for
termination via mechanical or fusion splicing to one of the
multiple optical fibers of a fiber optic cable by an end-user. A
fiber optic pigtail is used to terminate a fiber optic cable (e.g.,
a fiber optic trunk cable) at a fiber optic splice module. The
optical connector(s) pre-installed on the first end of the fiber
optic pigtail are each connected to an adapter within the splice
module and the second end is mechanically or fusion spliced to the
optical fibers of a fiber optic trunk cable.
[0003] Traditional fiber optic pigtails include a plurality of
optical fibers that are either ribbonized together as a unit or
individual (i.e., loose) in nature. Unfortunately, routing the
ribbonized optical fibers inside a confined area, such as a
cassette housing, is problematic because the ribbonized unit of
optical fibers have a bend radius that is relatively large
(compared to individual optical fibers) for the confined space
inside the cassette housing. Further, each of the optical fibers
may be attached to a different fiber optic connector (e.g., a
Lucent Connector ("LC") connector) that is oriented in a first
direction that is perpendicular to a second direction through which
a portion of the optical fiber must be routed. For this reason,
users often de-ribbonize at least a portion of a ribbonized fiber
optic pigtail in the field.
[0004] Terminating a fiber optic pigtail that includes loose
optical fibers requires ribbonizing the optical fibers in the field
if the fiber optic pigtail is being used to terminate a fiber optic
cable in which the cable fibers are ribbonized. In other words,
users often ribbonize at least a portion of a loose fiber optic
pigtail before using it to terminate a fiber optic cable with
ribbonized cable fibers.
[0005] Unfortunately, ribbonizing or de-ribbonizing the optical
fibers of the fiber optic pigtail in the field increases both time
and expense associated with fiber optic installations.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)
[0006] FIG. 1 is a top view of a first embodiment of a fiber optic
pigtail assembly.
[0007] FIG. 2 is a top view of the first embodiment of the fiber
optic pigtail assembly terminating a first version of a fiber optic
cable that includes loose fibers.
[0008] FIG. 3 is a top view of the first embodiment of the fiber
optic pigtail assembly terminating a second version of the fiber
optic cable that includes ribbonized fibers.
[0009] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an underside of a
first version of a splice module or cassette for use with the first
embodiment of the fiber optic pigtail assembly.
[0010] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a top side of the
first version of the cassette of FIG. 4.
[0011] FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of a cover being removed
from the first version of the cassette of FIG. 4.
[0012] FIG. 7 is a rear perspective view of the first version of
the cassette of FIG. 4 with the cover removed.
[0013] FIG. 8 is a top view of the first version of the cassette
with the cover removed and an optical fiber of the first embodiment
of the fiber optic pigtail assembly routed in the cassette's
interior to be marked.
[0014] FIG. 9 is a top view of the first version of the cassette
with the cover removed and a cable fiber of the first version of
the fiber optic cable routed in the cassette's interior to be
marked.
[0015] FIG. 10 is a top view of the first version of the cassette
with the cover removed, the first embodiment of the fiber optic
pigtail assembly spliced with the first version of the fiber optic
cable, and fiber optic connectors of the first embodiment of the
fiber optic pigtail assembly connected to the cassette.
[0016] FIG. 11 is a top view of the first version of the cassette
with the cover removed and the first embodiment of the fiber optic
pigtail assembly terminating the first version of the fiber optic
cable at the cassette.
[0017] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the
fiber optic pigtail assembly.
[0018] FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of a top side of a
second version of the cassette.
[0019] FIG. 14 is a top side rear perspective view of the second
version of the cassette of FIG. 13 with its cover removed.
[0020] FIG. 15 is a top view of the second version of the cassette
with its cover removed and three fiber optic pigtail assemblies
each like the second embodiment of the fiber optic pigtail assembly
routed in the cassette's interior to be marked.
[0021] FIG. 16 is a top view of the second version of the cassette
with its cover removed and one of three ribbons of a third version
of a fiber optic cable routed in the cassette's interior to be
marked.
[0022] FIG. 17 is a top view of the three fiber optic pigtail
assemblies of FIG. 15 spliced with the three ribbons of the third
version of the fiber optic cable inside three splice sleeves that
are placed in a splice sleeve holder of the second version of the
cassette.
[0023] FIG. 18 is a top view of the second version of the cassette
with its cover removed and one of the three fiber optic pigtail
assemblies of FIG. 15 terminating one of three ribbons of the third
version of the fiber optic cable at the cassette.
[0024] Like reference numerals have been used in the figures to
identify like components.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0025] FIG. 1 illustrates a first embodiment of a fiber optic
pigtail assembly 100. The pigtail assembly 100 includes a plurality
of optical fibers 110 each configured to conduct a separate light
signal. As will be described below, referring to FIG. 2, the
pigtail assembly 100 is configured to terminate a fiber optic cable
160 (e.g., a fiber optic trunk cable) that includes cable fibers
171-182 that are either loose (as shown in FIG. 2) or ribbonized
into a ribbon 186 (as shown in FIG. 3). Thus, the pigtail assembly
100 is configured to terminate a ribbonized or non-ribbonized fiber
optic cable 160 without the need to change the ribbonization of the
optical fibers 110 of the pigtail assembly 100, which simplifies
the termination process. Referring to FIG. 1, the pigtail assembly
100 may be packaged in a package 102 and sold as a kit 104.
[0026] In the embodiment illustrated, the plurality of optical
fibers 110 include twelve optical fibers 111-122 (e.g., having an
outside diameter of about 250 .mu.m). However, this is not a
requirement and the pigtail assembly 100 may include a different
number of fibers. Each of the plurality of optical fibers 110 has a
first end portion 124 opposite a second end portion 126.
[0027] At least some of the optical fibers 111-122 may have
different lengths. For example, the optical fiber 111 may be the
longest and the optical fiber 120 may be the shortest. The optical
fibers 119 and 121 may have the same length. By way of a
non-limiting example, the optical fibers 111-122 may be listed from
longest to shortest in the following order: optical fibers 111-118,
optical fiber 122, optical fiber 119, optical fiber 121, and
optical fiber 120. The length of each of the optical fibers 111-122
is configured to reduce an amount of the optical fiber that is
removed by cleaving and/or splicing.
[0028] The first end portions 124 of the plurality of optical
fibers 110 are ribbonized and form a ribbonized first portion 130
of the pigtail assembly 100. By way of a non-limiting example, the
ribbonized first portion 130 may have a length of about 8.5 inches
(216 mm). Within the ribbonized first portion 130, the plurality of
optical fibers 110 are attached to one another and form a unit or
ribbon. Thus, within the ribbonized first portion 130, the
plurality of optical fibers 110 may be manipulated and routed as a
unit.
[0029] A loose second portion 132 is adjacent the ribbonized first
portion 130. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the loose
second portion 132 extends to the second end portion 126 of the
plurality of optical fibers 110. Within the loose second portion
132, the plurality of optical fibers 110 are loose, not ribbonized,
and may be manipulated and routed individually. A user may thus use
either the ribbonized first end portion 124 or, referring to FIG.
2, cut off the ribbonized first portion 130 and use the loose
second portion 132 to terminate the cable fibers 171-182 of the
cable 160 to the pigtail assembly 100.
[0030] A demarcation 134 (e.g., a piece of heat shrink tape) may be
placed at or near a junction 136 where the first and second
portions 130 and 132 meet. Thus, the demarcation 134 may be
positioned between the first and second end portions 124 and 126 of
the plurality of optical fibers 110. The demarcation 134 may be
used to determine where, if desired, to cut the pigtail assembly
100 to remove the ribbonized first portion 130.
[0031] The pigtail assembly 100 may include a protective feature or
guard (not shown) positioned at the first end portions 124 that
protects the first end portions 124 from damage that might occur
during handling. The protective feature may be implemented as an
adhesive bead or a piece of tape (e.g., heat shrink tape). The
protective feature may help prevent the ribbonized first portion
130 from splitting at the first end portions 124 of the optical
fibers 111-122.
[0032] The second end portions 126 of the plurality of optical
fibers 110 are pre-connectorized to one or more fiber optic
connectors 140. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the second
end portions 126 of the optical fibers 111-122 are connected to
twelve fiber optic connectors 141-152, respectively. In this
embodiment, the second end portions 126 of the optical fibers
111-122 are placed in tubes T1-T12 (e.g., having an outside
diameter of about 900 .mu.m). The tubes T1-T12 protect the second
end portions 126 of the optical fibers 111-122 as they leave the
fiber optic connectors 141-152, respectively. The tubes T1-T12
extend from the fiber optic connectors 141-152, respectively,
partway toward the ribbonized first portion 130. By way of a
non-limiting example, a distance of about 13 inches (33 mm) may
extend along the loose second portion 132 from the junction 136 to
the tubes T1-T12. By way of another non-limiting example, the tubes
T1-T12 may have a length of approximately 7.8 inches (198 mm) to
approximately 10 inches (254 mm). The tubes T1-T12 may each have a
different color. For example, the tubes T1-T12 may be blue, orange,
green, brown, slate, white, red, black, yellow, violet, rose, and
aqua, respectively. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the tube T1 (e.g.,
colored blue) may be the longest and the tube T10 (e.g., colored
violet) may be the shortest. By way of non-limiting examples, the
tubes T1-T12 may have the lengths shown in Table A below:
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE A Tube Color Length (inches) Length (mm) T1
blue 10.0 254 T2 orange 9.8 249 T3 green 9.6 244 T4 brown 9.4 239
T5 slate 9.0 229 T6 white 8.8 224 T7 red 8.6 218 T8 black 8.4 213
T9 yellow 8.0 203 T10 violet 7.8 198 T11 rose 8.0 203 T12 aqua 8.2
208
[0033] In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 that retains the
ribbonized first portion 130, each of the fiber optic connectors
141-152 has been implemented as a Lucent Connector ("LC")
connector. However, this is not a requirement. Other types of fiber
optic connectors may be used to implement each of the fiber optic
connectors 141-152.
[0034] There are two versions of the fiber optic cable 160, which
each include a plurality of cable fibers 170 each of which is an
optical fiber configured to conduct a separate light signal. In the
first version of the fiber optic cable 160, shown in FIG. 2, the
plurality of cable fibers 170 include the loose individual cable
fibers 171-182, which may be spliced to the corresponding loose
optical fibers 111-122 in the loose second portion 132 of the
pigtail assembly 100. In the second version of the fiber optic
cable 160, shown in FIG. 3, the plurality of cable fibers 170 are
ribbonized into the ribbon 186, which is configured to be spliced
to the corresponding ribbonized first portion 130 of the pigtail
assembly 100. Once the plurality of cable fibers 170 of the cable
160, whether arranged as the loose cable fibers 171-182 or as the
ribbon 186, are spliced to the optical fibers 110 of the pigtail
assembly 100, the transmitted light signals traverse the splice(s)
and are transmitted between the optical fibers 111-122 of the
pigtail assembly 100 and the cable fibers 171-182, respectively, of
the cable 160.
[0035] Referring to FIG. 2, after the ribbonized first portion 130
has been cut off, the loose optical fibers 111-122 of the pigtail
assembly 100 are configured to be spliced with the loose cable
fibers 171-182 of the fiber optic cable 160. The optical fibers
111-122 may be spliced with the cable fibers 171-182, respectively,
by mechanical splicing or using a process known as fusion splicing
which is described in more detail below.
[0036] As noted, splicing of the optical fibers 111-122 of the
pigtail assembly 100, whether via the loose second portion 132 (as
shown in FIG. 2) or the ribbonized first portion 130 (as shown in
FIG. 3) may be accomplished by fusion splicing or mechanical
splicing. Referring to FIG. 2, when single fiber splicing is used
to terminate the fiber optic cable 160, the ribbonized first
portion 130 may be removed (e.g., cut) from the pigtail assembly
100. Then, the loose optical fibers 111-122 may be spliced
individually with the corresponding individual cable fibers
171-182, respectively, and the splices may be housed inside splice
sleeves S1-S12, respectively. Thus, as shown in FIG. 2, the loose
optical fibers 111-122 of the pigtail assembly 100 may be spliced
with the loose cable fibers 171-182, respectively, of the first
version of the cable 160 without needing to de-ribbonize the
optical fibers 111-122 because the pigtail assembly 100 already
includes the loose second portion 132. Optionally, the kit 104 (see
FIG. 1) may include the splice sleeves S1-S12.
[0037] On the other hand, referring to FIG. 3, when the splicing is
performed using the ribbonized first portion 130 of the pigtail
assembly 100, the splicing may typically be done by fusion splicing
and is referred to as ribbonized fiber fusion splicing or mass
fusion splicing. When mass fusion splicing is used to terminate the
second version of the fiber optic cable 160, the first end portions
124 (see FIG. 1) of the optical fibers 111-122 of the pigtail
assembly 100 may be spliced with the cable fibers 171-182,
respectively, which are ribbonized into the ribbon 186 of the cable
160 and the splice may be housed inside a ribbon splice sleeve RS1.
Thus, when the plurality of cable fibers 170 are ribbonized, as
shown in FIG. 3, the ribbonized first portion 130 of the optical
fibers 111-122 of the pigtail assembly 100 may be spliced with the
ribbon 186, which includes the individual cable fibers 171-182 (see
FIG. 2), respectively, without needing to first ribbonize the
optical fibers 111-122 because the pigtail assembly 100 already
includes the ribbonized first portion 130. Optionally, the kit 104
(see FIG. 1) may include the ribbon splice sleeve RS1.
[0038] The pigtail assembly 100 may be used with a splice module or
cassette 200 illustrated in FIG. 4. Optionally, the kit 104 (see
FIG. 1) may include the cassette 200. Referring to FIG. 4, the
cassette 200 includes a base 210, one or more adapters 218, a
removable cover 212, and a splice sleeve holder 214. FIG. 4
illustrates a first version of the cassette 200 configured for use
with the first embodiment of the pigtail assembly 100 illustrated
in FIGS. 1-3, 10, and 11. FIG. 11 illustrates the pigtail assembly
100 installed in a substantially hollow interior 202 of the first
version of the cassette 200, which has been illustrated with its
cover 212 (see FIGS. 4-6 and 13) removed. The pigtail assembly 100
is configured in such a way that the plurality of optical fibers
110 may be routed within the constrained hollow interior 202
without exceeding the bend radius of either the individual optical
fibers of the plurality of optical fibers 110 within the loose
second portion 132 or the more densely compacted fibers within the
ribbonized first portion 130 (see FIGS. 1-3), when present, and to
avoid possible damage to the optical fibers 110 of the pigtail
assembly 100.
[0039] By way of non-limiting examples, the cassette 200 may be
implemented as a splice module sold by Leviton under, for instance,
one of the following module numbers: SPLCH-12AQ, SPLCH-12BL,
SPLCH-12GN, SPLCH-12HV, SPMPH-MMPN, SPMPH-SMPN, SPMPH-MMUP, and
SPMPH-SMUP.
[0040] Referring to FIG. 5, in the first version of the cassette
200, the adapter(s) 218 include adapters 218A-218C, which are
mounted in the base 210. The adapters 218A-218C include outwardly
facing and opening ports 221-232 each configured to receive a
single corresponding fiber optic connector (e.g., a LC connector),
which is inserted into the corresponding outwardly facing port.
Thus, twelve fiber optic connectors (not shown) may be inserted one
each into the outwardly facing ports 221-232. Referring to FIG. 7,
the adapters 218A-218C also include inwardly facing and opening
ports 241-252 configured to receive the fiber optic connectors
141-152 (see FIGS. 1 and 11), respectively, of the pigtail assembly
100 (see FIGS. 1-3, 10, and 11). In the example illustrated, the
adapter 218A includes the outwardly facing ports 221-224 (see FIG.
5) and the corresponding inwardly facing ports 241-244,
respectively. The adapter 218A is thus configured to form optical
connections between the fiber optic connectors (not shown) inserted
into the outwardly facing ports 221-224 (see FIG. 5) and the fiber
optic connectors 141-144 (see FIGS. 1 and 11) of the pigtail
assembly 100 (see FIGS. 1-3, 10, and 11), when the fiber optic
connectors 141-144 are inserted into the inwardly facing ports
241-244, respectively. The adapter 218B includes the outwardly
facing ports 225-228 (see FIG. 5) and the inwardly facing ports
245-248. The adapter 2186 is thus configured to form optical
connections between the fiber optic connectors (not shown) inserted
into the outwardly facing ports 225-228 (see FIG. 5) and the fiber
optic connectors 145-148 (see FIGS. 1 and 11) of the pigtail
assembly 100 (see FIGS. 1-3, 10, and 11), when the fiber optic
connectors 145-148 are inserted into the inwardly facing ports
245-248, respectively. The adapter 218C includes the outwardly
facing ports 229-232 (see FIG. 5) and the inwardly facing ports
249-252. The adapter 218C is thus configured to form optical
connections between the fiber optic connectors (not shown) inserted
into the outwardly facing ports 229-232 (see FIG. 5) and the fiber
optic connectors 149-152 (see FIGS. 1 and 11), when the fiber optic
connectors 149-152 are inserted into the inwardly facing ports
249-252, respectively.
[0041] Referring to FIG. 6, to terminate the fiber optic cable 160
(see FIGS. 2, 3, and 9-11), a user first opens the cassette 200. In
the example illustrated, to open the cassette 200, the user pushes
inwardly on a release tab 260, e.g., in a direction identified by
an arrow A1, of the cover 212, which moves outwardly extending
projections 262 and 264 (see FIG. 4) inwardly such that they are
removed from openings 266 and 268 (see FIGS. 4, 5, 7, and 14),
respectively, formed in the base 210. With the release tab 260
pushed inwardly, the user lifts upwardly and pulls outwardly (e.g.,
in a direction identified by an arrow A2) on the cover 212 so that
tabs 280 and 282 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) formed in the cover 212 are
pulled clear of an overhanging portion 284 of the base 210. When
the cover 212 is attached to the base 210, a tab 274 disposed on
the base 210 is positioned within a slot 272 disposed in the cover
212, the projections 262 and 264 (see FIG. 4) are positioned in the
openings 266 and 268 (see FIGS. 4, 5, 7, and 14), respectively, and
the tabs 280 and 282 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) are positioned under the
overhanging portion 284 of the base 210. Thus, referring to FIG. 4,
the projections 262 and 264 and the tabs 280 and 282 maintain the
cover 212 on the base 210.
[0042] Referring to FIG. 5, when the cover 212 is removed, the
interior 202 of the base 210 is accessible. If the splice sleeve
holder 214 is installed within the interior 202 of the base 210,
the user removes the splice sleeve holder 214 to expose a zero mark
indicator 290. The splice sleeve holder 214 may be mounted inside
the base 210 by first and second spring tabs 292 and 294, disposed
on a bottom portion 300 of the base 210, positioned to grip onto
the first and second opposing sides 297 and 298, respectively, of
the splice sleeve holder 214. In the example illustrated in FIG. 5,
the splice sleeve holder 214 includes first and second recesses 295
(see FIG. 4) and 296 formed on the opposing sides 297 and 298,
respectively, of the splice sleeve holder 214. The first and second
recesses 295 (see FIG. 4) and 296 are configured to receive the
first and second spring tabs 292 and 294, respectively. The zero
mark indicator 290 may be positioned on the bottom portion 300.
[0043] Next, referring to FIG. 8, the fiber optic connectors
141-152 (see FIGS. 1 and 11) are inserted into the inwardly opening
ports 241-252 (see FIG. 7), respectively, of the adapters
218A-218C. For example, FIG. 8 illustrates the fiber optic
connector 141 inserted into the inwardly opening port 241. The
optical fibers 111-122 (see FIGS. 1-3) may be routed one at a time
underneath cable management tabs 310-322 (and optionally underneath
a cable management tab 324) formed in the bottom portion 300. For
example, the optical fibers 111-122 (see FIGS. 1-3) may each be
placed under the cable management tabs 310-324 in the following
order starting from the adapters 218A-218C: cable management tabs
310, 312, 314, 316, 317, 318, 320, 322, and 324. For ease of
illustration, FIG. 8 illustrates only the optical fiber 111 being
routed. However, the other optical fibers 112-122 (see FIGS. 1-3)
are routed in a similar manner. In the implementation illustrated,
the optical fiber 111 is routed in a counter-clockwise direction
illustrated by a curved arrow A3 in one or more complete loops. If,
as illustrated in FIG. 3, the loose second portion 132 will be used
to terminate the fiber optic cable 160, one complete loop within
the cassette 200 may be used. Alternatively, if, as shown in FIG.
3, the ribbonized first portion 130 will be used to terminate the
fiber optic cable 160, two complete loops within the cassette 200
may be used.
[0044] Referring to FIG. 8, once the optical fibers 111-122 (see
FIGS. 1-3) are disposed and routed within the base 210 of the
cassette 200, a portion, designated by reference numeral 302, of
each of the optical fibers 111-122 corresponding to the zero mark
indicator 290 is marked (e.g., with a pen). After the optical
fibers 111-122 (see FIGS. 1-3) have been marked at the portion 302,
the optical fibers 111-122 are removed from the cable management
tabs 310-324 and set aside while the fiber optic connectors 141-152
(see FIGS. 1 and 11) remain mated with the inwardly opening ports
241-252 (see FIG. 7), respectively, of the adapters 218A-218C.
[0045] Referring to FIG. 9, the cable fibers 171-182 (see FIG. 2)
of the first version of the fiber optic cable 160 are enclosed
within an outer cable jacket 330. A portion of the outer cable
jacket 330 may be removed to define an unjacketed portion 332 of
the cable fibers 171-182 (see FIG. 2), which may be about 35 inches
long. The unjacketed portion 332 and an adjacent jacketed portion
334 of the fiber optic cable 160 are routed into the interior 202
of the base 210 through a cable opening 340 in the base 210. One or
more cable ties 342 (or similar structures) may be used to secure
the jacketed portion 334 to the base 210. In the example
illustrated, the base 210 includes tie wrap slots 344 (see FIGS.
5-8) configured to receive the cable tie(s) 342. The cable tie(s)
342 may each be implemented as a nylon cable tie.
[0046] Each of the cable fibers 171-182 (see FIG. 2) in the
unjacketed portion 332 may be routed one at a time in a clockwise
direction illustrated by a curved arrow A4 and positioned
underneath the cable management tabs 312-324 as well as underneath
outer channel cable management tabs 326 and 328. For example, each
of the cable fibers 171-182 (see FIG. 2) may be placed under the
cable management tabs 312-328 in the following order starting from
the cable opening 340: cable management tabs 312, 328, 326, 324,
322, 320, 318, 317, 316, and 314. An outermost channel 352 may be
defined at least in part by the outer channel cable management tabs
326 and 328. For ease of illustration, FIG. 9 illustrates only the
cable fiber 171 being routed and the other cable fibers 172-182
(see FIG. 2) have been omitted from the fiber optic cable 160.
However, the other cable fibers 172-182 (see FIG. 2) are routed
inside the base 210 in a manner similar to the routing of the cable
fiber 171.
[0047] Once the cable fibers 171-182 (see FIG. 2) are disposed and
routed within the base 210, a portion, designated by reference
numeral 304 in FIG. 9, of each of the cable fibers 171-182 (see
FIG. 2) corresponding to the zero mark indicator 290 is marked
(e.g., with a pen). After each of the cable fibers 171-182 (see
FIG. 2) has been marked at the portion 304, the cable fiber may be
removed from the cable management tabs 312-328 and set aside. The
cable tie(s) 342 may be cut and the fiber optic cable 160 removed
from the base 210.
[0048] Referring to FIG. 2, after each of the cable fibers 171-182
of the fiber optic cable 160 has been marked, they are cut at or
near the location of the marks placed in the portions 304 (see FIG.
9). For example, the cable fibers 171-182 may be cut a
predetermined distance (e.g., 35 mm) beyond their respective marks.
Thus, a cut end portion of the cable fibers 171-182 may extend
outwardly beyond the marks. The user may strip or remove an outer
coating from the cut end portion to the mark made on each of the
cable fibers 171-182 to expose an end section of bare fiber and
allow for proper cleaving. The cleaving process may trim the length
of the end section of bare fiber of each of the cable fibers
171-182 (e.g., to approximately 10 mm). The predetermined distance
(e.g., 35 mm) may vary depending upon which cleaver is being used
to cleave the cable fibers 171-182.
[0049] After each of the optical fibers 111-122 of the pigtail
assembly 100 has been marked at the portion 302 (see FIG. 8), the
user may install the splice sleeves S1-S12, respectively, and cut
the optical fibers 111-122 at or near the location of the marks
placed in the portions 302. For example, the optical fibers 111-122
may be cut the predetermined distance (e.g., 35 mm) beyond their
respective marks. Thus, a cut end portion of the optical fibers
111-122 may extend outwardly beyond the marks. The user may strip
or remove an outer coating from the cut end portion to the mark
made on each of the optical fibers 111-122 to expose an end section
of bare fiber and allow for proper cleaving. The cleaving process
may trim the length of the end section of bare fiber of each of the
optical fibers 111-122 (e.g., to approximately 10 mm). As mentioned
above, the predetermined distance (e.g., 35 mm) may vary depending
upon which cleaver is being used to cleave the optical fibers
111-122.
[0050] Once each of the optical fibers 111-122 of the pigtail
assembly 100 and the cable fibers 171-182 of the fiber optic cable
160 have been marked and cut, the user may splice each of the
optical fibers 111-122 of the pigtail assembly 100 to the
corresponding cable fiber of the fiber optic cable 160 (i.e., the
optical fiber 111 is spliced to the cable fiber 171, the optical
fiber 112 is spliced to the cable fiber 172, and so forth, as shown
in FIG. 2) using conventional methods of splicing optical fibers
known in the industry, such as mechanical splicing or fusion
splicing. Then, as shown in FIG. 10, the user places the splice
sleeves S1-S12 (see FIG. 2) in the splice sleeve holder 214, which
has been removed from the base 210. In the example illustrated in
FIG. 10, the splice sleeves S2, S4, S6, S8, S10, and S12 are placed
on top of the splice sleeves S1, S3, S5, S7, S9, and S11 (see FIG.
2), respectively, in the splice sleeve holder 214.
[0051] As mentioned above, referring to FIG. 11, the fiber optic
connectors 141-152 (see FIGS. 1 and 11) were mated previously with
the inwardly opening ports 241-252 (see FIG. 7), respectively, of
the adapters 218A-218C. Next, the user routes the plurality of
optical fibers 110 underneath the cable management tabs 310-324 in
the counter-clockwise direction illustrated by the curved arrow A3.
The user may rotate the base 210 clockwise while placing the
plurality of optical fibers 110 underneath the cable management
tabs 310-324. For example, the plurality of optical fibers 110 may
be placed under the cable management tabs 310-324 in the following
order starting from the adapters 218A-218C: cable management tabs
310, 312, 314, 316, 317, 318, 320, 322, and 324. After the
plurality of optical fibers 110 has completed one full rotation
within the base 210 of the cassette 200, the user may install the
splice sleeve holder 214 between the first and second spring tabs
292 and 294 (see FIGS. 5, 7-9, and 16) on the bottom portion 300 of
the base 210 and place a portion of the plurality of optical fibers
110 under (or on top of) the fiber optic connectors 141-152.
[0052] The user may continue rotating the base 210 clockwise and
position the plurality of cable fibers 170 under the cable
management tabs 312-328. For example, the plurality of cable fibers
170 may be placed under the cable management tabs 312-328 in the
following order starting from the sleeve holder 214: cable
management tabs 314, 316, 317, 318, 320, 322, 324, 326, 328, and
312. The user places a portion of each of the unjacketed plurality
of cable fibers 170 in the outermost channel 352 defined by the
outer channel cable management tabs 326 and 328. Then, the jacketed
portion 334 is routed out the cable opening 340. Finally, the user
may secure the jacketed portion 334 to the base 210 using one or
more of the cable tie(s) 342 and installs the cover 212 (see FIGS.
4-6 and 13) on the base 210. Referring to FIG. 5, at this point,
the cassette 200 is ready for use and one or more fiber optic
connectors (not shown) may be inserted into each of the outwardly
facing ports 221-232.
[0053] FIG. 12 illustrates a second embodiment of a pigtail
assembly 100' that is substantially similar to the pigtail assembly
100 (see FIGS. 1-3, 10, and 11). Therefore, like reference numerals
followed by a prime ("'") have been used to identify like
components of the pigtail assembly 100' and the pigtail assembly
100 (see FIGS. 1-3, 10, and 11). However, the pigtail assembly 100'
differs from the pigtail assembly 100 (see FIGS. 1-3, 10, and 11)
in three respects. First, in the pigtail assembly 100', second end
portions 126' of the plurality of optical fibers 110' are connected
to a single, multi-fiber optical connector 156, instead of the
plurality of individual fiber optic connectors 141-152 (see FIGS. 1
and 11). Second, the tubes T1-T12 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) are omitted
from the pigtail assembly 100'. Third, the plurality of optical
fibers 110' may each have the same length. The pigtail assembly
100' may be packaged in the package 102 (see FIG. 1) and sold in
the kit 104 (see FIG. 1) along with or instead of the pigtail
assembly 100 (see FIGS. 1-3, 10, and 11).
[0054] The plurality of optical fibers 110' include optical fibers
111'-122', which have a ribbonized first portion 130' adjacent a
loose second portion 132'. The ribbonized first portion 130' is
formed at first end portions 124' of the optical fibers 111'-122'.
The second end portions 126' of the optical fibers 111'-122' may be
ribbonized to form a ribbonized third portion 138. The loose second
portion 132' is positioned between the ribbonized first portion
130' and the ribbonized third portion 138. Thus, the first and
second end portions 124' and 126' of the plurality of optical
fibers 110' are each ribbonized and the loose second portion 132'
is positioned between the ribbonized first and second end portions
124' and 126'. The ribbonized third portion 138 may include a
demarcation (not shown) substantially similar to a demarcation
134', which may be implemented as a piece of heat shrink tape
(e.g., having a length of approximately 5 mm).
[0055] The multi-fiber optical connector 156 has been illustrated
as being implemented as a male version of a Multi-Fiber Termination
Push-On ("MTP") connector. However, this is not a requirement.
Other types of fiber optic connectors, such as a female version of
the MTP connector may be used to implement the multi-fiber optical
connector 156.
[0056] FIG. 13 illustrates a second version of the cassette 200
configured for use with three assemblies 100A-100C (see FIGS. 15
and 17) each like the pigtail assembly 100' illustrated in FIG. 12.
Referring to FIG. 13, the second version of the cassette 200 is
substantially identical to the first version, except the adapter(s)
218 include adapters 218D-218F, which are configured to receive
multi-fiber optical connectors 156A-156C, instead of the adapters
218A-218C, which are configured to receive the individual fiber
optic connectors 141-152 (see FIGS. 4, 5, 7, and 8). The adapters
218D-218F include outwardly facing multi-fiber connectors 401-403,
respectively. In the embodiment illustrated, each of the outwardly
facing multi-fiber connectors 401-403, depicted in this instance as
female connectors although they could also be configured as male
connectors, is configured to receive a single complementary (e.g.,
male in this instance) multi-fiber optic connector (not shown)
Thus, three multi-fiber optic connectors (not shown) may be coupled
with each of the outwardly facing multi-fiber connectors 401-403 to
form and retain optical connections between the optical fibers
therein. Optionally, referring to FIG. 15, dust caps 404-406 may be
positioned in and/or over the outwardly facing multi-fiber
connectors 401-403 (see FIG. 13), respectively, to protect them
during handling. The dust caps 404-406 may be removed so that the
multi-fiber optic connectors (not shown) may be inserted into or
received by the outwardly facing multi-fiber connectors 401-403
(see FIG. 13), respectively.
[0057] Referring to FIG. 14, the adapters 218D-218F include
inwardly facing multi-fiber connectors 411-413, depicted in this
instance as female connectors although they could also be
configured as male connectors, configured to receive complementary
(e.g., male in this instance) multi-fiber optical connectors
156A-156C (see FIGS. 15 and 17), respectively, of the assemblies
100A-100C (see FIGS. 15 and 17), respectively, and form and retain
optical connections between the optical fibers therein. In the
example illustrated, the adapter 218D includes the outwardly facing
multi-fiber connector 401 (see FIG. 13) and the inwardly facing
multi-fiber connector 411 and is configured to form an optical
connection therebetween. The adapter 218E includes the outwardly
facing multi-fiber connector 402 (see FIG. 13) and the inwardly
facing multi-fiber connector 412 and is configured to form an
optical connection therebetween. The adapter 218F includes the
outwardly facing multi-fiber connector 403 (see FIG. 13) and the
inwardly facing multi-fiber connector 413 and is configured to form
an optical connection therebetween.
[0058] The example illustrated in FIGS. 13-18 is configured to
terminate one or more cables each like the fiber optic cable 160
(see FIGS. 2, 3, and 9-11). By way of a non-limiting example,
referring to FIG. 13, the second version of the cassette 200 may be
used to terminate three cables (not shown) that each includes a
single ribbon like the ribbon 186 (see FIG. 3). By way of another
non-limiting example, referring to FIG. 18, the second version of
the cassette 200 may be used to terminate a single cable 420 that
includes three ribbons 421-423 each like the ribbon 186 (see FIG.
3).
[0059] Referring to FIG. 13, to terminate the cable 420 (see FIGS.
16-18), the user first opens the cassette 200 in the same manner
described above. Referring to FIG. 14, if the splice sleeve holder
214 is installed within the interior 202 of the base 210, the user
removes the splice sleeve holder 214 in the same manner described
above. Referring to FIG. 15, as mentioned above, removing the
splice sleeve holder 214 (see FIGS. 4, 5, 7, 11, 14, 17, and 18)
exposes the zero mark indicator 290. The assembly 100A includes a
plurality of optical fibers 110A, the assembly 100B includes a
plurality of optical fibers 110B, and the assembly 100C includes a
plurality of optical fibers 110C. Thus, the assemblies 100A-100C
include the pluralities of optical fibers 110A-110C, respectively.
The pluralities of optical fibers 110A-110C have ribbonized first
portions 130A-130C, respectively.
[0060] Next, the multi-fiber optical connectors 156A-156C are
connected to the inwardly facing multi-fiber connectors 411-413
(see FIG. 14), respectively, of the adapters 218D-218F,
respectively. Then, the pluralities of optical fibers 110A-110C of
each of the assemblies 100A-100C, respectively, are routed as a
ribbon underneath the cable management tabs 310-320 (and optionally
underneath the cable management tab 322 and/or the cable management
tab 324). For example, the pluralities of optical fibers 110A-110C
may each be placed under the cable management tabs 310-324 in the
following order starting from the adapters 218D-218F: cable
management tabs 310, 312, 314, 316, 317, 318, 320, 322, and 324. In
the implementation illustrated in FIG. 15, the pluralities of
optical fibers 110A-110C are routed in the counter-clockwise
direction illustrated by the curved arrow A3. If, as illustrated in
FIG. 17, the ribbonized first portions 130A-130C of the assemblies
100A-100C, respectively, are being used to terminate the ribbons
421-423, respectively, of the cable 420, the pluralities of optical
fibers 110A-110C of the assemblies 100A-100C may be routed in one
complete loop.
[0061] Then, referring to FIG. 15, a portion 426 of each of the
ribbonized first portions 130A-130C of the pluralities of optical
fibers 110A-110C corresponding to the zero mark indicator 290 is
marked. After the ribbonized first portions 130A-130C are marked,
the pluralities of optical fibers 110A-110C are removed from the
cable management tabs 310-324 and set aside while the multi-fiber
optical connectors 156A-156C remain mated with the inwardly opening
multi-fiber connectors 411-413 (see FIG. 14), respectively.
[0062] Next, referring to FIG. 16, an end portion of an outer cable
jacket 430 of the cable 420 is removed to define an unjacketed
portion 442 of the ribbons 421-423 adjacent a jacketed portion 444
in the same manner described above. Then, the unjacketed portion
442 and a portion of the jacketed portion 444 are routed into the
interior 202 through the cable opening 340 formed in the base 210.
One or more of the cable ties 342 (or similar structures) may be
used to secure the jacketed portion 444 to the base 210.
[0063] Then, each of the ribbons 421-423 (in the unjacketed portion
442) is routed one at a time in the clockwise direction illustrated
by the curved arrow A4 and positioned underneath the cable
management tabs 312-328. For example, each of the ribbons 421-423
may be placed under the cable management tabs 312-328 in the
following order starting from the cable opening 340: cable
management tabs 312, 328, 326, 324, 322, 320, 318, 317, 316, and
314.
[0064] Next, a portion 448 of each of the ribbons 421-423
corresponding to the zero mark indicator 290 is marked (e.g., with
a pen). After each of the ribbons 421-423 has been marked, the
ribbon (e.g., the ribbon 421) is removed from the cable management
tabs 312-328 and set aside. The cable tie(s) 342 may be cut and the
cable 420 removed from the base 210.
[0065] Referring to FIG. 17, after each of the ribbons 421-423 has
been marked, they are cut at or near the location of the marks. For
example, the ribbons 421-423 may be cut at the predetermined
distance (e.g., 35 mm) beyond their respective marks. Thus, a cut
end portion of the ribbons 421-423 may extend outwardly beyond the
marks. The user may strip or remove an outer coating from the cut
end portion to the mark made on each of the ribbons 421-423 to
expose an end section of bare fiber and allow for proper cleaving.
The cleaving process may trim the length of the end section of bare
fiber of each of the ribbons 421-423 (e.g., to approximately 10
mm). The predetermined distance (e.g., 35 mm) may vary depending
upon which cleaver is being used to cleave the ribbons 421-423.
[0066] After the ribbonized first portions 130A-130C of the
pluralities of optical fibers 110A-110C, respectively, have each
been marked, the user installs ribbon splice sleeves 451-453,
respectively, and cuts the ribbonized first portions 130A-130C at
or near the location of the marks. For example, the ribbonized
first portions 130A-130C may each be cut at the predetermined
distance (e.g., 35 mm) beyond their respective marks. Thus, a cut
end portion of the ribbonized first portions 130A-130C may extend
outwardly beyond the marks. The user may strip or remove an outer
coating from the cut end portion to the mark made on each of the
ribbonized first portions 130A-130C to expose end sections of bare
fiber and allow for proper cleaving. The cleaving process may trim
the length of each of the end sections (e.g., to approximately 10
mm). As mentioned above, the predetermined distance (e.g., 35 mm)
may vary depending upon which cleaver is being used to cleave the
ribbonized first portions 130A-130C of the pluralities of optical
fibers 110A-110C, respectively.
[0067] Then, the user mass splices (e.g., using mass fusion
splicing) the ribbonized first portions 130A-130C to the ribbons
421-423, respectively, in order from the ribbon 421 to the ribbon
423 with the splices being positioned inside the ribbon splice
sleeves 451-453, respectively. Then, the user places the ribbon
splice sleeves 451-453 in the splice sleeve holder 214, which was
removed previously from the base 210 (see FIGS. 4-11, 13-16 and
18).
[0068] As mentioned above, referring to FIG. 15, the multi-fiber
optical connectors 156A-156C were mated previously with the
inwardly facing multi-fiber connectors 411-413 (see FIG. 14),
respectively, of the adapters 218D-218F, respectively. Referring to
FIG. 18, the user routes each of the pluralities of optical fibers
110A-110C (see FIGS. 15 and 17) underneath the cable management
tabs 310-322 (and optionally underneath the cable management tab
324) in the counter-clockwise direction illustrated by the curved
arrow A3. For example, the pluralities of optical fibers 110A-110C
(see FIGS. 15 and 17) may be placed under the cable management tabs
310-324 in the following order starting from the adapters
218D-218F: cable management tabs 310, 312, 314, 316, 317, 318, 320,
322, and 324. For ease of illustration, FIG. 18 illustrates only
the plurality of optical fibers 110A and the ribbon 421 being
routed. However, the other pluralities of optical fibers 1106 and
110C (see FIGS. 15 and 17) and the ribbons 422 and 423 are routed
in a similar manner. The user may rotate the base 210 clockwise
while placing the pluralities of optical fibers 110A-110C (see
FIGS. 15 and 17) underneath the cable management tabs 310-322 (and
optionally the cable management tab 324). After the base 210 has
completed one full rotation, the user may install the splice sleeve
holder 214 on the bottom portion 300 of the base 210 and place a
portion of the pluralities of optical fibers 110A-110C (see FIGS.
15 and 17) under (or on top of) the multi-fiber optical connectors
156A-156C.
[0069] The user may continue rotating the base 210 clockwise and
position the ribbons 421-423 (see FIG. 17) under the cable
management tabs 312-328. For example, the ribbons 421-423 (see FIG.
17) may be placed under the cable management tabs 312-328 in the
following order starting from the sleeve holder 214: cable
management tabs 314, 316, 317, 318, 320, 322, 324, 326, 328, and
312. The user may place a portion of each of the unjacketed ribbons
421-423 (see FIG. 17) in the outermost channel 352 defined by the
outer channel cable management tabs 326 and 328. Then, the jacketed
portion 444 is routed out the cable opening 340. Finally, the user
secures the jacketed portion 444 to the base 210 using one or more
of the cable tie(s) 342 and installs the cover 212 (see FIGS. 4-6
and 13) on the base 210. Referring to FIG. 13, at this point, the
second version of the cassette 200 is ready for use and one or more
multi-fiber fiber optic connectors (not shown) may be inserted into
or received by the outwardly facing multi-fiber connectors
401-403.
[0070] Referring to FIG. 12, the loose second portion 132' of the
second embodiment of the pigtail assembly 100' allows the
ribbonized first portion 130' to be routed within the constrained
hollow interior 202 (see FIGS. 5-9, 11, 14, 16, and 18) of the
second version of the cassette 200 (see FIG. 13) without exceeding
the bend radius of either the individual optical fibers 111'-122'
within the loose second portion 132' or the more densely compacted
fibers within the ribbonized first portion 130'. Thus, the pigtail
assembly 100' avoids possible damage to the optical fibers
111'-122'.
[0071] The foregoing described embodiments depict different
components contained within, or connected with, different other
components. It is to be understood that such depicted architectures
are merely exemplary, and that in fact many other architectures can
be implemented which achieve the same functionality. In a
conceptual sense, any arrangement of components to achieve the same
functionality is effectively "associated" such that the desired
functionality is achieved. Hence, any two components herein
combined to achieve a particular functionality can be seen as
"associated with" each other such that the desired functionality is
achieved, irrespective of architectures or intermedial components.
Likewise, any two components so associated can also be viewed as
being "operably connected," or "operably coupled," to each other to
achieve the desired functionality.
[0072] While particular embodiments of the present invention have
been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in
the art that, based upon the teachings herein, changes and
modifications may be made without departing from this invention and
its broader aspects and, therefore, the appended claims are to
encompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as
are within the true spirit and scope of this invention.
Furthermore, it is to be understood that the invention is solely
defined by the appended claims. It will be understood by those
within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially
in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are
generally intended as "open" terms (e.g., the term "including"
should be interpreted as "including but not limited to," the term
"having" should be interpreted as "having at least," the term
"includes" should be interpreted as "includes but is not limited
to," etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art
that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is
intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim,
and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present.
For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended
claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases "at least one"
and "one or more" to introduce claim recitations. However, the use
of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the
introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles "a"
or "an" limits any particular claim containing such introduced
claim recitation to inventions containing only one such recitation,
even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases "one or
more" or "at least one" and indefinite articles such as "a" or "an"
(e.g., "a" and/or "an" should typically be interpreted to mean "at
least one" or "one or more"); the same holds true for the use of
definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition,
even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is
explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that
such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least
the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of "two recitations,"
without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations,
or two or more recitations).
[0073] Conjunctive language, such as phrases of the form "at least
one of A, B, and C," or "at least one of A, B and C," (i.e., the
same phrase with or without the Oxford comma) unless specifically
stated otherwise or otherwise clearly contradicted by context, is
otherwise understood with the context as used in general to present
that an item, term, etc., may be either A or B or C, any nonempty
subset of the set of A and B and C, or any set not contradicted by
context or otherwise excluded that contains at least one A, at
least one B, or at least one C. For instance, in the illustrative
example of a set having three members, the conjunctive phrases "at
least one of A, B, and C" and "at least one of A, B and C" refer to
any of the following sets: {A}, {B}, {C}, {A, B}, {A, C}, {B, C},
{A, B, C}, and, if not contradicted explicitly or by context, any
set having {A}, {B}, and/or {C} as a subset (e.g., sets with
multiple "A"). Thus, such conjunctive language is not generally
intended to imply that certain embodiments require at least one of
A, at least one of B, and at least one of C each to be present.
Similarly, phrases such as "at least one of A, B, or C" and "at
least one of A, B or C" refer to the same as "at least one of A, B,
and C" and "at least one of A, B and C" refer to any of the
following sets: {A}, {B}, {C}, {A, B}, {A, C}, {B, C}, {A, B, C},
unless differing meaning is explicitly stated or clear from
context.
[0074] Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the
appended claims.
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