U.S. patent number RE48,675 [Application Number 16/030,471] was granted by the patent office on 2021-08-10 for optical fiber interconnect cabinets, termination modules and fiber connectivity management for the same.
This patent grant is currently assigned to CommScope Technologies LLC. The grantee listed for this patent is CommScope Technologies LLC. Invention is credited to Barry W. Allen, Douglas F. Dowling, Jack A. Smith, Jr..
United States Patent |
RE48,675 |
Allen , et al. |
August 10, 2021 |
Optical fiber interconnect cabinets, termination modules and fiber
connectivity management for the same
Abstract
Interconnect cabinets for optical fibers include an enclosure
and a splitter and termination panel mounted in the enclosure. The
splitter has a plurality of optical fiber-connectorized pigtails
extending therefrom. Each of the connectorized pigtails is
associated with an optical fiber feeder cable to be coupled to a
central office. The termination panel has a plurality of optical
fiber connection members, ones of which are associated with
respective subscriber locations. The connectorized pigtails have a
cable length sufficient to allow connection to the plurality of
connection members.
Inventors: |
Allen; Barry W. (Siler City,
NC), Dowling; Douglas F. (Cary, NC), Smith, Jr.; Jack
A. (Garner, NC) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
CommScope Technologies LLC |
Hickory |
NC |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
CommScope Technologies LLC
(Hickory, NC)
|
Family
ID: |
1000005226266 |
Appl.
No.: |
16/030,471 |
Filed: |
July 9, 2018 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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14178135 |
Feb 11, 2014 |
RE46945 |
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12592274 |
Feb 11, 2014 |
RE44758 |
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10799328 |
Nov 28, 2006 |
7142764 |
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60456323 |
Mar 20, 2003 |
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Reissue of: |
11584068 |
Oct 20, 2006 |
7298952 |
Nov 20, 2007 |
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Reissue of: |
11584068 |
Oct 20, 2006 |
7298952 |
Nov 20, 2007 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G02B
6/4452 (20130101); G02B 6/4454 (20130101); G02B
6/4441 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G02B
6/00 (20060101); G02B 6/44 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;385/135,134 |
References Cited
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Primary Examiner: Hughes; Deandra M
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Merchant & Gould P.C.
Parent Case Text
RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application claims priority to and .Iadd.is a reissue
continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/178,135, filed
Feb. 11, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. RE46,945, which is a reissue
continuation U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/592,274, filed
Nov. 20, 2009, now U.S. Pat. No. RE44,758, which is reissue of U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 11/584,068, filed Oct. 20, 2006, now
U.S. Pat. No. 7,298,952, which .Iaddend.is a continuation of U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 10/799,328, filed Mar. 12, 2004, now
U.S. Pat. No. 7,142,764 which claims priority from U.S. Provisional
Application No. 60/456,323, filed Mar. 20, 2003, the disclosures of
which are hereby incorporated herein in their entirety by
reference. .Iadd.The present application and U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 14/178,135, filed Feb. 11, 2014, now U.S. Pat.
No. RE46,945, are both also reissues of U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 11/584,068, filed Oct. 20, 2006, now U.S. Pat. No.
7,298,952..Iaddend.
Claims
That which is claimed is:
.[.1. An interconnect cabinet for optical fibers, comprising: an
enclosure; a splitter mounted in the enclosure that is configured
to optically couple a plurality of optical fibers to a single
optical fiber and having a plurality of optical fiber connectorized
pigtails extending therefrom, each of the connectorized pigtails
having a first end optically coupled in the splitter to an optical
fiber feeder cable to be coupled to a central office and a second
end having an optical connector thereon with an optical fiber
extending from the first end to the second end; a termination panel
mounted in the enclosure and having a plurality of optical fiber
connection members, ones of which are associated with respective
subscriber locations; and wherein the connectorized pigtails have a
cable length from the first end to the second end, without a
connector therebetween, sufficient to allow connection to the
plurality of connection members and wherein the termination panel
is pivotally mounted in the enclosure to allow access to a front
and a back side of the connection members from a front side of the
enclosure..].
.[.2. The cabinet of claim 1 wherein the optical fiber feeder cable
comprises at least one input optical fiber and wherein the splitter
optically couples the at least one input optical fiber to the
plurality of connectorized pigtails and wherein the plurality of
connectorized pigtails have substantially the same length..].
.[.3. The cabinet of claim 2 further comprising an optical fiber
cable from the central office coupled to the at least one input
optical fiber and optical fiber cables from the subscriber
locations coupled to the plurality of connection members..].
.[.4. The cabinet of claim 2 wherein the splitter comprises an
optical fiber splitter tray and wherein the enclosure is configured
to receive a plurality of optical fiber splitter trays..].
.[.5. The cabinet of claim 4 wherein the enclosure is configured to
receive a plurality of termination panels..].
.[.6. The cabinet of claim 2, wherein the splitter is configured to
splice the at least one input optical fiber to the plurality of
connectorized pigtails..].
.[.7. The cabinet of claim 1 wherein the termination panel
comprises a front panel of a termination module and wherein the
termination module further comprises a splice module positioned in
the cabinet proximate the termination panel..].
.[.8. The cabinet of claim 1 wherein the enclosure is configured to
receive a plurality of termination modules and a plurality of
splitters..].
.[.9. The cabinet of claim 1, wherein the optical fibers in the
connectorized pigtails extend continuously without any splicing
therein from the first end to the second end..].
.[.10. The cabinet of claim 1, wherein ones of the connectorized
pigtails are coupled to corresponding respective ones of the
connection members on the termination panel without a jumper cable
therebetween..].
.[.11. The cabinet of claim 1 further comprising a spooling system
mounted in the enclosure and configured to receive and store excess
cable length of the plurality of connectorized pigtails..].
.[.12. The cabinet of claim 11 wherein the spooling system
comprises a plurality of spools displaced from each other in the
enclosure by a distance corresponding to a distance between a first
and last row of connection members on the termination panel..].
.[.13. The cabinet of claim 11 wherein a distance between a first
and a last of the spools is about half the distance between first
and last rows of connection members on the termination
panel..].
.[.14. The cabinet of claim 13 wherein the spooling system further
comprises an initial loop spool configured to receive all the
connectorized pigtails and provide the connectorized pigtails a
common entry point to the spooling system..].
.[.15. The cabinet of claim 13 wherein the spools comprise
half-moon spools..].
.[.16. The cabinet of claim 11 wherein the plurality of
connectorized pigtails have substantially the same length..].
.[.17. An interconnect cabinet, comprising: an enclosure; a
termination panel mounted in the enclosure and having a plurality
of optical fiber connection members, ones of which are associated
with respective subscriber locations or are associated with an
optical fiber feeder cable to be coupled to a central office; at
least one jumper cable for cross-connecting ones of the connection
members; and a spooling system mounted in the enclosure and
configured to receive and store excess cable length of the at least
one jumper cable; wherein the at least one jumper cable has a cable
length sufficient to allow cross-connecting of the plurality of
connection members; and wherein a distance between a first and a
last of the spools is about half the distance between first and
last rows of connection members on the termination panel..].
.[.18. The cabinet of claim 17, wherein the termination panel
includes a plurality of regions, each including a plurality of the
rows of the connection members and wherein each of the plurality of
spools is associated with a respective one of the regions of the
termination panel and wherein a distance between adjacent ones of
the plurality of spools corresponds to a distance between a first
and last row of the connection members on the respective one of the
regions of the termination panel..].
.Iadd.19. An interconnect cabinet for optical fibers, comprising:
an enclosure; a splitter mounted in the enclosure that is
configured to optically couple a plurality of pigtail optical
fibers to an input optical fiber, the splitter having a plurality
of connectorized pigtails extending therefrom with each of the
connectorized pigtails including one of the pigtail optical fibers,
each of the connectorized pigtails having a first end optically
coupled in the splitter to the input optical fiber and a second end
having an optical connector thereon with one of the pigtail optical
fibers extending from the first end to the second end; and a
termination panel mounted in the enclosure and having a plurality
of optical fiber connection members; wherein the connectorized
pigtails have a cable length from the first end to the second end,
without a connector therebetween, sufficient to allow connection to
the plurality of connection members; and wherein the termination
panel is pivotally mounted in the enclosure and moveable between
first and second positions to allow access to a first side of the
optical fiber connection members and a second side of the optical
fiber connection members opposite the first side, respectively; and
wherein the cabinet includes a first pigtail routing path within
the enclosure that extends from the splitter to the termination
panel and a second pigtail routing path within the enclosure that
extends from the splitter to a pigtail storage location for storing
unused ones of the connectorized pigtails, the pigtail storage
location being separate from the termination panel..Iaddend.
.Iadd.20. The interconnect cabinet for optical fibers according to
claim 19, wherein the pigtail storage location comprises a
hook..Iaddend.
.Iadd.21. The interconnect cabinet for optical fibers according to
claim 20, wherein the hook comprises at least a portion of a
spool..Iaddend.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to optical fiber management and, more
particularly, to systems for connecting optical fibers.
When providing services using an optical fiber network, it is
generally necessary to add and drop subscribers over time. As a
result, a variety of methods are provided for interconnecting
subscriber locations with a central office connecting facility
operated by an optical network provider. To improve the utilization
of communication circuits within such a central office facility,
interconnection cabinets, such as a centralized splitter cabinet
(CSC) and/or centralized splitter cross-connect (CSX), may be
provided as part of the outside plant (OSP) infrastructure of the
optical fiber network. Doing so may allow some of the burden of
establishing and changing connections on the network to be shifted
away from the central office and facilitate incremental growth of
an installed network as new subscribers are added.
A centralized splitter cabinet (CSC) is typically a passive optical
enclosure that provides random termination of optical splitters
suitable for use in OSP environment. A CSC may be pedestal or pole
mounted in the field. A CSC may provide a flexibility point for
termination of distribution cable as well as enclosing a splitter
array. This flexibility in interconnections of the downstream fiber
network may facilitate optimization of the use of electronic
equipment in the central office by, for example, avoiding the need
to dedicate circuits in the central office to each subscriber
location when many such locations may not be active.
A field service technician may be sent to the CSC to modify the
selection of a subscriber location coupled through a splitter to a
particular fiber from the central office by connecting and
disconnecting various cables found in the CSC. For example, it is
known to provide connectorized pigtail cables associated with each
subscriber location serviced by a CSC in the CSC. A technician can
then select the cable for a designated subscriber location, for
example, based on a label attached to the pigtail, and insert the
selected cable in a connection point of a splitter.
Some currently available splitter interconnect cabinets utilize
industry standard connectorized bulkhead modules to house
splitters. These designs generally do not permit access to the rear
of the connector without breaking a warranty seal and are designed
for the central office environment. The seal may be critical for
the manufacturer to ensure that no damage to the splitter occurs
post-manufacturing (in the field). This requirement may be in
direct opposition to the cleaning requirement, for which access to
the front and back of a connection point may be desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention provide interconnect cabinets
for optical fibers that include an enclosure and a splitter and
termination panel mounted in the enclosure. The splitter has a
plurality of optical fiber connectorized pigtails extending
therefrom. Each of the connectorized pigtails is associated with an
optical fiber feeder cable to be coupled to a central office. The
termination panel has a plurality of optical fiber connection
members, ones of which are associated with respective subscriber
locations. The connectorized pigtails have a cable length
sufficient to allow connection to the plurality of connection
members.
In further embodiments of the present invention, the splitter
further includes at least one input optical fiber and the splitter
is configured to splice the at least one input optical fiber to the
plurality of connectorized pigtails. An optical fiber cable from
the central office may be coupled to the at least one input optical
fiber and optical fiber cables from the subscriber locations may be
coupled to the plurality of connection members. The splitter may be
an optical fiber splitter tray and the enclosure may be configured
to receive a plurality of optical fiber splitter trays and/or a
plurality of termination panels. The plurality of connectorized
pigtails may have substantially the same length. The enclosure may
be a double-walled housing configured to provide passive
cooling.
In other embodiments of the present invention, the termination
panel is pivotally mounted in the enclosure to allow access to a
front and a back side of the connection members from a front side
of the enclosure. The termination panel may be a front panel of a
termination module and the termination module may further include a
splice chamber configured to mount a plurality of splice modules
adjacent a back side of the termination panel. The splice chamber
may be pivotally mounted in the enclosure to provide access to the
splice chamber from the front side of the enclosure. The
termination module may be removably mounted in the enclosure to
allow removal of the termination module through the front side of
the enclosure. The termination panel and the splice chamber may be
pivotally mounted in the enclosure for independent pivotal
movement.
In further embodiments of the present invention, the termination
module further includes a movable cable securing member configured
to receive and secure an optical fiber cable, the cable securing
member having a first position aligned with a closed position of
the splice chamber and a second position aligned with an open
position of the splice chamber. The cable securing member may
include an attachment member configured to receive and retain a
strength member of the optical fiber cable. The cable securing
member may be detachable from the termination module to allow
movement between the first position and the second position.
In other embodiments of the present invention, the cable securing
member is pivotally attached to the termination module to allow
movement between the first position and the second position. The
cable securing member may pivot about a neutral axis having an arc
length for a cable secured therein that is substantially the same
in the first and the second positions to limit loads on the cable
secured therein during movement of the cable securing member
between the first and second positions.
In further embodiments of the present invention, the cabinet
further includes a spooling system mounted in the enclosure and
configured to receive and store excess cable length of the
plurality of connectorized pigtails. The spooling system may
include a plurality of spools displaced from each other in the
enclosure by a distance corresponding to a distance between a first
and last row of connection members on the termination panel. A
distance between a first and a last of the spools may be about half
the distance between first and last rows of connection members on
the termination panel. The spooling system may also include an
initial loop spool configured to receive all the connectorized
pigtails and provide the connectorized pigtails a common entry
point to the spooling system. The spools may be half-moon
spools.
In other embodiments of the present invention, optical fiber
termination modules include a mounting member adapted to be mounted
to an interconnect cabinet for optical fibers. A bulkhead
termination panel is pivotally mounted to the mounting member to
allow access to a back side of the termination panel covered by the
mounting member. A plurality of optical fiber connection members
are mounted in the termination panel. The connection members may
include a front socket configured to receive a mating optical fiber
plug connector and a back socket configured to receive a mating
optical fiber plug connector to provide an optical coupling between
the mating optical fiber plug connectors received therein.
In further embodiments of the present invention, the termination
module includes a splice chamber mounted to the mounting member
proximate the back side of the termination panel. The splice
chamber is configured to receive at least one splice module. The
splice chamber may be pivotally mounted to the mounting member for
pivotal movement separately from the termination panel. A front
side of the splice chamber may face the termination panel and the
at least one splice module may be received on an opposite, back
side of the splice chamber. The splice module may be accessible in
an open position of the splice chamber. The splice module may be a
splice tray.
In other embodiments of the present invention, the termination
module includes the splice module(s) and a plurality of
connectorized pigtails extending from the splice module(s) to the
connector members on a back side of the termination panel. The
splice chamber may also include an optical fiber slack receiving
region positioned between the splice module(s) and the termination
panel. A mounting means may be provided for removably mounting the
termination module in an optical fiber interconnect cabinet.
In yet other embodiments of the present invention, configuring an
interconnect cabinet for optical fibers for outside plant
management of subscriber optical fiber connectivity includes
providing a termination panel in the cabinet having a plurality of
optical fiber connection points and a splitter in the cabinet
having a plurality of optical fiber connectorized pigtails
extending therefrom, the connectorized pigtails have a cable length
sufficient to allow connection to the plurality of connection
points. The connectorized pigtails are optically spliced to an
optical fiber feeder cable coupled to a central office. The
plurality of optical fiber connection points are optically spliced
to respective subscriber locations.
In further embodiments of the present invention, ones of the
connectorized pigtails are selectively coupled to ones of the
connection points to provide service to designated ones of the
subscriber locations. One of the connectorized pigtails may be
selectively decoupled from one of the connection points to
terminate service for a designated one of the subscriber locations.
The cabinet may further include a plurality of fiber management
spools and the connectorized pigtails may be routed around selected
ones of the fiber management spools based on a location of a
connection point to which they are to be coupled. The pigtails may
be optically spliced to an optical fiber feeder cable coupled to a
central office in a splice closure outside of the interconnect
cabinet.
In other embodiments of the present invention, interconnect
cabinets for optical fibers include an enclosure and a termination
panel mounted in the enclosure and having a plurality of optical
fiber connection members, ones of which are associated with
respective subscriber locations or are associated with an optical
fiber feeder cable to be coupled to a central office. One or more
jumper cables are provided for cross-connecting ones of the
connection members. A spooling system mounted in the enclosure is
configured to receive and store excess cable length of the jumper
cable(s). The jumper cable(s) have a cable length sufficient to
allow cross-connecting of the plurality of connection members. The
spooling system may include a plurality of spools displaced from
each other in the enclosure by a distance corresponding to a
distance between a first and last row of connection members on the
termination panel. The spooling system may further include a
mid-point spool.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an interconnect cabinet
for optical fibers according to some embodiments of the present
invention;
FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of an interconnect cabinet for
optical fibers according to some embodiments of the present
invention;
FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of an interconnect cabinet for
optical fibers according to some embodiments of the present
invention;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a termination module according to
some embodiments of the present invention with the termination
panel in an open position;
FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of an interconnect cabinet for
optical fibers according to some embodiments of the present
invention showing installation of a termination module in the
cabinet;
FIG. 6a is a perspective view of a termination module according to
some embodiments of the present invention in a closed position;
FIG. 6b is a perspective view of the termination module of FIG. 6a
in an open position showing the splice chamber and trays;
FIG. 6c is a perspective view of the termination module of FIG. 6a
in another open position showing the back side of the termination
panel;
FIG. 7a is a side view of a termination module according to some
embodiments of the present invention;
FIG. 7b is a front perspective view of the termination module of
FIG. 7a;
FIG. 8 is a side view of the cable securing member of the
termination module of FIG. 7a according to some embodiments of the
present invention;
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an optical fiber splitter/splice
tray having a plurality of connectorized pigtails according to some
embodiments of the present invention;
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an optical fiber splitter/splice
box having a plurality of connectorized pigtails according to some
embodiments of the present invention; and
FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating methods for outside plant
management of subscriber optical fiber connectivity according to
some embodiments of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter
with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which illustrative
embodiments of the invention are shown. In the drawings, the
relative sizes of regions or features may be exaggerated for
clarity. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different
forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set
forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this
disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the
scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.
Some embodiments of the present invention utilize a multi-layer,
fold down tray approach to support various functions, such as slack
storage, pigtail to outside plant (OSP) cable splicing and angle
down front patching. A termination module according to such
embodiments may be designed in a modular fashion so that it can be
used separately in a small pedestal or ganged together with other
termination modules in a pad (i.e. ground) or pole mounted cabinet.
The termination modules may also be pre-terminated to subscriber
location optical fibers before mounting in an interconnect cabinet.
The termination modules in some embodiments may also be removed
from the cabinet and carried to a remote location, such as a splice
truck, to facilitate initial installation.
The termination modules in some embodiments include splice trays
therein that may be oriented such that they can be worked on
remotely or in the cabinet when a repair situation arises. In some
embodiments, the entire patching field pivots downward and/or
sideways, allowing access to both sides of the connector for
cleaning while potentially reducing or avoiding the normal
disruption of disconnecting existing subscribers to gain access.
Cleaning both sides of an optical connector may be beneficial,
particularly when using connectors in the OSP. A detachable cable
security member is incorporated into some embodiments of the
termination module of the present invention, which may allow
fixation of the cable as well as the central strength member in
both an open and closed position of the termination module without
placing undue strain on the cable from a change in orientation of
the termination module during installation or the like.
The cable security member of some embodiments of the present
invention need only be separated from the termination module during
closing (when the termination panel is moved from an open to a
closed position). The relative position of the cable security
member to the splice trays may remain substantially unchanged
during the closing (or opening).
A splitter module array (one or more splitters) can be built up
incrementally in a cabinet by adding one pre-connectorized splitter
module at a time in some embodiments of the present invention. The
splitter module may, for example, be splitter/splice trays coupled
to a hanger bracket for purposes of mounting. However, alternative
embodiments may use a splitter box that is loaded into a rack or
some other bracket. Labels on the forward facing edge of the
splitter module may be included to indicate subscribers allocated
to that splitter. Labels on the front of the splitter module could
also be included to indicate test data and/or relevant
manufacturing information.
In some embodiments of the present invention, random over-length
storage of connectorized pigtails exiting the splitters may
incorporate the use of half-moon spools, which may provide bend
control as well as incremental slack compensation. The spools may
be, for example, evenly spaced such that each spool is allocated to
specific fields of the patch panel, which may simplify tracing of
pigtails.
In various embodiments of the present invention, only front access
may be needed to work on cabinet. General fiber management and
organization may be a problem with existing cabinet designs. Some
embodiments of the present invention may overcome these
shortcomings by regrouping the various functions (splicing,
patching, splitting) in a way that may be counter-intuitive to
standard practices. This regrouping of functions may significantly
increase productivity, craft friendliness and/or maintainability of
fiber management in interconnect cabinets according to some
embodiments of the present invention.
For some embodiments of the present invention, as will be described
further herein with reference to the figures, shifting the bulkhead
connection point from the splitter to a patch panel may permit
access to both sides of the connection point for cleaning. Also,
for some embodiments of the present invention, a reduced number of
loose/unterminated pigtails may need to be managed during routine
maintenance and reconfiguration. Various embodiments of the present
invention may provide for 216 or more pigtails hanging in bunches
and that number may be incrementally reduced as subscribers are
added to the network. Some embodiments of the present invention may
reduce this congestion to a maximum of 15 fibers for 1.times.16
splitters or 31 for 1.times.32 splitters. This smaller number may
be reduced as subscribers are added until none are left and a new
splitter is added. The unused pigtails may be stored on the side of
the cabinet segregated from the active fibers. The patch panel
design may allow subscribers to be identified quickly as contrasted
with other known approaches that require the craft to fumble
through bundles of pigtails in search of one specific customer that
has subscribed to the network and needs connecting.
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with
reference to the various embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1-11.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an interconnect cabinet
100 for optical fibers according to some embodiments of the present
invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the interconnect cabinet 100 is used
for connecting subscriber cable(s) 105 with the central office
outside plant (OSP) cable(s) 110 so as to manage connectivity of
subscriber locations to the central office. The interconnect
cabinet 100 includes splice modules 115a, 115b, a termination
module 130 having a front face that provides a patch panel, a
splitter module 140 and connectorized pigtails 150a, 150b.
As will be understood by those of skill in the art, the splice
modules 115a, 115b may be used to connect optical fibers from the
cables 105, 110 to a backside of the optical fiber connection
points (members) 120a, 120b. While two splice modules 115a, 115b
are illustrated in FIG. 1, more splice modules may be used
depending upon the number of fibers to be routed through the
interconnection cabinet 100. Furthermore, although a separate
splice module 115b is shown for use with the central office cable
110, in various embodiments of the present invention, a common
splice module may be used for both the cable fibers of the
subscriber 105 and the central office 110. Although splice modules
for making such interconnections provide benefits in routing and
control of radius of curvature and the like of optical fibers, it
will understood that the present invention, in some embodiments,
encompasses other methods of interconnect between the subscriber
and central office cables 105, 110 and the fiber connection points
120a and 120b.
As shown in FIG. 1, the splitter module 140 has a connectorized
pigtail 150a extending to a fiber connection point 120b to
optically couple to a fiber from the central office. The fiber from
the central office is connected by the splitter module 140 to the
plurality of connectorized pigtails 150b. Thus, each of the
connectorized pigtails 150b are associated with an optical fiber
feeder cable 110 coupled to a central office, typically through an
individual fiber. The splitter module 140 may be a 4 to 1, 16 to 1,
32 to 1 or the like splitter module based on the desired number of
subscribers to be carried and supported by a single fiber feed to
the central office.
As illustrated in the embodiments of FIG. 1, ones of the fibers
from the subscriber cable 105 associated with different subscriber
locations are each coupled to respective ones of the fiber
connection points 120b in the patch panel front face of the
termination module 130. The connectorized pigtails 150b have a
cable length sufficient to allow connection of each of the pigtails
150b to the plurality of connection points 120b. As a result,
service to an individual subscriber location may be readily
provided or ended by coupling or decoupling one of the
connectorized pigtails 150b from the one of the fiber connection
points 120b associated with that subscriber. Therefore, providing a
readily determined location on the front patch panel of the
termination module 130 associated with each specific subscriber may
simplify the task of making a connection for a field technician who
might otherwise have difficulty locating a pigtail 150b associated
with a specific subscriber.
For the embodiments illustrated in FIG. 1, the fiber feed to the
central office from the central office cable(s) 110, like the fiber
feed of the subscriber cable(s) 105, is coupled through a splice
module 115b to an interconnection point 120b on the patch panel
front face of the termination module 130. While shown as a separate
connection points 120a, 120b in FIG. 1, it will understood that any
of the connection points 120b could likewise be used to provide an
interconnection to the central office cable(s) 110. It will be
further understood that, in some embodiments of the present
invention, the input optical fiber to the splitter module 140 is
spliced to a fiber in the central office cable(s) 110 directly
without use of the termination module 130 and the connectorized
pigtail 150a. For example, the input optical fiber to the splitter
module 140 could be coupled to a fiber from the central office
cable(s) in the splice module 115b.
The present invention will now be further described with reference
to the embodiments of an interconnect cabinet 200 for optical
fibers illustrated in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the interconnect
cabinet 200 includes an enclosure 202 having an upper chamber 210
and a lower chamber 205. The enclosure 202 may be a double-walled
housing configured to provide passive cooling for the cabinet 200.
The subscriber and central office cables 105, 100 are received in
the lower chamber 205, which is protected by a front cover panel
207. The cables 105, 100 feed through a bottom panel 252 positioned
between the upper chamber 210 and the lower chamber 205 through
grommets 254. Thus, for example, in the embodiments of FIG. 2, the
upper chamber 210 may be provided a cleaner or more environmentally
controlled environment than the lower chamber 205. However, it will
be understood that various embodiments of the present invention may
provide for direct routing of the cables 105 and 110 into the upper
chamber 210 of a single chamber enclosure not having a separate
lower chamber.
As shown in the embodiments of FIG. 2, a termination module 230, a
plurality of splitter modules 240 having connectorized pigtails 250
and a plurality of spools 270, 272 are positioned in the upper
chamber 210 of the housing 202. The termination module 230 is
removably mounted to a back wall 212 of the upper chamber 210. The
splitter modules 240 are removably mounted to the back wall 212 by
brackets 242.
The termination module 230 includes a termination patch panel 232
on its front face that includes a plurality of optical fiber
connection points (members) 220. The connection members 220 include
sockets 221 configured to receive the connectorized plugs of the
pigtails 250. As also shown in the embodiments of FIG. 2, the
termination patch panel 232 may be modified based on the number of
optical fibers to be connected by adding additional rows of
connection members 220 in the regions 222. Three brackets 234 are
shown on the termination module 230 that may be used to rest on a
table or other flat surface when the termination panel 232 is
rotated open to allow access to a backside of the connection member
220.
The arrangement illustrated in FIG. 2 may allow for front panel
access to the various connectivity components for arranging
connections to subscriber locations. As shown in FIG. 2, front side
access to the cabinet 200 is provided by opening of the rotatable
door panels 260 defining the front panel of the interconnect
cabinet 200. However, a single panel door, removable panel or the
like could also be provided to allow front side access to the
chamber 210.
The spooling system 270, 272 may be used to support routing of the
pigtails 250 in a manner that may advantageously control bending of
the pigtails 250 to reduce the risk of damage to the optical fiber
and provide further organization to the routing of the pigtails
250, particularly where a fully loaded interconnect cabinet 200 may
include a large number of such pigtails 250. The spooling system
270, 272 is mounted in the enclosure 202 and configured to receive
and store excess cable length of the connectorized pigtails 250.
The spools 270, in some embodiments of the present invention, are
displaced from each other in the enclosure by a distance
corresponding to a distance between a first and last row of the
connection points 220 on the termination patch panel 232. In other
words, as viewed in FIG. 2, a distance from a bottom to a top one
of the spools 270 may correspond to a distance from a bottom to a
top row of the interconnection members 220.
As also shown in FIG. 2, the spooling system 270, 272 may include
an initial loop spool 272 configured to receive all the
connectorized pigtails 250 and provide the connectorized pigtails a
common entry point to the spools 270. Thus, all of the pigtails 250
may first be routed underneath the initial loop spool 272 and then
over a selected one of the spools 270 based on the relative
distance from the bottom panel 252 of an associated row of the
connection members 220 to which the pigtail 250 is to be routed.
The half-moon spools illustrated in FIG. 2 may have a radius
selected to provide the desired protection against damage due to
bending of fibers in the pigtails 250. The connectorized pigtails
250 in some embodiments of the present invention are provided with
substantially the same length. Use of selected ones of the spools
270 in routing may provide for occupying more or less unused length
of such pigtails 250 based on which connection member row the
pigtail 250 is routed to on the termination panel 232.
A plurality of splitter modules 240 and a single termination module
230 are illustrated in FIG. 2. However, as seen by the space
between the splitters 240 and the termination module 230, a
plurality of termination modules 230 may be selectively mounted in
the enclosure 202 in some embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a front perspective view further illustrating some
embodiments of the present invention. In particular, FIG. 3
illustrates the interconnect cabinet of FIG. 2 with only one
installed splitter module 240 and a second splitter module 240 in
the process of being installed. For the embodiments in FIG. 3, the
splitter modules 240 are splitter trays having hanger brackets 344
attached thereto. The hanger brackets 344 engage the brackets 242
to mount the splitter trays 240 in the interconnect cabinet 200.
Also illustrated in the embodiments of FIG. 3 is a hook 305 in a
sidewall of the enclosure 202 that may be used to hang unused
pigtails 250. The hook 305 in some embodiments of the present
invention may be a spool, such as a half-moon spool.
Some embodiments of the present invention provide for routing of
jumper cables to provide a cross-connect between two of the
interconnection members 220, as contrasted with routing of pigtails
250 from the splitter modules 240. In such embodiments, the hook or
mid-point spool 305 may be used and positioned at a location above
the spools 270 to facilitate routing of the jumper cables. For
example, the hook or mid-point spool 305 could be positioned to
provide a turn-around point at the mid-point of the jumper cable
length.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a termination module 430 according
to some embodiments of the present invention with a termination
panel 430a (the front face of which defines a patch panel) in an
open position. The termination panel 430a may be moved to the
illustrated open position by rotation about a pivot point 476 so as
to allow access from the front of the interconnect cabinet 400 to a
backside 420' of the interconnection members 220 mounted in the
patch panel 432 of the termination panel 430a. As with the front
side interconnection members 220 having sockets 221 (see FIG. 2),
the backside interconnection points 420' in the embodiments of FIG.
4 include sockets 421 configured to receive connectorized pigtails
480 extending from a splice module 115a, 115b coupled to the
subscriber and/or central office cables 105, 110.
The pigtail 480 may extend from a splice chamber 430b by, for
example, routing through a protective conduit 472b or a hardened
cable 472b. The cables 472a, 472b may extend from splice modules
115a, 115b mounted in the splice chamber 430b through an optical
fiber slack receiving region 474 of the splice chamber 430b. The
splice chamber 430b may also be pivotally mounted in a manner such
that access to the splice region from the front side of the
interconnect cabinet 400 is provided via rotation of the splice
chamber 430b about a pivot point 478.
A mounting member 430c of the termination module 430b may support
the pivot points 476, 478 and provide for mounting of the
termination module 430 in the interconnect cabinet 400.
Also visible in FIG. 4 are the backside 470 of the patch panel 432,
brackets 434 and half-moon spools 470, 472. The arrangements of the
spools 470, 472 differs from that described with reference to the
spools 270, 272 of FIG. 2 in that the lower initial loop spool 472
is aligned with the plurality of spools 470 rather than being
offset toward the left side of the cabinet 200 as illustrated in
FIG. 2.
FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of an interconnect cabinet 500
for optical fibers according to some embodiments of the present
invention showing installation of a termination module 530 in the
cabinet 500. As seen in FIG. 5, the termination module 530 may be
manually removed with the cables 105, 110 connected thereto by
passing excess length of the cables 105, 110 through the grommets
254. Such excess cable length may be stored in the lower chamber of
the cabinet 500 or may be drawn from outside the cabinet 500 at a
time when a technician removes the termination module 530 from the
cabinet 500.
As seen in the embodiments of FIG. 5, the termination module 530
includes a termination panel 530a, a splice chamber 530b and a
mounting member 530c. The respective elements 530a, 530b, 530c may
operate substantially the same as described in FIG. 4 with
reference to like numbered elements (430a, 430b, 430c).
Further embodiments of the termination module according the present
invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 6a, 6b, and
6c. FIG. 6a is a perspective view of the termination module 630 in
a closed position. FIG. 6b is a perspective view of the termination
module 630 of FIG. 6a in a first open position showing a splice
chamber 630b and trays 615. FIG. 6c is a perspective view of the
termination module 630 of FIG. 6a in a second open position showing
the backside of a termination panel 630a. The termination module
630 includes the termination panel 630a, a splice chamber 630b, and
a mounting member 630c. The termination panel 630a and splice
chamber 630b are each rotatably mounted to the mounting member
630c. A plurality of brackets 634 are positioned on the termination
panel 630a so as to provide means for resting the termination
module 630 on a table or other flat surface in the open position
orientation of FIG. 6b or FIG. 6c to facilitate work on splices and
the like by a technician setting up the termination module 630
while reducing the risk of damage to the interconnection members
620.
A movable cable securing member 682 is configured to receive,
secure and/or provide strain relief for an optical fiber cable 105,
110. The moveable cable securing member 682 is illustrated in a
first position aligned with a closed position of the termination
panel 630a and a splice chamber 630b in FIG. 6a and a second
position aligned with an open position of the termination panel
630a and splice chamber 630b in FIG. 6b. The moveable cable
securing member 682 in FIGS. 6a, 6b and 6b is mounted so as to
align with the splice chamber 630 and splice modules 615 in each
position to reduce the risk of damage due to bending of the optical
fiber cables 105, 110.
FIG. 6a illustrates an arrangement and orientation suitable for use
when installed in an interconnect cabinet allowing access to the
front side of the interconnection members 620. FIG. 6c illustrates
allowing access to the backside 620' of the interconnect members
620. In contrast, FIG. 6b illustrates a position suitable for use
during set up of the termination module 630 by a technician
providing splices to fibers of the cables 105, 110 using the splice
modules 615.
For the embodiments of the moveable cable securing member 682
illustrated in FIG. 6b, temporary brackets 686 may be provided to
hold the cable securing member 682 in the second position aligned
with the opened splice chamber 630b. As shown in FIG. 6b, an
attachment member 688 is provided that is configured to receive and
retain a strength member of an optical fiber cable 105, 110. For
the illustrated embodiment, the attachment member 688 is a bolt,
which may couple to a retaining member, such as a bracket or clamp,
positioned on an opposite face of the cable securing member 682. In
addition, further support may be provided by attaching the outer
jacket of the cable 105, 110 with a hose clamp, twist tie or the
like to the tie off tabs 684.
The illustrated cable securing member 682 in FIG. 6b includes two
flat plate members, each of which may be configured to receive two
cables 105, 110. It is to be understood that other attachment
members may be provided using various securing or clamping devices
suitable for securely grasping a strength member of a cable and
that one or more such attachment members may be provided for use
with each cable secured by the cable securing member 682.
As shown by FIG. 6b and FIG. 6c, the termination panel 630a and
splice chamber 630b are pivotably mounted to the mounting member
630c for independent pivotal movement. The mounting member 630c is
configured for mounting in an interconnect cabinet 200, 300, 400,
500 using for example, the mounting holes 631 illustrated in FIG.
6b.
Before opening the termination module 630 from the position of FIG.
6a to the position of FIG. 6b, the cable securing member 682 may be
detached from the mounting member 630c. The termination panel 630a
and splice chamber 630b may then be pivoted to the open position of
FIG. 6b and the cable securing member 682 may be secured into the
position shown in FIG. 6b using the brackets 686. When operations
related to splicing and the like are completed, a technician may
remove the cable securing member 688 and the brackets 686 and
reattach the cable securing member 682 as shown in FIG. 6c to
maintain an orientation aligned with the splice chamber 630b in the
closed position of the splice chamber 630b relative to the mounting
member 630c. In addition, FIG. 6a shows the front side of the
interconnection members 620 accessible on the patch panel 632 while
FIG. 6c shows access to the backside 620' of the interconnection
members.
FIG. 6b shows additional details of the splice chamber 630b. In
particular, the splice modules 615 are pivotally mounted to
respective angle mounting brackets 617 to provide access to
different ones of the stacked plurality of splitter modules 615.
Before completing the splicing of individual fibers within the
splitter modules 615, an excess length of respective optical fibers
may be provided for future use and/or modification in the optical
fiber slack receiving region 674. The optical fiber slack receiving
region 674 illustrated in FIG. 6b is positioned between the splice
modules 615 and the termination panel 630a.
FIG. 7a is a side view of a termination module 730 according to
further embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 7b is a front
perspective view of the termination module 730 of FIG. 7a. As shown
in FIGS. 7a and 7b the termination module 730 includes a
termination panel 730a, a splice chamber 730b and a mounting member
730c. A region for a plurality of interconnection members 720 are
provided in the patch panel 732 defined by the front face of the
termination panel 730. None of the interconnection points are
mounted in the patch panel 732 as illustrated in FIG. 7b. However,
as shown in FIG. 7a, the patch panel 732 includes angled strips 796
configured to receive a plurality of interconnection members. The
downward angle orientation illustrated for the strips 796 may
provide improved safety for the installer by reducing the risk of
light being directly aimed at the installer's eyes and/or may
provide reduced infiltration of dirt and the like to the
interconnection members 720 due to gravity.
The arrangement for positioning of the interconnection members 720
in FIG. 7b differs from that described previously with reference to
FIG. 6a primarily in the provision of a staggered alignment for
rows of the interconnection members 720. Such an arrangement may
provide for improved accessibility of the interconnection members
720, as the cascading of pigtails feeding to the interconnection
members 720 may less heavily overlay lower position interconnection
member rows in the patch panel 732. The embodiments of FIGS. 7b and
7b further illustrate angled mounting brackets 717 for use in
pivotally mounting splice modules, such as optical splice trays, in
a stacked relationship.
The embodiments of FIGS. 7a and 7b further differ from those
described with reference to FIGS. 6a-6c in the particulars of the
moveable cable securing member 782. As illustrated in the side view
illustration of FIG. 8, the cable securing member 782 is pivotable
between a first position A aligned with a closed position of the
termination panel 730a and splice chamber 730b and a second
position B aligned with an open position of the termination panel
730a and the splice chamber 730b. An attachment member 688 and
tie-off tab 784 may be provided for securing a respective optical
fiber cable as described previously with reference to the similarly
numbered elements of FIGS. 6a-6c (684, 688). The cable securing
member 688 is pivotally attached to the termination module 730 at a
pivot point 790 to allow movement between the first position A and
the second position B. The cable securing member 788 is configured,
in some embodiments of the present invention, to pivot about a
neutral axis having an arc length for a cable secured therein that
is substantially the same in the first position A and the second
position B to limit load on the cable secured therein during
movement of the cable securing member 788 between the first
position A and the second position B. A movement track 792 is
provided including a securing member or bolt 794 for locking the
cable securing member 782 in a desired position.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an optical fiber splitter/splice
tray 940 having a plurality of connectorized pigtails 950 according
to some embodiments of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 9, a
mounting bracket 944 is mounted at one end of the optical fiber
splitter/splice tray 940 and the pigtails 950 extend from an
opposite end thereof. Connector plugs 951 are provided at the ends
of the connectorized pigtails 950. FIG. 10 is a perspective view
illustrating an alternative optical splitter module arrangement
using a splitter box 1040 having connectorized pigtails 1050
extending therefrom, rather than an optical fiber tray. The
splitter box 1040, like the splitter tray 940, may be held in place
in an interconnect cabinet by, for example, tabs and/or a
bracket.
Methods for outside plant management of subscriber optical fiber
connectivity according to some embodiments of the present invention
will now be described with reference to the flowchart illustration
of FIG. 11. As shown in FIG. 11, operations begin at Block 1100 by
providing a termination panel in an interconnect cabinet for
optical fibers including a plurality of optical fiber connection
points (connection members) and a splitter in the cabinet having a
plurality of optic fiber connectorized pigtails extending
therefrom. Such a termination panel, splitter and cabinet
arrangement has been described previously with reference to FIGS.
1-10. The connectorized pigtails may have a cable length sufficient
to allow connection to the plurality of connection points. The
connectorized pigtails are optically spliced to an optical fiber
feeder cable coupled to a central office (Block 1105). The
plurality of optical fiber connection points (or connection
members) are optically spliced to receptive subscriber locations
(Block 1110). In some embodiments of methods according the present
invention, ones of the connectorized pigtails are routed around
selected ones of a plurality of fiber management spools based on a
location of the connection points to which they are to be coupled
(Block 1115). Ones of the connectorized pigtails are selectively
coupled to ones of the connection points to provide service to the
designated ones of the subscriber locations (Block 1120).
Similarly, ones of the connectorized pigtails may be selectively
decoupled from one of the connection points to terminate service
for a designated one of the subscriber locations.
The block diagram of FIG. 1 and the flowchart of FIG. 11 illustrate
the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible
implementations of methods for outside plant management of
subscriber optical fiber connectivity according to some embodiments
of the present invention. It should be noted that, in some
alternative implementations, the acts noted in the blocks may occur
out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks
shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially
concurrently, or the blocks may be executed in the reverse order,
depending upon the functionality involved.
The foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not
to be construed as limiting thereof. Although a few exemplary
embodiments of this invention have been described, those skilled in
the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are
possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing
from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention.
Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included
within the scope of this invention as defined in the claims. In the
claims, means-plus-function clauses are intended to cover the
structures described herein as performing the recited function and
not only structural equivalents but also equivalent structures.
Therefore, it is to be understood that the foregoing is
illustrative of the present invention and is not to be construed as
limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that
modifications to the disclosed embodiments, as well as other
embodiments, are intended to be included within the scope of the
appended claims. The invention is defined by the following claims,
with equivalents of the claims to be included therein.
* * * * *