USRE44758E1 - Optical fiber interconnect cabinets, termination modules and fiber connectivity management for the same - Google Patents

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.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to and 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.

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 ofFIG. 6a in an open position showing the splice chamber and trays;

FIG. 6c is a perspective view of the termination module ofFIG. 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 ofFIG. 7a;

FIG. 8 is a side view of the cable securing member of the termination module ofFIG. 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 1×16 splitters or 31 for 1×32 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 inFIGS. 1-11.FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating aninterconnect cabinet100 for optical fibers according to some embodiments of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 1, theinterconnect cabinet100 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. Theinterconnect cabinet100 includessplice modules115a,115b, atermination module130 having a front face that provides a patch panel, asplitter module140 andconnectorized pigtails150a,150b.

As will be understood by those of skill in the art, thesplice modules115a,115b may be used to connect optical fibers from thecables105,110 to a backside of the optical fiber connection points (members)120a,120b. While twosplice modules115a,115b are illustrated inFIG. 1, more splice modules may be used depending upon the number of fibers to be routed through theinterconnection cabinet100. Furthermore, although aseparate splice module115b is shown for use with thecentral office cable110, in various embodiments of the present invention, a common splice module may be used for both the cable fibers of thesubscriber105 and thecentral office110. 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 andcentral office cables105,110 and thefiber connection points120a and120b.

As shown inFIG. 1, thesplitter module140 has aconnectorized pigtail150a extending to afiber connection point120b to optically couple to a fiber from the central office. The fiber from the central office is connected by thesplitter module140 to the plurality ofconnectorized pigtails150b. Thus, each of theconnectorized pigtails150b are associated with an opticalfiber feeder cable110 coupled to a central office, typically through an individual fiber. Thesplitter module140 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 ofFIG. 1, ones of the fibers from thesubscriber cable105 associated with different subscriber locations are each coupled to respective ones of the fiber connection points120b in the patch panel front face of thetermination module130. Theconnectorized pigtails150b have a cable length sufficient to allow connection of each of thepigtails150b to the plurality of connection points120b. As a result, service to an individual subscriber location may be readily provided or ended by coupling or decoupling one of theconnectorized pigtails150b from the one of the fiber connection points120b associated with that subscriber. Therefore, providing a readily determined location on the front patch panel of thetermination module130 associated with each specific subscriber may simplify the task of making a connection for a field technician who might otherwise have difficulty locating apigtail150b associated with a specific subscriber.

For the embodiments illustrated inFIG. 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 asplice module115b to aninterconnection point120b on the patch panel front face of thetermination module130. While shown as aseparate connection points120a,120b inFIG. 1, it will understood that any of the connection points120b 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 thesplitter module140 is spliced to a fiber in the central office cable(s)110 directly without use of thetermination module130 and theconnectorized pigtail150a. For example, the input optical fiber to thesplitter module140 could be coupled to a fiber from the central office cable(s) in thesplice module115b.

The present invention will now be further described with reference to the embodiments of aninterconnect cabinet200 for optical fibers illustrated inFIG. 2. As shown inFIG. 2, theinterconnect cabinet200 includes anenclosure202 having anupper chamber210 and alower chamber205. Theenclosure202 may be a double-walled housing configured to provide passive cooling for thecabinet200. The subscriber andcentral office cables105,100 are received in thelower chamber205, which is protected by afront cover panel207. Thecables105,100 feed through abottom panel252 positioned between theupper chamber210 and thelower chamber205 throughgrommets254. Thus, for example, in the embodiments ofFIG. 2, theupper chamber210 may be provided a cleaner or more environmentally controlled environment than thelower chamber205. However, it will be understood that various embodiments of the present invention may provide for direct routing of thecables105 and110 into theupper chamber210 of a single chamber enclosure not having a separate lower chamber.

As shown in the embodiments ofFIG. 2, atermination module230, a plurality ofsplitter modules240 having connectorizedpigtails250 and a plurality ofspools270,272 are positioned in theupper chamber210 of thehousing202. Thetermination module230 is removably mounted to aback wall212 of theupper chamber210. Thesplitter modules240 are removably mounted to theback wall212 bybrackets242.

Thetermination module230 includes atermination patch panel232 on its front face that includes a plurality of optical fiber connection points (members)220. Theconnection members220 includesockets221 configured to receive the connectorized plugs of thepigtails250. As also shown in the embodiments ofFIG. 2, thetermination patch panel232 may be modified based on the number of optical fibers to be connected by adding additional rows ofconnection members220 in theregions222. Threebrackets234 are shown on thetermination module230 that may be used to rest on a table or other flat surface when thetermination panel232 is rotated open to allow access to a backside of theconnection member220.

The arrangement illustrated inFIG. 2 may allow for front panel access to the various connectivity components for arranging connections to subscriber locations. As shown inFIG. 2, front side access to thecabinet200 is provided by opening of therotatable door panels260 defining the front panel of theinterconnect cabinet200. However, a single panel door, removable panel or the like could also be provided to allow front side access to thechamber210.

Thespooling system270,272 may be used to support routing of thepigtails250 in a manner that may advantageously control bending of thepigtails250 to reduce the risk of damage to the optical fiber and provide further organization to the routing of thepigtails250, particularly where a fully loadedinterconnect cabinet200 may include a large number ofsuch pigtails250. Thespooling system270,272 is mounted in theenclosure202 and configured to receive and store excess cable length of theconnectorized pigtails250. Thespools270, 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 points220 on thetermination patch panel232. In other words, as viewed inFIG. 2, a distance from a bottom to a top one of thespools270 may correspond to a distance from a bottom to a top row of theinterconnection members220.

As also shown inFIG. 2, thespooling system270,272 may include aninitial loop spool272 configured to receive all theconnectorized pigtails250 and provide the connectorized pigtails a common entry point to thespools270. Thus, all of thepigtails250 may first be routed underneath theinitial loop spool272 and then over a selected one of thespools270 based on the relative distance from thebottom panel252 of an associated row of theconnection members220 to which thepigtail250 is to be routed. The half-moon spools illustrated inFIG. 2 may have a radius selected to provide the desired protection against damage due to bending of fibers in thepigtails250. Theconnectorized pigtails250 in some embodiments of the present invention are provided with substantially the same length. Use of selected ones of thespools270 in routing may provide for occupying more or less unused length ofsuch pigtails250 based on which connection member row thepigtail250 is routed to on thetermination panel232.

A plurality ofsplitter modules240 and asingle termination module230 are illustrated inFIG. 2. However, as seen by the space between thesplitters240 and thetermination module230, a plurality oftermination modules230 may be selectively mounted in theenclosure202 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 ofFIG. 2 with only one installedsplitter module240 and asecond splitter module240 in the process of being installed. For the embodiments inFIG. 3, thesplitter modules240 are splitter trays havinghanger brackets344 attached thereto. Thehanger brackets344 engage thebrackets242 to mount thesplitter trays240 in theinterconnect cabinet200. Also illustrated in the embodiments ofFIG. 3 is ahook305 in a sidewall of theenclosure202 that may be used to hangunused pigtails250. Thehook305 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 theinterconnection members220, as contrasted with routing ofpigtails250 from thesplitter modules240. In such embodiments, the hook ormid-point spool305 may be used and positioned at a location above thespools270 to facilitate routing of the jumper cables. For example, the hook ormid-point spool305 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 atermination module430 according to some embodiments of the present invention with atermination panel430a (the front face of which defines a patch panel) in an open position. Thetermination panel430a may be moved to the illustrated open position by rotation about apivot point476 so as to allow access from the front of theinterconnect cabinet400 to abackside420′ of theinterconnection members220 mounted in thepatch panel432 of thetermination panel430a. As with the frontside interconnection members220 having sockets221 (seeFIG. 2), the backside interconnection points420′ in the embodiments ofFIG. 4 includesockets421 configured to receiveconnectorized pigtails480 extending from asplice module115a,115b coupled to the subscriber and/orcentral office cables105,110.

Thepigtail480 may extend from asplice chamber430b by, for example, routing through aprotective conduit472b or ahardened cable472b. Thecables472a,472b may extend fromsplice modules115a,115b mounted in thesplice chamber430b through an optical fiberslack receiving region474 of thesplice chamber430b. Thesplice chamber430b may also be pivotally mounted in a manner such that access to the splice region from the front side of theinterconnect cabinet400 is provided via rotation of thesplice chamber430b about apivot point478.

A mountingmember430c of thetermination module430b may support the pivot points476,478 and provide for mounting of thetermination module430 in theinterconnect cabinet400.

Also visible inFIG. 4 are thebackside470 of thepatch panel432,brackets434 and half-moon spools470,472. The arrangements of thespools470,472 differs from that described with reference to thespools270,272 ofFIG. 2 in that the lowerinitial loop spool472 is aligned with the plurality ofspools470 rather than being offset toward the left side of thecabinet200 as illustrated inFIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of aninterconnect cabinet500 for optical fibers according to some embodiments of the present invention showing installation of atermination module530 in thecabinet500. As seen inFIG. 5, thetermination module530 may be manually removed with thecables105,110 connected thereto by passing excess length of thecables105,110 through thegrommets254. Such excess cable length may be stored in the lower chamber of thecabinet500 or may be drawn from outside thecabinet500 at a time when a technician removes thetermination module530 from thecabinet500.

As seen in the embodiments ofFIG. 5, thetermination module530 includes atermination panel530a, asplice chamber530b and a mountingmember530c. Therespective elements530a,530b,530c may operate substantially the same as described inFIG. 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 toFIGS. 6a,6b, and6c.FIG. 6a is a perspective view of thetermination module630 in a closed position.FIG. 6b is a perspective view of thetermination module630 ofFIG. 6a in a first open position showing asplice chamber630b andtrays615.FIG. 6c is a perspective view of thetermination module630 ofFIG. 6a in a second open position showing the backside of atermination panel630a. Thetermination module630 includes thetermination panel630a, asplice chamber630b, and a mountingmember630c. Thetermination panel630a andsplice chamber630b are each rotatably mounted to the mountingmember630c. A plurality ofbrackets634 are positioned on thetermination panel630a so as to provide means for resting thetermination module630 on a table or other flat surface in the open position orientation ofFIG. 6b orFIG. 6c to facilitate work on splices and the like by a technician setting up thetermination module630 while reducing the risk of damage to theinterconnection members620.

A movablecable securing member682 is configured to receive, secure and/or provide strain relief for anoptical fiber cable105,110. The moveablecable securing member682 is illustrated in a first position aligned with a closed position of thetermination panel630a and asplice chamber630b inFIG. 6a and a second position aligned with an open position of thetermination panel630a andsplice chamber630b inFIG. 6b. The moveablecable securing member682 inFIGS. 6a,6b and6b is mounted so as to align with thesplice chamber630 and splicemodules615 in each position to reduce the risk of damage due to bending of theoptical fiber cables105,110.

FIG. 6a illustrates an arrangement and orientation suitable for use when installed in an interconnect cabinet allowing access to the front side of theinterconnection members620.FIG. 6c illustrates allowing access to thebackside620′ of theinterconnect members620. In contrast,FIG. 6b illustrates a position suitable for use during set up of thetermination module630 by a technician providing splices to fibers of thecables105,110 using thesplice modules615.

For the embodiments of the moveablecable securing member682 illustrated inFIG. 6b,temporary brackets686 may be provided to hold thecable securing member682 in the second position aligned with the openedsplice chamber630b. As shown inFIG. 6b, anattachment member688 is provided that is configured to receive and retain a strength member of anoptical fiber cable105,110. For the illustrated embodiment, theattachment member688 is a bolt, which may couple to a retaining member, such as a bracket or clamp, positioned on an opposite face of thecable securing member682. In addition, further support may be provided by attaching the outer jacket of thecable105,110 with a hose clamp, twist tie or the like to the tie offtabs684.

The illustratedcable securing member682 inFIG. 6b includes two flat plate members, each of which may be configured to receive twocables105,110. 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 thecable securing member682.

As shown byFIG. 6b andFIG. 6c, thetermination panel630a andsplice chamber630b are pivotably mounted to the mountingmember630c for independent pivotal movement. The mountingmember630c is configured for mounting in aninterconnect cabinet200,300,400,500 using for example, the mountingholes631 illustrated inFIG. 6b.

Before opening thetermination module630 from the position ofFIG. 6a to the position ofFIG. 6b, thecable securing member682 may be detached from the mountingmember630c. Thetermination panel630a andsplice chamber630b may then be pivoted to the open position ofFIG. 6b and thecable securing member682 may be secured into the position shown inFIG. 6b using thebrackets686. When operations related to splicing and the like are completed, a technician may remove thecable securing member688 and thebrackets686 and reattach thecable securing member682 as shown inFIG. 6c to maintain an orientation aligned with thesplice chamber630b in the closed position of thesplice chamber630b relative to the mountingmember630c. In addition,FIG. 6a shows the front side of theinterconnection members620 accessible on thepatch panel632 whileFIG. 6c shows access to thebackside620′ of the interconnection members.

FIG. 6b shows additional details of thesplice chamber630b. In particular, thesplice modules615 are pivotally mounted to respectiveangle mounting brackets617 to provide access to different ones of the stacked plurality ofsplitter modules615. Before completing the splicing of individual fibers within thesplitter modules615, an excess length of respective optical fibers may be provided for future use and/or modification in the optical fiberslack receiving region674. The optical fiberslack receiving region674 illustrated inFIG. 6b is positioned between thesplice modules615 and thetermination panel630a.

FIG. 7a is a side view of atermination module730 according to further embodiments of the present invention.FIG. 7b is a front perspective view of thetermination module730 ofFIG. 7a. As shown inFIGS. 7a and 7b thetermination module730 includes a termination panel730a, asplice chamber730b and a mountingmember730c. A region for a plurality ofinterconnection members720 are provided in thepatch panel732 defined by the front face of thetermination panel730. None of the interconnection points are mounted in thepatch panel732 as illustrated inFIG. 7b. However, as shown inFIG. 7a, thepatch panel732 includesangled strips796 configured to receive a plurality of interconnection members. The downward angle orientation illustrated for thestrips796 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 theinterconnection members720 due to gravity.

The arrangement for positioning of theinterconnection members720 inFIG. 7b differs from that described previously with reference toFIG. 6a primarily in the provision of a staggered alignment for rows of theinterconnection members720. Such an arrangement may provide for improved accessibility of theinterconnection members720, as the cascading of pigtails feeding to theinterconnection members720 may less heavily overlay lower position interconnection member rows in thepatch panel732. The embodiments ofFIGS. 7b and 7b further illustrate angled mountingbrackets717 for use in pivotally mounting splice modules, such as optical splice trays, in a stacked relationship.

The embodiments ofFIGS. 7a and 7b further differ from those described with reference toFIGS. 6a-6c in the particulars of the moveablecable securing member782. As illustrated in the side view illustration ofFIG. 8, thecable securing member782 is pivotable between a first position A aligned with a closed position of the termination panel730a andsplice chamber730b and a second position B aligned with an open position of the termination panel730a and thesplice chamber730b. Anattachment member688 and tie-offtab784 may be provided for securing a respective optical fiber cable as described previously with reference to the similarly numbered elements ofFIGS. 6a-6c (684,688). Thecable securing member688 is pivotally attached to thetermination module730 at apivot point790 to allow movement between the first position A and the second position B. Thecable securing member788 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 thecable securing member788 between the first position A and the second position B.A movement track792 is provided including a securing member or bolt794 for locking thecable securing member782 in a desired position.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an optical fiber splitter/splice tray940 having a plurality ofconnectorized pigtails950 according to some embodiments of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 9, a mountingbracket944 is mounted at one end of the optical fiber splitter/splice tray940 and thepigtails950 extend from an opposite end thereof. Connector plugs951 are provided at the ends of theconnectorized pigtails950.FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating an alternative optical splitter module arrangement using asplitter box1040 having connectorizedpigtails1050 extending therefrom, rather than an optical fiber tray. Thesplitter box1040, like thesplitter tray940, 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 ofFIG. 11. As shown inFIG. 11, operations begin atBlock1100 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 toFIGS. 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 (Block1105). The plurality of optical fiber connection points (or connection members) are optically spliced to receptive subscriber locations (Block1110). 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 (Block1115). 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 (Block1120). 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 ofFIG. 1 and the flowchart ofFIG. 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.

Claims (21)

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 pigtail optical fibers to a single an input optical fiber and, the splitter having a plurality of optical fiber 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 an optical fiber feeder cable to be coupled to a central office the input optical fiber and a second end having an optical connector thereon with an optical fiber one of the pigtail optical fibers 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; 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.

2. The cabinet ofclaim 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 the input optical fiber is optically connected to an optical fiber feeder cable and wherein the plurality of connectorized pigtails have substantially the same length.

3. The cabinet ofclaim 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 ofclaim 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 ofclaim 4 wherein the enclosure is configured to receive a plurality of termination panels.

6. The cabinet ofclaim 2, wherein the splitter is configured to splice the at least one input optical fiber to the plurality of connectorized pigtails the optical fiber feeder cable is routed from a central office.

7. The cabinet ofclaim 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 ofclaim 1 wherein the enclosure is configured to receive a plurality of termination modules and a plurality of splitters.

9. The cabinet ofclaim 1, wherein the pigtail optical fibers in the connectorized pigtails extend continuously without any splicing therein from the first end to the second end.

10. The cabinet ofclaim 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 ofclaim 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 ofclaim 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 ofclaim 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 ofclaim 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 ofclaim 13 wherein the spools comprise half-moon spools.

16. The cabinet ofclaim 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 ofclaim 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.

19. The cabinet of claim 1, wherein the first pigtail routing path extends in a first direction toward the termination panel, wherein the second pigtail routing path extends in a second direction toward the pigtail storage location, and wherein the first direction is opposite with respect to the second direction.

20. The cabinet of claim 1, wherein the first and second sides of the connection members comprise front and back sides of the connection members, and wherein the first side of the enclosure comprises a front side of the enclosure.

21. 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;

a termination support structure mounted in the enclosure and having a plurality of optical fiber connection members mounted thereon;

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 support structure is pivotally mounted in the enclosure to allow access to first and second opposite sides of the connection members from a first side of the enclosure; and

wherein the splitter includes a splitter module having an outer housing and a pigtail exit member that projects outwardly with respect to the outer housing, and wherein the plurality of connectorized pigtails exit the outer housing through the pigtail exit member.

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