IP Library Granted Patent US 9,519,119
Granted Patent B2
US 9,519,119 · App. 14/872,626 · Granted Dec 13, 2016

Slidable fiber optic connection module with cable slack management

Inventors: James J. Solheid (Lakeville, MN); Thomas Marcouiller (Shakopee, MN); Oscar Fernando Bran de León (Belle Plaine, MN); Matthew Holmberg (Le Center, MN); Timothy Jon Haataja (Prior Lake, MN); Daniel Ray Mertesdorf (Tehachapi, CA); Soutsada Vongseng (Chanhassen, MN); Darren Chen (Holly Springs, NC); Patrick J. Thompson (Prior Lake, MN); John T. Pfarr (Le Sueur, MN); Kristofer Bolster (Jordan, MN); Brent Campbell (Minneapolis, MN); Raul Mario Saucedo (Chihuahua, MX); Gustavo Cano (Chic, MX); Scott C. Sievers (Jordan, MN)
Assignee: CommScope Technologies LLC
G02B6/4455G02B6/3879G02B6/4452G02B6/4453G02B6/3825G02B6/3897G02B6/4478
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,519,119
App. No.
14/872,626
Granted
Dec 13, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A fiber optic telecommunications device includes a frame and a fiber optic module including a rack mount portion, a center portion, and a main housing portion. The rack mount portion is stationarily coupled to the frame, the center portion is slidably coupled to the rack mount portion along a sliding direction, and the main housing portion is slidably coupled to the center portion along the sliding direction. The main housing portion of the fiber optic module includes fiber optic connection locations for connecting cables to be routed through the frame. The center portion of the fiber optic module includes a radius limiter for guiding cables between the main housing portion and the frame, the center portion also including a latch for unlatching the center portion for slidable movement. Slidable movement of the center portion with respect to the rack mount portion moves the main housing portion with respect to the frame along the sliding direction.

Claims (25)

1. A telecommunications device comprising:

a fiber optic cassette configured to be mounted to a telecommunications fixture via a first snap-fit interlock structure, the fiber optic cassette including:

a body defining an open front and an opposite rear wall and an enclosed interior, the body further defining a horizontal rear extension that is located outside of the enclosed interior that projects rearward from the rear wall, the horizontal rear extension defining at least one vertical wall;

a fiber optic signal entry location defined on the body for a fiber optic signal to enter the interior of the cassette via a fiber optic cable, the fiber optic signal entry location defined by at least one LC format fiber optic adapter that is mounted to the at least one vertical wall of the horizontal rear extension with a snap-fit interlock;

an adapter block defining a plurality of fiber optic adapters, the adapter block removably mounted to the cassette body via a second snap-fit interlock structure to close the open front of the body, each adapter of the block including a front outer end, a rear inner end, and internal structures which allow mating of fiber optic connectors that are mounted to the front and rear ends, respectively;

optical fibers terminated with fiber optic connectors extending from the fiber optic signal entry location to the rear inner ends of at least some of the fiber optic adapters of the snap-fit adapter block for relaying the fiber optic signal to fiber optic connectors to be coupled to the front outer ends of the adapters;

wherein at least a portion of the first snap-fit interlock structure is defined by the adapter block.

2. A telecommunications device according to claim 1 , wherein the first snap-fit interlock structure is configured to allow the adapter block to be mounted to a telecommunications fixture without the remainder of the fiber optic cassette.

3. A telecommunications device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one LC format adapter is a duplex LC adapter.

4. A telecommunications device according to claim 3 , wherein the at least one LC format adapter is a pair of duplex LC adapters.

5. A telecommunications device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one LC format adapter includes at least one flange that is slidably inserted into a notch defined by the at least one vertical wall of the horizontal rear extension.

6. A telecommunications device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one vertical wall defined by the horizontal rear extension includes an exterior vertical wall and a divider structure that is positioned between the rear wall of the body and the exterior vertical wall of the horizontal rear extension.

7. A telecommunications device according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one LC format adapter is a pair of duplex LC adapters and the pair of duplex LC adapters include flanges that are slidably inserted into notches defined by each of the rear wall of the body, the divider structure, and the exterior vertical wall.

8. A telecommunications device according to claim 7 , wherein each of the rear wall of the body, the divider structure, and the exterior vertical wall includes horizontal tabs that are configured to snap over bodies of the duplex LC adapters to retain the adapters.

9. A telecommunications device according to claim 1 , wherein the horizontal rear extension defines an opening for accessing the at least one LC format fiber optic adapter to push the LC format fiber optic adapter from the bottom for removal thereof.

10. A telecommunications device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one LC format adapter is configured to receive and mate an exterior connectorized fiber optic cable to a connectorized fiber optic pigtail, wherein the pigtail is crimped to the cassette body before relaying the optical fibers of the pigtail to the rear inner ends of at least some of the fiber optic adapters of the adapter block at the front of the cassette.

11. A telecommunications device according to claim 10 , wherein the fiber optic pigtail includes a jacket, a strength member, and the fibers, wherein the strength member is crimped to a crimp tube and is mounted to the cassette body, allowing the fibers to extend past the crimp tube into the interior of the cassette body.

12. A telecommunications device according to claim 11 , wherein the cassette body defines curved portions adjacent the crimp tube for providing bend radius protection to the fiber optic pigtail without the use of a strain relief boot.

13. A telecommunications device according to claim 10 , wherein the cassette body defines crimp locations at both a right side and a left side of the body such that the at least one LC format adapter can receive the exterior connectorized fiber optic cable from either of the right side or the left side of the body.

14. A telecommunications device according to claim 1 , wherein the adapters of the adapter block are integrally formed with the block as a unitary piece.

15. A telecommunications device according to claim 1 , further comprising an optical device within the interior of the cassette configured to process the fiber optic signal entering the cassette at the fiber optic signal entry location.

16. A telecommunications device according to claim 1 , wherein the optical device includes a thin film filter.

17. A telecommunications device according to claim 1 , further including radius limiters for guiding the optical fibers from the signal entry location to the rear inner ends of the fiber optic adapters of the adapter block.

18. A telecommunications device according to claim 17 , wherein the radius limiters include removable cable retention fingers.

19. A telecommunications device according to claim 1 , wherein the fiber optic adapters of the adapter block are also of LC format.

Assignments (6)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL/FRAME 049905/0504 Recorded Dec 19, 2024
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: ARRIS ENTERPRISES LLC (F/K/A ARRIS ENTERPRISES, INC.); ARRIS TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ARRIS SOLUTIONS, INC.; COMMSCOPE, INC. OF NORTH CAROLINA; COMMSCOPE TECHNOLOGIES LLC; RUCKUS WIRELESS, LLC (F/K/A RUCKUS WIRELESS, INC.)
Reel/Frame 071477/0255 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 17, 2024
From: ARRIS ENTERPRISES LLC; COMMSCOPE TECHNOLOGIES LLC; COMMSCOPE INC., OF NORTH CAROLINA; OUTDOOR WIRELESS NETWORKS LLC; RUCKUS IP HOLDINGS LLC
To: APOLLO ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCY LLC
Reel/Frame 069889/0114 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 19, 2021
From: ARRIS SOLUTIONS, INC.; ARRIS ENTERPRISES LLC; COMMSCOPE TECHNOLOGIES LLC; COMMSCOPE, INC. OF NORTH CAROLINA; RUCKUS WIRELESS, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST
Reel/Frame 060752/0001 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jul 3, 2019
From: COMMSCOPE TECHNOLOGIES LLC
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 049892/0051 →
ABL SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jul 3, 2019
From: COMMSCOPE, INC. OF NORTH CAROLINA; COMMSCOPE TECHNOLOGIES LLC; ARRIS ENTERPRISES LLC; ARRIS TECHNOLOGY, INC.; RUCKUS WIRELESS, INC.; ARRIS SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 049892/0396 →
TERM LOAN SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jul 3, 2019
From: COMMSCOPE, INC. OF NORTH CAROLINA; COMMSCOPE TECHNOLOGIES LLC; ARRIS ENTERPRISES LLC; ARRIS TECHNOLOGY, INC.; RUCKUS WIRELESS, INC.; ARRIS SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 049905/0504 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 13925375 · Jun 24, 2013
Continuation In Part 13645756 · Oct 5, 2012
Continuation In Part 13645771 · Oct 5, 2012
Provisional Application 61704330 · Sep 21, 2012
Related Publication 20160139354A1 · May 19, 2016