Fiber interconnection assembly

Details Fiber interconnection assembly Fiber interconnection assembly

2000-03-08

2001-11-06

Palmer, Phan T. H. (Department: 2874)

Optical waveguides

Accessories

Splice box and surplus fiber storage/trays/organizers/ carriers

C385S134000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06314230

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a fiber optic communications network, and more particularly to an interconnection assembly allowing access to a customer side while inhibiting access to a network side of the assembly.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Optical fibers have a variety of uses, one of which is for carrying voice and/or data in a telecommunications system. Optical fibers are run from a central telephone office to numerous locations or sites. At each location or site, such as at a business or a domestic residence, a number of fibers are run to specific telephone jacks. The input fibers from the central telephone office and the fibers outputting to the jacks are connected at an interconnection box.
Conventional interconnection boxes consist of two sections, a network section and a customer section. Only network technicians are intended to access the network section. The network section, in addition to receiving input fibers, provides slack storage and terminations for the input fibers. It is further intended that the end user (the customer) be allowed access to the customer section, which includes the output fibers.
The customer is not intended to access the network section. Conventional interconnection boxes further include two separate covers with two sets of security locks. One cover and security lock govern access to the network section, while the other cover and security lock govern access to the customer section.
Other conventional boxes provide no mechanism for inhibiting access by the customer to the network section. The device described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,778,130 (Walters et al.) is a connector housing which includes an optical connector housing having a connector panel. The panel allows for the interconnection of incoming optical fibers with outgoing fibers. The connector panel is covered by a hinged door. A rear cable area houses the outgoing fibers. The network section of the Walters et al. device is easily accessible by anyone through the door.
Still other conventional devices include complicated designs involving numerous pieces for separating the network side from the customer side of a fiber interconnection box. U.S. Pat. No. 5,434,944 (Kerry et al.) describes a modular unit with a base, a fiber organizer unit, and a top unit. Incoming fiber cables enter the base through inlet slots and are coiled within the base before entering through the bottom of the fiber organizer unit. There the fiber cable is clamped at an end and four fibers from within the fiber cable are looped and stored in a lower portion of the fiber organizer unit. Each end of the fibers is fitted to a tube, which is fed into the top unit. The tubes connect with the customer's fibers through one or more units. The top unit includes a panel in which the units are mounted. The top unit further has a sliding cover and a transparent lid.
There is a need for a fiber interconnection box with fewer parts and which inhibits access by the customer from the portion of the box housing the fibers incoming from the network.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a fiber interconnection system which includes a network section and a customer section. The network section includes at least one spool, at least one fiber trough, a first side panel, and at least one input fiber. Each of the input fibers are capable of being coiled around a respective one of the spools and of being wound through a respective one of the fiber troughs to terminate at an input fiber connector. The customer section includes at least one pivoting panel, the pivoting panel being hinged to said first side panel, at least one fiber trough, and at least one output fiber. Each of the output fibers is capable of being wound through a respective one of the customer section fiber troughs to terminate at an output fiber connector, and each of the output fiber connectors is interconnected with a respective input fiber connector through one of the pivoting panels. Each of the network section fiber troughs and the customer section fiber troughs are positioned on each pivoting panel.
The present invention further provides a method for preventing unauthorized access to a section of a fiber interconnection system including a network section and a customer section. The method includes introducing at least one input fiber to the network section, positioning each input fiber at an interconnection site, positioning each of at least one output fiber at the interconnection site and attaching each output fiber to a corresponding input fiber, pivoting the pivoting panels to a closed position, and locking the pivoting panels in the close position. Each of the interconnection sites is located on one of a plurality of pivoting panels.
The foregoing and other advantages and features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, which is provided in connection with the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4502754 (1985-03-01), Kawa
patent: 5402515 (1995-03-01), Vidacovich et al.
patent: 5434944 (1995-07-01), Kerry et al.
patent: 5778130 (1998-07-01), Walters et al.
patent: 5923807 (1999-07-01), Wild

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Fiber interconnection assembly does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Fiber interconnection assembly, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Fiber interconnection assembly will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2582558