Patent Grant
9606303
Fiber optic systems today require a high density of connectors, meaning that the connectors are tightly packed into the system. The high density of connectors makes it difficult to insert and remove connectors. It also makes organization and identification of the connectors very difficult if not impossible. In some systems, the number of connections can reach into the hundreds and thousands of connections, with the distances between the connections too far to enable the user to trace them back. Thus, it would be preferable if the connectors could be linked to one another, and groups of the connectors connected at the same time. The linking of the connectors would also make the organization easier and allow for the marking and identification of the connector possible. Other advantages to having the connectors grouped at the time of manufacturing. First, it is possible to reduce routing errors because each set of grouped connectors can be tested with a common test setup to verify the channel routing of all channels in all connectors within a particular group. Second, labor costs are higher for workers in the field than at the manufacturer level. Populating the connectors into the grouping apparatus, the costs of the grouped connectors can be reduced.
Thus, a grouping apparatus that would allow for multiple fiber optic connectors to be linked to one another is needed. The individual connectors would need to be able to be removed from adapters in which they are plugged and the apparatus should not require any tools to add or remove any connectors.
The present invention is directed to a grouping apparatus for use with a plurality of fiber optic connectors that includes a top portion having a front end and a back end, a bottom portion having a front end and a back end, a plurality of dividing members extending between the top and bottom portions creating a plurality of openings in the grouping apparatus extending between the front and back ends of the top and bottom portions, and a plurality of forward facing surfaces disposed on the bottom portion adjacent the back end thereof, one of the plurality of forward facing surfaces disposed in each of the plurality of openings to engage a fiber optic connector.
In some embodiments, the grouping apparatus also includes a plurality of cut-out portions in at least one of the top and the bottom portions, each of the plurality of cut-out portions being associated with one of the plurality of openings and configured to engage a portion of a fiber optic connector inserted into the associated opening.
In some embodiments, the grouping apparatus also includes a second plurality of forward facing surfaces disposed on the top portion adjacent the back end thereof, one of the plurality of forward facing surfaces disposed in each of the plurality of openings to engage a fiber optic connector.
In yet another aspect, the invention is directed to a tool-less grouping apparatus for use with a plurality of fiber optic connectors that includes a main body having a front end, a back end, and a plurality of openings, each of the plurality of openings configured to receive one of the fiber optic connectors, an cut out in a top portion of each of the openings, and a plurality of forward facing surfaces disposed adjacent the back end of the grouping apparatus, one of the plurality of forward facing surfaces disposed in each of the plurality of openings to engage a fiber optic connector.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows, and in part will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from that description or recognized by practicing the invention as described herein, including the detailed description which follows, the claims, as well as the appended drawings.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present embodiments of the invention, and are intended to provide an overview or framework for understanding the nature and character of the invention as it is claimed. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate various embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles and operations of the invention.
Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiment(s) of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Whenever possible, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.
Referring to
Each of the top and bottom portions 104,106 also preferably have a plurality of cut-outs 124 that, as described in detail below, are used with corresponding structures on the connectors to assist in removing the connectors from adapters. While the plurality of cut-outs 124 are in both the top and bottom portions 104,106, cut-outs 124 could be provided in only one of the top and bottom portions 104,106.
Each of the openings 122 also have a forward facing surface 130 that is adjacent the back end 110 (and back ends 116,118 of the top portion 104 and the bottom portion 106). The forward facing surface 130 provides a surface against which the housing (and as illustrated in
The tool-less grouping apparatus 100 is a single, unitary piece. That is, the tool-less grouping apparatus 100 does not begin as two pieces and the connectors are inserted into one of the pieces and the second piece is then attached to the first piece. Rather, the tool-less grouping apparatus 100 is preferably molded in a single mold in one step.
The openings 122 of the tool-less grouping apparatus 100 preferably have material that encloses, at least partially, all the way around the openings 122. That is, the tool-less grouping apparatus 100 provides guidance along all four sides of the connectors that are inserted therein.
It should be noted that while guidance is provided along all four sides, the connectors inserted into the tool-less grouping apparatus 100 are still able to move relative to the tool-less grouping apparatus 100. As illustrated in
The tool-less grouping apparatus 100, as noted above, allows for insertion and removal of all of the connectors in the tool-less grouping apparatus 100 as illustrated in
To remove all of the connectors 200 at one time as illustrated in
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 (e) to provisional application No. 61/448,168, filed on Mar. 1, 2011, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
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