Claims
- 1. An optical fiber and component storage tray for supporting and routing optical fibers between stations comprising:
a segmented walled structure; fiber routing paths and openings both formed within said walled structure for routing the optical fibers between the stations; and holders in said walled structure including portions of said routing paths for supporting and aiding routing of the optical fibers.
- 2. A tray according to claim 1 in which said segmented walled structure includes interior walls for providing optical fiber routing paths.
- 3. A tray according to claim 2 in which said segmented walled structure includes walls with openings therein for permitting ingress and egress of the optical fibers into and from said walled structure.
- 4. A tray according to claim 2 in which said segmented walled structure includes at least one interior post for optical fiber guiding therewithin.
- 5. A tray according to claim 1 in which said holders are arranged in a multi-level construction to facilitate inter-structural and exterior coupling of the fibers.
- 6. A tray according to claim 1 in which said holders comprise built-in and stackable holders which are respectively built into said walled structure and are stackable one upon another.
- 7. A tray according to claim 6 further including a receptacle for receiving a fiber coil coupled to one of the stations and from which the optical fibers extend in said fiber routing paths and said holders.
- 8. A tray according to claim 7 further including a receptacle for receiving a component holder for holding components to which some of the optical fibers are coupled.
- 9. A tray according to claim 8 in which said component holder is formed of a resilient material for protecting fragile ones of the components.
- 10. A tray according to claim 9 in which said component holder includes a number of openings equal in number to the components for supporting an equal number thereof.
- 11. A tray according to claim 10 in which the openings are sized in accordance with the size of the components.
- 12. A tray according to claim 1 in which each of said holders includes a bottom portion, wall portions extending from said bottom portion to form a holder interior portion, and tabs extending from said wall portions towards said interior portion, said wall portions forming supports for portions of the optical fibers curled into said interior portion and said tabs providing impediments for resisting movement of the curled optical fibers from the interior portion.
- 13. A tray according to claim 12 in which said wall portions have openings for permitting ingress and egress of the optical fibers into and from said interior portion.
- 14. A tray according to claim 13 in which said segmented walled structure includes a bottom portion and said bottom portion of at least one of said holders forms a portion of said walled structure bottom portion, thereby forming a built-in holder fixed with respect to said walled structure.
- 15. A tray according to claim 14 in which said walled structure includes standards extending from said walled structure bottom portion.
- 16. A tray according to claim 15 in which another one of said holders includes wall portion segments having openings mateable with said standards for enabling said another one of said holders to be held in position within said walled structure.
- 17. A tray according to claim 16 in which a further one of said holders is shaped similarly to said another one of said holders, includes wall portion segments having openings mateable with said standards, and is adapted to be stacked atop one of said built-in holder and said another one of said holders.
- 18. A tray according to claim 14 in which said walled structure includes standards extending from said walled structure bottom portion.
- 19. A tray according to claim 18 in which another one of said holders includes wall portion segments having openings mateable with said standards for enabling said another one of said holders to be held in position within said walled structure.
- 20. A tray according to claim 19 in which a further one of said holders is shaped similarly to said another one of said holders, includes wall portion segments having openings mateable with said standards, and is adapted to be stacked atop said another one of said holders.
- 21. A tray according to claim 20 further including a receptacle for receiving a fiber coil coupled to one of the stations and from which the optical fibers extend in said fiber routing paths and said holders.
- 22. A tray according to claim 21 further including a receptacle for receiving a component holder for holding components to which some of the optical fibers are coupled.
- 23. A tray according to claim 22 in which said component holder is formed of a resilient material and is provided with a clam-shell construction for housing and protecting fragile and non-fragile ones of the components.
- 24. A tray according to claim 23 in which said component holder includes a number of openings equal in number to the components for supporting an equal number thereof.
- 25. A tray according to claim 24 in which the openings are sized in accordance with the size of the components.
- 26. A tray according to claim 1 in which each of said holders include interior space of a size capable of holding wind windings of the optical fibers sufficient in length so a to enable repair, rework, preparation and splicing, as needed, of the optical fibers.
- 27. In a fiber optic gyroscopic system including (a) a plurality of optical fibers, which are amenable to repair, rework and splicing, (b) a source of optical energy connected by the plurality of optical fibers to x-axis, y-axis and z-axis coils and their respective multi-function integrated optic circuits through the intermediary of their 1×2 couplers which are respectively coupled to a series connection of a wavelength division multiplexer, an optical isolator and a 1×3 fiber optic coupler, (c) a tap coupler interconnects the optical energy source to the wavelength division multiplexer, (d) a doped fiber coil is coupled to the wavelength division multiplexer, (e) x-axis, y-axis and z-axis photodetectors coupled to the respective 1×2 couplers, and (f) a pump monitor photodiode coupled to the tap coupler,
an optical fiber and component storage tray apparatus for supporting and routing the optical fibers and for supporting the wavelength division multiplexer, the optical isolator, the 1×3 fiber optic coupler, the doped fiber coil and the tap coupler, comprising:
an optical source tray and an optical large tray; said optical source tray including
a base portion having a hole therein, peripheral walls and an interior wall extending upwardly from said base portion, tabs extending from one of said peripheral walls and said interior wall for defining a holding space, a resilient clam-shell holder secured about and firmly holding the tap coupler therein in a thermal and shock resistant manner, said resilient clam-shell holder having a plug engaged within the hole and being retained within the interior space between said one of said peripheral walls and said interior wall and under said tabs, said peripheral walls further defining a routing path and an opening for receipt and ingress and egress of some of the optical fibers for effecting the coupling between the tap coupled and the pump source and the pump monitor photodiode; said optical large tray including
a large tray bottom portion having a pair of registration holes therein, a large tray walled structure and a large tray wall segment extending from said large tray bottom portion, said large tray walled structure including an exterior wall portion and an interior wall portion spaced therefrom to provide a routing path therebetween for receiving others of the optical fibers, an opening formed in said large tray walled structure a large tray resilient clam-shell holder hinged to form a clam-like thermal and shock resistant enclosure for enclosing and supporting the 1×3 fiber optic coupler, the optical isolator, and the wavelength division multiplexer whose ends are coupled by further of the optical fibers for routing and connecting within the system, said large tray resilient clam-shell holder including a pair of outwardly extending cylindrical plugs which snugly fit within the registration holes to maintain said large tray resilient holder and the 1×3 fiber optic coupler, the optical isolator, and the wavelength division multiplexer securely in position, and holders in said walled structure and positioned in said routing paths for holding and supporting the optical fibers, said holders comprising a built-in holder and separate holders stackable upon one another and said built-in holder and providing interior spaces for holding and retaining selected coiled portions of the optical fibers.
- 28. A tray according to claim 27 in which said optical large tray further includes pairs of equally spaced-apart standards formed on and extending upwardly from said large tray bottom portion, and said separate holders include pairs of equally spaced-apart openings disposed to mate with said bottom portion pairs of equally spaced-apart standards for enabling the stacking of said separate trays.
- 29. A tray according to claim 28 in which each of said separate holders includes a bottom portion, wall portions extending from said bottom portion to form a holder interior portion, and tabs extending from said wall portions towards said interior portion, said wall portions forming supports for portions of the optical fibers curled into said interior portion and said tabs providing impediments for resisting movement of the curled optical fibers from the interior portion.
- 30. A tray according to claim 12 in which said wall portions have openings for permitting ingress and egress of the optical fibers into and from said interior portion.
- 31. A method for supporting and routing optical fibers coupled between stations comprising the steps of:
routing the optical fibers through fiber routing paths and openings both formed within a walled structure in an optical fiber and component storage tray; and supporting and coiling at least some of the optical fibers in holders in the walled structure.
- 32. A method according to claim 31 further including the step of providing the walled structure with interior walls for effecting at least some of the optical fiber routing paths.
- 33. A tray according to claim 31 further including the steps of providing the walled structure with walls having openings therein for permitting ingress and egress of the optical fibers into and from the walled structure.
- 34. A tray according to claim 31 further including the steps of forming the holders as holders built-into the walled structure and as separate holders which are stackable upon one another.
- 35. A tray according to claim 34 in which said holder forming step comprises the steps, for each of the holders, of forming a walled interior space and tabs overhanging the interior space in which the walls of the walled interior space support portions of the optical fibers curled therein and the tabs provide impediments for resisting movement of the curled optical fibers from the interior portion.
- 36. A tray according to claim 35 further including the steps of providing openings in the walls of the interior space for permitting ingress and egress of the optical fibers into and from the interior space.
- 37. A tray according to claim 36 further including the steps of providing paired, equally distanced standards in the walled structure, paired engagement portions in the separate holders, and effecting the stacking through engagement of the paired engagement portions with the standards.
- 38. A tray according to claim 31 further including the steps of providing a receptacle in the walled structure for receiving at least one component holder for holding at least one component to which some of the optical fibers are coupled and forming the component holder of a resilient material for protecting fragile ones of the components.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/221,822, filed Jul. 31, 2000.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60221822 |
Jul 2000 |
US |