阅读说明：本技术 用于光纤模块的环氧树脂过渡件 (Epoxy transition piece for optical fiber module ) 是由 T·M·塞德尔 M·T·萨吉斯 于 2019-01-15 设计创作，主要内容包括：公开了用于光纤模块的环氧树脂过渡件的各种实施方式。如本文所公开的,光纤模块系统可以包括在光纤模块的前部持有多个多光纤适配器的光纤模块、多光纤光缆和环氧树脂过渡件,该环氧树脂过渡件用于将多光纤光缆过渡为光纤模块内部的多个单独光纤。可以用环氧树脂填充环氧树脂过渡件以将单独光纤固定在环氧树脂过渡件内部。(Various embodiments of an epoxy transition piece for a fiber optic module are disclosed. As disclosed herein, a fiber optic module system can include a fiber optic module holding a plurality of multi-fiber adapters at a front of the fiber optic module, a multi-fiber cable, and an epoxy transition piece for transitioning the multi-fiber cable to a plurality of individual fibers inside the fiber optic module. The epoxy transition piece may be filled with epoxy to secure the individual optical fibers within the epoxy transition piece.)

1. A fiber optic module system, comprising:

a fiber optic module holding a plurality of optical adapters at a front of the fiber optic module;

a multi-fiber optical cable; and

an epoxy transition piece for transitioning the multi-fiber cable to a plurality of individual optical fibers inside the fiber optic module, the epoxy transition piece being filled with epoxy to secure the individual optical fibers inside the epoxy transition piece.

2. The fiber optic module system of claim 1, wherein the epoxy transition piece includes an epoxy transition block and a boot.

3. The fiber optic module system of claim 2, wherein the epoxy transition block is filled with the epoxy through a fill hole in the epoxy transition block.

4. The fiber optic module system of claim 3, wherein the epoxy transition block is filled with the epoxy such that a portion of the epoxy exits a hole in a taper in the epoxy transition block.

5. The fiber optic module system of claim 1, wherein the boot includes a cable dimensional identifier.

6. The fiber optic module system of claim 5, wherein the cable dimensional identifier indicates a fiber count with which the protective cover is designed to be used.

7. The fiber optic module system of claim 6, wherein the cable dimension identifier is 12.

8. The fiber optic module system of claim 6, wherein the cable size identifier is 24.

9. The fiber optic module system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of individual optical fibers is connected to a single fiber connector at a free end.

10. A method of assembling a fiber optic module system, comprising:

inserting a multi-fiber optical cable into a protective cover of an epoxy transition piece;

stripping a portion of the jacket over the multi-fiber cable to expose the jacket;

stripping a portion of the exposed jacket to expose individual fibers in the multi-fiber cable;

inserting the individual optical fibers through holes in a molded transition block of the epoxy transition piece;

attaching the boot to the molded transition block; and

filling the molded transition block with an epoxy to secure the individual optical fibers within the molded transition block.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein filling the mold transition block with the epoxy comprises filling the mold transition block with the epoxy such that a portion of the epoxy exits the aperture in the mold transition block.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein filling the mold transition block with the epoxy comprises filling the mold transition block with the epoxy through a fill hole in the mold transition block.

13. The method of claim 10, comprising:

terminating the individual optical fibers to a single fiber connector.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising:

attaching the epoxy transition piece to a fiber optic module of the fiber optic module system.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein attaching the epoxy transition piece to the fiber optic module comprises sliding a wall of a rear of the fiber optic module between a flange and a pair of tabs on the molded transition block.

16. The method of claim 14, comprising:

routing the individual fibers within the fiber optic module to maintain a minimum bend radius.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising:

mating the single fiber connector with an optical adapter at a front of the fiber optic module.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the sheath is a kevlar sheath.

Background

Fiber optic modules, also known as cassettes, may be used to transition individual fibers in a multi-fiber cable to fiber optic adapters, such as LC, MTP, or SC adapters. In some implementations, the multi-fiber cables may be attached to the fiber optic modules via multi-fiber push-in/pull-out (MPO) adapters, where individual fibers of the multi-fiber cables terminate in MPO connectors. In other implementations, the multi-fiber cable may be attached to the fiber optic module via a transition, where individual fibers in the multi-fiber cable are distributed internally to the module and attached directly to the fiber optic adapters.

Disclosure of Invention

The present disclosure provides a novel and inventive epoxy transition piece for fiber optic modules. An example system includes a fiber optic module holding a multi-fiber adapter at a front of the fiber optic module; a multi-fiber optical cable; and an epoxy transition piece for transitioning the multi-fiber cable to individual fibers inside the fiber optic module. In this example, the epoxy transition piece may be filled with epoxy to secure the individual optical fibers inside the epoxy transition piece.

One example method includes inserting a multi-fiber cable into a boot of an epoxy transition piece and stripping a portion of an outer jacket over the multi-fiber cable to expose the jacket. Additionally, the example method includes stripping a portion of the exposed jacket to expose individual optical fibers in the multi-fiber cable; inserting individual optical fibers through holes in a molded transition block of the epoxy transition piece; and attaching the protective cover to the molded transition block. The holes may then be filled with epoxy to secure the individual optical fibers within the molded transition piece.

Drawings

The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an example fiber optic module system;

FIG. 2 is another illustration of the example fiber optic module system shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an illustration of an example epoxy transition piece;

FIG. 4 is another illustration of the example epoxy transition piece shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is another illustration of the example epoxy transition piece shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is another illustration of the example epoxy transition piece shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatical representation of another exemplary fiber optic module system;

FIG. 8 is another illustration of the example fiber optic module system shown in FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is an illustration of another example epoxy transition piece.

Detailed Description

Tethered (Tethered) fiber optic modules may be used in permanent low loss solutions instead of connectorized fiber optic modules. Tethering the fiber optic modules removes the rear MPO connections of the connectorized fiber optic modules, which can reduce the loss of permanent links. Tethered fiber optic modules also provide a lower cost option than connectorized fiber optic modules.

During environmental conditioning, the outer jacket of the fiber optic cable tethering the fiber optic module may shrink. If during such conditioning the individual fibers of the multi-fiber cable are not restrained at the module entry point, the fibers will move into and become crowded inside the fiber optic module. As a result, individual fibers may be abruptly bent, resulting in signal loss.

Examples disclosed herein describe various implementations of epoxy-based transitions for tethered fiber optic modules. The disclosed epoxy transition piece can securely hold a multi-fiber cable at the rear of a fiber optic module to improve fiber retention within the fiber optic module and cable assembly. In addition, the disclosed epoxy transition piece may eliminate pistoning of individual fibers within a fiber optic module. Additionally, the disclosed epoxy transition piece isolates individual fibers within a multi-fiber cable, thereby preventing the fibers from becoming crowded within the fiber optic module.

Reference will now be made to the drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings and the following description to refer to the same or like parts. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only. While several examples are described in this document, modifications, adaptations, and other implementations are possible. The following detailed description, therefore, does not limit the disclosed examples. Rather, the appropriate scope of the disclosed examples can be defined by the following claims.

Fig. 1 shows a top view of an example fiber optic module system 100. As shown in fig. 1, a fiber optic module system 100 may include a fiber optic module 101 attached to a multi-fiber cable 102 by an epoxy transition piece 103. The fiber optic module 101 can hold a plurality of fiber optic adapters 104, and the fiber optic adapters 104 can be single or multiple (e.g., duplex) LC adapters, MTP adapters, SC adapters, and the like. In some implementations, the fiber optic adapters 104 may be inserted into the front of the fiber optic modules 101 and the multi-fiber cables 102 may be inserted into the back of the fiber optic modules 101 through the epoxy transition pieces 103.

Fig. 2 shows another top view of the fiber optic module system 100 with the top cover of the fiber optic module system 100 removed and showing the internal arrangement thereof. As shown in fig. 2, the multi-fiber cable 102 transitions to individual optical fibers 105 inside the fiber optic module 101 via an epoxy transition 103. The optical fibers 105 may terminate in a single fiber connector 116. The fiber optic connectors 116 may be plugged into the fiber optic adapters 104.

Fig. 3-6 illustrate the exemplary epoxy transition piece 103 in detail, wherein fig. 3 is a top view, fig. 4 is a front perspective view, fig. 5 is an exploded front perspective view, and fig. 6 is a cross-sectional side view. The epoxy transition piece 103 may include a molded transition block 106 and a boot 107. To install the multi-fiber cable 102 in the epoxy transition piece 103, the multi-fiber cable 102 may be inserted through the boot 107. A cable size identifier 111 on boot 107 may indicate the fiber count with which boot 107 is designed to be used. For example, in fig. 3, identifier 111 is "12," indicating that the protective cover in the example may be designed to be used with 12 fiber counts. In alternative embodiments, the fiber count may be greater or less than 12 (e.g., 24). A portion (e.g., 13.5 inches) of the jacket over the portion of the multi-fiber cable 102 that has been inserted through the boot 107 may be stripped to expose the individual optical fibers 105 wrapped in a jacket 114, such as a Kevlar (r) wrap. Alternatively, the bundle may additionally be an acrylate coated bundle. The jacket 114 may be peeled away such that a portion of the jacket 114 (e.g., 1.4 inches from the jacket) remains exposed.

The stripped individual optical fibers 105 may be inserted through holes 113 in the molded transition block 106. As shown in fig. 5, the molded transition block 106 and the boot 107 are then pressed toward each other such that a portion of the boot 107 fits tightly inside the molded transition block 106. The molded transition block 106 is then filled with epoxy 115 through the fill hole 110 on top of the molded transition block 106. As the epoxy 115 enters the cavity inside the molded transition block 106, the epoxy 115 forces any air within the molded transition block 106 through the taper 108 and out of the bore 113, thereby improving retention of the individual optical fibers 105 in the molded transition block 106. Limiting the movement of the optical fibers in the cassette due to the epoxy 115 helps to reduce the amount of optical loss seen in the assembly. In some implementations, the cavity in the molded transition block 106 may be filled with epoxy 115 such that a small portion of the epoxy 115 escapes through the hole 113, thereby providing a visual indicator to the installer that the cavity has been completely filled with epoxy 115. The epoxy 115 prevents the multi-fiber cable 102 from backing out of the epoxy transition piece 103. Boot 107 also provides bend radius control of multi-fiber cable 102.

Single fiber connectors 116 may be terminated to individual optical fibers 105 and an assembled epoxy transition piece 103 may be attached to the fiber optic module 101. The molded transition block 106 of the epoxy transition piece 103 may include a flange 112 and a pair of tabs 109 for mounting into slots in the back of the fiber optic module 101. The walls of the fiber optic module 101 can be snugly slid between the tabs 109 and the flange 112 to secure the epoxy transition piece 103 to the fiber optic module 101. Once the epoxy transition piece 103 is installed, the individual optical fibers 105 may be routed in a circular fashion (as shown in fig. 2) inside the fiber optic module 101 to maintain a minimum acceptable bend radius. Single fiber connectors 116 may be inserted into the fiber optic adapters 104 at the front of the fiber optic module 101.

Fig. 7-9 illustrate another example implementation of a fiber optic module system 200 having a fiber optic module 201 and an epoxy transition piece 203. The fiber optic module 201 may have a different form factor than the fiber optic module 101, and thus the mounting solution for mounting the epoxy transition piece 203 to the fiber optic module 201 is slightly different. However, the components of the epoxy transition piece 203 may be similar to the epoxy transition piece 103 described above.

To install the multi-fiber cable 202 in the epoxy transition piece 203, the multi-fiber cable 202 may be inserted through the boot 207. A portion (e.g., 13.5 inches) of the jacket over the portion of the multi-fiber cable 202 that has been inserted through the boot 207 may be stripped to expose the individual fibers 205 wrapped in a jacket (such as a kevlar wrap) (not shown). The jacket may be peeled away so that a portion of the jacket (e.g., 1.4 inches from the jacket) remains exposed.

The stripped individual optical fibers 205 may be inserted through holes 213 in the molded transition block 206. The molded transition block 206 and boot 207 are then pressed toward each other such that a portion of the boot 207 fits tightly inside the molded transition block 206. The molded transition block 206 is then filled with epoxy through a fill hole 210 on top of the molded transition block 206. As the epoxy enters the cavity inside the molded transition block 206, the epoxy forces any air within the molded transition block 206 through the taper 208 and out of the bore 213, thereby improving retention of the individual optical fibers 205 in the molded transition block 206. In some implementations, the cavity in the molded transition block 206 may be filled with epoxy such that a small portion of the epoxy escapes through the holes 213, thereby providing a visual indicator to the installer that the cavity has been completely filled with epoxy. This prevents the multi-fiber cable 202 from backing out of the epoxy transition piece 203. Boot 207 also provides bend radius control of multi-fiber cable 202.

The single fiber connectors 216 may be terminated to individual optical fibers 205 and the assembled epoxy transition piece 203 may be attached to the fiber optic module 201. As shown in fig. 8 and 9, the epoxy transition piece 203 may include a single flange 212 that slides into a slot 217 in the back of the fiber optic module 201. Once the epoxy transition piece 203 is installed, the individual fibers 205 may be routed in a circular fashion (as shown in fig. 8) inside the fiber optic module 201 to maintain a minimum acceptable bend radius. Single fiber connectors 216 may be inserted into the fiber optic adapters 204 at the front of the fiber optic module 201.

It should be noted that while this disclosure includes several embodiments, these embodiments are not limiting, and that there are alterations, permutations, and equivalents, which fall within the scope of this invention. In addition, the described embodiments should not be construed as mutually exclusive, but rather should be construed as potentially combinable (if such combinations are permitted). It should also be noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. It is therefore intended that the following appended claims be interpreted as including all such alterations, permutations, and equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present disclosure.