Fiber optic terminals having one or more loopback assemblies
AssigneeCorning Research & Development Corporation
InventorRobert Bruce Elkins, II
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Fiber optic terminals having at least one loopback assembly comprising a loopback optical fiber providing optical communication between a first output connection port and a second output connection port of the terminal along with fiber optic networks using the terminals are disclosed. The loopback optical fiber is terminated with a first optical connector and a second optical connector. The first optical connector is attached to the first output connection port of the terminal and the second optical connector of the loopback assembly attached to the second output connection port of the terminal, thereby allowing the network operator to send a test signal to the terminal and receive a return signal when the terminal is installed in a fiber optic network.
Claims42
A fiber optic terminal comprising:
- a shell comprising a cavity;
- one or more input optical fibers disposed within the cavity (216) of the shell;
- a first output connection port of the fiber optic terminal, wherein the first output connection port is in optical communication with one or more of the input optical fibers;
- a second output connection port of the fiber optic terminal, wherein the second output connection port is in optical communication with one or more of the input optical fibers;
- and
- at least one loopback assembly comprising a loopback optical fiber comprising a Bragg grating, a first fiber optic connector terminated on a first end of the loopback optical fiber, and a second fiber optic connector terminated on a second end of the loopback optical fiber, wherein the first fiber optic connector is attached to the first output connection port and the second fiber optic connector is attached to the second output connection port so that the first output connection port is in optical communication with the second output connection port by way of the loopback optical fiber.
A fiber optic terminal comprising:
- a shell comprising a cavity;
- one or more input optical fibers disposed within the cavity of the shell;
- a first output connection port of the fiber optic terminal, wherein the first output connection port is in optical communication with one or more of the input optical fibers, and the first output connection port further comprises a securing feature biased to a retain position by a resilient member;
- a second output connection port of the fiber optic terminal, wherein the second output connection port is in optical communication with one or more of the input optical fibers, and the second output connection port further comprises a securing feature biased to a retain position by a resilient member;
- and
- at least one loopback assembly comprising a loopback optical fiber comprising a Bragg grating, a first fiber optic connector terminated on a first end of the loopback optical fiber, and a second fiber optic connector terminated on a second end of the loopback optical fiber, wherein the first fiber optic connector is attached to the first output connection port and the second fiber optic connector is attached to the second output connection port so that the first output connection port is in optical communication with the second output connection port by way of the loopback optical fiber.
A fiber optic network comprising:
- a terminal comprising:
- a shell comprising a cavity;
- one or more input optical fibers disposed within the cavity of the shell;
- a first output connection port of the fiber optic terminal, wherein the first output connection port is in optical communication with one or more of the input optical fibers;
- a second output connection port of the fiber optic terminal, wherein the second output connection port is in optical communication with one or more of the input optical fibers;
- and
- at least one loopback assembly comprising a loopback optical fiber comprising a Bragg grating, a first fiber optic connector terminated on a first end of the loopback optical fiber, and a second fiber optic connector terminated on a second end of the loopback optical fiber, wherein the first fiber optic connector is attached to the first output connection port and the second fiber optic connector is attached to the second output connection port so that the first output connection port is in optical communication with the second output connection port by way of the loopback optical fiber;
- a first optical link in optical communication with the one or more input optical fibers of the terminal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.