# US 2013/0156377 A1 · Methods of reducing and/or avoiding fiber ordering in a connectorized multi-fiber, fiber optic cable system, and related fiber optic cables and assemblies > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0156377 A1 - Document ID: US20130156377A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/330,072 - Filed: 2011-12-19 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-19 - Assignees: Corning Cable Systems LLC - Inventors: Jeffery A. DeMeritt; Micah C. Isenhour; Dennis M. Knecht; James P. Luther; James S. Sutherland - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130156377A1 ## CPC - G02B 6/403: {of the ferrule type, connecting a pair of ferrules} - G02B 6/3807: {Dismountable connectors, i.e. comprising plugs} - G02B 6/3885: {Multicore or multichannel optical connectors, i.e. one single ferrule containing more than one fibre, e.g. ribbon type (optical ribbon cable G02B6/4403, G02B6/448)} - G02B 6/4404: {Multi-podded} - G02B 6/4415: {Cables for special applications (G02B6/4429, G02B6/4439, G02B6/4479 take precedence)} - G02B 6/44775: {Cable seals e.g. feed-through (cable seals integrated to the box seals G02B6/4444; pulling eyes G02B6/44465)} - G02B 6/3636: {the mechanical coupling means being grooves (G02B6/3652 takes precedence)} - G02B 6/3672: {with fibres arranged in a regular matrix array} - G02B 6/3676: {Stacked arrangement} - G02B 6/3809: {without a ferrule embedding the fibre end, i.e. with bare fibre end} - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS ## Abstract Methods of reducing and/or avoiding fiber ordering during preparations of a multi-fiber, fiber optic cable to provide a connectorized multi-fiber, fiber optic cable system, and related fiber optic cables and assemblies are also disclosed. The embodiments disclosed herein allow for a section of a multi-fiber, fiber optic cable to be prepared to form two or more connectorized fiber optic cables as part of a multi-fiber cable system without requiring specific fiber ordering in the fiber optic connectors. The natural ordering of the optical fibers in the fiber optic cable is fixed in place in at least one section of the fiber optic cable before the optical fibers are cut to form adjacent fiber optic connectors in the cable system. Thus, the fiber ordering between adjacent fiber optic connectors in the cable system will be the same even though the fiber ordering of the optical fibers was random during cable preparations. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of preparing connectorized ends in a multi-fiber, fiber optic cable to provide a multi-fiber, fiber optic cable system, comprising: providing a multi-fiber, fiber optic cable at a length; windowing a section of the multi-fiber, fiber optic cable at a first access point to expose optical fibers disposed in the multi-fiber, fiber optic cable; placing at least a portion of the exposed optical fibers from the windowed section of the multi-fiber, fiber optic cable into at least one channel in an interior space of a double ferrule having a first end and a second end, the optical fibers exposed through both the first end and the second end of the double ferrule to form a double ferrule assembly; fixing an ordering of the optical fibers disposed in the double ferrule assembly in a fixed ordering; and cutting the double ferrule assembly between the first end of the double ferrule and the second end of the double ferrule to provide a first ferrule having a first end face and a second ferrule having a second end face, wherein the optical fibers disposed through the first end face and the optical fibers disposed through the second end face both have the fixed ordering. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein providing the multi-fiber, fiber optic cable at a length comprises cutting the multi-fiber, fiber optic cable at the length. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the windowing the section of the multi-fiber, fiber optic cable comprises removing a portion of a cable jacket of the multi-fiber, fiber optic cable at the first access point to expose the optical fibers disposed in the multi-fiber, fiber optic cable. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising removing a coating from the exposed optical fibers after the windowing of the section of the multi-fiber, fiber optic cable. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising sealing the optical fibers exposed through the first end and the second end of the double ferrule. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-fiber, fiber optic cable is comprised of a plurality of ribbons each containing a plurality of optical fibers. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the placing further comprises placing the at least a portion of the exposed optical fibers from the plurality of ribbons from the windowed section of the multi-fiber, fiber optic cable into channels forming the interior space in the double ferrule. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the placing further comprising stacking the plurality of ribbons on each other in the at least one channel of the double ferrule. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the fixing further comprises potting the at least a portion of the exposed optical fibers disposed in the double ferrule assembly to form the fixed ordering of the optical fibers; ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising curing the double ferrule assembly after the potting. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising disposing the first ferrule into a first connector assembly, and disposing the second ferrule into a second connector assembly. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising disposing the first ferrule into a first multi-fiber termination push-on (MTP) connector assembly and disposing the second ferrule into a second MTP connector assembly. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising securing a first collar structure to the first ferrule and securing a second collar structure to the second ferrule. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the double ferrule further comprises a first tab extending in a first plane along a longitudinal axis of the double ferrule and a second tab extending in a second plane parallel to the first plane along the longitudinal axis of the double ferrule. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising folding the first tab and the second tab into the interior space of the double ferrule after the fixing the ordering of the optical fibers. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising forming the double ferrule by potting the optical fibers in a mold, curing the potting, and removing the mold. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising vibrating the double ferrule after the placing the at least a portion of the exposed optical fibers from the windowed section of the multi-fiber, fiber optic cable into at least one channel in the interior space of the double ferrule. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising pressing the at least a portion of the exposed optical fibers from the windowed section of the multi-fiber, fiber optic cable placed into at least one channel in the interior space of the double ferrule. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the double ferrule is comprised of a monolithic double ferrule. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the optical fibers are comprised of optical fibers having an outer diameter between 70-100 micrometers (μm). ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the optical fibers are comprised of two hundred (200) or more optical fibers. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the optical fibers are comprised of two hundred (200) or more optical fibers, wherein each of the optical fibers has an outer diameter between 70-100 micrometers (μm), and the multi-fiber, fiber optic cable has an outer diameter less than 5.1 millimeters (mm). ### Claim 23 A multi-fiber cable system, comprising: a first multi-fiber, fiber optic cable, comprising: a first plurality of optic fibers; a first end having a first multi-fiber, fiber optic connector assembly disposed thereon having a first fiber ordering of the first plurality of optical fibers; and a second end having a second multi-fiber, fiber optic connector assembly disposed thereon having a second fiber ordering of the first plurality of optical fibers different from the first fiber ordering; and a second multi-fiber, fiber optic cable, comprising: a second plurality of optic fibers; a third end having a third multi-fiber, fiber optic connector assembly disposed thereon having the second fiber ordering for the second plurality of optical fibers; and a fourth end having a fourth multi-fiber, fiber optic connector assembly disposed thereon having a third fiber ordering of the second plurality of optical fibers different from the second fiber ordering. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The multi-fiber cable system of claim 23, further comprising a third multi-fiber, fiber optic cable, comprising: a third plurality of optic fibers; a fifth end having a fifth multi-fiber, fiber optic connector assembly disposed thereon having the third fiber ordering for the third plurality of optical fibers; and a sixth end having a sixth multi-fiber, fiber optic connector assembly disposed thereon having a fourth fiber ordering of the third plurality of optical fibers different from the third fiber ordering. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The multi-fiber cable system of claim 23, wherein the first multi-fiber, fiber optic cable is comprised of a first plurality of ribbons each containing a plurality of optical fibers, and the second multi-fiber, fiber optic cable is comprised of a second plurality of ribbons each containing a plurality of optical fibers. ### Claim 26 (depends on 23) The multi-fiber cable system of claim 23, wherein the first multi-fiber, fiber optic connector assembly is comprised of a first multi-fiber termination push-on (MTP) connector assembly, the second multi-fiber, fiber optic connector assembly is comprised of a second MTP connector assembly, the third multi-fiber, fiber optic connector assembly is comprised of a third MTP connector assembly, and the fourth multi-fiber, fiber optic connector assembly is comprised of a fourth MTP connector assembly. ### Claim 27 (depends on 23) The multi-fiber cable system of claim 23, wherein the first multi-fiber, fiber optic connector assembly is comprised of a first LC-style connector assembly, the second multi-fiber, fiber optic connector assembly is comprised of a second LC-style connector assembly, the third multi-fiber, fiber optic connector assembly is comprised of a third LC connector assembly, and the fourth multi-fiber, fiber optic connector assembly is comprised of a fourth LC-style connector assembly. ### Claim 28 (depends on 23) The multi-fiber cable system of claim 23, wherein the first plurality of optical fibers and the second plurality of optical fibers are each comprised of optical fibers having an outer diameter between 70-100 micrometers (μm). ### Claim 29 (depends on 23) The multi-fiber cable system of claim 23, wherein each of the first plurality of optical fibers and the second plurality of optical fibers is comprised of two hundred (200) or more optical fibers. ### Claim 30 (depends on 23) The multi-fiber cable system of claim 23, wherein the first multi-fiber, fiber optic cable has an outer diameter less than 5.1 millimeters (mm), and the second multi-fiber, fiber optic cable has an outer diameter less than 5.1 millimeters (mm). ### Claim 31 (depends on 23) The multi-fiber cable system of claim 23, wherein each of the first plurality of optical fibers and the second plurality of optical fibers are comprised of two hundred (200) or more optical fibers; each of the first plurality of optical fibers and the second plurality of optical fibers has an outer diameter between 70-100 micrometers (μm); the first multi-fiber, fiber optic cable has an outer diameter less than 5.1 millimeters (mm); and the second multi-fiber, fiber optic cable has an outer diameter less than 5.1 millimeters (mm).