# US 2016/0259141 A1 · Flexible optical circuit, cassettes, and methods

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- Number: US 2016/0259141 A1
- Document ID: US20160259141A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/980,789
- Filed: 2015-12-28
- Published: 2016-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2012-10-05
- Assignees: CommScope Asia Holdings B.V.; Tyco Electronics Corporation
- Applicants: CommScope Asia Holdings B.V.; Tyco Electronics Corporation
- Inventors: Paul Schneider; Alexander Dorrestein; James Joseph Eberle, JR.
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160259141A1

## CPC

- G02B 6/4453: {Cassettes}
- G02B 6/3608: {Fibre wiring boards, i.e. where fibres are embedded or attached in a pattern on or to a substrate, e.g. flexible sheets (optical ribbon cables in support members G02B6/4401)}
- 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 6/4472: {Manifolds}
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS

## Abstract

A fiber optic cassette includes a body defining a front and an opposite rear. A cable entry location, such as a multi-fiber connector, is defined on the body for a cable to enter the cassette, wherein a plurality of optical fibers from the cable extend into the cassette and form terminations at one or more single or multi-fiber connectors adjacent the front of the body. A flexible substrate is positioned between the cable entry location and the connectors adjacent the front of the body, the flexible substrate rigidly supporting the plurality of optical fibers. Each of the connectors adjacent the front of the body includes a ferrule. Dark fibers can be provided if not all fiber locations are used in the multi-fiber connectors. Multiple flexible substrates can be used with one or more multi-fiber connectors.

## Claims

### Claim 1

(canceled)

### Claim 2

A fiber optic circuit comprising:
a flexible optical circuit including a substrate and a plurality of coated fiber optic cables supported by the substrate;
wherein multiple substrates are provided and the fiber optic cables of each substrate are connected to a single row of a single multi-fiber connector having multiple rows of fibers.

### Claim 3

A fiber optic circuit comprising:
a flexible optical circuit including a substrate and a plurality of coated fiber optic cables supported by the substrate;
wherein multiple substrates are provided and the fiber optic cables of each substrate are connected to more than one row of a single multi-fiber connector having multiple rows of fibers.

### Claim 4

A fiber optic circuit comprising:
a flexible optical circuit including a substrate and a plurality of coated fiber optic cables supported by the substrate;
wherein the fiber optic cables include a first plurality that connect between two multi-fiber connectors, and a second plurality that only connect to one multi-fiber connector and are dark fibers.

### Claim 5

A fiber optic circuit comprising:
a flexible optical circuit including a substrate and a plurality of coated fiber optic cables supported by the substrate;
wherein the fiber optic cables connect between two multi-fiber connectors, wherein one connector is on a front or a back, and another connector is on a side.

### Claim 6

A fiber optic circuit comprising:
a flexible optical circuit including a substrate and a plurality of coated fiber optic cables supported by the substrate;
wherein the fiber optic cables connect between three multi-fiber connectors, wherein at least some of the fiber optic cables loop back to one of the multi-fiber connectors, and at least some of the other fiber optic cables pass through to another of the multi-fiber connector, wherein the one multi-fiber connector can be connected to another multi-fiber connector in a daisy chain.

### Claim 7

(canceled)

### Claim 8

A fiber optic circuit comprising:
a flexible optical circuit including a substrate and a plurality of coated fiber optic cables supported by the substrate;
wherein a first plurality of the fiber optic cable carry signals, and wherein a second plurality of the fiber optic cables are connected to a control circuit and/or an indication light source.