Fiber optic drop splice closure and related methods

A fiber optic splice closure comprising:

• a housing;
• a base connected to said housing;
• at least one first splice organizer tray having one end pivotally connected to said base and extending in said housing, said at least one first splice organizer tray comprising a fiber optic splice supporting portion;
• a mounting member pivotally connected to said base adjacent said at least one first splice organizer tray;
• a plurality of second splice organizer trays pivotally connected to said mounting member on a side thereof opposite said at least one first splice organizer tray, each of said second splice organizer trays comprising a fiber optic splice supporting portion;
• and
• at least one optical fiber extending from said at least one first splice organizer tray to at least one of said second splice organizer trays.

A fiber optic cable network comprising:

• a fiber optic cable routed in a ring configuration;
• a plurality of drop locations along the fiber optic cable route;
• and
• a respective fiber optic splice closure at the drop locations, each fiber optic splice closure comprising
• a housing,
• a base connected to said housing,
• at least one first splice organizer tray having one end pivotally connected to said base and extending in said housing, said at least one first splice organizer tray comprising a fiber optic splice supporting portion,
• a mounting member pivotally connected to said base adjacent said at least one first splice organizer tray,
• a plurality of second splice organizer trays pivotally connected to said mounting member on a side thereof opposite said at least one first splice organizer tray, each of said second splice organizer trays comprising a fiber optic splice supporting portion, and
• at least one optical fiber extending from said at least one first splice organizer tray to at least one of said second splice organizer trays.

A method for making a fiber optic cable network of a type comprising a fiber optic cable routed in a ring configuration and a plurality of drop locations along the fiber optic cable;

• the method comprising the steps of:
• providing a respective fiber optic splice closure at the drop locations, each fiber optic splice closure comprising
• a housing,
• a base connected to said housing,
• at least one first splice organizer tray having one end pivotally connected to said base and extending in said housing,
• a mounting member pivotally connected to said base adjacent said at least one first splice organizer tray,
• a plurality of second splice organizer trays pivotally connected to said mounting member on a side thereof opposite said at least one first splice organizer tray, and
• at least one optical fiber extending from said at least one first splice organizer tray to at least one of said second splice organizer trays;
• and
• splicing the at least one optical fiber from the ring to the at least one optical fiber and storing same on the at least one first splice organizer tray.