Abstract: A splicing connector and an associated splice mechanism are provided to splice first and second pluralities of optical fibers without buckling the optical fibers. The connector includes a housing and a retainer disposed of at least partially within the housing which defines a channel through which a plurality of optical fibers extend. The connector also includes a clip for securing the optical fibers within the retainer such that the end portions of the optical fibers are exposed through the forward end of the housing in preparation for splicing the optical fibers. Further, the connector includes a spring for urging the retainer and the optical fibers secured within the retainer toward the forward end of the housing, thereby permitting the optical fibers to be spliced without buckling the optical fibers.

Abstract: An adapter assembly is provided for removably receiving two optical fiber ferrules of the type with open grooves extending longitudinally rearward of the end face of the ferrule. The assembly comprises a sleeve with an interior surface that defines a passageway therethrough sized for receiving the ends of the ferrules therein. The interior surface also defines two longitudinal grooves opposite each other that open to the passageway. A guide pin is located in each groove such that an exposed portion of the outer surface of the guide pin along the entire length of the guide pin inside the sleeve is exposed to the passageway. The exposed portion are sized and located relative to each other to slide in the ferrule grooves and operatively align the end faces of the ferrules rotationally and laterally relative to each other when the two ferrules are inserted into the sleeve.

Abstract: The at least partially flexible connector assembly includes a slack storage tube connected to the first end of a fiber optic cable for loosely storing excess lengths of the optical fibers. The slack storage tube is typically at least partially flexible. By including a flexible slack storage tube, the connector assembly can be readily flexed, such as during installations of the fiber optic cable in which the end portion of the fiber optic cable must be bent relatively sharply. However, the slack storage tube does generally include crush resistance means for supporting the slack storage tube as the connector assembly is flexed such that the longitudinal bore defined by the slack storage tube remains open. The crush resistance means can include a wire helically wound about the slack storage tube. Alternatively, the slack storage tube can be a corrugated tube.

Abstract: An adapter is provided for operatively mating two optical fiber connectors of the type that are aligned relative to each other by guide pins. The adapter has two sleeve body halves that are joined together at a mating ends. A guide pin mount is captured between the two sleeve body halves that defines an opening to allow abutment of the two connectors therethrough. Two guide pins mounted on the guide pin mount parallel with the passageway defined through the sleeve and located so as to engage the guide pin holes on the connectors and align two connectors inserted into the adapter.

Abstract: The pulling grip includes an elongated, flexible pulling grip housing for use in installing fiber optic cable and, more particularly, for installing a fiber optic cable which contains a number of pre-connectorized optical fibers. The pulling grip housing includes first and second portions which mate to form the pulling grip housing and which open to provide access to an internal cavity for placement of the pre-connectorized optical fibers of the fiber optic cable. The pulling grip housing can secure the connectors within the internal cavity to prevent undesirable tangling of the optical fibers during installation. For example, the pulling grip housing can include an adhesive surface or a number of slots for retaining respective ones of the connectors.

Abstract: The fiber optic interconnection apparatus includes a receptacle mounted at least partially within a wall of an enclosure, such as an optical network unit, a network interface device or a splice closure, and a fiber optic cable assembly for mating with the receptacle. By mating the fiber optic cable assembly with the receptacle in a predetermined aligned manner, one or more optical fibers of the fiber optic cable on which the fiber optic cable assembly is mounted can be optically interconnected with respective optical fibers held by the receptacle which extend through the receptacle and into the enclosure.

Abstract: An optical fiber ribbon comprising a plurality of optical fibers secured or embedded substantially parallel to one another, fibers are selected and processed such that the skew in optical propagation time for signals transmitted over said plurality of optical fibers is minimized. The optical fibers are selected from the same pull and each of said optical fibers has a modal bandwidth greater than or equal to 800 Mhz.km at an operating wavelength of 1300 nm. The invention extends the practical applications of optical fiber ribbons to include synchronous parallel transmission with an aggregate data-rate.times.distance product of greater than 10 Gbit/sec.km.

Abstract: The fiber optic cable assembly secures a fiber optic cable within an input port of a splice closure without extending significantly beyond the walls of the splice closure. In addition to a fiber optic cable, the fiber optic cable assembly includes a plug encasing a portion of the fiber optic cable such that the fiber optic cable extends both forwardly from the plug into the splice closure and rearwardly from the plug away from the splice closure. The plug typically has a predetermined shape and size which matches the predetermined shape and size of the input port. Since the end of the input port which opens into the splice closure is partially closed, the plug is retained within the input port and does not extend into the interior cavity defined within the splice closure.

Abstract: An optical fiber connector includes a connector housing and a monolithic ferrule disposed within the connector housing for maintaining a plurality of optical fibers in respective predetermined positions relative to the connector housing. The monolithic ferrule includes a monolithic ferrule body defining an internal cavity and a plurality of longitudinal bores through which the optical fibers extend. The optical fiber connector can also include an annular alignment key extending radially outward from the monolithic ferrule and having a position indicator adapted to mate with the connector housing such that the monolithic ferrule is held in a predetermined position relative to the connector housing. Accordingly, the optical fibers secured within the monolithic ferrule can be held in respective predetermined positions relative to the connector housing.

Abstract: A cable assembly for attachment to an entry port of an optical enclosure. The assembly includes a plug for an end of an optical cable in a sealed housing having a single rigid tube and a single sealed nut. Connectorized optical fibers or an optical ribbon extend from the plug into the equipment enclosure.

Abstract: A cable assembly for attachment to an entry port of an optical enclosure. The assembly includes a plug for an end of an optical cable in a sealed housing having a single rigid tube and a single sealed nut. Connectorized optical fibers or an optical ribbon extend from the plug into the equipment enclosure.