Abstract: A theft-deterrent device includes first and second members mountable on a pair of sliding doors for activating an alarm when the doors are opened, and is particularly useful with a display cabinet containing items of merchandise and having transparent sliding doors. The alarm may be mounted on the cabinet with a tether connecting the alarm and one of the first and second members. Preferably, a magnet and a magnetically activated switch are carried by the first and second members so that when the magnet moves away from the switch, an electrical circuit opens to activate the alarm. The first member is connected to one door with a portion adjacent one side of the door and a portion extending around the end of the door. The second member is connected to the other door and is preferably a thin member which fits between the doors when opened.

Abstract: A guide block assembly for aligning and retaining fiber bore forming pins and guide pin bore forming pins in precise relation to each other during the molding of a multi-fiber ferrule includes a unitary member defining at least one fiber bore and at least one guide pin bore. Each fiber bore, and optionally each guide pin bore, is formed by creating a starter hole using a first electric discharge machining (EDM) wire and enlarging the starter hole using a second EDM wire. Each fiber bore has a length to diameter ratio of between approximately 3:1 to 10:1, more preferably between approximately 4:1 to 8:1, and most preferably approximately 6:1. The guide block assembly may further include a cavity behind the fiber bore and a front face that forms a non-rectilinear surface on the face of the ferrule. The unitary block assembly contains fewer parts and is less expensive to manufacture.

Abstract: A universal dumpster adapted for use with both front loading and roll-off refuse collection trucks includes a floor, side walls and end walls. The floor, side walls and end walls together define an interior compartment for collecting and containing solid waste. Sleeves rotatably mounted to the side walls engage the lifting arms of a front loading truck to lift and tilt the dumpster above the hopper. A mechanical stop is provided on the side walls that engages the distal end of the lifting arm to thereby reduce the stress exerted on the lifting arm. One of the end walls is formed by an upper door and a lower door having side panels to contain and direct the refuse into the hopper. A safety lock is provided on the side walls that engages the corresponding sleeve to limit over travel so the dumpster does not tip over the front loading truck.

Abstract: A fiber optic connector includes a multifiber ferrule and at least one force centering element for applying a biasing force to the ferrule in the longitudinal direction without introducing a moment about a lateral axis. The connector further includes a coil spring for exerting the biasing force and a spring seat disposed between the coil spring and the ferrule. The rearward portion or the forward portion of the spring seat may be provided with a pair of outwardly extending protrusions that are laterally spaced apart to transfer the biasing force to the ferrule. Alternatively, the forward portion of the spring seat or the rear face of the ferrule may define a convex surface. Alternatively, the ferrule defines a convex surface in the direction of a first lateral axis and the spring seat defines a convex surface in the direction of a second lateral axis perpendicular to the first lateral axis.

Abstract: A one-piece fiber optic receptacle is provided for aligning and optically connecting a plug ferrule with a back-side ferrule of like configuration. The fiber optic receptacle includes a receptacle housing defining an internal cavity opening through an external end and an opposed internal end, an alignment sleeve disposed within the internal cavity and received within the internal end of the receptacle housing, and a sleeve retainer secured to the internal end of the receptacle housing and operable for providing access to the alignment sleeve from the internal end of the receptacle housing. The alignment sleeve includes a chamfer for guiding the back-side ferrule into the alignment sleeve. The sleeve retainer has an opening and a plurality of alignment ribs disposed about the opening for permitting angular rotation of the alignment sleeve relative to the sleeve retainer during insertion of the plug ferrule and the back-side ferrule into the alignment sleeve.

Abstract: A pin retainer for a fiber optic connector includes a ferrule having a front face defining a hole for receiving a guide pin. The pin retainer permits the guide pin to be inserted in the field following assembly of the connector and polishing the front face of the ferrule. The pin retainer includes a frame and at least one retaining tab for engaging the guide pin when the guide pin is inserted into the hole from the front face. The frame may have an open side for permitting the pin retainer to be fabricated using a highly efficient wire EDM process. The pin retainer provides a pin retention force of at least about 8 lbs and may include a plurality of retaining tabs for engaging the guide pin in more than one location. The ferrule may be provided with an external feature to position the pin retainer on the ferrule.

Abstract: An optical connection closure has at least one connector port located within an external wall of the closure for receiving a connectorized optical fiber of a distribution cable on the inside of the closure and a pre-connectorized fiber optic drop cable on the outside of the closure. The closure includes a base, a cover affixed to the base and movable between a closed position and an opened position, and an end wall that defines at least a portion of at least one cable opening for receiving the distribution cable in a butt-type or a through-type closure configuration. The base and the cover define an interior cavity that optionally contains a splice tray for interconnecting the optical fiber of the distribution cable with a pigtail to create the connectorized optical fiber. The connector port may be located within an end wall, a bottom wall or a top wall of the closure.

Abstract: A splice protection sleeve flange includes means for clamping a cable, a seal interposed between two rings, one of which can move along the cable, and a frustoconical threaded part which is screwed into the flange and acts both on the moveable ring and on the clamping means. In another aspect, a device for clamping a cable includes a ring on which fingers are each mounted in the form of a hinge, the free end of each finger terminating in a claw turned inwardly towards the axis YY? of the ring and, on the side of the plane where the fingers do not lie, there is provided a means which, by shape complementarity, is intended to cooperate with another clamping device of the same shape but having a ring diameter greater or smaller than a value equal to the largest radial dimension of the fingers.

Abstract: A high density fiber optic distribution frame includes a frame assembly, one or more left-hand connector module housings mounted on the frame assembly, one or more right-hand connector module housings mounted on the frame assembly and an Interbay Storage Unit (IBU) positioned on the frame assembly medially between the left-hand connector module housings and the right-hand connector module housings. Each connector module housing includes one or more connector modules having one or more adapters for interconnecting optical fibers between connector modules on the distribution frame or on an adjacent distribution frame in a communications network. The distribution frame is compatible with existing fiber optic connector housings, maintains the minimum bend radius of the optical fibers transitioned on the frame between connector modules, and reduces the length of a single length jumper employed on the frame.

Abstract: A pulling grip includes a pulling grip sleeve, a pulling grip housing and a furcation plug attached to the terminated end of a fiber optic cable. The pulling sleeve includes a bag adapted to be positioned over the pulling grip housing and the furcation plug and to be opened and closed by a lengthwise extending zipper. The pulling grip housing has a first compartment defining an elongate channel for routing optical fibers of the fiber optic cable and a second compartment defining a plurality of pockets that each store a plurality of fiber optic connectors mounted upon the ends of the optical fibers. The pulling grip housing may be formed as a plurality of injection molded modules to increase rigidity and to reduce manufacturing cost. The furcation plug includes means for readily integrating the furcation plug with a conventional distribution frame or rack, or with a cross-connect housing.

Abstract: A fiber management frame and an interconnection closure including the fiber management frame are provided for securely retaining optical fiber connection trays once the closure is placed into service, while also permitting access to any of the trays to reconfigure the connections of the optical fibers without disturbing the remaining trays. The fiber management frame includes a support for holding at least one such tray selected from the group consisting of a splice tray, a coupler tray, and a connector panel. The fiber management frame may also include a bias member, such as one or more tension members, for urging each tray toward the support. As such, the bias member releasably secures each tray to the support. The fiber management frame may also include at least one adjustable member, such as an upstanding bracket, that cooperates with the support to define a space for housing at least one tray.

Abstract: A ferrule assembly having highly protruding optical fibers and a corresponding method of efficiently, precisely and repeatedly fabricating the ferrule assemblies are provided. In this regard, a ferrule assembly is provided that includes a plurality of optical fibers extending at least about 3.5 ?m beyond the front face. The end portions of the optical fibers of the ferrule assembly may also be substantially coplanar with the end portions of the optical fibers differing in position from one another by no more than 100 nm. The ferrule assembly may be efficiently fabricated by polishing the optical fibers to a desired protrusion without first grinding or polishing the optical fibers to be flush with the front face of the ferrule. The ferrule assembly may be even more efficiently fabricated in instances in which the ferrule includes at least one polishing feature, such as an outwardly extending pedestal or a recessed portion.

Abstract: Metal oxide varistors (MOVs) are employed in surge protection devices, such as overvoltage protection devices, between a pair of signal lines and ground to reduce the capacitive imbalance introduced by the overvoltage protector, thereby improving higher frequency transmissions over twisted-pair telephone lines. The MOVs are sorted into subgroups having a capacitive tolerance of no more than about 1.0 picofarad. MOVs with asymmetrical electrodes can also be sorted to reduce both the capacitance and the capacitive tolerance of the MOVs. The sorted MOVs can then be electrically connected in parallel with a gas discharge tube on each signal line to produce an overvoltage protection device, for example a station protector for use at a customer premises, having a capacitive imbalance that does not exceed about 1.3 picofarads. The use of asymmetrical electrodes reduces the capacitance of the sorted MOVs to less than about 30 picofarads.

Abstract: This invention provides a method of marking a fiber optic indicia on the surface of a fiber optic component and the fiber optic component produced thereby. The fiber optic indicia is represented as a predetermined pattern marked on the fiber optic component and is associated with data about at least one of an optical characteristic and a product characteristic. According to a preferred embodiment, the fiber optic indicia is marked on a chamfered surface of a ferrule. The fiber optic indicia may include at least one alphanumerical character, a symbol, or combinations thereof. The method comprises establishing the predetermined pattern of the fiber optic indicia, providing a fiber optic component for marking, preparing a predetermined portion of a surface of the fiber optic component for marking, and marking the predetermined portion in accordance with the predetermined pattern of the fiber optic indicia.

Abstract: A retractable optical fiber assembly includes a housing, a spool rotatably disposed within the housing and an optical waveguide reeled onto the spool. The optical waveguide has a central length of unjacketed optical fiber and shorter end lengths of jacketed optical fiber terminating in optical connectors. The optical waveguide is reeled onto the spool such that the end lengths of jacketed optical fiber are extracted off the spool and retracted onto the spool in the same direction. The spool is biased in a first rotational direction relative to the housing by a torsion spring that exerts a retracting force on the jacketed optical fiber. A mechanical stop is also provided to prevent rotation of the spool in a second rotational direction opposite the first rotational direction. In an exemplary embodiment, the assembly is a test fiber box for use with optical test equipment to test an optical network.

Abstract: Metal oxide varistors (MOVs) are employed in surge protection devices, such as overvoltage protection devices, between signal lines and ground to reduce the capacitance and the capacitive imbalance introduced by the overvoltage protector, thereby improving higher frequency transmissions, such as xDSL communications, over a twisted-pair telecommunications network. The MOVs can be stacked electrically in series to reduce the capacitance of each MOV and to reduce the variability, tolerance or spread of the capacitance between MOVs. Asymmetrical MOVs with electrodes having different surface areas can also be used to reduce capacitance and to reduce capacitive imbalance between MOVs. Furthermore, Asymmetrical MOVs, as well as MOVs with electrodes having the same surface area, can be stacked electrically in series. Such series stacked, asymmetrical, and series stacked asymmetrical MOVs can be used in parallel with a gas discharge tube to form, for example, a station protector for use at a customer premises.

Abstract: A housing for a distributed filter removably mounts to a wall plate between the wall plate and a wall-mount telephone without the use of a tool. The housing includes a base and a cover attached to the base that together define a cavity. A filter circuit for filtering voice signals is disposed within the cavity. A phone jack and at least one auxiliary jack are also disposed in the cavity and accessible through the cover. In one embodiment, viewing windows are formed through the cover to permit an installer to view the mounting studs on the wall plate during installation. A slide lock is also provided to secure the housing to the wall plate. In another embodiment, a push-button lock is provided to secure the housing to the wall plate. The push-button is forced outwardly during installation when a mounting stud engages a slot formed in the base and is subsequently depressed to secure the housing to the wall plate.

Abstract: A high density fiber optic distribution frame includes a frame assembly, one or more left-hand connector module housings mounted on the frame assembly, one or more right-hand connector module housings mounted on the frame assembly and an Interbay Storage Unit (IBU) positioned on the frame assembly medially between the left-hand connector module housings and the right-hand connector module housings. Each connector module housing includes one or more connector modules having one or more adapters for interconnecting optical fibers between connector modules on the distribution frame or on an adjacent distribution frame in a communications network. The distribution frame is compatible with existing fiber optic connector housings, maintains the minimum bend radius of the optical fibers transitioned on the frame between connector modules, and reduces the length of a single length jumper employed on the frame.

Abstract: A terminating device for interconnecting service provider wiring with subscriber wiring includes a base, a customer bridge, a removable cover and insulation displacement contacts for terminating the service provider wiring and the subscriber wiring. The insulation displacement contacts for the subscriber wiring are housed within the customer bridge and terminate the subscriber wiring by moving an actuating arm from a disconnected position to a connected position. The insulation displacement contacts for the service provider wiring terminate the service provider wiring by moving a stuffer from a disconnected position to a connected position. The cover includes a locking slide having a movable clasp for deterring unauthorized access to the customer bridge, while permitting authorized access. A plug on the cover and a jack on the base each have a resilient seal that telescope together to effectively seal test contacts located within the jack when the plug is inserted into the jack.