Fiber optic cassette configured to enhance installation and / or avoid signal loss

Abstract

A fiber optic cassette may enhance installation or reduce signal loss with a first port portion, a splitter portion, and a suspension portion. The first port portion may permit a fiber cable to pass there through. The splitter portion may optically couple a first cable portion with a second cable portion in an interior cavity. The suspension portion may surround a first fiber cable portion and may dampen a force between the first port portion and the first fiber cable portion. The first suspension portion may permit the first fiber cable portion to pass through the first port portion without an optical connection at the first port portion so as to enhance installation or avoid signal loss.

Description

FIBER OPTIC CASSETTE CONFIGURED TO ENHANCE INSTALLATION AND / OR AVOID SIGNAL LOSSCROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 654,645, filed May 31 , 2024, which is currently pending, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure is directed to a network interconnect and, more particularly, to a fiber optic splitter cassette structurally configured to enhance installation and / or avoid signal loss.BACKGROUND

[0003] As data and digital information becomes more ubiquitous in generation and use, distributed networks have evolved to meet consumer demand. While wireless data communications have become more prevalent, the bulk of network bandwidth continues to be provided by wired connections. The proliferation of wired connections corresponds with greater volumes of cable interconnections. However, such cable interconnections may pose inefficiencies during installation and risks during operation.

[0004] For some wired connections, fiber optic signal pathways are utilized, which may present challenges during installation. For instance, terminating a fiber optic cable may require skill and time for accurate operation that degrades the efficiency of installation of interconnects that present numerous separate cable ports. Accordingly, various embodiments are directed to a distributed network enclosure that utilizes cable suspension to optimize cable connection installation times and operational reliability over time.

[0005] It may be desirable to provide a splitter cassette that is structurally configured to permit a cable to pass through a port of the enclosure without the use of a connector that terminates the cable so as to enhance installation and / or avoid signal loss.SUMMARY

[0006] In accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure, a fiber optic cassette may enhance installation or reduce signal loss with a housing portion, splitter portion, first suspension portion, and second suspension portion. The housing portion may have a first port portion separated from a second port portion. The splitter portion may optically couple a first cable portion with a second cable portion in the housing portion. The first suspension portion may surround at least a portion of a first fiber cable portion. The second suspension portion may surround at least a portion of a second fiber cable portion. The first port portion may receive at least a portion of the first suspension portion. The second port portion may receive at least a portion of the second suspension portion. The first suspension portion may have a first retention portion that may permit movement of the first cable portion relative to the first port portion within a first range of motion, and a first damping portion that may dampen a force between the first port portion and the first fiber cable portion. The second suspension portion may have a second retention portion that may permit movement of the second cable portion relative to the second port portion within a second range of motion, and a second damping portion that may dampen a force between the second port portion and the second fiber cable portion. The first and second suspension portions may permit the first fiber cable portion and the second fiber cable portion to pass through the first port portion and the second port portion, respectively, without optical connections at the first and second port portions so as to enhance installation or avoid signal loss.

[0007] A fiber optic cassette, in some embodiments, a fiber optic cassette may enhance installation or reduce signal loss with a housing portion, a splitter portion, and a suspension portion. The housing portion may have a first port portion. The splitter portion may optically couple a first cable portion with a second cable portion in the housing portion. The suspension portion may surround at least a portion of a first fiber cable portion. The first port portion may receive at least a portion of the suspension portion. The suspension portion may have a retention portion that may permit movement of the cable portion relativeto the first port portion within a range of motion, and a damping portion that may dampen a force between the first port portion and a first fiber cable portion. The suspension portion may permit the first fiber cable portion to pass through the first port portion without an optical connection at the first port portion so as to enhance installation or avoid signal loss.

[0008] Some embodiments of a fiber optic cassette may enhance installation or reduce signal loss with a first port portion, a splitter portion, and a suspension portion. The first port portion may permit a fiber cable to pass there through. The splitter portion may optically couple a first cable portion with a second cable portion in an interior cavity. The suspension portion may surround a first fiber cable portion and dampen a force between the first port portion and the first fiber cable portion. The first suspension portion may permit the first fiber cable portion to pass through the first port portion without an optical connection at the first port portion so as to enhance installation or avoid signal loss.

[0009] In some aspects, the first fiber cable portion may extend through the first port portion into at least a portion of an interior cavity defined by the housing portion. The second fiber cable portion may extend through the second port portion into at least a portion of the interior cavity defined by the housing portion. The first fiber cable portion may be a portion of a multifiber cable.

[0010] In some aspects, the first retention portion may have a first limiting portion and a second limiting portion that may be disposed at opposite sides of the first port portion.

[0011] In some aspects, the first damping portion may be between the first and second limiting portions while at least a portion of the first damping portion may extend through the first port portion.

[0012] In some aspects, the first fiber cable portion may be a portion of a multifiber cable. The second fiber cable portion may be a portion of a single fiber. The first and second fiber cable portions may be terminated at the splitter portion.

[0013] In some aspects, the suspension portion may surround at least a portion of the first fiber cable portion.

[0014] In some aspects, the suspension portion may have a retention portion that may permit movement of the cable portion relative to the first port portion within a range of motion and a damping portion that may dampen a force between the first port portion and the first fiber cable portion.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Further advantages and features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, to which reference is made.

[0016] FIG. 1 a line representation of portions of a distributed network environment in which assorted embodiments of this disclosure can be practiced.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a line representation of portions of a cable assembly that may be employed in the environment of FIG. 1 in some embodiments.

[0018] FIG. 3 is a line representation of portions of a cable assembly configured in accordance with assorted embodiments of this disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 4 is a line representation of portions of an interconnect enclosure that may be utilized in the environment of FIG. 1 in embodiments of this disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 5 is a line representation of portions of an interconnect enclosure structurally configured in accordance with embodiments of this disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Embodiments provide an interconnect enclosure for a distributed cable network that employs cable suspension to increase cable connection reliability and installation efficiency by permitting a cable to pass through a wall of the enclosure so as to enhance installation and / or avoid signal loss.

[0022] Reference will now be made in detail to presently preferred embodiments and methods of the present disclosure, which constitute the best modes of practicing the present disclosure presently known to the inventors.However, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the present disclosure that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for any aspect of the present disclosure and / or as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present disclosure.

[0023] It is also to be understood that this present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments and methods described below, as specific components and / or conditions may, of course, vary. Furthermore, the terminology used herein is used only for the purpose of describing particular embodiments of the present disclosure and is not intended to be limiting in any way.

[0024] As greater volumes of digital information is generated, transferred, stored, and retrieved, distributed networks have evolved to meet demand. The need for additional network capabilities may routinely correspond with supplementation, or replacement, of existing network cables. Installation of network cabling may further correspond with cable interconnections that involve physical enclosures and cable terminations. The accurate installation of such interconnections may be difficult and / or time consuming, which prompts various embodiments of the present disclosure to provide a network interconnect enclosure with cable suspensions to optimize installation time, accuracy, and efficiency.

[0025] Turning to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a distributed network 100 in which assorted embodiments of an interconnect enclosure may be employed. A signal pathway between a source 110 and destination 120 may be facilitated by one or more cables 130. Although a single cable 130 may continuously extend to connect a source 110 and a destination 120, various embodiments utilize two or more cables 130 to provide a continuous signal pathway allowing one-way, or two-way, signal communications, as illustrated by solid arrows.

[0026] The connection of multiple separate cables 130 to form a continuous signal pathway may be facilitated by one or more interconnects 140. For instance, separate cables 130 may be joined to form an operable signalpathway with an interconnect 140, such as a splice, adapter, connector, or electronic device. As a result of the use of interconnects 140, the distributed network 100 may provide a variety of different signal pathways to communicate signals between sources 110 and destinations 120.

[0027] FIG. 2 illustrates a line representation of a cable assembly 200 that may be utilized in the distributed network 100 of FIG. 1 in accordance with conventional embodiments. The cable assembly 200 has an interconnect 210 structurally configured with a housing portion 212 that defines a variety of separate port portions 214 that may physically receive and retain a cable connector 220. Through the termination of each cable 130 with a connector 220 at the respective port portions 214, cable connections may be present within the housing portion 212, as shown.

[0028] While not required or limiting, embodiments of the port portions 214 may allow an external connector 220 to operate with an internal connector 222 to provide assorted cable connections. That is, the internal connectors 222 may terminate patch cables 230 that provide the assorted connections between assorted cables 130 that are, respectively, terminated with the external connectors 220. For instance, the patch cables 230 may be connected via a connection portion 240 that provides a splice, split, or other combination of cables to form desired signal pathway configurations via the various cables 130.

[0029] The use of terminated patch cables 230 to provide physical connections between cables of the assorted port portions 214 may be initially reliable. However, the termination of the assorted cables 130 / 230 may be time consuming, difficult, and otherwise inefficient. Additionally, the use of rigid external connectors 220 to access the port portions 214 and respective patch cables 230 may pose operational risk over time as the cables 130 move or receive applied force. In other words, rigid cable connectors 220 may produce stress on a cable 130 over time in response to force and / or cable movement, which may jeopardize the integrity, operation, or performance of a cable 130.

[0030] With these issues in mind, FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary interconnect 310 in accordance with various aspects of the disclosure. The interconnect 310 is configured to reduce the use of rigid connectors 220 / 222 toprovide connections while providing cable suspensions that have less liability to cable movement and force. FIG. 3 illustrates portions of a cable assembly 300 structurally configured to provide a distributed network 100 with cable interconnections optimized for installation efficiency and operational reliability. The cable assembly 300 employs an interconnect 310 to selectively form signal pathways between separate cables 130.

[0031] In contrast to the rigid connectors 220 / 222 utilized in the interconnect 210 of FIG. 2, the interconnect 310 has independent suspension portions 320 that physically support each cable 130 entering the interconnect housing portion 312. That is, the housing portion 312 provides port portions 314 that are not engaged by connectors 220 / 222, but instead by suspended cables 130 that continuously extend, unterminated, into the housing portion 312 where connections are facilitated with one or more connection portions 330, such as a splice, adapter, connector, or splitter, as shown by segmented lines.

[0032] It is noted that the housing portion 312 may be structurally configured with any number, and size, of port portions 314 that are supported by matching, or dissimilar, cable suspension portions 320. As such, the interconnect 310 may accommodate a diverse variety of cables 130 while providing increased installation efficiency due to the elimination of the need to terminate each cable 130 and establish a patch cable 230 with an additional connector 222. The use of independent cable suspensions further optimizes the interconnect 310 as the connections provided by the connection portions 330 are less susceptible to applied force and movement of the cable 130.

[0033] FIG. 4 illustrates a line representation of portions of an interconnect enclosure 400 that is structurally configured in accordance with various embodiments to be included in the cable assembly 300 of FIG. 3 and the distributed network 100 of FIG. 1. The interconnect enclosure 400 may be arranged with a housing portion 410 that defines an interior cavity 412 where one or more connection portions 330 form signal pathways from separate input cables 130 into separate output cables 420. In some embodiments, a connection portion 330 is a splitter, or combiner depending on the input / output connection. It is noted that embodiments of the connection portion 330 may bephysically and operably configured at the factory so that a single input cable 130 expands into multiple output fiber optic cores, such as 6, 12, or 24 cores, that may be packaged in a single output

[0034] The housing portion 410 may be structurally configured with any size and shape to define any number of interior cavities 412. It is contemplated that the housing portion 410 includes one or more seal portions that provide partial, or complete, waterproofing along with resilience to environmental conditions, such as wind, debris, and humidity. However, the housing portion 410, and interior cavity 412, may be structurally configured to be unsealed in some embodiments and, instead, rely on the mechanical configuration of the housing portion 410 to provide protection of the interior cavity 412 from unwanted manual, and environmental, contamination of the connection portions 330 contained by the housing portion 410.

[0035] The housing portion 410 may further be structurally configured with one or more access features that provide efficient opening and / or closing of at least some of the housing portion 410 to visually and / or mechanically access aspects of at least one interior cavity 412. For instance, the housing portion 410 may have a hinge, lock, guide, pivot, or fastening mechanism to allow an interior cavity 412 to be reliably and efficiently accessed or closed.

[0036] The non-limiting embodiment of the interconnect enclosure 400 shown in FIG. 4 has a first cable suspension portion 430 that secures an input cable 130 and a second cable suspension portion 440 that secures an output cable 420. It is noted that the housing portion 410 can have any number of input cables 130 and output cables 420 that have any size, such as diameter, and signal carrying capabilities, such as latency, bandwidth, and speed. The cables 130 / 420 that continuously extend through the housing portion 410 may respectively be terminated at the connection portion 330 to provide fiber optic core splitting, or combining, depending on the configuration of the input cable 130 and output cable 420. It is noted that while a single output cable 420 is shown in FIG. 4, such configuration is not required or limiting as multiple fiber optic cores may extend from, or into, the connection portion 330.

[0037] The respective cables 130 / 420 entering, or exiting, the housing portion 410 may each contact a retention portion 450 of one of the suspension portions 430 / 440. The retention portion 450 of the respective suspension portions 430 / 440 may be matching, or dissimilar, with structural configurations that engage and secure the cables 130 / 420. The respective retention portions 450 may be connected to one or more damping portion 460 that allow movement of a cable 130 / 222 within a predetermined range in response to force.

[0038] A damping portion 460 may include a single structure, such as a spring, protrusion, ridge, or tab, that operates to allow movement of the cable 130 / 420 while securely maintaining the position, and applied force, of the retention portion 450. Other embodiments of the damping portion 460 may include a mechanism of multiple structures, such as a clamp, slide, collar, or bracket. The ability to structurally configure the retention portion 450 and damping portion 460 in a variety of different arrangements allows for customized application of force onto a cable 130 / 420 as well as customized range of allowed cable movement. Such ability allows the interconnect enclosure 400 to provide optimal physical cable retention, movement, and installation efficiency even if cables 130 / 420 with different physical characteristics are employed.

[0039] Although conveyed in FIG. 4 as general block representations, it is noted that each port portion 470 that surrounds a cable 130 / 420 may have a retention portion 450, a damping portion 460, or both to secure the cable 130 / 420 while allowing transverse and / or longitudinal movement within predetermined ranges. That is, a port portion 470 may be structurally customized with limiting portions on opposite sides of a port portion 470 to allow cable movement within a selected range, such as two inches along a X axis, three inches along a Y axis, and less than an inch along the longitudinal axis, while continually applying force onto the cable 130 / 420 to prevent the cable 130 / 420, and any connection portions 330, from becoming damaged or exiting the housing portion 410 in response to externally applied force on the cable 130 / 420.

[0040] In accordance with some embodiments, the retention portion 450 comprises a grommet or other pliable sleeve that surrounds the cable 130 / 420 and operates to at least partially seal a port portion 470 while allowing cable 130 / 420 movement. That is, the retention portion 450 may continuously apply force onto the cable 130 / 420 while allowing movement in response to externally applied force. The retention portion 450, in various embodiments, is structurally configured to continuously apply force onto a cable 130 / 420 to restrict, or prevent, movement in a selected direction, such as along the X axis, Y axis, or longitudinal axis (Z axis).

[0041] The combination of the retention portion 450, which physically holds a cable 130 / 420 in place with respect to a port portion 470, and the damping portion 460, which restrains movement of a cable 130 / 420 to a predetermined range in one or more planes with respect to the port portion 470, provides an effective suspension that allows application of external force onto a cable 130 / 420 to result in restricted movement without jeopardizing the integrity of the cable’s entry into the housing portion 410 or the operation of any connection portions 330 that interconnect multiple separate cables 130 / 420.

[0042] In contrast to the suspension provided by the retention portion 450 and damping portion 460, a rigid physical connection, or connection of multiple terminated cables shown in FIG. 2, may be operationally susceptible to the application of external force as the cable 130 / 420, cable connector 220 / 222, and / or connection portion 330 receive physical stress. Accordingly, the use of a suspension that allows select cable 130 / 420 movement, particularly when the suspension is customized to the physical characteristics of a cable, such as bend radius, jacket strength, and permissible physical stress, provides optimal operational reliability for the interconnect enclosure 400.

[0043] FIG. 5 illustrates a line representation of an interconnect enclosure 500 that is structurally configured in accordance with various embodiments to provide increased operational reliability and installation efficiency. It is noted that the assorted aspects of the interconnect enclosure 500 are not limiting and a distributed network 100 may employ one or more interconnect enclosures 400 / 500 that have matching, or dissimilar, structural configurations.

[0044] In comparison to the interconnect enclosure 400 of FIG. 4, the interconnect enclosure of FIG. 5 utilizes a single suspension portion 510 to concurrently retain physically adjacent cables 130, which may be input cables or output cables. As shown in FIG. 5, the housing portion 520 of the interconnect enclosure 500 provides individual cable suspensions 530 to fit in single cable sized port portions 540. In some embodiments, the input, or output, of the housing portion 520 may have a port, adapter, or bulkhead connection 550 that receives a terminated fiber optic cable, which may be in a simplex 552, duplex 554, or quad 556 configuration.

[0045] Accordingly, the connections 550 may be arranged to receive multiple separate input cables 130 or output cables 420 as they respectively pass into an interior housing cavity 560 where a connection portion, such as a splitter or combiner portion 330, can join separate cables 130 to form a stable signal pathway with an output cable 570. The ability to concurrently retain and suspend physically adjacent cables 130 / 570 may allow for greater connection density on the housing portion 520. The relatively close physical density of the connections on the housing portion 520 may correspond with greater cable 130 / 570 density and increased connection capabilities for the interconnect enclosure 500.

[0046] It is noted that the interconnect enclosure 500 is not limited to utilizing suspension portions 510 that concurrently engage multiple cables 130 / 570. For instance, some port portions 550 may utilize suspension portions 510 that engage a single cable 130 while other port portions 550 employ a single suspension portion 510 to support multiple separate cables 130 / 570. The ability to selectively utilize different suspension configurations provides increased installation efficiency and greater cable 130 / 570 support capabilities than if the housing portion 520 allowed for only individual port suspensions.

[0047] The use of a single suspension portion 510 is not limited to a particular structural configuration, but various embodiments utilize a single retention portion, such as retention portion 450, or a single damping portion, such as damping portion 460, to retain multiple adjacent cables 130 / 570. That is, a single suspension portion 510 may act on multiple cables 130 / 570 either byhaving a common retention portion, such as a grommet, seal, ring, or other pliable piece of material, or a common damping portion, such as a spring, cantilevered tab, hydraulic buffer, or mechanical assembly, that act collectively on the multiple cables 130 / 570 to allow motion and force within predetermined ranges while restricting cable motion outside the predetermine ranges.

[0048] In structural configurations of a single suspension portion 510 that employs a common retention portion and multiple separate damping portions, different ranges of motion may be allowed for the cables 130 / 570 engaged by the common retention portion. For structural configurations of a single suspension portion 510 with multiple separate retention portions and a common damping portion engaging separate cables 130 / 570, matching physical ranges in assorted directions and planes may be applicable to each cable 130 / 570. The ability to customize the retention and damping of multiple adjacent cables 130 / 570 with a single suspension portion 510 allows for efficient installation and subsequent operational control of separate signal pathways that operate together, such as duplex and quad configurations.

[0049] As previously described, the configuration of a suspension portion 510 is not limited and can be customized to accommodate various considerations, such as range of cable movement, anticipated external force, and fragility of downstream connection portion. By utilizing a single retention portion or single damping portion to engage multiple adjacent cables 130 / 570, as opposed to individual suspension portions that respectively engage each cable with a retention portion and damping portion, installation efficiency and accuracy is increased along with operational reliability as cables 130 / 570 operating collectively to provide a multi-path connection are physically tied together and may share movement and / or stress responses to applied external force.

[0050] Additional embodiments include any one of the embodiments described above, where one or more of its components, functionalities or structures is interchanged with, replaced by or augmented by one or more of the components, functionalities or structures of a different embodiment described above. It should be understood that various changes and modifications to theembodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure and without diminishing its intended advantages. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims.

[0051] Although several embodiments of the disclosure have been disclosed in the foregoing specification, it is understood by those skilled in the art that many modifications and other embodiments of the disclosure will come to mind to which the disclosure pertains, having the benefit of the teaching presented in the foregoing description and associated drawings. It is thus understood that the disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein above, and that many modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, although specific terms are employed herein, as well as in the claims which follow, they are used only in a generic and descriptive sense, and not for the purposes of limiting the present disclosure, nor the claims which follow.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A fiber optic cassette configured to enhance installation or reduce signal loss, comprising: a housing portion having a first port portion separated from a second port portion; a splitter portion configured to optically couple a first cable portion with a second cable portion in the housing portion; a first suspension portion configured to surround at least a portion of a first fiber cable portion; a second suspension portion configured to surround at least a portion of a second fiber cable portion; wherein the first port portion is configured to receive at least a portion of the first suspension portion; wherein the second port portion is configured to receive at least a portion of the second suspension portion; wherein the first suspension portion comprises a first retention portion configured to permit movement of the first cable portion relative to the first port portion within a first range of motion, and a first damping portion configured to dampen a force between the first port portion and the first fiber cable portion; wherein the second suspension portion comprises a second retention portion configured to permit movement of the second cable portion relative to the second port portion within a second range of motion, and a second damping portion configured to dampen a force between the second port portion and the second fiber cable portion; and wherein the first and second suspension portions are structurally configured to permit the first fiber cable portion and the second fiber cable portion to pass through the first port portion and the second port portion, respectively, without optical connections at the first and second port portions so as to enhance installation or avoid signal loss.

2. The fiber optic cassette of claim 1 , wherein the first fiber cable portion is configured to extend through the first port portion into at least a portion of an interior cavity defined by the housing portion, the second fiber cable portion is configured to extend through the second port portion into at least a portion of the interior cavity defined by the housing portion, and the first fiber cable portion comprises a portion of a multifiber cable.

3. The fiber optic cassette of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the first retention portion includes a first limiting portion and a second limiting portion disposed at opposite sides of the first port portion.

4. The fiber optic cassette of claim 3, wherein the first damping portion is between the first and second limiting portions, and at least a portion of the first damping portion is configured to extend through the first port portion.

5. A fiber optic cassette assembly comprising: the fiber optic cassette of any one of claims 1 to 4; the first fiber cable portion comprising a portion of a multifiber cable; the second fiber cable portion comprising a portion of a single fiber; and wherein the first and second fiber cable portions are terminated at the splitter portion.

6. A fiber optic cassette configured to enhance installation or reduce signal loss, comprising: a housing portion having a first port portion; a splitter portion configured to optically couple a first cable portion with a second cable portion in the housing portion; a suspension portion configured to surround at least a portion of a first fiber cable portion;wherein the first port portion is configured to receive at least a portion of the suspension portion; wherein the suspension portion comprises a retention portion configured to permit movement of the cable portion relative to the first port portion within a range of motion, and a damping portion configured to dampen a force between the first port portion and a first fiber cable portion; and wherein the suspension portion is configured to permit the first fiber cable portion to pass through the first port portion without an optical connection at the first port portion so as to enhance installation or avoid signal loss.

7. The fiber optic cassette of claim 6, wherein the first fiber cable portion is configured to extend through the first port portion into at least a portion of an interior cavity defined by the housing portion and the first fiber cable portion comprises a portion of a multifiber cable.

8. The fiber optic cassette of claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the retention portion includes a first limiting portion and a second limiting portion disposed at opposites of the first port portion.

9. The fiber optic cassette of claim 8, wherein the damping portion is between the first and second limiting portions, and at least a portion of the damping portion is configured to extend through the first port portion.

10. The fiber optic cassette of any one of the claims 6 to 8, further comprising a second fiber cable portion extending through a second port portion of the housing portion into at least a portion of an interior cavity defined by the housing portion, a second suspension portion configured to surround at least a portion of the second fiber cable portion; and wherein the second port portion is configured to receive at least a portion of the second suspension portion.

11. The fiber optic cassette of claim 10, wherein the second suspension portion comprises a second retention portion configured to permit movement of the second cable portion relative to the second port portion within a second range of motion, and a second damping portion configured to dampen a force between the second port portion and the second fiber cable portion.

12. A fiber optic cassette assembly comprising: the fiber optic cassette of any one of claims 6 to 10; the first fiber cable portion comprising a portion of a multifiber cable; the second fiber cable portion comprising a portion of a single fiber; and wherein the first and second fiber cable portions are terminated at the splitter portion.

13. A fiber optic cassette configured to enhance installation or reduce signal loss, comprising: a first port portion configured to permit a fiber cable to pass there through; a splitter portion configured to optically couple a first cable portion with a second cable portion in an interior cavity; a suspension portion configured to dampen a force between the first port portion and the first fiber cable portion; and wherein the first suspension portion is configured to permit the first fiber cable portion to pass through the first port portion without an optical connection at the first port portion so as to enhance installation or avoid signal loss.

14. The fiber optic cassette of claim 13, wherein the first fiber cable portion is configured to extend through the first port portion into an interior cavity.

15. The fiber optic cassette of claim 13 or claim 14, wherein the suspension portion is configured to surround at least a portion of the first fiber cable portion.

16. The fiber optic cassette of any one of the claims 13 to 15, wherein the suspension portion comprises a retention portion configured to permit movement of the cable portion relative to the first port portion within a range of motion, and a damping portion configured to dampen a force between the first port portion and the first fiber cable portion.

17. The fiber optic cassette of claim 16, wherein the retention portion includes a first limiting portion and a second limiting portion disposed at opposites of the first port portion.

18. The fiber optic cassette of claim 17, wherein the damping portion is between the first and second limiting portions, and at least a portion of the damping portion is configured to extend through the first port portion.

19. The fiber optic cassette of any one of the claims 13 to 18, further comprising a second fiber cable portion is configured to extend through a second port portion of the housing portion into the interior cavity defined by the housing portion; a second suspension portion configured to surround the second fiber cable portion; wherein the second port portion is configured to receive at least a portion of the second suspension portion.

20. The fiber optic cassette of claim 19, wherein the second suspension portion comprises a second retention portion configured to permit movement of the second cable portion relative to the second port portion within a second range of motion, and a second damping portion configured to dampen a force between the second port portion and the second fiber cable portion.21 . A fiber optic cassette assembly comprising: the fiber optic cassette of any one of claims 13 to 20; the first fiber cable portion comprising a portion of a multifiber cable; the second fiber cable portion comprising a portion of a single fiber; and wherein the first and second fiber cable portions are terminated at the splitter portion.

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