Optical Splice Tray Mounting Platform With Secure Tabs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fiber optic connections in outdoor and underground environments are susceptible to damage due to forces incurred during deployment and installation, requiring secure mounting solutions to prevent disconnection and damage to optical components like splice trays and optical splitters.
Innovation Solution
A multi-port optical connection terminal with a mounting platform and secure tabs that attach to the base, preventing movement of optical components within the terminal, and a cover that further secures these components inside the enclosure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If optical components are mounted in the terminal without secure mounting structures, then the terminal structure remains simple, but the optical components are susceptible to movement and damage during deployment and installation
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting structure is segmented into separate functional elements: mounting surfaces for component attachment, mounting tabs for positional constraint, and securing mechanisms for final fixation. This segmentation allows each element to perform its specific function efficiently while maintaining overall structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting surfaces and mounting tabs are pre-configured on the mounting platform before optical components are installed. This preliminary arrangement ensures that components are immediately positioned and constrained correctly upon installation, preventing movement during deployment without requiring complex post-installation securing structures.
2Reliability
If secure mounting structures with tabs and channels are implemented, then optical components are protected from movement and damage, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting platform integrates multiple functions into a single component: it provides mounting surfaces for component attachment, mounting tabs for positional constraint within channels, and structural support for the optical components. This merging reduces the number of separate parts needed while achieving comprehensive protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting tabs and channels work together in a self-securing manner where the tabs naturally engage with the channels during installation, automatically constraining the mounting platform's position without requiring additional fastening operations or complex securing mechanisms.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the terminal is designed to be sealed and protected for outdoor deployment, then environmental protection is improved, but access and installation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal is divided into a sealed enclosure for environmental protection and an accessible mounting platform for component installation. The mounting platform can be accessed through the enclosure structure, allowing technicians to install and service optical components without compromising the sealed protective environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting platform and securing structures are pre-configured within the sealed enclosure before deployment. This allows for straightforward installation of optical components through access points in the enclosure without requiring complex assembly procedures or compromising the sealed environment's integrity.
Data Source
AI summary
Multi-port optical connection terminals and mounting platforms and related methods designed to secure optical components inside an enclosure of the multi-port optical connection terminals are disclosed. In one embodiment, a multi-port optical connection terminal includes an enclosure comprising a base and a cover configured to attach to the base to define an interior cavity. A mounting platform defining a mounting surface for mounting at least one optical component comprised from the group consisting of at least one splice tray and at least one optical splitter to the at least one mounting surface is provided. A plurality of mounting tabs of the mounting platform are configured to extend into channels disposed in an interior wall of the base. In this manner, the mounting platform and any optical components secured thereto are secured inside the interior cavity, which may prevent damage to optical fibers and/or splices of the optical components.