US 12,455,425 B2
Optical interconnect system for an equipment rack of a fiber optic network and method of installing fiber optic cables in an equipment rack using the optical interconnect system
Christopher Shawn Houser, Hickory, NC (US); Francisco Luna Pina, Hickory, NC (US); and Joshua Thomas Smith, Mooresville, NC (US)
Assigned to CORNING RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, Corning, NY (US)
Filed by CORNING RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, Corning, NY (US)
Filed on Jun. 9, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/208,231.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/351,007, filed on Jun. 10, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0400654 A1, Dec. 14, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G02B 6/00 (2006.01); G02B 6/44 (2006.01); H05K 7/14 (2006.01)
CPC G02B 6/4446 (2013.01) [G02B 6/4452 (2013.01); G02B 6/4471 (2013.01); H05K 7/1497 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An optical interconnect system for an equipment rack of a fiber optic network, the equipment rack including at least one equipment patch panel having a plurality of coupling port locations, the optical interconnect system comprising:
a plurality of cable harnesses configured for installation in the equipment rack, wherein each of the plurality of cable harnesses comprises:
a fiber optic cable carrying a plurality of optical fibers and having a network end and a furcation end, the network end including at least one primary fiber optic connector terminating the plurality of optical fibers and configured to be connected to the fiber optic network;
a furcation housing including a cable end and a breakout end, the cable end of the furcation housing receiving the furcation end of the fiber optic cable; and
a plurality of breakout legs having a furcation end and a rack end, wherein each of the plurality of breakout legs is configured to carry at least one optical fiber of the plurality of optical fibers, wherein the furcation end of each of the plurality of breakout legs is received in the breakout end of the furcation housing, and wherein the rack end of each of the plurality of breakout legs is terminated by at least one secondary fiber optic connector;
at least one installation tray including a plurality of coupling locations, wherein each of the plurality of secondary fiber optic connectors from the plurality of breakout legs is connected to the at least one installation tray at a respective coupling location of the plurality of coupling locations,
wherein the plurality of coupling locations on the at least one installation tray has an arrangement that corresponds to the plurality of port locations on the at least one equipment patch panel.