Telecommunications cabinet with connector storage

Abstract

A housing including a plurality of openings for receiving fiber optic connectors and protecting the polished end face of the connectors from damage while the connectors are stored within a telecommunications connection cabinet. A module with a plurality of optical fiber cables connected to a first optical fiber cable and terminated by a fiber optic connector. Each of the connectors are inserted within openings in a connector holder for storage and protection until the cables need to be connected to a customer equipment cable.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method of increasing capacity of a telecommunications cabinet by adding a fiber optic splitter, the fiber optic splitter being positioned within a splitter housing, the fiber optic splitter being configured to split an optical signal into a plurality of optical signals that are carried away from the splitter housing by a plurality of splitter output cables that extend outwardly from the splitter housing, each of the splitter output cables being terminated by a fiber optic connector, the fiber optic connectors being held by a connector holder,_the method comprising:
 positioning the splitter housing and the connector holder within the cabinet, the connector holder being positioned within the cabinet while the fiber optic connectors remain within the connector holder;   wherein the connector holder is mounted in the cabinet at a location separate from the splitter housing.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the splitter housing is preconfigured with an input cable for carrying to the fiber optic splitter signals desired to be split, wherein the splitter housing is mounted at a splitter mounting location of the cabinet when the splitter housing is positioned within the cabinet, and wherein the input cable is optically connected to an outside cable that is routed into the cabinet. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the input cable is optically connected to the outside cable by a splice. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein when the connector holder is positioned within the cabinet, the splitter output cables corresponding to the fiber optic connectors are routed within the cabinet while the fiber optic connectors remain within the connector holder. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the splitter output cables corresponding to the fiber optic connectors are routed within cable management channels within the cabinet while the fiber optic connectors remain within the connector holder. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the splitter output cables corresponding to the fiber optic connectors are routed in a slack storage arrangement within the cabinet while the fiber optic connectors remain within the connector holder. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein when the connector holder is positioned within the cabinet, the connector holder is connected to a panel within the cabinet by a snap-fit connection while the fiber optic connectors remain within the connector holder. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the cabinet includes a termination field including a plurality of fiber optic adapters that are pre-cabled to customer premises, and wherein the fiber optic connectors are configured to be removed from the connector holder and inserted into the adapters of the termination field to provide service to the customer premises after the connector holder has been positioned within the cabinet. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the connector holder defines a plurality of separate openings, each opening being adapted for receiving one of the fiber optic connectors. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the connector holder includes a block defining a plurality of openings for receiving the fiber optic connectors. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising, after positioning the connector holder within the cabinet, removing one of the fiber optic connectors from the connector holder and inserting the one of the fiber optic connectors into a fiber optic adapter. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the cabinet includes a termination field and the connector holder is mounted in the cabinet at a location separate from the termination field. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising, after positioning the connector holder within the cabinet, removing one of the fiber optic connectors from the connector holder and inserting the one of the fiber optic connectors into the termination field.