Mission Critical magazine is reporting that Panduit announced that it has been issued two patents for its latest innovations in fiber-optic technology. The patents are for a hybrid optical fiber and copper conductor cable assembly (patent No.10-215934) and a modular fiber optic tray (patent No.10-215944). According to the report:
The first patent describes an innovative connector and cable assembly that house both optical fibers and copper conductors and was invented by Richard Pimpinella, Daniel Host, and Jose Castro. “Our industrial customers are increasingly connecting and networking their manufacturing assets, and hybrid optical and electrical communications systems will be a key technology enabler in the future,” commented Pimpinella, Panduit's lead optical research engineer.
The second patent discloses an innovative fiber-optic tray for use within Panduit’s HD Flex fiber cabling system, that allow users to easily modify supporting rails to accommodate different sized fiber optic modules. The co-inventors of the modular fiber optic tray are Thomas Sedor, Jerry Wiltjer, Robert Reid, Joseph Sanders, Joel Kwasny, and Bon Sledzinski.