FIBER OPTIC FLAT RIBBON CABLE STRAIN RELIEF
First Claim
1. Strain relief apparatus for mounting on a fiber optic connector housing, which provides strain relief for a fiber optic flat ribbon cable, or flat cable, comprising:
- a first flat cable adaptor that is fixed to said connector housing and that includes walls forming a first groove for receiving at least one fiber optic flat cable, said first groove having first and second end portions and a middle portion between said end portions, said end portions and middle portion each being of substantially rectangular cross-section, with a width and height, wherein the width is a plurality of times the height, and each groove portion has a bottom wall;
a strain relief jacket lying around a portion of the length of said flat cable which can fit into said passage middle portion;
said jacket lying in said passage middle portion and portions of said at least one flat cable extend through each of said passage end portions, said jacket being clamped to walls of said passage middle portion.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A strain relief apparatus which is especially useful with a standard fiber optic connector (10) having a cylinder backshell (12) with a pair of rearwardly-projecting arms (20, 22) that hold circular clamp elements (24, 26) to clamp to a circular optical fiber cable, which facilitates clamping to a fiber optic flat ribbon cable, or flat cable (40). A flat cable adaptor (54) has a groove (82) with front, rear, and middle groove portions (84, 86, 90) each of rectangular cross-section for receiving the flat cable. A jacket (94) of compressible material of about one inch length is wrapped around the flat cable and lies in the groove middle portion. Only the jacketed part of the flat cable is firmly pressed against the bottom wall (114) of the groove to clamp the flat cable to the adaptor. In one adaptor device, two identical adaptors (52, 54) are used, which form a circular recess (62) that receives the clamp elements. In another device, only a single adaptor (130) is used, with the jacketed cable portion (94) projecting above the top face of the adaptor, and with a wrap (150) such as a heat shrink sleeve tightly wrapped around the jacket and the adaptor.
87 Citations
15 Claims
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1. Strain relief apparatus for mounting on a fiber optic connector housing, which provides strain relief for a fiber optic flat ribbon cable, or flat cable, comprising:
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a first flat cable adaptor that is fixed to said connector housing and that includes walls forming a first groove for receiving at least one fiber optic flat cable, said first groove having first and second end portions and a middle portion between said end portions, said end portions and middle portion each being of substantially rectangular cross-section, with a width and height, wherein the width is a plurality of times the height, and each groove portion has a bottom wall;
a strain relief jacket lying around a portion of the length of said flat cable which can fit into said passage middle portion;
said jacket lying in said passage middle portion and portions of said at least one flat cable extend through each of said passage end portions, said jacket being clamped to walls of said passage middle portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. Strain relief apparatus for mounting on a fiber optic connector, and providing strain relief for a fiber optic flat cable assembly of substantially rectangular cross-section, comprising:
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first and second adaptors which each has a cable-engaging face that lies facewise against the cable engaging face of the other adaptor;
the cable-engaging face of said first adaptor having a groove extending in a longitudinal direction along its length, said groove having opposite end portions and a middle portion;
said groove end portions and middle portion each having a rectangular cross-section with a lateral width and vertical thickness, the lateral width at each end and middle portion being at least twice the vertical thickness thereat to receive said flat cable assembly;
said adaptors being clamped together to clamp said flat cable assembly between them. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. Strain relief apparatus for mounting on a fiber optic connector, and providing strain relief for a fiber optic flat cable assembly of substantially rectangular cross-section, comprising:
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an adaptor that has a substantially flat upper surface with a groove, said groove having front and rear groove end portions and a groove middle portion;
said flat cable assembly includes a flat cable and a strain relief jacket wrapped about a limited length of said flat cable;
said flat cable assembly lies in said groove, with said jacket lying in said groove middle portion and projecting above said adaptor flat upper surface;
a wrap that is tightly wrapped around said adaptor and said jacket. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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14. The apparatus described including 13 wherein:
said groove middle portion has a greater width than said groove rear end portion, and said jacket fits closely in said groove middle portion so it cannot readily slide rearward out through said rear end portion.
Specification