CABLE RETAINER ASSEMBLY AND METHOD FOR POSITIONING THE SAME

• US 20100178022A1
• Filed: 01/14/2010
• Published: 07/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bison Patent Licensing, LLC
• Original Assignee: Tyco Electronics Services GmbH (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: SMRHA, MARK, SCHROEDER, MICHAEL D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,452,151 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/136
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4459 Ducts; Conduits; Hollow tubes for air blown fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4471 Terminating devices demountable connectors G02B6/3807; Cable clamps
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/60 Means for supporting coupling part when not engaged
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A cable retainer assembly comprising a cable retainer and a cable retainer bracket for retaining a cable to a fixed location. The cable retainer is positioned on an arbitrary portion of the cable and then secured to a cable retainer assembly such that one or more cables can be secured and organized.

Claims

1. A cable retainer assembly comprising:

a female coupling having a body having a generally cylindrical shape about a first longitudinal axis, the body having an external surface, an internal surface, and a side slot extending longitudinally from a first end opening to an opposite second end opening, the internal surface having a first diameter at the first end opening and a second diameter at the second end opening, wherein the second diameter is smaller than the first diameter;

a male coupling having a body having a generally cylindrical shape about a second longitudinal axis, the body having an external surface, an internal surface, and a side slot extending longitudinally from a first end opening to an opposite second end opening, the external surface defining a shoulder with a diameter larger than the first diameter of the internal surface of the body of the female coupling, the body of the male coupling defining a plurality of flexible projections at one end extending in a direction parallel to the second longitudinal axis and terminating in distal ends;

wherein the second end of the body of the male coupling is inserted into the first end of the body of the female coupling, wherein the distal ends of the projections are movable radially inward as the projections move along the internal surface of the body of the female coupling as the end of the body of the male coupling is moved toward the second end of the body of the female coupling to form a mated cable retainer; and

a holder, wherein the mated cable retainer is coupled to the holder.

2. The cable retainer assembly of claim 1, wherein the female coupling is integrally formed with the holder.

3. The cable retainer assembly of claim 2, wherein a plurality of female couplings are integrally formed with the holder.

4. The cable retainer assembly of claim 1, wherein a circumferential notch is defined on the external surface of the female coupling, and wherein the holder further includes a slotted edge in which the slotted edge is received in the notch of the external surface of the body of the female coupling when the female coupling is moved relative to the holder in a direction transverse to the first longitudinal axis.

5. The cable retainer assembly of claim 4, wherein a closure member is mounted to the holder to retain the female coupling with the holder.

6. The cable retainer assembly of claim 1, wherein the body of the female coupling is positioned on a cable by inserting the cable through a passage defined in the female coupling body such that the female coupling engages the cable as a sleeve fitting.

7. The cable retainer assembly of claim 1, wherein the female coupling is positioned on a cable by pressing the cable lengthwise through the side slot defined in the female coupling body such that the female coupling engages the cable as a sleeve fitting.

8. The cable retainer assembly of claim 1, wherein the male coupling is positioned on a cable by inserting the cable through a passage defined in the male coupling body such that the male coupling engages the cable as a sleeve fitting.

9. The cable retainer assembly of claim 1, wherein the male coupling is positioned on a cable by pressing the cable lengthwise through the side slot defined in the male coupling body such that the male coupling engages the cable as a sleeve fitting.

10. The cable retainer assembly of claim 1, wherein as the distal ends of the flexible projections engage the internal surface of the female coupling and are moved radially inward the male coupling inner diameter is reduced to exert a radial clamping force on the cable to secure the mated retainer to the cable.

11. The cable retainer assembly of claim 1, wherein the holder includes a plate construction.

12. The cable retainer assembly of claim 1, wherein upon forming a mated cable retainer, the male coupling is rotated with respect to the female coupling such that the male coupling side slot is not coincident with the female coupling side slot.

13. The cable retainer assembly of claim 1, wherein a retainment pin is inserted into a retainment aperture in the holder to secure the holder to a bulkhead.

14. The cable retainer assembly of claim 1, wherein the body of the male coupling has a flared shape for the internal surface adjacent to an end opposite to the one end including flexible the projections.

15. A method of retaining a cable using a cable retainer assembly, the method comprising:

positioning a female coupling on a section of the cable;

positioning a male coupling on a section of the cable in proximity to the female coupling;

inserting a male coupling complementary feature into the female coupling to form a mated cable retainer by moving the male coupling in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the cable;

securing the mated cable retainer to a bulkhead.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein positioning the female coupling on the section of the cable is by inserting the cable through a passage defined in the female coupling body such that the female coupling engages the cable as a sleeve fitting.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein positioning the female coupling on the section of the cable is by pressing the cable lengthwise through a side slot defined in the female coupling body such that the female coupling engages the cable as a sleeve fitting.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein positioning the male coupling on the section of the cable in proximity to the female coupling is by inserting the cable through a passage defined in the male coupling body such that the male coupling engages the cable as a sleeve fitting.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein positioning the male coupling on the section of the cable in proximity to the female coupling is by pressing the cable lengthwise through the side slot defined in the male coupling body such that the male coupling engages the cable as a sleeve fitting.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising rotating the male coupling with respect to the female coupling such that the side slots of each respective coupling are not coincident.

21. A method of retaining one or more cables using a cable retainer assembly, the method comprising:

positioning a male coupling on a section cable;

positioning a portion of the cable adjacent to a male coupling complementary feature within a passage of a female coupling, wherein the female coupling is integrally formed with a holder;

rotating the male coupling with respect to the female coupling such that a side slot formed on the male coupling does not coincide with a side slot formed in the female coupling;

inserting the male coupling complementary feature into a female coupling passage to form a mated cable retainer by moving the male coupling in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the cable to form a mated cable retainer; and

securing the cable retainer assembly to a bulkhead.

22. A cable management system comprising:

a plurality of fiber optic cables having distal ends terminated by fiber optic connections;

a cable holder positioned spaced from the distal ends, the cable holder including;

a base including a plurality of first members, wherein each first member is slotted between a first end and a second end of the first member in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of each first member;

a plurality of second members each slidably received by one of the first members in a direction of the longitudinal axis of the first members, wherein each of the second members is slotted between a first end and a second end of the second member in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of each second member;

wherein a selected one of the first and second ends of each second member is received in one of the first and second ends of the first members, wherein the selected end of each of the second members received in the first members is moveable radially inwardly to engage an exterior of one of the fiber optic cables.