Cable accumulator

• US 4,428,645 A
• Filed: 12/21/1981
• Issued: 01/31/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/1981
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Cable Technologies Corporation (General Cable Corporation)
• Original Assignee: GK Technologies, Inc. (General Cable Corporation)
• Inventors: Korbelak, Kenneth N., Masterson, Joseph B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, John D.
• Application Number:
  US06/332,600
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 350/96.20, 350/96.21, 350/96.22, 29/464, 156/502
• US Class Current: 385/135
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/444 Systems or boxes with surplus lengths
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/44465 Seals
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4457 Bobbins; Reels

Abstract

For spliced connection of multi-channel optical-fiber cable ends, the invention contemplates provision of a splice case internally adapted for the storage of excess length of cable in an accumulator and near the splice region, there being a splice mount that is removably secured to the accumulator, so that stored excess cable length will permit selective removal of the splice mount and all its fiber splices to a working location remote from the splice case and its accumulator, all without disturbing the continuous communicating connection of splice fibers not requiring service maintenance or repair. When the servicing operation has been completed, the excess cable length is readily re-coiled into the accumulator, the splice mount is returned to its secured position, and the splice case is re-closed.

Claims

1. In a splice case for containing splices from individual optical fibers of one multichannel fiber-optic cable end to corresponding optical fibers of another multichannel fiber-optic cable end, an accumulator comprising an elongate rectangular housing having a bottom wall and upstanding side and end walls, a cable-locating core including an annular wall fixed to and upstanding from the bottom wall and of elongate oval configuration and spaced from said side and end walls to define with said side and end walls a first oval volume for coiled accumulation of excess length of at least one of said cables near the splice region thereof, said annular wall also defining therewithin an oval second volume for coiled accumulation of excess length of at least the other of said cables near the splice region thereof, said housing including a housing closure removably secured to at least one of said side walls for removable access to accumulated cable within said housing, and splice-supporting means carried by said closure, there being at least one opening in said closure for cable passage from said accumulator to said splice-supporting means.

2. The splice case of claim 1, in which said closure has a removably secured hinge connection to said one side wall.

3. The splice case of claim 1, in which said splice-supporting means is a splice organizer having provision for independent selectively removable support of each individual fiber-to-fiber splice between the respective corresponding fibers of said cable ends.

4. In a splice case for accommodating splices from individual optical fibers of one multichannel fiber-optical cable end to corresponding optical fibers of another multichannel fiber-optic cable end, wherein said case comprises a frame including two end-wall members of like peripheral contour, and two elongate parallel tie rods rigidly connecting said end-wall members in longitudinally spaced relation, the rod connections being at corresponding peripherally spaced locations on said end-wall members, said end-wall members each having an entry port for through-passage of a different one of the cable ends, and an elongate peripheral-wall closure adapted for removable closure of the included frame volume defined by and between said end-wall members, the improvement comprising an elongate rectangular housing supported by said frame and within said volume, said housing comprising a bottom wall of substantially the longitudinal and transverse extent of said volume, side and end walls upstanding from said bottom wall, a cable-locating core fixed to and upstanding from the bottom wall and of elongate oval configuration and spaced from said side and end walls to define an annular storage volume for coiled accumulation of excess length of one of said cables near the splice region thereof, one of said walls having a port for through-passage of one cable from one end-wall port to coiled accumulation within said annular volume, said core defining with said bottom wall a generally oval storage volume for coiled accumulation of excess length of the other of said cables near the splice region thereof, said bottom wall having a port for through-passage of the other cable from the other end-wall port to coiled accumulation within said generally oval volume, a removable closure for said housing and spanning both said annular and generally oval volumes, and splice-supporting means carried by said closure.

5. The splice-case improvement of claim 4, in which each of said end walls includes means establishing a sealed port reception of the cable passing therethrough.

6. The splice-case improvement of claim 5, in which said last-defined means includes means for releasably clamping the cable in sealed relation, whereby the clamped location of each end-wall port to its cable may be selectively varied within a range determined by the cable-storage capacity of its associated cable-storage volume.

7. The splice-case improvement of claim 4, in which said closure has a removably secured hinge connection to one of said side walls and is of substantially the peripheral dimensions of said bottom wall.

8. The splice-case improvement of claim 7, in which said closure is a flat panel having at least one port near the hinge connection for cable passage therethrough, said splice-supporting means being mounted to said panel on the side external to said cable-storage volumes.

9. The splice-case improvement of claim 8, in which said closure further includes a protective housing removably secured to said side panel and defining an enclosure of said splice-supporting means.

10. The splice-case improvement of claim 7, in which the connection of said hinge to said one side wall is also a connection of said one side wall to one of said tie rods.

11. The splice-case improvement of claim 10, in which the other of said side walls is connected to the other of said tie rods.

12. A splice case for accommodating splices from individual optical fibers of one multichannel fiber-optic cable end to corresponding optical fibers of another multichannel fiber-optic cable end, said case comprising two like longitudinally spaced circular end walls, each end wall having an entry port for through-passage of a different one of the cable ends, an accumulator within the included cylindrical volume defined by and between said end walls, said accumulator comprising a rectangular bottom wall extending longitudinally between said end walls and laterally in a generally chordal plane of said cylindrical volume and at offset from the axis of said cylindrical volume, side walls upstanding from the longitudinal sides of said bottom wall and to substantially the extent of said offset, a cable-locating core wall upstanding from the bottom wall to substantially the extent of said offset, said core wall being of elongate oval configuration and spaced from all peripheral limits of said bottom wall to define an annular storage volume for coiled accumulation of excess length of one of said cables between one of said entry ports and the splice region thereof, said core wall defining with said bottom wall a generally oval storage volume for coiled accumulation of excess length of the other of said cables between the other of said entry ports and the splice region thereof, and splice-supporting means within the remaining space of said cylindrical volume and removably secured to said accumulator.

13. The splice case of claim 12, in which two diametrically opposed tie rods rigidly interconnect said end walls, and said accumulator is connected via said side walls to said tie rods.

14. The splice case of claim 12, in which said entry ports communicate with said cylindrical volume within the cylindrically arcuate fraction which is beneath said bottom wall, and in which said bottom wall has separate port openings for passage of each of the respective cables from its entry port to its storage volume.

15. The splice case of claim 12, in which retaining-flange means extends radially inward from the upper edge of each side wall, to an extent sufficiently short of said core wall to permit cable entry into said annular storage volume in the space between said flange means and said core wall.

16. The splice case of claim 12, in which retaining-flange means extends radially inward from the upper edge of said core wall and sufficiently short of closure of said oval storage volume to permit cable entry into said oval storage volume.

17. The splice case of claim 12, in which the minimum inside radius of said core wall is at least substantially five times the diameter of the involved fiber-optic cable.