Optical fiber cable enclosure

• US 5,596,670 A
• Filed: 01/16/1996
• Issued: 01/21/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siecor Technology, Inc. (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Northern Telecom Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Hvezda, Jaroslav M., Lukas, Helmut H., Osborne, Brian T., Debortoli, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Healy, Brian
• Application Number:
  US08/587,161
• Time in Patent Office: 371 Days
• Field of Search: 385/54, 385/55, 385/59, 385/60, 385/71, 385/76, 385/77, 385/88, 385/92, 385/100, 385/106, 385/109, 385/110, 385/134, 385/135, 385/136, 385/137
• US Class Current: 385/135
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4442 Cap coupling boxes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4444 Seals
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4471 Terminating devices demountable connectors G02B6/3807; Cable clamps
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/44775 Cable seals e.g. feed-through cable seals integrated to the box seals G02B6/4444; pulling eyes G02B6/44465
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4478 Bending relief means

Abstract

Optical cable enclosure for connecting a supply optical cable to a customer cable having respective storage regions for optical fibers of both cables and an interconnection region for the fibers. The optical fibers of the customer cable extend either to their storage region or to the interconnection region, guide members being positioned for change in direction from one region to the other. The paths of the optical fibers are controlled regardless of their destination to ensure no undue stresses are placed upon the fibers. This control is effected quickly and easily.

Claims

1. An optical cable enclosure for interconnecting optical fibers of a supply cable to optical fibers of a customer cable comprising:

a housing and an internal structure;

an inlet in the housing for the supply cable and a first storage region provided by the structure for optical fibers of the supply cable;

an inlet in the housing for the customer cable, a second storage region provided by the structure, the second storage region for unused optical fibers of the customer cable, and an interconnection region provided by the internal structure for interconnecting optical fibers of the customer cable to optical fibers of the supply cable;

the housing comprising an end plate which defines the inlets for the supply and customer cables, and a cover, the internal structure being secured to the end plate, and the cover being movable over the internal structure between a position around the internal structure and sealed to the end plate and a position removed from the internal structure for access to the internal structure;

and guide means defining two paths each of which extend from the customer cable inlet and diverge with one of the paths leading to the second storage region for guiding optical fibers of the customer cable to the second storage region and the other of the paths leading to the interconnection region for guiding optical fibers of the customer cable to the interconnection region.

2. A cable enclosure according to claim 1 comprising a plurality of fiber holders individually movable between an operating and access positions, each fiber holder having a first storage region and an interconnection region.

3. A cable enclosure according to claim 2 wherein the plurality of fiber holders in their operating positions are stacked in a frame and are movable out of the stack and into their access positions.

4. A cable enclosure according to claim 3 wherein each holder is slidable into and out of its operating position.

5. A cable enclosure according to claim 3 wherein the frame has a plate extending along one side of the stack, the plate separating the stack from a passage extending from the inlet for the supply cable for location of optical fibers from the supply cable past one end of the holders, along the side of the stack and to an entrance to the first storage region disposed at the other end of each fiber holder.

6. A cable enclosure according to claim 3 wherein in the second storage region there are provided a plurality of location means for locating a plurality of groups of fibers in the second storage region.

7. A cable enclosure according to claim 6 wherein each location means is resilient to enable it to be resiliently opened to resiliently hold a tube extending from the customer cable, the tube containing a group of fibers.

8. A cable enclosure according to claim 7 provided with another plurality of resilient location means disposed along a path between the inlet for the customer cable to the stack of fiber holders, for alternatively holding a tube of the customer cable in one of either plurality of resilient location means.

9. A cable enclosure according to claim 8 wherein the other plurality of resilient location means are provided in series along an elongate member which locates each of its location means for directing a tube towards an individual fiber holder.

10. A cable enclosure according to claim 3 wherein the stack of fiber holders has two ends, the end plate is spaced from one end of the stack, each holder having an entry end nearest the end plate for optical fibers of the customer cable and an entry end furthest from the end plate for optical fibers of the supply cable, a passage defined at one side of the stack of holders for optical fibers of the supply cable to the entry end of each holder furthest from the end plate, each holder provided with a first storage region adjacent the entry end furthest from the end plate and also having an interconnection position.

11. A cable enclosure according to claim 10 wherein each holder has an excess fiber control region adjacent the end of the holder nearest the end plate.

12. A cable enclosure according to claim 10 wherein the end plate is axially in line with the ends of the holders nearest the end plate with a space provided between the end plate and the nearest ends of the holders and with the second storage position extending along one side of the stack of holders and away from the end plate, and the guide means is located in the space between the end plate and the ends of the holders.

13. An assembly of optical cables and an optical cable enclosure for interconnecting a supply cable to optical fibers of a customer cable wherein the enclosure comprises:

a housing and an internal structure;

an inlet in the housing for the supply cable and a first storage region provided by the internal structure for optical fibers of the supply cable;

an inlet in the housing for the customer cable, a second storage region provided by the internal structure, the second storage region for unused optical fibers of the customer cable, and an interconnection region provided by the internal structure for interconnecting optical fibers of the customer cable to optical fibers of the supply cable;

and guide means defining two paths each of which extend from the customer cable inlet and diverge with one of the paths leading to the second storage region for guiding optical fibers of the customer cable to the second storage region, and the other of the paths leading to the interconnection region for guiding optical fibers of the customer cable to the interconnection region;

and the optical cables comprise;

a supply cable extending through the supply cable inlet with some of the optical fibers of the supply cable extending to the interconnection region and other optical fibers of the supply cable extending to the first storage region; and

a customer cable extending through the customer cable inlet with some of the optical fibers of the customer cable extending along the one path to the interconnection region and interconnected to optical fibers of the supply cable and other optical fibers of the customer cable extending along the other path to the second storage region while diverging from the fibers of the customer cable extending to the interconnection region.

14. An assembly according to claim 13 wherein there are two inlets for the supply cable, the supply cable having cable lengths extending into both inlets and optical fibers of the supply cable extend from one cable length to the other and through the first storage region.

15. An assembly according to claim 13 wherein the optical fiber holders are disposed in a stack in the frame and have a first storage region and an interconnection region and the optical fibers of the supply cable extend to the first storage regions of the holders.

16. An assembly according to claim 15 wherein the stack of fibers has two ends, the housing has an end plate spaced from one end of the stack, the end plate defining the inlets, each holder having an entry end nearest the end plate for optical fibers of the customer cable and an entry end furthest from the end plate for optical fibers of the supply cable, a passage defined at one side of the stack of holders for optical fibers of the supply cable to the entry end of each holder furthest from the end plate, each holder provided with a first storage region adjacent the entry end furthest from the end plate and also with an interconnection position, and optical fibers of the supply cable extend from its inlet along the passage and through the entry ends of the holders furthest from the end plate to the first storage positions of the holders and the customer cable extends through its inlet, optical fibers of the customer cable guided by the guide means either to the second storage position or to an excess fiber control region adjacent the nearest end of one at least of the holders, the customer and supply cable optical fibers extending to and being interconnected at the interconnection position of said at least one holder.

17. An assembly according to claim 15 wherein optical fibers from the customer cable are disposed in groups within tubes to extend each group of fibers either to the second storage region or to the excess fiber control region.

18. An assembly according to claim 17 wherein a tube location means is provided for the second storage region and also for the holders and each tube is of specific length and has tube control means for disposing the tube precisely with a specific longitudinal region of the tube held by one location means or the other location means so as to control the path of the tube when it is passing either to the second storage region or to its individual holder.

19. An assembly according to claim 18 wherein the tube control means comprises at least one registration element extending outwards from the tube for registration with one or other of the location means.

20. An assembly according to claim 19 wherein each location means comprises two resilient spaced gripping members and the registration element is disposable between the gripping members with the tube held by the location means to at least restrict longitudinal movement of the tube.