Method and apparatus for sealing fiber optic entryways to a sealed enclosure

• US 5,732,180 A
• Filed: 06/09/1995
• Issued: 03/24/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Multilink Inc.
• Original Assignee: Multilink Inc.
• Inventors: Kaplan, Steve E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, John D.
• Application Number:
  US08/489,026
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 385/134-139
• US Class Current: 385/135
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3801 Permanent connections, i.e. wherein fibres are kept aligned by mechanical means splices by bonding G02B6/255; fusion splices G02B6/2551
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4248 Feed-through connections for the hermetical passage of fibres through a package wall see provisionally also G02B6/4428
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4471 Terminating devices demountable connectors G02B6/3807; Cable clamps

Abstract

A clamping apparatus is positioned adjacent the interior wall of a sealed compartment. The wall has an opening providing an entryway for a fiber optic cable to the interior of the compartment. The clamping apparatus applies compression forces to an annular cylindrical body of a flexibly resilient and deformable grommet supported in line with the opening to seal the opening. The grommet has a passageway for the cable. The clamping apparatus, which essentially surrounds and conforms to the annular body of the grommet, is operable to compress the grommet radially around the cable and to axially urge the end face against the wall of the opening. A clamp member having clamping surfaces for compressing two side by side grommets in line with two side by side cable openings in the wall is disclosed. A headed rod extending at an angle to the wall with the cable openings therein supports the clamp member for angled movement to effect the compressive radial and axial forces.

Claims

1. In an enclosure for a fiber optic cable transmission line splice connection, a wall having a first opening therein as an entryway for a cable to the interior of said enclosure, said enclosure having clamping means mounted immediately adjacent said wall for applying compression forces to substantially the whole cylindrical periphery of a cylindrical annular body of a grommet of resiliently deformable and flexible material which surrounds a cable entering said opening and for urging the grommet axially into engagement with said wall to seal the entryway into the enclosure, said clamping means comprising grommet support means having a first grommet support adjacent said opening, said grommet support having a concave cylindrically curved portion conforming to the curvature of the annular body of the grommet for receiving the grommet, and a movable clamp member having a corresponding concave cylindrically curved portion for engaging and compressing the grommet against said grommet support and axially against said wall around the periphery of said opening, said clamping means comprises means for supporting said clamp member in opposing relationship to said grommet support means, said means for supporting said clamp member comprising means supporting said clamp member for movement along an angled path toward said grommet support means and said wall to compress the grommet and means for moving said clamp member to compress the grommet and hold it in a clamped position to maintain compression on the grommet.

2. In an enclosure for a fiber optic cable transmission line splice connection, the structure as defined in claim 1 in which said wall has a second opening therein as a second cable entryway into said enclosure, said second opening being along side said first opening and said grommet support means comprising a second grommet support adjacent said opening and along side said first grommet support, said second grommet support having a concave cylindrically curved portion conforming to the curvature of the annular body of a second grommet for receiving the second grommet and said movable clamp member having a second concave cylindrically curved portion having the curvature of the annular body of said second grommet for engaging and compressing the second grommet against the second grommet support to seal along the cable therein and axially against said wall around the periphery of said second opening to seal said second opening.

3. In an enclosure for a fiber optic cable transmission line splice connection, the structure as defined in claim 2 in which each said opposing concave surfaces extend approximately 180°

around the radial circumference of the grommet to be clamped therebetween, each said opposing surfaces defining a cylinder conforming to the exterior of a grommet to be clamped with a gap between the opposing surfaces with said gap lying along a diametrical plane of the defined cylinder.

4. In an enclosure for a fiber optic cable transmission line splice connection, the structure as defined in claim 3 in which said means for supporting said clamp member comprises a headed rod extending angularly from said wall through said clamp member to support said clamp member for movement toward said grommet support means and said wall.

5. In an enclosure for a fiber optic cable transmission line splice connection, the structure as defined in claim 3 in which each said cylindrically concave surfaces opposing each other have V-shaped grooves therein for receiving annular ridges on the annular body of a grommet therebetween.

6. In an enclosure for a fiber optic cable transmission line splice connection, the structure as defined in claim 2 in which said means for supporting said clamp member comprises a headed rod extending angularly from said wall through said clamp member to support said clamp member for movement toward said grommet support means and said wall.

7. In an enclosure for a fiber optic cable transmission line splice connection, the structure as defined in claim 1 in which said opposing concave surfaces extend approximately 180°

around the radial circumference of the grommet to be clamped therebetween, said opposing surfaces defining a cylinder conforming to the exterior of the grommet to be clamped thereby with a gap between the opposing surfaces, said gap lying along a diametrical plane of the defined cylinder.

8. In an enclosure for a fiber optic cable transmission line splice connection, the structure as defined in claim 7 in which said means for supporting said clamp member comprises a headed rod extending angularly from said wall through said clamp member to support said clamp member for movement toward said grommet support means and said wall.

9. In an enclosure for a fiber optic cable transmission line splice connection, the structure as defined in claim 7 in said cylindrically concave surfaces opposing each other have V-shaped grooves therein for receiving annular ridges on the annular body of a grommet therebetween.

10. In an enclosure for a fiber optic cable transmission line splice connection, the structure as defined in claim 1 in which said means for supporting said clamp member comprises a headed rod extending angularly from said wall through said clamp member to support said clamp member for movement toward said grommet support means and said wall.

11. In an enclosure for a fiber optic cable transmission line splice connection, the structure as defined in claim 1 in which said cylindrically concave surfaces opposing each other have V-shaped grooves therein for receiving annular ridges on the annular body of a grommet therebetween.

12. In a splice enclosure which has an interior compartment which is to be sealed from the exterior environment, said compartment comprising an external wall having respective opposed first and second wall sides and a cable opening extending through said wall and wall sides for passing a cable between the exterior and interior of the compartment, and a grommet supporting and confining structure for supporting an elongated resiliently deformable annular grommet having first and second terminating annular end faces, one at each end thereof, and an axial cable passageway therethrough for the cable, said supporting and confining structure comprising grommet support means supporting said grommet axially in line with the center of said opening with said second end face of the grommet displaced outwardly away from said first wall side and said first end face disposed adjacent said first wall side and the opening therethrough whereby the grommet extends axially in a direction away from said first wall side to said second end face displaced from said first wall side, said supporting and confining structure having opposed confining surfaces extending away from said first wall side and axially along the grommet, said confining surfaces being cylindrically concave surfaces extending essentially the full length of the grommet for engaging essentially the full length of the outside cylindrical surface of the grommet, and grommet compression mechanism for establishing radial compression forces in the grommet for essentially the full length of the grommet between said confining surfaces to resiliently urge the interior of the grommet against the exterior of the cable passing through the grommet to provide a seal along the cable, said compression mechanism comprising a compression member engageable with said second end face of the grommet for compressing and bodily urging the grommet axially toward said first side of said wall to effect axial components in the grommet to compress and resiliently urge said first end face of the grommet against said first wall side around the outer periphery of said cable opening to effect a sealing of said cable opening between said first wall side and the grommet.

13. In an enclosure for a fiber optic cable transmission line splice connection as defined in claim 12 in which said compression mechanism comprises relatively rotatable elements for establishing compression forces in the grommet to compress the grommet between said surfaces and to urge the grommet bodily toward said first wall side, said relatively rotatable elements being operatively connected to said member to urge the grommet toward said first wall side to compressingly urge the said first end face of the grommet into sealing engagement with said first wall side of said wall.

14. In an enclosure for a fiber optic cable transmission line splice connection as defined in claim 13 in which said elements are threaded elements.