Sheath bonding arrangement for fiber optic cable splices

• US 6,591,055 B1
• Filed: 11/02/2001
• Issued: 07/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Roberts, David W., Huffman, John Sinclair, Eslambolchi, Hossein
• Primary Examiner(s): Nasri, Javaid H.
• Application Number:
  US10/002,044
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 385/136, 385/137, 385/101, 439/98, 439/431, 439/433, 439/434
• US Class Current: 385/136
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/2558 Reinforcement of splice joint

Abstract

A bond device for fiber optic cables allows for an electrical bond to be made between the cables without the need to first strip away the outer poly covering on each cable. The bond device comprises a metallic lug element which includes a cable-receiving channel, the interior surface of the channel having at least one (and, preferably, a plurality of) outwardly extending barbed tooth. As the metallic lug is clamped around the cable, the tooth/teeth penetrate the outer poly layer and contact the underlying metallic sheath material. The lug may then be coupled to another such lug via a stranded wire bonding ribbon attached between the lugs.

Claims

1. A bonding arrangement for use with fiber optic cables, said arrangement comprising:

a metallic lug element formed to surround a section of a fiber optic cable, said lug element having an interior longitudinal channel for receiving the fiber optic cable, said channel having an interior circumferential and longitudinal surface area extending substantially the length of said interior longitudinal channel and having a plurality of metallic teeth in substantially all of said surface area, each of said teeth having a predetermined height sufficient to penetrate through an outer protection layer on a fiber optic cable and contact an underlying metallic sheath layer; and

a clamping mechanism for securing the metallic lug element around the fiber optic cable such that said plurality of teeth penetrate the outer protection layer and contact the underlying metallic sheath layer.

2. The bonding arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein the metallic lug element comprises two separate clamp sections, each clamp section having a longitudinal portion of said longitudinal interior channel, each longitudinal portion of said interior channel having a circumferential and longitudinal surface area populated with said plurality of teeth, each of said teeth extending outward from the inner channel of each clamp section.

3. The bonding arrangement as defined in claim 2 wherein the arrangement further comprises an insert, disposed between the clamp sections to prevent the clamping mechanism from over-tightening the fiber optic cable.

4. The bonding arrangement as defined in claim 2 wherein the clamping mechanism comprises a plurality of screws used to fasten the separate clamp sections together, each of said screws contacting the upper and lower clamps and pulling said upper and lower clamps together.

5. The bonding arrangement as defined in claim 2, further comprising an inserting means for sealing and preventing the clamping mechanism from over-tightening the clamp sections together.

6. The bonding arrangement as defined in claim 2, wherein said clamping mechanism comprises a means for varying the spacing between the two clamp sections.

7. The bonding arrangement as defined in claim 2, further comprising an inserting means for preventing the clamping mechanism from over-tightening the clamp sections together.

8. The bonding arrangement as defined in claim 2, further comprising an insert between the clamp sections for sealing the clamp sections together.

9. The bonding arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein the metallic lug element comprises a hinged clamp, comprising an upper clamp section and a lower clamp section, and an insert, disposed between the upper and lower clamp sections to prevent the clamping mechanism from over-tightening the fiber optic cable.

10. The bonding arrangement as defined in claim 9 wherein the clamping mechanism comprises a locking element for securing together the edges of the upper and lower clamp sections opposite the hinge, said locking element comprising a plurality of locking pins attached to the lower clamp and in mating alignment with a plurality of recesses on the upper clamp, said locking pins extending through said plurality of recesses for tightening said upper and lower clamps together.

11. The bonding arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein the arrangement is used for forming an electrical ground and further comprises

a grounding member disposed on an outer surface of the metallic lug element.

12. An arrangement for providing electrical bonding between a pair of fiber optic cables, the arrangement comprising:

a first metallic lug element disposed to clamp a section of a first fiber optic cable of said pair of fiber optic cables, said first metallic lug element having a first interior longitudinal channel for receiving the first fiber optic cable, the first channel having an interior circumferential and longitudinal surface area extending substantially the length of said interior longitudinal channel and having a plurality of metallic teeth in substantially all of said surface area, each of said teeth having a predetermined height sufficient to penetrate an outer cable layer of the first fiber optic cable and contacting an underlying metallic sheath layer on said first fiber optic cable;

a second metallic lug element disposed to clamp a section of a second fiber optic cable of said pair of fiber optic cables, said second metallic lug element having a second interior longitudinal channel for receiving the second fiber optic cable, the second channel having an interior circumferential and longitudinal surface area extending substantially the length of said interior longitudinal channel and having a plurality of metallic teeth in substantially all of said surface area, each of said teeth having a predetermined height sufficient to penetrate an outer cable layer of the second fiber optic cable and contacting an underlying metallic sheath layer on said second fiber optic cable; and

a metallic bonding ribbon connected between the first metallic lug element and the second metallic lug element to provide electrical continuity between said first and second fiber optic cables.

13. The arrangement as defined in claim 12 further comprising a clamping means on each of said first and second lug elements for securing the first and second fiber optic cables such that said plurality of teeth in both said first and second lug elements penetrate the outer protection layer and contact the underlying metallic sheath layer.

14. The bonding arrangement as defined in claim 12, wherein said clamping mechanism comprises a means for varying the spacing between the two clamp sections.

15. The bonding arrangement as defined in claim 12, further comprising an inserting means for preventing the clamping mechanism from over-tightening the clamp sections together.

16. The bonding arrangement as defined in claim 12 wherein each of said first and second metallic lug elements comprises two separate clamp sections, each clamp section having a longitudinal portion of said longitudinal interior channel, each longitudinal portion of said interior channel having a circumferential and longitudinal surface area populated with said plurality of teeth, each of said teeth extending outward from the inner channel of each clamp section.

17. The bonding arrangement as defined in claims 12, further comprising an insert between the clamp sections for sealing the clamp sections together.

18. The bonding arrangement as defined in claim 12, further comprising an inserting means for sealing and preventing the clamping mechanism from over-tightening the clamp sections together.

19. A method of forming a metallic sheath bond between a first fiber optic cable and a second fiber optic cable, the method comprising the steps of:

clamping a first metallic lug element around the first fiber optic cable, said first metallic lug element having a first interior longitudinal channel for receiving the first fiber optic cable, the first channel having an interior circumferential and longitudinal surface area extending substantially the length of said interior longitudinal channel and having a plurality of metallic teeth in substantially all of said surface area, each of said teeth having a predetermined height sufficient to penetrate an outer cable layer of the first fiber optic cable and contacting an underlying metallic sheath layer on said first fiber optic cable;

clamping a second metallic lug element around the second fiber optic cable, said second metallic lug element having a second longitudinal interior channel for receiving the second fiber optic cable, the second channel having an interior circumferential and longitudinal surface area extending substantially the length of said interior longitudinal channel and having a plurality of metallic teeth in substantially all of said surface area, each of said teeth having a predetermined height sufficient to penetrate an outer cable layer of the second fiber optic cable and contacting an underlying metallic sheath layer on said second fiber optic cable; and

connecting a metallic bonding ribbon between the first metallic lug element and the second metallic lug element to provide electrical continuity between said first and second fiber optic cables.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein each of said first and second metallic lugs comprise an upper clamp section and a lower clamp section, and further comprising the step of:

tightening the first and section clamp sections of each of said first and second metallic lugs a predetermined amount so as to penetrate the outer cable layer without penetrating a core within the first and second fiber optic cables containing a plurality of optical fibers.