Impact resistant fiber optic enclosures and related methods

• US 8,755,663 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2011
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corning Cable Systems LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Makrides-Saravanos, Elli, Strause, Craig Alan, Strause, Kevin Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): LEPISTO, RYAN A
• Application Number:
  US13/282,498
• Publication Number:
  US 20120106913A1
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: 385/135
• US Class Current: 385/135
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4441 Boxes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4442 Cap coupling boxes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4444 Seals
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/44465 Seals
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/44515 Fibre drop terminals with surplus length without surplus length G02B6/4472
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

Impact resistant fiber optic enclosures for fiber optic components and related methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, a fiber optic enclosure is provided and comprises a housing comprising a base, a cover, and a seal disposed between the cover and the base to secure the cover to the base and define an interior cavity configured to support one or more fiber optic components. At least one expandable joint is disposed in the housing and configured to deflect and/or assist in deflecting an impact load applied to the housing. In this manner, any fiber optic components disposed in the interior cavity are protected from being damaged and/or from being exposed to the environment outside of the interior cavity. The at least one expandable joint may be disposed in at least one of the cover and the base. The at least one expandable joint may comprise two expandable joints as another example.

Claims

1. A fiber optic enclosure, comprising:

a housing, comprising;

a base;

a cover; and

a seal disposed between the cover and the base to secure the cover to the base and define an interior cavity configured to support one or more fiber optic components therein; and

the housing having a stiffness resulting from the seal disposed between the cover and the base;

at least one expandable joint comprised of at least one expandable opening disposed in the housing to decrease the stiffness of the housing, the at least one expandable opening configured to deflect or assist in deflecting an impact load applied to the housing.

2. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 1, wherein the at least one expandable opening is configured to deflect the impact load applied to the housing without the seal being broken.

3. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 1, wherein the at least one expandable opening is configured to withstand an increasing compressive pressure applied to the housing without the seal being broken.

4. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 1, wherein the at least one expandable opening is configured to deflect the impact load applied to the housing without the cover being separated from any portion of the base.

5. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 1, wherein the at least one expandable opening is configured to absorb at least one of a compressive impact load, a tensile impact load, a shear impact load, and a torsional impact load.

6. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 1, wherein the at least one expandable opening is disposed through an exterior wall of the housing.

7. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 1, wherein the at least one expandable opening is comprised of at least one expandable hinge.

8. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 1, wherein the at least one expandable opening is disposed in the base.

9. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 1, wherein the at least one expandable opening is disposed in the cover.

10. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 1, wherein the at least one expandable opening is disposed in the cover in a longitudinal direction of the cover.

11. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 1, wherein a longitudinal axis of the least one expandable opening is disposed equal-distant from at least two ends of the cover.

12. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 1, wherein the at least one expandable opening is comprised of two elongated expandable openings each disposed in the cover and each having a longitudinal axis disposed parallel to each other extending in a longitudinal direction of the cover.

13. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 12, wherein longitudinal axes of the two elongated expandable openings are disposed the same distance from their respective adjacent ends of the cover.

14. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 12, wherein the at least one overmolding material is comprised of at least one of santoprene, kraton, evoprene, silicone rubber, an elastomeric material, and a flexible material.

15. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 12, wherein the at least one overmolding material has a modulus of elasticity between 1,000 pounds per square inch (psi) and 300,000 psi.

16. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 15, wherein the at least one mounting tab is comprised of at least one overmolding material.

17. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 16, wherein the at least one mounting tab is comprised of at least one recessed area to receive the at least one overmolding material.

18. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 17, wherein the at least one recessed area comprises at least one opening configured to receive a portion of the at least one overmolding material.

19. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 1, wherein the at least one expandable opening is overmolded with at least one overmolding material.

20. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 1, wherein the at least one expandable joint further comprises of at least one recessed area to receive the at least one overmolding material.

21. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 20, wherein the at least one recessed area comprises at least one opening configured to receive a portion of the at least one overmolding material.

22. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises at least one mounting tab.

23. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 22, wherein the least one mounting tab is configured to deflect an impact load to the housing.

24. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 1, wherein the impact load is comprised of at least 10 ft-lbs.

25. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 1, wherein the impact load is comprised of at least 10 ft-lbs. at an environmental temperature of −

20 degrees Celsius or less.

26. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 1 configured as a multi-port optical connection terminal, a terminal for terminated ends of fiber optic cables, a local convergence point (LCP), a fiber distribution terminal (FDT) a splice closure, a fiber interconnection closure, a canister-type fiber optic closures, and a network interface device (NID) closure.

27. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 1, wherein the housing defines a shape comprised from the group consisting of a spherical shape, a box shape, a trapezoidal shape, and an elliptical shape.

28. The fiber optic enclosure of claim 1, wherein the cover comprises a plurality of covers, and wherein a seal is disposed between each of the plurality of covers and the base.

29. An optical connection terminal for use at a branch point in a fiber optic communications network, comprising:

a housing, comprising;

a base;

a cover;

a seal disposed between the cover and the base to attach the cover to the base and define an interior cavity configured to support one or more fiber optic components therein;

the housing having a stiffness resulting from the seal disposed between the cover and the base;

a stub cable port provided in one of the base and the cover through an exterior wall; and

a plurality of connector ports provided in the exterior wall of one of the base and the cover, each connector port extending through the exterior wall and configured to receive one of a plurality of fiber optic connectors disposed within the interior cavity; and

at least one expandable hinge comprised of at least one expandable opening disposed through the exterior wall of at least one of the cover and the base to decrease the stiffness of the housing, the at least one expandable opening configured to deflect or assist in deflecting an impact load applied to the housing.

30. The optical connection terminal of claim 29, wherein the at least one expandable opening is disposed in a longitudinal direction of the at least one of the cover and the base.

31. The optical connection terminal of claim 29, wherein a longitudinal axis of the least one expandable opening is disposed equal-distant from at least two ends of the at least one of the cover and the base.

32. The optical connection terminal of claim 29, wherein the at least one expandable opening is comprised of two elongated expandable openings each disposed in the at least one of the cover and the base and each having a longitudinal axis disposed parallel to each other extending in a longitudinal direction of the at least one of the cover and the base.

33. The optical connection terminal of claim 32, wherein longitudinal axes of the two elongated expandable openings are disposed the same distance from their respective adjacent ends of the at least one of the cover and the base.

34. The optical connection terminal of claim 29, wherein the at least one expandable opening is overmolded with at least one overmolding material.

35. The optical connection terminal of claim 29, wherein the at least one expandable opening is further comprised of at least one recessed area to receive the at least one overmolding material.

36. The optical connection terminal of claim 35, wherein the at least one recessed area comprises at least one opening configured to receive a portion of the at least one overmolding material.

37. The optical connection terminal of claim 29, wherein the housing further comprises at least one mounting tab comprised of at least one overmolding material.

38. A method of assembling a fiber optic enclosure, comprising:

providing a base;

providing a cover;

attaching the cover to the base to define an interior cavity configured to support one or more fiber optic components therein;

disposing a seal between the cover and the base to secure the cover to the base to provide housing of a stiffness; and

providing at least one expandable opening in at least one of the base and the cover to decrease the stiffness of the housing, the at least one expandable opening configured to deflect or assist in deflecting an impact load applied to the housing.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the at least one expandable opening is comprised of an opening disposed through an exterior wall of the housing.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein providing the base comprises providing the base that includes the at least one expandable opening.

41. The method of claim 38, wherein providing the cover comprises providing the cover that includes the at least one expandable opening.

42. The method of claim 38, wherein the at least one expandable opening is overmolded with at least one overmolding material.

43. The method of claim 38, further comprising providing at least one mounting tab attached to one of the cover or the base.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the at least one mounting tab is comprised of at least one overmolding material.