Optical receiver stub fitting

• US RE36,592 E
• Filed: 05/14/1997
• Issued: 02/29/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siecor Corporation (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Siecor Corporation (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Giebel, Markus A., Cooke, Terry L.
• Primary Examiner(s): PALMER, PHAN T H
• Application Number:
  US08/856,106
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 385/62, 385/81, 385/87, 385/100-117, 428/392, 428/34.9, 174/23 R
• US Class Current: 385/100
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3878 comprising a plurality of ferrules, branching and break-out means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3897 Connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards G02B6/44528 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2964 Artificial fiber or filament

Abstract

A cable assembly for attachment to an entry port of an optical enclosure. The assembly includes a plug for an end of an optical cable in a sealed housing having a single rigid tube and a single sealed nut. Connectorized optical fibers or an optical ribbon extend from the plug into the equipment enclosure.

Claims

1. A cable assembly for use with optical enclosures, comprising:

a plurality of optical fibers, each optical fiber including a proximal span in which the optical fiber is held within a sheathed cable, a distal end, and a mediate span therebetween.[.;

.]..Iadd.;

.Iaddend.

a plurality of flexible tubes, each said flexible tube surrounding a mediate span of one of .[.the.]. said optical fibers;

a water-impervious plug encasing a portion of the mediate span of the plurality of optical fibers and the flexible tubes, the plug extending over a portion of the cable sheath;

.[.and,.].

a rigid jacket encasing the plug.Iadd.; and

an environmentally sealed housing over the rigid jacket for attaching the cable to an optical equipment enclosure.Iaddend..

2. A cable assembly as recited in claim 1 further comprising a cable strength member having a portion thereof extending into and embedded in the plug. .[.3. A cable assembly as recited in claim 1 further comprising an environmentally sealed housing over the rigid tube for attaching the

14. other hose end mounted to a housing over the plug. .Iadd.15. A cable assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises:

a rigid tube having opposed first and second openings and

a connector configured to fit into the first opening. .Iaddend..Iadd.16. A cable assembly as recited in claim 15, wherein the rigid tube and the connector each threadably engage one another so that the connector fits into the first opening of the rigid tube. .Iaddend..Iadd.17. A cable assembly as recited in claim 16, wherein the rigid tube is internally threaded at the first opening to receivably engage a threaded end of the connector. .Iaddend..Iadd.18. A cable assembly as recited in claim 15, wherein the housing is placed over the rigid jacket so that the first opening is remote from the distal end of the plurality of optical fibers. .Iaddend..Iadd.19. A cable assembly as recited in claim 15, wherein the rigid tube is threaded to facilitate connection of the cable assembly to an optical enclosure through a threaded optical entry port in the optical enclosure. .Iaddend..Iadd.20. A cable assembly as recited in claim 19, wherein the second end of the rigid tube comprises an externally threaded extension to facilitate connection of the cable assembly to an optical enclosure through an internally threaded optical entry port in the optical enclosure. .Iaddend..Iadd.21. A cable assembly as recited in claim 1 further comprising;

a heat shrinkable tube over the housing. .Iaddend..Iadd.22. A cable assembly as recited in claim 1 further comprising;

a plurality of optical connectors at the distal end of the plurality of

15. optical fibers. .Iaddend..Iadd.23. A cable assembly as recited in claim 15 further comprising:

a grommet within the rigid tube between the jacket and the connector. .Iaddend..Iadd.24. A cable assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of optical fibers is an optical fiber ribbon within a single

3. cable to an optical equipment enclosure..].4. A cable assembly as recited in claim .[.3.]. .Iadd.1.Iaddend., wherein the housing comprises a single rigid tube and a single nut directly connectable to the rigid tube, the

4. housing having no third nut. 5. A cable assembly, comprising:

an optical enclosure having an internally threaded optical entry port;

a single rigid tube having first and second ends, the first end having an externally threaded extension connected to the entry port such that the rigid tube is outside the enclosure, and means environmentally sealing such connection;

a plurality of optical fibers each including a proximal span held in a sheathed cable, a distal end within the enclosure, and a mediate span therebetween;

a plurality of flexible tubes, each said flexible tube surrounding a mediate span of one of the optical fibers; and

,

a water-impervious plug contained in the rigid tube, the plug encasing a portion of the mediate span of the plurality of the optical fibers and

5. flexible tubes, the plug extending over a portion of the cable sheath. 6. A cable assembly as recited in claim 5, further comprising a rigid

6. jacket encasing the plug. 7. A cable assembly as recited in claim 5, further comprising a cable strength member having a portion thereof

7. extending into and embedded in the plug. 8. A cable assembly as recited in claim 5, further comprising a single environmentally sealed nut directly connectable to the second end of the rigid tube in the absence of a third

8. nut. 9. A cable assembly for use with optical enclosures, comprising:

an optical ribbon including a proximal span in which the optical fiber is held within a sheathed cable, a distal end, and a mediate span therebetween;

a flexible tube surrounding the mediate span of the optical ribbon; and

,

a water-impervious plug encasing a portion of the mediate span of the optical ribbon and the flexible tube, the plug extending over a portion of

9. the cable sheath. 10. A cable assembly as recited in claim 9, further

10. comprising a rigid jacket encasing the plug. 11. A cable assembly as recited in claim 9, further comprising a cable strength member extending

11. into and embedded in the plug. 12. A cable assembly as recited in claim .[.9.]. .Iadd.10.Iaddend., further comprising an environmentally sealed housing over the rigid .[.tube.]. .Iadd.jacket .Iaddend.for attaching the

12. cable to an optical enclosure. 13. A cable assembly as recited in claim 12, wherein the housing comprises a single rigid tube and a .[.Single.]. .Iadd.single .Iaddend.nut directly connectable to the rigid tube, the

13. housing having no third nut. 14. A cable assembly for cable pulls, comprising:

an optical element including a proximal span in which the optical element is held within a sheathed cable, a distal end, and a mediate span therebetween;

a flexible tube surrounding the mediate span of the optical element;

a water-impervious plug encasing a portion of the mediate span of the optical element and the flexible tube, the plug extending over a portion of the cable sheath; and

,

a strong, flexible tubular hose holding the optical element distal end, the hose having two ends, one hose end mounted to a cable pulling eye and the

16. tube. .Iaddend..Iadd.25. A cable assembly comprising:

a plurality of optical fibers, each optical fiber including a proximal span in which the optical fiber is held within a sheathed cable, a distal end, and a mediate span therebetween;

a plurality of flexible tubes, each said flexible tube surrounding a mediate span of one of said optical fibers;

a water-impervious plug encasing a portion of the mediate span of the plurality of optical fibers and the flexible tubes, the plug extending over a portion of the cable sheath; and

an environmentally sealed housing separate from the plug and around the plug. .Iaddend..Iadd.26. A cable assembly as recited in claim 25, wherein the housing further comprises;

a rigid tube having opposed first and second openings and

a connector configured to fit into the first opening. .Iaddend..Iadd.27. A cable assembly as recited in claim 26, wherein the rigid tube and the connector each threadably engage one another so that the connector fits into the first opening of the rigid tube. .Iaddend..Iadd.28. A cable assembly as recited in claim 27, wherein the rigid tube is internally threaded at the first opening to receivably engage a threaded end of the connector. .Iaddend..Iadd.29. A cable assembly as recited in claim 26, wherein the housing is placed over the plug so that the first opening is remote from the distal end of the plurality of optical fibers. .Iaddend..Iadd.30. A cable assembly as recited in claim 26, wherein the rigid tube is threaded to facilitate connection of the cable assembly to an optical enclosure through a threaded optical entry port in the optical enclosure. .Iaddend..Iadd.31. A cable assembly as recited in claim 30, wherein the second end of the rigid tube comprises an externally threaded extension to facilitate connection of the cable assembly to an optical enclosure through an internally threaded optical entry port in the optical enclosure. .Iaddend..Iadd.32. A cable assembly as recited in claim 25 further comprising;

17. a heat shrinkable tube over the housing. .Iaddend..Iadd.33. A cable assembly as recited in claim 25 further comprising:

a plurality of optical connectors at the distal end of the plurality of optical fibers. .Iaddend..Iadd.34. A cable assembly ad recited in claim 26 further comprising;

a rigid jacket encasing the plug and within the housing. .Iaddend..Iadd.35. A cable assembly as recited in claim 34 further comprising;

a grommet within the rigid tube between the jacket and the connector. .Iaddend..Iadd.36. A cable assembly as recited in claim 25 further comprising;

a cable strength member having a portion thereof extending into said embedded in the plug. .Iaddend..Iadd.37. A cable assembly as recited in claim 25, wherein the plurality of optical fibers is an optical fiber

18. ribbon within a single tube. .Iaddend..Iadd.38. A cable assembly comprising:

a plurality of optical fibers, each optical fiber including a proximal span in which the optical fiber is held within a sheathed cable, a distal end, and a mediate span therebetween;

a plurality of flexible tubes, each said flexible tube surrounding a mediate span of one of said optical fibers;

a water-impervious plug encasing a portion of the mediate span of the plurality of optical fibers and the flexible tubes, the plug extending over a portion of the cable sheath;

a rigid jacket encasing the plug; and

an environmentally sealed housings around the rigid jacket, wherein the housing comprises;

a rigid tube having opposed first and second openings with the first opening being remote from the distal end of the plurality of optical fibers and the second opening being externally threaded to facilitate connection of the cable assembly to an optical enclosure through an internally threaded optical entry port in the optical enclosure and

a connector configured to fit into the first opening, wherein the rigid tube is internally threaded at the first opening to receivable engage a threaded end of the connector. .Iaddend.