Cable splice enclosure and components

• US 6,711,337 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2001
• Issued: 03/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Solutions, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wave7 Optics, Inc. (Enablence Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Farmer, James O., Hodge, Ronald L., Bebout, Paul E.
• Primary Examiner(s): STAHL, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US10/045,439
• Publication Number:
  US 20020181925A1
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: 385/135, 385/136, 385/100, 174/40.CC, 174/135, 174/65.R, 174/65.SS, 174/65.G, 174/60
• US Class Current: 385/135
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/445 with lateral pivoting cover
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/483 Installation of aerial type

Abstract

An enclosure for facilitating and protecting splices or connections between communication transmission mediums can include a housing having a first port and a drop port. The first port can allow a distribution cable containing a transmission medium to enter the housing. The drop port can allow another transmission medium to enter the housing, and it can allow a transmission medium to be added or removed without disturbing existing transmission mediums or connections in the housing. A drop plug can be provided to seal the drop port. The enclosure can also include a cover plate having a gasket coupled to its perimeter and being removable with the cover plate. Strain relief for the transmission mediums entering the enclosure can also be provided. Two-stage strain relief and single-stage strain relief can be provided for the transmission mediums entering through the first port and the drop port, respectively.

Claims

1. An enclosure for a transmission medium of a distribution cable and a drop line, said enclosure comprising:

a housing;

a first port in said housing allowing a first portion of a distribution cable to enter said housing;

a second port in said housing allowing a second portion of a distribution cable to enter said housing;

a drop port in said housing allowing a drop line to enter said housing via its own port; and

a removable, open drop plus comprising a concave-rounded end that substantially seals said drop port around a drop line,

wherein, in said housing, a drop line that enters said housing through said drop port can be coupled to a transmission medium of the distribution cable.

2. The enclosure according to claim 1, wherein the distribution cable comprises an optical fiber distribution cable having at least one individual optical fiber strand as the transmission medium.

3. The enclosure according to claim 1, wherein the distribution cable comprises a coaxial cable having at least one coaxial transmission medium.

4. The enclosure according to claim 1, wherein the distribution cable comprises an electrical distribution cable having at least one electrical transmission medium.

5. The enclosure according to claim 1, wherein the distribution cable comprises a telephone distribution cable having at least one telephone transmission medium.

6. The enclosure according to claim 1, wherein, in said housing, the drop line that enters said housing through said drop port can be coupled to the transmission medium of the distribution cable through an optical device.

7. The enclosure according to claim 1, wherein, in said housing, the drop line that enters said housing through said drop port can be coupled to the transmission medium of the distribution cable through an optical splitter.

8. The enclosure according to claim 1, further comprising a removable, closed drop plug that substantially seals said drop port when said drop port is empty.

9. The enclosure according to claim 1, further comprising a strain relief device capable of coupling a drop line to said housing, said strain relief device comprising:

a support member coupled to said housing and disposed adjacent to said drop port, said support member having a clamp receiving portion comprising an opening leading from an edge of said support member to an interior of said support member; and

a clamping device coupled to said support member at said clamp receiving portion,

wherein said clamp receiving portion of said support member mechanically holds said clamping device in place before said clamping device is tightened.

10. The enclosure according to claim 1,

wherein said enclosure comprises a plurality of drop ports in said housing, each drop port of said plurality of drop ports allowing a drop line to enter said housing via its own drop port,

wherein, in said housing, a drop line that enters said housing through a drop port of said plurality of drop ports can be coupled to the transmission medium of the distribution cable.

11. The enclosure according to claim 10, wherein said enclosure comprises a plurality of open drop plugs, each open drop plug comprising a concave-rounded end that substantially seals a respective drop port of said plurality of drop ports through which a drop line enters said housing;

and

wherein said enclosure further comprises a closed drop plug that substantially seals a respective empty drop port of the plurality of drop ports.

12. The enclosure according to claim 11, further comprising a sealing device disposed between one of said open drop plugs and a drop line that enters said housing.

13. An enclosure for a transmission medium of a distribution cable and a drop line, said enclosure comprising:

a housing having an interior;

a first port in said housing, said first port providing an opening to the interior of said housing and being sized to allow a distribution cable to enter said housing;

a drop port in said housing, said drop port providing an opening to the interior of said housing and being sized to allow a drop line to enter said housing via its own port; and

a removable, open drop plug comprising a concave-rounded end that substantially seals said drop port if said drop port contains a drop line.

14. The enclosure according to claim 13, wherein the distribution cable comprises an optical fiber distribution cable having at least one individual optical fiber strand as the transmission medium.

15. The enclosure according to claim 13, further comprising a removable, closed drop plug that substantially seals said drop port when said drop port is empty.

16. The enclosure according to claim 13, further comprising a strain relief device capable of coupling a drop line to said housing, said strain relief device comprising:

a support member coupled to said housing, said support member having a clamp receiving portion comprising an opening leading from an edge of said support member to an interior of said support member; and

a clamping device coupled to said support member at said clamp receiving portion,

wherein said clamp receiving portion of said support member mechanically holds said clamping device in place before said clamping device is tightened.

17. The enclosure according to claim 13, further comprising:

a cover plate removably coupled to said housing, said cover plate covering an interior of said housing when said cover plate is coupled to said housing; and

a sealing member coupled to said cover plate, said sealing member substantially scaling a gap between said cover plate and said housing.

18. The enclosure according to claim 13, further comprising a splitting device disposed in said housing, said splitting device capable of dividing power of a transmission medium.

19. The enclosure according to claim 13, wherein the distribution cable comprises an optical fiber distribution cable having at least one individual optical fiber strand as the transmission medium, and

wherein said enclosure further comprises an optical splitter disposed in said housing, said optical splitter capable of dividing power of the transmission medium.

20. An enclosure for a transmission medium of a distribution cable and a drop line, said enclosure comprising:

a housing having an interior;

a first port in said housing, said first port providing a first opening having a first cross-sectional area to the interior of said housing;

a second port in said housing, said second port providing a second opening having a second cross-sectional area to the interior of said housing;

a removable, open drop plug comprising a concave-rounded end disposed in said second port and substantially sealing said second port while allowing a drop line to enter said housing through said second port;

a first strain relief device disposed in said housing and adjacent to said first port, said first strain relief device defining a first hole having a third cross-sectional area, and

a second strain relief device disposed in said housing and adjacent to said second port, said second strain relief device defining a second hole having a fourth cross-sectional area,

wherein the second cross-sectional area of the second opening is smaller than the first cross-sectional area of the first opening, and

wherein the fourth cross-sectional area of the second hole is smaller than the third cross-sectional area of the first hole.

21. The enclosure according to claim 20, further comprising a third strain relief device disposed in said housing and adjacent to said first strain relief device, wherein said first and third strain relief devices form a two-stage strain relief system.

22. The enclosure according to claim 20, wherein said first strain relief device comprises a different type of strain relief device than said second strain relief device.

23. The enclosure according to claim 22, wherein said first strain relief device comprises a hose clamp, and wherein said second strain relief device comprises a plastic member that can be fastened back on itself.

24. The enclosure according to claim 20, further comprising a fiber management apparatus disposed in said housing, wherein said first and second openings of said first and second ports provide access from an exterior of said housing to said fiber management apparatus.

25. The enclosure according to claim 24, wherein said fiber management apparatus comprises a fiber splice tray.

26. The enclosure according to claim 20, further comprising a splitting device disposed in said housing, said splitting device capable of dividing power of a transmission medium.

27. The enclosure according to claim 26, wherein said splitting device comprises an optical splitter.

28. The enclosure according to claim 20, wherein said second strain relief device comprises:

a support member coupled to said housing, said support member having a clamp receiving portion comprising an opening leading from an edge of said support member to an interior of said support member; and

a clamping device coupled to said support member at said clamp receiving portion, and

wherein said clamp receiving portion of said support member mechanically holds said clamping device in place before said clamping device is tightened.

29. The enclosure according to claim 20, further comprising:

a cover plate coupled to said housing, said cover plate covering the interior of said housing; and

a sealing member coupled to said cover plate, said sealing member substantially sealing a gap between said cover plate and said housing.

30. The enclosure according to claim 29, wherein said sealing member substantially seals the gap between said cover plate and said housing and a gap between said cover plate and said removable drop plug.