Optical waveguides – Accessories – Splice box and surplus fiber storage/trays/organizers/ carriers
Patent
1996-03-28
1998-04-14
Palmer, Phan T.H.
Optical waveguides
Accessories
Splice box and surplus fiber storage/trays/organizers/ carriers
385137, 385139, G02B 600
Patent
active
057402990
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the connection of optical fibres and in particular to an assembly provided with a plurality of housings for housing associated optical fibre connections.
Such assemblies are known, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 5,187,766, and EP 0370819A in each of which such housings are disposed in an aligned bank with each housing being movable out of alignment with the other housings to provide access to the optical fibre connection or connections therein.
The assemblies disclosed in the above-mentioned specifications (i) are inefficient in their use of space, which is a disadvantage when the assembly needs to be accommodated in locations where space is limited, and (ii) have a construction which restricts the number of housings they can incorporate, which is a disadvantage when assemblies with different numbers of housings are required.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to enable at least one of the above-mentioned disadvantages to be overcome.
In one aspect the invention includes an assembly for use in connecting optical fibres, the assembly comprising a plurality of housings for housing optical fibre connections, each housing being pivotally mounted to, and supported by, a respective rigid routeing member having passage means for routing fibres to that housing via a respective flexible conduit means extending between the routing member and that housing, said routing members being rigidly connected one to another such that said housings are arranged in an aligned bank when in stowed positions, each housing being pivotable for providing access thereto from its stowed position out of alignment with the other housings.
It will be appreciated that since each housing is mounted to, and supported by, its associated routing member, the number of housings in the assembly may be varied to suit requirements. Also, since the routing members are connected together such that the housings are arranged in an aligned bank, the space occupied by the housings in an assembly may be minimised for the number of housings in that assembly.
It will also be appreciated that by arranging for each flexible conduit means to have a minimum bend radius during pivotal movement of the housing associated with it, the bend radius of the optical fibres in the flexible conduit can be maintained above a predetermined value.
Advantageously, each conduit means may define a plurality of passages aligned with respective passages of the passage means of the associated routing member. This feature enables individual fibres to be routed through separate passages to the housings, which facilitates assembly, particularly when assembly utilises the blown fibre technique in which the fibres are blown through respective passages.
Also, each flexible conduit means may extend into the associated housing and be split along at least some of its length within the housing into separate tubes.
Preferably each housing is provided with a respective pivoting device providing the pivotal mounting of that housing, each pivoting device being connected for movement relative to the respective routing member and the respective housing about first and second connections respectively, at least one of said connections being a pivotal connection.
The use of these pivoting devices enables access to be gained to each housing by pivoting through a smaller angle than would be required if each housing were pivoted to a routing member about a single axis. This is advantageous when space around the assembly is limited and/or when assemblies have to be located next to each other.
Advantageously, the assembly may further comprise means for selectively restricting the amount of movement of each housing out of alignment with the other housings in the bank thereof. This feature may be used to provide (i) ready access for test purposes to that part of the housing in which the fibre connection or connections and the fibres immediately adjacent thereto are accommodated and (ii) selective access to a part of the
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patent: 4373776 (1983-02-01), Purdy
patent: 4752110 (1988-06-01), Blanchet et al.
patent: 5187766 (1993-02-01), Finzel et al.
patent: 5249253 (1993-09-01), Franckx et al.
International Search Report for PCT/GB 94/02112 dated Feb. 8, 1995.
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Benton Simon Charles Tristan
Graveston Mark George
Hale Peter George
Jenkins Peter David
Kandasamy Ispran Sharma
Palmer Phan T.H.
Pirelli General plc
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