Optical waveguides – Accessories – Splice box and surplus fiber storage/trays/organizers/ carriers
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-09
2001-11-06
Kim, Robert H. (Department: 2877)
Optical waveguides
Accessories
Splice box and surplus fiber storage/trays/organizers/ carriers
Reexamination Certificate
active
06314229
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an end seal structure for a cable closure, and more particularly to an end seal structure for a cable closure for protectively receiving a cable connection section at which connection or splicing, branching and wiring of communication cables such as optical fiber cables, metal cables or the like are carried out.
In general, a cable connection apparatus includes a receiving box for protectively enclosing a connection section of cables. The receiving box includes a vertically splittable cylindrical casing and end sections arranged on opposite ends of the cylindrical casing to close the casing. The cables are inserted through the end sections of the receiving box into the casing. The cylindrical casing is formed by securely connecting casing halves to each other using a fixing means while abutting parting faces of the casing halves against each other to airtightly or water-tightly hold the cable connection section including connectors in the cylindrical casing.
The end sections of the receiving box of the cable connection apparatus function to permit a cable, a support wire, an aerial cable and a trunk cable to be inserted therethrough to the cable connection section. For this purpose, the end section is formed with insertion holes. Such an end section of one type is so constructed that when a cable of a reduced diameter is inserted through one of such insertion holes previously provided through the end section and formed to have a size corresponding to a maximum diameter of cables applied, a suitable spacer or bushing is arranged in a gap formed between the insertion hole of the end section and the cable or a rubber tape of a predetermined thickness is wound on the cable having a reduced diameter, resulting in the gap being closed or filled up. This permits secure fitting of the cable in the end section. Additionally, a sealing tape of may be wound on the cable, to thereby ensure airtightness or water-tightness of the end section. An end section of another type is constructed in such a manner that tapered cylinders are provided on the end section so as to be cut in situ at predetermined portions thereof depending on diameters of cables applied. In either case, the end section is joinedly fixed at a predetermined portion thereof to the cable by means of a sealing tape, a PVC tape or the like.
As described above, in such conventional techniques of airtightly or water-tightly sealing the insertion holes for various cables different in diameter, a rubber tape, a sealing tape or the like is wound on an outer periphery of the cable to sealedly close the gap between the cable and the insertion hole. However, such a winding operation is troublesome. In particular, removal of the sealing tape and replacement thereof during installation of a new additional cable or maintenance of the cable are highly troublesome.
For example, an optical fiber cable includes a sheath having a support wire arranged in association with optical fibers and integrally covered together with connection elements or neck sections. Thus, separation of the connection element from the optical fiber cable by cutting causes the connection element to remain in the form of a strip-like projection or protrusion on the sheath of the optical fiber cable and the support wire, so that the strip-like projection often deteriorates sealing between the cable and the cable insertion hole when the cable is inserted through the insertion hole. Thus, winding of the sealing tape on the cable fails to effectively close or fill up a gap formed between the cable or support wire and the cable insertion hole, so that complete removal of the strip-like projection which is highly troublesome is necessarily required, leading to a deterioration in workability. Also, the cable to be applied is substantially varied in diameter, so that replacement of the tapered end section, rubber tape and the like is required, leading to time-consumption and an increase in repair cost.
Further, when the cable to be applied is a metal cable formed in a strand by twisting a number of metal wires together, it is formed on an outer periphery thereof with ruggedness, which causes gaps to occur between the cable and the insertion hole, leading to a deterioration in sealing function of the end seal structure in spite of use of the taping.
In addition, arrangement of the spacer or bushing between the cable and the cable insertion hole requires to prepare a number of spacers or bushings formed with cable insertion holes different in size so as to be accommodated to cables different in diameter.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the foregoing disadvantages of the prior art.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an end seal structure for a cable closure which is capable of attaining insertion of various cables different in diameter into a receiving casing for a cable connection without using any sealing tape.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an end seal structure for a cable closure which is capable of facilitating both assembling and disassembling of the end seal structure and therefore the cable closure, to thereby substantially reduce a period of time required for the assembling and disassembling.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an end seal structure for a cable closure which is capable of being accommodated to both maintenance of a cable and installation of a new additional cable without requiring replacement of parts of the end seal structure while preventing an increase in cost therefor.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an end seal structure for a cable closure which is capable of being simplified in structure and decreased in cost.
In accordance with the present invention, an end seal structure is provided for a cable closure including a cylindrical casing for enclosing a cable connection section and end wall portions integrally provided on opposite ends of the cylindrical casing and each formed therein with a fit groove which is positioned at a central portion thereof. The end seal structure includes a pair of end plates detachably fitted in the fit grooves of the cylindrical casing, respectively, wherein the end plates are each formed with at least one cable insertion passage through which a cable is inserted into the cylindrical casing. Each of the end plates includes a split cable spacer constructed in a manner to be splittable into two halves having abutting joint faces and arranged so as to be pressedly contacted with an outer periphery of the cable. The split cable spacer is made of a vulcanized rubber composition has at least one of hardness of 0 to 10 as measured according to JIS S 6050 and penetration of 40 to 90 (10
−1
mm) as measured according to JIS K 2560, and which is of 500 to 2000% in elongation and 10 to 60 kgf/cm
2
in tensile strength as measured according to JIS K 6301. The split cable spacer is integrally provided with a plurality of seal ribs, which are arranged along the cable insertion passage in a manner to be opposite to each other and spaced from each other at predetermined intervals. The seal ribs are each arranged in a manner to be operatively associated with an outer periphery of the cable when the cable is inserted through the cable insertion passage. Each of the end plates also includes a split end seal base provided with a hinge which permits the split end seal base to be pivotally split into two halves. The split cable spacer is fittedly held in the split end seal base, so that the halves of the split cable spacer may be detachably joined to each other through abutting joint faces thereof.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the split cable spacer has an outer peripheral surface contoured in conformity to an inner peripheral surface of the seal base; the abutting joint faces of the halves of the split cable spacer are defined to be parallel to each other in a direction in which the cable is inserted through the
Hattori Tadashi
Sasaki Daijiro
Uehara Toshiaki
Japan Recom Ltd.
Kim Robert H.
Lerner David Littenberg Krumholz & Mentlik LLP
Stafira Michael P.
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