Optical waveguides – Accessories – Splice box and surplus fiber storage/trays/organizers/ carriers
Patent
1994-09-15
1995-12-05
Bovernick, Rodney B.
Optical waveguides
Accessories
Splice box and surplus fiber storage/trays/organizers/ carriers
385136, G02B 644
Patent
active
054737249
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a housing for optical fibres and/or cables comprising optical fibres. More specifically the present invention relates to a housing for storing spliced optical fibres/cables including excess or slack fibres/cables in the vicinity of splices therein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Use of optical fibres for signal transmission is well known in the communications industry. Whilst optical fibres provide significant advantages over conventional signal paths, unique problems are associated with management of optical fibre based communication systems. For example optical fibres having extremely small diameters are relatively delicate and require careful handling. This is particularly the case where optical fibres or cables are to be joined or spliced together. The region of the splice or joint is especially delicate and needs to be secured against mechanical disturbances such as shock, stress, strain and the like. An optical cable joint may contain a large number of individual splices each of which needs to be secured against mechanical disturbances of the kind noted above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention contemplates a housing for arranging and storing excess or slack fibres in the region of or adjacent a splice or joint. The housing may be suitable for use in termination cabinet facilities or in underground or overhead cable joints such as the SIEMENS UC and UCN closure range, the latter being also sold under the AMP brand. The housing of the present invention may be compatible with loose tube, slotted core, ribbon and cord type cable designs. The housing may allow adequate bending radii for stored cables/fibres. For example, the housing may allow adequate bending radii and protection necessary at least for fibres suitable for 850, 1300 and 1550 nm optical transmission.
An industry standard splice holder may be provided with the housing. The splice holder may have any suitable number of splice positions eg. twenty-four. The splice holder may be suitable for receiving various splice protector types including heatshrink and adhesive fusion splice protectors from Sumitomo Electric and Northern Telecom, and mechanical splices such as, inter alia, GTE elastomeric and 3M Fiberlok splices.
The housing comprises a tray portion. The tray portion may include a substantially flat working area. The tray portion may include side and end walls. The tray portion may be adapted to receive a standard splice holder intermediate its end walls. Preferable the splice holder is received substantially in the middle of the working area of the tray portion. The tray portion may be formed from any suitable material such as ABS plastics and in any suitable manner such as by means of injection molding. The splice holder may be formed from any suitable material eg. modified ABS and in any suitable manner eg. injection molding. The splice holder may be attached to the tray portion in any suitable manner and by any suitable means.
The tray portion may store excess or slack optical fiber(s) adjacent a splice(s) or joint(s) in the optical fibre(s). The slack or excess fibre(s) may be held in the tray such that optical fibres entering the housing are substantially mechanically isolated from the splice(s) or joint(s). In one form the tray portion may be adapted to store say 1 to 2 m of slack or excess fibre per splice. The filament of the or each optical fibre upstream from the splice may be anchored to the tray portion at one or more entry ports in any suitable manner such as by means of a cable tie or ties. Each splice may be located in the splice holder. The portion of the filament of each optical fibre intermediate the entry port and splice may be laid substantially loose in the tray and may include at least one bend or turn in the or each filament. The filament of the or each optical fibre down stream from the splice may be anchored to the tray portion at one or more exit ports in any suitable manner such as by means of a cable tie or ties. The portion of the filament
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patent: 5323478 (1994-06-01), Milanowski et al.
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Board Bruce L.
Murrihy Brian
Wilson Edward
Bovernick Rodney B.
Fibernet Research Pty. Ltd.
Sanghavi Hemang
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