Optical waveguides – Accessories – Splice box and surplus fiber storage/trays/organizers/ carriers
Patent
1996-03-06
1998-02-10
Ngo, John
Optical waveguides
Accessories
Splice box and surplus fiber storage/trays/organizers/ carriers
G02B 636
Patent
active
057178119
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to various components for use in an optical fibre network, in particular for splicing, terminating and splitting.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Optical fibres are in general very small, brittle and therefore easily damaged and as a result great care must be taken in their installation and use. In order to avoid damage and light loss, a fibre must not be bent excessively and it must not be subject to unfavourable environmental conditions. As is well know, each fibre has a so-called critical bend radius below which light will be lost from the fibre. Therefore, an optical fibre system must be so configured that none of its fibres is bent at a bend radius below this critical value. Also, fibres must not be even temporarily bent during installation below a smaller bend radius at which permanent damage will occur. These requirements put constraints on the design of components for optical fibre networks.
The components in an optical fibre system are required to organize cables and their component optical fibres at, for example, cable terminations, cable splices and fibre splitters. This involves careful fibre routing, for example to allow easy access to each of many fibre splices, and storage of spare lengths of fibre.
Many proposals have been made to satisfy these requirements. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,449 (AT&T) discloses an optical fibre organizer and splicing arrangement that permits storage of variable lengths of surplus fibre. The organizer has a pair of separated cylinders extending from a first rectangular section of a base plate and a splice tray having opposite entrance sides for optical fibre in a second rectangular section. The surplus fibre is directed around one or both cylinders and underneath the splicing tray through a plurality of different length passageways so that the varying lengths of optical fibre are stored. Clockwise, counter-clockwise and figure 8 loops are used so that each optical fibre end is directed to a predetermined entrance side of the splicing tray without violating the fibre bend radius restriction.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,686 (Siecor) discloses a splicing tray for optical fibres and optical fibre cables comprising three elements: a base, a number of optical fibre storage means associated with the base and an optical fibre receiving means attached to the base. Around the periphery of the base is a plurality of upstanding sidewall members, the terminal portion of which is curved inwardly towards the centre of the base.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
We have now designed an organizer that is able to deal both with live fibre (i.e. that through which a signal is to be transmitted) and dark fibre (i.e. a free end of fibre that is being stored for possible future use).
Thus, the invention provides an optical fibre organizer which comprises: passing between them is constrained by an outer surface of the drum to a minimum bend radius at least equal to the critical bend radius of that fibre; one of the ports to the interior of the drum and to be stored therein at a minimum bend radius greater than at which it suffers permanent damage.
We prefer that the organizer comprise first, second and third ports and that first and second organizer drums be provided. In this case, the drums are positioned with respect to the ports such that: by an outer surface of the first drum to the required bend radius; the third port is constrained by outer surfaces of the first and second drums to the required bend radius.
The drums are preferably substantially cylindrical, and preferably of substantially circular cross-section. They may however vary in size or shape along their length, for example they may be waisted, in order to locate the fibre that is wrapped around them at a certain position around their length. The drums need not be made of sheet material, and may instead comprise a frame: references to the shape of the drums refers to their envelope, as would be followed by fibre wrapped around them.
The organizer preferably has at least two input ports at one end ther
REFERENCES:
patent: 4595255 (1986-06-01), Bhatt et al.
patent: 4627686 (1986-12-01), Szentesi
patent: 4840449 (1989-06-01), Ghandeharizadeh
patent: 4886336 (1989-12-01), Deusser et al.
patent: 4911521 (1990-03-01), Ryuto et al.
patent: 4976510 (1990-12-01), Davila et al.
patent: 5013121 (1991-05-01), Anton et al.
patent: 5206927 (1993-04-01), Finzel et al.
Bertram Bruce M.
Burkard Herbert G.
N.V. Rachem S.A.
Ngo John
Zahrt II William D.
LandOfFree
Optical fiber organizer does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Optical fiber organizer, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Optical fiber organizer will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2084696