Optical waveguides – Accessories – Splice box and surplus fiber storage/trays/organizers/ carriers
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-17
2001-07-31
Font, Frank G. (Department: 2877)
Optical waveguides
Accessories
Splice box and surplus fiber storage/trays/organizers/ carriers
C385S136000, C385S137000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06269213
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical transmission device having accommodating structures for accommodating optical fiber cables.
2. Description of the Related Art
Optical transmission devices have recently been used not only for optical communication between telephone offices but also for optical communication in a subscriber's system which connects subscribers with telephone offices via optical fiber cables. Accordingly, it is necessary to accommodate a number of optical fiber cables in one optical communication device. The optical fiber cables have optical connectors at the ends thereof to be connected to the devices.
FIG. 10
illustrates a conventional method for accommodating superfluous lengths of optical fiber cables. The optical fiber cables are processed so that branch cables
24
extend from a main cable
22
and the lengths of the branch cables
24
from the main cable
22
are equal to each other, for connecting the branch cables
24
to an optical transmission device
100
while taking the difficulty in cutting the optical fiber cables into account. However, lengths of the branch cables from the main cable
22
to female type optical connectors
18
arranged on a back surface of a body of the optical transmission device
100
may be different from each other in accordance with the position of a respective cable holder
26
for the main cable
22
. To adjust the difference in length between the respective branch cables, in the prior art, arms
102
carrying holders
104
are provided on the back surface of the body of the optical transmission device
100
to wind superfluous lengths of the branch cables
24
around the holders in a plane parallel to the back surface. This requires a larger space for the branch cables
24
, extending in parallel to the back surface of the body of the optical transmission device
100
.
In this method for accommodating superfluous lengths of optical fiber branch cables
24
, it is necessary to take care of the problem of the space necessary for winding a number of optical fiber branch cables
24
and the problem of interference between an optical fiber branch cable and other optical fiber branch cables
24
during the mounting operation. For example, if the number of optical fiber branch cables
24
to be accommodated increases, the optical fiber cables are not fully wound around the holders
104
or, even if they could be wound, they cover the back surface of the body of the optical transmission device and disturb the connection of other cables. Also, if it is desired to remove part of the branch cables, all the optical fiber cables must be dismounted from the device and mounted again thereafter. In addition, there is a problem that the arms
102
themselves become obstacles to the connection of the branch cables
24
to the optical transmission device
100
.
Methods and apparatuses which can solve these problems of superfluous lengths of optical fiber cables are disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication (U.M. Kokai) No. 58-157305, Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 58-166310 and No. 60-244906. These methods and apparatuses, however, have drawbacks that the mounting of the accommodating structures to the optical transmission device is difficult and that the requirement for the high density accommodation of cables is not satisfied.
Recently, the demand for connecting a number of optical fiber cables to an optical transmission device has increased. With this demand, problems are arising in that the optical fiber cables cannot be fully accommodated in the holders or, when it is necessary to remove some of optical fiber cables from the holders during the rearrargement thereof, all the optical fiber cables wound around the holder must be also dismounted, resulting in problems in workability and maintenance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide an optical transmission device by which superfluous lengths of optical fiber cables can be accommodated in a smaller space and workability and maintenance can be improved.
To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an optical transmission device provided with a body having a back surface, in the interior of which are accommodated electronic devices necessary for the telephone exchange and optical fiber cable accommodating structures for accommodating of superfluous lengths of optical fiber cables, the body being provided with optical fiber cable accommodating structure attachment members for attaching the optical fiber cable accommodating structures, characterized in that an optical fiber cable accommodating structure comprises a plurality of drums for winding superfluous lengths of optical fiber cables onto the respective drums each of which has a rotation axis, drum holders for detachably and rotatably supporting the drums, and slide structures for supporting the drum holders so that the drum holders can move toward and away from the body and so that the respective rotation axis of the drum extend horizontally and parallel to the back surface of the body, wherein the drums have thin disk-like shapes and are arranged on the side of the back surface of the body in parallel to each other.
According to the present invention, superfluous lengths of optical fiber cables are wound in the vicinity of the optical connectors for connecting the optical fiber cable, by using drums disposed vertically (In the prior art, the superfluous lengths are wound in the lateral direction.) and therefore it is possible to accommodate the superfluous lengths of optical fiber cables without interfering with connection areas of other optical connectors and to attach the optical fiber cables at a pitch corresponding to the actual pitch of the optical connectors when the optical fiber cables are sequentially accommodated, resulting in an improvement in the accommodation capability of the device.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4697874 (1987-10-01), Nozick
patent: 4776662 (1988-10-01), Valleix
patent: 5022600 (1991-06-01), Blane et al.
patent: 5412497 (1995-05-01), Kaetsu et al.
patent: 58-166310 (1983-10-01), None
patent: 58-157305 (1983-10-01), None
patent: 60-244906 (1985-12-01), None
Abe Hiroyuki
Haga Masahiro
Hiramatsu Shinji
Masuda Natsuo
Ohta Masatomo
Font Frank G.
Fujitsu Limited
Nguyen Sang H.
Staas & Halsey , LLP
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