Optical waveguides – Accessories – External retainer/clamp
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-30
2001-10-02
Bovernick, Rodney (Department: 2874)
Optical waveguides
Accessories
External retainer/clamp
C264S001250
Reexamination Certificate
active
06298191
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a telecommunication apparatus and, in particular, to a splice mount having improved structural integrity and a method of forming thereof.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Fiber optic telecommunications establish communication, usually between widely separate points, and commonly involve splicing operations which provide joints between two fiber optic cables. The splices are used, in part, to interconnect subscribers to a telecommunication provider, such as a telephone service provider. Typically, the splices may be accomplished in a basement of a subscriber and mounted on a splice mount which, in turn, is mounted on a splice tray to form a splice holder and which, in turn, along with multiple occupied splice holders, are mounted in a distribution panel. Splice trays find multiple applications and the ease of their use and their placement within a distribution panel greatly assist the technician who installs and maintains telecommunication apparatus.
Telecommunications splice holders are known and one such holder may be further described with reference to
FIG. 1
showing a top view of a splice mount
10
that is placed into and attached to a tray (not shown) which is an open receptacle with a flat bottom and low rim for holding the splice mount and forming the overall splice holder.
The splice mount
10
is commonly comprised of a foam or resilient material used to provide for a plurality of resilient members formed into at least two groups
12
and
14
respectively comprising
12
A,
12
B,
12
C,
12
D,
12
E,
12
F,
12
G and
12
I and
14
A,
14
B,
14
C,
14
D,
14
E,
14
F,
14
G and
14
I. Each of the resilient members of the groups
12
and
14
is segmented into shared and adjacent pairs separated from each other by a predetermined spacing which forms a slot between adjacent resilient members
12
A . . .
14
I. Each pair of resilient holders is arranged as shown in
FIG. 1
to form resilient holding pockets therebetween. More particularly, the resilient members
12
A, . . .
12
I are arranged to provide for holding pockets
16
A,
16
B,
16
C,
16
D,
16
E,
16
F, and
16
G, whereas the resilient members
14
A . . .
14
I are arranged to provide for resilient holding pockets
18
A,
18
B,
18
C,
18
D,
18
E,
18
F, and
18
G.
Each of the resilient holding pockets
16
A . . .
16
G and
18
A . . .
18
G has a passageway
20
that is provided between each pair of associated resilient members, with the passageway
20
being of a space which is less than the space between resilient members
12
A . . .
14
I that cooperatively form the resilient holding pockets
16
A . . .
16
G,
18
A . . .
18
G. The resilient members
12
A,
12
B,
12
C,
12
D,
12
E,
12
F,
12
G and
12
I are respectively separated from resilient members
14
A,
14
B,
14
C,
14
D,
14
E,
14
F,
14
G, and
14
I by ribs
22
A,
22
B,
22
C,
22
D,
22
E,
22
F,
22
G and
22
I which also lay under and are interconnected to resilient members
12
A . . .
14
I.
In operation, the splice mount
10
accommodates both single fusion and mass fusion splices, both known in the art. For a generally narrower and longer single fusion splice, the spliced member spans the distance
24
of the splice mount
10
as shown in FIG.
1
and is held in place in the splice mount
10
by friction created by pressing the spliced member into its associated passageway
20
. Similarly, for a generally wider and shorter mass fusion splice, the spliced member spans the distance
26
of the splice mount
10
as shown in FIG.
1
and is held in placed in the splice mount
10
by friction created by pressing the spliced member into its associated resilient holders, such as
16
A-
18
A. Ribs
22
A . . .
22
I forming cutouts separating the two groups of associated resilient members
12
A . . .
14
I allow access for pulling the spliced member out with either a finger or a tool. Further details of the splice mount
10
may be further described with reference to
FIG. 2
comprised of
FIGS. 2
(A),
2
(B) and
2
(C), wherein
FIG. 2
(B) is a side view taken along line
2
B—
2
B of
FIG. 2A
, and
FIG. 2C
is a front view taken along line
2
C—
2
C of
FIG. 2
(A).
FIG. 2
(A) illustrates that the ribs, such as rib
22
E, run under and provide support for their associated resilient holders.
FIG. 2
(A) also shows that the resilient holding pockets, such as
16
A and
18
A, are interconnected by a continuous opening formed by a slot, such as slot
28
A.
FIG. 2
(B) illustrates that each of the resilient members, such as members
12
I and
14
I, has a contoured shape and possesses a thickness.
FIG. 2
(C) illustrates the same thickness as that of
FIG. 2
(B) and further illustrates that the resilient members
12
A . . .
12
I have a contoured shape and between adjacent resilient members, such as
12
A and
12
B, is a passageway
20
and an associated resilient holding pocket, such as
16
A.
FIG. 2
(C) also shows that each adjacent pair of resilient members
12
A . . .
14
I forms passageway
20
and resilient holding pockets
16
A . . .
18
G with constricted necks towards the surface for increased frictional hold of the spliced members.
From
FIGS. 1 and 2
, in particular,
FIG. 1
, it is seen that the resilient holding pockets, such as
16
A and
18
A, are interconnected by the continuous slot
28
A, formed by undercuts placed in the foam splice mount during its molding, which burdens the prior art splice mount
10
with structural disadvantages. The process used to form the prior art splice mount
10
may be further described with reference to
FIGS. 3 and 4
.
FIG. 3
illustrates a piece of foam material
15
used during a prior art process, commonly referred to as a four-directional process, to form the splice mount
10
and in which up and down motions, indicative by directional arrows
15
A and
15
B, are used to form the resilient pockets, such as
16
A and
18
A. It should be noted that the resilient pockets formed by the up and down motions pass all the way through the material
15
to form slots, such as
28
A, which contributes to the flimsy structure of the splice mount
10
which may be described with reference to FIG.
4
.
FIG. 4
illustrates the up and down molding process of material
15
of
FIG. 3
by a top mold shaping member
15
C and by a bottom mold shaping member
15
D which operatively cooperates with each other, in an up-down manner, to form the constricted neck between adjacent resilient members
12
A . . .
14
I. Again, it should be noted that the resilient holding pockets
16
A . . .
18
G pass all the way through the material
15
which contribute to the flimsy structure of the splice mount
10
. It should be noted that the respective resilient holding pockets
16
A . . .
18
G are interconnected by the respective slots such as
28
A.
FIG. 5
illustrates the same piece of material
15
of
FIGS. 3 and 4
being further shaped by a side mold shaping member
15
E for the side to side motion of the prior art four-directional molding process.
FIG. 5
shows only one of the two side motion to form passageway
20
adjacent to resilient holding pocket
16
A, it being understood that the associated passageway
20
adjacent to resilient holding pocket
18
A is formed in an identical manner in the opposite direction. Side molding shaping member
15
E is shaped with a constricted neck to form the passageway
20
.
The splice mount
10
being comprised of a foam material and having the slot opening, such as
28
A, cause the splice mount
10
to be of a flimsy structure and unable to stand by itself to form a splice tray but rather needs to be placed into a splice tray. This flimsy structure is a disadvantage especially when the splice mount
10
needs to be manually manipulated to attach to its associated splice tray for undisturbed and substantially parallel alignment of the resilient members
12
A . . .
14
I and resilient holding pockets
16
A . . .
18
G. The flimsy structure of splice mount
10
requires precise manipulation of its position and thereby causes attend
Bovernick Rodney
Lucent Technologies - Inc.
Miskin Howard C.
Song Sarah N
Tsui-Yip Gloria
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