Optical waveguides – With disengagable mechanical connector – Optical fiber/optical fiber cable termination structure
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-20
2002-08-27
Healy, Brian (Department: 2874)
Optical waveguides
With disengagable mechanical connector
Optical fiber/optical fiber cable termination structure
C385S086000, C385S087000, C385S136000, C385S137000, C385S139000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06439779
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a system for coupling of a lightwave conductor cable on coupling elements of a housing according to claim
1
.
In present communications systems, often lightwave conductors are used for the transmission of higher and highest data rates. These lightwave conductors generally show a high transmission performance, data safety, interference immunity and band width, but their handling in case of laying the cable and coupling onto the coupling elements is time-consuming, complicated and expensive.
For the connection of a lightwave conductor cable with many single lightwave conductors with coupling elements in a housing, it is necessary to feed the lightwave conductor cable into the housing with release of tension and there to splice the lightwave conductor cable with the ends of so-called pigtails, which are connected in the housing together with the connection element. The splice procedure itself is complicated, laborious and time-consuming.
From U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,038 a so-called splice housing is well-known, for the coupling of a lightwave conductor cable with multiple lightwave conductors on coupling elements in the housing, in which one or more lightwave conductors are anchored by means of a clamping element on a housing wall, whereby the clamping element particularly is used for tension relief and for supporting the lightwave conductor cable. The single fibers of the lightwave conductor cable are brought to the coupling elements inside the splice housing avoiding a small bending radius.
Similar housings are well-known from German Utility Model 9407851.3 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,687.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention describes a system for coupling of a lightwave conductor cable on coupling elements of a housing in which no splice procedure is necessary, but nevertheless the lightwave conductors remain mechanically preserved.
This is accomplished through the invention according to claim
1
. Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in subclaims.
According to the invention a system is described for the coupling of a lightwave conductor cable with many single lightwave conductors on coupling elements of a housing, in which the single fibers, which stand out from the ends of the cables, are surrounded by a flexible cable sleeve. The ends of the cable sleeve, toward the end of the cable, are connected together and anchored in the clamping element.
By this arrangement, single fibers are surrounded by a sheath, which prevents breaking or buckling. The clamping of the sleeves together preferably is achieved in a splitting element which itself is contained in the clamping element for fixing of the lightwave conductor cable in the housing. Thereby, the sleeves of the single lightwave conductors are solidly connected with the housing and the lightwave conductor cable while the lightwave conductors remain longitudinally movable in the cable sleeves or bushes.
A housing usable for the system of the invention can comprise a simple sheet metal piece, which contains a front plate with many coupling elements and a back side on which the clamping element is screwed. For closing the housing a simple cover can be provided, which is lockable with a screw plug, click-stop device or clamp plug.
The clamping element preferably comprises a screw device, which serves at the same time as a tension relief piece for the lightwave conductor cable. In the receiving space of the clamping element the splitting element can be fixed, which picks up the rearward ends of the cable sleeves.
Preferably the cable sleeves are glued in the splitting element. In a further embodiment, the sleeves can merely be glued together and through adequate dimensioning it is guaranteed that the joined sleeves cannot slide out of the clamping element.
The use of the inventive system is particularly advantageous in that splicing work is not necessary, and the mechanical expense for the manufacturer of a connection piece for the lightwave conductor cable is very small.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5133038 (1992-07-01), Zipper
patent: 5231687 (1993-07-01), Handley
patent: 5283853 (1994-02-01), Szegda
patent: 5371827 (1994-12-01), Szegda
patent: 5444810 (1995-08-01), Szegda
patent: 5745633 (1998-04-01), Giebel et al.
patent: 5793920 (1998-08-01), Wilkins et al.
patent: 5793921 (1998-08-01), Wilkins et al.
patent: 5825961 (1998-10-01), Wilkins et al.
patent: 5892870 (1999-04-01), Fingler et al.
patent: 6226437 (2001-05-01), Kikuchi et al.
patent: 9407851.3 (1994-11-01), None
FOS GmbH
Freiburger Thomas M.
Healy Brian
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