Wall-mountable optical fiber and cable management apparatus

a technology of optical fiber and cable management, which is applied in the direction of optics, instruments, optical light guides, etc., can solve the problems of inconvenient installation of known cable drop boxes by a single worker at a subscriber premises, inconvenient maintenance, and large current available drop boxes, etc., to achieve the effect of reducing time and effor

Active Publication Date: 2008-07-17
COMMSCOPE TECH LLC
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008]In one embodiment, a tube having a passage whose axis coincides with that of the outer cylindrical wall, extends through the apparatus for enabling a single installer to use one hand for paying out a cable wound about the wall, while using the other hand to hold a screwdriver whose shaft is inserted in the tube passage so that the apparatus can turn freely about the shaft as the cable is being paid out. This feature can significantly reduce the time and effort required of the installer when deploying a fiber optic network at a given premises.

Problems solved by technology

Installation of the known cable drop boxes by a single worker at a subscriber premises can be difficult and time consuming, however.
Further, the known boxes are dimensioned to accommodate older types of fiber optic cables which can not tolerate bend diameters of less than three inches (76.2 mm) without impairing cable performance.
Accordingly, the currently available drop boxes are relatively large, and are not well-suited for widespread deployment of fiber optic networks at multi-dwelling units or other kinds of premises without significant expenditures of time and labor.

Method used

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  • Wall-mountable optical fiber and cable management apparatus
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  • Wall-mountable optical fiber and cable management apparatus

Examples

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first embodiment

[0026]FIG. 1 shows optical fiber and cable management apparatus in the form of a cable drop box 10, according to the invention. The box 10 may be constructed of sheet metal, and / or plastics materials such as, without limitation, ABS or polycarbonate. Moisture proof seals, gaskets and the like may also be provided on or within the box 10 in a known manner if the box will be mounted outdoors at a subscriber premises. The box 10 has a base 12 which, in the disclosed embodiment, is generally square and measures, e.g., about 6.25 inches (158.75 mm) long on each side with mounting holes 14 formed at each corner of the base.

[0027]The box 10 also has a drum region 20 that extends axially upward from a central portion of the base 12. The drum region 20 includes an outer cylindrical wall 22 the outside periphery of which is partially visible in FIG. 1. The outside diameter of the wall 22 is sufficient to allow a length of a fiber optic cable (not shown) to be wound on the drum wall 22 for sto...

second embodiment

[0034]FIGS. 5 to 7 show a fiber-optic cable drop box 200 according to the invention. Components of the box 200 that are identical or similar to those of the box 10 of FIGS. 1 to 4, have corresponding reference numerals increased by 200.

[0035]The box 200 has a single piece cover lid 232 with an integrated hinge 235 for a connector guard or cover 234. Further, a side wall 231 of an interface compartment 230 has a continuous circular disk flange 204 that extends radially outward beneath the compartment 230, parallel to a base 212 of the box. The flange 204 and the base 212 together serve to confine a length of fiber optic cable wound on the outer cylindrical wall 222, within the region between the flange 204 and the base 212. As with the box 10 of FIGS. 1 to 4, an inside end portion of the cable is guided by a strain relief device 224 to enter an annular fiber routing region 246 inside the box 200, over a substantially straight path tangential to the circumference of the wall 222 at th...

third embodiment

[0041]FIGS. 10 to 12 show a fiber optic cable drop box 300 according to the invention. Components of the box 300 that are identical or similar to those of the box 10 of FIGS. 1 to 4, have corresponding reference numerals increased by 300. The box 300 features an integral splice compartment 308 in its base 312, a connector parking area 313, and a number of security latch holes 315.

Splice Compartment 308

[0042]Typical MDU drop box installations have single fiber breakouts that egress from the box, wherein each breakout is associated with a corresponding living unit of the premises where the box is installed. Single fiber cables from each living unit are often routed to a drop box without a terminating connector. The bare ends of these cables can be terminated at the drop box in various ways. For example, single ended fiber pigtails can be spliced within the drop box so that splice sleeves are housed in a common space. This requires a chamber or compartment to house the splice in order ...

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Abstract

Optical fiber and cable management apparatus includes a base for mounting on a wall or other surface at a subscriber premises, and a drum region extending axially upward from the base. The drum region includes an outer cylindrical wall for supporting a length of a first fiber optic cable wound about the outer wall, an inner cylindrical wall disposed radially inward of the outer wall to define an annular fiber routing region between the two walls, and a cable entry port in the outer wall for receiving an end portion of the first fiber optic cable so that fibers of the cable may be routed through the fiber routing region. An interface compartment disposed atop the drum is constructed to interface a first set of fibers routed within the compartment, with a second set of fibers associated with a second fiber optic cable that is routed to the apparatus.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 880,169, filed inventors on Jan. 13, 2007, and entitled “Multidwelling Unit (MDU) Drop Box for Fiber Optic Cables”.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates to drop boxes or enclosures for managing fiber optic cables in the deployment of fiber optic networks at subscriber premises.[0004]2. Discussion of the Known Art[0005]The deployment of fiber optic networks at multi-dwelling units (MDUs) and other subscriber premises, requires the use of so-called cable drop boxes which are designed for mounting on walls or other structures at the premises. Current industry practice calls for the boxes to have a cable entry port at the left side of the box for receiving a fiber optic cable originating from the network provider, and one or more ports at the right side of the box through which a number ...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): G02B6/46
CPCG02B6/4441G02B6/4471G02B6/4466G02B6/475
Inventor HENDRICKSON, DANIELZHANG, HONGBO
Owner COMMSCOPE TECH LLC
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