ANCHORING ELEMENT FOR FIBER OPTIC CABLE

Abstract

The anchoring element comprises: a structure (10) on whose upper face (10a) are incorporated semi-tubular cradles (20), each defined by a pair of side walls (21) and a bottom wall (22), each side wall (21) having a cradle face (21a) facing the interior of the cradle (20) and provided with teeth (23). The structure (10) further incorporates a pair of retaining elements (30) aligned to the longitudinal axis of each cradle (20) and set back from the adjacent end thereof, raised relative to the bottom wall (22) of the cradle (20) and extending for at least part of the inner width of the latter, from the plane of the cradle face (21a) of one of said side walls (21).

Description

1 / 13 “ANCHORING ELEMENT FOR FIBER OPTIC CABLE Field of invention

[0001] The present invention relates to an anchoring element for providing, in a simple, quick and safe way, the anchoring of a fiber optic cable, generally a drop cable (user cable), in the form of a rectangular cross-section cable or a circular cross-section cable, inside an optical termination, branch or distribution box, in the form of a splice or branch of fiber optic cables, used in different external and internal installation conditions, without requiring the operator to use special assembly tools, a use that is generally difficult in certain situations.

[0002] The invention is particularly useful in optical termination, branching or distribution boxes, internal or external, from which a plurality of drop cables (user cable) are taken, allowing simple and secure anchoring of these cables inside the optical termination, branching or distribution boxes, from which they extend to reach their respective users. Background of the invention

[0003] Elements used for anchoring fiber optic cables in optical termination, branching, or distribution boxes are well known in the art, said elements taking the form of cable glands, tie supports, or elements that require the application of screws and similar tightening means, in order to obtain a solid and secure retention of the rectangular or circular drop cables, or their traction elements, to the structure of the optical termination, branching, or distribution box from which they are attached. Petition 870170055995, dated 04 / 08 / 2017, p. 6 / 30 2 / 13 are extended to accommodate respective users.

[0004] The known elements are not suitable for rectangular or circular cross-section cables used in high-density installations, with several multi-fiber optical cables reaching, for example, a termination, branch or optical distribution box in indoor or outdoor installations.

[0005] In these cases, compact anchoring devices are required that take up little space inside the box and allow for quick and secure anchoring of a large number of drop cables, which is not possible with known devices, which have inadequate dimensions and low cable receiving capacity and require time-consuming assembly and fixing operations for the optical drop cables (user cable), particularly compact (low friction) drop cables.

[0006] Given the drawbacks and shortcomings of known anchoring elements in the art for anchoring optical fiber drop cables inside optical termination, branching, or distribution boxes, the anchoring device that is the subject of patent application BR 10 2013 003931-4, from the same applicant, was proposed.

[0007] In the previous solution, the anchoring device was designed to operate with a large variable number of fiber optic cables, especially in indoor installations of compact cables. This device was built to be applied in various infrastructures, such as cabinets and even optical termination, branching, or distribution boxes, used in high-density installations, and does not have a degree of compactness suitable for its assembly. Petition 870170055995, dated 04 / 08 / 2017, page 7 / 30 3 / 13 inside optical termination, branching, or distribution boxes from which a small number of drop cables are usually extracted. This previous anchoring device does not need to have a high degree of compactness.

[0008] Although the previous construction allowed for the stacking of multiple anchoring devices, with locking against longitudinal and transverse displacement between each two adjacent devices in the plane of mutual settlement, this construction has the drop cables anchored and held fitted inside each respective cradle of the anchoring device only by the placement of a second anchoring device on top of the first. In this previous solution, maintaining the drop cables in their retention cradles always requires the provision of an identical anchoring device fitted on top of the first and also an additional retention element on the upper device of the stack.

[0009] In the previous solution, the anchoring devices are secured using a retaining plate positioned over the upper anchoring device of a stack of devices. The retaining plate acts as an additional retention element for the drop cables anchored to the upper device and also ensures that the stack is secured to any supporting structure, such as a cabinet or the interior of a termination, branch, or optical distribution box. Thus, the devices are only secured with a fixed number of stacked devices, even if the number of drop cables is much lower than the number of cradles. Petition 870170055995, dated 04 / 08 / 2017, p. 8 / 30 4 / 13 available in the stacking of anchoring devices.

[0010] This previous device therefore requires the stacking of multiple devices not only for reasons of maintaining the drop cables inside the cradles, but also for reasons of securing the devices to the structure that carries them.

[0011] In addition to the above limitations, the anchoring device of the aforementioned prior patent application has each cradle defined by a bottom wall of the device's own structure and by a pair of side walls provided with mutually confronting internal teeth, to be riveted into the sheath of the drop cable fitted into each cradle.

[0012] Although this toothed cradle construction allows for the anchoring of a drop cable without the use of special tools, it has the drawback that the internal teeth of the cradle each have an isosceles triangular cross-section, which is unable to increase their grip on the cable sheath when the drop cable is subjected to a tensile force intended to pull it out of the termination, branch, or optical distribution box. The degree of locking achieved by such teeth reduces its efficiency in the axial locking of the drop cable, whether rectangular or circular in cross-section, limiting its use to installations where the cable is subjected to relatively low tensile forces. Summary of the invention

[0013] Considering the limitations and deficiencies of the anchoring elements of the prior art, the invention now has the general objective of providing an anchoring element for rectangular or cross-section fiber optic cable. Petition 870170055995, dated 04 / 08 / 2017, p. 9 / 30 5 / 13 circular, used as an output drop cable from a termination, branching or optical distribution box, featuring a compact, simple construction and easy assembly and fixing inside boxes used in low-density drop cable installations, without requiring any additional elements either for maintaining the drop cables installed inside their respective cradles, or for fixing one or more anchoring elements inside the box.

[0014] The invention also provides an anchoring element with the characteristics mentioned above, which also guarantees an increased degree of axial anchoring of the drop cables in each respective cradle.

[0015] These and other objectives of the present invention are achieved by providing an optical fiber cable anchoring element, particularly a drop cable, comprising a structure bounded by side edges and end edges and carrying a plurality of top-open semi-tubular cradles, provided with internal teeth and defined, each, by a pair of side walls and a bottom wall, incorporated into an upper face of the structure, the latter further incorporating a pair of retaining elements set apart from the adjacent end of the latter, projecting outward from the adjacent end edge of the structure, raised relative to the bottom wall of the cradle and extending for at least part of the inner width of the latter, from the plane of one of said side walls.

[0016] The invention briefly defined above allows each plate to anchor multiple drop cables arranged side by side, each of which is simply fitted, by radial displacement, into its respective cradle whose teeth Petition 870170055995, dated 04 / 08 / 2017, page 10 / 30 6 / 13 internal anchors are embedded in the cable sheath, with the cable extensions, which project beyond the opposite ends of the cradles, being fitted and retained under the retaining elements, so that the cable remains fitted inside the cradle regardless of the placement of another anchoring element on top of the first.

[0017] The construction now proposed allows for the quick and secure anchoring of multiple drop cables in a compact element that is easily adaptable inside a termination, branch, or optical distribution box. Brief description of the drawings

[0018] The invention will now be described based on the attached drawings, given as examples of an embodiment of the invention, in which:

[0019] Figure 1 represents a top perspective view of an anchoring element according to the invention, said view further illustrating the device anchoring a compact type drop cable, of rectangular cross-section;

[0020] Figure 2 represents a bottom perspective view of the anchoring device in Figure 1, but without illustrating any drop cable;

[0021] Figure 3 represents a planar top view of the anchoring element illustrated in figures 1 and 2;

[0022] Figure 4 represents a top perspective view of two anchoring elements stacked together and illustrated exploded in relation to a termination or derivation box shown only partially;

[0023] Figure 5 represents a top plan view of the two stacked anchoring elements already assembled and retained inside the termination box or portion of Petition 870170055995, dated 04 / 08 / 2017, page 11 / 30 7 / 13 derivation, partially illustrated in figure 4;

[0024] Figure 6 represents a cross-sectional view of two anchoring elements of the invention, when arranged in a stack, the cut being taken along line VI-VI in Figure 3; and

[0025] Figure 7 represents a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the two anchoring elements illustrated in Figure 6, the section being taken along line VII-VII in Figure 3. Description of the invention

[0026] As previously mentioned and illustrated in the attached drawings, the fiber optic drop cable anchoring element in question comprises a structure 10, in the form of a generally flat plate with a preferably, but not necessarily, rectangular outline, formed from electrically non-conductive material, having an upper face 10a and a lower face 10b and being bounded by two lateral edges 11 and two extreme edges 12, opposite each other in pairs.

[0027] The anchoring element further comprises a plurality of semi-tubular cradles 20, arranged parallel to side by side, open at the top and defined, each by a pair of side walls 21 and by a bottom wall 22, said walls being incorporated into said upper face 10a of the structure, generally in a single piece. Each side wall 21 of a cradle 20 has a face 21a facing the interior of the cradle 20 and provided with teeth 23 that are opposite the teeth 23 provided on the opposite face 21a of the other side wall 21 of the cradle 20.

[0028] In the illustrated construction, the teeth 23 of each cradle 20 are radially projecting inwards from the face Petition 870170055995, dated 04 / 08 / 2017, page 12 / 30 8 / 13 of cradle 21a of each side wall 21, to terminate, each one, in a cutting edge 23a contained in a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the cradle 20, external to the cross-section of the respective tooth 23 and displaced backwards, in the opposite direction to the axial displacement of drop cable C to be locked.

[0029] The configuration described above for teeth 23 allows them to be inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of the cradle 20 and facing in a direction opposite to that of the drop cables C exiting the anchoring element. With this, teeth 23 tend to be even more deeply embedded in the sheathing of the drop cable C when the latter is subjected to a tensile force in the direction of exiting the anchoring element.

[0030] Preferably, each tooth 23 of the cradle 20 extends continuously along the height of the side walls 21 of the cradle 20, keeping its cutting edge 23a in the same plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the cradle 20, the distance between the cutting edges 23a of the teeth 23 facing the two side walls 21 of each cradle 20 being less than the width of the cross-section of the drop cable C to be retained in the cradle 20, so that the radial fit of the drop cable C in a cradle 20 causes a certain degree of penetration of the teeth 23 into the sheath of the drop cable C.

[0031] Preferably, the teeth 23 of each cradle 20 are defined by ribs, of triangular section and arranged parallel to each other and extending along the depth of the cradle face 21a of each side wall 21.

[0032] The construction of teeth 23 allows for a more effective engagement of its cutting edges 23a in the cap or Petition 870170055995, dated 04 / 08 / 2017, page 13 / 30 9 / 13 C-shaped drop cable coating, ensuring more resistant axial retention against higher tensile forces, without the risk of the cable coming loose or excessive stress being applied to the optical fiber.

[0033] According to the invention, the structure 10 further incorporates a pair of retaining elements 30 aligned to the longitudinal axis of each cradle 20, set away from the adjacent end of the latter and projecting outwards from the adjacent end edge 12 of the structure 10, remaining in an elevated position relative to the bottom wall 22 of the cradle 20 and extending for at least part of the inner width of the latter, from the plane of the cradle face 21a of one of said side walls 21.

[0034] To facilitate the fitting of the drop cable C into a corresponding cradle 20, without requiring a large projection of the retaining elements 30 beyond the extreme edges 12 of the structure 10, the cradles 20 have their opposite ends recessed in relation to the adjacent extreme edges 12 of the structure 10.

[0035] With the constructive arrangement above, each drop cable C can be fitted into a respective cradle 20, so that its portions, which extend beyond the ends of the cradle 20, are slightly curved downwards and then fitted and retained under the retaining elements 30 as illustrated in the drawing figures. The anchoring element in question has its structure 10 further comprising a pair of positioning elements 40, each disposed externally to a respective end of each cradle 20 and defined by at least one projection 41 from the upper face 10a of the structure 10 and aligned with the plane of the cradle face 21a of the side wall 21 of the cradle 20, opposite Petition 870170055995, dated 04 / 08 / 2017, page 14 / 30 10 / 13 to that whose cradle face 21a defines the plane from which the retaining elements 30 of the cradle 20 project.

[0036] In the illustrated construction, the back wall 22 of the cradles 20 is coplanar with the top face 10a of the structure 10, although said coplanarity is not mandatory.

[0037] To give the anchoring element a more compact appearance, each two adjacent cradles 20 have a common side wall 21, opposite to the one whose cradle face 21a defines the plane from which the retaining elements 30 of each cradle 20 project. This common side wall 21 has its cradle faces 21a, opposite each other, provided with teeth 23 that project into the interior of the respective cradle 20.

[0038] The 30 facing retaining elements of each two adjacent cradles 20 are configured to maintain a distance between them at least equal to the width of the side wall 21 common to both cradles 20, allowing each drop cable C to be fitted into a respective cradle 20, in downward radial displacement, through the free span defined by the distance between the 30 facing retaining elements of the two adjacent cradles 20. To this end, it is desirable that the 30 facing retaining elements of each two adjacent cradles 20 maintain a distance between them at least equal to the width of the cross-section of the drop cable C.

[0039] To allow the retaining elements 30 to keep each drop cable C securely seated inside the respective cradle 20, these retaining elements 30 are arranged elevated relative to the back wall 22 of the respective cradle 20, by a height no greater than that of the side walls 21 of the respective cradle 20. Petition 870170055995, dated 04 / 08 / 2017, p. 15 / 30 11 / 13

[0040] In a constructive form, illustrated in the attached drawings, the retaining elements 30 have an angle bracket shape, with a lower flange 31, orthogonal to the upper face 10a of the structure 10, and with an upper flange 32 parallel to and spaced from said upper face 10a, it being understood that such retaining elements may have other configurations, provided that they perform the same function of retaining the drop cable C seated inside the respective cradle 20.

[0041] The anchoring element in question is designed to be applied inside a terminal or junction box for the release of a small number of C-drop cables, generally from one to eight drop cables. Thus, the anchoring element is designed to be seated and retained, stacked with another identical anchoring element, inside a 100 termination or junction box, as illustrated in figures 4 and 5.

[0042] As illustrated, the structure 10 may incorporate support feet 25 projecting downwards from the lateral edges 11 of the structure 10, so that the lower end of each support foot 25 may be placed and retained on the upper face 10a of an immediately lower structure 10 in a stack of anchoring elements, and the support feet 25 of the lowermost structure 10, in a stack of two anchoring elements, may be placed on a lower wall 101 of a terminal or junction box 100, as shown in figures 4 and 5.

[0043] As illustrated in Figure 4 and previously mentioned, the anchoring element in question is designed to be easily fitted and retained, in a single piece or Petition 870170055995, dated 04 / 08 / 2017, page 16 / 30 12 / 13 in multiple pieces stacked on top of each other, inside a 100 optical terminal box, which can be a termination or branch box, releasing Drop cables from its interior.

[0044] In the illustrated construction, optical terminal box 100 carries internally a housing 110, open at the top, closed by a lower wall 101 of the optical terminal box 100, and by two vertical side walls 111, parallel and opposite to each other, each of them having two opposite side edges, in each of which is incorporated a longitudinal tab 112 facing the inside of the housing 110, one of the two vertical walls 111 being split medially in the direction of its height, to house a vertical tongue 113, elastically deformable outwards from the housing 110 and incorporating a tooth 114 facing the inside of the housing 110 and which is seated on the upper face 10a of an anchoring element mounted inside the housing 110.

[0045] In the illustrated construction, the housing 110 receives two anchoring elements stacked on top of each other, with the tooth 114 of the vertical tongue 113 of the housing 110 resting on the upper face 10a of the upper anchoring element of the stack, next to one of the lateral edges 11 of the structure 10 of said anchoring element, locking the anchoring elements against their upward removal from the interior of the housing 110. To release the anchoring element(s), it is sufficient that the tongue 113 be elastically deformed outwards from the housing, overcoming the interference of its tooth 114 with the upper face of the adjacent anchoring element. Petition 870170055995, dated 04 / 08 / 2017, page 17 / 30 13 / 13

[0046] In addition to vertical locking, each anchoring element fitted inside the housing 110 has the lateral edges of its structure 10 seated against the respective vertical walls 111 of the housing 110, while the retaining elements 30, laterally more extreme and projecting beyond the extreme edges 12 of the structure 10, are seated against the longitudinal flanges 112 of the housing 110. Thus, each anchoring element is retained against lateral and longitudinal displacements inside the housing, the retention being obtained only by simple fitting with manual elastic deformation of the tongue 113, not requiring any other tightening or fastening element.

[0047] Although only one construction for the anchoring element has been described, it should be understood that changes in the shape of the components involved may be made without departing from the inventive concept defined in the claims accompanying this report. Petition 870170055995, dated 04 / 08 / 2017, p. 18 / 30

Claims

1 / 3 CLAIMS 1. Fiber optic cable anchoring element comprising: a structure (10) having an upper face (10a) bounded by a pair of side edges (11) and by a pair of end edges (12);a plurality of semi-tubular cradles (20), open at the top and defined, each by a pair of side walls (21) and a bottom wall (22), incorporated into said top face (10a), each side wall (21) having a cradle face (21a) facing the interior of the cradle (20) and provided with teeth (23) that are opposite teeth (23) provided on an opposite cradle face (21a) of the other side wall (21) of the cradle (20), the anchoring element being characterized by the fact that the structure (10) further incorporates a pair of retaining elements (30) aligned to the longitudinal axis of each cradle (20) and set back from the adjacent end of the latter, projecting outwards from the adjacent end edge (12) of the structure (10), raised in relation to the bottom wall (22) of the cradle (20) and extending for at least part of the inner width of the latter, from the plane of the cradle face (21a) of one of said side walls (21).; 2. Element, according to claim 1, characterized in that the cradles (20) have their opposite ends recessed in relation to the adjacent extreme edges (12) of the structure (10), the latter further comprising a pair of positioning elements (40), external to the ends of each respective cradle (20) and defined, each, by at least one projection (41) from the upper face (10a) of the structure (10) and aligned with the plane of the cradle face (21a) of the side wall (21) of the cradle (20), opposite to that whose cradle face (21a) defines the plane from which the retaining elements (30) of the cradle (20) project.

3. An element, according to either claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the anchoring element is formed as a single piece.

4. Element, according to either of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that each two adjacent cradles (20) have a common side wall (21), opposite to that whose cradle face (21a) defines the plane from which the retaining elements (30) of the cradle (20) project.

5. Element according to claim 4, characterized in that the retaining elements (30) of each two adjacent cradles (20) maintain a distance between them at least equal to the width of the common side wall (21) of both cradles (20).

6. Element, according to any one of claims 4 or 5, characterized in that the facing retaining elements (30) of each two adjacent cradles (20) maintain a distance between them at least equal to the width of the cross-section of the drop cable (C).

7. Element, according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the retaining elements (30) are raised relative to the bottom wall (22) of the respective cradle (20) by a height at most equal to that of the side walls (21) of the respective cradle (20).

8. Element, according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the retaining elements (30) have an angle shape, with a lower flange (31), orthogonal to the upper face (10a) of the structure (10), and with an upper flange (32), parallel to and spaced from said upper face (10a). Petition 870260058447, dated 06 / 16 / 2026, page 9 / 13 3 / 3 9. Element, according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the structure (10) incorporates support feet (25) projecting downwards from a respective lateral edge (11) of the structure (10), the lower end of each support foot (25) being seated and retained, against lateral displacements, on the upper face (10a) of a structure (10) immediately below in a stack of anchoring elements.

10. Element, according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the teeth (23) of each cradle (20) are radially projecting inwards from the cradle face (21a) of each side wall (21), to terminate, each one, in a cutting edge (23a) contained in a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the cradle (20), external to the cross-section of the respective tooth (23) and displaced backwards, in the opposite direction to the axial displacement of the drop cable (C) to be locked.

11. Element, according to claim 10, characterized in that each tooth (23) of the cradle (20) extends continuously along the height of the cradle face (21a) of each side wall (21) of the cradle (20), keeping its cutting edge (23a) in the same plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the cradle (20).

12. Element according to claim 11, characterized in that the distance between the cutting edges (23a) of the teeth (23) of each cradle (20) is less than the width of the cross-section of the drop cable (C) to be retained in the cradle (20). Petition 870260058447, dated 06 / 16 / 2026, page 10 / 13

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