Outdoor cable connectors and plug housings

Abstract

A cable housing includes: a main portion; multiple cable terminals fixed to the main portion; and a sealing assembly for receiving at least one cable portion and for providing a watertight seal between the sealing assembly and the at least one cable portion and between the sealing assembly and the main portion.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 270,283, filed on October 21, 2021, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. Background Technology

[0003] The increasing deployment of electronic and fiber optic networks has led to a growing need to manage signal distribution within such networks. Typically, signal distribution is managed through the paths of cables associated with the signals and involves the use of multi-cable terminals, which allow for selective connections between cables at designated points within the network.

[0004] The increasing need to manage signal distribution is particularly prominent in fiber optic communications. For example, fiber optic communication signals between a single home and a fiber optic network can be achieved through outdoor plant (OSP) terminals, such as junction boxes. In such systems, terminals connect a high-capacity main cable to multiple lower-capacity cables, allowing communication signals for each home to be delivered via their corresponding low-capacity dedicated cables. In this way, it is not necessary to lay high-capacity cables to each home. Furthermore, terminals can be designed to allow cables to be easily connected to and disconnected from them, as needed. For example, if a home's dedicated cable is damaged, the cable can be easily disconnected from the terminal and replaced with a new one. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In creating the technology described in this disclosure, it was recognized that the desired characteristics of multi-cable terminals are an optimized combination of ease of use and component protection. This optimization is among the advantages of this technology.

[0006] According to one aspect of the technology described in this disclosure, a cable housing includes: a main portion; at least one multi-cable terminal fixed to the main portion; and a sealing assembly for receiving at least one cable portion and for providing a watertight seal between the sealing assembly and the at least one cable portion and between the sealing assembly and the main portion.

[0007] The multi-cable terminal block may include at least one substructure configured to receive a service cable. The at least one substructure may include one or more cable connection elements, a cable seal positioned within the at least one substructure, a base, and a cover configured to close abut against the base. When the service cable is located within the at least one substructure and the cover is closed abut against the base, the cable seal may provide a watertight seal around the one or more connection elements. The at least one substructure may include a port seal configured to provide a watertight seal between the at least one substructure and the main body.

[0008] The sealing assembly may include at least one gasket for providing the watertight seal between the sealing assembly and the main portion. The sealing assembly may include a first half having a first gasket and a second half having a second gasket, wherein the first half and the second half are each configured to be engaged with the main portion. The sealing assembly may further include an inwardly projecting portion configured to protrude into the main portion when the sealing assembly is engaged with the main portion. The at least one gasket may contact the periphery of the inwardly projecting portion.

[0009] The main portion may include: a relaxation tray configured to house a portion of the at least one cable portion; a splice tray located on top of the relaxation tray; and a partition configured to house at least a portion of an intermediate cable, wherein one or more optical fibers from the at least one cable portion are fused to one or more optical fibers from the intermediate cable at the splice tray. The relaxation tray may be positioned between the splice tray and the partition.

[0010] The cable housing may further include an option module. The option module can be coupled to the connection plate.

[0011] The cable housing may further include an external anchor that is secured to the main body. At least one service cable may be configured to extend from the multi-cable terminal block to the external anchor. The at least one service cable may be detachably connected to the external anchor. Attached Figure Description

[0012] The accompanying drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. Furthermore, for clarity, not every component may be labeled in every drawing.

[0013] Figure 1A This is a perspective view of a cable housing according to one embodiment.

[0014] Figure 1B This is a perspective view of a cable housing according to another embodiment.

[0015] Figure 2A This is a perspective view of a portion of the cable housing, showing two sub-structure housings in the open position.

[0016] Figure 2B yes Figure 2A A three-dimensional view of the layout, showing the entire shell.

[0017] Figure 3A This is an exploded perspective view of a cable housing that shows some parts of the housing but not the internal cable paths.

[0018] Figure 3B It shows Figure 3A How do the various parts come together to form the shell? Figure 3A An exploded 3D view of part of the cable housing.

[0019] Figure 3C It shows Figure 3A How do the various parts come together to form the shell? Figure 3A Partial exploded cross-section of the cable housing.

[0020] Figure 4A This is an exploded perspective view of the cable housing, showing the various parts of the housing and the internal cable paths.

[0021] Figure 4B This is an exploded perspective view of another cable housing showing the various parts of the housing and the internal cable paths.

[0022] Figure 4C The various parts of the housing are shown, but the internal cable paths are not. Figure 4B A three-dimensional diagram of the layout.

[0023] Figure 5 This is a functional diagram used to help understand the cable path shown in Figure 4.

[0024] Figure 6A It shows a perspective view of the two cable sections and an exploded view of the main housing sealing assembly.

[0025] Figure 6B yes Figure 6A The cross-sectional view of the arrangement shows only the two cable sections and the two gasket sections of the main housing sealing assembly.

[0026] Figure 6C yes Figure 6A The cross-sectional view of the arrangement shows the gasket section and other parts of the two cable sections and the main housing sealing assembly.

[0027] Figure 7AThis is a perspective view of the cable housing in the open position, as shown in Figure 4, before the housing is sealed by the sealing assembly.

[0028] Figure 7B It is in the closed position after the housing is sealed by the sealing assembly. Figure 7A A 3D view of the cable housing.

[0029] Figure 8A This is a perspective view of a dome-shaped cable housing according to one embodiment.

[0030] Figure 8B This is a perspective view of an embodiment of an inline cable housing.

[0031] Figure 9A This is a perspective view of the arrangement of multiple multi-cable terminals according to one embodiment.

[0032] Figure 9B This is a perspective view of a multi-cable terminal arrangement according to one embodiment.

[0033] Figure 9C This is a perspective view of a cable housing according to one embodiment.

[0034] Figure 9D and Figure 9E It is based on various aspects of this disclosure and has external anchoring elements. Figures 9A-9C A 3D view of the cable housing.

[0035] Figure 10A This is a perspective view of a cable housing with external anchors according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0036] Figure 10B Based on all aspects of this disclosure Figure 10A A three-dimensional view of the external anchoring component. Detailed Implementation

[0037] This document describes examples of systems and methods. It should be understood that the words “example” and “exemplary” are used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any embodiment or feature described herein as “example” or “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or features. In the following description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof. In the figures, like symbols generally identify like parts unless the context otherwise requires. Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented herein.

[0038] The exemplary embodiments described herein are not intended to be limiting. It will be readily understood that various aspects of this disclosure as generally described herein and illustrated in the figures can be arranged, replaced, combined, separated, and designed in a wide variety of different configurations, all of which are explicitly contemplated herein.

[0039] Figure 1A This is a perspective view of a cable housing 100 according to one embodiment. The cable housing 100 includes a housing 105 having a main portion 110, a sealing assembly 115, and a multi-cable terminal 125. The sealing assembly 115 is configured to receive two cable portions 120a and 120b. Each of the two cable portions 120a and 120b may take the form of multiple optical fibers contained within a cable sheath or multiple smaller cables contained within a cable sheath. Furthermore, when the cable portion takes the form of smaller cables contained within a cable sheath, each smaller cable may further take the form of a single optical fiber within a cable sheath, multiple optical fibers within a cable sheath, or multiple smaller cables within a cable sheath. Additionally, the two cable portions 120a and 120b may be corresponding portions of two different cables, or portions of a single cable. In any case, one or more optical fibers from the two cable portions 120a and 120b are connected to the multi-cable terminal 125, which includes multiple substructures 127.

[0040] Figure 1B This is a perspective view of a cable housing 150 according to another embodiment. Figure 1B The housing 150 is similar to Figure 1A The visible difference in the housing is that housing 150 includes a second multi-cable terminal 155. The second multi-cable terminal 155 is positioned on the main portion 110 of housing 105, and on the opposite side of the main portion 110 from the side where the multi-cable terminal 125 is located. Figure 1B In the embodiment, one or more optical fibers from the two cable sections 120a and 120b are connected to either or both of the multi-cable terminals 125 and 155.

[0041] If it is possible to Figure 1A and Figure 1B As both can see, the sealing assembly 115 of the housing 105 can be connected to the main portion 110 of the housing 105 by a plurality of screws 160, but upon viewing this disclosure, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate a number of alternative techniques for connecting the sealing assembly 115 to the main portion 110.

[0042] Additionally, it should be noted that any one or both of the multi-cable terminals may be formed integrally with the main portion 110 of the housing 105, or may be formed separately from the main portion and then attached to the main portion 110 of the housing 105. The cases where the multi-cable terminals are integrally formed with the main portion 110 and the cases where the multi-cable terminals are attached to the main portion 110 will be collectively referred to as the multi-cable terminals being fixed to the main portion 110.

[0043] It should be further noted that the descriptions of the two cable sections 102a and 102b are for illustrative purposes only. Figure 1A and Figure 1B Cable housings 100 and 150. Figure 1A and Figure 1B The number of cable portions in the embodiments can be any number, including one or more, and those skilled in the art will readily understand this upon viewing this disclosure. Figure 1A and Figure 1B How can the embodiments be implemented using many cable sections other than the two cable sections?

[0044] also, Figure 1A and Figure 1B The housings 100 and 150 described herein, as well as other housings described herein, may be configured for attachment to a retaining structure. For example, housing 150 may include an opening (not shown) for receiving screws that attach housing 150 to a hanger, which in turn is used to suspend housing 150 from a wall or rod mount.

[0045] Now for reference Figure 2A The figure shows a perspective view of a portion of a cable housing 200 with multiple cable terminals 205, wherein two substructures 210a and 210b of the multiple cable terminals 205 are shown in the open position. Figure 2A As shown, multiple service cables 215a, 215b', and 215b'' are connected to substructures 210a and 210b, allowing the optical fibers within service cables 215a, 215b, and 215c to be connected to two cable sections 120a and 120b (shown in...). Figure 2B One or both of the optical fibers in the (middle) are used. In the depicted arrangement, service cable 215a is connected to substructure 210a and service cables 215b' and 215b'' are connected to substructure 210b. If it is possible to... Figure 2A As seen further, substructure 210a may include a cover 220a movably connected to base 225 via, for example, hinge 230a. The cover 220a and base 225 together define a sub-shell 235a of substructure 210a.

[0046] The sub-housing 235a is configured to accommodate a plurality of cable connection elements, including a first connector 240a for the end 245a of the internal cable 243a, a second connector 250a for the end 255a of the service cable 215a, and an adapter 260a for connecting the first connector 240a to the second connector 250a. In this way, the internal cable 243a and the service cable 215a can be connected to each other via the first connector 240a, the second connector 250a, and the adapter 260a.

[0047] Additionally, the sub-housing 235a can be configured to accommodate the support member 265a. As shown, the support member 265a can be used to secure one or more cable connection elements, such as adapter 260a. Furthermore, the support member 265a can be movable, allowing the secured connection elements to move with the support member 265a when the substructure 210a is in the open position. For example, the support member 265a can be hinged to the sub-housing 235a. Furthermore, the support member 265a can be arranged to automatically move to the exposed position when the substructure 210a is opened.

[0048] It is worth noting that in some embodiments, when the end 245a of the internal cable 243a, the end 255a of the service cable 215a, and the cable connector are positioned in the sub-housing 235a, the cable seal 270a is positioned in the substructure 210a and around the service cable 215a, and the cover 220a of the substructure 210a is closed against the base 225, forming a watertight seal around the cable connector. This watertight seal can be ensured by including a gasket 290a in the base 225 to contact the lip 295a in the cover 220a when the substructure 210a is in the closed position. Additionally, a watertight seal of the sub-housing 235 relative to the main portion 110 can be ensured by a port seal 297a. Furthermore, a fastener 280a can be provided to secure the substructure 210a in the closed position. Figure 2A In the construction, fastener 280a is a clip, but it should be noted that various alternatives can be used, such as an annular threaded fastener that is fused to the threaded end of substructure 210a when the service cable 215a passes through the fastener.

[0049] Generally, referring back to the multi-cable terminal 205, each substructure 127 may take the same form as substructure 210a. However, it should be noted that substructures 127 do not necessarily have the same form as each other, or take the form of substructure 210a. For example, the multi-cable terminal 205 may include some substructures having the form of substructure 210a and other substructures taking different forms, such as those depicted for substructure 210b. Alternatively, the multi-cable terminal 205 may include substructures having only a form different from that of substructure 210a.

[0050] Figure 2B yes Figure 2A A three-dimensional view of the layout, showing the entire housing 200.

[0051] Figure 3A This is an exploded perspective view of the cable housing 300, showing some portions of the housing 300 and portions of the cable sections 102a and 120b, but not any internal cable paths of the housing 300. As can be seen from this view, the sealing assembly 115 may consist of two halves, namely the first half 115a and the second half 115b, and the housing 300 may include a slack tray 305, a splice tray 310, an option module 315, and a separator 320. When the housing is fully assembled, the slack tray 305, the splice tray 310, the option module 315, and the separator 320 are inside the housing 300.

[0052] Option module 315 is an optional element and may or may not be included in the cable housing described in this disclosure. Option module 315 may include any or more of a splitter, tap filter, wavelength division multiplexer (WDM) filter, optoelectronic module, etc.

[0053] Now for reference Figure 3B The figure shows... Figure 3A How do the various parts come together to form the 300mm shell? Figure 3A A partially exploded perspective view of the cable housing 300. As can be seen, the relaxation disc 305 can be positioned on top of the connecting disc 310, which in turn can be positioned above the option module 315. The partition 320 can be positioned below the option module 315 and can contact the option module 315; however, in other embodiments, the option module 315 is not included and the connecting disc 310 can be positioned directly above the partition 320 and may or may not contact the partition 320.

[0054] In some embodiments, the relaxation disc 305 and the connecting disc 310 may be formed as a single integrated portion or a single component. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the relaxation disc 305 may be attached to the sealing assembly 115 via a component support portion. Even further, in some embodiments, the connecting disc 310 and the option module 315 may be formed as a single integrated portion or a single component.

[0055] Turn Figure 3C The figure shows... Figure 3A How do the various parts come together to form the 300mm shell? Figure 3A A partially exploded cross-sectional view of the cable housing 300. As shown, by combining... Figure 3B observe Figure 3C Two cable portions 120a and 120b can be positioned within one half of the sealing assembly 115 (the second half 115b in the illustrated example), and then the other half (the first half 115a in the illustrated example) can contact the half in which the two cable portions are positioned. Once the two halves of the sealing assembly 115 are brought together in this manner, the two halves can be secured to each other, for example by screws in screw holes 325, thereby securing the cable portions 120a and 120b within the sealing assembly. The final assembly of the housing 300 is accomplished by: by... Figure 3C The relaxation disk 305, connecting disk 310, option module 315, and partition 320 are moved in direction A to place them into the main unit 110, and then along... Figure 3C The sealing assembly 115 moves along direction A with the two halves 115a and 115b attached and the cable portions 120a and 120b fixed. When the sealing assembly 115 is moved along direction A and contacts the main portion 110, the sealing assembly 115 can be fixed to the main portion 110, for example, by means of screws 160 (e.g., ...). Figure 1B (As shown).

[0056] Figure 4A This is an exploded perspective view of the cable housing 400, showing its various parts and internal cable paths. For the sake of simplicity of description, in conjunction with... Figure 3A The internal cable paths are shown in the context of the identical housing portions. In Figure 4, cable section 120a includes multiple sub-cables 405, while cable section 120b includes multiple sub-cables 410. One or more of sub-cables 405 and 410, i.e., one or more cables taken from sub-cable 405 or sub-cable 410, or from both sub-cable 405 and sub-cable 410, have a path from slack reel 305 to connector reel 310. Figure 4AThe diagram is illustrated by cable 415. At the connection tray 310, one or more optical fibers from cable 415, illustrated by fiber optic cable 420, are connected to one or more optical fibers from intermediate cable 425, illustrated by fiber optic cable 430. Intermediate cable 425 also has a relaxer stored in relaxant tray 305 and its path is located between relaxant tray 305 and option module 315. Intermediate cable 425 is connected to option module 315. Furthermore, internal cable 435 connected to option module 315 passes through partition 320 and is routed to one of the substructures 210d of multi-cable terminal 125.

[0057] Regarding option module 315, if option module 315 is not inside housing 400, cable 425 can be routed directly from relaxation disc 305 to partition 320 and through partition 320, such that internal cable 435 is merely a continuation of cable 425.

[0058] Regarding cables 425 and 435, the cables are used for illustration only. The number of cables passing from the relaxation tray 305 to the connection tray 310 and to the option module 315 is not limited to one cable, but can be multiple cables; and similarly, the number of cables passing from the option module 315 to the multi-cable terminal 125 is not limited to one cable, but can be multiple cables.

[0059] Figure 4B This is an exploded perspective view of the cable housing 400B, showing its various parts and internal cable paths. Except for the arrangement of the relaxation tray 305b, connection tray 310b, and option module 315b, the cable housing 400B is similar to... Figure 4A The casing is 400. (Example) Figure 4B As shown, option module 315b can be integrated with or formed into a single unit with connection disk 310b. In some examples, option module 315b can be as follows: Figure 4A The separate components connected to the connecting plate 310b are shown. According to some examples, the housing 400B may additionally or alternatively include a partition 320b.

[0060] As mentioned above Figure 4A The cable section 120a discussed may include multiple sub-cables 405, and the cable section 120b may include multiple sub-cables 410. Sub-cables 405 and 410 may have relaxers stored in relaxer reels 305b. One or more sub-cables 405 and 410, i.e., one or more cables taken from sub-cable 405 or sub-cable 410, or from both sub-cable 405 and sub-cable 410, can travel from relaxer reel 305 to connector reel 310b. Figure 4B It is shown in the middle via cable 415.

[0061] like Figure 4C As shown and with Figure 4A Compared to the configuration shown, when the connecting disc 310b and the relaxation disc 305b are within the housing 400B, the connecting disc 310b can be positioned above the relaxation disc 305b. For example, the relaxation disc 305b can have a bottom 407 and a top 408, while the connecting disc 310b can have a bottom 417 and a top 418. The bottom 417 of the connecting disc 310b can be positioned above or adjacent to the top 408 of the relaxation disc 305b. In such an example, the relaxation disc 305b can be positioned between the connecting disc 310b and the partition 320b.

[0062] At connection panel 310b, one or more optical fibers from cable 415, illustrated by optical fiber 420, can be connected to one or more optical fibers from intermediate cable 425. According to some examples, the path of intermediate cable 425b is between connection panel 310b and option module 315b. In another example, intermediate cable 425b can be coupled to option module 315. Intermediate cable 425 may have a slack cable stored in partition 320b. Intermediate cable 425 can be routed to one of the substructures 210d of substructure 210 of multi-cable terminals 125, 155.

[0063] Figure 5 It is used to help understand Figure 4A and 4B The diagram shows the function of the cable path. Figure 5 The diagram also illustrates how the relaxation tray 305, relaxation storage, and connection tray 310 enable the splicing of optical fibers on the fusion splicer 500. In this figure, two cable sections 120a and 120b are depicted as portions of a single cable 120, and sub-cable 415 is a portion of a split sub-cable 505, such that ends 505a and 505b correspond to each other. To splice the optical fiber 420 emerging from end 505a to the optical fiber 430 of cable 425, optical fibers 420 and 430 are positioned on the connection tray 310, and then the connection tray is moved to the fusion splicer 500 (separated from other cable housing elements) to enable splicing. The cable stored in the relaxation tray 305 makes this movement of the connection tray 310 possible.

[0064] in addition, Figure 5 One embodiment is depicted in which two optical fibers split from internal cable 435, pass through guide 440, and are respectively connected to multi-cable terminals 125 and 155. More generally, the internal cable passing through partition 320 will carry multiple optical fibers, and these optical fibers will be connected to corresponding substructures of the multi-cable terminals of the cable housing.

[0065] Turn now Figure 6AThe figure shows a perspective view of the two cable portions 120a and 120b and an exploded view of the main housing sealing assembly 115. As can be seen from the figure, the first half 115a of the sealing assembly 115 includes: a screw hole 600a for securing the first half 115a to the main portion of the housing (not shown); a first inward protrusion 605a that protrudes into the main portion when the housing is fully assembled; and a first washer 610a that provides a watertight seal between the first half 115a and the main housing, between the first half 115a and the two cable portions 120a and 120b, and between the first half 115a and the second half 115b when the housing is fully assembled. Similarly, the second half 115b of the sealing assembly includes: a screw hole 600b for securing the second half 115b to the main portion of the housing (not shown); a second inward protrusion 605b that protrudes into the main portion when the housing is fully assembled; and a second washer 610b that provides a watertight seal between the second half 115b and the main housing, between the second half 115b and the two cable portions 120a and 120b, and between the second half 115b and the first half 115a when the housing is fully assembled.

[0066] It is worth noting that, for ease of description, the sealing assembly 115 is described as comprising a first half 115a and a second half 115b. However, the sealing assembly of the presently described technology does not necessarily consist of two halves. For example, the sealing assembly may include two parts or sub-assemblies of different sizes, may include more than two parts or sub-assemblies of equal or varying sizes, or may consist of a single part or sub-assembly.

[0067] Having noted that the sealing assembly 115 may take forms other than the two half-forms described in this disclosure, the description will continue using the context of the two half-form embodiments.

[0068] refer to Figure 6B The figure shows Figure 6A A cross-sectional view of the arrangement, showing only the two cable portions 120a and 120b, and the first washer 610a and the second washer 610b. As can be seen, the first washer 610a contacts the periphery 607a of the inwardly protruding portion 605a, while the second washer 610b contacts the periphery 607b of the inwardly protruding portion 605b.

[0069] Figure 6C yes Figure 6AA cross-sectional view of the arrangement shows two cable portions 120a and 120b, screw holes 600a and 600b, a first washer 610a and a second washer 610b, and a first inward protrusion 605a and a second inward protrusion 605b. The screw hole 600a is positioned in the first flange 615a of the first half 115a of the sealing assembly 115, while the screw hole 600b is positioned in the second flange 615b of the second half 115b of the sealing assembly 115.

[0070] Turn now Figure 7A The figure shows the housing in the open position before it is sealed by the sealing assembly 115. Figure 4A A perspective view of the cable housing 700, similar to a perspective view. This view is typically... Figure 4A The view shown is reversed, so the partition 320 appears closer to the observer than the relaxation disc 305. (As can be seen from...) Figure 7A As can be seen, the partition 320 is used to divide the main part 110 of the housing so that when the housing 700 is fully assembled, the intermediate cable 425 does not become entangled with the internal cable 435, as... Figure 7B As shown. Furthermore, in Figure 7A and Figure 7B In one embodiment, the internal cable 435 carries multiple optical fibers 705, and the optical fibers 705 are connected to the corresponding sub-housing of the multi-cable terminal 155.

[0071] It should be noted that, Figure 7A and Figure 7B In this embodiment, the intermediate cable 425 and the internal cable 435 are located on opposite sides of the partition 320. Furthermore, it should be noted that the internal cable 435 can be arranged such that when the internal cable 435 is in a pulled-out state (… Figure 7A It maintains the winding direction without changing during operation and has a portion 437 that is fixed to the partition 320. For example, it can be obtained from... Figure 7A As can be seen, when the internal cable 435 is in the pulled-out state, at least one segment of the internal cable 435, such as segment 438, is close to the fixing part 437.

[0072] Now for reference Figure 8A and Figure 8B These figures show perspective views of the cable housing according to two possible embodiments. Figure 8A A perspective view of a dome-shaped cable housing 800 according to one embodiment is shown. The housing 800 includes multiple cable terminals, such as... Figure 2A The multi-cable terminal 125 shown may have a main portion 805 with a shape different from that of the main portion 110 and a sealing portion 810 with a shape different from that of the sealing portion 115. As shown, the housing 800 may accommodate two cable portions 120a and 120b. Figure 8BA perspective view of an inline cable housing 850 according to one embodiment is shown. The housing 850 includes multiple cable terminals, such as... Figure 2A The multi-cable terminal 125 shown may have a main portion 855 with a shape different from that of the main portions 110 and 805. Furthermore, the housing 850 may not have a sealing portion and may accommodate two cable portions 120a and 120b via housing openings 860a and 860b respectively. As shown, housing openings 860a and 860b may be positioned opposite each other on the main portion 855, but relative positioning is not necessary, and openings 860a and 860b may be positioned on any two different surfaces of the main portion 855, or on the same surface of the main portion 855.

[0073] It should be noted that the descriptions are made in the context of the two cable sections 102a and 102b for illustrative purposes only. Figure 8A and Figure 8B Cable housings 800 and 850. Figure 8A and Figure 8B The number of cable portions in the embodiments can be any number, including one or more, and those skilled in the art will readily understand this upon viewing this disclosure. Figure 8A and Figure 8B How can the embodiments be implemented using many cable sections other than the two cable sections?

[0074] Now for reference Figure 9AThe figure shows a perspective view of a terminal arrangement 900. The terminal arrangement 900 includes a first sub-assembly 905 and a second sub-assembly 910, but other embodiments may include any number of one or more sub-assemblies. Sub-assembly 905 will be described in detail, provided that this description also applies to sub-assembly 910. Sub-assembly 905 includes a mounting member 915, which can be secured to, for example, a rod or wall by screws passing through screw holes 920. Mounting member 915 includes a slot 925 capable of receiving a plurality of hangers 930. Hangers 930 are freely rotatable and translateable within slots 925 and each supports a plurality of multi-cable terminals 935 that can rotate and translate with their respective hangers. Each multi-cable terminal 935 has a plurality of sub-housings, for example, substructures 940. The multi-cable terminal 935 is configured to receive a corresponding one of a plurality of feed cables 945 that can fan out from a main feed cable 951. Furthermore, each feeder cable 945 can carry multiple fiber optic cables, which can fan out from corresponding multi-cable terminals of the feeder cable, allowing the fan-out fiber optic cables to be connected to the sub-housing of the multi-cable terminal at locations within the multi-cable terminal. Additionally, each sub-housing may include elements for connecting one or more tap cables 950 to the outside of the multi-cable terminal 935, wherein the sub-housing of the multi-cable terminal 935 is used to connect one or more tap cables 950 to one or more fiber optic cables fanned out from the feeder cable 945.

[0075] Turn now Figure 9B The figure shows a perspective view of a terminal arrangement 960 according to one embodiment. The terminal arrangement 960 includes a mounting member 965 and a single multi-cable terminal 970 connected to the mounting member 965 via a hanger 975. The mounting member 965 can be secured to, for example, a rod or wall by screws passing through screw holes 980. The hanger 975 is freely rotatable relative to the mounting member 965, and the multi-cable terminal 970 can rotate with the hanger 975. The multi-cable terminal 970 has multiple sub-housings (e.g., sub-housing 985) and a feed cable input 990. The feed cable input 990 is configured to receive a feed cable 995, which can fan out within the multi-cable terminal 970 into multiple fiber optic cables, wherein the multiple fiber optic cables are connected to corresponding tap cables 998 via corresponding sub-housings 985.

[0076] Turn now Figure 9CThe figure shows a perspective view of a cable housing arrangement 1000 according to one embodiment. The cable housing arrangement 1000 includes a mounting member 1005 and a cable housing 1010 connected to the mounting member 1005 via a hanger 1015. The mounting member 1005 can be secured to, for example, a rod or wall by screws passing through screw holes 1020. The hanger 1015 is rotatable relative to the mounting member 1005, and the cable housing 1010 is rotatable with the hanger 1015. The cable housing 1010 can take, for example... Figure 1B The cable housing is in the form of 150, but it can be modified. Figure 1B The housing is designed for mounting from the hanger 1015 via screw holes including screw holes 1025 for receiving screws passing through the hanger 1015. The cable housing 1010 can receive two cable sections 120a and 120b, and the housing 1010 can be used to connect fiber optic cables within the two cable sections 120a and 120b to the tap cable 1030.

[0077] Figure 9D and Figure 9E The illustration shows a support structure for connecting a cable 950 to a multi-cable terminal 935. The support structure 922 may include one or more extension plates 926, 924 and one or more external anchors 1102.

[0078] The extension plate 926 can be attached to and extend away from the first end 934 of the housing 932. For example, the extension plate 926 can be detachably attached to the housing 932 by screws or by rivets, solder, etc.

[0079] Extension plate 924 can be connected to extension plate 926. Extension plate 924 can extend away from the first end 934 of housing 932. Extension plate 924 may include a "U"-shaped portion 923 at the first end 927 of extension plate 924. The "U"-shaped portion 923 can loop or bend rearward toward the first end 934 of housing 932 such that a first portion 938 of extension plate 924 extends away from the first end of housing 932, while a second portion 928 of extension plate 924 extends toward the first end 934 of housing 932. The first portion 938 may be parallel or substantially parallel to the second portion 928.

[0080] Although extension plates 926 and 924 are illustrated as two separate plates, extension plates 924 and 926 can be integral, resulting in a single extension plate. In some examples, there may be more than two extension plates. Therefore, having two extension plates 924 and 926 is merely an example and is not intended to be limiting.

[0081] One or more external anchors 1102 may be detachably attached to extension plate 924. For example, a first external anchor 1102a may be detachably attached to a first portion 928 of extension plate 924 and a second external anchor 1102b may be detachably attached to a second portion 938 of extension plate 924. The external anchors may be configured to provide additional support for cable 950. The additional support provided by the external anchors 1102 prevents cable 950 from being pulled out of substructure 940 of multi-cable terminal 935. Additionally or alternatively, by connecting cable 950 to external anchors 1102, external anchors 1102 can prevent cable 950 from being pulled in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of housing 932. By preventing cable 950 from being pulled out of substructure 940 or from being pulled out in a direction transverse to housing 932, external anchors 1102 can prevent damage to cable 950 and / or interruption of the service provided via cable 950.

[0082] External anchors 1102 can be detachably connected to or attached to corresponding portions of extension plate 924. For example, external anchor 1102a can be connected to a first portion 938 of extension plate 924 and external anchor 1102b can be connected to a second portion 928 of extension plate 924. External anchors 1102 can be connected to extension plate 924 via known connection means such as zippers, hooks, knots, screws, solder joints, etc. In some examples, external anchors 1102 can be press-fitted to extension plate 924.

[0083] Figure 10A An example cable housing 1100 is illustrated. The cable housing 1100 may be similar to cable housings 100, 150, 200, 300, 400, and 700, but may further include external anchors 1002. As shown, the cable housing 1100 may include two external anchors 1102a and 1102b, one on each side of the cable housing 1100. The number of external anchors 1102 may correspond to the number of multi-cable terminals 125 and 155. For example, external anchor 1002a may be used to support service cables extending from multi-cable terminals 125, while external anchor 1002b may be used to support service cables extending from multi-cable terminals 155.

[0084] External anchor 1102 may be configured to provide additional support for service cables 215a, 215b', and 215b'' after they have left and moved away from the paths of substructures 210a and 210b. According to some examples, by connecting service cables 215a, 215b', and 215b'' to external anchor 1002, external anchor 1002 may prevent service cables 215a, 215b', and 215b'' from being pulled out of substructure 210a of multi-cable terminal 125. Alternatively or concurrently, by connecting service cables 215a, 215b', and 215b'' to external anchor 1102, external anchor 1102 can prevent service cables 215a, 215b', and 215b'' from being pulled in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of cable housing 1100. By preventing service cables 215a, 215b', and 215b'' from being pulled out of substructure 210a or in a direction transverse to cable housing 110, external anchor 1102 can prevent damage to service cables 215a, 215b', and 215b'' and / or interruption of the service provided via service cables 215a, 215b', and 215b''.

[0085] like Figure 10B As shown, the external anchor 1002 may have a plurality of anchor portions 1004 extending from the base 1105. According to some examples, a wall 1107 may extend between the base 1105 and the anchor portions 1104. The wall 1107 may extend from the base 1105 at an angle "L" transverse to the longitudinal axis of the base 1105. According to some examples, two walls 1107 may extend outward from the base 1105 in opposite directions, such that the walls 1107 and the base 1105 form a "v" or "u" shape.

[0086] Anchor portion 1104 may be a portion of external anchor 1102 to which service cables 215a, 215b', and 215b'' are attached. In some examples, the anchor portion extends parallel or substantially parallel to the base 1105. Service cables 215a, 215b', and 215b'' can be connected to the respective anchor portion 1004 by any known connection means 1006. As shown, connection means 1106 may be a zipper. However, connection means 1006 may be cable ties, hooks and loops, knots, etc.

[0087] The external anchor 1102 can be detachably connected to or coupled to the cable housing 1100 via a connecting means 1110. Similar to connecting means 1106, connecting means 1110 can be a zipper, hook and loop, twisted band, or any other known connecting means for attaching the external anchor 1102 to the cable housing 1100. For example, although connecting means 1110 is shown as something surrounding the exterior of the cable housing 1100, connecting means 1110 can be a solder joint or screw for attaching the external anchor 1102 to the cable housing 1100.

[0088] Embodiments of this technology include, but are not limited to, the following solutions. A cable housing comprising: a main portion; multiple cable terminals fixed to the main portion; and a sealing assembly for receiving at least one cable portion and for providing a watertight seal between the sealing assembly and the at least one cable portion and between the sealing assembly and the main portion.

[0089] Although the invention has been described herein with reference to specific embodiments, it should be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the invention. Therefore, it should be understood that many modifications can be made to the illustrative embodiments, and other arrangements can be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A cable housing, the cable housing comprising: main part; At least one multi-cable terminal is fixed to the main part; The multi-cable terminal includes at least one substructure configured to receive a service cable; as well as A sealing assembly for accommodating at least one cable portion and for providing a watertight seal between the sealing assembly and the at least one cable portion and between the sealing assembly and the main portion. The at least one substructure includes: One or more cable connection elements; A cable seal, wherein the cable seal is disposed within the at least one substructure; base; and A lid, which is configured to close against the base.

2. The cable housing of claim 1, wherein when the service cable is within the at least one substructure and the cover is closed against the base, the cable seal provides a watertight seal around one or more connecting elements.

3. The cable housing of claim 1, wherein the at least one substructure includes a port seal configured to provide a watertight seal between the at least one substructure and the main body.

4. The cable housing of claim 1, wherein the sealing assembly includes at least one gasket for providing the watertight seal between the sealing assembly and the main portion.

5. The cable housing of claim 4, wherein the sealing assembly comprises a first half having a first gasket and a second half having a second gasket, wherein both the first half and the second half are configured to be coupled to the main portion.

6. The cable housing of claim 4, wherein the sealing assembly further includes an inwardly projecting portion configured to project into the main portion when the sealing assembly is coupled to the main portion.

7. The cable housing according to claim 6, wherein the at least one washer contacts the periphery of the inwardly projecting portion.

8. The cable housing according to claim 1, wherein the main portion comprises: A relaxation tray, the relaxation tray being configured to house a portion of the at least one cable section; A connecting plate, which is located on top of the relaxation plate; as well as A partition, configured to house at least a portion of an intermediate cable, wherein one or more optical fibers from the at least one cable portion are connected at the connection tray to one or more optical fibers from the intermediate cable.

9. The cable housing according to claim 8, wherein the slack reel is disposed between the connecting reel and the partition.

10. The cable housing according to claim 8, further comprising an option module.

11. The cable housing of claim 10, wherein the option module is coupled to the connection plate.

12. The cable housing according to claim 1, further comprising an external anchoring member fixed to the main portion.

13. The cable housing of claim 12, wherein at least one service cable is configured to extend from the multi-cable terminal to the external anchor.

14. The cable housing of claim 13, wherein the at least one service cable is detachably connected to the external anchor.

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