A cable storage box and an optical cable laying method

Abstract

The application relates to a cable storage box and an optical cable laying method. The cable storage box comprises a box body, the box body is internally provided with a containing cavity, the inner wall of the containing cavity is curved, the box body is further provided with a cable inlet and a cable outlet, and the cable inlet and the cable outlet are both communicated with the containing cavity; a floating ball inner container is located in the containing cavity, the floating ball inner container extends towards the direction close to the cable outlet on the side close to the cable inlet in the containing cavity, and a cable winding gap is formed between the floating ball inner container and the inner wall of the containing cavity. When the optical cable is transported from the cable inlet, the curved inner wall of the containing cavity can drive the optical cable to be automatically stored in the containing cavity, and the setting of the floating ball inner container ensures that the optical cable is stored in the floating ball inner container according to a fixed direction and is not easy to be disorderedly stacked and wound in the box body, thereby solving the technical problem that the optical cable is easy to be disorderedly stacked or wound in the joint box in the related art.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of optical fiber communication technology, specifically to a cable storage box and an optical cable laying method. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of fiber optic communication networks, especially the widespread adoption of Fiber to the Home (FTTH) projects, a certain length of optical cable is typically pre-stored during the duct laying phase to reduce redundant construction and road excavation during subsequent user access. This pre-stored cable method requires the cable to be pulled directly from a pre-set location when a user needs to activate services, thereby improving construction efficiency and reducing the impact on public areas. Therefore, providing an underground device that can safely and conveniently store excess optical cable length has become a general requirement in this field.

[0003] In related technologies, underground junction boxes or manholes are typically used as storage locations for optical cables. During construction, excess optical cables are placed directly into the bottom space of the underground junction box or manhole.

[0004] However, the interior of current underground junction boxes is usually a hollow structure. When optical cables are delivered into the box using air blowing or other methods, they tend to pile up or become tangled and disordered inside. This not only takes up a lot of space but also makes it easy for the cables to get stuck and difficult to retrieve later, potentially damaging them. Furthermore, construction workers often need to open the box manually to organize the cables, increasing construction costs and complexity.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to design a new cable storage box to overcome the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a cable storage box and an optical cable laying method, which can solve the technical problem in the related art that optical cables are easily piled up or tangled in the junction box in a disorderly manner.

[0007] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a cable storage box, comprising: a box body having a receiving cavity, the inner wall of which is curved, the box body also having a cable inlet and a cable outlet, both of which are connected to the receiving cavity; and a float liner located within the receiving cavity, the float liner extending from the side of the receiving cavity near the cable inlet toward the direction near the cable outlet, a cable coiling gap being formed between the float liner and the inner wall of the receiving cavity.

[0008] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one embodiment, the inner diameter of the receiving cavity first increases and then decreases along the direction from the cable inlet to the cable outlet.

[0009] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one embodiment, the inner liner of the float is divided into a first guide zone, a second guide zone, and a third guide zone along the direction from the cable inlet to the cable outlet. The second guide zone connects the first guide zone and the third guide zone, and the outer diameter of the first guide zone gradually increases in the direction towards the second guide zone, while the outer diameter of the third guide zone gradually decreases in the direction towards the cable outlet.

[0010] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one embodiment, the cone angle of the first guide region is greater than the cone angle of the third guide region.

[0011] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one embodiment, the outer diameter of the second guide region gradually increases in the direction toward the third guide region.

[0012] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one embodiment, the inner diameter of the receiving cavity corresponding to the second guide area gradually increases in the direction toward the cable outlet.

[0013] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one embodiment, a flexible limiting ring is provided inside the receiving cavity. The flexible limiting ring is located between the inner liner of the float and the inner wall of the receiving cavity, and the flexible limiting ring is located on the side of the receiving cavity near the cable outlet.

[0014] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one embodiment, the distance between one end of the float liner and the cable inlet is greater than the distance between the other end of the float liner and the cable outlet.

[0015] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one embodiment, the receiving cavity is further provided with an optical cable guide structure, which is rotatably mounted on the cable inlet via a bearing.

[0016] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one embodiment, the minimum single-sided gap between the inner liner of the float and the inner wall of the receiving cavity is equal to 1.2 to 3 times the cable diameter.

[0017] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one embodiment, the inner liner of the float is provided with a blocking protrusion on the side near the cable outlet.

[0018] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one embodiment, the box body includes a first shell and a second shell fixed to each other, a sealing ring is sandwiched between the first shell and the second shell, and the interiors of the first shell and the second shell form the receiving cavity, the float liner is located inside the first shell and the second shell, the cable inlet is located in the first shell, the cable outlet is located in the second shell, and the inner diameter of the cable outlet is larger than the inner diameter of the cable inlet.

[0019] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one embodiment, the cable storage box further includes a locking assembly installed at the cable inlet and the cable outlet. The locking assembly includes a sealing gasket and a sealing nut. The sealing nut located at the cable inlet is threaded to the outside of the cable inlet, and the sealing gasket is sandwiched between the cable inlet and the sealing nut.

[0020] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one embodiment, both the cable inlet and the cable outlet are connected to a microtube via the locking assembly, and the microtube communicates with the receiving cavity.

[0021] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one embodiment, the housing is provided with an electronic identifier for identifying when the optical cable is coiled up.

[0022] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a method for laying optical cables, comprising: Connect the two ends of the above-mentioned cable storage box to micro-tubes and place them into the trench, then fill the trench. The optical cable is transported into the cable storage box, where it is automatically stored.

[0023] The beneficial effects of the technical solutions provided in this application include: By setting a receiving cavity inside the box, the optical cable can be stored in the receiving cavity. When the optical cable is delivered from the cable inlet, the receiving cavity on the curved inner wall can drive the optical cable to be automatically coiled in the receiving cavity. The setting of the float inner liner ensures that the optical cable is coiled in a fixed direction to the outside of the float inner liner, and it is not easy to accumulate and tangle disorderly in the box. This solves the technical problem that optical cables are easy to accumulate or tangle disorderly in the junction box in related technologies. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0025] Figure 1 An exploded view of a cable storage box provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a cable storage box assembly provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of a cable storage box provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of another cable storage box provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 5 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of another location of the central storage cable box; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the float liner provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of the float inner liner with a flexible limiting ring provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the inner liner of the float with the optical cable coiled around it, provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the cable storage box connecting microtube provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 10 An exploded view of another cable storage box provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of the optical cable guiding structure provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 12 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of another cable storage box provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the cable storage box provided in the embodiment of this application, which is prepared for placement into the trench.

[0026] In the picture: 1. Box body; 11. Receiving cavity; 111. Conical cavity; 112. Barrel-shaped cavity; 12. Cable inlet; 13. Cable outlet; 14. First housing; 15. Second housing; 2. Inner liner of the float; 21. First guide zone; 22. Second guide zone; 23. Third guide zone; 24. Blocking ridge; 3. Cable reel gap; 4. Sealing ring; 5. Locking assembly; 51. Sealing gasket; 52. Sealing nut; 6. Tighten the screws; 7. Microtube; 8. Flexible limiting ring; 9. Exhaust pipe; 100. Optical cable guiding structure; 200. Bearing. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0028] This application provides a cable storage box and an optical cable laying method, which can solve the technical problem in the related art that optical cables are easily piled up or tangled in the junction box in a disorderly manner.

[0029] See Figures 1 to 3 As shown, this application embodiment provides a cable storage box, which includes: a box body 1, the box body 1 having a receiving cavity 11, and the inner wall of the receiving cavity 11 being curved, the box body 1 also having a cable inlet 12 and a cable outlet 13, the cable inlet 12 and the cable outlet 13 being connected to the receiving cavity 11; a float liner 2, the float liner 2 being located inside the receiving cavity 11, and the float liner 2 extending from the side of the receiving cavity 11 near the cable inlet 12 toward the direction near the cable outlet 13, a cable coiling gap 3 being formed between the float liner 2 and the inner wall of the receiving cavity 11.

[0030] See Figure 1 As shown, the box 1 in this embodiment preferably adopts a split structure (of course, if it is possible to set the float liner 2 in a one-piece structure, the box 1 in this embodiment can also adopt a one-piece structure). The receiving cavity 11 in this embodiment can be spherical, ellipsoidal, oblate, egg-shaped, oval, or cylindrical, etc. Figure 1 The cavity 11 shown is cylindrical, with conical ends. In this embodiment, the float liner 2 can be either hollow or solid. The float liner 2 can float freely within the cavity 11. In this embodiment, the float liner 2 is preferably hollow, and its shape is similar to that of the box body 1 or the cavity 11, both being elongated. This allows the float liner 2 to extend almost from one end of the cavity 11 to the other. In this embodiment, the cable inlet 12 and cable outlet 13 are located at the left and right ends of the box body 1, respectively. The float liner 2 extends from the side near the cable inlet 12 to the side near the cable outlet 13. The elongated shape of the float liner 2 facilitates the winding of the optical cable outside the float liner 2 during storage. Figure 8 As shown), it is not easy for it to scatter into the receiving cavity 11.

[0031] It should be understood that in this embodiment, the float liner 2 refers to a lightweight liner structure that can move freely within the receiving cavity 11.

[0032] In this embodiment, a receiving cavity 11 is provided inside the housing 1, and the optical cable can be stored in the receiving cavity 11. When the optical cable is conveyed from the cable inlet 12, the receiving cavity 11 on the curved inner wall can drive the optical cable to be automatically coiled in the receiving cavity 11. At the same time, since a float liner 2 is provided inside the receiving cavity 11, the float liner 2 extends from the side near the cable inlet 12 to the vicinity of the cable outlet 13, and a coiling gap 3 is formed between the float liner 2 and the inner wall of the receiving cavity 11, so that after the optical cable enters the receiving cavity 11, it can be automatically coiled in the coiling gap 3 under the drive of the curved inner wall and the guidance of the float liner 2, and coiled in a fixed direction to the outside of the float liner 2. It is not easy to accumulate and tangle disorderly in the housing 1. The orderly coiling not only occupies less space, but also makes it less likely to get tangled and stuck when pulled out for use later. It is easy to retrieve the cable and does not easily damage the optical cable. It can greatly reduce construction costs and complexity, and solve the technical problem in related technologies that optical cables are easy to accumulate or tangle disorderly in the junction box.

[0033] The cable storage box in the above embodiment is mainly suitable for air-blowing scenarios and is used underground. It supports automatic air-blowing for storing optical cables when buried underground. That is, after the cable storage box is buried underground, the optical cable is blown into the box 1 by air blowing. The optical cable can be automatically coiled in a fixed direction inside the box 1 and stored on the inner liner 2 of the float. When the optical cable is needed later, one end of the optical cable can be pulled to remove the optical cable stored in the box 1 without repeating the construction and laying of optical cables.

[0034] Of course, the above-mentioned cable storage box can also be applied to other non-air-blown scenarios, and there are no restrictions here.

[0035] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the inner diameter of the receiving cavity 11 first increases and then decreases along the direction from the cable inlet 12 to the cable outlet 13. See also Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, in this embodiment, the box 1 is longitudinally elongated (the box 1 can also be elliptical, oval, or other shapes, without limitation), extending in the left-right direction. The cable inlet 12 is located at the left end of the box 1, and the cable outlet 13 is located at the right end of the box 1 (in other embodiments, the cable inlet 12 and cable outlet 13 may not be located at the two ends). In this embodiment, the box 1 is basically uniformly thick throughout, so the shape of the receiving cavity 11 is basically consistent with the outer shape of the box 1. Near the cable inlet 12, the inner diameter of the receiving cavity 11 gradually increases from left to right, forming a cone shape. In this embodiment, it is preferably conical (of course, it can also be...). (Other shapes such as elliptical cones) On the right side near the cable outlet 13, the inner diameter of the receiving cavity 11 gradually decreases from left to right, making the receiving cavity 11 also conical near the cable outlet 13. In this embodiment, the conical cavities 111 at the cable inlet 12 and cable outlet 13 are basically the same size and are symmetrically arranged about the center of the receiving cavity 11. In other embodiments, the conical cavities 111 on the left and right sides of the receiving cavity 11 can be set to be different sizes, that is, one large and one small. For example, the conical cavity 111 near the cable inlet 12 is larger than the conical cavity 111 near the cable outlet 13. In this embodiment, the conical cavities 111 on the left and right sides of the receiving cavity 11 can be directly connected or connected through an intermediate cavity.

[0036] In this embodiment, a conical cavity 111 is provided near the cable inlet 12. When the optical cable is transported from the left end into the receiving cavity 11, the inner wall of the conical cavity 111 can guide the optical cable to move to the right in a fixed direction. Furthermore, the conical cavities 111 at the cable inlet 12 and the cable outlet 13 cause the optical cable to move from the cable inlet 12 to the cable outlet 13, that is, from the left side of the housing 1 to the right side of the housing 1.

[0037] In some alternative embodiments, see Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, the inner liner of the float 2 is divided into a first guide zone 21, a second guide zone 22 and a third guide zone 23 along the direction from the cable inlet 12 to the cable outlet 13. The second guide zone 22 connects the first guide zone 21 and the third guide zone 23. The outer diameter of the first guide zone 21 gradually increases in the direction of the second guide zone 22, and the outer diameter of the third guide zone 23 gradually decreases in the direction of the cable outlet 13. In this embodiment, the float liner 2 can be roughly divided into three sections along its length. The first section is the first guide area 21, located at the left end of the float liner 2. The second section is the second guide area 22, located in the middle of the float liner 2. The third section is the third guide area 23, located at the right end of the float liner 2. In this embodiment, the left and right ends of the float liner 2 are both designed as cones (preferably conical). The outer diameter of the float liner 2 at each location is smaller than the inner diameter of the corresponding location of the receiving cavity 11, so that a cable-coiling gap 3 is formed between the float liner 2 and the inner wall of the receiving cavity 11. The optical cable can move in the gap between the float liner 2 and the inner wall of the receiving cavity 11 and coil onto the float liner 2 in a fixed direction. In this embodiment, both ends of the float inner liner 2 and both ends of the receiving cavity 11 are set as cones, so that the float inner liner 2 matches the receiving cavity 11, ensuring that the cable winding gap 3 between each part of the float inner liner 2 and the inner wall of the receiving cavity 11 is not too large or too small, so that it can be smoothly wound onto the float inner liner 2. If the gap is too large, the optical cable will easily accumulate at that point, and if the gap is too small, the optical cable will not be able to pass through easily.

[0038] Furthermore, the conical inner liner 2 at both ends of the float can also guide the optical cable, allowing it to travel along the surface of the inner liner 2 and then coil around the outside of the inner liner 2. The first guide area 21 located at the cable inlet 12 can guide the optical cable entering the receiving cavity 11 to the surface of the inner liner 2, and the third guide area 23 located at the cable outlet 13 can guide the optical cable preparing to exit the receiving cavity 11, guiding it towards the cable outlet 13.

[0039] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the cone angle of the first guide region 21 is greater than the cone angle of the third guide region 23. See also Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown in the figure, in this embodiment, both the first guide area 21 and the second guide area 22 are conical, and can be conical or elliptical cone, etc. Meanwhile, it can be clearly seen from the figure that the third guide area 23 located at the cable outlet 13 is thinner than the first guide area 21, and the first guide area 21 has a larger cone angle and is relatively thicker. This arrangement is mainly to prevent the optical cable from coiling at the left end of the float inner liner 2, allowing the optical cable to travel towards the middle of the receiving cavity 11, and then coil in the middle of the float inner liner 2. The right end of the float inner liner 2 is thinner and longer, extending to the vicinity of the cable outlet 13 to guide the head of the optical cable towards the cable outlet 13.

[0040] Furthermore, in some optional embodiments, the outer diameter of the second guide region 22 gradually increases in the direction toward the third guide region 23. In this embodiment, see... Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the radius of the second guide area 22 gradually increases from its connection with the first guide area 21 towards the third guide area 23. In this embodiment, the radius of the second guide area 22 increases slowly. In other embodiments, the second guide area 22 can also be configured with a portion of its radius remaining constant and a portion increasing; this is not a limitation. The gradually increasing inner diameter in this embodiment causes the outer surface of the float liner 2 at the position of the second guide area 22 in the middle to be inclined. The inclined outer surface can guide the optical cable coiling, allowing the optical cable to be coiled sequentially in the second guide area 22 in a fixed direction.

[0041] In other embodiments, the second guide region 22 may also be configured to have a constant radius from left to right.

[0042] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the inner diameter of the receiving cavity 11 corresponding to the second guide region 22 gradually increases in the direction towards the cable outlet 13. See also Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, in this embodiment, the receiving cavity 11 is preferably configured to include a barrel-shaped cavity 112 in the middle section and tapered cavities 111 on the left and right sides. The tapered cavities 111 on both sides are connected through the barrel-shaped cavity 112 in the middle. The position of the barrel-shaped cavity 112 corresponds to the position of the second guiding area 22. The optical cable is mainly coiled in the position of the barrel-shaped cavity 112, and the tapered cavities 111 on both sides mainly serve to guide the optical cable. In this embodiment, the inner wall of the barrel-shaped cavity 112 is also configured to gradually increase in size from left to right, just like the second guiding area 22, so that the inner wall of the barrel-shaped cavity 112 also guides the coiling of the optical cable at this location. Preferably, the inner wall of the barrel-shaped cavity 112 is configured to have the same slope as the outer wall of the second guiding area 22, so that the size of the cable coiling gap 3 at the barrel-shaped cavity 112 is uniform.

[0043] In other embodiments, the inner diameter of the barrel cavity 112 may also be set to remain constant from left to right.

[0044] Furthermore, in one embodiment, a flexible limiting ring 8 is provided within the receiving cavity 11. The flexible limiting ring 8 is located between the float inner liner 2 and the inner wall of the receiving cavity 11, and is positioned on the side of the receiving cavity 11 near the cable outlet 13. In this embodiment, the flexible limiting ring 8 is preferably made of foam; however, other flexible materials can also be used, although flexible materials are easily deformable. See also Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 7As shown, in this embodiment, the flexible limiting ring 8 is located at the connection between the second guide area 22 and the third guide area 23. When the head of the optical cable walks from the cable inlet 12 to the flexible limiting ring 8, it squeezes the flexible limiting ring 8, causing the flexible limiting ring 8 to undergo elastic deformation. The head of the optical cable then passes over the flexible limiting ring 8 and continues to the cable outlet 13. After that, the remaining optical cable continues to enter the receiving cavity 11 from the cable inlet 12 and is coiled on the left side of the flexible limiting ring 8 under the obstruction of the flexible limiting ring 8. Figure 8 (As shown). In this embodiment, the flexible limiting ring 8 can confine the optical cable to a specific position for coiling.

[0045] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the distance between one end of the float liner 2 and the cable inlet 12 is greater than the distance between the other end of the float liner 2 and the cable outlet 13. See also Figure 3 As shown, the distance between the left end of the float liner 2 and the cable inlet 12 is larger, while the distance between the right end of the float liner 2 and the cable outlet 13 is smaller, meaning the right end of the float liner 2 is closer to the cable outlet 13. In this embodiment, the greater distance between the left end of the float liner 2 and the cable inlet 12 results in a larger cable coiling gap 3 between the float liner 2 and the inner wall of the receiving cavity 11 at that point, preventing obstruction of the optical cable at the cable inlet 12 and ensuring smooth entry of the optical cable into the receiving cavity 11 and its continued forward movement. Conversely, the closer distance between the right end of the float liner 2 and the cable outlet 13 results in a smaller cable coiling gap 3 between the float liner 2 and the inner wall of the receiving cavity 11 at that point, allowing the end of the optical cable to move out of the cable outlet 13 under the combined guidance of the conical float liner 2 and the conical receiving cavity 11. Figure 3 As can be seen, the cable gap 3 at the cable inlet 12 is greater than the cable gap 3 at the cable outlet 13, while the cable gap 3 in the middle region of the float bladder 2 is between the cable gaps 3 at both ends. That is, the cable gap 3 at the cable inlet 12 is greater than the cable gap 3 at the barrel cavity 112, and the cable gap 3 at the barrel cavity 112 is greater than the cable gap 3 at the cable outlet 13. The cable gap 3 gradually decreases from left to right.

[0046] Furthermore, in some optional embodiments, an optical cable guide structure 100 may also be provided within the receiving cavity 11, the optical cable guide structure 100 being rotatably mounted to the cable inlet 12 via a bearing 200. See also Figures 10 to 12As shown, in this embodiment, an optical cable guide structure 100 is installed at the cable inlet 12 within the receiving cavity 11. Preferably, the optical cable guide structure 100 is a rigid pipe. This optical cable guide structure 100 is shaped into a specific curved form according to the direction the optical cable needs to be coiled, and is installed at the cable inlet 12 via a bearing 200. After the optical cable enters the cable inlet 12 from the outside, it first passes through the optical cable guide structure 100 into the receiving cavity 11. Guided by the optical cable guide structure 100, the optical cable moves forward along a specific path. The optical cable guide structure 100 mainly prevents the optical cable from changing direction in a figure-eight pattern within the receiving cavity 11, allowing the optical cable to change direction in one direction and coil regularly. Furthermore, the installation of the optical cable guide structure 100 via the bearing 200 allows it to rotate at this installation position.

[0047] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the minimum single-sided gap between the inner wall of the float liner 2 and the inner wall of the receiving cavity 11 is equal to 1.2 to 3 times the cable diameter. In this embodiment, 3 times the cable diameter is preferred. The cable diameter can be, for example, 2 to 3 mm. This suitable gap allows the optical cables to be arranged tightly and orderly outside the float liner 2, avoiding the extra space occupied by disorderly stacking. This enables the cable storage box to store longer reserved optical cables within a limited volume, meeting the requirement of pre-storing a certain length of optical cable in fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) projects. This embodiment sets the gap between the inner wall of the float liner 2 and the inner wall of the receiving cavity 11 in such a way that it can ensure that the optical cable will not get stuck due to the gap being too small, nor will it be easy for the optical cable to get tangled due to the gap being too large. By setting a reasonable gap of 1.2 to 3 times the cable diameter, it avoids excessive friction and compression damage caused by the gap being too tight, and also avoids stress damage caused by the optical cable being messy and tangled due to the gap being too wide, thereby ensuring the safety of optical cable storage. It finds the best balance between "smooth passage" and "orderly storage" of optical cables, thereby realizing the automatic, safe and efficient storage of optical cables in the cable storage box.

[0048] Based on the above technical solution, in one embodiment, the inner liner of the float 2 is provided with a blocking protrusion 24 on the side near the cable outlet 13. See also Figure 3 and Figure 6 As shown, a blocking protrusion 24 is provided on the right side of the float inner liner 2. The height of the blocking protrusion 24 is greater than the diameter of the optical cable. The blocking protrusion 24 can contact the inner wall of the right-side receiving cavity 11, preventing the float inner liner 2 from adhering to the inner wall of the receiving cavity 11, so that there is a gap between the float inner liner 2 and the inner wall of the receiving cavity 11. The optical cable can move from this gap (located between two adjacent blocking protrusions 24) to the cable outlet 13.

[0049] Further, in some embodiments, the housing 1 includes a first shell 14 and a second shell 15 fixed to each other, with a sealing ring 4 sandwiched between the first shell 14 and the second shell 15, and the interiors of the first shell 14 and the second shell 15 forming the receiving cavity 11. The float liner 2 is located within the first shell 14 and the second shell 15, the cable inlet 12 is located in the first shell 14, and the cable outlet 13 is located in the second shell 15. See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the first housing 14 and the second housing 15 are fixed by locking screws 6, making it easy to install and disassemble the first housing 14 and the second housing 15. In other embodiments, the first housing 14 and the second housing 15 can also be connected by other detachable or non-detachable methods. In this embodiment, the first housing 14 is slightly longer than the second housing 15. This embodiment uses two separately molded housings assembled into a box 1, which facilitates placing the float inner liner 2 and the flexible limiting ring 8 inside the box 1, and also facilitates later maintenance.

[0050] Preferred, see Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the inner diameter of the cable outlet 13 is larger than the inner diameter of the cable inlet 12. The inner diameter of the cable inlet 12 is smaller, just enough to ensure that the optical cable can pass through. The cable outlet 13 is set to be relatively larger, so that the head of the optical cable can easily exit.

[0051] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the cable storage box further includes a locking assembly 5 installed at the cable inlet 12 and the cable outlet 13. The locking assembly 5 includes a sealing gasket 51 and a sealing nut 52. The sealing nut 52, located at the cable inlet 12, is threadedly connected to the outside of the cable inlet 12, and the sealing gasket 51 is sandwiched between the cable inlet 12 and the sealing nut 52. See also Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, locking components 5 are provided at both the cable inlet 12 and the cable outlet 13. The sealing nuts 52 of the locking components 5 on the left and right sides are slightly different. This embodiment is described using the cable inlet 12 as an example; the setting and connection method of the cable outlet 13 are the same. At the cable inlet 12, a sealing gasket 51 is fitted over the cable inlet 12, and a sealing nut 52 is threaded onto the outer surface thread of the cable inlet 12. In use, the microtube 7 passes through the sealing nut 52 and is inserted into the cable inlet 12. In this embodiment, the sealing nuts 52 at both the cable inlet 12 and the cable outlet 13 are tapered, allowing them to be connected to the standard connector of the microtube 7 during use.

[0052] In some optional embodiments, both the cable inlet 12 and the cable outlet 13 are connected to a microtube 7 via the locking assembly 5, and the microtube 7 communicates with the receiving cavity 11. See also Figure 9 As shown, an embodiment is given in which microtubes 7 are connected to both ends of the box 1.

[0053] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the housing 1 is equipped with an electronic identifier for identifying when the optical cable is fully coiled. In this embodiment, a customized electronic identifier can be installed inside the housing 1. This electronic identifier is preferably a passive electronic identifier, with a frequency of, for example, 101.4 kHz. The ground detector can identify the electronic identifier; when the optical cable is not fully coiled in the housing 1, the switch of the electronic identifier is in the open state, the electronic identifier is open-circuited, and the ground detector cannot detect it; when the optical cable is fully coiled in the housing 1, the switch of the electronic identifier is in the closed state, the electronic identifier is connected, the ground detector detects the electronic identifier, and triggers an alarm. The switch of the electronic identifier is located on the side near the cable inlet 12. When the optical cable is fully coiled, it presses the switch shut, causing it to close.

[0054] This application also provides a method for laying optical cables, which may include the following steps: S100: Connect the two ends of the aforementioned cable storage box to the microtube 7 and place it into the trench, then fill the trench (see...). Figure 13 (As shown).

[0055] S200: The optical cable is transported to the housing 1 of the cable storage box, so that the optical cable is automatically stored in the housing 1.

[0056] The cable storage box in this embodiment can be any of the cable storage boxes provided in the above embodiments and can achieve the corresponding functions, which will not be described in detail here.

[0057] In step S100 above, the micro-tubes 7 connecting both ends of the cable storage box are placed into the trench. One end of the cable storage box is introduced from the optical cable junction box, and the other end is inserted into the wall (the wall is pre-drilled), and then it is buried. Specifically, this includes: S101: A 7 / 4 microtube 7 is separated from the bundled microtube 7.

[0058] S102: Place the cable storage box into the trench (the horizontal direction is the main trench, and the diagonal direction to the right is the branch trench); insert the microtube 7 into the sealing nut 52, and then tighten the sealing nut 52 to seal the microtube 7 with the box body 1.

[0059] S103: Connect the user-side microtube 7 and the exhaust pipe 9 using a T-shaped connector.

[0060] S104: Place the cable storage box in the branch trench, insert the inlet micro-pipe 7 through the hole in the wall into the user's side, and place the exhaust pipe 9 near the ground. In this embodiment, the exhaust port of the exhaust pipe 9 can be set in various ways. For example, the exhaust port can be buried underground and dug out to open for exhaust when needed; it can also be set on the ground and protected by a device to prevent water from entering or being damaged, and can only exhaust air outwards; it can also be connected to other places for exhaust through a pipe.

[0061] S105: Landfill trench.

[0062] In step S200 above, the optical cable is blown into housing 1, and the optical cable is automatically coiled up inside housing 1. Specifically, this includes: S201: Locate the trench, excavate the vent location, and remove the end plug of the vent.

[0063] S202: Optical cables are blown from the side of the optical cable junction box into box 1, where they are automatically coiled. During the air-blowing process, the cable inlet enters through the inlet 12 on the left side of box 1 and exits through the outlet 13 on the right side. Subsequent cables blown into box 1 are then coiled and stored within box 1. When the cables in box 1 are needed later, simply pull the inlet on the right side to smoothly remove the coiled cables from box 1.

[0064] In some embodiments, the optical cable laying method may further include step S300: when the user side needs to open the service, the private area is excavated, the plug is opened, and the optical cable is pulled out from the microtube 7.

[0065] In traditional FTTH construction, the typical approach is to run an air-blown microduct (7) from the optical distribution box (i.e., the fiber optic cable junction box) to the wall of a private property to complete the backbone section. When a user needs network access, the private property is excavated to locate the microduct (7), and one end is connected to bring it indoors. Then, the optical distribution box is opened, and the air-blown fiber optic cable is run to the user's home. Simultaneously, fiber splicing and activation work must be completed on both the optical distribution box and the user's home. However, this method is inefficient and requires numerous fiber splicing operations.

[0066] To improve construction efficiency and expedite user activation, this embodiment employs a method of pre-blowing the cable from the optical distribution box to the underground outside each user's territory in a single operation.

[0067] Step 1: The microtube bundle, residential branches, and solutions for accommodating and storing excess fiber optic cable length were laid in an open trench. The trench was then filled in, and the ground was restored to its original condition.

[0068] Step 2: Fiber optic cable is blown into the junction box through the pre-laid microtube bundles and residential branches, with extra length reserved for connecting to residences, without excavating the ground in common areas. After blowing in the cable, any excess cable length is stored in a suitable underground storage facility (i.e., the cable storage box mentioned above). The end of the cable, or the end of the microtube containing the cable, is accessible on the customer's property side but stored inside the assembly.

[0069] Step 3: At a later date, when the residential connection is carried out (to introduce the micro-duct and fiber optic cable into the building), the pre-prepared excess fiber optic cable length or excess fiber optic cable and duct length can be pulled from the storage facility from the customer's property side and laid into the house.

[0070] This construction process can greatly reduce the number of times the optical fiber exchange air blowing and fiber splicing are started, significantly improving construction efficiency and eliminating the need for repeated construction and laying of optical cables.

[0071] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "upper," "lower," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. Unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication between two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0072] It should be noted that in this application, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0073] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, enabling those skilled in the art to understand or implement this application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of this application. Therefore, this application is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features claimed herein.

Claims

1. A cable storage box, characterized in that, It includes: The box (1) has a cavity (11) inside, and the inner wall of the cavity (11) is curved. The box (1) is also provided with a cable inlet (12) and a cable outlet (13), and the cable inlet (12) and the cable outlet (13) are both connected to the cavity (11). The float liner (2) is located in the receiving cavity (11), and the float liner (2) extends from the side of the receiving cavity (11) near the cable inlet (12) toward the cable outlet (13), and a cable coil gap (3) is formed between the float liner (2) and the inner wall of the receiving cavity (11).

2. The cable storage box as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Along the direction from the cable inlet (12) toward the cable outlet (13), the inner diameter of the receiving cavity (11) first increases and then decreases.

3. The cable storage box as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The inner liner of the float (2) is divided into a first guide zone (21), a second guide zone (22) and a third guide zone (23) along the direction from the cable inlet (12) to the cable outlet (13). The second guide zone (22) connects the first guide zone (21) and the third guide zone (23). The outer diameter of the first guide zone (21) gradually increases in the direction of the second guide zone (22), and the outer diameter of the third guide zone (23) gradually decreases in the direction of the cable outlet (13).

4. The cable storage box as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The cone angle of the first guide area (21) is greater than the cone angle of the third guide area (23).

5. The cable storage box as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The outer diameter of the second guide area (22) gradually increases in the direction of the third guide area (23).

6. The cable storage box as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The inner diameter of the receiving cavity (11) at the second guide area (22) gradually increases in the direction toward the cable outlet (13).

7. The cable storage box as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The cavity (11) is provided with a flexible limiting ring (8), which is located between the inner wall of the float liner (2) and the cavity (11), and the flexible limiting ring (8) is located on the side of the cavity (11) near the cable outlet (13).

8. The cable storage box as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The distance between one end of the float liner (2) and the cable inlet (12) is greater than the distance between the other end of the float liner (2) and the cable outlet (13).

9. The cable storage box as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The cavity (11) is also provided with an optical cable guide structure (100), which is rotatably mounted on the cable inlet (12) via a bearing (200).

10. The cable storage box as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The minimum single-sided gap between the inner wall of the float liner (2) and the inner wall of the receiving cavity (11) is equal to 1.2 to 3 times the cable diameter.

11. The cable storage box as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The inner liner of the float (2) is provided with a blocking protrusion (24) on the side near the cable outlet (13).

12. The cable storage box as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The box body (1) includes a first shell (14) and a second shell (15) fixed to each other. A sealing ring (4) is sandwiched between the first shell (14) and the second shell (15), and the interior of the first shell (14) and the second shell (15) forms the receiving cavity (11). The float liner (2) is located inside the first shell (14) and the second shell (15). The cable inlet (12) is located in the first shell (14), and the cable outlet (13) is located in the second shell (15). The inner diameter of the cable outlet (13) is larger than the inner diameter of the cable inlet (12).

13. The cable storage box as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The cable storage box also includes a locking assembly (5) installed at the cable inlet (12) and the cable outlet (13). The locking assembly (5) includes a sealing gasket (51) and a sealing nut (52). The sealing nut (52) located at the cable inlet (12) is threaded to the outside of the cable inlet (12), and the sealing gasket (51) is sandwiched between the cable inlet (12) and the sealing nut (52).

14. The cable storage box as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The box (1) is equipped with an electronic identifier for identifying when the optical cable is fully coiled.

15. A method for laying optical cables, characterized in that, It includes: Connect the two ends of the cable storage box as described in claim 1 to the microtube (7) and place it into the trench, then fill the trench. The optical cable is transported into the housing (1) of the cable storage box, so that the optical cable is automatically stored in the housing (1).

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