Optical cable terminal unit and terminal unit stack

Abstract

A terminal unit (1) of an optical cable has: a housing (10); a plurality of module accommodating portions (12) provided in the housing in a lateral direction, each accommodating an adapter module in a manner such that the adapter module is detachable with respect to the module accommodating portion; and a plurality of core wire accommodating portions (13) provided in the housing in the lateral direction, each accommodating an optical fiber core wire connected to the adapter module. The plurality of module accommodating portions (12) are spaced apart in the lateral direction. The plurality of core wire accommodating portions (13) are spaced apart in the lateral direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to terminal units and terminal unit stacks for optical cables.

[0002] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-010165, filed on January 26, 2024, and invokes all the contents described in the said Japanese patent application. Background Technology

[0003] It is known that multiple terminal units are mounted on an optical cabling frame. The multiple terminal units are mounted in the optical cabling frame in a stacked manner along the vertical direction of the optical cabling frame (e.g., Patent Document 1). Alternatively, each terminal unit may be supported by an adapter module that is equipped with multiple adapters and can be detached from the terminal unit, wherein the multiple adapters are connected to multiple optical connectors respectively (e.g., Patent Document 2).

[0004] Existing technical documents Patent documents Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-224892 Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-526013 Summary of the Invention

[0005] The optical cable terminal unit disclosed herein includes: a housing; a module receiving portion having a plurality of transversely arranged within the housing to accommodate an adapter module in a manner that allows the adapter module to be detached and assembled relative to the module receiving portion; and a core wire receiving portion having a plurality of transversely arranged within the housing to accommodate optical fiber core wires connected to the adapter module, wherein the plurality of module receiving portions are spaced apart in the transverse direction and the plurality of core wire receiving portions are spaced apart in the transverse direction. Attached Figure Description

[0006] Figure 1 This is a front perspective view illustrating a terminal unit of an optical cable according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0007] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional view showing the rear part of the terminal unit as an example.

[0008] Figure 3 This is a partial enlarged schematic diagram of a terminal unit showing the door open and the cover of the rightmost module housing open.

[0009] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing that multiple terminal units are stacked vertically within the optical cabling frame. Detailed Implementation

[0010] (The problem this disclosure aims to solve) Multiple optical connectors can be connected to adapters located in multiple terminal units, depending on the application and connection destination. Even when the number of connected optical connectors is small, if each connector is connected to an adapter in a different terminal unit for each application, a large enough space within the optical cabling rack to accommodate multiple terminal units is required, depending on the number of applications. As a result, it is difficult to utilize the space of the optical cabling rack effectively.

[0011] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a terminal unit for optical cables that enables space-saving optical cabling racks.

[0012] (A description of one method of this disclosure) First, the implementation plan disclosed herein will be listed for explanation.

[0013] (1) A terminal unit of an optical cable according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a housing; a module receiving portion, wherein a plurality of such receiving portions are provided in the housing in the transverse direction, such that an adapter module can be detached from the module receiving portion; and a core wire receiving portion, wherein a plurality of such receiving portions are provided in the housing in the transverse direction, such that an optical fiber core wire connected to the adapter module is received, wherein the plurality of module receiving portions are spaced apart in the transverse direction, and the plurality of core wire receiving portions are spaced apart in the transverse direction.

[0014] According to this disclosure, multiple module accommodating sections and multiple core wire accommodating sections are arranged laterally. In particular, this disclosure enables optical fibers to be separated according to their purpose, allowing them to be connected via optical connectors to multiple adapter modules housed laterally. As a result, optical fibers for multiple purposes can be connected to a single terminal unit. Therefore, compared to connecting optical fibers for multiple purposes to multiple terminal units separately, space-saving of the optical cabling rack in the vertical direction can be achieved.

[0015] Furthermore, the multiple module accommodators are arranged horizontally spaced. Therefore, when an operator plugs or unplugs an optical connector relative to one adapter module, it is less likely to encounter another horizontally adjacent adapter module and its optical connector, or the optical fiber connected to that connector. Similarly, the multiple core wire accommodators are arranged horizontally spaced. Therefore, it is easy to prevent the mixing of optical fiber core wires connected to one adapter module with those connected to another adapter module.

[0016] (2) In (1) above, the plurality of module receiving portions may be located in the front part of the housing in the depth direction orthogonal to the transverse direction, and the plurality of core wire receiving portions may be located in the rear part of the housing in the depth direction.

[0017] According to this disclosure, multiple module accommodating portions are located at the front of the housing, and multiple core wire accommodating portions are located at the rear of the housing. The multiple module accommodating portions and the multiple core wire accommodating portions are separately arranged throughout the depth direction of the housing, thus facilitating wiring operations, etc.

[0018] (3) In (1) or (2) above, the number of the plurality of module accommodating parts may also be the same as the number of the plurality of core wire accommodating parts.

[0019] According to this disclosure, the number of multiple module accommodating sections is the same as the number of multiple core wire accommodating sections, so even if all of the multiple module accommodating sections are filled with adapter modules, the mixing of fiber core wires connected to these adapter modules can be prevented.

[0020] (4) In any of (1) to (3) above, each of the module receiving portions may be provided with a cover that can move relative to the module receiving portion.

[0021] According to this disclosure, each module housing is provided with a movable cover. Therefore, when performing wiring work, the operator is less likely to bump into another adjacent adapter module and its optical connector.

[0022] (5) In any of (1) to (4) above, the terminal unit may also include: a branch section that covers and forms a branch from the outlet section of the optical cable having a plurality of optical fiber cores.

[0023] According to this disclosure, the branch section covers the outlet section of the optical cable having optical fiber cores connected to the adapter module, thus protecting the outlet section. Furthermore, because the branch section is provided, it is easy to connect a portion of the optical fiber cores to an external optical cable even when not all of the multiple optical fiber cores are used.

[0024] (6) In any of (1) to (5) above, the terminal unit may also include: a cable gripping part that grips an optical cable having a plurality of optical fiber cores and is assembled in a manner that allows it to move forward and backward.

[0025] According to this disclosure, a cable gripping part is provided, which grips the optical cable and is assembled in a manner that allows it to move forward and backward. Therefore, when the terminal unit of this disclosure is mounted in an optical cabling frame, it is easy to adjust the gripped position of the optical cable connected to the terminal unit within the optical cabling frame, and it is easy to prevent entanglement with other optical cables.

[0026] Alternatively, a terminal unit stack of one embodiment of the present disclosure may include: (7) a first unit group having at least one terminal unit as described in (6) above; and a second unit group having at least one terminal unit as described in (6) above, and disposed below the first unit group, wherein the second length between the core wire receiving portion and the cable gripping portion in the terminal unit of the second unit group is longer than the first length between the core wire receiving portion and the cable gripping portion in the terminal unit of the first unit group.

[0027] According to this disclosure, the second unit group is located below the first unit group, and the second length between the core wire receiving portion and the cable gripping portion in the terminal unit of the second unit group is longer than the first length between the core wire receiving portion and the cable gripping portion in the terminal unit of the first unit group. Therefore, when the terminal unit stack of this disclosure is mounted in the optical cabling frame, the optical cables connected to the first unit group and the optical cables connected to the second unit group are separated within the optical cabling frame, thus preventing cable mixing and improving cabling efficiency.

[0028] (The effects of this disclosure) According to this disclosure, a terminal unit for optical cables that enables space-saving optical cabling racks is provided.

[0029] (Details of one method of this disclosure) Referring to the accompanying drawings, a specific example of a terminal unit of an optical cable according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. The terms "above," "below," "left," "right," "front," and "rear" used in this embodiment are for convenience. Figure 1 The relative orientation of the terminal unit 1 shown is defined. It should be noted that this disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is shown in the claims and is intended to include all modifications with the same meaning and scope as the claims.

[0030] Figure 1 This is a front perspective view of an optical cable terminal unit 1, illustrating one embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 1 The door 11 mounted on the front surface of the terminal unit 1 is shown in the closed state. Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the rear portion of the optical cable terminal unit 1, as an example. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As illustrated in the example, the terminal unit 1 includes a housing 10, a door 11, multiple module housings 12, and multiple core wire housings 13.

[0031] In this embodiment, regarding the depth direction of the terminal unit 1, the direction in which the door 11 is located is defined as the front, and the direction from the door 11 toward the interior of the terminal unit 1 is defined as the rear. In the figures, "F" represents the front and "B" represents the rear. In this embodiment, the lateral direction is orthogonal to the depth direction and is the width direction of the terminal unit 1. In the figures, "L" represents the left and "R" represents the right. In this embodiment, the vertical direction is orthogonal to both the depth direction and the lateral direction and is the height direction of the terminal unit 1. In the figures, "U" represents the top and "D" represents the bottom. It should be noted that "orthogonal" includes not only the case where two lines are strictly orthogonal, but also the case where it would be evaluated as two lines being substantially orthogonal.

[0032] First, details of the multiple module housing 12 will be explained.

[0033] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As illustrated in the example, multiple module receiving portions 12 are provided at the front portion of the housing 10 in the depth (front-to-back) direction. Furthermore, multiple module receiving portions 12 are provided within the housing 10 in the transverse (left-to-right) direction. In this embodiment, four module receiving portions 12 are arranged transversely.

[0034] Multiple module receiving portions 12 are configured to accommodate adapter modules M in a manner that allows the adapter modules M to be detached from and attached to the module receiving portions 12. More specifically, each module receiving portion 12 has a receiving space 121 and a pair of guide rails 122. The pair of guide rails 122 extend in the depth direction within the receiving space 121. The adapter module M slides along the pair of guide rails 122 in the depth direction, thereby being received within or removed from the receiving space 121.

[0035] Multiple module housings 12 are separated laterally. More specifically, a partition wall 123 is provided between each housing space 121 and another housing space 121 that is laterally adjacent. For example, a partition wall 123 is provided between the rightmost housing space 121 and the housing space 121 located to its left. In this embodiment, three partition walls 123 are provided to separate four housing spaces 121 laterally.

[0036] Each module housing 12 is provided with a cover 124 that can move relative to the module housing 12. Figure 3 This is a partial enlarged schematic diagram showing the door 11 in the open state and the cover 124 of the module housing 12 located on the far right in the open state.

[0037] like Figure 3As illustrated in the example, a cover 124 is provided at the front of the module receiving portion 12. The number of module receiving portions 12 is the same as the number of covers 124. In this embodiment, four covers 124 are provided. Each cover 124 has a plate shape, and the size of the plate shape can be set according to the number and size of a module receiving portion 12. Each cover 124 is configured to rotate about a hinge provided at the front of the corresponding module receiving portion 12. By rotating the cover 124, the cover 124 opens / closes relative to the receiving space 121 of the corresponding module receiving portion 12. In the open state, the receiving space 121 is exposed forward. In the closed state, at least a portion of the receiving space 121 is covered.

[0038] Alternatively, when the cover 124 is closed, the front of the accommodating space 121 may not be completely covered by the cover 124. In other words, the accommodating space 121 may not be sealed by the cover 124. If a portion of the front of the accommodating adapter module M is covered by the cover 124 when the cover 124 is closed, the possibility of the operator accidentally touching the optical fiber or optical connector connected to the adapter module M can be reduced.

[0039] Alternatively, in addition to the cover 124, each module housing 12 may have a plate 125 at its front. The plate 125 is plate-shaped and located below the cover 124. The plate 125 extends upward from the bottom surface 10D of the housing 10. When the cover 124 is closed, the cover 124 and the plate 125 are separated from each other in the vertical direction. Alternatively, the plate 125 may have multiple slits at positions corresponding to the closed state of the cover 124.

[0040] Next, return Figure 1 and Figure 2 Details of the multiple core wire receiving section 13 will be explained.

[0041] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As illustrated in the example, a plurality of wire receiving portions 13 are provided at the rear portion in the depth direction within the housing 10. In this embodiment, the plurality of wire receiving portions 13 are located below and rearward of the plurality of module receiving portions 12. Furthermore, a plurality of wire receiving portions 13 are provided in the transverse direction within the housing 10. In this embodiment, four wire receiving portions 13 are arranged in the transverse direction.

[0042] In this embodiment, the number of multiple module receiving portions 12 is the same as the number of multiple core wire receiving portions 13. One core wire receiving portion 13 is configured to correspond to one module receiving portion 12. One module receiving portion 12 and its corresponding core wire receiving portion 13 are adjacent in the depth direction.

[0043] Multiple core wire receiving portions 13 are configured to receive optical fiber core wires connected to the adapter module M. More specifically, each core wire receiving portion 13 has a bottom surface 131, a pair of upright walls 132, and a pair of small pieces 133.

[0044] The bottom surface 131 has a plate shape and is disposed on the bottom surface 10D of the housing 10. A pair of upright walls 132 are erected upwards from the bottom surface 131 and are separated from each other in the lateral direction. Each pair of upright walls 132 has a plate shape, and these plate shapes are opposite each other in the lateral direction. A pair of small pieces 133 are respectively disposed on the upper part of the upright walls 132 and are separated from each other in the lateral direction. Each pair of small pieces 133 has a plane opposite to the bottom surface 131.

[0045] The fiber optic core connected to the adapter module M can be inserted between a pair of small pieces 133 and thus accommodated inside the core wire accommodating portion 13, which is surrounded by a bottom surface 131, a pair of vertical walls 132 and a pair of small pieces 133.

[0046] Multiple wire receiving portions 13 are separated laterally. More specifically, a vertical wall 132 is provided between two horizontally adjacent wire receiving portions 13. For example, two vertical walls 132 are provided between the leftmost wire receiving portion 13 and the wire receiving portion 13 located to its right. One of the two vertical walls 132 is the right vertical wall 132 of a pair of vertical walls 132 in the leftmost wire receiving portion 13. The other of the two vertical walls 132 is the left vertical wall 132 of a pair of vertical walls 132 in the right adjacent wire receiving portion 13. These two vertical walls 132 can be connected to each other or separated laterally. The vertical wall 132 between two adjacent wire receiving portions 13 can also be a common single vertical wall 132.

[0047] Next, the usage of terminal unit 1 will be explained.

[0048] First, the setup method for adapter module M will be explained.

[0049] like Figure 2 As shown, the adapter module M is inserted into the rearward receiving space 121 of the module receiving portion 12. More specifically, the adapter module M slides from rear to front along a pair of guide rails 122 and is received within the receiving space 121 of the module receiving portion 12.

[0050] An optical fiber core (not shown) is connected to the rear of the adapter module M housed in the module housing 12. The connected optical fiber core is housed in a core wire housing 13 corresponding to the module housing 12 housing the adapter module M. More specifically, the connected optical fiber core is housed in a core wire housing 13 adjacent to the module housing 12 housing the adapter module M at the rear. The optical fiber core housed in the core wire housing 13 is a portion of a plurality of optical fiber cores of an optical cable 15 guided from the rear exterior of the terminal unit 1. In this way, the optical cable 15 is connected to the adapter module M via the optical fiber core.

[0051] The fiber optic core receiving portion 13, which houses the fiber optic core, is separated from other horizontally adjacent fiber optic core receiving portions 13 by a vertical wall 132. Therefore, it prevents the housed fiber optic core from entering other fiber optic core receiving portions 13. Furthermore, the fiber optic core receiving portion 13 is provided with a pair of small plates 133 having a plane opposite to the bottom surface 131. These small plates 133 prevent the housed fiber optic core from easily extending upwards from the fiber optic core receiving portion 13.

[0052] Next, the wiring operation for the adapter module M will be explained.

[0053] Except during wiring operations, door 11 is closed, and all covers 124 are closed. At this time, at least a portion of the receiving space 121 of the module receiving section 12 is covered by the covers 124 in a manner that prevents it from protruding forward.

[0054] During cabling operations, the operator opens door 11 and the cover 124 of the module housing 12, which contains the adapter module M as the cabling destination. With the cover 124 open, the front of the contained adapter module M is exposed. The operator then inserts and removes the optical connector relative to the front of the contained adapter module M.

[0055] At this time, the horizontally adjacent module receiving section 12 is separated by the partition wall 123. Moreover, the cover 124 of the horizontally adjacent module receiving section 12 is closed. Therefore, the possibility of the operator accidentally touching the adapter module M and its optical connector of the horizontally adjacent module receiving section 12 during wiring work can be reduced.

[0056] After connecting the optical connector to the front of the adapter module M, the operator closes the open cover 124. Then, the fiber optic core connected to the optical connector is led out from between the cover 124 and the board portion 125. The fiber optic core connected to the optical connector can also be positioned within the slit of the board portion 125.

[0057] Furthermore, when there is an adapter module M as the destination of the wiring, the operator opens the cover 124 of the other module housing 12 containing the adapter module M to perform the aforementioned wiring operation. When there is no adapter module M as the destination of the wiring, the operator closes the opened door 11 to end the wiring operation.

[0058] As explained above, in the terminal unit 1 of this embodiment, multiple module receiving portions 12 and multiple core wire receiving portions 13 are arranged laterally. In particular, this embodiment allows multiple adapter modules M to be respectively housed in multiple module receiving portions 12, and optical fibers to be separated according to their purpose and connected to these adapter modules M via optical connectors. As a result, optical fibers for multiple purposes can be connected to a single terminal unit 1. Therefore, compared to the case where optical fibers for multiple purposes are connected to multiple terminal units separately, space-saving of the optical cabling frame 100 in the vertical direction can be achieved.

[0059] Furthermore, the multiple module housings 12 are arranged to be separated laterally by spacer walls 123. Therefore, when an operator inserts or removes an optical connector relative to one adapter module M, it can easily distinguish it from another laterally adjacent adapter module M and its optical connector, as well as the optical fiber connected to that connector, reducing the possibility of accidental contact. Similarly, the multiple core wire housings 13 are arranged to be separated laterally by vertical walls 132. Therefore, it is easy to prevent the mixing of optical fiber core wires connected to one adapter module M with those connected to another adapter module M.

[0060] In a configuration where optical connectors, unlike this embodiment, are connected to a single terminal unit, the likelihood of problems arising even if fiber cores connected to the adapter modules are mixed within the terminal unit is low, and the core-wire receiving portions do not need to be separated. However, in this embodiment, where multiple module receiving portions 12 are provided in a single terminal unit and optical connectors connected to each module receiving portion 12 according to the purpose of the fiber, fiber cores for multiple purposes may be mixed within the terminal unit 1, potentially leading to miswiring. In this embodiment, multiple core-wire receiving portions 13 are provided laterally, and these multiple core-wire receiving portions 13 are separated laterally by vertical walls 132, thus preventing the mixing of fiber cores for multiple purposes.

[0061] Multiple module housings 12 are located at the front of the housing 10 in the depth direction, and multiple core wire housings 13 are located at the rear of the housing 10 in the depth direction. The operator installs the adapter module M at the front of the housing 10 and performs wiring operations to the adapter module M at the rear of the housing 10. Thus, the multiple module housings 12 and multiple core wire housings 13 are arranged side-by-side and separately throughout the depth direction of the housing 10, making it easy for the operator to perform their respective tasks separately in the depth direction.

[0062] The number of module receiving sections 12 is the same as the number of core wire receiving sections 13. Therefore, even when all four module receiving sections 12 contain adapter modules M, the optical fiber core wires connected to the adapter modules M can be separately contained in the four core wire receiving sections 13. Thus, mixing of these optical fiber core wires can be prevented.

[0063] Each module housing 12 is provided with a cover 124 that can move relative to the module housing 12. When an operator plugs or unplugs an optical connector relative to an adapter module M, the cover 124 of the module housing containing the adapter module M, which is the destination of the cabling, is opened. At this time, the covers 124 of other module housings 12 that are laterally adjacent to the module housing 12 where the cabling work is being performed are closed. Therefore, the operator is less likely to encounter other adjacent adapter modules M and their optical connectors.

[0064] It should be noted that the number of module accommodating sections 12 and the number of core wire accommodating sections 13 may not be the same. For example, four module accommodating sections 12 and two core wire accommodating sections 13 may be provided in a single terminal unit 1. In this case, the fiber optic core wires connected to the two adjacent module accommodating sections 12 on the left will be accommodated in a corresponding left core wire accommodating section located behind and to the left of these two module accommodating sections 12. The fiber optic core wires connected to the two adjacent module accommodating sections 12 on the right will be accommodated in a corresponding right core wire accommodating section located behind and to the right of these two module accommodating sections 12. The left and right core wire accommodating sections are separated from each other by a vertical wall 132, thus preventing the fiber optic core wires from mixing on the left and right sides.

[0065] Alternatively, the left-side vertical wall 132 in the leftmost core wire receiving portion 13 and the right-side vertical wall 132 in the rightmost core wire receiving portion 13 may be absent. There are no other core wire receiving portions 13 to the left of the leftmost core wire receiving portion 13 and to the right of the rightmost core wire receiving portion 13, so even if the vertical wall 132 is absent in this part, the core wire receiving portions 13 will still be separated.

[0066] The core wire receiving portion 13 may also omit the pair of small pieces 133. The pair of vertical walls 132 may also be configured to be inclined relative to the bottom surface 131 in a manner where their upper parts are close to each other, rather than perpendicular to the bottom surface 131 in a vertical direction. Alternatively, in the pair of vertical walls 132, the left vertical wall 132 may have a curved surface convex to the left, and the right vertical wall 132 may have a curved surface convex to the right. Even with these structures, it is possible to prevent the optical fiber core wire received in the core wire receiving portion 13 from falling upwards.

[0067] Figure 1 and Figure 3 The shape and configuration of the cover 124 shown in the example are merely examples and are not limited to these. The number of module accommodating portions 12 and the number of covers 124 may not be the same. For example, in the example where the cover 124 rotates to open / close relative to the accommodating space 121 of the corresponding module accommodating portion 12, one cover 124 may be configured to rotate relative to two adjacent module accommodating portions 12. Alternatively, when wiring is being performed on one of the two adjacent module accommodating portions 12, the cover may be rotated to cover the front of the adjacent module accommodating portion 12. For example, the cover 124 may have a plate portion the size of which covers the front of one module accommodating portion 12, and the cover 124 may be configured to slide laterally relative to two adjacent module accommodating portions 12. Alternatively, when wiring is being performed on one of the two adjacent module accommodating portions 12, the cover may slide to cover the front of the adjacent module accommodating portion 12. Even with such a configuration, the possibility of accidentally touching other adjacent adapter modules M and their optical connectors can be reduced.

[0068] Alternatively, in addition to having multiple module housings 12 and multiple core wire housings 13, terminal unit 1 may also have a branch section 14. Figure 1 Branch 14 is located at the rear of housing 10. Branch 14 is located further rearward than the plurality of core wire receiving portions 13.

[0069] An optical cable 15 with multiple fiber cores is guided from the rear of the terminal unit 1. A branch 14 is configured to cover the end of the optical cable 15. In other words, the branch 14 is configured to cover and branch off the multiple fiber cores from the exit portion of the optical cable 15. The branch 14 may also have a rectangular housing, for example, configured to surround the exit portion of the multiple fiber cores from the exit portion of the optical cable 15.

[0070] Branch section 14 covers the end of optical cable 15, which has multiple fiber optic cores connected to adapter module M, thus protecting the end. Furthermore, due to the branch section 14, all fiber optic cores of optical cable 15 can be left unused. For example, multiple fiber optic cores can be led out from optical cable 15 and housed in individual core optic core housings 13. When adapter module M is housed in module housing 12, the fiber optic cores housed in the core optic core housings 13 corresponding to the used module housing 12 are connected to adapter module M and used. On the other hand, when adapter module M is not housed in module housing 12, the fiber optic cores housed in the core optic core housings 13 corresponding to the unused module housing 12 have no connection destination and are therefore not used; they simply remain housed in the core optic core housings 13. Thus, due to the branch section 14, both used and unused states can be maintained among the multiple fiber optic cores.

[0071] Alternatively, terminal unit 1 may also include a cable gripping part 16. Figure 1 The cable gripper 16 is located at the rear of the housing 10 and is further rearward than the plurality of core wire receiving portions 13.

[0072] The cable gripping part 16 is configured to grip the optical cable 15. Specifically, the cable gripping part 16 has a comb-like plate and extends laterally. In this embodiment, the comb-like plate has deep cuts in the depth direction, like comb teeth. It is preferable that the cuts are continuous in the lateral direction. The cable gripping part 16 may also have a front cut from front to rear and a rear cut from rear plate to front. The cable gripping part 16 secures the optical cable 15 by using a binding strap or the like that passing through the cuts in the comb-like plate, thereby gripping the optical cable 15. The cable gripping part 16 extends laterally, so it can grip the optical cable 15 at various positions in the lateral direction.

[0073] The cable gripping part 16 can be mounted at different positions, both at the front and rear. Specifically, the terminal unit 1 of this embodiment includes a pair of guide parts 17 extending in the depth direction and separated in the lateral direction. The cable gripping part 16 is mounted between the pair of guide parts 17.

[0074] Each guide portion 17 is respectively fitted to the rear of the left side portion 10L and the rear of the right side portion 10R constituting the housing 10. Each guide portion 17 has a plurality of fixing holes 171 arranged along the depth direction. By inserting screws or other fixing parts through a portion of the plurality of fixing holes 171, the guide portions 17 are fixed to the rear of the left side portion 10L and the rear of the right side portion 10R, thereby fixing a pair of guide portions 17 to the housing 10. In this way, a pair of guide portions 17 can be fitted to the housing 10 at relatively different positions in the front and rear directions, and therefore the cable gripper 16 fitted between the pair of guide portions 17 can also be fitted at different positions in the front-rear direction.

[0075] Thus, according to this embodiment, a cable gripping part 16 is provided to grip the optical cable 15 and can be mounted at different positions in front and behind. Therefore, when the terminal unit 1 is mounted in the optical cabling frame 100, it is easy to adjust the gripping position of the optical cable 15 connected to the terminal unit 1 within the optical cabling frame 100, and it is easy to prevent the cable from getting mixed with other optical cables within the optical cabling frame 100.

[0076] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing that multiple terminal units 1 are stacked vertically within the optical cabling frame 100. (See diagram below.) Figure 4 As shown, the optical cabling frame 100 contains a terminal unit stack 110 having multiple unit groups, wherein each unit group has at least one terminal unit 1.

[0077] More specifically, the terminal unit stack 110 includes a first unit group 111, a second unit group 112, a third unit group 113, a fourth unit group 114, a fifth unit group 115, and a sixth unit group 116. Each unit group has at least one terminal unit 1. The second unit group 112 is located below the first unit group 111. The third unit group 113 is located below the second unit group 112. The fourth unit group 114 is located below the third unit group 113. The fifth unit group 115 is located below the fourth unit group 114. The sixth unit group 116 is located below the fifth unit group 115. It should be noted that the terminal unit stack 110 of this embodiment has six unit groups, but the number of unit groups is not limited to this.

[0078] In the terminal unit 1 of the first unit group 111, the core wire receiving portion 13 and the cable gripping portion 16 are configured such that the length of the front portion of the core wire receiving portion 13 and the rear portion of the cable gripping portion 16 constitutes a first length L1. In the terminal unit 1 of the second unit group 112, the core wire receiving portion 13 and the cable gripping portion 16 are configured such that the length of the front portion of the core wire receiving portion 13 and the rear portion of the cable gripping portion 16 constitutes a second length L2. The second length L2 is longer than the first length L1. More specifically, the cable gripping portion 16 of the terminal unit 1 of the second unit group 112 is located further rearward than the cable gripping portion 16 of the terminal unit 1 of the first unit group 111.

[0079] Thus, according to the terminal unit stack 110 of this embodiment, the second unit group 112 is located below the first unit group 111. The second length L2 between the core wire receiving portion 13 and the cable gripping portion 16 in the terminal unit 1 of the second unit group 112 is longer than the first length L1 between the core wire receiving portion 13 and the cable gripping portion 16 in the terminal unit 1 of the first unit group 111. Within the optical cabling frame 100, the optical cable 15 connected to the first unit group 111 and the optical cable 15 connected to the second unit group 112 are separated in the front-to-back direction, thereby preventing these cables from mixing and improving cabling efficiency.

[0080] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures 1: Terminal unit; 10: Shell; 10D: Bottom; 10L: Left side of the face; 10R: Right side of the face; 11: Door; 12: Module housing; 121: Accommodation space; 122: Guide rail; 123: partition wall; 124: Cover; 125: Plate section; 13: Core wire receiving section; 131: Bottom; 132: A pair of upright walls; 133: A pair of small pieces; 14: Branch offices; 15: Optical fiber cable; 16: Cable gripping part; 17: Guiding section; 171: Fixing hole; 100: Optical cabling frame; 110: Terminal unit stack; 111: First unit group; 112: Second unit group; 113: Third unit group; 114: Unit 4; 115: Unit 5; 116: Unit 6; M: Adapter module; L1: First length; L2: Second length.

Claims

1. A terminal unit comprising: case; Module receiving portions, having multiple transversely arranged within the housing, are provided to accommodate the adapter module in a manner that allows the adapter module to be detached and installed relative to the module receiving portion; and The fiber optic cable receiving portion, having multiple portions arranged laterally within the housing, accommodates the fiber optic cables connected to the adapter module. The plurality of said module housings are spaced apart in the lateral direction. The plurality of said core wire receiving portions are spaced apart in the transverse direction.

2. The terminal unit according to claim 1, wherein, The plurality of module receiving portions are located at the front of the housing in the depth direction orthogonal to the transverse direction. The plurality of said core wire receiving portions are located at the rear portion in the depth direction within the housing.

3. The terminal unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The number of the plurality of module accommodating portions is the same as the number of the plurality of core wire accommodating portions.

4. The terminal unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, Each of the module housings is provided with a cover that can move relative to the module housing.

5. The terminal unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: A branch section is used to cover and form a branch in an optical cable having multiple optical fiber cores, where the multiple optical fiber cores extend from the outlet of the optical cable.

6. The terminal unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: The cable gripper grips an optical cable having multiple optical fiber cores and is assembled in a manner that allows it to move forward and backward.

7. A terminal unit stack, comprising: The first unit group has at least one terminal unit as described in claim 6; and The second unit group has at least one terminal unit as described in claim 6, and is disposed below the first unit group, wherein... The second length between the core wire receiving part and the cable gripping part in the terminal unit of the second unit group is longer than the first length between the core wire receiving part and the cable gripping part in the terminal unit of the first unit group.

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