Protective cover for a fiber optic sleeve attached to a mounting bracket

Abstract

Protective hood for a fiber optic sleeve attached to a mounting bracket, wherein the protective hood has a hood body designed to be placed over the fiber optic sleeve, characterized in that the protective hood can be attached to the mounting bracket of the fiber optic sleeve by means of a flexible fastening means, in particular a tension band.

Description

Technical field The invention relates to a protective device for components of the telecommunications infrastructure. In particular, it relates to a protective hood for fiber optic cable joints, such as those used, for example, in overhead line construction on masts or support towers for connecting OPGW (Optical Ground Wire) cables. State of the art Fiber optic splice closures, such as FIST-GCO2 type closures, are used to protect and organize fiber optic splices outdoors. These closures typically consist of a robust plastic housing designed to protect the delicate splices from environmental factors such as moisture and dust. This is also provided on a laboratory scale. In practical applications, especially in overhead line construction, these joints are permanently exposed to weather and wildlife. It has been shown that the plastic housings are susceptible to damage from animals. Woodpeckers, in particular, tend to peck holes in the plastic housings. Furthermore, prolonged exposure to UV radiation can cause the plastic material of the original sleeve to become brittle over the years. Such damage impairs the tightness of the sleeve, which can lead to the ingress of moisture and insects (e.g. wasps, as mentioned in the document "Woodpecker Protection Hood"). Similarly, extreme weather events, such as hail, can impair the integrity of the fiber optic cable joint. Both direct damage, such as mechanical destruction by hail or woodpeckers, and indirect damage, such as penetrating moisture, possible subsequent frost damage, etc., are problematic. This can damage fiber optic cables and / or splices, leading to costly network outages and repairs. Therefore, there is a need for a solution that effectively and permanently protects these existing and already installed sleeves from such damage. Object of the invention The object of the present invention is to provide a protective device for - in particular also already installed - fiber optic sleeves, which is easy to provide / retrofit and offers robust, durable protection against mechanical damage by animals, in particular woodpeckers, as well as against weather influences such as UV radiation and hail. Solution to the task This problem is solved by a protective hood having the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are described in the dependent claims. The solution according to the invention consists of a protective hood made of a mechanically high-strength and weather-resistant material, preferably metal. The hood is shaped so that it can be placed over the fiber optic sleeve to be protected and completely encloses it. Brief description of the characters Fig. 1 shows an exemplary construction drawing in a side view with exemplary dimensions of a protective hood according to the invention, whereas Fig. 2 shows an exemplary construction drawing in a top view with exemplary dimensions of the protective hood according to the invention from Fig. 1. A key advantage lies in the method of attachment. The protective cover does not need to be attached to the sensitive fiberglass splice itself, but can be fixed to its existing, stable mounting bracket (e.g., a "Mobra" bracket). For this purpose, an (existing) fastening device, such as a tension band, can be used, which is placed around the attached protective hood and guided and tensioned through an existing component, for example a mounting eye on the mounting bracket. This principle also allows for very simple and quick retrofitting in the field, without requiring any modification of the original sleeve or its mounting. The force for fixing is applied exclusively to the robust mounting bracket, thus not stressing the underlying fiberglass sleeve. The material of the protective cover, preferably stainless steel, in particular V2A or V4A, is impact-resistant, in particular “woodpecker impact-resistant”, corrosion-resistant and offers effective UV protection for the underlying plastic sleeve. A preferred embodiment of the invention is explained below with reference to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. The protective cover is designed as a "woodpecker protection sleeve cover" for a fiber optic sleeve, e.g., of the exemplary type FIST-GCO2-BD. It is made of V2A stainless steel. The hood body is cylindrical in shape with a height of approximately 480 mm and an outer diameter of approximately 245 mm. This allows for a form-fitting installation. The upper end is formed by a flat lid, while the lower side is open to allow it to be slipped over the socket. The inner diameter (clear width) of approximately 241 mm is dimensioned so that it surrounds the FIST-GCO2-BD sleeve with sufficient clearance. A preferably bow-shaped eyelet or handle may be welded / molded onto the top of the lid, preferably in the center. This handle has an exemplary height of approximately 53 mm and an exemplary width of approximately 60 mm and facilitates handling and placing the hood during assembly on the mast. Installation can be carried out as follows and requires only a few steps: 1. Open any existing tension band used to secure the original socket body. 2. Place the woodpecker guard over the existing socket from above. 3. Now, place the tension band around the woodpecker guard, thread it through the mounting eye of the socket holder ("Mobra"), tighten it, and close it. This ensures that the protective cover is securely and firmly connected to the supporting structure and fully protects the underlying plastic sleeve from woodpecker attacks, rodents, insects and weather conditions. Obviously, the protective cover is not only suitable for fiberglass splices, but for any type of splice that is exposed to the corresponding influences.

Claims

Protective hood for a fiber optic sleeve attached to a mounting bracket, wherein the protective hood has a hood body designed to be placed over the fiber optic sleeve, characterized in that the protective hood can be attached to the mounting bracket of the fiber optic sleeve by means of a flexible fastening means, in particular a tension band. Protective hood according to claim 1, characterized in that the hood body is made of a metallic material, preferably stainless steel (V2A or V4A). Protective hood according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the hood body is essentially cylindrical and has an upper, closed lid side and a lower, open side. Protective hood according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a handling or hanging eyelet is provided on the lid side. Protective hood according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tension band is arranged to be guided through an existing fastening eye of the mounting bracket. Protective hood according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has a height of approximately 480 mm and an outer diameter of approximately 245 mm. Arrangement comprising a fiber optic sleeve, a mounting bracket for fastening the fiber optic sleeve and a protective hood according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the protective hood is arranged over the fiber optic sleeve and is fixed to the mounting bracket by means of a tension band.

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