Optical panel

Abstract

According to the present disclosure, an optical fiber cable can be fixed such that the bending strain applied to the periphery of the portion of the optical fiber cable where the optical fiber is stripped is reduced.　An optical panel (100) according to the present disclosure is provided with a gripping tool (13) that grips an optical fiber cable (22), and a housing (10) in which a stripped optical fiber (21) from the optical fiber cable (22) is wired. The housing (10) is provided with a plurality of attachment parts (16). The gripping tool (13) has a plurality of fixing parts (46) that can engage with the attachment parts (16) of the housing (10). The number of the attachment parts (16) is greater than the number of the fixing parts (46).

Description

Optical panel

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a light panel. This application claims priority to Japanese Application No. 2023-091708, filed on June 2, 2023, and incorporates by reference all of the contents of said Japanese application.

[0002] Conventionally, optical panels have been known that include an adapter to which an optical connector attached to the tip of an optical fiber is connected, and a wiring plate on which the optical fiber is wired. Patent Document 1 discloses an optical cabinet that includes a cabinet main body into which an optical fiber cable is drawn, a wiring plate on which the optical fiber is wired, and a cable fixing portion that fixes the optical fiber cable on the wiring plate. In the optical cabinet described in Patent Document 1, after the optical fiber cable is fixed to the cable fixing portion, the optical fiber that exits from the optical fiber cable is wired to the wiring plate.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-264545 U.S. Patent No. 10,481,358

[0004] The optical panel of the present disclosure comprises a gripping tool for gripping an optical fiber cable and a housing in which optical fibers coming out of the optical fiber cable are wired, the housing having a plurality of mounting portions, the gripping tool having a plurality of fixing portions that can engage with the mounting portions of the housing, and the number of mounting portions being greater than the number of fixing portions.

[0005] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an optical panel according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a top view showing the internal configuration of the housing shown in FIG. 1 and a state in which optical fibers derived from an optical fiber cable are wired inside the housing. FIG. 3 is a rear view of the optical panel shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a partial enlarged view showing a detailed configuration of the base unit and gripping tool shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a partial enlarged view showing an example of a state in which the position of the gripping tool has been changed from the state shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a partial enlarged view (part 1) showing an example of a state in which the inclination of the gripping tool has been changed from the state shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 7 is a partial enlarged view (part 2) showing an example of a state in which the inclination of the gripping tool has been changed from the state shown in FIG. 4.

[0006] [Problem to be solved by the invention] However, when an optical fiber cable is bent with a small radius of curvature depending on the distance and angle of the optical fiber wiring route, the bending strain applied to the area around the portion of the fixed optical fiber cable where the optical fiber is exposed can become too large.

[0007] The present disclosure aims to provide an optical panel that can fix an optical fiber cable so as to reduce bending strain applied to the periphery of the portion of the optical fiber cable where the optical fiber is exposed.

[0008] Effect of the Invention According to the present disclosure, an optical fiber cable can be fixed so that bending strain applied to the periphery of the portion of the optical fiber cable where the optical fiber is exposed is reduced.

[0009] <Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure> First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. An optical panel according to the embodiments of the present disclosure includes: (1) a holder for holding an optical fiber cable, and a housing in which optical fibers extending from the optical fiber cable are wired, the housing being provided with a plurality of attachment portions, the holder having a plurality of fixing portions engageable with the attachment portions of the housing, and the number of attachment portions being greater than the number of fixing portions.

[0010] With this configuration, the position of the gripping tool relative to the housing can be adjusted by selecting an attachment part to engage with the fixing part of the gripping tool from among the multiple attachment parts provided on the housing, and therefore the optical fiber cable can be fixed so that bending strain around the optical fiber exit portion of the optical fiber cable is reduced.

[0011] (2) In the optical panel of (1) above, the attachment portions may be arranged in two mutually different directions.

[0012] With this configuration, the inclination of the gripping tool relative to the housing can be adjusted.

[0013] (3) In the light panel of (1) or (2) above, the gripping tool may be attached to the outside of the housing.

[0014] Since the optical fiber is wired inside the housing, the configuration in which the gripping tool is attached to the outside of the housing as described above allows for greater freedom in the attachment position of the gripping tool compared to when the gripping tool is attached to the inside of the housing.

[0015] (4) In any of the optical panels (1) to (3) above, the gripping device may further have a positioning portion that fixes the position of the optical fiber cable, and a support portion to which the fixing portion is attached and that supports the positioning portion, and the orientation of the positioning portion relative to the support portion may be changeable.

[0016] For example, one gripping tool may secure an optical fiber cable routed from the left side of the housing, and another gripping tool may secure an optical fiber cable routed from the right side of the housing. Even in such a case, by changing the orientation of the positioning parts of each gripping tool relative to the support parts, these optical fiber cables can be secured to the housing using gripping tools with the same configuration.

[0017] (5) In any of the optical panels (1) to (4) above, the optical fiber cable is held by the holding device on the outside of the housing, and the housing has a fiber inlet formed in the center of the surface on which the holding device is provided, and the optical panel may further have a first fiber fixing part that holds the optical fiber coming out from the end of the optical fiber cable held by the holding device toward the fiber inlet, and a second fiber fixing part that is provided near the fiber inlet inside the housing and holds the optical fiber introduced into the fiber inlet.

[0018] With this configuration, the optical fiber coming out of the end of the optical fiber cable is guided to the fiber introduction port by the first fiber fixing part, and is further held near the fiber introduction port by the second fiber fixing part and guided into the interior of the housing. Therefore, regardless of the introduction direction of the optical fiber cable, the optical fiber can be guided to the fiber introduction port formed in the center of the face of the housing.

[0019] (6) In any of the optical panels (1) to (5) above, the optical fiber cable may be held by the holding device outside the housing, and the optical panel may further include a cover that covers the portion of the optical fiber that exits from the optical fiber cable and is located outside the housing.

[0020] With this configuration, even if the optical fiber cable is fixed to the outside of the housing, the optical fiber extending from the optical fiber cable can be prevented from coming into contact with other components, etc. outside the housing.

[0021] <Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure> Specific examples of the light panel of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0022] In the following description, the terms "front," "rear," "left," "right," "up," and "down" may be used, but these directions are relative directions set for convenience of explanation. In each figure, "F" is "front," "B" is "rear," "L" is "left," "R" is "right," "U" is "up," and "D" is "down." In the following description, the "horizontal direction" refers to a direction that includes "left" and "right." The "vertical direction" refers to a direction that includes "up" and "down."

[0023] [Overall Configuration] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an optical panel 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The optical panel 100 includes a plurality of housings 10 stacked in the vertical direction. In Fig. 1, as an example, three housings 10, namely housings 10A, 10B, and 10C, are stacked from bottom to top in the order of housing 10C, housing 10B, and housing 10A. A plurality of adapters 11 are provided in front of each housing 10.

[0024] Optical fibers led out from an optical fiber cable (described later) are wired inside each housing 10. An optical connector attached to the end of each optical fiber is connected to an adapter 11, for example.

[0025] 2 is a top view showing the internal configuration of the housing 10 shown in Fig. 1 and a state in which the optical fiber 21 led out from the optical fiber cable 22 is wired inside the housing 10. As shown in Fig. 2, a gripping tool 13 for gripping the optical fiber cable 22 and a base part 14 for attaching the gripping tool 13 to the housing 10 are provided on the outside of the back surface 12 of the housing 10.

[0026] The optical panel 100 is also provided with a first fiber fixing portion 19 and a second fiber fixing portion 20 for fixing the optical fiber 21 led out from the optical fiber cable 22. An opening (fiber introduction port) 18 is formed in approximately the center in the horizontal direction of the rear surface 12 of the housing 10. For example, the first fiber fixing portion 19 is provided near the gripping tool 13, and the second fiber fixing portion 20 is provided near the opening 18.

[0027] At the end of the optical fiber cable 22 fixed by the gripping tool 13, the jacket 24 is removed, leaving the optical fiber 21 and tension member 25 exposed. A cover 15 is provided on the outside of the rear surface 12 of the housing 10 to cover the gripping tool 13, as well as the optical fiber 21 and tension member 25 exposed from the optical fiber cable 22. This prevents the optical fiber 21 and tension member 25 from coming into contact with other parts outside the housing 10.

[0028] An insertion hole 17 is formed in a part of the cover 15. The optical fiber cable 22 is routed through the insertion hole 17 toward the gripping tool 13 inside the cover 15.

[0029] The optical fiber 21 coming out of the optical fiber cable 22 is fixed to the first fiber fixing portion 19 and the second fiber fixing portion 20, and is guided into the housing 10. Then, the optical fiber 21 passes through the tray 32 while bending inside the housing 10, and is connected to an optical fiber on the downstream side in the tray 32 as appropriate, and is wired toward the adapter 11. Note that although one optical fiber 21 is illustrated in FIG. 2, a plurality of optical fibers 21 may be wired inside the housing 10.

[0030] Fig. 3 is a rear view of the optical panel 100 shown in Fig. 1. In Fig. 3, the cover 15 is shown by a dashed line in order to illustrate the gripper 13 and the base portion 14. As shown in Fig. 3, mount angles 31A and 31B, through which one or more optical fiber cables 22 are inserted, are provided on the left and right sides of the optical panel 100.

[0031] 3, two optical fiber cables 22A and 22C, which are the optical fiber cables 22, are inserted into a mount angle 31A provided on the right side of the optical panel 100. Also, one optical fiber cable 22B, which is the optical fiber cable 22, is inserted into a mount angle 31B provided on the left side of the optical panel 100.

[0032] In the housings 10A and 10C, a base 14 is provided to the left of an opening 18 on the back surface 12, and a gripping device 13 is further provided on the back surface 12 via the base 14. Two optical fiber cables 22A and 22C passing through the inside of the mount angle 31A are routed toward the gripping device 13 provided inside the cover 15 via insertion holes 17 in the cover 15 provided on the back surface of the housings 10A and 10C.

[0033] In the housing 10B, a base 14 is provided to the right of the opening 18 on the back surface 12, and a gripping device 13 is further provided on the back surface 12 via the base 14. The optical fiber cable 22B passing through the inside of the mount angle 31B is routed toward the gripping device 13 provided inside the cover 15 via an insertion hole 17 of the cover 15 provided on the housing 10B.

[0034] [Detailed Configuration of Base Portion and Gripper] (a) Base Portion Figure 4 is a partially enlarged view showing the detailed configuration of the base portion 14 and gripper 13 shown in Figure 2. In Figure 4, the cover 15 is indicated by a dashed line, and the optical fiber 21 is not shown. As shown in Figure 4, a plurality of first holes (mounting portions) 16 are formed in the base portion 14. These plurality of first holes 16 are, for example, tapped holes, and are formed side by side in two different directions. Specifically, as an example, 25 first holes 16 are formed, with five each in the vertical and horizontal directions, spaced 20 mm apart from one another.

[0035] (b) Holding Tool The holding tool 13 includes a positioning portion 41 that fixes the position of the optical fiber cable 22, an attachment portion 42 that is provided between the positioning portion 41 and the base portion 14, and a support portion 43 that supports the positioning portion 41 and the attachment portion 42. The positioning portion 41 has a first positioning portion 51 that fixes the jacket 24 of the optical fiber cable 22, a second positioning portion 52 that fixes the tension member 25 that protrudes from the optical fiber cable 22, and a connecting portion 53 that connects the first positioning portion 51 and the second positioning portion 52.

[0036] The mounting portion 42 is connected, for example, to the front of the first positioning portion 51 of the positioning portion 41. A plurality of fitting portions 44 that protrude downward are provided on the underside of the mounting portion 42. In the example shown in Fig. 4, two fitting portions 44 are provided side by side in the front-rear direction.

[0037] The support portion 43 has a plate-shaped plate portion 54 and an extension portion 55 that extends downward from the front end of the plate portion 54. A plurality of second holes 45 are formed in the plate portion 54. For example, of the plurality of second holes 45, two second holes 45 that are aligned in the front-to-rear direction near the left end of the plate portion 54 are fitted into the two fitting portions 44 of the attachment portion 42, respectively. In this way, the attachment portion 42 and the positioning portion 41 connected to the attachment portion 42 are attached to the support portion 43.

[0038] A plurality of screws (fixing portions) 46 that can be engaged with the first holes 16 of the base portion 14 are attached to the extension portion 55 of the support portion 43. The number of screws 46 is less than the number of first holes 16 formed in the base portion 14. For example, as shown in FIG. 4 , there are 25 first holes 16 and two screws 46.

[0039] These two screws 46 are engaged with two of the 25 first holes 16 in the base portion 14, respectively, thereby attaching the gripping device 13 to the base portion 14. In the example shown in Fig. 4, two screws 46 are engaged with two of the 25 first holes 16 that are aligned horizontally in the bottom row.

[0040] (b-1) Changing the Orientation of the Positioning Portion Relative to the Support Portion The orientations of the positioning portion 41 and the mounting portion 42 can be changed relative to the support portion 43 that supports the positioning portion 41 and the mounting portion 42. More specifically, the multiple second holes 45 formed in the plate portion 54 of the support portion 43 include two second holes 45 aligned in the front-rear direction near the left end portion, as well as two second holes 45 aligned in the front-rear direction near the right end portion. In the example shown in FIG. 4 , as described above, the two fitting portions 44 in the mounting portion 42 of the positioning portion 41 are fitted into the two second holes 45 aligned in the front-rear direction near the left end portion of the plate portion 54.

[0041] In this state, the first positioning portion 51 is located on the left side and the second positioning portion 52 is located on the right side of the gripping device 13. By using the gripping device 13 assembled in this manner, it is possible to fix an optical fiber cable 22 that is wired from the left side of the housing 10, such as the optical fiber cable 22B shown in Figure 3.

[0042] Furthermore, when the two fitting portions 44 of the mounting portion 42 are fitted into the two second holes 45 lined up near the right end of the plate portion 54, the first positioning portion 51 is located on the right side and the second positioning portion 52 is located on the left side of the gripping device 13. By using the gripping device 13 assembled in this manner, it is possible to fix the optical fiber cable 22 that is wired from the right side of the housing 10, such as the optical fiber cables 22A and 22C shown in FIG.

[0043] In other words, as described above, the configuration allows the orientation of the positioning portion 41 to be changed relative to the support portion 43, so that the optical fiber cable 22 can be fixed to the housing 10 using a gripping device 13 of the same configuration regardless of the wiring direction of the optical fiber cable 22.

[0044] (b-2) Adjusting the Position and Inclination of the Gripper Figure 5 is a partially enlarged view showing an example of a state in which the position of the gripper 13 has been changed from the state shown in Figure 4. In Figure 5, as in Figure 4, the cover 15 is shown by a dashed line, and the optical fiber 21 is not shown. In the example shown in Figure 5, two screws 46 of the gripper 13 are inserted into two first holes 16 that are aligned horizontally in the top row of the multiple first holes 16 formed in the base portion 14. This allows the gripper 13 to be positioned higher than in the state shown in Figure 4.

[0045] In this way, since the plurality of first holes 16 are lined up in the vertical direction, the vertical position of the gripping device 13 relative to the housing 10 can be adjusted depending on the selection of the first hole 16 with which the screw 46 is engaged. Similarly, since the plurality of first holes 16 are lined up in the horizontal direction, the horizontal position of the gripping device 13 relative to the housing 10 can be adjusted depending on the selection of the first hole 16 with which the screw 46 is engaged.

[0046] 6 and 7 are partial enlarged views showing an example of a state in which the inclination of the gripping tool 13 is changed from the state shown in Fig. 4. In Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, as in Fig. 4, the cover 15 is shown by a dashed line, and the optical fiber 21 is not shown.

[0047] 6 , the left screw 46 of the gripping tool 13 is inserted into one of the first holes 16 formed in the second row from the bottom among the multiple first holes 16 formed in the base portion 14. Also, the right screw 46 of the gripping tool 13 is inserted into one of the first holes 16 formed in the bottom row. This makes it possible to adjust the inclination of the gripping tool 13 so that the second positioning portion 52 is lowered relative to the first positioning portion 51.

[0048] 7 , the left screw 46 of the gripping tool 13 is inserted into one of the first holes 16 formed in the bottom row of the plurality of first holes 16 formed in the base portion 14. Furthermore, the right screw 46 of the gripping tool 13 is inserted into one of the first holes 16 formed in the second row from the bottom. This allows the tilt of the gripping tool 13 to be adjusted so that the second positioning portion 52 is raised relative to the first positioning portion 51. Because the plurality of first holes 16 are aligned vertically and horizontally in this way, the tilt of the gripping tool 13 can be adjusted depending on the selection of the first hole 16 with which the screw 46 is engaged.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 6 , two through holes 47 are formed in the extension portion 55 of the gripping tool 13, and two screws 46 pass through them, respectively. At least one of these two through holes 47 has an elongated hole shape and extends in a direction along a straight line passing through the two screws 46. In the example shown in FIG. 6 , the through hole 47 located on the right side has an elongated hole shape. This allows the distance between the two screws 46 to be changed. Therefore, even if the distance between the two first holes 16 selected depending on the inclination of the gripping tool 13 changes, the two screws 46 can be engaged with the two first holes 16, respectively.

[0050] It should be noted that the gripper 13 may be provided with a latch, a magnet, or the like as a fixing portion instead of the screw 46. For example, if the gripper 13 is provided with a latch as a fixing portion, the base portion 14 is formed with a hole that can engage with the latch as an attachment portion. Furthermore, for example, if the gripper 13 is provided with a magnet as a fixing portion, the base portion 14 is provided with another magnet that can engage with the magnet as an attachment portion.

[0051] Furthermore, the optical fiber cable 22 fixed to the gripping tool 13 is not limited to one that includes the tension member 25 , and may be one that does not include the tension member 25 .

[0052] Furthermore, the base portion 14 is not limited to a configuration in which the first holes 16 are aligned both vertically and horizontally, but may be a configuration in which a plurality of first holes 16 are aligned vertically or horizontally. For example, if the vertical length of the housing 10 is short, the base portion 14 attached to the housing 10 may be formed with only a plurality of first holes 16 aligned horizontally.

[0053] Furthermore, although the optical panel 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes multiple housings 10 stacked vertically, the optical panel 100 according to the present disclosure may be configured to include multiple housings 10 arranged horizontally, or may be configured to include a single housing 10.

[0054] 2 , when connecting the optical fiber 21 to the adapter 11 in the optical panel 100, the worker first routes the optical fiber cable 22 through the insertion hole 17 formed in the cover 15 to the gripping tool 13. Then, the worker fixes the optical fiber cable 22 to the positioning portion 41 of the gripping tool 13.

[0055] 4 to 7 , the worker selects a first hole 16 into which the screw 46 of the gripping tool 13 is to be inserted from among the multiple first holes 16 formed in the base portion 14 so as to increase the radius of curvature near the exit of the optical fiber cable 22. The worker then inserts the screw 46 of the gripping tool 13 into the selected first hole 16, thereby fixing the gripping tool 13 and the optical fiber cable 22 to the housing 10. In this way, the position and inclination of the gripping tool 13 and the optical fiber cable 22 relative to the housing 10 can be adjusted, thereby reducing the bending strain applied near the exit of the optical fiber cable 22.

[0056] Referring again to Figure 2, the worker bends the optical fiber 21 coming out of the optical fiber cable 22 fixed by the gripping tool 13 within the range of the allowable bending angle of the optical fiber 21 and fixes it to the first fiber fixing portion 19 provided near the second positioning portion 52.

[0057] The worker also guides the optical fiber 21 to the opening 18 formed in approximately the center of the back surface 12 of the housing 10, and has the optical fiber 21 gripped by the second fiber fixing portion 20 provided near the opening 18. The worker then wires the optical fiber 21 inside the housing 10. This allows the optical connector attached to the tip of the optical fiber 21 to be connected to the adapter 11.

[0058] In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 7, the gripping device 13 is attached to the outside of the back surface 12 of the housing 10, but this configuration is not limited to this and it may also be attached to the inside of the back surface 12, for example.

[0059] Furthermore, the grip 13 is not limited to being attached to the rear surface 12 of the housing 10, and may be attached, for example, to the inside of the bottom surface 26 of the housing 10. That is, the base portion 14 to which the grip 13 is attached may be provided inside the bottom surface 26 of the housing 10 so as to follow the bottom surface 26. In this case, the multiple first holes 16 formed in the base portion 14 are aligned, for example, in the front-rear direction and horizontal direction of the housing 10. Therefore, the position and inclination of the grip 13 can be adjusted in the front-rear direction and horizontal direction.

[0060] However, as described above, the optical fiber 21 is wired inside the housing 10. Therefore, when the gripping tool 13 is attached to the outside of the housing 10, the degree of freedom in the attachment position of the gripping tool 13 can be increased compared to when the gripping tool 13 is attached to the inside of the housing 10.

[0061] Although the present disclosure has been described above based on specific embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the scope of the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0062] 10, 10A, 10B, 10C Housing 11 Adapter 12 Rear surface 13 Grip 14 Base portion 15 Cover 16 First hole 17 Insertion hole 18 Opening (fiber introduction port) 19 First fiber fixing portion 20 Second fiber fixing portion 21 Optical fiber 22, 22A, 22B, 22C Optical fiber cable 24 Jacket 25 Tension member 26 Bottom surface 31A, 31B Mount angle 32 Tray 41 Positioning portion 42 Mounting portion 43 Support portion 44 Fitting portion 45 Second hole 46 Screw (fixing portion) 47 Through hole 51 First positioning portion 52 Second positioning portion 53 Connecting portion 54 Plate portion 55 Extension portion 100 Optical panel

Claims

1. a gripping tool for gripping the optical fiber cable; a housing in which the optical fiber extending from the optical fiber cable is wired, The housing is provided with a plurality of mounting portions, the gripping tool has a plurality of fixing portions that can be engaged with the mounting portion of the housing, The number of the attachment portions is greater than the number of the fixing portions.

2. The light panel according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of mounting portions are arranged in two directions different from each other.

3. The light panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the gripping tool is attached to the outside of the housing.

4. The gripping tool further comprises: a positioning unit that fixes the position of the optical fiber cable; a support portion to which the fixing portion is attached and which supports the positioning portion, The light panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the orientation of the positioning portion relative to the support portion is changeable.

5. the optical fiber cable is held by the holding tool on the outside of the housing, a fiber introduction port is formed in the center of the surface of the housing on which the gripping tool is provided; The light panel further comprises: a first fiber fixing portion that holds the optical fiber protruding from the end portion of the optical fiber cable held by the holding tool so that the optical fiber protruding from the end portion is directed toward the fiber introduction port; 3. The optical panel according to claim 1, further comprising: a second fiber fixing portion provided inside the housing near the fiber introduction port, the second fiber fixing portion holding the optical fiber introduced into the fiber introduction port.

6. the optical fiber cable is held by the holding tool on the outside of the housing, The light panel further comprises:

3. The optical panel according to claim 1, further comprising a cover that covers a portion of the optical fiber extending from the optical fiber cable and positioned outside the housing.