Splice-on Cable Breakout Assembly with Retention Teeth
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current high-density fiber optic equipment lacks efficient structures for managing and organizing optical fibers, particularly in facilitating access to densely packed terminations and securing optical cables, which limits the capacity and flexibility of fiber optic transmission systems.
Innovation Solution
A break-out assembly with an enclosure that includes a first and second port, a splice retention region, and cable retention regions, featuring stop surfaces, retention members, and teeth to secure optical cables axially and rotationally, along with a bracket system for mounting the assemblies, enabling secure and flexible management of optical fibers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If high-density fiber termination blocks with densely packed terminations are used to meet growing fiber capacity demand, then fiber transmission capacity increases, but access to the terminations becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a slidable adapter module that can move along the fiber termination block, allowing selective access to different termination positions. This dynamic mechanism enables operators to access densely packed terminations without disassembling the entire structure, resolving the contradiction between high fiber density and ease of access.
Solution Approach 2:
The adapter module divides the fiber termination block into manageable segments, allowing individual access to specific termination groups. This segmentation enables operators to work with small portions of the dense termination array at a time, making high-density configurations operable despite the large number of fibers involved.
2Stability of the object's composition
If optical cables are secured with retention members to prevent movement, then cable stability improves, but the cable may be damaged by excessive biting force
Solution Approach 1:
The retention member features a tapered geometry that changes the distribution of biting force along the cable jacket. The taper allows the member to engage the cable securely while distributing stress to prevent damage, achieving both stability and cable integrity through geometric parameter optimization.
3Quantity of substance
If optical cables are routed through complex structures to achieve high fiber density, then transmission capacity increases, but cable routing and splicing become less efficient
Solution Approach 1:
The break-out assembly serves as an intermediary component between the fiber termination block and the optical cables. It provides a dedicated splice retention region and structured cable routing paths, allowing efficient cable management and splicing operations while maintaining high fiber density in the termination block.
Data Source
AI summary
A break-out assembly includes an enclosure defining a first port at the first end to receive an optical cable and a second port at the second end to receive a plurality of break-out cables. Each port leads to the interior of the enclosure. A cable retention region defined within the enclosure at the second end is configured to enable the break-out cables to each secure to the enclosure at one of a plurality of axial locations. Certain types of break-out assemblies include other cable retention regions to axially and/or rotationally secure the optical cable to the enclosure. A splice retention region is disposed within the enclosure between the first port and the second cable retention region. The splice retention region receives optical splices at which optical fibers of the optical cable are spliced to optical fibers of the break-out cables.