Fiber Optic Splice Enclosure for Watertight Cable Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods lack an economical and effective way to splice and protect fiber-optic drop cables, particularly flat and round cables, from water and weather damage, especially when installed underground or overhead, as they require a watertight and weatherproof solution for various cable types and splicing techniques.
Innovation Solution
A two-piece plastic enclosure with a bottom and top portion, featuring slots and self-adhesive pads to securely hold fiber-optic cables, combined with foam seals and encapsulating material to ensure watertight protection, accommodating both flat and round cables with embedded fibers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If fiber-optic drop cables are installed underground or overhead in inhabited premises, then service coverage is expanded, but the cables become vulnerable to damage from construction, tree limbs, accidents, and weather
Solution Approach 1:
The cable system is segmented into protected sections (spliced within enclosures) and exposed sections (running to premises). The enclosure divides the cable into input and output segments, isolating the vulnerable splice point from environmental hazards while maintaining service coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The enclosure provides beforehand protection by pre-positioning a protective barrier around the splice point before damage can occur. The water-resistant enclosure cushions the splice from future construction damage, tree limb impacts, and weather exposure.
2Reliability
If fiber-optic cables are spliced together to replace damaged sections, then cable continuity is restored, but the splice requires complex protection to be water and weather proof
Solution Approach 1:
The enclosure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it protects the splice from water and weather, provides mechanical support for the cables, maintains cable organization through slots and guides, and enables both fusion and mechanical splicing techniques. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate protective components.
Solution Approach 2:
The enclosure uses simple, inexpensive materials (polymer or metal) that provide adequate protection without requiring complex engineering. The design accepts that the enclosure may need replacement if damaged, rather than designing for indefinite service life with complex protective systems.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional splicing methods are used for flat or round drop cables, then fiber connection is achieved, but no economical and reasonable method exists to provide watertight protection for various cable types and splicing techniques
Solution Approach 1:
The enclosure is designed to accommodate both flat and round cable types, as well as both fusion and mechanical splicing techniques, through a single universal design. The slots and cable management features adapt to different cable geometries without requiring different enclosure types.
Solution Approach 2:
The enclosure design allows for parameter variations to accommodate different cable types (flat vs. round, different diameters) while maintaining the same basic protective function. The enclosure dimensions and internal features can be adjusted to match different cable parameters.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a secure, watertight, and weatherproof enclosure for splicing and protecting fiber-optic cables, preventing damage from environmental factors and ensuring signal integrity by maintaining the cables' coiled position and preventing signal loss.
Implementation Method 1
The cover and base are joined together to form a watertight enclosure that is filled with an encapsulating material. The cover includes a foam seal that prevents water and moisture from entering the enclosure.
Implementation Method 2
The enclosure is generally filled with an encapsulating material that protects the spliced cables from environmental damage and provides structural support.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for securely holding a fiber optic cable splice in place and for creating a watertight splice by encapsulating two or more fiber optic cables having one or more spliced fiber optic strands in an enclosure with an encapsulant to create a permanent, watertight, fiber-optic splicing system and method.