Optical Box With Cylindrical Guiding Element For Fiber Stress Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing optical boxes for FTTH networks face issues with compactness, fiber management, and mechanical stress due to unordered fiber arrangements and overlapping pigtails, leading to increased size and operational difficulties.
Innovation Solution
An optical box design featuring a base with a fiber receiving area and a rotatable panel containing a guiding element with a cylindrical surface, allowing fibers to be routed perpendicularly and collected in a bundle, reducing overlap and mechanical stress, while maintaining a compact size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If individual routing of pigtails from lower fiber management area to underside of transition panel is used, then fiber connections can be made, but pigtails overlap and suffer mechanical stresses inducing optical extra-losses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a 2D planar arrangement of pigtails on the transition panel underside to a 3D organized structure using vertical guides and horizontal guides that route pigtails through multiple dimensions. This spatial reorganization eliminates overlapping by distributing pigtails across different vertical and horizontal positions, thereby reducing mechanical stress and optical losses.
2Reliability
If individual routing of pigtails is used, then fiber connections can be established, but accessibility and handling of individual pigtails becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the pigtail routing path into distinct functional sections: vertical guides for initial routing from the lower management area, horizontal guides for lateral organization, and designated connection zones at the transition panel. This segmentation creates clear access points and organized pathways, making individual pigtails easily identifiable and accessible for connection operations.
3Ease of manufacture
If dedicated area for coiling excess pigtail length is provided on underside of transition panel, then fiber management is achieved, but panel size and overall terminal size increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of expanding the panel area horizontally to accommodate coiling space, the patent utilizes the vertical dimension by routing excess pigtail length through vertical guides and organizing them in a compact vertical arrangement. This approach manages fiber excess length without increasing the horizontal footprint of the transition panel, maintaining a compact terminal size.
4Device complexity
If unordered arrangement of pigtails between base and transition panel is used, then simple routing is achieved, but mechanical stresses and optical extra-losses occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary organization of pigtails by routing them through vertical guides and horizontal guides before they reach the transition panel. This pre-arrangement ensures that pigtails are properly positioned and stress-free before connection operations, preventing mechanical stresses and optical losses that would occur with unordered arrangements.
Data Source
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AI summary
It is disclosed an optical box suitable for housing an optical connection between a first optical cable and a second optical cable. The optical box comprises a base in turn comprising a fiber receiving area suitable for receiving an end of the first cable. Further, the optical box comprises a panel connected to the base. The panel comprises a guiding element configured to route the optical fiber(s) of the first optical cable between a first area of the panel and a second area of the panel. The guiding element comprises a portion of a cylindrical surface having an axis parallel to the panel.