Optical Cable Splice Enclosure Waterproofing with Auxiliary Gap Filling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cable splice enclosures face challenges in achieving waterproofing for intermediately introduced branching splices using elastic shrinkable tubes due to the inability to tightly cover the interstice between dual cables without cutting the fiber-optic cables, leading to inadequate waterproofing and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A cable splice enclosure design incorporating an auxiliary device, such as bundling bodies, fixing screws, and waterproof adhesive tapes, allows for the use of elastic or heat-shrinkable tubes to form multiple waterproof structures, enabling effective sealing of interstices between cables without cutting the fiber-optic cores, and includes fixture devices to manage cable entry and exit paths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If heat-shrinkable type waterproof treatment is used, then construction cost is reduced, but waterproofing quality becomes inadequate for underground cumulative water environments
Solution Approach 1:
The invention combines heat-shrinkable material with elastic material to create a composite waterproof structure. The heat-shrinkable layer provides initial sealing and cost-effectiveness, while the elastic material layer enhances adaptability to cable movements and maintains reliable waterproofing in underground cumulative water environments, thus resolving the contradiction between construction cost and waterproofing quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The waterproof structure serves multiple functions: the heat-shrinkable portion provides thermal contraction sealing, while the elastic material portion provides mechanical adaptability and gap filling. This multi-functional design allows the system to achieve both cost-effectiveness and reliable waterproofing performance in challenging underground environments.
2Ease of operation
If elastic shrinkable tube is used for waterproof treatment, then construction convenience and waterproofing quality are improved, but the tube cannot tightly cover the interstice between dual cables in intermediately introduced branching splice operations
Solution Approach 1:
The waterproof structure is segmented into distinct functional layers: a heat-shrinkable layer for initial sealing and an elastic material layer for gap filling and adaptability. This segmentation allows each layer to perform its specific function optimally, with the elastic material specifically addressing the gap sealing precision issue between dual cables while maintaining construction convenience.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic material acts as an intermediary substance that fills the interstice between dual cables, enabling the waterproof structure to adapt to varying cable configurations. This intermediary layer bridges the gap that the shrinkable tube alone cannot cover, achieving precise gap sealing while maintaining the overall construction convenience.
3Reliability
If mechanical type waterproof treatment components are used, then waterproofing reliability is improved, but device complexity and construction cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces complex mechanical waterproof components with flexible material layers that can be easily applied and conform to the cable structure. The elastic material and heat-shrinkable layers provide reliable waterproofing through their material properties rather than complex mechanical mechanisms, thus reducing device complexity while maintaining waterproofing reliability.
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
This design enhances waterproofing quality, reduces construction costs, and standardizes the cable splice operation, improving safety and efficiency while accommodating various cable configurations and splicing methods.
Implementation Method 1
the elastic shrinkable tube restores back to a small inside diameter originally in the situation before it was enlarged. The small inside diameter is less than both the outside diameter of the hollow cylindrical tube and that of the fiber-optic cable, so that a shrinkage force in the diametrical direction is exerted on the outer portion of the hollow cylindrical tube and the portion of the fiber-optic cable lying externally to the hollow cylindrical tube
Implementation Method 2
the heat-shrinkable type has some disadvantages of, for example, a necessity to use the torching when under construction
Data Source
Figure 1(A)
Figure 1(B)
Figure 1(C)
AI summary
An optical cable connection box (1) with an auxiliary device for gap filling and waterproofing is provided. The connection box includes at least one cable accessing end face (2), at least one auxiliary device for gap filling and waterproofing and at least one elastic shrinkable tube (4). The end face (2) is provided with a first hollow tubular column (3), and an optical cable to be waterproof processed by the elastic shrinkable tube (4) passes through the hollow tubular column (3) in the form of dual cable (5) after face to face bending, so that cable halfway splitting and halfway branching can be processed in the box without cutting off the cable. The auxiliary device cooperates with the optical cable in the hollow tubular column (3), and a first waterproof structure is formed at the place where the auxiliary device is wrapped by the elastic shrinkable tube (4). At least the outside of the first hollow tubular column (3) and at least a portion of the auxiliary device are also wrapped by the elastic shrinkable tube (4) to form a second waterproof structure. The connection box provides a better waterproof effect and reduced cost.