Port Sealing Device for Optical Cable Termination Box
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing port sealing devices for optical cable termination boxes require cutting tools, axial insertion, or multiple complex components, limiting ease of use and sealing effectiveness during optical cable installation.
Innovation Solution
A port sealing device comprising two bodies with a removable plug and flexible, frangible bridges allowing transverse cable insertion without tool access, enabling angular movement and secure sealing without axial alignment, suitable for various cable diameters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a standard one piece rubber grommet is used, then the cable can be caused to pass through after a hole is formed, but a cutting tool is required for forming the hole
Solution Approach 1:
The grommet is divided into two separate bodies (first body and second body) that can be assembled together. The plug is segmented into multiple independent blind plugs connected by flexible bridges, allowing each component to be manipulated separately for easier installation without requiring cutting tools.
Solution Approach 2:
The passage is pre-formed between the two bodies before cable installation. The plug is pre-assembled with flexible bridges connecting it to both bodies, so that when the bodies are placed together, the cable can be inserted through the pre-prepared passage without requiring any cutting or hole-forming operations.
2Reliability
If a two pieces grommet with closure cap is used, then the sealing is improved, but the cap has to be removed and cable inserted axially through the hole
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of requiring axial insertion through a hole as in conventional grommets, this invention enables transverse insertion where the cable enters from the side through the passage between the two bodies. The plug seals the passage from the opposite direction, inverting the traditional sealing approach and eliminating the need for axial alignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable insertion direction is changed from axial (one-dimensional) to transverse (two-dimensional). The passage is formed between two bodies stacked together, allowing the cable to enter from the side rather than from the end, adding a dimensional aspect to the insertion process that simplifies installation.
3Stability of the object's composition
If gel grommets are used to wrap the cable, then axial displacement is limited, but a large number of different pieces are needed making it extremely complex
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple independent blind plugs are merged into a single integrated plug assembly connected by flexible bridges. This unified structure provides the same cable positioning and sealing functionality as multiple separate gel grommets but with fewer discrete components, reducing assembly complexity while maintaining stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible bridges connecting the blind plugs act as flexible elements that can deform to accommodate the cable while maintaining the sealed passage. This flexible connection provides the necessary adaptability and cable positioning similar to gel grommets but with a simpler structural implementation.
4Ease of operation
If a removable plug with flexible bridges is used, then transverse cable insertion is enabled without tool access, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible bridges are designed to be self-breaking or self-releasing when the plug is removed. The bridges can be easily snapped off or detached without requiring tools, allowing the plug to be removed and the cable to be inserted through the passage using only manual operation, making the system self-servicing.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible bridges provide dynamic connectivity between the plug and the bodies. They can flex and deform during installation and removal operations, then return to their original position to maintain the sealed passage. This dynamic behavior enables tool-free operation while keeping the structural complexity manageable.
Data Source
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AI summary
A port sealing device (8) for housing an optical cable (9) when passing through a peripheral wall (3) of a termination box (1) comprising: a first body (10, 110) and a second body (11, 111) each having a thickness (T) and a height (H) defining a passage (14, 114) there between when the bodies are placed one on the other, a removable plug (15, 115) sealing said passage (14, 114), and flexible and frangible bridges (16, 17, 116, 117) connecting said plug (15, 115) to said first and second bodies.