Fiber Optic Enclosure Tear-away Spool Cable Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fiber optic enclosures face challenges in managing varying lengths of subscriber cables due to their fixed configurations, which can lead to inefficiencies in cable deployment and storage.
Innovation Solution
A fiber optic enclosure with a cable spool assembly featuring removable tear-away sections and a cover that adjusts dimensions, allowing for flexible cable payout and storage, enabling efficient management of cables of different lengths by reducing the cross-dimension of the spool assembly after cable deployment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed configuration fiber optic enclosure is used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but it cannot effectively manage varying lengths of subscriber cable
Solution Approach 1:
The cable spool assembly is divided into modular components including a drum portion, flanges with removable sections, and a cover that can be mounted in different configurations. This segmentation allows the enclosure to adapt to varying cable lengths while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The flanges include removable sections that can be taken away after cable payout, transforming the spool assembly from a large initial configuration to a compact final configuration. This dynamic reconfiguration enables the same structure to serve multiple cable length requirements.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a large cable spool assembly is used to accommodate long cables, then cable payout capability is improved, but the enclosure size and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The flanges are designed with removable sections that can be separated after the cable is paid out. This allows the spool assembly to start with a large cross-dimension to accommodate long cable storage, then be reduced to a smaller footprint after deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
The removable flange sections are discarded after serving their purpose of accommodating the cable during payout. This temporary use of additional structure allows the enclosure to provide large cable storage capability when needed, then reduce its size for final installation.
3Quantity of substance
If the cable spool assembly maintains its full cross-dimension, then cable storage capacity is maximized, but the cover cannot be mounted to complete the enclosure
Solution Approach 1:
The cable is paid out and the flange sections are removed before mounting the cover. This preliminary action sequence allows the spool assembly to temporarily maintain its full cross-dimension for cable storage, then be reduced to allow cover installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The spool assembly dynamically changes its cross-dimension by removing flange sections at the appropriate time in the installation process. This temporal transformation allows both large cable storage capacity and successful cover mounting to be achieved.
Data Source
AI summary
Example fiber optic enclosures include a cable spool assembly and a cover. Each disc of the cable spool assembly has a removable section that extends radially outwardly from a central portion of the disc. The cable spool assembly has a first diameter when the removable sections are attached to the discs. The central portion of each disc has a second diameter. The cover has a lateral dimension that is smaller than the first diameter of the cable spool assembly and larger than the second diameter of the cable spool assembly. Certain types of spool assemblies include a termination region including a plurality of adapters that rotate in unison with the first disc of the cable spool assembly.