Patent Application
20120301084
The disclosure is directed to cable assemblies having labels for identification of the assembly. More specifically, the disclosure is directed to cable assemblies having a label that wraps about a portion of the cable along with methods for making the same.
Optical fiber is increasingly being used for a variety of applications, including but not limited to broadband voice, video, and data transmission. Optical networks typically include patch panels (i.e., arrays of connectors) connected by jumper cable assemblies. The patch panels provide a common location where moves, adds, or changes to connectivity of the channels of the optical network can be made by changing the ports for the jumper cable assemblies. Likewise, testing and troubleshooting may also occur that the patch panel. The patch panels typically have a relatively large and dense array of optical connections and determining which port a particular jumper cable is optically attached with can be difficult and/or time consuming for the craft. Consequently, the craft often labels the jumper cables at the patch panels so if troubleshooting or moves, adds, changes are required it is easy for the craft to identify the desired jumper cable.
By way of example,
Other types of labels have been used that overcome the drawbacks of flag labels; however, these other labels also have drawbacks. Illustratively,
Still other labels for cable assemblies exist such as bands that snap about the cable, but these labels can migrate along the length of the cable and may be difficult to quickly locate in a densely-packed patch panel. Consequently, there is an unresolved need for easy and efficient labeling for connectors such as electrical or fiber optic connectors and their related cable assemblies.
The disclosure is directed to cable assemblies having a connector, a cable and a label along with methods for making the same. The label is located near the connector and wraps about a portion of the cable in the stored position and is extendable from the cable in an elongated position. Thus, the label provides the craft with adequate length of label for marking information, while providing a convenient storage position for the label when not extended. Further, the storage positions protects the label from damage while also maintaining a relatively small footprint for the connector.
Additional features and advantages will be set forth in the detailed description which follows, and in part will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from that description or recognized by practicing the same as described herein, including the detailed description that follows, the claims, as well as the appended drawings.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description present embodiments that are intended to provide an overview or framework for understanding the nature and character of the claims. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure, and are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate various embodiments and together with the description serve to explain the principles and operation.
Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Whenever possible, like reference numbers will be used to refer to like components or parts.
The connectors and/or cable assemblies described herein are suitable for making optical and/or electrical connections for a variety of devices. The concepts of the disclosure advantageously allow the simple, quick, and economical marking for connectors and/or cable assemblies while also providing a suitable surface for identifying the link by the craft. Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Whenever possible, like reference numbers will be used to refer to like components or parts.
The concepts disclosed herein may be used with any suitable connector and/or any suitable connector component. By way of example, the connector may include electrical conductors such as copper traces, pins, etc., optical waveguides such as optical fiber, or hybrid connectors having both electrical and optical pathways. Illustratively, a conductor pathway 105 may be an electrical pin or a ferrule for an optical fiber, which is mated to a complimentary structure to form a communication connection. Further, the connector 100 may have a single communication pathway or configured with multiple communication pathways. By way of example, a connector may have a single conductor pathway or a multi-conductor pathway. For instance, a fiber optic connector may be a single-fiber connector or a multi-fiber connector as known in the art.
Label 120 may be attached on any suitable component(s) of the cable assembly such as loosely disposed about the cable, attached to a component, or configured so it can be removed from the cable assembly and attached as desired such as at an attachment 128 of label 120. By way of example, a suitable component for attachment 128 of label 120 may include a housing, a boot, a clip, the cable or other suitable component. For instance, a portion of label 120 may be molded into a portion of the housing, the boot, or the clip for a more permanent attachment 128 of label 120. In other embodiments, attachment 128 is configured in a removable fashion so the craft can remove label 120 for marking (or replacing) the label and then re-attach the label 120 to the cable assembly. As explanatory examples, label 120 may have an attachment 128 such as a snap-fit button, a small anchor on an end of the label with a suitable shape that fits into a complimentary groove on a component of the cable assembly, or other suitable structure for a removable attachment 128.
Label 120 may also include a shape memory characteristic for aiding in the wrapping of the label about a portion of the cable when in the stored position. For instance, label 120 may be wrapped about the cable at least twice in the stored position such as depicted in
In one embodiment, the label is simply formed from a suitably shaped polymer with the spiral shape and the craft has to pull the spiral wrap out of the label 120 for extending and reading the same. Then, when the pulling force on the label 120 is released it returns to its relaxed state of a spiral wrap shape (i.e., the shape memory returns the label to a spiral wrap with no force applied). Moreover, at least one surface of label 120 has a marking surface (not numbered) as shown in
Other variations for creating the shape memory are also possible. For instance, label 120 may be a polymer, metallic or composite material that may have a suitable curve induced in its cross-sectional shape when the label is in the extended (i.e., straight) position that aids in holding the extended position of the label 120 for the craft. Then, when the curve in the cross-section is pushed out of the label 120 the shape memory returns the label 120 to its wrapped shape.
Label 120 may optionally include a pull tab 120a that protrudes when the label is in the stored position such as shown in
Methods for making the cable assembly are also disclosed. For instance, methods for making the cable assembly include the steps of providing a cable assembly having a connector and a cable, providing a label having a shape memory, and attaching a portion of the label to the cable assembly. Methods can also include other steps for making cable assemblies such as forming a marking indicia on the label or providing a fiber optic cable for the cable assembly.
Although the disclosure has been illustrated and described herein with reference to preferred embodiments and specific examples thereof, it will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments and examples can perform similar functions and/or achieve like results. All such equivalent embodiments and examples are within the spirit and scope of the disclosure and are intended to be covered by the appended claims. It will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the same. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
