Patent Application
20220390675
The present invention refers to a termination and derivation box (splice) of optical cables, to be applied to fiber optic aerial networks called FTTH (“fiber to the home”), to protect an optical splice (“splitter”) between any one of the optical fibers of a multifiber distribution cable received in the box and multiple optical termination cables (“drop” cables), and/or optical splices by fusion between any of the optical fibers of said distribution cable and the optical fibers of a corresponding optical derivation cable (continuation multi-fiber optical cable) or the optical fiber of a corresponding optical termination cable (“drop” cable).
The fiber optic networks require the provision of splice points and termination points of user activation, which are protected by termination and derivation boxes, usually installed externally, aerial and fixed to the strand, in a post, on the front of a building, or in a junction box or in a subterranean box.
At a splicing point, for example, any one of the fibers of a distribution cable, received in a termination/derivation box, is spliced, by fusion: to a respective fiber of a derivation cable that leaves said box to reach a new splicing point or a user activation termination point; or to the optical fiber of a corresponding optical termination cable (“drop” cable).
However, at a user activation point, any one of the fibers of the optical derivation cable arriving at an aerial termination box may be submitted to a “splitter” to provide termination cables directed to final users of the network. The fibers of the optical derivation cable, which arrive at a termination box, but which are not connected to a respective termination cable (“drop” cable), may pass through the box, unchanged or spliced to a new length of a continuation cable, to proceed towards a new splice or an user activation point, as commented above.
These termination boxes should be constructed to receive at least one multi-fiber distribution cable, and to release the optional output of one or more derivation cables and also of a plurality of termination cables (“drop”), requiring internal accommodation for splices by fusion, for “splitter” splices and for eventual derivation cables.
A deficiency of the known termination and derivation boxes is related to the sealing solutions used therein, which have their degree of tightness increased with their constructive complexity and consequent production costs. In some solutions, the constructive simplification leads to lower production costs and also to deficiencies in the degree of tightness of the sealing grommets in the inlets and outlets of the cables, allowing the entry of moisture and insects inside the box. In other solutions, the increase of the degree of tightness is obtained with a high constructive complexity and high and undesirable production costs.
Examples of termination boxes of the type considered herein can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,226,434, and 9,310,579.
Due to the aforementioned inconveniences, the applicant proposed, in its patent application BR 10 2019 014363-0, a termination and derivation box for optical access networks, with aerial installation, and presenting a simple and versatile construction and having a cost substantially inferior to similar boxes, with a reduced number of sealing elements to obtain a desired level of tightness and allowing its installation in a horizontal or vertical position on the strand or at the wall of a building or yet in a vertical position, directly against a post, ensuring an easy and safe handling of fiber splicing elements by the respective team of installers, without interference with the connection elements of termination cables to be handled by another team of installers, regardless of the installation position of the box.
Despite the advantages of the box object of patent application BR 10 2019 014363-0, it has a design directed to the obtention of a sufficiently high. level of sealing to guarantee, for example, tightness with the box submerged in 1.0 m of water column for 7 days (sealing system IP68).
Another aspect of the aforementioned box results from the fact that all the multifiber optical cables that enter and leave the box are arranged through a sealing grommet made of elastomeric material, fitted into a recess provided at one of the sides of the box base. Thus, in case of need to change the original arrangement of the multifiber cables that arrive and/or leave the box, or to provide the maintenance of any of the cables already assembled through the sealing grommet, it is necessary to remove the single sealing grommet from its fitting and moving or even removing multifiber cables, which tends to cause deficiencies in the sealing degree of the box.
Specific inconveniences and inconveniences similar to those mentioned above can be observed in the termination box object of patent application BR 10 2015 023980-7 of the same applicant. In this previous construction, a lateral wall of the base is provided with an opening in which a panel is removably mounted, said panel being provided with openings for the passage of a distribution, extension or termination cable, and connection openings in which respective connectors are mounted to receive, each one, at one end external to the box, a movable connector of a termination cable.
In these other previous boxes of the same applicant, all cables entering and leaving the box are arranged through the removable panel, which carries the sealing elements in the multifiber cable openings and the fixed connectors for connecting the termination cables. Thus, to change the original layout of the multifiber cables that arrive and/or leave the box, or to maintain any of the cables already assembled through the sealing elements (grommets), it is necessary to remove the panel and move the multifiber cables and fiber extensions inside the box, which tends to cause deficiencies in the sealing degree not only between the removable panel and the wall of the base, but also between the sealing grommets and the multi-fiber cables.
In addition to the aspects mentioned above and more directly related to issues of sealing the box, it can be said that the known solutions do not provide a box that presents a high sealing degree and even a high degree of protection to the divisions of the fiber extensions that connect derived fibers, from the optical cables received in the box, to the connectorized fiber extensions to output adapters. In said known solutions, the elements carrying the fiber dividing means are movable by different teams that access said boxes during operations of instalation and of changing the user connections.
In view of the aspects discussed above, the present invention aims to provide a termination and derivation box for optical access networks, of aerial and/or subterranean installation, in an horizontal or vertical position on the strand or on the wall of a building or in a vertical position, directly against a post, presenting a simple, versatile construction, easy to install, with a high degree of tightness, allowing the output adapters, for connecting the user terminal cables, to be accessed without the need for opening the box and also guaranteeing an easy and safe handling of the fiber splicing elements by the respective team of installers, without interference in the fiber splitting elements and connection of termination cables to be handled by another team of installers, regardless the installation position of the box.
The derivation and termination box in question is of the type comprising: a base having a bottom wall and peripheral walls defining a leading edge; and a lid hinged to the base, having a top wall and peripheral walls defining a trailing edge carrying a sealing gasket.
According to a first aspect of the invention, at least one peripheral wall of the base is provided with lateral openings each flanked by two inclined recesses and each closed by a sealing grommet for the tight passage of at least one multi-fiber optical cable and having a first recessed leading edge portion and a second leading edge portion leveled with the leading edge and incorporating two lateral flaps anteriorly coplanar to the first leading edge portion and each one defining subsequently an inclined surface to be seated in a respective sloping recess of the leading edge. Each sealing grommet is pressed into the lateral opening by a shoe seated on the first leading edge portion of the grommet and secured on the leading edge of the base, wherein, on the second leading edge portion of the grommet and on its two lateral flaps, the sealing gasket is seated and compressed when the lid is closed against the base.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the box comprises a splitter accommodation tray having a front face, secured against the top wall of the lid and carrying splitter and/or fiber accommodation means, and a rear face which is covered by a plate fixed inside the lid, each splitter and/or fiber accommodation means being connectable, on the one hand, to a fiber extension derived from an optical cable received at the base and, on the other hand, to split fiber extensions, held on the side of the front face and connectorized to output adapters passing through at least one of the two opposite peripheral walls of the lid, not hinged to the base, the output adapters being externally connected to respective connectors of a terminal cable external to the box.
The construction summarized above is simple and versatile, and can be installed horizontally or vertically, also ensuring an easy and safe independent handling of the fiber splicing elements by different teams of installers and guaranteeing a high sealing degree to the box when the lid is closed.
The invention will be hereinafter described on the basis of the accompanying drawings, given by way of example of an embodiment of the invention and in which:
As illustrated in the drawings and mentioned above, the optical termination and erivation box in question comprises a base 10 and a lid 20 hinged to the base 10, both in electrically non-conductive material, with the base 10 incorporating, in one piece, a bottom wall 11 and peripheral walls 12 defining a leading edge 12a. The lid 20 has a top wall 21 and peripheral walls 22 defining a trailing edge 22a that carries a sealing gasket 24, generally of elastomer.
At least one peripheral wall 12 of the base 10, not hinged to the lid 20, is provided, from from its leading edge 12a, with at least two lateral openings 13, in a “U” shape and each closed by a sealing grommet 30, made of elastomer, for the tight passage of at least one multi-fiber optical cable CO. The optical CO cable can be defined by a multi-fiber distribution cable or by one or more multi-fiber termination (drop) cables of different diameters.
Each sealing grommet 30 has a first leading edge portion 31a recessed from the leading edge 12a of the base 10, and a second leading edge portion 31b leveled with the leading edge 12a, each sealing grommet 30 being pressed into its respective lateral opening 13 by a shoe 50, for example of plastic, seated on the first leading edge portion 31a of the grommet 30 and secured by clamping means 55, for example in the form of screws, on the leading edge 12a of the base 10.
The sealing gasket 24 is seated and pressed on the second leading edge portion 31b of the grommet 30 and on the leading edge 12a of the base 10, when the lid 20 is closed against the base 10. The trailing edge 22a of the lid 20 can take the form of a channel in which the sealing gasket 24 is partially housed and retained, as illustrated in the drawings|.|[VdSA1]
In the illustrated construction, each lateral opening 13 is flanked by two inclined recesses 13a, the second leading edge portion 31b of each grommet 30 incorporating two opposite lateral flaps 31c which projects outwardly from the contour of the sealing grommet 30, anteriorly coplanar to the first leading edge portion 31a and which define, each one and posteriorly, an inclined surface 31d to be seated in a respective inclined recess 13a of the leading edge 12a, and the sealing gasket 24 being seated and pressed onto the two lateral flaps 31c of each sealing grommet 30 when the lid 20 is closed against the base 10.
The lateral flaps 31c on the second leading edge portion 31b of each sealing grommet 30 have their inclined surface 31d seated on a respective inclined recess 13a of the leading edge 12a of the base 10 and pressed against said inclined recess 13a by the gripping actuation of the shoe 50 and also by the seating of the gasket 24, providing a high degree of tightness in the region of assembly of the sealing grommets 30 and in the seating region between the base 10 and the lid 20.
Preferably and as illustrated, each shoe 50 incorporates opposite and coplanar end portions 51 which project beyond the width of each lateral opening 13 and which are each provided with a through hole 51a, the leading edge 12a of the base 10 being provided with a recessed step 13b on each side of a lateral opening 13 adjacent to an inclined recess 13a and provided with a threaded hole 13c.
Each recessed step 13b receives the seating of an end portion 51 of a respective shoe 50, the through hole 51a of each end portion 51 being passed through by a clamping means 55, in the form of a screw, inserted and fixed. in the threaded hole 13c of the recessed step 13b.
Still in accordance with the illustrated construction, the inclined recesses 13a are positioned radially internal to the adjacent recessed steps 13b on the leading edge 12a of the respective peripheral wall 12 of the base 10, so that the cooperating lateral flaps 31c of the second leading edge portion 31b of each sealing grommet 30 are aligned with a respective extension of the sealing gasket 24.
For secure radial locking of each sealing grommet 30 within a respective lateral opening 13, the sum of the width of each inclined recess 13a and the width of the adjacent recessed step 13b should be less than the width of the peripheral wall 12 of the base 10 in the region of each lateral opening 13.
To ensure that each sealing grommet 30 completely seals the cross section, not occupied by an optical cable CO, of each respective lateral opening 13 into which it is fitted, they are provided with transversal holes 33, 34, having one or more diametrical patterns and having one of the ends originally closed by a respective tearable lateral wall portion 35. It is sufficient for said tearable lateral wall portion 35 to be easily removed to allow the passage of a multi-fiber optical cable CO through the respective transversal hole 33, 34, to enter into the box or to leave therefrom.
According to a second aspect of the invention, the box in question further comprises a splitter accommodation tray 60 having an front face 61 secured against top wall 21 of lid 20 and carrying splitter and/or fiber accommodation means MSF, and a rear face face 62 which is covered by a splitter protector plate PS, secured inside the lid 20 and which protects the splitter and/or fiber accommodation means MSF (
Each splitter and/or fiber accommodation means MSF is connectable, on the one side, to a fiber extension EF1 derived from a optical cable CO received at the base 10 and, on the other side, to split fiber extensions EF2 held at the side of the front face 61 and connectorized to output adapters AS passing through at least one of two opposite peripheral walls 22 of the lid 20, not hinged to the base 10, the output adapters AS being externally connected to respective connectors C of a terminal cable CT external to the box.
In addition to any of the aspects of the invention, defined by the assembly of the sealing grommets 30 and the assembly of the division tray 60 with protection of the optical divisions, the box in question carries, internally, at least one fusion tray 40, hinged. to the base 10 and incorporating fiber fusing means FF and fiber extension accommodation means AF. The at least one fusing tray 40 has a front face 41 facing the lid 20 and a rear face 42 carrying fiber fusing means FF and fiber strand accommodation means AF. The at least one fusion tray 40 is displaceable between a first position seated on the base 10 and a second position in which it exposes, to the operator, the fusion means FF of fiber extensions EF1.
In the exemplified construction, at least two overlapping fusion trays 40 are provided, with the most rear one being hinged to the base 10 and the front ones being hinged to the one immediately posterior. In order to maintain a stable positioning of the fusion trays 40 inside the box, the base 10 incorporates, internally, a locking tongue 19, elastically deformable from an operative position, in which it locks the rear fusion tray 40 in its first position seated on the base 10, to an inoperative position, in which it releases the angular displacement of the fusion tray 40 from the first position to the second position.
The base 10 also incorporates, in the region of its peripheral wall 12 for hinging the lid 20, a pair of engaging means 16 to which are detachably hinged, with elastic deformation, two hinge tabs 46 incorporated to an edge of the tray 40, adjacent to the hinge axis of the lid 20.
The engaging means 16 facilitate work on the rear face 42 of the fusion tray 40 when the box is installed vertically. With this, it is possible for the operator/installer to detach the fusion trays 40 from the base 10, to work on the rear face 42 of said trays on a work platform mounted, in an elevated way, next to a strand, to a wall of building or to a post. This feature is particularly useful when the box is mounted horizontally.
With the proposed construction, it is possible for an installation team to carry out fusion splices of an optical fiber using the rear face 42 of one or more fusion trays 40, which can be individually and jointly taken to their second position in which they define a kind of horizontal table, when the box is mounted on a strand or in a building, with the lid articulated to an horizontal position.
When the box is mounted with the hinge axis of the lid in a vertical position, the rear face 42 of the fusion trays 40 remain in a vertical plane when the tray is moved to its second position illustrated in
As illustrated, the bottom wall 11 of the base 10 is usually arranged in a vertical mounting plane to remain mounted on a strand (not shown) by means of suspension hooks 18, which are detachably secured to the base 10 and which can take different constructions, like the one illustrated by way of example.
However, the suspension hooks 18 can be removed when the box has the external face of the bottom wall 11 of the base 10 directly fixed against a building wall, with the hinge axis positioned vertically or horizontally, by means, for example, of screws (not shown) passing through lateral flaps 17 incorporated laterally and externally to the base 10, or even against a post with the hinge axis of the lid 20, arranged vertically. In the vertical assembly of the box, the latter can have its base 10 provided with the sealing grommets 30 only on its side facing downwardly or have sealing grommets provided on both sides, but with only the sealing grommets, positioned on the side facing downwardly, being transpassed by multifiber optical cables CO.
When mounting the box on a post, a concave cradle 70 is provided which is externally and detachably fixed to the bottom wall 11 of the base 10, by screws 71 securable in tight housings provided in said bottom wall 11, or by other adequate detachable fixing means, the concave cradle 70 being provided with pairs of lateral openings 72, opposite two by two, for the passage of straps (not shown) for lashing the box to a post.
Particularly when mounting the box with the hinge axis of the lid 20 positioned horizontally, the trays 40 can be stabilized in their second position by partially seating them against a peripheral wall region 22 of the lid 20, adjacent to its articulstion to the base 10, the lid 20 being in an open position coplanar to the base 10 and pending from the latter.
In the proposed construction, the lid 20 is locked to the base 10 by multiple locks T carried by a peripheral wall 12 of the base 10, opposite that of the hinge of the lid 20 to the base 10 and displaceable between an open position and a closed position, in which it locks the peripheral walls 12 of the base 10 and the lid 20 facing each other. It should be understood that the latches T can also be pivotally mounted to a peripheral wall 22 of the lid 20, to act against the base 10, when the box optical termination closing. In addition to the latches T, the lid 20 can be even more solidly fixed to the base 10, in the closed condition, by means of a pair of screws 90 passing through respective lateral regions of the lid 10 and threadable in holes 91 provided in the leading edge 12a of the lid base 10.
Although only one configuration of the optical termination and derivation box in question has been illustrated here, it must be understood that changes in the shape and arrangement of the components may be made, without departing from the constructive concept defined in the claims that accompany this diclosure.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2019 023385 0 | Nov 2019 | BR | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/BR2020/050459 | 11/6/2020 | WO |
