The present invention relates to surface egress and/or ingress housing for use with a cable, for example a fibre optic cable.
WO 2005/103786 describes a waveguide assembly that includes a waveguide on a substrate, a waveguide housing and an embedding layer embedding at least part of the waveguide housing. The waveguide housing comprises a waveguide channel for guiding a waveguide from the substrate through the embedding layer. The waveguide can be a fibre optic cable. The waveguide assembly is a complex and expensive and requires very accurate placement of the connector to avoid damaging the waveguide.
An aspect of the invention provides a surface egress and/or ingress housing for an elongate flexible member. The housing includes a body having a first surface, with a first opening for receiving a connector for the elongate flexible member, and a base to be at least partially received under an embedding layer for mounting the housing on the surface. The base includes a second opening that is wider than the elongate flexible member and the body further includes an internal cavity in communication with the first opening and the second opening and being wider than the elongate flexible member.
Providing a second opening and an internal cavity that are wider than the elongate flexible member can enable lateral movement of the housing during the locating of the housing on the surface, and can thereby facilitate the locating and mounting of the housing on the surface.
An embodiment of the invention can provide a structure with at least one such housing, a substrate having a surface on which the housing is mounted, a connector for an elongate flexible member mounted to the housing and an elongate flexible member that is attached to the connector and passes through the housing and into the substrate.
An embodiment of the invention can provide a method of supporting an end of an elongate member that is embedded in a substrate. The method can include passing the elongate flexible member though the first and second openings of a such a housing, locating the housing on the surface of the substrate, mounting a connector attached to the end of the elongate flexible member at the first opening of the housing, and at least partially embedding the base of the housing under an embedding layer. By providing a second opening wider than the elongate flexible member with an internal cavity wider than the elongate flexible member lateral movement of the housing during the locating of the housing on the surface of the substrate and during the embedding of the base of the housing is possible, facilitate the locating and mounting of the housing on the surface.
Although various aspects of the invention are set out in the accompanying independent claims, other aspects of the invention include any combination of features from the described embodiments and/or the accompanying dependent claims with the features of the independent claims, and not solely the combinations explicitly set out in the accompanying claims.
Embodiments of the invention are described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments are shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the scope of the claimed invention.
Embodiments of the invention are described that enable the supporting of an end of an elongate flexible member that is embedded in a substrate. The substrate can, for example, be a composite material in which an elongate flexible member such as an optical fibre is located to performing monitoring functions, for example for monitoring temperature and/or strain within the composite material. The housing can thus provide a support for the end of the elongate flexible member and a connector for the elongate flexible member.
As shown in
The body 12 in the example of a housing 10 shown in
In the example shown in
The front face 22 of the body 12 is provided with a first (or front) opening 32. This opening 32 in the first surface 22 leads to an internal cavity in the body and is configured to receive a connector for the elongate flexible member as will be explained later. In the example of a housing 10 illustrated in
The rear of the base 14 of the housing 10 is provided with a second (or rear) opening 38 that is configured to allow the elongate flexible member to pass from the connector via the internal cavity in the body and into the substrate. As will be described later, the second opening and the cavity are configured to have a width substantially greater than the width of the elongate flexible member to enable lateral movement of the housing during assembly without trapping or damaging the elongate flexible member. This will become clear in the following description.
In the example shown in
As will be described later, in other embodiments the connector could take another form and could be mounted on the housing in another way. For example, in one example embodiment, the connector may or may not have a flange and can be bonded to the housing.
The housing can be configured to have different dimensions in different embodiments. However, in an example embodiment, for an optical fibre (including its cladding) of the order of 0.10 mm to 1 mm diameter, for example 0.5 mm diameter, W1 may be of the order of 0.5 mm to 3 mm, for example 1.5 mm, W2 may be of the order of 5 mm to 10 mm, for example 8 mm, W3 may be of the order of 15 mm to 20 mm, for example 18 mm and W4 may be of the order of 20 mm to 30 mm, for example 25 mm. The overall housing may be of the order of 15 mm to 25 mm high, for example 20 mm high and have a base dimensions of the order of 30 mm to 50 mm by 30 mm to 50 mm, for example 40 mm by 35 mm.
An example of a method of mounting the housing for supporting the end of the elongate flexible member will be explained.
The elongate flexible member 56 can be terminated in advance with the connector 50 before the elongate flexible member is placed in the substrate 60 to facilitate the attachment of the connector and also the handling of the optical fibre when this is placed in the substrate. However, as an alternative, the elongate flexible member 56 could be terminated with the connector 50 after the elongate flexible member is placed in the substrate 60.
The housing 10 can be offered up to the exposed portion of the elongate flexible member 56 and the elongate flexible member can be slid though the slot 34 until the connector lines up with the first opening 34. The connector can then be secured to the front face 22 of the housing 10. In the present example this is done using screws that pass though holes (not shown) in the flange 52 of the optical connector and into threaded holes 36 in the front face 22 of the housing 10. As mentioned above, in other examples, other fixings methods can be used. For example, rather than providing threaded holes 36 in the housing 10, self tapping screws could be used. Alternatively, or in addition, other fastening or fixing arrangements could be used. For example, in an embodiment the connector could be bonded or glued in place.
The elongate flexible member that leaves the rear of the connector 50 can pass freely and without hindrance through the cavity 15 in the housing 10 and through the rear (the second) opening 38 into the substrate.
With the housing located on the surface of the substrate, one or more embedding layers 62 can then be added to the surface of the substrate 60 and can be arranged to cover at least part of the base 14 to embed the base of the housing 10. Due to the wide internal cavity 15 and the wide rear opening 38, the exact position of the housing is not critical, and lateral (side to side) and longitudinal (front to back can back to front) movement of the housing with respect to the entry and/or exit point of the elongate flexible member can occur during the mounting process.
The housing can then be secured in place by curing, hardening or otherwise fixing the embedding layers. At the same time or subsequently, the internal cavity can optionally be filled with, for example, a resin that can then be cured to fix the elongate flexible member in place.
In an example embodiment, the width of the second (the rear) opening can be greater than the height of the second opening. In an example embodiment the width of the second (the rear) opening is substantially greater than the width (e.g., the diameter) of the elongate flexible member, for example at least 1.5 (e.g., at least a plurality of times) the width of the elongate flexible member. In an example embodiment the width of the internal cavity is at least as wide or wider than the rear opening, that is substantially greater than the width (e.g., the diameter) of the elongate flexible member, for example at least 1.5 (e.g., at least at least a multiple of) the width of the elongate flexible member.
In an example embodiment, the body of the housing can be integral with the base for ease of manufacture, strength and cost. The housing can be manufactured of any suitable materials. Examples of suitable materials are a plastics material, a metal, and a ceramic material, a composite material, or any suitable combination of these and/or or other materials.
The housing can be formed in any suitable manner, for example by moulding (e.g., injection moulding of a plastics material), stamping from a sheet material (e.g., by stamping a sheet of metal), or by machining (e.g., from a block of material), or any suitable combination of these and/or or other methods.
Although in the described example, the elongate flexible member is a waveguide, more specifically a fibre optic cable, the housing could also be used to mount an electrical cable or a fluid hose or other flexible conduit, or indeed any other elongate flexible member.
Accordingly, there has been described a surface egress and/or ingress housing for an elongate flexible member. A front opening in a front surface of the housing can receive a connector for the elongate flexible member. A base of the housing can be at least partially received under an embedding layer for mounting the housing on the surface. An internal cavity in the housing can communicate with the front opening and with a rear opening in the base. The rear opening and the cavity can be wider than the elongate flexible member to facilitate mounting of the housing.
There has also been described a structure that includes at least one housing as described herein, a substrate having a surface on which the housing is mounted, a connector for an elongate flexible member mounted to the housing and an elongate flexible member that is attached to the connector and passes through the housing and into the substrate.
A method of supporting an end of an elongate member that is embedded in a substrate includes passing the elongate flexible member though the first and second openings of a housing as described herein, locating the housing on the surface of the substrate, mounting a connector attached to the end of the elongate flexible member at the first opening, and at least partially embedding the base of the housing under an embedding layer, wherein the second opening and the internal cavity are wider than the elongate flexible member to enable at least lateral movement of the housing during the locating of the housing on the surface of the substrate and during the embedding of the base of the housing.
Although the embodiments above have been described in considerable detail, numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated. It is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace all such variations and modifications as well as their equivalents.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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0707621.9 | Apr 2007 | GB | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/GB08/01334 | 4/16/2008 | WO | 00 | 4/14/2010 |