CN1162751A - Device for organizing optical fiber cable connections and optical cable joint box - Google Patents

Abstract

An optical fiber cable connection organizer device includes a support assembly with lateral accessways for the fibers of the cables, an arrangement for holding splices between the fibers and an arrangement for stowing a surplus length of the jointed fibers. It further includes two sets of magazines for stowing additional slack in the fibers from the two cables. Applications include submarine optical fiber cable joint boxes.

Description

Device and cable junction box that fiber optic cable connects

The present invention relates to the especially connection of seabed fiber cable of fiber optic cable.More specifically relate to device and cable junction box that the establishment fiber optic cable connects.

Fiber optic cable generally includes a branch of optical fiber, is placed in the rod of with groove as far as possible or with in the gel-filled protection tube, perhaps embed to have one or more carriers as far as possible and/or the cohesive polymers of the reinforced element that combines with fiber in.Submarine optical fiber cable also comprises one deck crust armouring at least, if desired, also has the electrical conductance remote source device of feeding.The land optical cable usually comprises that the tinsel that will play strengthens the tensile strength effect imports or around optical element.Fiber optic cable covers with covering and protects and as far as possible itself and seawater are isolated.

For connecting two fiber optic cables, the fiber of every optical cable or optical element are deviate from from cable configuration in the place of this optical cable tail end suitable length, and the fiber of these two optical cables can be spliced.

European application EP-A-0274060 discloses the particularly terminal box of submarine optical fiber cable of a kind of fiber optic cable.It comprises with the container tube of two cover plates being furnished with bore hole with its end sealing, with the inner cylinder casing of banking up and being connected fiber.Casing is fixed between the cover plate.Optical cable penetrates cover plate and fixes on it, and fiber enters casing by the slype that each cover plate is equipped with.Casing has a wide central opening, and casing be extracted and then be entered to fiber to be connected can out by opening.Its low wall is cylindric at the casing middle part, and the ending funneling is to accept the fiber by each cover plate.It also has two annular inner groovies, and this is located each end and is connected with the middle part of casing, and the remainder that connects fiber is coiled type and is stacked in bottom portion of groove.

Storing the device that casing does not comprise any fixture splice, because without any the external reinforcing thing, and be that loosely is stored in the casing, so joint must have excellent mechanical intensity.Lack the clamping device of joint in the casing and the mechanical enhancer thing of joint is incompatible, because the weight of comparing them with the rigidity of fiber seems too big.For actual cause, the joint of mechanical enhancer usually is preferable over the joint of not strengthening.

File US-A-4840449 discloses a kind of device that establishment connects between two fiber optic cables.This device comprises a kind of rectangular support frame, along every minor face rib is arranged in its one side, and an edge wherein long limit is two cylinders placed side by side, and fiber is the coiled coil thereon, and the device that is joint between the anchoring fiber along another long limit.Two cylinder each intervals, and also each interval between the rib that is adjacent.Optical cable is fixed on the support, near having the passage of coming in and going out for fiber on the support, splices between the fiber, and joint is positioned at clamping device, and banks up around two cylinders with coil form from the fiber of the residue length of optical cable.On the support each cylinder with being generally used in abutting connection with the interval between rib banking up according to the different of the residue length of being banked up the coil of variation length.

Coil allows the fiber orientation optical cable movable a little or move, if when first lap is greater than the cylinder periphery at least.Any this activity is all very little and insufficient, and particularly fiber is more or less loose and when optical cable stretched in cable configuration.

The present invention seeks to allow the fiber that splices to have towards corresponding optical cable and move bigger degree of freedom, the residue length that joint allows usually between its mode and the fiber is irrelevant, and has the device of banking up.

The invention reside in a kind of fiber optic cable and connect the formatter device, it comprises a kind of substantially parallel tubular bracket assembly, assembly has the interconnection of coming in and going out for described optical cable fiber at two opposed ends, first device that is connected fiber connector with the described optical cable of clamping, bank up and connect second device of fiber tail end residue length (fiber), store the 3rd device of the other reserve piece fiber of each optical cable without restriction, the 3rd device makes described interconnection be coupled in the described bracket component described second device of banking up, and comprise the first independent storehouse box of at least one loose coil of banking up, it is positioned at described bracket component breech face to the interconnection of coming in and going out for relevant optical cable fiber, and unlimited substantially to described interconnection, make the fiber of one of described optical cable enter by one of them described interconnection.

At least one supplementary features below this device also has:

The 3rd device of-reserve piece of banking up (fiber) further comprises the second independent storehouse box of at least one related first storehouse box, to store other loose coil, be positioned at the interconnection of coming in and going out for relevant optical cable fiber in succession in described bracket component the other end, and unlimited to other interconnections and the described first storehouse box, each second storehouse box of related each first storehouse box compensates described first storehouse box and described interconnection on level;

In the bracket component of-central cylinder between the Liang Taocang box, central cylinder enters each box opening one side, independent storehouse and outlet side demarcation with each described loose coil and will limit the minimum length of each loose coil;

-bracket component comprises two supporting plates and the therebetween central cylinder that has the independent storehouse of two covers box, and one of supporting plate is the base plate that combines interconnection and groove.Groove is used for being tangential to substantially from each interconnection the circumferential edge guiding optical cable fiber of central cylinder;

-base plate is fluted at its end face, and two cover storehouse boxes wherein are installed, and central from here cylinder projection.

The invention further relates to the submarine optical fiber cable terminal box of utilizing said apparatus, further comprise and be placed on the described device its tail end with the container tube of two cover closures, described optical cable is fixed on the cover plate, and supporting element is fixed to the front of the inside cover plate to settle and to fix the interconnection of this device and guiding optical cable fiber access to plant.

Feature and advantage of the present invention provide the detailed description of embodiment by following embodiment and with reference to accompanying drawing after will be more obvious.

Fig. 1 is equipped with the fragmentary cross-sectional view that the present invention connects scheduling apparatus submarine optical fiber cable terminal box.

Fig. 2 is the top view that is not equipped with situation lower device base plate.

Fig. 3 and 4 is respectively the sectional view along III-III among Fig. 2 and IV-IV line base plate.

Fig. 5 is the top view of outfit situation lower shoe.

Fig. 6 is the sectional view that has been equipped with base plate along the VI-VI line of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is the top view of this device top board.

Fig. 8,9 and 10 is respectively the VIII-VIII along Fig. 7, the sectional view of IX-IX and X-X line top board.

Terminal box shown in Figure 1 is used to connect two optical fiber submarine optical fiber cable 1A and 1B.It comprises that the fiber optic cable that is arranged in the container tube 3 connects formatter device 2, can provide the mechanical continuity that connects optical cable.Container tube is fixed on it and is installed 2 and be provided with therebetween with two cover plate 4A and 4B sealing, optical cable.Container tube and cover plate are by the metal manufacturing.They have outer protective finish, and coating stretches a bit of along the optical cable on every limit.In this embodiment; provide protection with two covering 5A and 5B; link to each other within another and with shrinkage sleeve 6 around covering in middle part of container tube is nestable, sleeve 6A and 6B provide particularly seal protection of other protection, and it is positioned on the covering that has packaged to the end and optical cable.As selection, this protection is moldable on the container tube and optical cable of every side.

Cover plate 4A and 4B edge are threaded, and have internal thread adaptive with it at every end of container tube.Each cover plate has bore hole, therefrom accepts the optical cable of one of them and fixes it, and the cable configuration that the adjusting bore hole makes it to accept with it suits mutually.With reference to Fig. 1 as can be seen, cover plate 4A is parts, and it has individual conical butt bore hole in the container tube of end, the inside, wherein utilizes fastening circular cone 8A with the armouring tinsel 7A termination of optical cable 1A with fix.Cover plate 4B is two parts that abut against together, wherein they will be adjusted to be equivalent to the single part that is fit to optical cable 1B.Cover plate 4B also has the conical butt bore hole in its tail end container tube, the method by clamping cone 8B is with the armouring tinsel 7B termination of optical cable 1B and fixing.

If optical cable has multilayer armouring tinsel, ground of a cover of a plurality of circular cones can be placed in the cover plate bore hole and use.

The fiber axis of corresponding optical cable is to by cone 8A and 8B, and can deviate from from optical cable whole or in part according to its optical component structure.

Be fixed in the container tube that the element 9A and the 9B of cover plate front, the inside generally are semicirculars, lump together the support that limits between two cover plates, install 1 and thereon and with screw 10A and 10B it is fixed.Element 9A and 9B have the groove of guiding fiber access to plant 2.They are the fixing reinforced element related with fiber in the optical cable optics also, if desired, available double-threaded screw 11B be connected to relevant elements 9B center section and with the screw fix in position in device 2 element 9B and any one side of the fiber guides groove between the double-threaded screw 11B.

Two self-locking nut 12A are connected with 12B and are screwed on cover plate 4A and the 4B, towards container tube, they are screwed near the container tube end always.

Be to connect optical cable 1A and 1B, self-locking nut 12A and 12B are swirled on separately the optical cable, and container tube 3 is swirled on the optical cable.With the optical cable strip off, their armouring tinsel is at the cover plate internal fixation, and fiber passes cover plate suitable length is arranged.

Connect fiber, its residue length dish becomes coil to put into to be fixed on the device 2 between the cover plate.Make it pass through first cover plate by screwing mobile containers pipe 3 then, be screwed to simultaneously afterwards on two cover plates.Self-locking nut 12A and 12B rely on the cover plate motion is screwed on the cover plate it.After protection covering 5A and the 5B is sleeve 6, fixedly 6A and 6B then, and the latter who is placed on the optical cable gets ready in advance.

Continuation is referring to Fig. 1, from the phantom view of indication device 2, as can be seen, device 2 comprises accepts fiber and the base plate of banking up from optical cable fiber reserve pieces in the storehouse box 3 20, with bank up joint and be connected the top board 40 of fiber residue length, storehouse box 30 places between plate 20 and the plate 40.They are fixed on the base plate 20 and by top board with screw 13 and cover.Other selection is that they can be fixed to the top board bottom.Top board 40 usefulness screws 14 are fixed on the base plate 20.

With reference to Fig. 2-4 connection formatter device 2 is described, these accompanying drawings are represented the base plate 20 of the situation that is not equipped with, and Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 represent to be equipped with the base plate of storehouse box 30.

Base plate 20 is a rectangle, at its end face a wide rectangular recess 21 is arranged.This groove limits by periphery flange 22 with at bottom portion of groove central authorities cylinder 23 bossings.The a little higher than periphery flange 22 of this cylinder and its diameter are less than the width of plate.Plate 20 is preferably made with aluminum or aluminum alloy.

Two the interconnection 24A and the 24B that come in and go out for two optical cable fibrous bundles are contained in the centre of passing periphery flange 22 minor faces.They are darker a little than groove 21.Two groove 25A and 25B are provided in the channel bottom to guide two bundle fibers.They are arc, enter separately interconnection 24A and 24B with big radius curve.They link together and pass through around cylinder 23 tangent-types on one side along flange 22 is long.In a kind of design of selection, two guiding grooves do not link together, Yi Bian but stretch around cylinder relatively along flange 22 is long.Be equipped with nib 26A and 26B with the every bundle fiber of clamping along the groove longitudinal opening.The channel bottom thickness direction has corresponding opening 27A and 27B below each nib, to make things convenient for the manufacturing of plate 20.

Two pairs fixedly nib 28A and 28B are provided in plate 20 ends.The nib 28A of a certain end of plate thin and with the same level in the bottom of groove 25A.Within them, there are oval hole 29A and its major axis to be parallel to the plate longitudinal axis.Nib 28B is thicker wherein circular hole 29B, wants big at the opening diameter on its top for adaptive screw terminal.

Still with reference to Fig. 1, wherein being fixed to element 9A on the terminal box container tube cover plate and 9B defines device 2 and is located in support on it, should understand, the hole 29B that accepts screw 10B does not allow any activity of element 9B upper plate 20, and the hole 29A that accepts screw 10A allows element 9A upper plate movable a little along hole 29A long axis direction.

Plate 20 also has shaft type groove 24 directly to connect horizontal Vomitory and intersects with central cylinder 23.Also have hole 22 ｀ in the short end on one side of flange 22, and four jiaos hole 21 ｀ are arranged in groove 21 bottoms, the former is used for fixing the top board latter storehouse box is fixed on the base plate.

If have anyly when related with the fibrous bundle of two optical cable opticses, axial groove 24 is used for the center reinforced element.This center reinforced element is by the unillustrated auxiliary element termination that connects among the figure, and is fixed in the central cylinder 23.Storage combines the identical storehouse box of two covers from the storehouse box 30 of each optical cable fibrous bundle reserve piece.Every cover storehouse box is placed in the groove 21, therein between one of interconnection 24A, 24B and the central cylinder 23.It is installed in bottom portion of groove facing to corresponding periphery flange, and utilizes hole 21 ｀ on two screws 13 (Fig. 1 and Fig. 6) and the plate 20 and the hole 31 of the tapping on the box of storehouse to be fixed.

Every cover storehouse box is limited by parallel plate 32 and 33, and narrow interval is arranged between these parallel-plates, and attached on the lateral support element 34.Support component 34 is the U type normally, is arranged in the smooth place of plate 20 inner groovies, and the width of bifurcated and base and groove 21 degree of depth adapt.The bifurcated inside surface and the base of element 34 are defined as the semiellipse surface, and therefrom plate 32 and 33 is stuck.Bifurcated outside surface and base are smooth and compress along the flange 22 of plate 20.

Plate 32 is bottom panels of magazine device.It is solid semiellipsoid.Each plate 33 has axial notch 35, and they are U types, have rounded bottom surface and tail end, and they finishes up with oval ring.Connect groove 36 at the inside surface of support component 34 bases bifurcateds, overlap each other to the end of this another bifurcated of element from an end of bifurcated and continuously.These grooves are positioned on plate 32 and 33, with for example adhering method is fixed thereon.

Storehouse box 30 is opening wide on one side towards cylinder 23.They have individual import 37 above the center section of end, between cylinder 23 and the long accordingly limit of flange, connect guiding groove 25A and 25B herein.They also have outlet 38 in cylinder 23 relative ends.

The independent storehouse box of every cover is fixed between two plates 32 and 33.They can place in each storehouse box with loose coil form alternately as banking up considerable reserve piece from every optical cable fiber.The storehouse box that these are represented with alphabetical A and B in Fig. 6, the arrangement according to them in magazine device is corresponding with appointed interconnection 24A and 24B.Each storehouse box is assigned according to their arrangements in every cover in two covers, and from storehouse, bottom box.The storehouse box that is positioned at device (set) odd number of arrayed on the plate 20 is facing to relevant interconnection, and the storehouse box that even number is arranged in other devices all is used to bank up and enters the reserve piece fibrous bundle of this device through those passages.Therefore, the fiber of specifying storehouse box 30A to bank up and enter, the fiber of specifying storehouse box 30B to bank up and enter through passage 24B through passage 24A.Be used for banking up among the storehouse box 30A of the fibrous bundle of passage 24A first be this device surface to the storehouse, bottom of passage box, used second is second storehouse box from other devices, used the 3rd is the 3rd storehouse box from first device.There is kind of scheme to bank up from the fibrous bundle of passage 24B with storehouse box 20B.Storehouse box number can be selected in each device, so that store the reserve piece of maximum length.The present embodiment storehouse box number may be selected to be 3, certainly greater than 3.

Banking up will make fiber to move towards optical cable when the optical cable carrying is drawn from optical cable fibrous bundle reserve piece, and fibrous bundle is loose in cable configuration.In this case, the coil encircling central authorities cylinder 23 in the box of storehouse is strained continuously, and fibrous bundle is not subjected to stress when optical cable carrying traction as a result.Cylinder 23 diameters will be selected usually, make fibrous ring can be accepted around the radius-of-curvature of cylinder.

The top board 40 of working out the device of two fiber optic cables connections can illustrate with reference to Fig. 7-10 specially.It can further specify with reference to accompanying drawing 1,5 and 6 specially with being connected of base plate.

Plate 40 is rectangles and covers on base plate.One of two long limits center section at it has two notch 41A and 41B relatively, and the fiber that passes through from storehouse, used top box 30A and 30B passes this notch.Its end face is recessed, has by the periphery flange 42 of notch 41A and 41B interruption.It is fixed on the base plate 20, and base plate 20 is equipped with two cover storehouse boxes 30 by four screws 14 are screwed in the corresponding tapping hole 42 ' on aperture 22 ' on the base plate and the top board flange.The location of 40 pairs of plates 20 of plate can be simplified, and its mode is to engrave annulet 43 in its bottom surface to accept the tail end of central cylinder 23 on base plate.

Plate 40 has the rib 44 of protrusion at its end face center section that has notch, and the horizontal cylinder 45A and the 45B of two protrusions arranged on this rib relative edge.

Rib 44 is parallel to the long limit of plate and constitutes the groove 46 of joint between gripping fibers between they and flange 42.Rib do not hold with the long limit of flange relevant position on boss 47 outstandingly enter groove so that the wedging joint.Groove is interrupted, is divided into two groups, is central lumen between two groups of grooves.This chamber accepts to be used for the removable plate 50 of staple joint along channel bottom.Plate 50 is preferably carrying foam spacer 51 on one side facing to the joint pressurized.It pins two face lines of rabbet joint 52 on flange 42 long limits.It is useful having two this lines of rabbet joint 52 on each flange, can limit two surface levels, and the connector clamp in the groove is tightened on the plate 50, for example for the joint of joint independent in each groove or two stacks.

For the purpose of making drawings clear, do not draw fiber and interfibrous joint.It is just much of that only to need the explanation joint to be subjected to anti-protection of gaining in strength.

Two cylinder 45A and 45B are used to the residue lengths of banking up the spliced fiber of two bundles, and these unnecessary length are with irrelevant fully from the reserve piece in every bundle fiber of optical cable, and they have been stacked in the box of storehouse.They with and around they and the peripheral intervals 49A and the 49B that limit by the adjacency section branch of rib and flange 42 corresponding, Yi Bian its weak point inside be semicircle.Each is communicated with the base plate that is equipped with by one of notch 42A and 42B at interval.

The foam block 55 that dotted line is represented is flexibly wedged between flange 42 and horizontal cylinder 45A or the 45B, so as in the space of fixedly banking up around the fiberoptic coil of these cylinders.

Should be noted that on the long one side of flange 42 outside and splay, so the slip (Fig. 1) of their not overslaughs container tube on formatter device 2.

In submarine optical fiber cable terminal box shown in Figure 1, container tube protection formatter device 2.To land link optical cable, formatter device 2 is protected to cover in the lid top panel of top board.As selection, top board can form cover plate, and preferred its bottom surface of this cover plate is equipped with the groove of staple joint and the cylinder of the unnecessary length of spliced fiber of banking up, and assembly the notch that is not communicated with mounting bedplate to base plate.

This fiber optic cable connects the optical cable that the formatter device is applicable to various structures, and described optical cable can cause fibrous bundle to move when it bears mechanical haulage.It can make from a large amount of fibrous bundle reserve pieces of optical cable and be banked up, and is irrelevant with the residue length of supplying with the fiber splicing, and with the reserve piece separate storage.It can prevent that the lax coil of supplying with reserve piece from twining mutually, and twines with the coil of the residue length of supplying with the fiber splicing.Joint between the fiber is clamped in the device after outside protection that strengthens and preferred protection preferably are provided.

Claims (9)

1. fiber optic cable connects the formatter device, comprise a kind of substantially parallel tubular bracket assembly, two relative tail ends of assembly have the horizontal Vomitory for described optical cable fiber, first device of described optical cable fiber connector is clamped and connected, bank up and connect second device of fiber tail end residue length (fiber), it is characterized in that it comprises the 3rd device (30) of the loose part fiber that each optical cable of banking up without restriction is other, at described bracket component (20,40) interior with described interconnection (24A, 24B) be coupled to the described device (45A that banks up, 45B), and the first storehouse box (30A that comprises the loose coil of banking up that at least one is independent, 30B), it is relative with the interconnection of coming in and going out for relevant optical cable fiber that it is positioned at described bracket component tail end, and unlimited substantially towards described horizontal Vomitory, make that (24A 24B) enters by a described horizontal Vomitory for the fiber of one of described optical cable.

2. according to the device of claim 1, the 3rd device that it is characterized in that the described loose part of banking up further comprises the second independent storehouse box of at least one related described first storehouse box, to store other loose coil, it is adjacent with the interconnection of relevant optical cable fiber discrepancy that it is positioned at another tail end of described bracket component, and unlimited towards other interconnections and the described first storehouse box, each second storehouse box of related each first storehouse box has a horizontal-shift to described first storehouse box and described interconnection.

3. according to the device of claim 1 or 2, (30A, it is adjacent with described interconnection at described bracket component tail end respectively 30B) to be defined as the independent storehouse box of two cover stacks to it is characterized in that described independent storehouse box.

4. according to the device of claim 3, it is characterized in that it further is included in the central cylinder (23) between the described two cover storehouse boxes (30) in the described bracket component, (37) one of inlets that define loose coil on each limit export (38) in each independent storehouse box, and have limited the minimum length of each loose coil.

5. according to the device of claim 4, it is characterized in that described bracket component comprises that having described two overlaps independent storehouse box (30) and two supporting plates (20 of central cylinder (23) therebetween, 30), one of supporting plate is in conjunction with described horizontal Vomitory (24A, 24B) with the described optical cable fiber groove (25A of guiding, base plate 25B) (20), fiber are tangential to the periphery of described central cylinder (23) substantially at each horizontal Vomitory.

6. according to the device of claim 5, it is characterized in that described base plate (20) is fluted at its end face, wherein be equipped with two cover storehouse boxes (30), and described from here central cylinder projection.

7. according to the device of claim 6, it is characterized in that another supporting plate (40) is fluted in its one side, the device of wherein said first staple joint is limited and is limited by described second device by a series of parallel ribs (44) from the FS center section projection of joint between the described fiber of clamping, on this second devices use and each limit of described rib (44) with two horizontal cylinders of one side projection (45A, 45B) the bank up fiber of connected residue length.

8. according to the device of claim 7, it is characterized in that described rib (44) is interrupted, and be that establishment is two covers that facing one another that utilize chamber (48) to be separated from each other, wherein it is included in the described chamber movably plate (50) so that staple joint in the position between rib.

9. utilize the submarine optical fiber cable terminal box of each device of claim 1-8, it is characterized in that it further comprises, be placed in its tail end of container tube (3) on the described device (2) with two cover plate (4A, 4B) with its sealing, described optical cable is fixed to cover plate, supporting element (9A, 9B) be fixed to the innermost front of described cover plate with fixing described device (2) and guide the optical cable fiber enter described device described horizontal Vomitory (24A, 24B).

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