Fiber optic cable packaging arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10078193-B2
Application number	US-201715677481-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 15, 2017
Priority date	Feb 29, 2012
Publication date	Sep 18, 2018
Grant date	Sep 18, 2018

Abstract

A fiber optic enclosure assembly is disclosed herein. The assembly includes a fiber optic enclosure defining connection locations, a fiber optic cable extending from the connection locations of the fiber optic enclosure, and a covering defining a first axial end and a second axial end, the covering defining a throughhole extending from the first axial end to the second axial end, the throughhole extending along a central longitudinal axis of the covering, the covering defining a first cavity for receiving the fiber optic enclosure. A port extends from the first cavity to an outer surface of the covering, wherein the fiber optic cable extending from the connection locations can extend from the first cavity to the outer surface of the covering for wrapping around the outer surface of the covering.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fiber optic assembly comprising:
a spool including a drum portion having first and second opposite axial ends, the spool also including first and second end flanges positioned respectively at the first and second axial ends of the drum portion, the spool defining a storage compartment within the drum portion, the first and second flanges defining central openings for receiving a mandrel, the central openings being aligned along a central axis of rotation of the spool, the first and second flanges defining outer flange peripheries that extend around the central axis of rotation of the spool, at least the first flange defining an access opening for accessing the storage compartment within the drum portion, the access opening being located between the outer flange periphery of the first flange and the central opening of the first flange;
a fiber optic cable coiled about the drum portion and contained axially between the first and second flanges; and
a fiber optic device coupled to one end of the fiber optic cable, the fiber optic device being stored within the storage compartment, and the fiber optic device including a plurality of fiber optic adapters for receiving fiber optic connectors.

2. The fiber optic assembly of claim 1 , wherein the drum portion includes a circumferential drum surface that extends around the central axis of rotation of the spool, wherein the fiber optic cable is coiled about the circumferential drum surface, wherein the circumferential drum surface defines an outer drum periphery, wherein the first flange defines an end face having a first portion that extends radially outwardly beyond the outer drum periphery to the outer flange periphery of the first flange, and a second portion that extends radially inwardly from the outer drum periphery of the first flange to the central opening of the first flange.

3. The fiber optic assembly of claim 1 , wherein the storage compartment is located within the drum portion at least partially between inner surfaces of the first and second flanges, the inner surfaces facing toward each other.

4. The fiber optic assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first flange has an outer surface that defines the access opening such that the storage compartment within the drum portion is accessible through the outer surface of the first flange.

5. The fiber optic assembly of claim 4 , wherein the fiber optic device is accessible through the access opening defined by the outer surface of the first flange.

6. The fiber optic assembly of claim 1 , wherein the storage compartment is closed off by a lid.

7. The fiber optic assembly of claim 6 , wherein the lid is connected to the spool by a pivotable hinge structure.

8. The fiber optic assembly of claim 4 , further comprising a cable routing structure extending from the storage compartment to the outer flange periphery of the first flange.

9. The fiber optic assembly of claim 8 , wherein the cable routing structure comprises an open recess in the first flange.

10. The fiber optic assembly of claim 8 , wherein the cable routing structure is accessible through the outer surface of the first flange.

11. The fiber optic assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second flange defines an access opening for accessing the storage compartment within the drum portion, the access opening being located between the outer flange periphery of the second flange and the central opening of the second flange.

12. A cable spool for packaging a fiber optic device for storage or shipment, the cable spool comprising:
first and second, opposite, flanges, the first and second flanges each defining axial ends, the first and second flanges each having an outwardly facing axial end surface and an inwardly facing axial end surface, the first and second flanges each defining outer flange peripheries that extend around a central axis of rotation of the cable spool;
a drum portion positioned between the first and second flanges such that the outwardly facing axial end surfaces of the first and second flanges face opposite the drum portion and the inwardly facing axial end surfaces of the first and second flanges face toward each other, the axial ends of the first and second flanges axially overlapping the drum portion;
a storage compartment located within the drum portion, the storage compartment being accessible through an access opening defined by the outwardly facing axial end surface of at least the first flange;
a fiber optic cable coiled about the drum portion and contained axially between the first and second flanges, the fiber optic cable being payable and removable from the drum portion; and
a fiber optic enclosure removably positioned in the storage compartment, the fiber optic enclosure including a base and a front cover connected to the base such that the base and the front cover cooperate to enclose an interior region of the fiber optic enclosure, the fiber optic cable having an end that is secured to the fiber optic enclosure.

13. The cable spool of claim 12 , further comprising a cable routing structure extending from the storage compartment to the outer flange periphery of the first flange.

14. The cable spool of claim 13 , wherein the cable routing structure comprises an open recess in the first flange.

15. The cable spool of claim 13 , wherein the cable routing structure is accessible through the outwardly facing axial end surface of the first flange.

16. The cable spool of claim 12 , wherein the storage compartment is closed off by a lid.

17. The cable spool of claim 16 , wherein the lid is connected to the cable spool by a pivotable hinge structure.

18. The cable spool of claim 12 , wherein the storage compartment is accessible through an access opening defined by the outwardly facing axial end surface of the second flange.

19. The cable spool of claim 12 , wherein the first and second flanges define central openings for receiving a mandrel, the central openings being aligned along the central axis.

20. The cable spool of claim 19 , wherein the access opening is located between the outer flange periphery of the first flange and the central opening of the first flange.

21. The fiber optic assembly of claim 1 , wherein the central openings through the first and second flanges for receiving the mandrel are cylindrical.

Assignees

• Commscope Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Schomisch Michael J
• Wells Dennis Ray
• Kowalczyk Scott C
• Hodapp Mark

Classifications

• Y10T29/49815

  Disassembling · CPC title

• G02B6/4457 Primary

  Bobbins; Reels · CPC title

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title

• G02B6/4479

  Manufacturing methods of optical cables · CPC title

• G02B6/4466

  Physics · mapped topic