Hard surface deployed fiber

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10209476-B2
Application number	US-201715432049-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 14, 2017
Priority date	Feb 14, 2017
Publication date	Feb 19, 2019
Grant date	Feb 19, 2019

Abstract

A surface-mounted fiber segment includes at least one bare optical fiber glass segment disposed onto a receiving surface, and an adhesive material applied to the at least one bare optical fiber glass segment. The adhesive material substantially encapsulates the at least one bare optical fiber glass segment and adheres the at least one bare optical fiber glass segment onto the receiving surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A surface-mounted fiber network comprising:
a plurality of surface-mounted fiber segments disposed onto a ground surface, the ground surface exposed to an external environment and each of the bare optical fiber glass segments protruding above the ground surface; and
a plurality of junction boxes deposited into corresponding recesses formed into the ground surface, each junction box interconnecting and optically coupling at least two of the surface-mounted fiber segments to one another, each junction box comprising a body and a cap, the body comprising an open end and a plurality of slots at the open end configured to receive a terminal end of one or more bare optical fiber glass segments proximate to the ground surface, the cap comprising a top surface flush with the ground surface and a bottom surface opposing the open end of the body,
wherein each surface-mounted fiber segment comprises:
the one more bare optical fiber glass segments disposed onto the ground surface; and
an adhesive material applied to each bare optical fiber glass segment, the adhesive material substantially encapsulating each bare optical fiber glass segment and adhering each bare optical fiber glass segment onto the ground surface, the adhesive material and each bare optical fiber glass segment adhered onto the ground surface protruding above portions of the ground surface exposed to the external environment, and

wherein a first surface-mounted fiber segment of the plurality of surface-mounted fiber segments is disposed on a curved section of the ground surface having a first radius of curvature that is less than a threshold radius of curvature, the first surface-mounted fiber segment having a first length that is based on the first radius of curvature and shorter than corresponding lengths of other ones of the surface-mounted fiber segments disposed on relatively straight sections of the ground surface, the relatively flat sections of the ground surface having corresponding radius of curvatures that are at least the threshold radius of curvature.

2. The surface-mounted fiber network of claim 1 , wherein the adhesive material and each bare optical fiber glass segment adhered onto the ground surface has a collective thickness of less than about 15 millimeters above the ground surface.

3. The surface-mounted fiber network of claim 1 , wherein one of the junction boxes is configured to interconnect a second surface-mounted fiber segment and a third surface-mounted fiber segment, the second surface-mounted fiber segment including a first group of bare optical fiber glass segments extending along the ground surface in a first direction away from the junction box, and the third surface-mounted fiber segment including a second group of bare optical fiber glass segments extending along the ground surface in a second direction away from the junction box, each bare optical fiber glass segment of the third group of bare optical fiber glass segments optically coupled to a corresponding bare optical fiber glass segment of the first group of bare optical fiber glass segments.

4. The surface-mounted fiber network of claim 3 , wherein the first direction is substantially parallel to the second direction.

5. The surface-mounted fiber network of claim 3 , wherein the first direction and the second direction are divergent.

6. The surface-mounted fiber network of claim 3 , wherein the one of the junction boxes is further configured to interconnect a fourth surface-mounted fiber segment to the second surface-mounted fiber segment, the fourth surface-mounted fiber segment including a third group of optical fiber glass segments extending along the ground surface away from the junction box, each bare optical fiber glass segment of the third group of bare optical fiber glass segments optically coupled to a corresponding bare optical fiber glass segment of the first group of bare optical fiber glass segments.

7. The surface-mounted fiber network of claim 6 , wherein the third group of optical fiber glass segments extend away from the junction box in a third direction substantially parallel to the first direction or the third direction.

8. The surface-mounted fiber network of claim 6 , wherein the third group of optical fiber glass segments extend away from the junction box in a third direction divergent to at least one of the first direction or the third direction.

9. The surface-mounted fiber network of claim 1 , wherein the adhesive material forms a protective covering around each bare optical fiber glass segment, the protective covering configured to compensate for distortions of the ground surface.

10. The surface-mounted fiber network of claim 1 , wherein the at least one bare optical fiber glass segment is not covered by a protective jacket.

11. The surface-mounted fiber network of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the surface-mounted fiber segments further comprises a pre-coating material applied to the ground surface, the pre-coating material disposed between each bare optical fiber glass segment and the ground surface.

12. A surface-mounted fiber network comprising:
a plurality of surface-mounted fiber segments disposed onto a ground surface, the ground surface exposed to an external environment and each of the bare optical fiber glass segments protruding above the ground surface, wherein each surface-mounted fiber segment comprises:
one or more bare optical fiber glass segments disposed onto the ground surface; and
an adhesive material applied to each bare optical fiber glass segment, the adhesive material substantially encapsulating each bare optical fiber glass segment and adhering each bare optical fiber glass segment onto the ground surface, the adhesive material and each bare optical fiber glass segment adhered onto the ground surface protruding above portions of the ground surface exposed to the external environment; and

a plurality of junction boxes deposited into corresponding recesses formed into the ground surface, each junction box interconnecting and optically coupling at least two of the surface-mounted fiber segments to one another,
wherein the plurality of surface-mounted fiber segments comprises:
a first portion of the plurality of surface-mounted fiber segments disposed on and following relatively straight sections of the ground surface, each relatively straight section of the ground surface having a corresponding radius of curvature that is at least a radius of curvature threshold; and
a second portion of the plurality of surface-mounted fiber segments disposed on and following curved sections of the ground surface, each curved section of the ground surface having a corresponding radius of curvature that is less than the radius of curvature threshold, and each surface-mounted fiber segment of the second portion of the plurality of surface-mounted fiber segments having a shorter length than each surface-mounted fiber segment of the first portion of the plurality of surface-mounted fiber segments.

13. The surface-mounted fiber network of claim 12 , wherein the adhesive material and each bare optical fiber glass segment adhered onto the ground surface has a collective thickness of less than about 15 millimeters above the ground surface.

14. The surface-mounted fiber network of claim 12 , wherein a terminal end of each bare optical fiber glass segment is received by one of the junction boxes.

15. The surface-mounted fiber network of claim 12 , wherein the one or more bare optical fiber glass segments comprises a plurality of bare optical fiber glass segments that extend substantially parallel to one another along the ground

Assignees

• Google Inc
• Google Llc

Inventors

• Johnston Chad
• Lopez Enrique Gonzalez

Classifications

• G02B6/504 Primary

  Installation in solid material, e.g. underground · CPC title

• H04B10/27

  Arrangements for networking · CPC title

• G02B6/4486

  Protective covering · CPC title

• E01C11/00

  Details of pavings {(E01C1/005, E01C5/003, E01C5/005, E01C7/145, E01C7/185, E01C7/325 take precedence)} · CPC title

• G02B6/50

  Underground or underwater installation; Installation through tubing, conduits or ducts · CPC title