Closure with axial pull protection for connectorized cables

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10429595-B2
Application number	US-201615560121-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2016
Priority date	Mar 20, 2015
Publication date	Oct 1, 2019
Grant date	Oct 1, 2019

Abstract

A closure (100) is configured to hold one or more termination arrangements (120) at which one or more connectorized ends of optical cables can be received. The closure (100) provides axial pull-out protection for the connectorized ends (142) of the optical cables (140). In certain implementations, the closure (100) provides axial pull-out protection for the connectorized ends (142) of optical cables (140) arranged in multiple layers within the closure (100). In certain implementations, the closure (100) provides axial pull-out protection for standard optical connectors (e.g., standard SC connectors, standard LC connectors, standard LX.5 connectors, standard MPO connectors, etc.). The axial pull-out protection can be in the form of a cover (130). Cable bend protection (136) may also be provided by the cover.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A telecommunications closure comprising:
a base;
a cover that cooperates with the base to define an interior;
a cable input to the base;
a plurality of cable outputs from the base;
the cover supporting the cable outputs in the form of at least one row/layer of fiber optic plug connectors from axial pull by engagement with projecting walls which engage projecting end surfaces of the plug connectors in an axial direction.

2. The closure of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of rows/layers of fiber optic plug connectors.

3. The closure of claim 1 , further comprising cable bend protection formed by the projecting walls of the cover.

4. The closure of claim 1 , wherein the projecting walls are formed by one or more guide elements extending rearwardly from a front wall of the cover.

5. The closure of claim 4 , wherein the guide elements extend in a row along the width of the closure.

6. The closure of claim 4 , wherein the guide elements cooperate to define passages through which optical cables pass when routed through an aperture defined at a bottom of the cover.

7. The closure of claim 6 , wherein a termination arrangement mounts to the base, wherein the termination arrangement includes one or more termination adapters, and wherein the passages are vertically aligned with output ports of the termination adapters, wherein the fiber optic plug connectors are received at the output ports of the termination adapters.

8. The closure of claim 6 , wherein each guide element defines a transition surface that faces the aperture, each transition surface extends away from one or more guide walls in a curve that provides bend radius protection to the optical cables extending through the aperture.

9. The closure of claim 7 , wherein each guide element defines one or more support surfaces that face towards the output ports of the termination adapters.

10. The closure of claim 9 , wherein the guide elements are sized and positioned so that the support surfaces align with the optical plug connectors terminating the optical cables when the optical plug connectors are received at the output ports and the cover is mounted on the base.

11. The closure of claim 9 , wherein the support surfaces are defined at tops of guide walls defined by the guide elements.

12. The closure of claim 9 , wherein the support surfaces are defined by platforms extending upwardly from guide walls defined by the guide elements.

13. The closure of claim 4 , wherein the guide elements are positioned on opposite sides of each fiber optic plug connector.

14. A telecommunications closure comprising:
a base;
a cover;
a cable input to the base;
a plurality of cable outputs from the base, each cable output being terminated by a fiber optic connector having a connector body and a strain-relief boot, each connector body being configured to hold an optical fiber, each connector body having a rear edge;
the cover supporting the cable outputs in the form of multiple rows/layers of fiber optic connectors from axial pull with projecting guide elements positioned on opposite sides of each fiber optic connector, each projecting guide element defining a support surface that engages the rear edge of the connector body of one of the cable outputs.

15. A telecommunications closure comprising:
a base;
a cover;
a cable input to the base;
a termination arrangement mounted to the base, the termination arrangement including a plurality of adapters, each adapter defining a first port and a second port;
a plurality of cable outputs from the base including at least one row/layer of fiber optic connectors received at the second ports of the termination adapters;
the cover supporting the cable outputs from axial pull with projecting guide elements positioned on opposite sides of each fiber optic connector, each projecting guide element forming a cable bend protection element on opposite sides of each fiber optic connector.

16. The telecommunications closure of claim 14 , wherein the rear edge of the connector body of each cable output engages the support surfaces of two of the guide elements.

17. The telecommunications closure of claim 14 , wherein the support surfaces of the guide elements extend along a depth of the cover so that each support surface engages the rear edges of the cable bodies of multiple ones of the cable outputs.

18. The telecommunications closure of claim 17 , wherein each support surface engages the rear edges of fiber optic connectors arranged in a column along a depth of the base.

19. The telecommunications closure of claim 15 , wherein the termination arrangement includes a body holding the fiber optic adapters, and wherein the adapters are movable relative to the body of the termination arrangement.

20. The telecommunications closure of claim 19 , wherein when the cover applies an upward pressure on the fiber optic connectors received at the second ports, the fiber optic connectors applying an upward pressure on the adapters to move the adapters into the body.

Assignees

• CommScope Connectivity Belgium BVBA

Inventors

• Van Baelen David Jan Irma

Classifications

• G02B6/4446

  Cable boxes, e.g. splicing boxes with two or more multi fibre cables · CPC title

• G02B6/4478

  Bending relief means · CPC title

• G02B6/4471

  Terminating devices (demountable connectors G02B6/3807); Cable clamps · CPC title

• G02B6/3897 Primary

  Connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards (G02B6/44528 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/44765

  with means for strain-relieving to exterior cable layers · CPC title