Cable sealing unit with cable sealing modules

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11002929-B2
Application number	US-201816489995-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 1, 2018
Priority date	Mar 1, 2017
Publication date	May 11, 2021
Grant date	May 11, 2021

Abstract

One aspect of the present disclosure relates to an enclosure system including enclosures of different sizes, shapes and styles that are all compatible with gel sealing modules having a given module form factor or a multiple of the given module form factor. In this way, gel sealing modules having one form factor and/or multiples thereof can be universally used across an entire product line of enclosures.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An enclosure system comprising:
a first enclosure having a first size or a first shape;
a second enclosure having a second size different from the first size or a second shape different from the first shape;
gel sealing modules each having a module form factor; and
sealing units, each of the enclosures including one of the sealing units, each sealing unit defining one or more pockets each having a pocket form factor that matches the module form factor or is a multiple of the module form factor, each of the one or more pockets including at least one open side and at least one closed side, the system being configured such that, for each of the first enclosure and the second enclosure, a corresponding one of the sealing units and the gel sealing modules form a seal therebetween when the sealing modules are mounted in the one or more pockets of the corresponding sealing unit.

2. The enclosure system of claim 1 , wherein the gel sealing modules include cable sealing modules each defining at least one cable port.

3. The enclosure system of claim 2 , wherein the gel sealing modules include dummy modules.

4. The enclosure system of claim 2 , wherein the cable sealing modules include cable sealing modules having different port counts, cable sealing modules having different port sizes, and/or cable sealing modules having different port shapes.

5. The enclosure system of claim 4 , wherein the gel sealing modules include first gel sealing modules having a first module form factor and second gel sealing modules having a second module form factor, the first and second module form factors being compatible with both the first and second enclosures.

6. The enclosure system of claim 5 , wherein the second module form factor is a multiple of the first module form factor.

7. The enclosure system of claim 6 , wherein the second module form factor is twice the first module form factor.

8. The enclosure system of claim 1 , wherein the module form factor is rectangular.

9. The enclosure system of claim 2 , wherein each cable sealing module includes a volume of gel bonded between first and second end caps, and wherein at least one cable port is defined through the volume of gel and through the first and second pieces.

10. The enclosure system of claim 2 , wherein the cable sealing modules have wrap around configurations that permit the cable sealing modules to be opened to allow cables to be inserted laterally into the cable ports.

11. The enclosure system of claim 2 , wherein the cable sealing modules each include first and second pieces with a break between the first and second pieces extending through the at least one cable port.

12. The enclosure system of claim 1 , wherein the first shape is circular and the second shape is elongated.

13. The enclosure system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second enclosures are circular enclosures having different diameters.

14. The enclosure system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second enclosures are generally rectangular enclosures with different widths and lengths.

15. The enclosure system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second enclosures include circular bases having different diameters and housings that mount in sealed relation relative to the bases.

16. The enclosure system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second enclosures include elongated bases having different lengths and widths, and housings that mount in sealed relation relative to the bases.

17. The enclosure system of claim 1 , wherein the enclosures have in-line or butt configurations.

18. The enclosure system of claim 1 , wherein the enclosures define sealing unit mounting locations for receiving the sealing units.

19. The enclosure system of claim 1 , wherein the gel sealing modules mounted within different pockets of a given one of the sealing units do not contact each other.

20. The enclosure system of claim 1 , wherein the sealing units include actuators for pressurizing the gel sealing modules between pressurization structures.

21. The enclosure system of claim 20 , wherein each of the actuators biases first and second of the pressurization structures together with spring pressure.

22. The enclosure system of claim 20 , wherein the actuators are actuated by a threading action or by a lever/cam action.

23. The enclosure system of claim 21 , wherein the first and second pressurization structures telescope relative to each other.

24. The enclosure system of claim 1 , wherein the pockets are defined by walls that separate the pockets from one another and that prevent the gel sealing modules of a given sealing unit from contacting one another even when the gel sealing modules are pressurized.

25. The enclosure system of claim 1 , wherein the sealing units include perimeter gasket seals for sealing between the sealing units and the enclosures.

26. The enclosure system of claim 25 wherein the perimeter gasket seals are separate from and not in contact with the gel sealing modules.

27. The enclosure system of claim 25 , wherein the perimeter gasket seals are outside the pockets.

28. The enclosure system of claim 1 , wherein the sealing units have outer shapes that fit within and complement inner shapes of bases of the enclosures.

29. The enclosure system of claim 28 , further comprising continuous perimeter sealing members that seal between exteriors of the sealing units and the bases of the enclosures.

30. The enclosure system of claim 28 , further comprising continuous perimeter sealing members that seal between exteriors of the sealing units and interior surfaces of the mounting locations defined by housings of the enclosures.

31. The enclosure system of claim 1 , wherein the pockets include at least three closed sides.

32. The enclosure system of claim 1 , wherein all of the gel modules used with the enclosures are rectangular.

Assignees

• CommScope Connectivity Belgium BVBA

Inventors

• Geens Johan
• Vos Bart
• Vastmans Kristof

Classifications

• G02B6/4444 Primary

  Seals · CPC title

• H02G15/013

  Sealing means for cable inlets (inlets for cables filled with, or surrounded by, gas or oil H02G15/32) · CPC title