Retrofit cover for fiber optic cable connection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12353021-B2
Application number	US-202017797870-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2020
Priority date	Mar 17, 2020
Publication date	Jul 8, 2025
Grant date	Jul 8, 2025

Abstract

A cover for a fiber optic cable connection includes a cap portion having a first housing portion having a first housing wall and a second housing portion having a second housing wall. A union portion has a union wall defining a union opening and is configured to receive the first housing portion and the second housing portion to couple the first housing portion and the second housing portion in a closed position. The first housing wall and the second housing wall define a housing opening to receive a sealing assembly that has an inner surface and an outer surface. A sealing opening is configured to receive a fiber optic cable associated with the fiber optic cable connection. The outer surface is configured to contact at least one of the first housing wall, the second housing wall, or the union wall when the sealing assembly is received within the housing opening.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cover for a fiber optic cable connection, the cover comprising:
a cap portion comprising:
a first housing portion having a first housing wall; and
a second housing portion having a second housing wall;

a union portion having a union wall defining a union opening, the union portion configured to receive the first housing portion and the second housing portion within the union opening to couple the first housing portion and the second housing portion in a closed position wherein the first housing wall and the second housing wall define a housing opening, the union portion having a mating end shoulder located within an interior of the union portion; and
a sealing assembly configured to be received within the housing opening and having an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface defining a sealing opening configured to receive a fiber optic cable associated with the fiber optic cable connection, the outer surface configured to contact the first housing wall, the second housing wall, and the union wall when the sealing assembly is received within the housing opening, and the outer surface being compressed against the mating end shoulder.

2. The cover of claim 1 , the cap portion extending between a first end and a second end, the first end defining a first end opening through which the fiber optic cable extends.

3. The cover of claim 1 , the cap portion defining a first attachment portion that couples to the union portion.

4. The cover of claim 3 , the union wall comprising a second attachment portion that mates with the first attachment portion of the cap portion.

5. The cover of claim 4 , at least one of the first attachment portion comprising a first threaded portion or the second attachment portion comprising a second threaded portion.

6. The cover of claim 5 , the first attachment portion comprising the first threaded portion.

7. The cover of claim 5 , the second attachment portion comprising the second threaded portion.

8. The cover of claim 1 comprising:
a second cap portion comprising:
a third housing portion having a third housing wall; and
a fourth housing portion having a fourth housing wall;

the union portion configured to receive the third housing portion and the fourth housing portion within the union opening to couple the third housing portion and the fourth housing portion in a closed position wherein the third housing wall and the fourth housing wall define a second housing opening; and
a second sealing assembly configured to be received within the second housing opening and having an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface of the second sealing assembly defining a sealing opening configured to receive a second fiber optic cable associated with the fiber optic cable connection, the outer surface of the second sealing assembly configured to contact at least one of the third housing wall, the fourth housing wall, or the union wall when the second sealing assembly is received within the second housing opening.

9. The cover of claim 8 , the second cap portion comprising a first attachment portion that couples to the union portion.

10. The cover of claim 9 , the union wall comprising a second attachment portion that mates with the first attachment portion of the second cap portion.

11. The cover of claim 10 , at least one of the first attachment portion comprising a first threaded portion or the second attachment portion comprising a second threaded portion.

12. A cover for a fiber optic cable connection, the cover comprising:
a cap portion comprising:
a first housing portion having a first housing wall; and
a second housing portion having a second housing wall;

a union portion having a union wall defining a union opening, the union portion configured to receive the first housing portion and the second housing portion within the union opening to couple the first housing portion and the second housing portion in a closed position wherein the first housing wall and the second housing wall define a housing opening, the union portion having a mating end shoulder located within an interior of the union portion; and
a sealing assembly configured to be received within the housing opening and having an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface defining a sealing opening configured to receive a fiber optic cable associated with the fiber optic cable connection, the outer surface configured to contact at least one of the first housing wall, the second housing wall, or the union wall when the sealing assembly is received within the housing opening, and the outer surface being compressed against the mating end shoulder opening.

13. The cover of claim 12 , the cap portion extending between a first end and a second end, the first end defining a first end opening through which the fiber optic cable extends.

14. The cover of claim 12 , the cap portion defining a first attachment portion that couples to the union portion.

15. The cover of claim 14 , the union wall comprising a second attachment portion that mates with the first attachment portion of the cap portion.

16. The cover of claim 15 , at least one of the first attachment portion comprising a first threaded portion or the second attachment portion comprising a second threaded portion.

17. A cover for a fiber optic cable connection, the cover comprising:
a cap portion comprising:
a first housing portion having a first housing wall; and
a second housing portion having a second housing wall;

a union portion having a union wall defining a union opening, the union portion configured to receive the first housing portion and the second housing portion within the union opening to couple the first housing portion and the second housing portion in a closed position wherein the first housing wall and the second housing wall define a housing opening, the union portion having a mating end shoulder located within an interior of the union portion; and
a sealing assembly configured to be received within the housing opening and having an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface defining a sealing opening configured to receive a fiber optic cable associated with the fiber optic cable connection, the outer surface configured to contact at least two of the first housing wall, the second housing wall, or the union wall when the sealing assembly is received within the housing opening, and the outer surface being compressed against the mating end shoulder opening.

18. The cover of claim 17 , the cap portion extending between a first end and a second end, the first end defining a first end opening through which the fiber optic cable extends.

19. The cover of claim 17 , the cap portion defining a first attachment portion that couples to the union portion.

20. The cover of claim 19 , the union wall comprising a second attachment portion that mates with the first attachment portion of the cap portion.

Assignees

• Preformed Line Products Co

Inventors

• Olszewski Jonathon Randall
• Hornsby John Lewis
• Ciesielczyk Benjamin Franklin

Classifications

• G02B6/3897

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

• G02B6/3879

  Linking of individual connector plugs to an overconnector, e.g. using clamps, clips, common housings comprising several individual connector plugs · CPC title

• G02B6/3849 Primary

  using mechanical protective elements, e.g. caps, hoods, sealing membranes (G02B6/3816 takes precedence; provisionally see H01R13/44) · CPC title

• G02B6/358

  Latching of the moving element, i.e. maintaining or holding the moving element in place once operation has been performed; includes a mechanically bistable system · CPC title

• G02B6/387

  Connector plugs comprising two complementary members, e.g. shells, caps, covers, locked together · CPC title