Anisotropic cable sealing gels; and methods for fabricating cable sealing gels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12529859-B2
Application number	US-202318364560-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2023
Priority date	Sep 7, 2016
Publication date	Jan 20, 2026
Grant date	Jan 20, 2026

Abstract

Aspects and techniques of the present disclosure relate to a cable sealing structure comprising a cable sealing body including a gel and methods of making anisotropic behavior in cable sealing structures made with a dry silicone gel. In one aspect, various three-dimensional printing techniques are used to make a cable sealing structure that includes a gel. The cable sealing body has a construction that elastically deforms to apply an elastic spring load to the gel. The cable sealing body has a construction with anisotropic deformation characteristics that allows the cable sealing body to be less deformable in one direction than in others. The cable sealing structure can be utilized to seal fiber optic cables more uniformly while limiting the potential of leakage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A cable sealing structure comprising:
a cable sealing body including a gel, the cable sealing body having a construction with anisotropic deformation characteristics such that the cable sealing body has different properties in different orientations, wherein the cable sealing body includes an x-dimension that extends along an x-axis, a y-dimension that extends along a y-axis and a z-dimension that extends along a z-axis, wherein the z-axis corresponds to a cable pass-through direction, and wherein, for a given volumetric unit of the cable sealing body, a force exerted on the cable sealing body is absorbed by deformation along the x and y axes such that deformation along the z-axis is restricted.

2 . The cable sealing structure of claim 1 , wherein the cable sealing body is less deformable along the z-axis as compared to both the x and y axes.

3 . The cable sealing structure of claim 1 , wherein the cable sealing body includes at least one reinforcing member.

4 . The cable sealing structure of claim 3 , wherein the at least one reinforcing member is oriented and positioned in the cable sealing body such that the cable sealing body is more deformable along the x-axis as compared to at least one of the y and z axes.

5 . The cable sealing structure of claim 3 , wherein the at least one reinforcing member is oriented and positioned in the gel of the cable sealing body such that the cable sealing body is more deformable along the x-axis as compared to both the y and z axes.

6 . The cable sealing structure of claim 3 , wherein the at least one reinforcing member is embedded into the cable sealing body such that the at least one reinforcing member has a shape that is generally zig-zag.

7 . The cable sealing structure of claim 6 , wherein the at least one reinforcing member is a single reinforcing member.

8 . The cable sealing structure of claim 6 , wherein the at least one reinforcing member extends along the z-axis and the generally zig-zag shape has vertical elements along the y-axis and diagonal elements between the vertical elements and in a plane defined by the x and y axes.

9 . The cable sealing structure of claim 3 , wherein the at least one reinforcing member is a preform three-dimensional structure that is embedded into the cable sealing body, the preform three-dimensional structure providing a self-supporting shape of the at least one reinforcing member.

10 . The cable sealing structure of claim 1 , wherein the cable sealing body includes a plurality of separately discrete reinforcing structures.

11 . The cable sealing structure of claim 10 , wherein the cable sealing body is less deformable along the z-axis as compared to both the x and y axes.

12 . The cable sealing structure of claim 1 , wherein structural elements of the gel provide the anisotropic deformation characteristics such that an eye effect is reduced when a cable is sealed with the cable sealing structure.

13 . A cable sealing structure comprising:
a first gel member and a second gel member; a x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis, each of the x-, y-, and z-axes being perpendicular to each of the other axes; an interface between the first and second gel members extending parallel to the x-axis; a cable pass-through direction parallel to the z-axis, wherein the cable sealing structure has an anisotropic property, such that the cable sealing body has different properties in different orientations, to reduce eye effect at the interface when a cable is sealed within the cable sealing structure; and a plurality of separately discrete reinforcing structures parallel to one another and extending parallel to the z-axis such that deformation of the cable sealing body is limited along the z-axis, the plurality of separately discrete reinforcing structures distributed along at least one of the x and y axes such that the cable sealing body deforms freely along each of the x and y axes.

14 . The cable sealing structure of claim 13 , wherein the cable sealing structure is more compressible in a direction parallel to the interface as compared with each of the y- and z-axes.

15 . The cable sealing structure of claim 13 , wherein the cable sealing structure is less compressible in a direction parallel to the cable pass through direction as compared with each of the x- and y-axes.

16 . The cable sealing structure of claim 13 , wherein the x-axis is less deformable than the y-axis.

17 . The cable sealing structure of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of separately discrete reinforcing structures parallel to one another and extending parallel to the z-axis are the only reinforcing structures in the cable sealing body.

18 . The cable sealing structure of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of separately discrete reinforcing structures are distributed along x-axis such that spaces between each of plurality of separately discrete reinforcing structures are variable permitting compression along the x-axis.

19 . The cable sealing structure of claim 18 , wherein the plurality of separately discrete reinforcing structures are oriented along the y-axis and are deformable along the y-axis.

Assignees

• Commscope Technologies Llc
• CommScope Connectivity Belgium BVBA

Inventors

• Radelet Christiaan
• Declerck Thierry Mike
• Adams Gary William
• Galla Matthew Peter
• Bryon Roel Modest Willy
• Kempeneers Dirk
• Vanhentenrijk Robert
• Verheyden Danny Willy August
• Brown David Thomas
• Maris Michael
• Mullaney Julian S
• Everaert Valja
• Bols Hans

Classifications

• H02G15/06

  Cable terminating boxes, frames or other structures · CPC title

• H01B7/02

  Disposition of insulation · CPC title

• G02B6/445 Primary

  with lateral pivoting cover · CPC title

• G02B6/44775

  Cable seals e.g. feed-through (cable seals integrated to the box seals G02B6/4444; pulling eyes G02B6/44465) · CPC title

• G02B6/4444 Primary

  Seals · CPC title