Fiber storage device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9678299-B2
Application number	US-201514829015-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 18, 2015
Priority date	Aug 18, 2014
Publication date	Jun 13, 2017
Grant date	Jun 13, 2017

Abstract

An example fiber storage device includes a bend radius limiter extending along a height from a first end to a second end. The first end is seated at a mounting surface. One or more arms extend outwardly from the second end of the body. Each of the arms defines a retaining member that contacts the mounting surface. Each retaining member has a first contact surface that faces away from the storage surface and a second contact surface that faces towards the storage surface. A storage region is defined between the mounting surface, the storage surface, one of the arms arm, and the second contact surface of the respective retaining member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fiber storage device comprising:
a storage body extending along a height from a first end to a second end, the first end being configured to couple to a mounting surface, at least a portion of the storage body defining a storage surface that extends between the first and second ends, the storage surface being contoured to limit a bending radius of any fiber extending along the storage surface;
an arm extending outwardly from the second end of the storage body to a distal end of the arm, the arm being sufficiently flexible to enable the distal end of the arm to deflect along the height of the storage body; and
a retaining member disposed at the distal end of the arm, the retaining member having a first contact surface that faces away from the storage surface of the storage body and a second contact surface that faces towards the storage surface of the storage body, the first contact surface being free of sharp edges as the first contact surface transitions to a third contact surface that faces away from the second end of the storage body, the first contact surface transitioning to the third contact surface more gradually than the second contact surface transitions to the third contact surface.

2. The fiber storage device of claim 1 , wherein the third contact surface is configured to contact the mounting surface when the first end of the storage body is coupled to the mounting surface and no external bias is being applied to the arm.

3. The fiber storage device of claim 1 , further comprising an alignment peg extending outwardly from the first end of the storage body parallel with the height of the storage body.

4. The fiber storage device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second arm extending outwardly from the second end of the storage body to a distal end of the second arm, the second arm being sufficiently flexible to enable the distal end of the second arm to deflect along the height of the storage body, the second arm having an external perimeter free of sharp angles;
a second retaining member disposed at the distal end of the second arm, the second retaining member being enlarged relative to the second arm, the second retaining member having a first contact surface that faces away from the storage surface of the storage body and a second contact surface that faces towards the storage surface of the storage body.

5. The fiber storage device of claim 4 , wherein four arms extend outwardly from the storage body including the first and second arms.

6. The fiber storage device of claim 5 , wherein a respective retaining member is disposed at the distal end of each arm.

7. The fiber storage device of claim 1 , wherein the retaining member is integrally formed with the arm.

8. The fiber storage device of claim 7 , wherein the arm is integrally formed with the storage body.

9. The fiber storage device of claim 1 , wherein the arm has a transverse cross-sectional profile free of sharp angles.

10. The fiber storage device of claim 9 , wherein the retaining member is enlarged relative to the transverse cross-sectional profile of the arm.

11. The fiber storage device of claim 1 , wherein the storage surface of the storage body includes an annular surface.

12. The fiber storage device of claim 1 , wherein the storage surface of the storage body includes an arced surface that forms less than a full circle.

13. The fiber storage device of claim 1 , wherein the first contact surface defines a convex contour along an arc that curves towards the storage body.

14. The fiber storage device of claim 1 , wherein the first contact surface defines a convex contour along an arc that curves partially along the height of the storage body.

15. The fiber storage device of claim 1 , wherein the first contact surface has a partial bowl shape.

16. The fiber storage device of claim 1 , wherein the first contact surface is free of any sharp edges.

17. A system for storing optical fibers, the system comprising:
a mounting surface at which the optical fibers are to be stored;
a fiber storage device secured to the mounting surface, the fiber storage device including:
a storage body extending along a height from a first end to a second end, the first end being seated at the mounting surface, at least a portion of the storage body defining a storage surface that extends between the first and second ends, the storage surface being contoured to limit a bending radius of any fiber extending along the storage surface; and
a plurality of arms extending outwardly from the second end of the storage body to distal ends, each of the arms defining a retaining member at the respective distal end, each retaining member having a first contact surface that faces away from the storage surface, a second contact surface that faces towards the storage surface, sides extending along convex curvatures between the first and second contact surfaces, and a third contact surface that contacts the mounting surface so that a storage region is defined between the mounting surface, the storage surface, the arm, and the second contact surface of the retaining member, the first contact surface transitioning to the third contact surface along a convex curve, the sides transitioning to the first contact surface more gradually than to the second contact surface.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the mounting surface defines alignment openings and wherein the fiber storage device includes alignment pegs configured to extend into the alignment openings when the storage body is seated at the mounting surface.

19. The system of claim 18 , further comprising a fastener extending upwardly through the mounting surface and into the first end of the storage body, wherein the fastener does not extend through the second end of the storage body.

20. The system of claim 17 , wherein the storage body defines a spool drum.

Assignees

• Adc Telecommunications Inc
• Commscope Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Wells Dennis Ray
• Schoenfelder Rodney C
• Petersen Cyle D

Classifications

• B65H75/4473

  without arrangements or adaptations for rotating the core or former · CPC title

• B65H2701/514

  Elastic elements · CPC title

• B65H75/08

  of circular or polygonal cross-section (cans or receptacles B65H75/16) · CPC title

• B65H2701/32

  Optical fibres or optical cables · CPC title

• B65H75/143

  at least one end flange being shaped to cover the windings · CPC title