Cable sealing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9817195-B2
Application number	US-201615257034-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 6, 2016
Priority date	Oct 13, 2015
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

A cable sealing device is described herein for use in a sealed optical fiber connector that includes a spreading member disposed around and axially movable with respect to a cable and elastic sleeve concentrically disposed around the cable and over the spreading member. The elastic sleeve includes a first cable sealing portion disposed in fixed sealing contact with the cable, a central sealing portion that is axially offset from the first cable sealing portion and concentrically arranged around the spreading member, and a first flexible membrane portion disposed between the first cable sealing portion and the central sealing portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cable sealing device for a sealed optical fiber connector, comprising:
a cable defining axial and radial directions;
a spreading member arranged around the cable and axially movable relative to the cable; and
an elastic sleeve concentrically disposed around the cable and over the spreading member, wherein a first cable sealing portion of the elastic sleeve is in fixed sealing contact with the cable, a central sealing portion of the elastic sleeve that is axially offset from the first cable sealing portion and concentrically arranged around the spreading member, and a first flexible membrane portion disposed between the first cable sealing portion and the central sealing portion,
wherein the spreading member is maintained in a fixed position relative to a connector housing of the sealed optical fiber connector such that the central sealing portion is in sealing contact with the connector housing, wherein the elastic sleeve further comprises a second cable sealing portion adjacent to the second end of the elastic sleeve that is in fixed sealing contact with the cable, and a second flexible membrane portion disposed between the second cable sealing portion and the central sealing portion.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the spreading element is a rigid washer.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the rigid washer is made of at least two parts that snap together to form said rigid washer.

4. The device of claim 2 , wherein rigid washer is made of either a rigid plastic or metal.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the elastic sleeve is formed from an elastomeric material.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the elastic sleeve is formed from polychloroprene rubber.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the elastic sleeve is formed from silicone rubber.

8. A sealed optical fiber connector, comprising:
a connector housing having an interior cavity extending from a first end to a second end of the connector housing and a shell portion integrally formed at the first end of the connector housing;
an optical connection portion mounted on a terminal end of an optical fiber cable and secured in the shell portion of the connector housing; and
a cable sealing member disposed on the cable adjacent to the optical connection portion, wherein the cable sealing member comprises a spreading member arranged around the cable and axially movable relative to the cable; and an elastic sleeve concentrically disposed around the cable and over the spreading member, wherein a first cable sealing portion of the elastic sleeve is in fixed sealing contact with the cable, a central sealing portion of the elastic sleeve that is axially offset from the first cable sealing portion and concentrically arranged around the spreading member, and a first flexible membrane portion disposed between the first cable sealing portion and the central sealing portion, wherein the spreading member is maintained in a fixed position relative to the connector housing such that the central sealing portion is in sealing contact with the connector housing.

9. The connector of claim 8 , wherein the connector includes a first keying mechanism on the shell portion of the housing that is configured to mate with a standard optical fiber coupling and a second keying mechanism on the connector housing to key the connector to a port structure of a bulkhead or a telecommunications enclosure.

10. The connector of claim 8 , wherein the cable sealing member is characterized by a maximum outer diameter and wherein the maximum outer diameter is greater than an inner diameter of the cavity into which it is inserted.

11. The connector of claim 10 , wherein the elastic sleeve has a sleeve wall that is characterized by a wall thickness when it is disposed over the spreading member and wherein the sleeve wall is compressed when it is inserted into the cavity of the connector housing.

12. The connector of claim 8 , wherein the connector is mounted on a terminal end of an optical fiber cable in the factory and wherein the optical fiber connection portion is secured to the optical fiber cable by an adhesive.

13. The connector of claim 8 , wherein the connector is mounted on a terminal end of an optical fiber cable in the field and wherein the optical fiber connection portion is mechanically secured to the optical fiber cable.

14. The connector of claim 8 , wherein the connection portion is fixed with respect to the connector housing, but where the optical fiber cable terminated by the connector can move axially with respect to the connector housing.

15. The connector of claim 8 , where in the connector further comprises a bend control member attached to a second end of the connector housing.

16. The connector of claim 8 , further comprising an connector housing extension unit attached to the second end of the connector housing and an inter housing sealing member disposed between the connector housing and the connector housing extension unit.

17. The connector of claim 16 , where in the connector further comprises a bend control member attached to a second end of the connector housing extension unit.

18. A system for making a sealed optical connection through a bulkhead, comprising:
the bulkhead having at least one port structure disposed therein;
the sealed optical fiber connector comprising a connector housing having an interior cavity extending from a first end to a second end of the connector housing and a shell portion integrally formed at the first end of the connector housing;
an optical connection portion mounted on a terminal end of an optical fiber cable and secured in the shell portion of the connector housing; and
a cable sealing member disposed on the cable adjacent to the optical connection portion, wherein the cable sealing member comprises a spreading member arranged around the cable and axially movable relative to the cable; and an elastic sleeve concentrically disposed around the cable and over the spreading member, wherein a first cable sealing portion of the elastic sleeve is in fixed sealing contact with the cable, a central sealing portion of the elastic sleeve that is axially offset from the first cable sealing portion and concentrically arranged around the spreading member, and a first flexible membrane portion disposed between the first cable sealing portion and the central sealing portion, wherein the spreading member is maintained in a fixed position relative to the connector housing such that the central sealing portion is in sealing contact with the connector housing.

Assignees

• Bm Innovative Properties Company
• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Menguy Michel T
• Cavallaro Thomas

Classifications

• G02B6/3825

  with an intermediate part, e.g. adapter, receptacle, linking two plugs · CPC title

• G02B6/3887 Primary

  Anchoring optical cables to connector housings, e.g. strain relief features · CPC title

• G02B6/387

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

• G02B6/4444

  Seals · CPC title

• G02B6/4248

  Feed-through connections for the hermetical passage of fibres through a package wall (see provisionally also G02B6/4428) · CPC title