Cable enclosure assemblies and methods for using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-RE45951-E
Application number	US-201113272849-A
Country	US
Kind code	E1
Filing date	Oct 13, 2011
Priority date	Jan 16, 2007
Publication date	Mar 29, 2016
Grant date	Mar 29, 2016

Abstract

A cable enclosure for use with a cable having a lengthwise cable axis, an outer jacket and a transmission media within the outer jacket, includes a housing assembly and a strain relief structure on the housing assembly. The housing assembly defines a chamber and a cable port. The housing assembly is configured to receive the cable. The strain relief structure includes a pair of opposed engagement structures defining a cable slot therebetween. At least one of the engagement structures includes a blade edge flanking the cable slot. The cable enclosure is configured to receive the cable such that the cable extends through the cable port and into the chamber and a portion of the cable is received in the cable slot such that the at least one blade edge cuts into the outer jacket to resist withdrawal of the cable from the chamber through the cable port.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A cable enclosure for use with a cable having a lengthwise cable axis, an outer jacket and a transmission media within the outer jacket, the cable enclosure comprising:
a housing assembly defining a chamber and a cable port, wherein the housing assembly is configured to receive the cable; and
a strain relief structure on the housing assembly, the strain relief structure including a pair of opposed engagement structures defining a cable slot therebetween, at least one of the engagement structures including a blade edge flanking the cable slot;
wherein the cable enclosure is configured to receive the cable such that the cable extends through the cable port and into the chamber and a portion of the cable is received in the cable slot such that the at least one blade edge cuts into the outer jacket to resist withdrawal of the cable from the chamber through the cable port, wherein the strain relief structure is a strain relief member separately formed from and secured to the housing assembly and wherein the strain relief structure includes a base portion and has a passthrough axis along which the lengthwise axis of the cable extends when the cable is mounted in the cable slot; and the cable slot is generally U-shaped and includes an opening to receive the cable in a direction substantially perpendicular to the passthrough axis; wherein at least one of the engagement structures has a fixed end opposite and secured to the base portion and a blade edge opposite the fixed end, said at least one of the engagement structures tapering inwardly toward the passthrough axis in a direction away from the cable port and wherein the at least one of the engagement structures is radially outwardly deflectable with respect to the passthrough axis to accommodate a prescribed range of cable diameters.

2. The cable enclosure of claim 1 wherein the cable slot has a nominal width that is less than an outer diameter of the outer jacket.

3. The cable enclosure of claim 1 wherein both of the engagement structures include a blade edge flanking the cable slot and, when the portion of the cable is received in the cable slot, both of the blade edges cut into the outer jacket to resist withdrawal of the cable from the chamber through the cable port.

4. The cable enclosure of claim 1 wherein the strain relief structure is a strain relief member separately formed from and secured to the housing assembly.

5. The cable enclosure of claim 1 wherein the strain relief structure is formed of metal.

6. The cable enclosure of claim 5 wherein the housing assembly is formed of a polymeric material.

7. The cable enclosure of claim 1 wherein:
the strain relief structure includes a base portion and has a passthrough axis along which the lengthwise axis of the cable extends when the cable is mounted in the cable slot; and
at least one of the engagement structures has a fixed end opposite and secured to the base portion and a blade edge opposite the fixed end, said at least one of the engagement structures tapering inwardly toward the passthrough axis in a direction away from the cable port.

8. The cable enclosure of claim 7 wherein the at least one of the engagement structures is radially outwardly deflectable with respect to the passthrough axis to accommodate a prescribed range of cable diameters.

9. The cable enclosure of claim 1 wherein:
the strain relief structure has a passthrough axis along which the lengthwise axis of the cable extends when the cable is mounted in the cable slot; and
the cable slot is generally U-shaped and includes an opening to receive the cable in a direction substantially perpendicular to the passthrough axis.

10. The cable enclosure of claim 9 1 wherein the housing assembly includes a locator feature to limit radial displacement of the cable with respect to the passthrough axis.

11. The cable enclosure of claim 1 including a cable sealant to surround and provide an environmental seal about a portion of the cable when the cable is mounted in the housing assembly.

12. The cable enclosure of claim 1 wherein the cable includes an inner jacket interposed between the transmission media and the outer jacket, and the cable enclosure is configured to receive the cable such that the portion of the cable is received in the cable slot such that the at least one blade edge cuts into the outer jacket to resist withdrawal of the cable from the chamber through the cable port, but does not cut into the inner jacket.

13. The cable enclosure of claim 1 A cable enclosure for use with a cable having a lengthwise cable axis, an outer jacket and a transmission media within the outer jacket, the cable enclosure comprising:
a housing assembly defining a chamber and a cable port, wherein the housing assembly is configured to receive the cable; and
a strain relief structure on the housing assembly, the strain relief structure including a pair of opposed engagement structures defining a cable slot therebetween, at least one of the engagement structures including a blade edge flanking the cable slot;
wherein the cable enclosure is configured to receive the cable such that the cable extends through the cable port and into the chamber and a portion of the cable is received in the cable slot such that the at least one blade edge cuts into the outer jacket to resist withdrawal of the cable from the chamber through the cable port, the cable enclosure including the cable installed in the housing assembly and the strain relief structure, wherein the transmission media is an optical fiber; wherein the cable includes an inner jacket interposed between the optical fiber and the outer jacket, and the at least one blade edge cuts into the outer jacket to resist withdrawal of the cable from the chamber through the cable port, but does not cut into the inner jacket; wherein the cable is a flat drop cable having, in cross-section, a width and a height greater than the width; wherein the cable includes a pair of strength members within the outer jacket and outside the inner jacket, the strength members being located at opposed ends of the height of the cable; and wherein the blade edges define a blade axis therebetween and the cable slot is configured such that the flat drop cable can only be inserted into the cable slot such that the blade axis extends through each of the strength members to prevent the engagement structures from cutting into the inner jacket.

14. The cable enclosure of claim 13 wherein the cable includes an inner jacket interposed between the optical fiber and the outer jacket, and the at least one blade edge cuts into the outer jacket to resist withdrawal of the cable from the chamber through the cable port, but does not cut into the inner jacket.

15. The cable enclosure of claim 14 wherein the cable is a flat drop cable having, in cross-section, a width and a height greater than the width.

16. The cable enclosure of claim 15 13 wherein the cable slot has a slot width that is less than the cable width.

17. The cable enclosure of claim 15 wherein:
the cable includes a pair of strength members within the outer jacket and outside the inner jacket, the strength members being located at opposed ends of the height of the cable; and
the blade edges define a blade axis therebetween and the cable slot is configured such that the flat drop cable can only be inserted into the cable slot such that the blade axis extends through each of the strength members to prevent the engagement structures from cutting into the inner jacket.

18. The cable enclosure of claim 13 incl

Assignees

• Mullaney Julian S
• Powell James Bert
• Carrico William Alan
• Hastings Christopher Alan
• Commscope Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Mullaney Julian S
• Powell James Bert
• Carrico William Alan
• Hastings Christopher Alan

Classifications

• G02B6/44775

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

• H02G15/013 Primary

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

• G02B6/4471 Primary

  Terminating devices (demountable connectors G02B6/3807); Cable clamps · CPC title

• G02B6/4477

  with means for strain-relieving to interior strengths element · CPC title

• G02B6/4454

  with splices · CPC title