CN214669752U - Optical fiber distribution box with sealing structure - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a fiber optic distribution enclosure comprising a first housing and a second housing configured to be spliced into the fiber optic distribution enclosure to accommodate one or more fiber optic connections held in the first housing or the second housing; the first shell comprises a first substrate and a first side wall; the second housing includes a second base plate and a second sidewall, a portion of the second sidewall being located around a perimeter that overlaps the first sidewall when engaged with the first housing, wherein a seal ring is juxtaposed on an outer surface of the perimeter between the first sidewall and the second sidewall when engaged. This arrangement allows the sealing ring to be compressed laterally between the first and second housings, thereby achieving a water-tight effect without the need for external fasteners such as screws, bolts or snaps.

Description

Optical fiber distribution box with sealing structure

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to fiber optic distribution boxes, and more particularly to fiber optic distribution boxes that utilize lateral compression of a sealing ring to achieve water and dust resistance.

Background

Fiber distribution boxes are common devices in communication network systems for fiber distribution, storage, and protective connections between fibers in a fiber optic network. Especially with the popularity of 5G networks, more and more 5G base stations are established, many of which require fiber distribution boxes to protect the fiber connection points. To ensure stable signal transmission, the fiber distribution box is required to have good sealing performance to protect the reliability of the fiber transmission therein. Conventional fiber distribution boxes mostly have only protection ratings of IP 54-IP 65, or can only be installed indoors. Fiber optic distribution boxes for some outdoor applications require more stringent water and dust protection effects to protect the optical fibers contained in the box.

In addition, the conventional optical fiber distribution box requires additional fasteners such as screws or bolts to lock the optical fiber distribution box to achieve a waterproof sealing effect. As such, this sealing solution requires a large number of additional parts and is therefore complex and costly to install.

Accordingly, there is a need for a fiber optic distribution box that can still provide good water and dust resistance without the use of additional fasteners.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

The fiber distribution box of the present disclosure utilizes the cooperation of the hook and the hook seat to clamp the closed fiber distribution box, and then utilizes the lateral compression of the sealing ring to achieve waterproof and dustproof effects, such as at least the waterproof effect of IP 68. The fiber optic distribution box of the present disclosure does not require additional fasteners such as screws, or snaps for vertical compression and locking, thus simplifying the installation process and providing a cost effective solution.

Specifically, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, a fiber optic distribution enclosure is provided that includes a first housing and a second housing configured to be spliced into the fiber optic distribution enclosure to accommodate one or more optical fibers held in the first housing or the second housing. The first shell comprises a first substrate and a first side wall; the second housing includes a second base plate and a second sidewall having a perimeter that overlaps the first sidewall when engaged with the first housing, wherein a seal ring is juxtaposed on an outer surface of the perimeter between the first sidewall and the second sidewall when engaged.

In some embodiments, the seal ring is received by a groove disposed on the outer surface of the periphery.

In some embodiments, the seal ring is a gasket or a plurality of gaskets.

In some embodiments, the fiber optic distribution box further includes a skirt surrounding the periphery and distal from the first housing relative to the sealing ring.

In some embodiments, the first housing includes hooks and the second housing includes hook seats configured to be coupled with the hooks of the first housing, or the first housing includes hook seats and the second housing includes hooks configured to be coupled with the hook seats of the first housing.

In some embodiments, the first side wall includes a tab and the second side wall includes a detent, or the first side wall includes a detent and the second side wall includes a tab, to align the first housing and the second housing when engaged.

In some embodiments, an edge of the first sidewall or an edge of the second sidewall, or both, is formed with a chamfer.

In some embodiments, the first housing or the second housing includes an aperture for receiving a sealing tube having an inner hollow portion configured to receive one or more fiber optic cables, wherein the sealing tube has a diameter greater than a diameter of the aperture and the inner hollow portion has a diameter less than a diameter of the one or more fiber optic cables.

In some embodiments, at least one of the first housing and the second housing includes a stiffener attached to an inner surface of the first housing or the second housing.

In some embodiments, the first housing or the second housing comprises a seal assembly comprising: the sealing assembly comprises a cap, sealing rubber, a first gasket, a second gasket and a sealing assembly seat; the seal assembly seat is bonded to the first sidewall or the seal assembly seat is bonded to the second sidewall, wherein the seal assembly seat is configured to receive at least one of the seal rubber, the first gasket, and the second gasket, and wherein the seal assembly seat includes an outer surface having a thread such that the cap is rotatable onto the thread of the seal assembly seat.

Other advantages and configurations of the fiber optic distribution box of the present disclosure are further described in the detailed description below.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings of the embodiments are briefly described below; however, the following drawings are merely exemplary of some embodiments of the invention, and other variations to the embodiments shown in the drawings may be made by those skilled in the art of the invention. Furthermore, the drawings herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not drawn to scale, nor should they be construed as limiting the invention in any way.

Fig. 1 illustrates a fiber optic distribution box according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 2A and 2B illustrate a first housing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 3A and 3B illustrate a second housing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

4A-4C illustrate a seal ring and lateral compression of the seal ring according to embodiments of the present disclosure;

fig. 5A to 5C illustrate a sealing tube according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 6A and 6B show the mounting of the gland of FIGS. 5A to 5C to a bore seat;

FIG. 7 illustrates a stationary platen and screw mount according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate a seal assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 9 shows an adapter, particularly a schematic view of an adapter installed in a fiber optic distribution cassette, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like components. The techniques of this disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

The term "about" as used herein means that the quantity, size, or other parameters and characteristics need not be exact, but may be approximate and/or larger or smaller as desired: reflecting tolerances, conversion factors, rounding off, measurement error and the like, as well as other factors known to those skilled in the art.

Unless otherwise expressly stated, directional terms as used herein, such as upper, lower, right, left, front, rear, top, bottom, describe relative positions of components with reference to the drawings as drawn, and are not meant to be absolute, nor should they be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure.

Reference throughout this specification to "an embodiment" or "some embodiments" means that a feature, structure, or component is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, the appearances of the phrases "in an embodiment" or "in some embodiments" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or components may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

It will also be understood that the terms "first," "second," "third," and the like may be used herein to describe various components, but these components should not be limited by the terms "first," "second," "third," and the like.

As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to "a" component can include two or more such components.

The words "exemplary," "example," or various forms thereof are used herein to mean exemplary or exemplary. A configuration described herein as "exemplary" is not to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other configurations or designs. Moreover, the examples provided herein are merely for clarity and ease of understanding and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. The techniques disclosed herein may be embodied in other or alternative examples, but have been omitted for the sake of brevity.

Fig. 1 illustrates a fiber optic distribution enclosure 100 that includes a first housing 102 and a second housing 104. Fiber splicing (splicing) is a technique of connecting two or more optical fibers together, where the optical fibers in the main cable 108 and the jumper cable 106 may be spliced or terminated through the fiber distribution box 100. In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, the fiber optic distribution enclosure 100 supports 6 jumper cables 106 and may be connected to other termination devices via the jumper cables 106. The fiber optic distribution box 100 of the present disclosure may also be modified to support other numbers of cables or fiber optic cables. In some embodiments, the first housing 102 and/or the second housing 104 have a thickness of about 4mm to withstand water pressure, wind resistance, or other mechanical shock in the environment in which the fiber optic distribution box 100 is installed; however, the first shell 102 and/or the second shell 104 may have any suitable other thickness.

Fig. 2A and 2B illustrate the first housing 102 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the first housing 102 includes a first base plate 214 and a first sidewall 212, the first base plate 214 and the first sidewall 212 defining an interior space of the first housing 102. To reduce the water pressure and wind resistance to which the fiber optic distribution box is subjected in the installed environment, the surface shape of the first housing 102 may be streamlined or any other suitable free form. The first sidewall 212 of the first housing 102 is provided with bumps 204 and chamfers 206 formed between the bumps 204. The tabs 204 of the first housing 102 can mate with detents 306 of the second housing 104 to position the first housing 102 and the second housing 104 in an aligned position when the fiber optic distribution cassette is closed and to maintain a proper gap between the first housing 102 and the second housing 104. The hinge 210 of the first housing 102 is capable of engaging with and rotating along the hinge shaft receptacle 310 of the second housing 104. The hooks 202 of the first housing 102 can be engaged with the hook seats 316 of the second housing 104. The positioning slot 306, hinge shaft seat 310 and hook seat 316 are further described below with reference to fig. 3A and 3B. In some embodiments, the first housing 102 further comprises a stiffener 208, the stiffener 208 attached to an inner surface of the first housing 102 for improving the mechanical strength of the first housing 102.

Fig. 3A and 3B show schematic views of the second housing 104. In some embodiments, the second housing 104 includes a second substrate 312 and a second sidewall 318, wherein the second substrate 312 and the second sidewall 318 define an interior volume of the second housing 104 to house optical fibers and other accessories. The bore 302 includes a hole to allow a fiber optic cable to pass therethrough and to mount the sealing tube 502 in the bore 302 for a watertight seal; embodiments of the sealing tube 502 and its watertight seal are further described below in fig. 5A-5C. In the inner volume of the second housing 104, ribs 324 may be provided on the inner surface of the second substrate 312 to strengthen the structure of the second housing 104. In addition, various component holders 308 may be disposed on the second substrate 312 for mounting components such as cable sheath holding clamps and screw holders, which are further described below with reference to fig. 7.

In some embodiments, a hinge pivot mount 310 is provided on the second side wall 318 of the second housing 104, the hinge pivot mount 310 being engageable with the hinge 210 of the first housing 102 to enable the first housing 102 and the second housing 104 to be rotated along the hinge pivot mount 310 to open or close the fiber distribution box 100. Second housing 104 may also include a skirt 322 extending radially outward from second sidewall 318, skirt 322 extending around the circumference of second sidewall 318 and away from first housing 102 and/or second housing 104 relative to seal ring 320. A detent 306 of the second housing 104 may be provided in the thickness of the skirt 322 to receive the tab 204 of the first housing 102 so that the first housing 102 can be aligned with the second housing 104 when the fiber optic distribution enclosure 100 is closed. The second housing 104 may further include a hook seat 316 formed in the second sidewall 318, wherein the hook seat 316 can be engaged with the hook 202 of the first housing 102 to secure the closed fiber distribution box 100.

Further, in some embodiments, the seal assembly seat 314 is coupled to the second sidewall 318 such that optical cables or cables can pass into and out of the second housing 104 through a hole in the seal assembly seat 314. Details regarding the seal assembly seat 314 are further described below with respect to fig. 8A, 8B.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 4A, 4B, a groove 304 is provided on the second sidewall 318 of the second housing 104 for receiving a seal ring 320. The sealing ring 320 may be a rubber ring, an O-ring, a gasket, or any other elastomer suitable for sealing. As shown in fig. 4B and 4C, when the fiber optic distribution box is closed, the perimeter of the first sidewall 212 of the first housing 102 and the perimeter of the second sidewall 318 of the second housing 104 at least partially overlap such that the gasket 320 is juxtaposed between the first sidewall 212 and the second sidewall 318. Specifically, when the fiber distribution box is closed, the overlapping portion 326 of the second sidewall 318 overlaps the first sidewall 212, and the groove 304 is disposed on the outer surface of the overlapping portion 326 for receiving the sealing ring 320; as such, the first sidewall 212 and the second sidewall 318 laterally compress the sealing ring 320 to seal the fiber distribution box 100, such that the sealing ring 320 protects the fiber distribution box 100 from water and dust; the direction of the lateral compression is shown by arrow 402 in fig. 4C. Because the pressure of the sealing ring 320 is from the lateral pressure between the first sidewall 212 and the second sidewall 318, the fiber optic distribution box of the present disclosure does not require additional fasteners such as screws or bolts for vertical compression and locking, and a good waterproof effect, such as that of IP68, can be achieved by using the hook 202 and the hook seat 316 to clamp the fiber optic distribution box. In addition, chamfer 206 and tab 204 of first housing 102 can mate with skirt 322 and detent 306 of second housing 104 to maintain the proper clearance between first housing 102 and second housing 104 and thereby ensure proper compression of seal ring 320.

Other variations of the fiber distribution box 100 are possible in addition to the embodiments described above with respect to fig. 1-4C. For example:

in some embodiments, the seal assembly seat 314 is formed on the first sidewall 212 of the first housing 102.

In some embodiments, the hook receptacles 316 are disposed on the first housing 102 and the hooks 202 are disposed on the second housing 104 such that the first housing 102 and the second housing 104 can secure a closed fiber optic distribution box via mating of the hook receptacles 316 and the hooks 202.

In some embodiments, detent 306 is disposed in first sidewall 212 of first housing 102, and tab 204 and chamfer 206 are disposed on second sidewall 318 of second housing 104, such that first housing 102 and second housing 104 are aligned when engaged.

In some embodiments, a groove 304 for receiving the seal ring 320 may be provided on the first sidewall 212 of the first housing 102. Further, in some other variations, the plurality of seal rings 320 may also be disposed between the first housing and the second housing, such as disposing the plurality of seal rings 320 on a surface of the first sidewall 212 or the second sidewall 318. In some embodiments, one or more grooves 304 are provided on the surface of both the first sidewall 212 and the second sidewall 318 to receive the seal ring 320.

In some embodiments, a bore seat 302 is provided in the first housing 102 for receiving a seal tube 502.

Fig. 5A-5C illustrate a sealing tube 502 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The sealed tube 502 includes an inner hollow portion 506 to receive the fiber optic cable 504, where the fiber optic cable 504 may be the primary cable 108 as shown in FIG. 1. The sealing tube 502 is an elastic body and has a waterproof function. The inner hollow portion 506 of the tube 502 has a diameter smaller than the diameter of the cable 504 so that the tube 502 can be tightly wrapped around the cable 504 to provide a waterproof effect. The seal tube 502 also includes an annular groove 508 such that the seal tube 502 can be mounted to the bore 302 of the first housing 102 or the second housing 104 via the annular groove 508.

Fig. 6A, 6B illustrate an embodiment in which a sealing tube 502 is mounted to a bore hole 302. Bore 302 may include a bore 604 and a hollow cylinder 602 protruding outward from second housing 104 or first housing 102, where hollow cylinder 602 is configured to protect gland 502 and the fiber optic cables within gland 502. The diameter of the sealing tube 502 is larger than the diameter of the bore 604 of the bore seat 302, thereby enabling sealing and waterproofing when the sealing tube 502 is installed on the bore seat 302.

Although fig. 6A, 6B illustrate the socket 302 formed on the second housing 104, in other embodiments, the socket 302 may be disposed on the first housing 102.

Fig. 7 shows the internal structure of the second housing 104. The fiber optic cable mounted in the gland 502 enters the second housing 104 via the bore hole 302. When a portion of the cable jacket 706 is removed from the cable tail, the strength member 708 may be secured to the anchor block 710 with screws or other fastening means. The outer periphery of the cable tail may be protected with cable protective tape 712 and the cable tail may be secured with a pressure plate 702 to prevent rotation or displacement of the cable. The pressure plate 702 has holes at both ends through which screws 704 are passed to lock the pressure plate 702 to the inner surface of the second housing 104; wherein the screw 704 may be a self-tapping screw or other screws commonly used in the art. In other embodiments, the pressure plate 702 can secure the fiber optic cable in other ways, such as a snap.

Fig. 8A and 8B illustrate a seal assembly 800 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The seal assembly 800 includes: cap 814, sealing rubber 808, first gasket 810, second gasket 806, and seal assembly seat 314. The seal assembly seat 314 may be coupled to the first sidewall 212 of the first housing 102 or the second sidewall 318 of the second housing 104. Seal assembly seat 314 is configured to receive at least one of a sealing rubber 808, a first gasket 810, and a second gasket 806. The seal assembly seat 314 includes an outer surface having threads such that the cap 814 can be rotated onto the threads of the seal assembly seat 314. One or more holes 818 are formed in the sealing rubber 808, the first gasket 810 and the second gasket 806, and a tangent 812 along the hole 818 to accommodate one or more fiber optic cables 816, wherein the fiber optic cables 816 may be jumper cables 106 as shown in fig. 1. The inner wall of the seal assembly seat 314 may be provided with a guide rib 804, and the guide rib 804 may be capable of engaging a guide groove 802 provided in at least one of the sealing rubber 808, the first gasket 810, and the second gasket 806 to prevent the sealing rubber 808, the first gasket 810, and/or the second gasket 806 from rotating.

In some embodiments, the second gasket 806 supports the sealing rubber 808 and prevents water from leaking from the sealing rubber 808. The sealing rubber 808 is an elastomer and has good deformability, and the sealing rubber 808 can tightly fill the space in the seal assembly seat 314 to achieve a waterproof effect. The first gasket 810 may be made of hard rubber; as the cap 814 is rotated onto the threads of the seal assembly seat 314, the first gasket 810 is able to transfer pressure from the cap 814 to the sealing rubber 808.

Although fig. 8A and 8B illustrate the seal assembly 800 supporting three cables 816, in other embodiments, the seal assembly 800 can accommodate other numbers of cables 816.

Fig. 9 shows a schematic view of an adapter according to the present disclosure installed in a fiber optic distribution cassette. The optical fibers in the main cable 108 can be interfaced with the optical fibers in the jumper cables 106 via adapters 904. As with the embodiment shown in the previous figures, the main cable 108 is encased in a sealing tube 502 for waterproofing. The tail of the main cable 108 is secured with a pressure plate 702 and a mount 710, while the fiber in the main cable 108 terminates in an adapter 904. The jumper cables 106 pass from the seal assembly 800 into the fiber optic distribution enclosure 100 and are watertight sealed. The fiber optic terminations in the jumper cable 106 are connected to an adapter 904 for interfacing with the optical fibers of the main cable 108. Adapter 904 may be an LC adapter or other fiber optic adapter used in the industry, such as an SC or ST adapter. The adapters 904 are secured to the interior of the fiber distribution box 100 via the adapter retaining plate 902.

The above described embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the scope of the present invention. Various modifications and changes may be made to the embodiments of the present disclosure by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The present disclosure encompasses such modifications and variations.

Claims (10)

1. A fiber optic distribution enclosure comprising a first housing and a second housing configured to be spliced into the fiber optic distribution enclosure to accommodate one or more fiber optic connections held in the first housing or the second housing, characterized in that:

the first shell comprises a first substrate and a first side wall;

the second housing includes a second base plate and a second side wall located around the first side wall when engaged with the first housing, wherein

A seal ring is juxtaposed on the peripheral outer surface between the first and second sidewalls when engaged.

2. The fiber optic distribution box of claim 1, wherein the sealing ring is received by a groove disposed on the outer surface of the perimeter.

3. The fiber optic distribution box of claim 1, wherein the gasket ring is a gasket or a plurality of gaskets.

4. The fiber optic distribution cassette of claim 1, further comprising a skirt surrounding the periphery and distal from the first housing relative to the sealing ring.

5. The fiber optic distribution enclosure of claim 1, wherein the first housing includes a catch and the second housing includes a catch seat configured to be coupled with the catch of the first housing; or the first housing includes a hook seat and the second housing includes a hook configured to be coupled with the hook seat of the first housing.

6. The fiber optic distribution enclosure of claim 1, wherein the first side wall includes a tab and the second side wall includes a detent, or the first side wall includes a detent and the second side wall includes a tab, to align the first housing and the second housing when engaged.

7. The fiber optic distribution enclosure of claim 1, wherein an edge of the first sidewall or an edge of the second sidewall, or both, is formed with a chamfer.

8. The fiber optic distribution box of claim 1, wherein the first housing or the second housing includes an aperture seat for receiving a sealing tube having an inner hollow portion configured to receive one or more fiber optic cables, wherein the sealing tube has a diameter greater than a diameter of the aperture seat and the inner hollow portion has a diameter less than a diameter of the one or more fiber optic cables.

9. The fiber optic distribution enclosure of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first housing and the second housing includes a stiffener attached to an inner surface of the first housing or the second housing.

10. The fiber optic distribution enclosure of claim 1, wherein the first housing or the second housing includes a seal assembly, the seal assembly including:

a cap;

sealing rubber;

a first gasket;

a second gasket; and

a seal assembly seat bonded to the first sidewall or the seal assembly seat bonded to the second sidewall, wherein the seal assembly seat is configured to receive at least one of the sealing rubber, the first gasket, and a second gasket, and wherein the seal assembly seat includes an outer surface having a thread such that the cap can be rotated onto the thread of the seal assembly seat.

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