Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
  • G02B6/44—Mechanical structures for providing tensile strength and external protection for fibres, e.g. optical transmission cables
  • G02B6/4439—Auxiliary devices
  • G02B6/4457—Bobbins; Reels

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a device for conditioning and unwinding cables.
• the invention lies in the field of cables and more particularly in their packaging and their unwinding. It typically finds an application in the establishment of a connection between two connection points in the terminal part of fiber optic cabling networks, for example between a connection box and a point. optical located in a home, or even inside a home between an optical point and a user terminal. Another application consists in establishing, in the telephone exchanges, a link between the equipment and the fiber optic cables of the network. It should be noted that, throughout the rest of the description, only the application to optical fiber cables is described because such a device has the advantage of facilitating the introduction of these cables into a private installation. However, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to this type of cable and it can more generally be applied to the packaging and unwinding of any type of wire element.
• connection phases are still carried out on the ground.
• connection operations consist in cutting the cable to the correct length, then in preparing the ends of the cable, or of the optical fibers of a cable, with a view to its (their) connection either by means of connectors, either by means of splices.
• connection operations require, to allow possible rework and repairs, a cable length which is slightly greater than the distance between the two points to be connected.
• the device described is in the form of a flexible support having two circular chiral halves. These two halves have holes on their circumference, through which the cable and the connector are passed, by slightly twisting the flexible support to enlarge them.
• the fact that the device is separated into two halves allows two continuous sections of the cable to be deployed independently.
• this device does not make it possible to condition and unwind a cable easily and quickly because it requires an entirely manual intervention consisting in passing the end of the cable to be unwound and its connector through a more or less large number of holes. This manual operation creates risks of twisting and twisting of the cable, which can then lead to transmission problems.
• This device is therefore not ergonomic and is not suitable for winding or easy and rapid unwinding of the cable.
• Patent application No. 2 814 246 describes a device for conditioning cable over-length.
• This device comprises a storage support consisting of a flange surmounted by two storage areas. The two storage areas are delimited by two concentric cylinders which communicate with each other through openings in their walls. Two cable over-length sections, continuous with respect to each other, are coiled or wound on each of the two concentric cylinders defining the two storage areas. The ends of the cable and the connectors are stored inside the internal cylinder.
• This device makes it possible to absorb the excess lengths of the jumper cable over a few meters. However, operations winding remains manual which in this case also involves risks of twisting, pulling and twisting of the cable.
• this device is not suitable for unwinding exactly the desired length because the unwinding being done manually, a residual excess length at most equal to the diameter of the external cylinder, cannot be stored correctly and is therefore exposed to risks of twisting, pinching etc ...
• the cable is not completely protected, which makes the use of this storage device delicate outdoors and which requires placing it in a protected place .
• the technical problem to be solved by the object of the present invention is to provide a cable conditioning and unwinding device comprising a coil in which are formed two winding zones of two continuous sections of a cable and at least a storage area for the ends of the cable sections, which would make it possible to quickly and easily unroll the exact length of cable necessary to connect two connection points, and to store a residual excess length of the cable in a protected area, to prevent the cable from being subjected to any twist or pinch, and thus establish a reliable terminal link between the two connection points.
• the coil is formed by a drum comprising two lateral flanges and an internal flange, said internal flange delimiting the two winding zones and having an opening forming a cable passage between said two winding zones, and said two lateral flanges having at least one notch forming a passage of each cable section of the storage zone towards the outside of the spool, and that the spool is mounted in rotation around an axis inside a substantially cylindrical housing, in which are formed openings forming a passage for each cable section.
• the coil being mounted in rotation, it allows to unwind one or the other section of the cable without any manipulation of the cable, so that any risk of twisting or twisting is eliminated.
• This device also makes it possible to unwind the sections of the cable independently of each other, and to unwind the exact length necessary to connect two points while the excess length is stored in the coil arranged inside a housing.
• the housing provides cable protection and prevents it from being twisted or pinched.
• FIG. 1A a diagram of a packaging device and cable reel according to a first embodiment
• Figure 1B an exploded perspective view of the device of Figure 1A, Figure 2, a diagram of the device of Figure 1A containing a fiber optic cable and a support of this device
• FIG. 3A a diagram of a cable conditioning and unwinding device according to a second embodiment
• FIG. 3B an exploded perspective view of the device of FIG. 3A, FIG. 4, a partially cutaway perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a coil of the device in FIG. 3A, FIG. 5, a perspective view of a housing of the device according to one or the other embodiment
• FIG. 6 a diagram of a wiring installation produced by means of a conditioning and unwinding device cable according to any one of the embodiments.
• FIG. 1A represents a perspective view of a device 100 for conditioning and unwinding the cable according to a first embodiment.
• This device comprises a coil 110 inside a substantially cylindrical housing 150.
• the coil 110 is mounted in the housing 150 so that it can rotate freely around an axis A.
• the housing 150 has openings referenced 154 and 155 intended to allow the passage of two continuous sections of a cable. Continuous sections of a cable are called two parts of cable each terminating in one end of the cable.
• Figure 1B which shows an exploded perspective view of the device of Figure 1A, allows to better visualize and understand the structure of such a device.
• This device comprises a coil 110, a housing 150 and two covers 140.
• the coil 110 is formed by a hollow drum 119 limited at its ends by two lateral flanges 111, 112.
• An internal flange 113 divides the volume between the two lateral flanges into two winding zones Z1, Z2 which communicate with each other through an opening 115.
• This opening 115 allows the cable to pass from one winding zone to the other while retaining a radius of curvature suitable for the cable.
• the radius of curvature In the case of a fiber optic cable, the radius of curvature must not be less than or equal to 25 mm for the signal to be transmitted correctly.
• a cable is wound in the factory in each winding zone Z1, Z2.
• the cable length thus stored in each of the zones Z1 and Z2 is defined by the total volume and by the position of the internal flange 113. This position is such that a few meters are for example stored in one of the zones Zl and a few tens of meters in the other zone Z2 .
• Notches 116, 117 are provided respectively at the periphery of the lateral flanges 112, 111 to allow passage of the two cable sections from a storage area 130 towards the outside of the coil. At least one notch is provided on each of the lateral flanges.
• the interior of the drum 119 constitutes the storage area 130 for the two ends of the cable, the connectors and / or splices.
• the notches 116, 117 communicate with a groove 120 hollowed out in the thickness of each lateral flange 111, 112. This groove 120 thus makes it possible to guide a section of the cable from the periphery of the lateral flange 111 towards the storage area 130 and to maintain the cable section end in the storage area during rotation of the spool.
• the groove 120 has an inlet 121, of angular or conical shape for example, to preserve a radius of curvature suitable for the cable, and a flange 122.
• the flange 122 constitutes an excess thickness of material on the flange equal to the depth of the groove and slightly greater than the diameter of the cable, in order to avoid contact of the cable with external elements, such as the housing 150 or the covers 140, which could cause pinching during winding operations or unwinding of the cable.
• the groove 120 may be in the form of a series of curves and counter-curves, for example in the form of an S, making it possible to ensure better retention of the cable.
• the 120 groove can also have rough faces so as to improve the maintenance of the cable by friction.
• the two covers 140 are identical and have the function of closing the openings of the drum 119 to protect the connectors or splices stored therein and to maintain the residual excess length of cable coiled inside the device. These covers are held by means of a wall 141 disposed at the periphery of the cover which fits into the internal cylinder of the drum 119. This wall 141 has a discontinuity 143 intended to be superimposed at the entry of the cable into the groove 120 so as to avoid pinching the cable. An opening 142 makes it easier to remove the cover by means of a hook or a finger for example.
• the covers can come in other forms.
• a variant consists in providing a cover with an articulated hatch making it possible to close the opening 142.
• Another variant consists in providing covers without opening, which come to fit on the external cylindrical walls of the housing 150.
• An excavation 114 is also carried out on each lateral flange 111, 112.
• the shape of this excavation does not matter as long as it can receive a suitable tip intended to serve as a crank to drive the coil 110 in rotation.
• FIG. 2 represents the device according to this first embodiment, in which a cable 10 is wound.
• the ends of the two continuous sections S2 S2 of the cable each provided with a connector C1, C2, have left their storage area and are ready to undergo a slight traction in order to be unwound.
• To allow the extraction of these sections (SI, S2) of cable from the housing 150 it is necessary to coincide the notches, formed on the lateral flanges, respectively with an opening 154, 155 associated with the housing 150, by rotation of the coil 110.
• a rib 156 disposed at the outer periphery of the housing 150 makes it possible to guide the housing and position it in a support 200.
• This support 200 has for example a U-shape whose two sides have at least one groove 211 for receiving the rib 156 from the housing 150 by sliding.
• This support 200 can then replace one of the covers 140.
• Ports 211 are also made on the bottom of the support 200 to allow it to be fixed to a wall, along a plinth for example.
• the support 200 can, in a variant, be integrated into the user terminal, by direct molding during the manufacture of the latter, or by gluing. FIGS.
• FIGS. 1A and 1B respectively represent a perspective view and an exploded perspective view of a second embodiment of a device 300 for conditioning and unwinding cables or any type of wired element.
• This device always includes a coil 110 held inside a housing 150 so that it can rotate freely around an axis A.
• the notches 116, 117 formed in the lateral flanges 112, 111 have sides 118 inclined so as to respect the radius of curvature of the cable during its unwinding or its winding. These inclined faces are not shown on the device of FIGS. 1A and 1B, but they also constitute an advantageous characteristic of the first embodiment.
• this second embodiment is essentially the storage area for the ends of the cable, whether or not provided with connectors, which is different.
• two storage areas 340, 360 are arranged head to tail inside the drum 119 of the coil 110 to store therein respectively each end of the cable with an associated connector. These storage areas are mounted mobile in rotation about the axis A.
• This zone comprises a cylindrical support 341 intended to be housed in the drum 119 of the coil.
• a storage cavity 342 is hollowed out in this support 341, in order to place an end of the cable therewith its connector.
• a guide cam 343 and a holding means 370 are also fixed on the support 341.
• An excavation 344 is made in the thickness of the cam 343 to receive a suitable end-piece intended to serve as a crank to drive the guide cam 343 , as well as the cylindrical support, 341 rotating around the axis A.
• the guide cam 343 preferably has a thickness at least equal to the diameter of the cable to prevent the latter from getting stuck during its unwinding or winding. It also has an inclined side wall 345, of an angle at least equal to 15 °, to prevent any untimely escape from the end of a section of cable of the storage cavity 342.
• the means for holding the storage area is for example constituted by a screw 370.
• the cam 343, 363 and the cylindrical support 341, 361 of each storage area 340, 360 have a central hole 346, 366 passing through the axis of rotation A and intended to receive the screw 370.
• the hole in the first storage area is for example smooth while the hole in the other area is tapped. In this case, when the screw is tightened, it secures the two storage areas 340, 360 which sandwich the coil 110.
• the movable cams 343, 363 are therefore integral or not with the coil 110 depending on whether the screw 370 is more or less tight.
• the storage areas 340, 360 can rotate in rotation around the axis A independently of one another. This makes it possible to absorb an excess cable length due to the unwinding of a first cable section without touching the other cable section.
• the two mobile storage areas are no longer connected to each other by a screw but they are both fixed to the reel 110 by means of a nesting system.
• a groove 162 is formed on the internal wall of the drum 119, for each storage area. This groove 162 is intended to receive at least one elastic tongue 161 provided (s) on the periphery of the cylindrical support 341, 361 of each storage area 340, 360 and intended (s) to be embedded in the groove 162 to securely hold each storage area in its place.
• a snap-on system can be provided allowing each storage area to turn in one direction, in order to keep the end of the cable in slight tension when it is stored, and avoid rotation in the opposite direction, which could cause the cable to twist or withdraw from the inclined wall 345.
• notches 165 are formed on the periphery of the internal wall of the drum 119 of the coil 110, with a pitch for example of 2 mm.
• the pawl 166 is elastic.
• the internal wall 157 guides the coil. Stops are provided to hold the coil in its housing. These stops can take different forms.
• Figure 5 illustrates an example. On one side a stop 151 constituted for example by an extra thickness around the entire periphery of the housing makes it possible to prevent the coil from coming out on this side, by a retaining action on one of the lateral flanges 111.
• Other pins 152 are placed for example on the other side of the housing for retaining action on the other lateral flange 112. These lugs 152 can for example be elastic so as to be able to remove the coil from its housing by causing them to flex.
• a variant consists in placing lugs 153 not on the other side of the housing, but on the internal wall 157 of the housing so that they bear on the inner flange 113.
• the lugs 153 are in sufficient number and arranged offset from the opening 115 of the inner flange 113.
• This variant has the advantage of using a coil of the same thickness as the housing and thus increasing the storage volume / total volume ratio of the packaging and reeling device.
• the lateral openings 154 and 155 allow the passage of the cable sections during the installation operations.
• a cover fits, for example, on the external wall of the case, on the side opposite that which is protected by the support 200, to cover and protect the coil.
• Figure 6 shows schematically a wiring installation made by means of a cable conditioning and unwinding device according to one or other of the embodiments.
• a first step consists in extract a first end El of cable C from the device, and connect it to the connection box 20.
• a second step then consists in unwinding the first section SI of cable C, by rotating the coil 110 inside the housing, until 'near the terminal T to be connected.
• the next step is then to extract the other end E2 of the cable by making a notch of a lateral flange coincide with a corresponding opening in the housing.
• the second section S2 of the cable is then unwound by a slight pull on the cable, to the terminal T, to which it is connected.
• the device can then be moved to be fixed along a plinth for example. During the movement of this device, the section SI for example is wound while the section S2 is unwound.
• This device has the advantage of being compact and discreet. It allows you to store several tens of meters of fiber optic cable while maintaining a reduced footprint, since it fits in the palm of one hand. It therefore makes it easier to introduce fiber optic cables into private installations.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Optics & Photonics (AREA)
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• 2002
  • 2002-12-13 FR FR0215957A patent/FR2848542B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2003
  • 2003-11-25 EP EP03789506A patent/EP1581830A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2003-11-25 US US10/537,233 patent/US7229042B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2003-11-25 WO PCT/FR2003/003494 patent/WO2004063786A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation

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