FR2577688A1 - Fibre-optic distribution frame - Google Patents

Abstract

Device for distributing, towards each subscriber for example, individual or bundled optical fibres from a common incoming optical cable, such as the final cable of a video telecommunication network. It is composed of a case mounted in a permanent manner and including a thin element (pad) 23 for storing fibre-reserve loops. The assembly is mounted on a detachable plate 13.

Description

The present invention relates to a fiber optic distributor.

  splitter, such as a fiber optic telephone splitter, i.e. a device for distributing, to each subscriber for example, individual optical cables or bundled from a common incoming optical cable, for example the last cable of a video telecommunications network, said distributor being installed at a fixed station, for example against a wall,

  a pole, or in a technical gallery.

  We know, in terms of fiber optic video communications,

  junction or connection boxes often called "splice sleeve"

  sure ", which are intended to be placed in a room, so that they can be extracted from it and placed on a workstation when

  we want to intervene on one or more fibers of the sleeve.

  Canadian Patent No. 1,108,904 and the European Patent Application

  No. 55231 show examples of such essential junction boxes-

  Also intended for the protection of splices.

  These known devices, the essential purpose of which is to protect a splice or a fiber-to-fiber connection, provide for the storage of a fiber extra length, or "soft", necessary for splicing which, as is known, is for fiber optics a delicate operation, carried out by a particular and quite bulky machine, and which must be able

  be repeated several times, if necessary.

  These devices have the disadvantage of not really presenting

  a general provision adapted to the requirements requested by the Adminis-

  tration for a dispatch station located at the end of the line, and particularly

  in a building or residential center. They are not

  example not with a fixed post, with an external installation adapted to a building

  ble, or other, and do not have sufficiently large, centralized and organized reserves of optical fibers making it possible to do on site, without interrupting or disconnecting the cables of other subscribers,

  ad hoc interventions or modifications, but which may be repeated

repeatedly.

  The optical fiber distributor of the invention does not have this kind of drawback. It is characterized in that it is mounted on a fixed station, and in that it comprises at least one drum, or wafer, intended for the storage of optical fiber reserve loops by winding said fibers around it. ci, said drum being equipped with a closing and opening device arranged in such a way that in the closed position none of the loops of fibers wound around said drum can escape, and that in the open position the - said fiber loops can each be accessible on any

their length.

  The invention will be better understood using the following description.

  boasts of an exemplary embodiment, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: - Figure 1 is a schematic view, in exploded perspective, of the telephone distributor according to the invention, in the case where it is intended for individual telephone distribution on five subscribers from an incoming cable with five optical fibers, - Figure 2 is a side view, in partial section, of the telephone distributor of Figure 1 - Figure 3 is a sectional view in direction III- III of Figure 2 - Figure 4 is a side view in partial section of the storage wafer of reserve fiber loops fitted to the distributor of Figure 1 - Figure 5 is a top view of the storage wafer of the Figure 4 - Figures 6 and 7 are perspective views of the storage wafer of Figures 4 and 5, respectively in "closed" and "open" positions - Figure 8 is a perspective view of the device, according to invention, fast grounding and my inside of the incoming cable, equipping the distributor of Figure 1 - Figure 9 is a side view in partial section of the device of Figure 8, in place on the distributor of Figure 1 - Figure 10 is a sectional view in the direction XX of FIG. 9 showing the device before its operation of grounding an incoming cable - FIG. 11 is a sectional view in the direction XX of the - 3 - FIG. 9 but, showing the device after its grounding operation of the same incoming cable - Figure 12 is a schematic view, in exploded perspective, of the telephone distributor of Figure 1, with the addition of elements allowing, from the same cable arrived at five fibers, the individual telephone distribution over ten subscribers instead of five - Figure 13 is a side view, in partial section, of the telephone distributor of Figure 12 - Figure 14 is a sectional view in the direction XIV-XIV of figure 13 - figure 15 is a view l ateral, in partial section, of the telephone distributor of Figure 12, with its cover removed and its plate

  additional during baseulement.

  Referring first to Figures 1 to 3, the telephone distributor of the invention, shown horizontal for clarity, is presented in the form of a removable box whose base 1 is intended to be fixed permanently and in a vertical position in the center of a building wall using four fixing screws 2. It is closed by a removable cover 3 which is adapted, as can be seen in the drawings, to the bottom 1 so as to form a sealed assembly to runoff, thanks to C n partieulier with Side Painures 4 and

upper edge 5.

  The cover 3 is attached to the base 1 by a Papid locking device comprising: - a protrusion 6 of the base 1, in the form of a column orthogonal to the plane of the base 1, split at its upper end so as to form a two-jaw locking spout 7 - a latch 8 fixed on the cover 3 and passing therethrough, which can rotate about its axis, orthogonal to the plane of the cover 3, when a suitable key 9 is plugged into its square head 10; rod 11 of

  lock 8 ends, as shown, by a lock end

  lage 12 having two shoulders in a first direction and

  no shoulder in the direction orthogonal to the first.

  In Figure 2, the latch 8 is in the closed position. A rotation of 90 degrees 10 carried out using the key 9 allows - 4 -

  release the nozzle 12 from the jaws 7, and therefore unlock the cover

  key 3. The locking of the cover is obviously done by

the reverse operation.

  As can be seen in the drawings, the entire part relating to the connection and distribution of the optical fibers is concentrated on an easily removable plate 13, made of insulating material.

  such as semi-rigid plastic.

  On this plate 13 are fixed, by conventional means with screws not shown, the following elements: - a thick transverse bar 14, made of insulating material, input and output of the various optical cables, crossed as a result by grooves 15 of passage narrow optical cables, these grooves being at

  number of eleven in the example considered, that is to say a central throat

  trale 150 for the incoming optical cable 16 with einq optical fibers, of dimensions corresponding to the diameter of this cable, and ten grooves

  151 for the narrow passage of individual optical cables

  single fiber duels, such as cables 160 to 164 shown, and intended for supplying subscribers

  - a transverse bar 17 made of copper, pierced with twelve holes des-

  intended to receive on the one hand the metallic cores 21 of the optic cables

  ques, such as cables 16 and 160 to 164, and secondly a rod

  longitudinal mass 19 in copper, connections and mechanical maintenance

  nique of these metal elements in the bar 17 being conventionally provided by needle screws 20; the part 190 of the threaded rod which leaves the assembly of the box constituting the distributor is threaded so as to be able to conventionally fix a ground lug therein, - two lateral uprights 22 intended to allow, as appropriate

  as will be seen below, the subsequent fixing of an additional plate

tilting shut up,

  a wafer 23 for storing fiber reserves, of a new model

  calf, which will be described later with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7, and the role of which is the organization of a reserve of optical fibers, while ensuring that each fiber does not suffer from mechanical stresses harmful to its lifespan , -5-

  a device 24 for rapid fixing of the plate 13 on the protrusion

  session 6 of the base 1; this device, operating on the principle of the stuffing box, comprises a hollow cylindrical body 240, integral with the plate 13 and internally threaded, in which one comes to press, thanks to a knurled screw 241, an elastic annular seal 242, which then comes press strongly against the column 6, thereby making the plate 13 secured to the base 1; loosening the knurled screw 241 conversely makes it possible to separate the assembly in a single block, - an optical terminal block 25, of a commercially available model, at ten

  inputs 26 and ten opposite outputs.

  Furthermore, a new device 30 for rapid grounding and for maintaining the central optical supply cable 16, which will be described later with reference to FIGS. 8 to 11, is incorporated in the

  insulating body of the thick entry strip 14.

  FIGS. 4 to 7 show the new device 23, according to the invention, for storing optical fiber reserves fitted to the distributor of the invention, a device which could also

  well be used in other applications.

  This device is in the general form of a flat drum, or pancake, comprising an annular base 230, with a U-section as shown, the inner flank 231 of which has a constant height,

  and the outer flank 232 has a height increasing and decreasing regularly

  smoothly so that its edge 233 describes circumferential-

  A sinusoid, or the like, as shown in the drawings.

  The open part towards the top of the base 230 is half covered

  green by an annular flange 234, therefore parallel to the bottom 235 of the U-shaped annular groove formed by the base 230, and the surface of which forms a flat star ring, as shown, the edge 236 of which is cut out

  according to a sinusoid similar to that described by the external edge

233 of the base 230.

  The internal part 237 of the star flange 234 comes to fit, as shown, against the internal part 231 of the base 230, so that it can rotate coaxially and with friction

in said base.

  - 6 - In the example shown, the annular external flank 232 of the base 230 forms eight undulations of vertices 238, while the

  annular flange 234 forms an eight-pointed star corresponding to

  dantes 239. If we place, as shown in FIG. 7 and in solid lines in FIG. 5, the branches 239 of the star between the vertices 238 of the undulations of the external flank 232 of the base 230, we see that optical fibers 130 can easily be coiled in the internal U-shaped part of the base 230 of the flat drum, or wafer of the invention. By then turning the flange 234 by an eighth of a turn, in one direction or the other, we see that the branches 239 of the star are each supported on one of the vertices 238 of the undulations of the outer flank 232 of the 'base 230, so that, as seen in Figure 6 and in phantom in Figure 5, none of the optical fibers 130 coiled on the reserve device of the invention

can get out. -

  FIGS. 8 to 11 show the new arrangement

  tif 30 for fast grounding and optical cable maintenance, according to the invention, fitted to the distributor of Figure 1. Such a

  device, particularly advantageous in the distributor of the

  due to its ease and speed of operation,

  rait obviously be used in another application, relating to the rapid grounding of a cable in general comprising a flexible outer sheath surrounding dne metal part, such as a sheath

  braided metal or a hoop made with an Alumi- ribbon

nium.

  The sheathed cable rapid earthing device according to the invention is shown in perspective in FIG. 8. It consists of a metal block 31 intended to be able to rotate around an axis, vertical in the drawing. The lower part of the block 31 comprises two circular flanges 311 and 312, mutually parallel and perpendicular to the vertical axis of rotation of the block 31, intended to trap a metal rod 19 for grounding the whole of the block 31. The upper part of the block 31 includes the flange 312, a

  third flange 313 parallel to the other two, partially circular

  laire as shown and pierced with a groove 314 intended to receive -7 the end of a screwdriver or tool for rotating the assembly of the block 31, and a knife 315 with two cutting edges 316 and 317, in the form of portion of curved cylinder as shown in the drawing, connecting the two flanges 312 and 313. The axis of the portion of curved cylinder 315 forming the knife is eccentric, as it clearly appears in the drawings, relative to the axis of the block 31, that is to say with respect to that of the flanges 311 and 312. In FIG. 9, this eccentricity takes place to the left. Alternatively, the flange 313 could be absent

  and the groove 314 formed in the knife 315 itself.

  We will now refer to Figures 9 to 11 for the explanation

  the operation of the inventive rapid grounding device

  tion. As seen in Figures 9 to 11 considered, the metal block 31 is trapped in a body 14, which in this example

  is the body of the insulating strip 14 equipping the remote distributor

  phonic of Figure 1. The block 31 being in the position shown in Figures 9 and 10, the upper flange 313 and the knife 315 define with the body 14 a groove 318 in the bottom of which

  places the optical cable 16 to be grounded.

  In a manner known per se, and as shown in cross section

  versal in FIG. 9, the optical cable 16 successively comprises, from inside to outside: an axial metal core 21 - a grooved rod 260 of polyethylene whose einq grooves each receive an optical fiber 27 a metal casing 261 of Aluminum thick and semi-rigid

  - an outer sheath 262 of flexible plastic material forming an envelope

protective cover.

  Furthermore, the metal ground rod 19 is, as can be seen in FIGS. 9 and 11, engaged between the flanges 311 and 312 and it is pressed strongly against the central shaft 319 of the body 31 thanks to a spring 28, fixed in the body 14 by two screws 29 as

shown in Figure 11.

  In order to carry out the rapid grounding operation of the optical cable 16, the assembly of the block 31 is then turned by a screwdriver 32 for example by half a turn, for example in the direction of the arrow drawn in FIGS. 9 and 10. The cutting edge 317 of the knife 315 then enters the sheath 162 from which it removes a piece 263 (FIG. 11). The rotation continuing and ending, the eccentric rear part 33 of the knife body 315 comes to bear strongly and elastically on the metal sheath 261 which does not, due to its mechanical strength on the one hand, its distance , and of the respective dimensions, function of those of the cable on the other hand, seriously started by the cutting edge 317 during the rotation of the knife 315. The rear part 33 then guarantees the contact of

ground with cable 16.

  It will be noted in FIGS. 10 and 11 that the earth rod 19 presents, towards the inside of the cabinet, an abrupt increase in diameter creating a shoulder 34, which will serve to hold this rod against the bar 14 when it is screwed a retaining nut

  a ground terminal on the threaded part 190.

  Referring again to FIG. 1, the connection of the incoming optical cable 16 to five fibers and of the five individual cables (160 to 164) to a single fiber on the telephone distributor of the invention is carried out as follows : The line cable 16, arriving from the bottom, crosses the groove 150 of the input strip 14, in which it is grounded by the action of the device 30. Its end is then stripped, its central core 21 is solidly fixed on the bar 17, by means of the needle screw 20 (see FIG. 2), and its five fibers are blossoming and sheathed individually in an "octopus" 35. Recall that an "octopus" for optical cable is a device, such that for example

  that described in European patent application no. 63,506 of the application

  padding, allowing to separate and protect at the end of the cable

  optical fibers carried by this cable.

  From the octopus 35, therefore, five fibers sheathed out of about

  ron 1.50 meters, which is wound on the reserve wafer 23 and that

  we just connect to the five upper left inputs of the terminal

deny optics 25.

  Likewise, the five individual optical cables 160 to 164, which

  are at their downstream ends connected to each individual installation

  dual of the five subscribers, cross from bottom to top the bar 14 by the five grooves 151 located on the right in the figure. On the other side of

  the bar 14, they are also stripped, their central metal core

  lique is securely fixed in a corresponding hole 18 of the metal strip 17 which has not been shown so as not to

  weigh down the design. Each cable 160 to 164 is a standard optical cable

  dart with a single fiber of which, in a very conventional manner, the central metallic core then constitutes the ground wire; its fixing in the metal strip 17 therefore also acts as a grounding of the cable. As with the line cable 16, each single fiber of the cables 160 to 164 is separated and sheathed behind the strip 14, then it is wound around the reserve wafer 23 of the invention and connected to one of the terminals upper right of terminal block 25, as shown in the drawing, so as to ensure the connections

subscribers desired.

  The telephone distributor for fiber optic cables which has just been described makes it possible, by simple and convenient means to implement, to make the fiber to fiber connection of the line cable to the subscribers, and gives the possibility of multiple interventions. on a fiber without touching the others, therefore without disturbing the network

  feeding other subscribers. It also allows for quick-

  a change of destination on the spot, that is to say

  an incoming fiber on another starting fiber.

  To intervene on a certain sheathed fiber inside the box, it is disconnected from the terminal block 25, the value of a bubble is extracted from the reserve wafer 23 by pulling on the disconnected fiber, and the intervention is carried out. Subsequent intervention on the same fiber will generally require the extraction of a new loop of

this reserve fiber 23.

  For obvious operating reasons, it was found to be

  feeling able to use, if desired, the telephone splitter

  just described to supply, from the same line cable 16, ten subscribers instead of five, using devices, well known in the art and readily available in the

- 10 -

  trade, duplexing of optical signals, called optical couplers. The telephone distributor of Figure 1 is therefore designed to receive, on request, a second distribution board comprising, among other things, five optical duplexers, as will now be described with reference to Figures 12 to 15. As can be seen in FIG. 'set of Figures 12 to 15, the extension

  to ten subscribers of the distribution box of the invention consists essentially of

  tial to add, on the original plate 13 of Figure 1 and through its lateral uprights 22, a second plate 40, articulated around an axis 41 (Figure 14), which is just fixed on said uprights 22 by joints 410. After removing the cover 3, it is therefore possible, as shown in FIG. 15, to completely tilt the plate 40 by a rotation of degrees from top to bottom around the axis 41. Recall that subject as the box, shown horizontal in the drawings to facilitate the

  understanding, is actually vertical.

  As can be seen in the drawings, the additional plate 40 comprises: five optical couplers 421 to 425, or optical duplexers, of a

  current model for example as described in the patent-

  FR-A-2,545,948, which are fixed on the plate 40 in a removable manner by clips, or clips, 43, and which are each provided with a sheathed optical fiber of arrival 440 and two sheathed optical fibers of output 441 and 442, these fibers each having a length of about 1.50 meters - an optical terminal block 45 with five inputs and five outputs which, for reasons of convenience of space, is mounted under the plate 40 relative to the duplexers 421 to 425,

  a first additional fiber reserve wafer 46, identical

  tick with the wafer 23 described above and mounted on the plate 40 on the same side as the duplexers 421 to 425

  - a second additional fiber reserve wafer 47, identical

  tick to the other two and mounted on the plate 40 on the same side as the optical terminal block 45, that is to say under the wafer 46 and on the other side of the plate, as can be seen more clearly in the drawings,

25776S8

- 11 -

  - two split grommets 48 and 49 mounted on the plate 40 so

  to be coaxial with the transverse articulation rod 41.

  Furthermore, as can be seen in FIGS. 12 and 15, lateral notches 50 are provided in transverse reinforcements 401 (FIG. 15) of the plate 40 to allow certain fibers to

  pass on either side of it.

  The connection of five additional subscriber cables 165 to 169 is carried out as follows: - the einq fibers corresponding, on the plate 13, to the five cables of the first subscribers 160 to 164 are disconnected, compared to the original wiring in FIG. 1, the five upper right terminals of the optical terminal 25, and connected to the five lower right terminals of this terminal 25, - the five new subscriber cables 165 to 169 cross the five grooves 15 on the left of the strip 14, are stripped and fixed as before on the ground bar 17, the fibers are provided with a protective gan e on the approximately 1.50 meters stripped, they are passed through the grommet 49 and wound as above

  around the reserve wafer 479 and their ends are respecti-

  0 eement connected to each of the five terminals on the right of the optical terminal 45, - the five input fibers 440 of the duplexers 421 to 425 are wound around the reserve wafer 46, pass through the grommet 49, and are connected to the five upper right terminals of the terminal block 25, - a first series of five fibers 442 output from the duplexers 421 to 425 is wound around the reserve wafer 46, passes through the grommet 48 and is connected to the five lower left terminals of the optical terminal block 25 the second series of five fibers 441 for output from the duplexers 421 to 425 has passed through the notch 50 on the right, is wound on the wafer

  reserve 47 and connected to the five left terminals of the optional terminal block

than 45.

  The interconnection of the line cable with five fibers 16 to the

  ten subscriber cables 160 to 169 is therefore carried out, once the operations

  connection conditions that we have just described performed, according to the

- -12 -

following routes:

  - the five fibers of line cable 16 remain connected, after winding

  Lement on the wafer 23, to the five upper left terminals of the terminal block 25, - the light information is transmitted, through the five pairs of upper terminals of the terminal block 25 and the five fibers 440 to the five inputs of the duplexers 421 to 425, - a first duplex light information series is transmitted to the five subscriber cables 160 to 164 successively through the five fibers 442 and the lower half of terminal block 25 - the second duplex light information series is transmitted to the five subscriber cables 165 to 169 through successively the five

fibers 441 and terminal block 45.

  The three fiber reserve wafers 23, 46 and 47 allow

  to store, without dangerous constraint, reserves of per-

  putting punctual interventions on a given fiber, input or output fiber of one of the duplexers or fibers coming from one of the optical cables, without having to interrupt the other telephone circuits.

- 13 -

Claims (8)

  1 / Optical fiber distributor, of the type comprising at least one input for at least one incoming optical cable (16) and at least one output for at least one outgoing optical cable (160 to 164), characterized in that it is mounted in a fixed position, and in that it comprises at least one drum, or wafer (23), intended for the storage of loop (s) of reserve of optical fibers by winding said fibers around   the latter, said drum or wafer (23) being equipped with a device   tif (230, 234) for closing and opening arranged in such a way that in the closed position (FIG. 6) none of the loops of fibers (130) wound around said drum can escape, and that in position d opening (Figure 7) said fiber muds can be each   accessible over their entire length.   2 / distributor according to claim 1, characterized in that it is constituted by a box comprising a base (1) fixed permanently, a removable cover (3), and at least one removable plate (13) comprising   the device (14, 19, 17) for input and output of said optic cables   ques (16, 160 to 164) of arrival and departure, at least one drum, or   fiber reserve wafer (23), and at least one interworking device   connection (25) or multiplexing of optical fibers.   3 / distributor according to claim 2, characterized in that said plate (13) is equipped with means (22) for bringing therein at least one additional plate (40)   comprising at least one interconnection (45) or multi-device   plexing (421 to 425) of optical fibers.   4 / distributor according to claim 3, characterized in that said additional plate (40), or said additional plates, comprises (s) further at least one drum, or   fiber cake (46, 47).   5 / A distributor according to claim 3 or according to claim 4, characterized in that said additional plate (40), or said additional plates, is (are) mounted (s) articulated on the first deck.   6 / distributor according to any one of claims 1 to 5, - 14 -   characterized in that it is equipped with at least one drum, or pancake, (23, 46, 47) comprising an annular base (230) with a U section, of which   the outer flank (232) has a height increasing and decreasing regularly.   rement so that its edge (233) circumferentially describes a sinusoid, or the like, said annular base (230) being half covered by a flange (234), starred in sinusoid, or the like, just as that described by l edge (233) of said base (232), said flange and said base being able to rotate coaxially with respect to each other so as to trap or release the loops of fibers.   7 / distributor according to any one of claims 1 to 6,   characterized in that its device (14) for input and output of optical cable (s) comprises at least one device (30) for rapid grounding   at least one optical cable comprising an iso-   lante (262) trapping a metal part (261), by rotation of a metal block (31), connected to ground and comprising at least one cutting edge (317, 316) intended to remove, during the rotation of said block , a piece (263) of insulating sheath (262) of the cable, said metal block then coming at the end of rotation in abutment against the portion of   metal part (261) of the cable thus exposed.   8 / distributor according to claim 7, characterized in that said metal block (31) comprises a part (319, 311, 312) intended to receive a ground contact (19), a flange or the like (312) orthogonal to the axis of rotation of the block and carrying a knife (315) with at least one cutting edge (316, 317) in the form of a portion of cylinder, or the like, eccentric with respect to the axis of rotation of said block (31), said knife being surmounted by, or incorporating, an organ   (groove 314) allowing said block (31) to rotate.