JP2008039827A - Case for connection - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a case for connection, wherein external force is not exerted to affect marginal length of an optical fiber pulled out of an optical cable, and installation work can be performed efficiently. <P>SOLUTION: The case 1 for connection accommodates a connecting part 20 where an indoor side optical fiber 12a pulled out of an indoor side optical cable 12 is connected to an outdoor side optical fiber 11a pulled out of an outdoor side optical cable 11d, and includes an outer package case 2 for holding the connecting part 20, and a winding-up part 3 which is arranged in the package case 2 and winds up the optical fibers 11a, 12a. The winding-up part 3 is provided with a partition wall part 3a. The partition wall part 3a partitions off the inside of the package case 2 into an optical cable winding-up space 7 for winding up the optical cables 11d, 12 and an optical fiber winding-up space 8 for winding up the optical fibers 11a, 12a. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a connection case for storing a connection portion in which an indoor side optical cable for home wiring is connected to an outdoor side optical cable drawn from an aerial optical wiring network, for example.

In an optical access network typified by FTTH (FTTH: Fiber To The Home), a line drop method is widely adopted (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the line withdrawal method, an outdoor optical cable (such as an optical drop cable) drawn from the closure installed on the optical fiber cable of the aerial optical network to the subscriber's home is connected to the home using a connection case attached to the outside of the subscriber's home. It is connected with indoor indoor optical cables (such as optical indoor cables).
The connection case accommodates a connection portion that connects an optical fiber (such as an optical fiber) drawn from an outdoor optical cable terminal and an optical fiber (such as an optical fiber) drawn from an indoor optical cable. . The connection case also stores the extra lengths of the outdoor and indoor optical cables and the extra length of the optical fiber drawn from them.
JP-A-9-288217

However, since the above-described connection case accommodates the extra length of the optical cable and optical fiber, the optical fiber (such as an optical fiber) is subjected to a large force by the optical cable in the connection case, and the bending becomes large. The optical characteristics may be affected by such factors. For this reason, the extra length storage work of the optical cable and the optical fiber requires carefulness, and the installation work takes time.
The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and its object is to prevent the extra length of the optical fiber drawn from the optical cable from being adversely affected by external force and to perform the installation work efficiently. It is to provide a connection case that can be connected.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a connection case of the following means.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connection case having an indoor side light drawn from an indoor side optical cable for indoor wiring, to an outdoor side optical fiber drawn from an outdoor side optical cable drawn from an outdoor aerial optical wiring network. A connection case for storing a connection portion to which a fiber is connected, comprising: an outer case for storing the connection portion; and a winding portion that is provided in the outer case and winds up the optical cable and the optical fiber. The winding portion includes a partition wall portion and a holder that holds the connection portion, and the partition wall portion includes an optical cable winding space for winding the outdoor side and the indoor side optical cable inside the exterior case, The outdoor side and indoor side optical fiber winding space is partitioned into optical fiber winding spaces.
A connection case according to claim 2 of the present invention is a connection case for housing a connection portion in which an optical fiber drawn from another optical cable is connected to an optical fiber drawn from an optical cable, wherein the connection portion is An outer case for housing, and a winding portion provided in the outer case; the winding portion includes a partition wall portion and a holder for holding the connection portion; and the optical cable and the optical fiber. Winding is possible, and the partition wall section divides the inside of the outer case into an optical cable winding space for winding the optical cable and an optical fiber winding space for winding the optical fiber. To do.
The connection case according to a third aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first or second aspect, the optical cable and the optical fiber can be wound by the winding portion rotating with respect to the exterior case.
The connection case according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the connection case according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the holder is formed on a surface of the partition wall portion on the optical fiber winding space side, and the holder The optical fiber is wound around the periphery of the optical fiber.
A connection case according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the connection case according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein a notch is formed in the partition wall portion, and the notch connects the optical cable or the optical fiber. The optical cable winding space and the optical fiber winding space can be passed from one to the other.

According to the connection case of the present invention, the inside of the outer case is partitioned into the optical cable winding space and the optical fiber winding space by the winding portion, so that the optical cable and the optical fiber can be stored separately. Therefore, a large force is not applied to the optical fiber by the optical cable, and it is possible to prevent the optical fiber from being bent excessively and adversely affecting the optical characteristics.
In addition, when winding the optical cable, it is not necessary to take care to avoid excessive bending of the optical fiber, so that the installation work can be performed efficiently.

Hereinafter, a connection case according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 is a diagram showing a construction example of a connection case 1 which is an example of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing the connection case 1 in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the connection case 1, and FIG. 5 is a plan view of the first case half 2a of the connection case 1, FIG. 5 is a plan view of the winding unit 3 viewed from one surface side, and FIG. 6 is a plan view of the winding unit 3 viewed from the other surface side. FIG.

1 to 6, reference numeral 11 is an optical drop cable (outdoor optical cable), 12 is an optical indoor cable (indoor optical cable), 13 is a house, 14 is an outer wall of the house 13, 15 is a locking part, and 16 is a cable. A retainer, 17 is an aerial optical fiber cable, and 18 is an optical closure.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the connection case 1 is installed outdoors near the outer wall 14 of the subscriber's house (house 13).
The connection case 1 houses in the exterior case 2 a connection portion 20 that connects the optical drop cable 11 drawn from the aerial optical wiring network 17A and the optical indoor cable 12 for home wiring. Since the connecting case 1 accommodates the connecting portion 20 between the optical drop cable 11 and the optical indoor cable 12, it functions as a point of responsibility (POI: Point of Interface).

The optical drop cable 11 is used to drop the optical line of the overhead optical fiber cable 17 to the subscriber's house (house 3).
One end of the optical drop cable 11 is connected to the optical fiber of the aerial optical fiber cable 17 by an optical closure 18 assembled to the aerial optical fiber cable 17. The optical drop cable 11 is erected from the optical closure 18 to the vicinity of the outdoor wall 14, and the other end is connected to the optical indoor cable 12 by the connection case 1.

FIG. 7 shows an example of a cross-sectional structure of the optical drop cable 11. The optical drop cable 11 is an outdoor-side optical cable, and an optical fiber element portion 11d having a substantially rectangular cross section, and a support wire portion 11f in which a metal wire 11e attached to a side portion of the optical fiber element portion 11d is covered with a coating resin 11c. And. The optical fiber element portion 11d is obtained by collectively covering an optical fiber 11a (outdoor optical fiber) and strength members 11b disposed on both sides thereof with a coating resin 11c.
The optical fiber element portion 11d and the support wire portion 11f are connected via a thin portion 11g of the coating resin 11c, and the support wire portion 11f is cut so as to cut the thin portion 11g. 11d can be separated.
The optical fiber 11a is embedded in the central portion of the cross section of the optical fiber element portion 11d, and the optical fiber 11a can be exposed by dividing the optical fiber element portion 11d into two parts from the notch 11h.
The optical fiber element portion 11d functions as an optical drop cable (outdoor optical cable). Hereinafter, the optical fiber element portion 11d may be referred to as an optical cable 11d.
The optical fiber 11a is an optical fiber strand here, but may be a single-core optical fiber, a multi-core optical fiber tape, or the like. Further, the number of the optical fibers 11a is not limited to one (in the illustrated example, one optical fiber), but may be a plurality.
The tensile body 11b is a linear body vertically attached along the optical fiber 11a, and the material thereof is, for example, FRP. As the metal wire 11e of the support wire portion 11f, for example, a steel wire or the like is used.

FIG. 8 shows an example of a cross-sectional structure of the optical indoor cable 12.
The optical indoor cable 12 shown in FIG. 8 is formed by covering an optical fiber 12a (indoor optical fiber) and strength members 12b disposed on both sides thereof with a coating resin 12c so as to have a substantially rectangular cross section. The configuration is the same as the optical fiber element portion 11d of the optical drop cable 11 shown in FIG. 5 (the configuration in which the support wire portion 11f and the thin portion 11g are omitted from the optical drop cable 11). Reference numeral 12d is a notch.
The optical fiber 12a is an optical fiber strand here, but may be a single-core optical fiber, a multi-core optical fiber tape, or the like. The number of optical fibers 12a is not limited to one (one optical fiber in the illustrated example), and may be plural.
The optical indoor cable 12 is an indoor side optical cable, and may be referred to as an optical cable 12 hereinafter.

As shown in FIG. 2, the cable retainer 16 includes an elongated plate-like body plate 16b provided with a plurality of projections 16a (winding projections) for winding and fixing the support wire portion 11f, and a longitudinal direction of the body plate 16b. And a loop-shaped (or ring-shaped) locking metal fitting 16c extending from the end. Reference numeral 15 denotes a hook-shaped locking part fixed to the outdoor outdoor wall 14.
In the optical drop cable 11, the support wire portion 11f and the optical cable 11d are separated from each other at the terminal portion on the house 13 side, and the support wire portion 11f is wound and fixed to the winding protrusion 16a. In this state, the optical drop cable 11 is stretched between the optical closure 18 and the house 13 by locking the locking bracket 16 c to the locking component 15.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the connection case 1 includes an exterior case 2 and a winding portion 3 accommodated therein.
As shown in FIG. 2, the outer case 2 includes a main body portion 4 that houses the winding portion 3, and an extending portion 5 that extends from the main body portion 4 in an arm shape.
As shown in FIG. 3, the exterior case 2 includes a first case half 2a and a second case half 2b. The first case half 2a includes a substrate portion 2d and a side plate portion 2e erected on the periphery thereof. The second case half 2b includes a substrate portion 2f and a side plate portion 2g erected on the periphery thereof.
The case halves 2a and 2b can be integrated, for example, by fitting a fitting convex portion and a fitting concave portion (not shown) formed on the peripheral edge portion thereof.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a support portion 2c that rotatably supports the winding portion 3 is formed on the inner surface of the first case half 2a. The support portion 2c has a cylindrical shape and is formed so as to protrude from the inner surface of the substrate portion 2d toward the second case half 2b.
It is preferable that the main body portion 4 has a shape along the winding portion 3 so that the winding portion 3 can be accommodated. In the illustrated example, it is substantially circular in plan view in accordance with the substantially circular winding portion 3.
As shown in FIG. 4, the extending portion 5 can be formed in a curved shape so as to extend from the main body portion 4 in the tangential direction of the winding portion 3 and approach the circumferential direction of the main body portion 4 toward the tip. . In FIG. 4, the extending portion 5 extends rightward from the upper portion of the main body portion 4 and is curved so that the tip portion faces downward.
The extension part 5 is formed so that the optical cables 11d and 12 can be wired therein, and an insertion port 5a through which the optical cables 11d and 12 are inserted is formed at the tip part.
The exterior case 2 is preferably waterproof from the viewpoint of waterproofing, except for the insertion opening 5a.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the winding unit 3 is for winding the optical cables 11 d and 12 and the optical fibers 11 a and 12 a, and includes a substantially disc-shaped partition wall portion 3 a and a partition wall portion 3 a. A holder 3b provided on one surface and a guide body 3c provided on the other surface of the partition wall 3a are provided.
As shown in FIG. 3, the partition wall 3a is substantially parallel to the substrate portions 2d and 2f of the case halves 2a and 2b.
The partition wall 3a partitions the internal space of the main body 4 of the outer case 2 into two. That is, the interior of the outer case 2 is partitioned into an optical cable winding space 7 and an optical fiber winding space 8.
The optical fiber winding space 8 is a space on one side of the partition wall portion 3a (the surface on which the holder 3b is provided), and the optical cable winding space 7 is the other surface (guide body 3c) of the partition wall portion 3a. This is the space on the surface side.

A notch 6 is formed in a part of the peripheral edge of the partition wall 3a. The notch 6 serves as a path for the optical cables 11d and 12 or the optical fibers 11a and 12a, and the optical cables 11d and 12 or the optical fibers 11a and 12a are connected to one of the optical cable winding space 7 and the optical fiber winding space 8. From one to the other.
The shape of the notch 6 is not particularly limited, but is substantially fan-shaped in the illustrated example.

The holder 3b includes first and second holding pieces 3d and 3e, and the connection portion 20 is sandwiched and held by the holding pieces 3d and 3e. The holder 3b can hold the connecting portion 20 at substantially the center of the partition wall portion 3a.
The guide body 3c is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the support portion 2c of the exterior case 2 is fitted therein. The winding portion 3 is supported by the support portion 2c so as to be rotatable in the circumferential direction in a state where the guide body 3c is fitted to the support portion 2c.

It is preferable that the connection case 1 is detachably attached to the cable retainer 16. For example, a locking piece (not shown) that is locked to the body plate 16 b of the cable retainer 16 is formed in the connection case 1, and the connection case 1 is fixed to the cable retainer 16 by this locking piece. it can.
By attaching the connection case 1 to the cable retainer 16, the work for fixing the fixture to the house 13 becomes unnecessary, there is no fear of damaging the house 13, and the installation can be performed easily.

As shown in FIG. 5, the connection unit 20 connects the optical fiber 11 a drawn from the optical cable 11 d and the optical fiber 12 a drawn from the tip of the optical cable 12.
In the illustrated example, the connection portion 20 is a fusion splicing portion.
The connection part 20 may be a mechanical splice. The mechanical splice includes an element composed of a pair of clamp members that sandwich an optical fiber and clamp means such as a spring that sandwich the element, and an alignment mechanism that positions and aligns the optical fiber is formed on the clamp member. (For example, refer to Japanese Patent No. 3675901). The connection unit 20 may be a connector connection.

Next, the assembly procedure of the connection case 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 9, the optical fiber 11a drawn from the optical cable 11d and the optical fiber 12a drawn from the optical cable 12 are connected to each other at the connection portion 20 by fusion or the like.
Next, as shown in FIG. 10, one of the case halves 2a and 2b is removed from the other to expose the winding portion 3, and the connection portion 20 is held by the holder 3b.
Next, as shown by an arrow in FIG. 10, the winding part 3 is rotated in the circumferential direction of the partition wall part 3a. Thereby, the extra lengths of the optical fibers 11a and 12a are wound around the holder 3b on the optical fiber winding space 8 side of the partition wall 3a (see FIG. 11).

As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, after the winding of the optical fibers 11 a and 12 a is completed, when the winding unit 3 is further rotated, the extra lengths of the optical cables 11 d and 12 are wound.
At this time, the optical cables 11 d and 12 (or the optical fibers 11 a and 12 a) are introduced into the optical cable winding space 7 through the notch 6 so that the optical cables 11 d and 12 are wound into the optical cable winding space 7. .
When the winding of the optical cables 11d and 12 is completed, the case halves 2a and 2b are joined. It is preferable that the optical cables 11d and 12 pass through the extension portion 5 and be led out from the insertion port 5a.

In the connection case 1, since the inside of the outer case 2 is partitioned into the optical cable winding space 7 and the optical fiber winding space 8 by the winding portion 3, the optical cables 11 d and 12 and the optical fibers 11 a and 12 a are separated. Can be stored. For this reason, no great force is applied to the optical fibers 11a and 12a by the optical cables 11d and 12, and the optical fibers 11a and 12a are not bent excessively. Therefore, it is possible to prevent adverse effects on the optical characteristics.
In addition, when the optical cables 11d and 12 are wound up, it becomes less necessary to pay attention so that the optical fibers 11a and 12a are not bent excessively, so that the installation work can be performed efficiently.

Since the connection case 1 can wind up the optical cables 11d and 12 and the optical fibers 11a and 12a by the rotation of the winding unit 3, the extra length storage operation is easy.
Moreover, since the optical fibers 11a and 12a are wound around the holder 3b, the space in the outer case 2 can be used effectively, and the outer case 2 can be downsized. The downsizing of the outer case 2 can reduce the effect on the aesthetics of the house 13.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, it is preferable that the connection case 1 is attached to the lower surface side of the cable retainer 16 so that the tip of the extension portion 5 faces downward. As a result, rainwater or the like can be prevented from entering the outer case 2 from the insertion port 5a or the like.

FIG. 14 shows another construction example of the connection case 1.
Reference numeral 19 denotes an optical drop cable having the same configuration as that of the optical drop cable 11. The optical drop cable 19 includes an optical fiber element portion 19d (optical cable 19d) and a support wire portion 11f. Reference numeral 19a denotes an optical fiber drawn from the optical cable 19d.
The optical cable 11 d and the optical cable 19 d are introduced into the outer case 2 of the connection case 1, wound in the optical cable winding space 7, and the optical fibers 11 a and 19 a drawn from these are wound in the optical fiber winding space 8. It is done.

In addition, this invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, A various change is possible.
The attachment means for attaching the outer case to the support line of the optical drop cable is not limited to the means for attaching the outer case to the cable retainer, and may be an attachment jig for directly attaching to the support line. As the mounting jig, for example, those having various configurations such as a clamp portion that sandwiches and fixes a support wire can be adopted.
As a means for fixing the connection case to the cable retainer, a mechanical fixing means such as a binding tool such as a tie wrap can also be employed.

It is a perspective view which shows the example of installation of an example of the case for connection which concerns on this invention. It is an expansion perspective view which shows the case for connection shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the case for connection shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a plan view of a first case half of the connection case shown in FIG. 1. It is the top view which looked at the winding-up part of the case for a connection shown in FIG. 1 from the one surface side. It is the top view which looked at the winding-up part of the case for a connection shown in FIG. 1 from the other surface side. It is a figure which shows the cross-section of an example of an optical drop cable. It is a figure which shows the cross-section of an example of an optical indoor cable. It is process drawing explaining the installation operation | work of the connection case shown in FIG. 1 in order of a process. It is process drawing explaining the installation operation | work of the connection case shown in FIG. 1 in order of a process. It is process drawing explaining the installation operation | work of the connection case shown in FIG. 1 in order of a process. It is process drawing explaining the installation operation | work of the connection case shown in FIG. 1 in order of a process. It is process drawing explaining the installation operation | work of the connection case shown in FIG. 1 in order of a process. It is a top view which shows the other example of installation of an example of the case for connection which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Connection case, 2 ... Exterior case, 3 ... Winding part, 3a ... Partition wall part, 3b ... Holder, 6 ... Notch, 7 ... Optical cable winding space, 8 ... Optical fiber winding space, 11 ... Light Drop cable, 11a: outdoor side optical fiber, 11d: optical fiber element part (outdoor side optical cable), 12 ... optical indoor cable (indoor side optical cable), 12a ... indoor side optical fiber, 13 ... house, 16 ... cable retainer, 17A: Aerial optical wiring network, 19: Optical drop cable, 19a: Optical fiber, 19d: Optical fiber element part (optical cable), 20 ... Connection part.

Claims (5)

Indoor optical fiber drawn from the indoor optical cable (12) for indoor wiring to the outdoor optical fiber (11a) drawn from the outdoor optical cable (11d) drawn from the outdoor aerial optical network (17A) A connection case for storing the connection portion (20) to which (12a) is connected,
An outer case (2) for housing the connecting portion, and a winding portion (3) provided in the outer case for winding the optical cable (11d, 12) and the optical fiber (11a, 12a);
The winding portion includes a partition wall portion (3a) and a holder (3b) that holds the connection portion,
The partition wall includes an optical cable winding space (7) for winding the outdoor side and indoor side optical cables, and an optical fiber winding space for winding the outdoor side and indoor side optical fibers ( 8) A connection case (1) that is partitioned into 8). A connection case for housing a connection portion (20) in which an optical fiber (19a) drawn from another optical cable (19d) is connected to an optical fiber (11a) drawn from an optical cable (11d),
An outer case (2) for storing the connecting portion, and a winding portion (3) provided in the outer case;
The winding portion includes a partition wall portion (3a) and a holder (3b) that holds the connection portion, and is capable of winding the optical cable (11d, 19d) and the optical fiber (11a, 19a). ,
The partition wall section divides the interior of the exterior case into an optical cable winding space (7) for winding the optical cable and an optical fiber winding space (8) for winding the optical fiber. Connection case (1)   The connection case according to claim 1, wherein the winding unit can wind up the optical cable and the optical fiber by rotating with respect to the exterior case.   The said holder is formed in the surface at the side of the said optical fiber winding space of the said partition wall part, The said optical fiber is wound up around the said holder, The one of Claims 1-3 characterized by the above-mentioned. The connection case according to item 1.   A notch (6) is formed in the partition wall, and the notch can pass the optical cable or the optical fiber from one of the optical cable winding space and the optical fiber winding space to the other. The connection case according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

Images