JPH0515004U - Optical cable closure - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] To provide a closure for an optical cable, which enables a plurality of optical cables to be connected in a compact manner, and has a simple waterproof structure in which the entire structure is a vertically sealed upper structure. [Configuration] Equipped with a base (1) having a cable inlet (12),
The base (1) is provided with support members (2, 2a).
(2,2a) is equipped with a cable holding part that holds the sheath of the cable and a tension member holding part that holds the tension member. The guide body is installed almost in parallel, the guide body can be moved and adjusted in the length direction, and the extra length accommodation body (5) for accommodating the extra length of the connection part of the optical fiber (F) is attached. The container (5) is provided with an accommodating tray (50) slidable along the guide member, and the base (1) has a column member (2, 2a) and an extra length container (5).
An optical cable closure with a cover case (8) that covers the cover.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to an optical cable closure for treating an extra length of an optical fiber when connecting or branching an optical cable.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 Since optical communication uses light as a carrier wave, its wavelength is extremely short and its directivity is strong, so noise is difficult to enter. For this reason, optical communication is suitable for multiplex communication in which a large amount of information is transmitted, and is becoming the mainstream in the field of communication. By the way, so-called optical cables are used for optical communication. An optical cable contains multiple optical fibers, and information is transmitted via these optical fibers. It is necessary to properly connect optical cables of the required length or to branch and connect only specific optical fibers, but optical fibers differ from ordinary copper wires in that they have a dedicated connector ( It is connected using a fuser. Since the splicer is relatively large, it is necessary to give the optical fiber in the splicing part a sufficient extra length to facilitate work, but after splicing, it is necessary to process the extra length. .. An optical cable closure is a device that accommodates this connection part and extra length processing part.

FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 show an example of a conventional optical cable closure. FIG. 5 is a front view in which a part of the closure is cut away, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an extra length accommodation case accommodated inside the closure. The closure B includes a cylindrical sleeve 400 in which semi-cylindrical members are engaged with each other. End plates 401 are provided at both ends of the sleeve 400. A cable introduction port 402 is provided in both end face plates 401, and a cable fixing tool 403 is provided near both ends inside the sleeve 400. An extra length accommodating case 4 is provided at an intermediate portion of both cable fixing tools 403. The extra length storage case 4 is a tray type and has a structure in which trays 40 having an oval shape in plan view are stacked in five stages. Processing units 41 and 41a for processing the extra length of the optical fiber F are provided at two positions before and after each tray 40. The processing parts 41 and 41a are provided with hooking claws 42 at four positions respectively. Then, the plurality of optical fibers F extending from the one optical cable C3 to be connected are introduced from the introduction port 43 provided on one side of the tray 40 and formed into a ring shape inside the hooking claw 42 of the processing unit 41. It is hung up and extra length is processed. Further, the optical fiber F extended from the other optical cable C4 is introduced through the introduction port 43a on the other side of the tray 40, and the excess length is similarly processed by the processing unit 41a. The front ends of the two optical fibers F are connected to each other via a connector 44 at an intermediate portion between the processing units 41 and 41a. It should be noted that each tray 40 is attached such that it can be opened and closed by hinges 45 on the inlet ports 43, 43a side.

[0004]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, the closure B of this structure had the following problems. (A) Due to the structure in which the sleeve 400 engages the semi-cylindrical members facing each other, the extra length accommodation case 4 is attached to one semi-cylindrical member. Further, the cable fixture 403 is also provided on the same side of the extra length accommodation case 4 so as to facilitate the work when divided. Therefore, the space for installing the cable fixture 403 is limited, and it is not suitable for connecting a plurality of sets of optical cables, and it is generally used to connect one set of optical cables as shown in the figure. is there. For this reason, a large number of closures are required to connect a plurality of optical cables, and it is not possible to make the connecting parts compact, and the work is time-consuming and inefficient. (B) Since the optical cable to be connected is coaxial and extends in the opposite direction, the closure is usually installed horizontally. For this reason, since the end face plate 401 is in the horizontal position, it is necessary to increase the degree of sealing of the cable introduction port or the like so that raindrops and the like do not enter, which complicates the structure and increases the cost. An object of the present invention is to provide a closure for an optical cable, which enables a plurality of optical cables to be connected in a compact manner and has a vertically sealed structure as a whole and a simple waterproof structure.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In the first invention, a base having a required number of cable introduction ports is provided, and a support member is provided on the support, and the support member has a cable. There are a required number of cable holding portions for holding the covering portion and tension member holding portions for holding the tension members, and a guide body is provided on the upper portion of the support pillar member substantially parallel to the extending direction of the support pillar. , The guide body is movable in the length direction, and the guide body is equipped with a surplus length accommodating body that accommodates the surplus length of the optical fiber connecting portion. The storage tray is configured so as to be slidable along the guide body, and the base case has a cover case detachably attached to cover the support member and the extra length storage body. It is a closure for optical cables. A second aspect of the invention is the optical cable closure according to the first aspect of the invention, in which a plurality of fiber introduction ports are provided in the outer peripheral edge of the storage tray. In the third invention, the base comprises a frame body and a bush which is detachable from the frame body and has flexibility, and the cable introduction port is provided in the bush. The optical cable closure according to the first or second invention, wherein a thin portion is formed by cutting out a portion at a portion corresponding to an arbitrary cable introduction port. According to a fourth invention, the optical cable according to the first, second or third invention, wherein the accommodation tray is provided with a pressing plate having flexibility for pressing and fixing the optical fiber subjected to the extra length treatment. Is a closure.

[0006]

【Example】

 The present invention will be described in more detail based on the embodiments shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an embodiment of a closure, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of a bush of a base. Reference numeral A is a closure, which is provided with a base 1. The pedestal 1 is composed of a frame body 10 and a rubber bush 11 which is detachable from the frame body 10 and has flexibility. The bush 11 is made up of two semi-circular members, each of which is provided with five cable inlets 12. A portion of the outer peripheral portion of the bush 11 corresponding to the second and fourth cable introducing ports 12 from one side is cut out at the bottom side to form a thin portion 19. A mounting flange 13 is provided on the lower peripheral portion of the frame body 10 of the base 1. Further, the peripheral wall 14 of the base 1 is provided with two fixing screws 15 for fixing the cover case 8 described later. Note that reference numeral 16 is a support member that serves as a support portion when fixing the closure A to an arm pole of a utility pole or the like.

On the upper part of the frame 10 of the base 1, pillar members 2, 2 a having a required height are erected so as to face each other toward the peripheral edge. A distributor cover 17 for accommodating a light distributor is attached to each of the column members 2 and 2a. A cross-shaped pedestal plate 3 is attached to the upper portions of the column members 2 and 2a. One set of the overhanging portions of the base plate 3 facing each other is a fixing plate 31 for mounting the base plate 3 on the column members 2 and 2a, and the other set is such that the front end thereof is at a right angle downward. It is a bent guide attachment plate 32. One of the fixed plate 31 and the guide attachment plate 32 is not visible in the figure.

A guide plate 47 is attached to each of the guide attachment plates 32 via a tightening screw 46. Below the guide plate 47, there is provided an adjusting elongated hole 48 extending over almost half of the entire length, and the guide plate 47 is fixed by tightening the adjusting elongated hole 48 portion with a tightening screw 46. As a result, the guide plate 47 can be vertically moved and adjusted within a certain range. Further, a required number of locking holes 49 are provided on the upper portion of the guide plate 47. The extra length container 5 is attached to both guide plates 47. The extra length container 5 includes storage trays 50 stacked in five stages. Each storage tray 50 is provided with a pair of opposing mounting pieces 52 and two pairs of opposing wall pieces 54 standing upright on the peripheral edge of a circular bottom plate 51. Both of the mounting pieces 52 are L-plate-shaped protruding outwards, and a horizontal portion is provided with an insertion hole 53 into which the guide plate 47 is slidably inserted. Further, each of the wall pieces 54 is provided with a locking claw 55 horizontally toward the inside. The gap between the two mounting pieces 52 and each wall piece 54 serves as a fiber introduction port 56 for accommodating the optical fiber.

On the other hand, substantially annular base plates 6 and 7 are attached to the middle part of the pillar members 2 and 2a. The lower base plate 6 is provided with a required number of holding bands 60 which are holding portions for tightening and holding the cables. Further, the upper base plate 7 is provided with a required number of holding plates 70, which are holding portions for holding the tension members of the cables, corresponding to the holding bands 60. The base 1 is covered with a cover case 8 for covering the built-in devices such as the pillar members 2 and 2a and the extra length container 5. The cover case 8 has a cylindrical shape in which the upper side is closed and the upper side is slightly constricted, and an engaging hole 80 corresponding to the fixing screw 15 provided on the base 1 is provided in the bottom part. It is fixed to the base 1 by tightening.

(Operation) FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a state where the storage tray is lifted and repaired, and FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a state in which the storage tray is installed on the arm of the electric pole. The closure A is of a vertical type as shown in the figure, and is installed on the arm of a utility pole. It should be noted that, if necessary, the attachments can be replaced, and the attachments can be hung on a cable or installed in a manhole. In this embodiment, a case where a pair of optical cables C1 and C2 are connected will be described as an example. The introduction and mounting of the optical cables C1 and C2 and the extra length treatment of the optical fiber F are performed as follows. First, the outer skins of the front ends of the optical cables C1 and C2 are stripped to a required length, and the optical cables C1 and C2 are introduced from the lower part to the upper part of the cable introduction port 12 of the base 1. The optical cables C1 and C2 are inserted into the holding band 60, and the upper portion of the portion where the outer skin is left is fixed. Next, spacers and the like are appropriately processed, and the exposed tension members M1 and M2 are passed through the holding plate 70 and fixed. Then, the corresponding optical fibers F extended from the optical cables C1 and C2 are fusion-spliced by a connector (not shown). Then, the extra length portion of the optical fiber F is appropriately accommodated in each accommodation tray 50 of the extra length accommodation body 5 while being processed into a ring shape.

Further, a pressing plate 9 for pressing and fixing the optical fiber F, which has been processed and accommodated in a ring shape, is attached to each accommodation tray 50 from above. The pressing plate 9 is a disc made of sponge and has a required thickness, and is fitted and attached to the underside of the locking claw 55 of the storage tray 50. As a result, the optical fiber F, which may spring out of the storage tray 50 due to elasticity, is effectively fixed. After the connection is completed, if a defect occurs at the connection point of the optical fiber F, it is necessary to reconnect the defect point. In that case, first, the cover case 8 is removed, the tightening screw 46 is loosened, and only the guide plates 47 are shifted upward by a fixed amount and fixed while the extra length housing 5 is left as it is. Then, the storage tray 50 above it is raised so that the upper portion of the storage tray 50 in which the optical fiber F having the defect has been subjected to excess length processing is opened, and the pin P is inserted into the arbitrary locking hole 49. To prevent the raised storage tray 50 from falling. Then, the defective optical fiber F is pulled out, the connection is made again, and the extra length portion is stored in the storage tray 50 again. When the raised storage tray 50 is lowered as before, the optical fibers F of the respective storage trays 50 that are pulled out when raised are also stored while paying attention to the diameter of the loop. Finally, the guide plate 47 is lowered and fixed, and the cover case 8 is attached to complete the work.

According to the closure A of the present invention, when the plural optical cables are connected and branched, since the cable introduction port 12 is provided in the peripheral portion of the base 1, it can be easily introduced from any direction below. .. Although the procedure for connecting all the optical fibers F of the optical cables C1 and C2 has been described in the present embodiment, in reality, a part of the optical fibers F is left uncut and remains connected. In many cases, so-called post-branch connection is performed in which the optical fiber F is branched and connected. In this case, since the optical cables C1 and C2 cannot be passed from the lower part to the upper part of the cable inlet 12 as described above, the following procedure is performed. First, the bush 11 is removed from the frame body 10 of the base 1, and the thin portion 19 at any two of the outer peripheral portions of the bush 11 is cut. Then, the cut portion is widened so that the optical cables C1 and C2 in which a part of the optical fiber F is still connected are fitted from the side. Next, the bush 11 is attached to the frame body 10 to form the base 1, and thereafter, connection and extra length treatment are performed by substantially the same procedure as described above. The present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims for utility model registration.

[0013]

[Effect of the device]

 The present invention has the above configuration and has the following effects. (A) Since the cable inlets are gathered on the lower surface and the cable has a vertical structure that allows the cable to be easily introduced from any direction below, the device can be made more compact with the same throughput as the conventional closure. (B) The upper part of the closure is hermetically sealed, and the only part that requires waterproofing is the peripheral part of the lower base. That is, the extra length container that requires particularly reliable waterproofing is located in the sealed upper part, and raindrops do not easily enter from the lower part, and even if it enters, it is easily discharged from the lower part, so the waterproof part is simple. A waterproof structure is sufficient. Therefore, the cost can be reduced and the manufacturing cost can be reduced. (C) In the case where a plurality of inlets are provided in the peripheral portion of the storage tray, freedom in processing the optical fiber, for example, when a plurality of cables are introduced and processed when the cable is branched. It is easy to work with a large degree. In addition, it has the advantage of flexibility because it can be repaired several times and the excess length can be shortened to allow processing through a nearby inlet. (D) In the case where the base is provided with a bush and a thin portion is formed in the outer peripheral portion of the bush corresponding to an arbitrary cable introduction port, if the thin portion is cut, the cut portion is opened to open the bush. Since the cable can be inserted from the side, it is convenient and convenient when making a so-called post-branch connection in which the remaining optical fibers are branched and connected without cutting a part of the optical fiber. (E) In the storage tray containing the pressing plate, since the optical fiber is pressed and fixed to the bottom plate of the storage tray, the optical fiber does not spring out from the storage tray due to elasticity. In addition, since the optical fiber is effectively fixed, not only fusion splicing, but also other connection methods, such as connector connection and mechanical splice connection, can be fixed without difficulty. Has the advantage that it can be selected arbitrarily.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an embodiment of a closure.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a bush of a base.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a state where a tray is lifted and repaired.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an installed state.

FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway front view showing an example of a conventional closure.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a surplus length housing case housed inside a conventional closure.

[Explanation of symbols]

 A Optical cable closure 1 Platform 10 Frame 11 Bush 12 Cable introduction port 19 Thin section 2, 2a Strut member 47 Guide plate 5 Extra length container 50 Storage tray 56 Fiber introduction port 60 Holding band 70 Holding plate 8 Cover case 9 Pressing Board

Claims (4)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A base (1) having a required number of cable introduction ports (12) is provided, and a support member (2, 2a) is provided on the base (1), and the support member (2, 2a) is provided. 2a) is equipped with a required number of cable holding parts that hold the sheath of the cable and tension member holding parts that hold the tension members, and in the upper part of the strut members (2, 2a), the direction in which the strut extends. A guide body is provided substantially in parallel with the guide body, and the guide body is movable and adjustable in the length direction, and the guide body has an extra length accommodating body (5) for accommodating the extra length of the connecting portion of the optical fiber (F). The extra length container (5) is composed of a required number of storage trays (50), and the storage trays (50) are slidably mounted along the guides, respectively. A cover case (8) for covering the column members (2, 2a) and the extra length container (5) is detachably attached to the panel (1). Ja. 2. The storage tray (50) is provided with a plurality of fiber inlets (56) at an outer peripheral edge portion thereof.
The optical cable closure described. 3. The base (1) comprises a frame (10) and a bush (11) which is detachable from the frame (10) and has flexibility, and the cable introduction port (12) is the bush (11). ), A part of the outer peripheral portion of the bush (11) corresponding to the arbitrary cable introduction port (12) is partially cut away to form a thin portion (19). The optical cable closure according to claim 1 or 2. 4. A pressing plate having flexibility for pressing and fixing the optical fiber (F) having been subjected to the extra length to the storage tray (50).
The optical cable closure according to claim 1, 2 or 3, further comprising (9).