Locate wire connector and locate wire grounding method

A locate wire connector provides a grounding wire connection for the locate wire of a fiber optic cable. The locate wire is partially separated from the fiber optic cable. A conductive stripper in the connector establishes electrical communication with the locate wire conductor upon placing the locate wire and fiber optic cable in the connector and closing same. A stud extending from the cover of the connector provides a terminal for connecting a ground wire. The connector may also contain a gel to ensure a waterproof grounding connection.

BACKGROUND

This disclosure relates generally to drop wire connections for connecting fiber optic cable to residences. More particularly, this disclosure to connectors and grounding techniques employed for locate wires for fiber optic cables.

Fiber optic cables which are employed underground typically have a locate wire which is attached to and extends with the fiber optic carrier. The locate wire is employed to locate the fiber optic cable underground. Typically, a tone is applied to the locate wire to locate the cable. Because the locate wire is electrically conductive, grounding is required. One conventional grounding technique employs stripping insulation from the locate wire and then bonding several locate wires together. In some installations a ground rod is employed since it is not desirable to ground the locate wires in an optical network unit (ONU).

SUMMARY

Briefly stated, a locate wire connector comprises a base. The base has a groove for a cable and a spaced groove for a locate wire. A cover is hinged to the base and has a first interior side and a second exterior side. A conductive member is mounted to the first side and forms a stripper slot alignable with the locate wire groove. A stud assembly is configured to connect a ground wire extending from the second side. The stud assembly is in electrical communication with the conductive member. When a cable is received in the cable groove, a locate wire is received in the locate wire groove and the cover is closed over the base, the stud assembly electrically communicates with the locate wire.

The cable groove and locate wire groove are each defined by transversely spaced recesses in opposed side panels of the base. The cable groove recess is restricted. The base comprises a bottom panel and a locate wire cradle extends from the bottom panel and is aligned with the locate wire groove. The cover further comprises a pair of tabs. The base has a pair of detents which receive the tabs when the cover is closed. The cover also has an extended bill.

The conductive member is a conductive plate which is bent perpendicularly at two transversely spaced locations and forms a pair of opposed stripper blades at each side of said slot. In a closed position, the stripper blades are disposed between the locate wire cradle and the locate wire grooves. The stud assembly comprises a threaded member having a head which engages against the conductive member and exteriorly receives a pair of nuts.

A method for grounding a locate wire comprises providing a hinge connector with a base and a hinge cover. The locate wire is partially separated from an optic cable. The locate wire and optic cable are placed in the base. The cover is closed to thereby establish electrical communication with the locate wire. A ground wire is connected to the cover to provide electrical communication between the ground wire and the locate wire.

The method further comprises displaying insulation from the locate wire as the cover closes onto the base. The step of partially separating the locate wire from an optic cable further comprises slitting the web between the locate wire and the optic cable. The method also comprises connecting a ground wire by tightening an end portion of the ground wire by torquing a nut mounted on the cover. A gel is placed in the connector prior to closing the cover. The method comprises securing the closed cover by forcing tabs of the cover into detents of the base.

A locate wire grounding installation comprises a fiber optic cable with a locate wire partially separated from the cable carrier. A connector captures the cable and locate wire in spaced separated relationship. A conductor member disposed interiorly of the connector electrically communicates with the locate wire and with an exteriorly accessible stud. A grounding wire is secured to the stud.

The locate wire has a central conductor covered by insulation. The connector comprises a pair of transversely spaced stripper blades which sever insulation on the locate wire and electrically communicate with the locate wire conductor. The stripper blades position and align the locate wire to prevent the stripper blades from severing the central conductor of the locate wire. A gel covers the stripper blades. The connector comprises a base and a hinge cover which pivots between an open and a closed position and captures the fiber optic cable and a separated portion of the locate wire in the closed position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to the drawings wherein like numerals represent like parts throughout the several Figures, a locate wire connector is generally designated by the numeral10. As best illustrated inFIG. 2, the locate wire connector10is employed to connect with a ground wire12for grounding the locate wire14of a fiber optic cable16. The locate wire connector10has particular applicability in connection with grounding a No. 24 AWG locate wire or a toneable fiber flat drop cable in a handhole or a pedestal or at a residence.

The locate wire connector10, upon installation, functions as a strain relief and is significantly more stable than typical conventional grounding connections. The locate wire connector10can be efficiently employed in the handhole without introducing lightning discharges in the Optical Network Terminal (ONT) or the Optical Network Unit (ONU). In addition, the locate wire connector may be installed without stripping the locate wire and provides a grounding connection that is waterproof for underground installations.

With reference toFIG. 1, locate wire connector10comprises a box-like receiving base20which pivotally connects with a cover60to provide an efficient grounding connection for locate wire14, as will be detailed below. The base20has transversely opposed sides22and32which each have substantially identical aligned fiber cable grooves24,34and locate wire grooves26,36. The grooves24,34,26,36define side openings in the base. The cable grooves24,34are dimensioned to receive the fiber optic cable16and have a generally restricted upper portion which frictionally retentively engages the received fiber optic cable16.

The base20includes a bottom panel30with an upwardly projecting cradle40which extends transversely of the base in general alignment with the locate wire grooves26,36. The locate grooves are dimensioned and positioned to receive a separated portion of the locate wire once it is partially separated away from the carrier portion of the fiber optic cable (SeeFIG. 4). A pair14of gaps42,44are located above the bottom panel30of the base between the end of the cradle40and a lower vertex extension of the locate wire grooves.

A pair of parallel forward extensions46of sides22,32have aligned openings48which receive a hinge62of the cover60. The cover is secured via a hinge pin64or a pair of integral pins received in the openings48. The rear side50of the base has a pair of detents.

The cover60pivots from the open pre-installation position ofFIG. 1to the fully closed installation position ofFIG. 2. The underside of the cover includes a shallow lip66which forms two pairs of transversely opposed slots. The slots67align with the grooves24,34and slots69align with the grooves26,36when the cover is pivotally closed onto the base. The lip66is dimensioned so that it nestles inside the top portions of sides22,24and50in the closed position. In addition, the slots67,69respectively engage the top portions of the received cable16and locate wire14.

The underside surface of the cover includes a conductive member70in the form of a copper or brass plate which is bent and shaped as further described. The member70has an extension72at one end for engaging a recessed wall of the hinge. Transversely opposed portions of the conductive member70are folded generally perpendicular to a central planar portion and include a pair of transversely opposed stripper blades74which cooperate to form an intermediate slot76. The slots76receive the locate wire14and the blades74slice into the locate wire insulation to establish electrical contact with the conductor of the locate wire.

A threaded stud80has a flat head82which engages the underside of the conductive member70and extends through the top of the conductive member of the cover to stake the conductive member to the cover. The stud80is secured to the cover by a washer84and a nut86. A second washer88and nut90is threaded to the stud. The forward end of the cover includes a pair of tabs92which align with, and are received in, the detents in snap-fit fashion when the cover is pivoted to the closed position. A forward lip94extends over the rear side50of the base in the closed position and provides a sufficient surface to engage the cover and pivotally pull same to the opened position.

The locate wire connector10may be efficiently installed to provide a grounding connection for a locate wire14, such as illustrated inFIG. 2. Initially, an 8″ separation slit is made in the web of the fiber drop cable as illustrated inFIG. 3. For a handhole grounding, the slit is preferably in the first slack coil on the bottom of the handhole.

A gel100, which may be in capsule form, is pre-positioned in or dropped into the base cavity region of the cradle40for the locate wire and the locate wire grooves26,36and slots42,44. A release paper102, which preferably covers the gel is removed. The locate wire is positioned in the grooves26,36of the gel-filled base, locate wire receiving region and then the cover60is closed over the base, the received locate wire and the fiber optic cable. It should be appreciated that the conductive member makes electrical communication with the locate wire conductor via the stripping blades74which displace the insulation as the locate wire76moves through the slots76. The geometry of the slots76and the retentive features of the grooves26,36and the cradle40cooperate to prevent severing of the locate wire connector. The detents52receive the tabs92so that the connector is in a stable closed position shown inFIGS. 2 and 6. In some embodiments and applications, the gel is not required.

With reference toFIG. 7, a green ground wire12is attached to the stud80on the connector10and to one of the studs (not illustrated) on the ground block (not illustrated). The locate wire is sufficiently grounded without requiring the stripping of the locate wire, and the connector10, with the gel100, provides a grounding connection that is waterproof for underground installations.

If necessary, a reverse force applied to the bill94will cause the tabs92to release from the detents52and allow the connector10to be reopened by reverse pivoting the cover60from the base20.