Patent Publication Number: US-2019179095-A1

Title: Optical Cord Retaining Device

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of United States Provisional Patent Application No. 62/596,997 filed Dec. 11, 2017, titled “Cord Retaining Device,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to devices and tools for installing an optical fiber inside a living unit or premises of a fiber optic network user, and particularly to a device that retains the fiber at a desired position while the fiber is installed at the premises. 
     Discussion of the Known Art 
     As used herein, the term “premises” is intended to mean a home, an office, an apartment, or other living unit where a user of a fiber optic network resides and uses services provided by the network, e.g., Internet access, telephony, television, voice and music broadcasts, and/or other information and data streams that require the routing and installation of one or more optical fibers inside the premises. Moreover, the terms “fiber,” “optical fiber,” and “cord” are used interchangeably herein and are intended to mean an optical fiber that is buffered and/or jacketed, as well as a fiber optic cable that contains one or more optical fibers. 
     Desktop optical network terminals (ONTs) are being deployed at an increasing rate inside premises of fiber optic network users. ONTs are usually placed on a desk or shelf inside a user&#39;s premises, near a TV set top box, cable modem, or other electronic device to which the ONT will be connected to interface the device with the network. A need presently exists for a tool or device for installing an optical fiber between the ONT, and a network provider terminal that is typically located at or near an entry point of the premises, wherein the device can install the fiber quickly, securely, and reliably over an elevated routing path at the premises and without an adverse visual impact when the installation is complete. 
     Conventional staples can be used to secure a fiber to a wall, a wall molding, or other exposed and accessible structural surface at a premises so as to, minimize installation time and incur a relatively low cost. Stapled installations are rejected, however, by many users who opt instead for special moldings or conduits to conceal the fiber at their premises. Staples can also physically damage walls and moldings, and impair or break a fiber if they are not properly installed. Some users also prefer to hide all wires and fibers completely at their premises, thereby incurring expensive hardware and increased installation time. 
     Accordingly, a system that enables an installer to route and bond an optical fiber quickly, properly, and safely along structural surfaces, grooves, and/or corners inside user premises with little if any visibility, is very desirable. A solution offered by OFS Fitel, LLC under the registered mark InvisiLight® fulfills this need by providing fast, easy, and virtually invisible fiber installations using a consumer grade, low odor, nonhazardous, water based adhesive to bond optical fibers to walls and ceilings indoors. Water based adhesives are desirable since they are typically non-toxic, allow clean up with soap and water, and can be shipped worldwide without restriction. As the demand for InvisiLight® installations has spread, users have expressed a desire that the installation time be reduced even more by addressing the following concerns. 
     Currently, an installer must move and climb a ladder multiple times. First, he or she deposits an adhesive bead over successive elevated portions of the routing path by repositioning and climbing the ladder to reach the ceiling or molding at each portion of the path, while at the same time holding onto an adhesive dispensing gun. To deposit the adhesive bead, the installer squeezes the gun trigger one or more times which causes a plunger inside the syringe to urge the adhesive out of an applicator nozzle. Once the adhesive is deposited over the entire routing path, the installer repeats the first series of ladder movements, climbing the ladder again at each elevated portion of the path where the installer uses a finger to press the fiber into the adhesive bead. At many premises, however, large furniture (e.g., sofas and entertainment centers) is located directly beneath one or more elevated portions of the routing path, thus making it difficult for the installer to use the ladder safely at such locations. 
       FIG. 1  shows an extensible adhesive dispensing gun system  10  which is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/790,317 filed Oct. 23, 2017, and assigned to the present applicant. The system  10  enables an installer to apply an adhesive bead along ceilings and crown moldings while standing on the floor at the premises. The system includes an adhesive dispensing gun  12 , an outer extension tube  14 , an inner rod  16  extending axially inside the extension tube with a plunger head  18  at a distal end of the rod, a base  20 , a syringe adapter  22  at a distal end of the extension tube  14 , and a syringe  24  having a piston  26  for dispensing an adhesive out of a syringe nozzle  30 . 
     To apply the adhesive bead, the installer squeezes the trigger on the gun  12  one or more times to cause a plunger inside the gun to advance against the inner rod  16  which, in turn, urges the piston  26  inside the syringe  24  to dispense the adhesive out of the nozzle  30 . The plunger head  18  at the end of the inner rod  16  applies uniform forward and outward pressure to a thin-walled, trailing end of the piston  26 , helping it to seal against the inner wall of the syringe  24  and to ensure a reliable and consistent adhesive application. 
       FIG. 2  shows a cord guide tool  40  as disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/837,537, filed Dec. 11, 2017, and also assigned to the present applicant. As seen in  FIG. 3 , when attached to a distal end of the syringe  24  in the dispensing gun system  10  in  FIG. 1 , the guide tool  40  enables an installer to embed a fiber neatly and precisely into an adhesive bead deposited at near a ceiling without a ladder. The guide tool  40  has a flat leading edge  42  sized so that when urged across a corner between adjacent walls, a wall and a ceiling, or a wall and a molding, the space defined between leading edge  42  and the corner is relatively small. When an adhesive bead is deposited along the corner and a fiber is oriented to pass between the leading edge  42  of the tool  40  and the corner in which the adhesive bead has been dispensed, the guide tool  40  will embed the fiber in the bead. 
     Pub. No. US 2017/0160508 (Jun. 8, 2017), also assigned to the present applicant and incorporated herein by reference, describes a tool for embedding an optical fiber in an adhesive bead deposited along a structural corner in a building room or hallway, without a ladder. The tool has a trough for receiving and containing a fiber, a guide channel at a downstream end of the trough that is arranged to retain the fiber, and a nose at a downstream end of the channel for embedding the fiber in the bead when an installer uses a pole to sweep the tool nose over and against the bead. 
     Inside and outside corner bend limiters are currently available from OFS Fitel, LLC as part of an InvisiLight® Supplemental Routing Kit, item #301079802. To facilitate attachment of the bend limiters at the corners of various structural surfaces (e.g., crown moldings, walls, and ceilings), the limiters are provided with thin pieces of double-sided adhesive tape with release liners. U.S. Pat. No. 9,720,200 (Aug. 1, 2017) also discloses a bend limiter in  FIG. 2A  of the patent. The limiter in the &#39;200 patent has a guide path for receiving a communications cable, and one or more pairs of spaced tabs to avoid unintentional separation of the cable from within the guide path. 
     To facilitate even faster installations while minimizing ladder use, several problems need to be addressed. First, an extensible adhesive dispensing gun system like the system  10  in  FIG. 1 , which eliminates the need for a ladder during the adhesive application, is required. Second, one or more cord retaining devices are needed to retain a cord and position it close enough to a dispensed adhesive bead so that the cord can be embedded in the bead. The cord retaining device should also support the weight of the cord while the adhesive bead cures. Finally, a tool such as the cord guide tool  40  in  FIG. 2  is required to urge the cord precisely and neatly into the adhesive bead without requiring the installer to use a ladder. Alternatively, before dispensing an adhesive bead along a desired routing path, the cord could be retained temporarily along the routing path with the aid of a cord retaining device. The adhesive bead could then be dispensed along the path, followed by embedding the cord into the bead. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the invention, a device for retaining an optical fiber or cord at a desired position along a defined installation route at a user premises, includes an elongated bend limiter having an open channel extending between opposite ends of the bend limiter. The channel is dimensioned and arranged to receive a given cord and to allow the cord to slide freely inside the channel. 
     An elongated retainer is constructed and arranged to overlie the bend limiter, and to close the open channel in the bend limiter when the retainer is secured to the bend limiter, thus confining the given cord confined inside the channel when the cord slides between the opposite ends of the bend limiter. 
     A latch is arranged to close the device by securing the retainer to the bend limiter, and the bend limiter is configured to conform in shape with one or more surfaces against which the bend limiter will be installed at the premises. 
     For a better understanding of the invention, reference is made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing and the appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
       In the drawing: 
         FIG. 1  shows an extensible adhesive dispensing gun system; 
         FIG. 2  shows a cord guide tool; 
         FIG. 3  shows the cord guide tool in  FIG. 2  when attached to the adhesive dispensing gun system in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIGS. 4A and 4B  show an embodiment of a cord retaining device according to the invention; 
         FIG. 5  shows the inventive cord retaining device in a closed position; 
         FIG. 6  shows an installation tool for the cord retaining device; 
         FIG. 7  shows the installation tool in  FIG. 6  when engaging the cord retaining device; 
         FIG. 8  shows the installation tool in  FIG. 6  attached to the adhesive dispensing gun system in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 10  show the installation tool in  FIG. 6  being used to install the inventive cord retaining device in an inside corner of two walls near the ceiling at a user premises; 
         FIGS. 11A and 11B  show another embodiment of a cord retaining device according to the invention; 
         FIG. 12  shows the cord retaining device in  FIG. 11  attached to the installation tool in  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIGS. 13A and 13B  show a modification of the cord retaining device in  FIG. 11 ; 
         FIGS. 14A, 14B, and 14C  show how the inventive cord retaining devices in  FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 11  can have different configurations to conform in shape with walls against which the devices will be installed at the user premises; 
         FIG. 15  shows a modification to an attachment collar on the installation tool in  FIG. 6 ; and 
         FIG. 16  shows a cylindrical threaded boss in place of the attachment collar on the installation tool in  FIG. 6 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIGS. 4A and 4B  show one embodiment of a cord retaining device  50  according to the invention. The device allows optical fibers or cords to be installed at user premises with only minimal use of a ladder. 
     Cord retaining device  50  includes a bend limiter  52 , and a retainer  54  having a tool attachment part  56 . The bend limiter  52  has a generally elongated body, and a channel  58  is formed with an open top along the body of the bend limiter  52 . The channel  58  is sized to contain a given cord, and to allow the cord to slide freely inside the channel between opposite ends of the bend limiter. The retainer  54  also has a generally elongated body that acts as a lid, wherein the retainer  54  closes the top of the channel  58  when the retainer is secured over the bend limiter as in  FIG. 5 . 
     In the embodiment of  FIGS. 4A and 4B , the bend limiter  52  is joined to the retainer  54  by a living hinge  60 . As shown, the hinge  60  is attached to the bend limiter  52  and to the retainer  54  at locations substantially midway along their confronting edges. The bend limiter  52  also includes a snap latch  62  formed and dimensioned to engage a chamfered boss  64  on the retainer  54  and thus secure the retainer to the bend limiter and close the top of the channel  58 . As a result, a cord contained in the channel  58  is confined inside the channel when the latch  62  closes the device  50  as in  FIG. 5 , as the cord slides freely in and out the opposite ends of the bend limiter  52 . 
     The device  50  may be produced by injection molding a material such as, e.g., clear polypropylene, polyethylene, or other equivalent and chemically resistant plastics. A thin, double-sided adhesive tape with a release backing is adhered on outside surfaces  70  and  72  of the bend limiter  52 , to facilitate attachment of the retaining device  50  when closed to various structural surfaces, e.g., crown moldings, walls, and ceilings over which the cord will be routed at the premises. 
       FIG. 6  shows a tool  80  that can be used to install the cord retaining device  50  at a desired location along an elevated routing path at a user premises. The installation tool  80  has a key  82  formed to engage the attachment part  56  on the retainer  54  of the device  50 . The tool  80  also has a stop  84  arranged to position the tool optimally relative to the device  50 , and a cylindrical attachment collar  86  dimensioned and arranged to attach the tool  80  about a distal end of the syringe  24  on the adhesive dispensing gun system  10  in  FIG. 1 . See  FIG. 8 . 
       FIG. 7  shows the installation tool  80  about to engage the attachment part  56  on the retainer  54  of the cord retaining device  50 . As depicted in  FIG. 7 , a given cord  90  is free to slide in either direction through the channel  58  in the bend limiter  52  after the retainer  54  is secured on the bend limiter. Accordingly, when the installation tool  80  is attached to the distal end of the syringe  24  as in  FIG. 8 , an installer can install the closed device  50  with the cord  90  retained therein, within an inside corner or at another elevated location along a desired installation route at the premises. See  FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 10 . 
     To install the cord  90  along the desired route using one or more of the inventive cord retaining devices  50 , an installer would typically perform the following steps: 
     1. Using the adhesive dispensing gun system  10  in  FIG. 1 , dispense an adhesive bead along the desired route, except for approximately one inch on either side of each inside corner and/or other locations along the route where one or more cord retaining devices  50  are desired to be installed. Note that an installer&#39;s control over the movement of the syringe nozzle  30  may be improved or enhanced by providing a second handle  89  (see  FIG. 1 ) in addition to the handle on the dispensing gun  12 , and setting the handle  89  at a desired position along the outer extension tube  14 . 
     2. Replace the syringe nozzle  30  with a syringe cap, and attach the installation tool  80  in  FIG. 6  to a distal end of the syringe  24 . 
     3. Using masking tape or equivalent means, establish an initial anchor point for the cord, typically at or near an entry point to the premises. 
     4. Remove the release liners from adhesive tape strips on the bottom and rear walls  70 ,  72  of the bend limiter  52  of the device  50 . 
     5. With the retainer  54  at an open position, place the cord within the channel  58  in the bend limiter  52 , making sure the direction of the bend is consistent with the desired route of the cord. Secure the retainer  54  to the bend limiter  52  to close the top of the channel  58 , and ensure the cord is still free to slide in and out the ends of the bend limiter through the channel. 
     6. Attach the retainer  54  of the closed cord retaining device  50  to the key  82  atop the installation tool  80 . 
     7. Use the installation tool  80  to install the cord retaining device  50  in an inside corner and/or other location along the cord installation route. Drape the cord as needed to facilitate the installation. 
     8. Once the cord retaining device  50  is installed at each location, carefully pull the cord in the direction it will be routed so as to remove slack. Also, gently remove slack where the cord is routed about outside corners, using, e.g., the cord guide tool  40  in  FIG. 2  to position the cord as needed. 
     9. Use the cord-guide tool  40  to embed the cord into the adhesive bead dispensed in step  1 , above. 
     10. Repeat steps  4  to  9 , above, at each additional corner and/or other location where the device  50  is desired to be installed along the cord installation route. 
     Note that as an alternative, one or more cord retaining devices  50  and the cord  90  could be installed prior to the adhesive dispensing step  1 . That is, step  1  may be performed after step  7 . Also, the cord retaining device  50  can be used to route or turn cords in a vertical plane if needed at corners, wall-ceiling interfaces, and other locations. The installation tool  80  for the device  50  could then be modified by a skilled person if necessary, by reconfiguring the key  82  and the stop  84 . 
       FIGS. 11A and 11B  show another embodiment of a cord retaining device  100  according to the invention, including a bend limiter  102  having a cord retaining channel  106 , and a separate retainer  104 , both of which have generally elongated bodies similar to the bend limiter  52  and the retainer  54  of the device  50 . Double-sided adhesive tape strips with release liners are also placed on the bottom, upper, and outside surfaces of the bend limiter  102 . 
     To use the cord retaining device  100 , an installer removes the release liners from the tape strips on the bend limiter  102 , places the cord in the channel  106 , and then secures the retainer  104  in place over the bend limiter  102  to confine the cord inside the channel  106 . To route the cord, the installer can perform the installation steps listed above.  FIG. 12  shows the installation tool  80  attached to the cord retaining device  100 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 13A and 13B , and to help install the cord retaining device  100  when closed against a ceiling or wall surface that is textured, a tack  120  can be pressed into the ceiling or wall through an opening  122  formed through the bend limiter  102  and the retainer  104  of the device  100 . The tack  120  would be inserted, for example, into the device  100  prior to attachment to the installation tool  80 . The tack  120  could also be insert molded into the cord retaining device  100 , with the head of the tack embedded in the molded plastic device. Tack  120  could be made of, e.g., steel or brass so as to penetrate walls and ceilings easily, even when a popcorn texture and several coats of paint are present. 
     The entrance and the exit directions of the channels  58  and  106  in the devices  50  and  100  as illustrated herein are substantially perpendicular or at 90 degrees relative to one another. As shown in  FIGS. 14A to 14C , however, the devices  50 ,  100  can be made to have other, for example, 135 or 180 degree entrance/exit configurations so as to allow the devices to be used in rooms having walls that form one or more inside corners of 135 degrees, or in rooms where the cord is routed over relatively long straight spans. 
     Further, as shown in  FIG. 15 , the cylindrical collar  86  on the installation tool  80  can be formed with a longitudinal slot  130  to improve the gripping force of the attachment  86  on the adhesive dispensing syringe  24 . If the slot  130  is provided, the inside diameter of the collar  86  could be modified in a known manner to optimize the gripping force. Moreover, the collar  86  could be replaced with a cylindrical boss  140  having an internal ACME thread, as shown in  FIG. 16 . This would allow the installation tool  80  to be threaded onto a distal end of a standard extension pole, instead of being attached to the syringe  24  of the adhesive dispensing system  10  as in  FIG. 8 . 
     While the foregoing represents preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood by persons skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, and additions such as those mentioned above can be made, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention includes all such changes, modifications, and additions as are within the bounds of the following claims.