Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/US20090252462A1/en
Timestamp: 2019-06-20 13:39:51
Document Index: 609802669

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 220', 'art 210', 'art 220', 'art 210', 'art 220', 'art 210', 'art 220', 'art 210', 'art.\n22', 'art.\n23', 'art.\n27']

US20090252462A1 - Optical box and method of connecting optical fibres - Google Patents
Optical box and method of connecting optical fibres Download PDF
US20090252462A1
US20090252462A1 US12/420,418 US42041809A US2009252462A1 US 20090252462 A1 US20090252462 A1 US 20090252462A1 US 42041809 A US42041809 A US 42041809A US 2009252462 A1 US2009252462 A1 US 2009252462A1
US12/420,418
US8208779B2 (en
Jean-Pierre Bonical
2008-04-08 Priority to FR0801927 priority Critical
2008-04-08 Priority to FR0801927A priority patent/FR2929717B1/en
2008-04-08 Priority to FR08/01927 priority
2009-04-08 Application filed by Draka Comteq BV filed Critical Draka Comteq BV
2009-06-15 Assigned to DRAKA COMTEQ FRANCE reassignment DRAKA COMTEQ FRANCE ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: BONICEL, JEAN-PIERRE
2009-06-16 Assigned to DRAKA COMTEQ B.V. reassignment DRAKA COMTEQ B.V. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: DRAKA COMTEQ FRANCE
2009-10-08 Publication of US20090252462A1 publication Critical patent/US20090252462A1/en
2012-06-26 Publication of US8208779B2 publication Critical patent/US8208779B2/en
An optical box includes a first part suitable for fastening to an optical fibre distribution cable and a second part having an opening intended for the passage of at least one optical fibre dropped from the distribution cable and at least one optical component positioned in the second part for connecting the dropped optical fibre to at least one optical fibre of a subscriber cable. The second part of the optical box is fastened detachably to the first part of the optical box. The optical box combines the dropping and splicing of optical fibres in a single optical box.
High-capacity telecommunication cables are used in optical fibre telecommunication systems all the way to the user, known under the English acronym FTTH for “Fiber To The Home” or FTTC for “Fiber To The Curb”, and an individual access to each micromodule and/or each fibre is realized for a distribution into a particular building or a particular floor, In this context, by “distribution cable” is meant a telecommunication cable containing a plurality of fibres which are grouped in micromodules supplying an optical signal to a whole building or a group of buildings. The distribution cable can in particular be a vertical cable installed in the service shaft of a building or an external cable installed in urban conduits. The distribution cable can contain several tens of optical fibres. By “subscriber cable” is meant a cable containing one or more optical fibres connected to a subscriber box. A subscriber cable generally contains less than 10 optical fibres. A distribution box can supply a whole building, a whole floor or a particular apartment. The distribution cable is generally installed in a service shaft and the subscriber box is installed in each subscriber's premises, at some distance from the distribution cable. In order to connect the fibres of a subscriber cable to the fibres of the distribution cable, typically, a drop cable is used, from the distribution cable to a splicing box in which the bare fibres of the drop cable and of the subscriber cable are connected.
FIG. 1 diagrammatically illustrates an installation for dropping fibres from a distribution cable and connecting the dropped fibres to a subscriber box according to the prior art. Such an installation has in particular been presented by the company Prysmian® during the FTTH conference of the FTTH Council 2008 held in Paris on 27th and 28 Feb. 2008. Such an installation comprises a tapping box 10 fastened onto a distribution cable 100 supplying a whole building for example. The tapping box 10 makes it possible to cover and protect an opening made in the cable 100 by an operator for dropping at least one optical fibre. Generally, a first opening is made in the cable jacket and at least one fibre is cut through this first opening; then a second opening, termed tapping window, is made in the cable jacket and said cut fibre is drawn out in order to be dropped. The distance between the two openings depends on the applications. The tapping box 10 has a connection with a drop cable 120 which contains the dropped fibre(s) of the distribution cable 100. The installation of FIG. 1 also shows a splicing box 20 in which the drop cable 120 and a subscriber cable 150 emerge. The subscriber cable 150 is moreover connected to a subscriber box 30 in order to supply an optical signal to a particular subscriber. The splicing box 20 can receive a plurality of subscriber cables 150. For example, a whole floor of a building can be supplied by a single drop cable 120 from a vertical distribution cable 100 supplying the whole building; the splicing box 20 then allows a connection between the fibres of each subscriber cable 150 of this floor and the corresponding fibres of the drop cable 120.
According to another embodiment, the second part can be equally well fastened according to a first position or a second position onto the first part, the second position corresponding to a rotation of 180° of the second part over the first part with respect to the first position.
According to one embodiment, the cut fibre is drawn through the second opening of the distribution cable over a distance greater than 0.2 metre, preferably over a distance greater than 1 metre.
The cable 100 can moreover comprise reinforcing elements (not illustrated) arranged in the jacket to make the cable 100 more rigid and allow the weight of the cable 100 to be supported once it is installed in vertical position. The jacket of the cable 100 can be made from a material compatible with existing standards for interior uses, in particular vis-à-vis fire standards, and making it possible to produce the jacket by extrusion. The material of the jacket is also chosen to allow easy cutting with scissors or with a cutter and tearing by hand.
The second part 220 of the optical box 200 is fastened to the first part 210, for example with the first cassette 221 clipped onto the base 211 and retained by the sides 212. The second part 220 can be fastened equally well onto the first part 210 according to two positions, i.e. a rotation of 180° of the second part 220 in relation to the first part 210 is possible.
The second part 220 being detachable from the first part 210 of the optical box 200, the operation of connecting the fibres can be carried out at some distance from the distribution cable 100, i.e. at a distance of at least 20 cm and for example at approximately 1 metre or more from the tapping window 105. The operator can thus move away from the service shaft or corner in which the distribution cable 100 is installed and comfortably perform the operation of connecting the fibres.
21. An optical box adapted for dropping at least one fibre from a distribution cable having a first opening and a second opening spaced apart from the first opening and for connecting the at least one fibre of the distribution cable to at least one fibre of a subscriber cable, the optical box comprising:
a first part adapted for fastening to the distribution cable about the second opening of the distribution cable, the first part comprising a base having a generally rectangular shape and lateral sides extending from the base; and
a second part comprising at least one optical component for connecting the at least one fibre of the distribution cable with the at least one fibre of the subscriber cable, the second part adapted to be engaged by the lateral sides of the first part to detachably fasten the second part to the first part.
22. The optical box according to claim 21, in which the lateral sides of the first part function as a spring clip such that the second part is clipped onto the first part over the distribution cable to detachably fasten the second part to the first part.
23. The optical box according to claim 21, in which the second part is adapted to be detachably fastened to the first part in a first position and in a second position corresponding to a rotation of 180° of the second part relative to the first part from the first position.
24. The optical box according to claim 21, in which the first part further comprises means of attachment for at least one of the distribution cable and the subscriber cable.
25. The optical box according to claim 21, in which the second part comprises a first cassette adapted to store an overlength of at least one of the fibre of the distribution cable and the fibre of the subscriber cable, and a second cassette adapted to receive the at least one optical component.
26. The optical box according to claim 25, in which the first cassette has an opening formed through a medial portion for passing the at least one fibre of the distribution cable from the first part to the second part.
27. The optical box according to claim 25, in which the first cassette and the second cassette are hinged together by a hinge joint.
28. The optical box according to claim 21, in which the at least one optical component of the second part is selected from the group consisting of a mechanical splice, a fusion splice and a splitter.
29. The optical box according to claim 21, in which at least one of the first part and the second part is formed by injection moulding.
30. The optical box according to claim 21, in which at least one of the first part and the second part is made of a halogen-free fire-proofed material.
31. The optical box according to claim 21, in which the first part and the second part have a total thickness ranging between 25 mm and 35 mm, a width ranging between 25 mm and 35 mm and a length ranging between 120 mm and 150 mm.
32. The optical box according to claim 21, in which the second part has a ratio of inside useful width to outside width greater than or equal to 0.9.
33. The optical box according to claim 21, in which the second part has a length-to-width ratio greater than 3.
34. The optical box according to claim 21, in which the at least one fibre of the distribution cable is cut at the first opening of the distribution cable and is drawn through the second opening of the distribution cable over a distance of at least 20 cm.
35. The optical box according to claim 33, in which the at least one fibre of the distribution cable is drawn through the second opening of the distribution cable over a distance of at least 1 m.
36. In combination, a distribution cable and an optical box adapted for dropping at least one fibre of the distribution cable and for connecting the at least one fibre of the distribution cable to at least one fibre of a subscriber cable, comprising:
a second part comprising a first cassette and a second cassette, the first cassette having an opening formed therethrough for passing the at least one fibre of the distribution cable from the first part to the second part and adapted to store an overlength of the at least one fibre of the distribution cable, the second cassette comprising at least one optical component for connecting the at least one fibre of the distribution cable with the at least one fibre of the subscriber cable.
37. A method of connecting at least one fibre of a distribution cable with at least one fibre of a subscriber cable comprising:
passing the at least one fibre of the distribution cable from the first part of the optical box to a second part of the optical box;
connecting the at least one fibre of the distribution cable with the at least one fibre of the subscriber cable by means of at least one optical component positioned in the second part of the optical box; and
38. The method according to claim 37, in which the at least one fibre of the distribution cable is drawn through the second opening in the distribution cable over a distance of at least 20 cm.
39. The method according to claim 37, in which the at least one fibre of the distribution cable is drawn through the second opening in the distribution cable over a distance of at least 1 m.
40. The method according to claim 37, in which the first opening in the distribution cable is made at a first floor in a building and the second opening in the distribution cable is made at a second floor in the building below the first floor.
US12/420,418 2008-04-08 2009-04-08 Optical box and method of connecting optical fibres Expired - Fee Related US8208779B2 (en)
FR0801927 2008-04-08
FR0801927A FR2929717B1 (en) 2008-04-08 2008-04-08 optical case
FR08/01927 2008-04-08
US20090252462A1 true US20090252462A1 (en) 2009-10-08
US8208779B2 US8208779B2 (en) 2012-06-26
ID=39618905
US12/420,418 Expired - Fee Related US8208779B2 (en) 2008-04-08 2009-04-08 Optical box and method of connecting optical fibres
US (1) US8208779B2 (en)
EP (1) EP2108987A1 (en)
FR (1) FR2929717B1 (en)
CN102354035A (en) * 2011-09-23 2012-02-15 中国移动通信集团设计院有限公司 Trunk optical fiber spliter device with reliable fiber splitting structure and cable feeding operation method
NL2004694C2 (en) 2010-05-10 2011-11-14 Draka Comteq Bv An assembly comprising at least one duct and at least one distribution box, and a method of mounting a distribution box to a duct.
US20190004260A1 (en) 2017-06-28 2019-01-03 Sumitomo Electric Lightwave Corp. System and method for joining and distributing a single optical fiber cable to multiple rack shelves
US20050070647A1 (en) * 2001-12-06 2005-03-31 Shuso Iyoshi Flame retardant composition process for producing the same, flame-retardant resin composition, and molded object thereof
JP2000056142A (en) * 1998-08-11 2000-02-25 Kawamura Electric Inc Splice box
DE19957405A1 (en) * 1999-11-29 2001-06-13 Nkt Cables Gmbh Arrangement of fiber optic elements and splice for optical waveguide elements
2008-04-08 FR FR0801927A patent/FR2929717B1/en active Active
2009-04-08 US US12/420,418 patent/US8208779B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
2009-04-08 EP EP20090005149 patent/EP2108987A1/en not_active Ceased
FR2929717A1 (en) 2009-10-09
US8208779B2 (en) 2012-06-26
EP2108987A1 (en) 2009-10-14
FR2929717B1 (en) 2010-09-10
Owner name: DRAKA COMTEQ FRANCE, FRANCE
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:BONICEL, JEAN-PIERRE;REEL/FRAME:022826/0699
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:DRAKA COMTEQ FRANCE;REEL/FRAME:022828/0791