Patent ID: 7510339

Claim:
A splice enclosure supporting a splice between a first fiber optic drop cable and a second fiber optic drop cable, wherein each of the fiber optic cables comprises at least one optical fiber enclosed in a buffer tube, at least one flexible strength member extending alongside the buffer tube, and a jacket enclosing the at least one optical fiber, the buffer tube and the at least one strength member, wherein the at least one optical fiber of the first cable is spliced to the at least one optical fiber of the second drop cable, wherein the enclosure comprises: (a) at least one longitudinally-extending flexible support member extending across the splice, wherein the at least one support member has flexibility properties similar to those of the at least one strength member; (b) a cover member which covers the splice and which has a pair of opposed ends which overlap and are sealed to the jackets of the first and second cables, respectively; and (c) a first collar having a length defined along a longitudinal axis and having first and second opposed end faces, wherein the first collar comprises: (i) a longitudinally-extending central aperture which is sized and shaped to receive the buffer tube, wherein the first aperture is open at both ends and extends from the first end face to the second end face of the first collar; (ii) at least one longitudinally-extending strength member aperture which is open at the first end face of the first collar, each said strength member aperture being sized and shaped to closely receive an end of one of the strength members of the first cable; (iii) at least one longitudinally-extending support member aperture which is open at the second end face of the first collar, each said support member aperture being sized and shaped to closely receive an end of one of the support members, and wherein each of the strength member apertures is substantially coaxially aligned with one of the support member apertures of the first collar; and wherein the buffer tube of the first cable extends through the central aperture and extends out from the second end face of the first collar, the ends of the strength members of the first cable are secured against removal in the strength member apertures of the first collar, and the ends of the support members are secured against removal in the support member apertures of the first collar, such that the end of each of the strength members is substantially coaxially aligned with an end of one of the support members.