An optical fiber enclosure system having a storage and splicing enclosure and one or more termination enclosures. The storage and splicing enclosure contains ports on all four of its sides that allow external fiber optic cables to access the interior of the enclosure. The storage and splicing enclosure includes hardware for storage of excess optical fiber and outer protective cabling components, grounding and securing spliced optical fibers. Termination enclosures may be attached to the any of the four sides of the storage and splicing enclosure. The storage and splicing enclosure has ports on all four of its sides that mate with ports on the termination enclosures to permit optical fiber to run therebetween. The termination enclosures includes hardware for mounting modules for terminating optical fibers. Attached to the termination modules are optical fibers that extend from the termination enclosure through ports in the termination enclosure and storage and splicing enclosure and into the storage and splicing enclosure. Those optical fibers are spliced to optical fibers forming the fiber optic cables in the storage and splicing enclosure. Additional fiber optic cables attached to the termination modules exit the termination enclosure through ports and run to an equipment rack at the customer premises where the optical fibers can be attached to customer equipment.

Optical fiber enclosure system

The invention provides for an optical fiber strain relief system and a method for using the same. The optical fiber strain relief system includes a tab, a mass fusion splice protection sleeve and a tray for securing the tab and sleeve. The tab has substantially rectangular members, having long dimensions extending in the direction of fiber optic ribbon cables. The substantially rectangular members have widened portions and are joined at the widened portions by a short member. The substantially rectangular members of the tab fold over fiber optic ribbon cables, bending the short adjoining member, and thereby attaching to the fiber optic ribbon cables. Once attached to the fiber optic ribbon cables, the tab protects the optical fibers from bending and tensile forces and provides strain relief. The tray has retainers for securing the tabs and mass fusion splice protection sleeves to further protect the optical fibers and provide strain relief. The tray is fitted with a cover.

Optical fiber strain relief system

A splice organizer (56) for optical cable splices (30, 32, 42) within a splice closure assembly (1) having end walls (2, 4), supporting bars (6, 8) joining the end walls (2, 4) and bridging between the end walls (2, 4), a splice closure space (12) between the end walls (2, 4), optical cables (14, 16) entering the end walls (2, 4), corresponding optical conductors (22, 24) of the optical cables (14, 16) projecting into the splice closure space (12), optical connector bodies (30, 32) terminated to corresponding optical conductors (22, 24), and optical splices (30, 32, 42) formed by pairs of the optical connector bodies (30, 32) in axial alignment to transmit optical signals between corresponding optical conductors (24, 28) terminated to the optical connector bodies (30, 32) in axial alignment, a series of receptacles (56) for the corresponding pairs of optical conductors (22, 24), each of the receptacles (56) comprising side walls (58, 60) and a central dividing wall (62) defining first and second compartments (84, 88) for containing lengths of the optical conductors (22, 24) connected to corresponding optical splices (30, 32, 42) mounted on the receptacle (56), and mounting brackets (96) on the receptacle (56) for mounting the receptacle (56) to the supporting bars (6, 8), with the sidewalls (58, 60) of the receptacle (56) substantially parallel to the end walls (2, 4) of the splice closure assembly (1).

Splice organizer for optical cable splices

The support is constituted by a spool comprising a base (F), and outer wall (1) having openings (4) therethrough, an inner wall (2) having openings (5) therethrough, and at least one cylinder (3). An outer ring (A) between the inner and outer walls serves to store slack lengths of fiber-carrier, and an inner ring (B) between said inner wall and said cylinder(s) serves to store slack lengths of optical fiber together with connection devices (11) for interconnecting the fibers. Lugs are provided on the inner and outer walls and on the cylinder(s) in order to hold the fiber-carriers and the fibers in place while the supports are being manipulated. The cylinders may be provided with rotatable covers, in which case the cylinder lugs are fixed to the covers.

Optical fiber connection support

A method, system and tools for introducing a fiber optic conduit into a pressurized gas pipeline includes the step of introducing a translating member into the pressurized gas pipeline via an entry port in a first fitting attached to the pressurized gas pipeline. Tools are deployed within a first pressure lock housing attached to the first fitting by using a first manipulator located in the first air lock housing. The translating member, such as a duct rod, is advanced within the pressurized gas pipeline by a driving mechanism until a second drilling fitting is reached. The translating member is attached to a fiber optic conduit or cable. The duct rod and fiber optic conduit are then pulled back through the pressurized gas pipeline. Extractor tools extending through seals in the pressure lock housing engage with and withdraw the duct rod. Alternatively, first and second duct rods may be pushed towards each other from the first and second fittings. End elements on the duct rods engage each other. The first duct rod is then pulled back, pulling the second duct rod with it. This technique can double the installation length available by pushing duct rod through the pipeline.

Methods and systems for installing cable and conduit in pipelines

An energy conducting cable loop enclosure which receives and retains an above-ground loop of a flexible conductor cable in an underground energy distribution system, particularly in a system for the supplying of electrical energy. The main body structure, which is upright in normal placement, is of elongate rectangular shape with an above-ground and a below-ground portion and having an open bottom and a closed top. At the junction of these two portions, supporting feet are located which bridge a hole in the ground, in which the below-ground portion is inserted, to rest on the surrounding ground. A removable front plate provides access to the interior of the above-ground portion. The above-ground portion contains a cable hoop having a radius at least as great as the minimum allowable bending radius of the cable on which a loop of cable is trained after being led through the open bottom and out through the open above-ground front. The depth of the hoop is substantially equal to the depth of the body structure so that the cable loop is captured on the hoop when the front plate is secured in place. The structure is held in place by the anchoring effect of the buried cable by way of the captured cable loop. The dimensional interaction of the structural elements combine for the provision of cable loops of desired size for interfacing with system components. Means are provided to prevent unauthorized removal of the plate.

James R. Kirby

Papers

Buried conductor cable energy distribution system with conductor loop enclosure