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US 12,493,157 B2Granted
Fiber optic cable terminal with a pushable stub cable
AssigneeCommScope Technologies LLC
InventorPatrick Jacques Ann Diepstraten
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fiber optic cable terminal proximally terminates a stub cable carrying one or more optical fibers. The stub cable is structurally adapted to be advanced through at least a portion of a conduit by distally pushing a distal end of the stub cable from a location that is proximal to a proximal end of the conduit and without applying any pulling force at any location that is distal to the proximal end of the conduit.
Claims15
A method of routing at least one optical fiber, comprising:
- providing a fiber optic cable terminal or a drop terminal and a spool, the cable terminal or the drop terminal comprising an enclosure having a plurality of ruggedized ports that are environmentally sealed relative to the enclosure, each of the ruggedized ports being adapted to receive a ruggedized fiber optic connector from outside the enclosure, the fiber optic cable terminal or the drop terminal including a stub cable connected to the enclosure at a proximal end of the stub cable, the stub cable including the at least one optical fiber and a jacket surrounding the at least one optical fiber;
- and
- while (i) the enclosure is environmentally sealed, (ii) the proximal end of the stub cable is positioned within the enclosure, and (iii) an entirety of the spool is separated from the fiber optic cable terminal or the drop terminal, advancing a distal end of the stub cable distally into a conduit by at least a minimum distance, the advancing including unspooling a spooled length of the stub cable from the spool,
- wherein the minimum distance is at least 50 times a minimum inner transverse width of the conduit;
- and
- wherein the minimum inner transverse width of the conduit is smaller than a minimum cross-dimension of the enclosure.
3 more elements
A method of routing at least one optical fiber, comprising:
- providing a fiber optic cable terminal or a drop terminal and a spool, the cable terminal or the drop terminal comprising an enclosure having a plurality of ruggedized ports that are environmentally sealed relative to the enclosure, each of the ruggedized ports being adapted to receive a ruggedized fiber optic connector from outside the enclosure, the fiber optic cable terminal or the drop terminal including a stub cable connected to the enclosure at a proximal end of the stub cable, the stub cable including the at least one optical fiber and a jacket surrounding the at least one optical fiber;
- and
- advancing a distal end of the stub cable distally into a conduit by at least a minimum distance, the advancing including unspooling a spooled length of the stub cable from the spool,
- wherein the minimum distance is at least 50 times a minimum inner transverse width of the conduit;
- wherein the minimum inner transverse width of the conduit is smaller than a minimum cross-dimension of the enclosure;
- and
- wherein the jacket has an undulating thickness which results in a plurality of projections formed on an outer surface of the jacket, the projections extending along a longitudinal length of the cable.
4 more elements
A method of routing at least one optical fiber, comprising:
- providing a fiber optic cable terminal or a drop terminal and a spool, the cable terminal or the drop terminal comprising an enclosure having a plurality of ruggedized ports that are environmentally sealed relative to the enclosure, each of the ruggedized ports being adapted to receive a ruggedized fiber optic connector from outside the enclosure, the fiber optic cable terminal or the drop terminal including a stub cable connected to the enclosure at a proximal end of the stub cable, the stub cable including the at least one optical fiber and a jacket surrounding the at least one optical fiber;
- and
- advancing a distal end of the stub cable distally into a conduit by at least a minimum distance, the advancing including unspooling a spooled length of the stub cable from the spool,
- wherein the minimum distance is at least 50 times a minimum inner transverse width of the conduit;
- wherein the minimum inner transverse width of the conduit is smaller than a minimum cross-dimension of the enclosure;
- and
- wherein an outer surface of the jacket defines flutes or ribs distributed about a perimeter of the outer surface of the jacket for reducing friction with the conduit through which the stub cable is pushed.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.