Fiber optic cable breakout configuration with retention block
AssigneeADC Telecommunications, Inc.
InventorsYu Lu, Keith Millea, Jeff Gniadek
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A telecommunications cable includes a distribution cable, a tether that branches from the distribution cable, and a tether retention block affixed to the distribution cable. The tether retention block includes a first portion and a second portion that is configured to cooperate with the first portion to secure a tether buffer tube and a strength member of the tether. Each of the first and second portions defines at least a first half-channel configured to cooperate with the first half-channel of the other portion to receive the strength member of the tether.
Claims20
A telecommunications cable comprising:
- a distribution cable including a cable jacket and at least a first buffer tube positioned within the cable jacket, the first buffer tube enclosing a first optical fiber, the distribution cable including a mid-span location where a portion of the cable jacket has been removed and where at least the first buffer tube includes a fiber access location through which the first optical fiber is routed out of the first buffer tube;
- a tether that branches from the distribution cable at the mid-span location, the tether including a tether jacket, at least one strength member positioned within the jacket, a tether buffer tube positioned within the jacket, and a second optical fiber that extends through the tether buffer tube, the second optical fiber being spliced to the first optical fiber at a splice location;
- and
- a tether retention block affixed to the distribution cable, the tether retention block including a first portion and a second portion that is configured to cooperate with the first portion to secure the tether buffer tube and at least the strength member of the tether, each of the first and second portions defining at least a first half-channel configured to cooperate with the first half-channel of the other portion to receive the strength member of the tether.
A method of securing a tether cable to a tether retention block having a cover and a base, the method comprising:
- preparing the tether cable to expose a buffer tube and at least a first strength member;
- positioning and securing the first strength member within a first side groove of the base;
- positioning and securing the buffer tube within a central groove of the base;
- and
- arranging the cover over the base including aligning a first side groove of the cover with the first side groove of the base to form a side passage through which the strength member at least partially extends and aligning a central groove of the cover with the central groove of the base to form a central passage through which the tether buffer tube at least partially extends.
A tether retention block for securing a tether cable to a distribution cable, the tether retention block comprising:
- a first portion having a first side and an opposite, second side, the first side of the first portion defining at least a first groove;
- a second portion having a first side and an opposite, second side, the first side of the second portion defining at least a first groove configured to cooperate with the first groove of the first portion to define a passageway configured to receive a strength member and a tether buffer tube of the tether cable;
- wherein the first portion defines a third groove configured to receive the distribution cable to secure the tether cable to the distribution cable, the groove being separate from the passageway.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.