Symmetrical connector for optical fiber cables in a hostile environment

In a connector for joining the fiber optic filaments of two fiber optic cables, the combination comprising:

• a cylindrical outer housing:
• an elongated generally tubular internal cage member slidably received within the outer housing from either end;
• said cage member having a pair of axially spaced circular transverse walls to define a chamber within said housing, each of the walls being provided with a passage to permit entrance of fiber optic filaments from each cable into said chamber;
• a free piston means for equalizing pressure between said chamber and the exterior of said connector;
• at least a portion of the tubular surface of the cage member between said walls being open to permit access to said filaments within the chamber;
• a pair of axially spaced circular elastomeric fluid sealing means disposed in the space between the cape member and outer housing to prevent entry of fluid into said chamber through said space;
• said cage member being provided at its opposite ends with means to secure a fiber optic cable to the cage member, and;
• tubular removable cap members for the respective opposite ends of the outer housing to hold the cage member in place within the housing.

A pressure compensated connector assembly for joining optical fiber cables together and to related components in a hostile fluid environment, comprising:

• a cylindrical housing;
• an axially elongated inner cage element provided with a medially located circular bulkhead to be slidingly inserted into the housing from either end said bulkhead dividing a space in said housing into two axially aligned chambers;
• elastomeric sealing means engageable between the housing and the cage element to prevent transfer of a fluid confined in the housing on opposite sides of the bulkhead from one side of the bulkhead to the other side thereof;
• said bulkhead including means for sealingly joining optical fiber filaments on one side of the bulkhead to filaments on the other side there;
• a pair of substantially identical closure and pressure equalizing assemblies to be removably attached to the respective opposite ends of the housing for (a) positioning the inner cage element, (b) selectively securing a pair of optical fiber cables to the housing and (c) equalizing the pressure between a fluid within which the housing is submerged and the pressures of said fluid confined in the housing on both sides of said bulkhead when the closure assemblies are in place and when either one of the assemblies is removed;
• and
• said closure and pressure equalizing assemblies includes a piston contained within the housing slidable in a box, and conduit means communicating between one side of the piston and the fluid in one of said chambers and communicating between the other side of the piston and the fluid within which the housing is submerged.

A connector for splicing the fiber optical filaments of a pair of optical fiber cables in a hostile environment, comprising:

• a cylindrical housing of substantially uniform diameter along its length;
• a removable assembly of components to be inserted into said housing for anchoring the terminal ends of a pair of optical fiber cables within said housing in fluid sealed relationship thereto and for defining a fluid sealed space within the housing for joining the fiber optical filaments of said cables to each other or to a related component;
• said assembly of components being structurally symmetrical along its length leading away in opposite directions from a central transverse plane, whereby said assembly may be inserted into the housing from either end thereof and may be reversibly positioned therein, and;
• a pair of substantially identical removable end caps for locking said assembly in position in the housing and to permit said assembly to be readily inserted into, and removed from, either end of the housing.