Installation of optical fiber cables in ducts

An assembly of a protective caddy and a multiple optical fiber cable assembly for a multiple optical fiber connector for insertion into a length of ducting, said multiple optical fiber cable assembly comprising a multiple optical fiber cable and a plurality of optical fiber connector sub-assemblies, each of said sub-assemblies comprising an optical fiber ferrule having a termination end that terminates an optical fiber extending out from said optical fiber cable, wherein:

• the protective caddy is in the form of an elongate body, said body comprising:
• a first end and a second end, the first end, in use, being forwards of said second end relative to the direction of insertion of said assembly into said length of ducting;
• an axis, the axis extending between said ends;
• and
• a first receiving portion and a second receiving portion, said portions being adjacent one another along the axis whereby the first receiving portion is proximate the first end and the second receiving portion is proximate the second end, the second receiving portion having an engagement feature for receiving and holding along said axis said multiple optical fiber cable and the first receiving portion having spaced radially around said axis a plurality of receptacles, each for receiving one of said optical fiber connector sub-assemblies, each receptacle having towards the first end a recess for protectively receiving said termination end of one of said optical fiber ferrules, whereby said multiple optical fiber cable is received and held along said axis by the engagement feature of the second receiving portion, and each of said optical fiber connector sub-assemblies is received and held within one of said receptacles, with the termination end of each optical fiber ferrule being received within one of said recesses so that said termination ends are protected by said recesses during insertion of said protective caddy and multiple optical fiber cable assembly into a length of ducting.

A method of using a protective caddy in the installation of a multiple optical fiber cable assembly routed through a duct, the multiple optical fiber cable assembly comprising a multiple optical fiber cable and a plurality of optical fiber connector sub-assemblies, each of said sub-assemblies comprising an optical fiber ferrule having a termination end that terminates an optical fiber extending out from said optical fiber cable, and the protective caddy comprising an elongate body, said body comprising a first end, a second end and having therein a first receiving portion and a second receiving portion, the first end, in use, being forwards of said second end relative to the direction of insertion of said assembly into said length of ducting, and the first receiving portion being proximate said first end and the second receiving portion being proximate said second end, the first receiving portion having a plurality of receptacles, each receptacle having towards the first end a recess, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

• engaging said multiple optical fiber cable with the second receiving portion so that said cable is received and held by the second receiving portion along an axis extending between the first end and the second end of said body;
• engaging each of said optical fiber connector sub-assemblies cable with the first receiving portion when each of said sub-assemblies is received and held within a corresponding one of said receptacles, with the termination end of each optical fiber ferrule being received within one of said recesses so that said termination ends are protected by said recesses;
• inserting of said protective caddy and multiple optical fiber cable assembly into a length of ducting so that said termination ends are protected by said recesses during insertion of said protective caddy and multiple optical fiber cable assembly into said length of ducting;
• and
• removing said protective caddy from the multiple optical fiber cable assembly after said multiple optical fiber cable assembly has passed through said length of ducting.