Cable assembly for use with opto-electronic equipment enclosures

Abstract

Light, flexible tubes are placed around optical fibers extending from the end of a cable jacket. A water impervious plug encases the end of the cable jacket and a portion of the flexible tubes. Couplers are attached to the light waveguide terminal ends and the optical couplers and the plug are placed in an opto-electronic equipment closure. The assembly is designed for use with cable television system aerial closures.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A cable assembly for use with opto-electronic equipment enclosures, comprising: 
       a plurality of light waveguides, each light waveguide including a proximal span in which the light waveguide is loosely held within a tube within a cable having an outer jacket, a distal end to which an optical coupler is affixed, and a mediate span not enclosed by the outer cable jacket therebetween;  
       a plurality of flexible tubes, each said flexible tube surrounding a mediate span of one of the said light waveguides; and,  
       a water-impervious plug of constant outer diameter encasing a portion of the mediate span of the plurality of light waveguides and flexible tubes, the plug extending to and over a portion of the cable jacket; and  
         an opto - electronic equipment enclosure having an optical entry port of constant inner diameter greater than the plug outer diameter, the enclosure containing the optical couplers and the plug, and sealed means for attaching the cable to the enclosure.    
     
     
       2. A cable assembly as recited in claim  1  further comprising an opto-electronic equipment closure having an optical entry port of constant inner diameter greater than the plug outer diameter, the closure containing the optical couplers and the plug, and sealed means for attaching the cable to the closure. 
     
     
       3. A cable assembly as recited in claim  2   1 wherein the closureenclosure is an aerial closureenclosure which is part of a cable television system. 
     
     
       4. A cable assembly as recited in claim  2   1 wherein the plug outer diameter is less than five-eights of an inch. 
     
     
       5. A cable assembly as recited in claim  1  further comprising: 
       
         a rigid tube assembly surrounding both the proximal span of the plurality of light waveguides and the cable with the outer jacket, said rigid tube assembly having a first end proximate to the distal ends of the light waveguides and a second end proximate to the proximal ends of the light waveguides. 
       
     
     
       6. A cable assembly as recited in claim  5 , wherein the first end of the rigid tube assembly and the optical entry port each threadably engage one another. 
     
     
       7. A cable assembly as recited in claim  6 , wherein the rigid tube assembly is externally threaded at the first end to be receivably engaged by the optical entry port. 
     
     
       8. A cable assembly as recited in claim  5 , wherein the rigid tube assembly comprises: 
       
         a first nut;  
       
       
         a second nut; and  
       
       
         a rigid tube between the first and second nuts. 
       
     
     
       9. A cable assembly as recited in claim  5  further comprising: 
       
         a heat shrinkable tube over the rigid tube assembly. 
       
     
     
       10. A cable assembly comprising: 
       
         a plurality of light waveguides, each light waveguide including a proximal span in which the light waveguide is loosely held within a tube within a cable having an outer jacket, a distal end, and a mediate span not enclosed by the outer cable jacket therebetween;  
       
       
         a plurality of flexible tubes, each said flexible tube surrounding a mediate span of one of the said light waveguides;  
       
         a water - impervious plug encasing a portion of the mediate span of the plurality of light waveguides and flexible tubes, the plug extending to and over a portion of the cable; and    
         an opto - electronic equipment enclosure, wherein the opto - electronic equipment enclosure comprises an optical entry port through which the plug and the distal ends of the plurality of light waveguides is inserted into the opto - electronic equipment enclosure.   
     
     
       11. A cable assembly as recited in claim  10  further comprising: 
       
         a rigid tube assembly surrounding both the proximal span of the plurality of light waveguides and the cable with the outer jacket, said rigid tube assembly having a first end proximate to the distal ends of the light waveguides and a second end proximate to the proximal ends of the light waveguides. 
       
     
     
       12. A cable assembly as recited in claim  11 , wherein the first end of the rigid tube assembly and the optical entry port each threadably engage one another. 
     
     
       13. A cable assembly as recited in claim  12 , wherein the rigid tube assembly is externally threaded at the first end to be receivably engaged by the optical entry port. 
     
     
       14. A cable assembly as recited in claim  11 , wherein the rigid tube assembly comprises: 
       
         a first nut;  
       
       
         a second nut; and  
       
       
         a rigid tube between the first and second nuts. 
       
     
     
       15. A cable assembly as recited in claim  11  further comprising: 
       
         a heat shrinkable tube over the rigid tube assembly. 
       
     
     
       16. A cable assembly as recited in claim  10 , wherein the distal end of each of the optical waveguides includes an optical coupler. 
     
     
       17. A cable assembly as recited in claim  10 , wherein the plug and optical entry port have constant diameters with the outer diameter of the plug being less than the inner diameter of the optical entry port.