Optical fiber cable inlet device

Abstract

A watertight inlet device for inserting a cable containing optical fibers into a chamber or a container, e.g. into a splice box. The device includes a metal solepiece for securing the strength members of the optical cable, and which plugs into and fixes to a tubular sealing body equipped with an external O-ring gasket and having its rear portion shaped to form a sealing stuffing box on the outer sheath of the cable. The rear of the nut of the stuffing box receives a clamp for retaining the cable. Once the device has been fitted, the resulting assembly is inserted into the inlet passageway until it abuts against a shoulder in the passageway. Then only the head of the securing solepiece and a groove in the body project inside the container, the groove then receiving a key or fork for retaining the assembly.

1. A watertight inlet device for inserting a cable containing optical fibers into a chamber or into a container via an inlet passageway provided for this purpose:
 said device being fitted to the cable and secured to the strength members thereof before the cable is inserted into the chamber or container, the outer sheath of the cable further being secured directly on the watertight inlet device, the watertight inlet device then being received by being threaded into the chamber or container, and being locked therein by keying, said device comprising: at the front: a rigid securing solepiece provided with orifices or slots into which central strength members and/or side strength members of the cable are inserted, each of these orifices or slots co- operating with a clamping member acting by a screw being rotated to clamp the strength member ( s )  that it receives; at the rear: a nut for - clamping a stuffing box, which nut receives a retaining member for retaining the outer sheath of the optical cable; and between the front and the rear: a sealing tubular body whose front portion engages telescopically into said securing solepiece, means for fixing the sealing body to the securing solepiece when said front portion is engaged telescopically into said securing solepiece, the rear portion of the tubular body and sealing ring form the sealing stuffing box, the stuffing box achieving the sealing by clamping on the outer sheath of the cable; the sealing body also receiving means for providing the sealing relative to the inlet passageway in the chamber or container, and further including an abutment member which is designed to limit the insertion of the device through said inlet passageway, the abutment position then being such that the head of the device emerges inside the chamber or container, keying means for locking the device in this position.    
 
     
     
       2. A device according to  claim 1 , said device comprising:
 at the front: a rigid securing solepiece provided with orifices or slots into which central strength members and/or side strength members of the cable are inserted, each of these orifices or slots co-operating with a clamping member acting by a screw being rotated to clamp the strength member(s) that it receives;    at the rear: a nut for-clamping a stuffing box, which nut receives a retaining member for retaining the outer sheath of the optical cable; and    between the front and the rear: a sealing tubular body whose front portion engages telescopically into said securing solepiece, means for fixing the sealing body to the securing solepiece when said front portion is engaged telescopically into said securing solepiece, the rear portion of the tubular body and sealing ring form the sealing stuffing box, the stuffing box achieving the sealing by clamping on the outer sheath of the cable; the sealing body also receiving means for providing the sealing relative to the inlet passageway in the chamber or container, and further including an abutment member which is designed to limit the insertion of the device through said inlet passageway, the abutment position then being such that the head of the device emerges inside the chamber or container, keying means for locking the device in this position.    
     
     
       3. An optical cable inlet device according to claim  2    1 , wherein said clamping nut has an outside shape comprising a plurality of facets, while the rear portion of said passageway orifice is of the corresponding female shape. 
     
     
       4. A device according to  claim 1 , wherein said keying means are  the keying is constituted by a semi-rigid retaining fork which plugs into an outer annular groove in the cable inlet device, thereby holding it captive in part, the groove therefore emerging downstream relative to said inlet passageway when the device is inserted to its abutment position. 
     
     
       5. A cable inlet device according to claim  2    1 , wherein said nut for clamping a stuffing box is provided with two rear tabs which are designed to receive a retaining member for retaining the outer sheath of the optical cable. 
     
     
       6. A device according to  claim 5 , wherein the retaining member is in the form of a clamp in two halves. 
     
     
       7. A device according to claim  2    1 , wherein said sealing body receives a rigid compensation ring which is matches, as a function of the diameter of the optical cable to limit the clamping of said nut for clamping a stuffing box to its correct value. 
     
     
       8. An optical cable inlet device according to  claim 1 , wherein said inlet passageway is implemented by a means of an intermediate piece for adapting to the inlet orifice of the chamber or container. 
     
     
       9. An optical cable inlet device according to  claim 1 , wherein said inlet passageway is made in one piece with the chamber or container. 
     
     
       10. A watertight inlet device for inserting an optical fiber cable into a container via an inlet passageway, wherein the device is fitted to the optical fiber cable and secured to one or more strength members of the optical fiber cable with a solepiece, wherein an outer sheath of the cable is secured directly on the watertight inlet device, wherein the watertight inlet device includes a sealing body comprises a groove formed in an outer surface to retain an O- ring gasket, the O - ring gasket interacting with the inlet passageway to provide a watertight seal and wherein the watertight inlet device is then received by being inserted into the container, and is locked therein by keying, wherein the inlet passageway includes a first structure and the watertight inlet device includes a second structure that cooperatively interact to prevent rotational displacement of the watertight inlet device inserted in the inlet passageway.    
     
     
       11. The watertight inlet device of  claim 10 , wherein a front portion of the device includes the solepiece having at least one of orifices, notches and slots to receive the one or more strength members of the optical fiber cable and having a clamping member to clamp the one or more strength members in the at least one of orifices, notches and slots.  
     
     
       12. The watertight inlet device of  claim 10 , wherein the sealing body is affixable to the solepiece, wherein the sealing body fits to the optical fiber cable in a watertight manner.  
     
     
       13. The watertight inlet device of  claim 12 , wherein the sealing body is tubular and comprises abutment fingers to receive and secure a sealing gasket about an outer diameter of the fiber optic cable.  
     
     
       14. The watertight inlet device of  claim 13 , further comprising a clamping nut configured to cooperate with an outer surface of the sealing body to clamp the abutment fingers.  
     
     
       15. The watertight inlet device of  claim 14 , wherein the clamping nut includes a clamping mechanism to retain the outer sheath the optical fiber cable.  
     
     
       16. The watertight inlet device of  claim 12 , wherein the sealing body comprises an abutment body to limit an insertion of the watertight inlet device in the inlet passageway.  
     
     
       17. The watertight inlet device of  claim 12 , wherein the sealing body comprises a channel disposed on an outer surface thereof.  
     
     
       18. The watertight inlet device of  claim 17 , wherein the channel is configured to receive a locking fork.  
     
     
       19. The watertight inlet device of  claim 10 , wherein the first structure includes at least one first flat surface and the second structure includes at least one second flat surface, wherein the first and second flat surfaces cooperatively interact to prevent rotational displacement of the watertight inlet device inserted in the inlet passageway.  
     
     
       20. The watertight inlet device of  claim 19 , wherein the first structure and the second structure are hexagonally shaped.  
     
     
       21. A watertight inlet device for inserting an optical fiber cable in a container, comprising:
   a solepiece and a sealing body, wherein the sealing body fits to the optical fiber cable in a watertight manner, wherein the solepiece is coupled to the sealing body and is secured to one or more strength members of the optical fiber cable, and wherein the device is receivable by an inlet port disposed in a container and is secured therein by a locking mechanism, wherein the sealing body comprises a groove formed in an outer surface to retain an O - ring gasket, said O - ring gasket interacting with the inlet port to provide a watertight seal.      
     
     
       22. The watertight inlet device of  claim 21 , wherein the inlet port includes a first structure and the watertight inlet device includes a second structure that cooperatively interact to prevent rotational displacement of the watertight inlet device inserted in the inlet port.  
     
     
       23. The watertight inlet device of  claim 21 , wherein the sealing body comprises a stuffing box that includes a set of abutment fingers to receive a sealing gasket configured to surround the optical fiber cable.  
     
     
       24. The watertight inlet device of  claim 23 , wherein the stuffing box includes a threaded outer surface receivable by a clamping nut.  
     
     
       25. The watertight inlet device of  claim 21 , wherein the locking mechanism comprises a fork structure receivable in a channel formed on an outer surface of the sealing body.  
     
     
       26. The watertight inlet device of  claim 21 , wherein the solepiece includes a member at least partially insertable within the sealing body.  
     
     
       27. The watertight inlet device of  claim 21 , wherein the sealing body is tubular and comprises abutment fingers to receive and secure a sealing gasket about an outer diameter of the fiber optic cable.  
     
     
       28. A watertight inlet device for inserting an optical fiber cable in a container, comprising:
   a solepiece and a sealing body, wherein the sealing body fits to the optical fiber cable in a watertight manner, wherein the solepiece is coupled to the sealing body and is secured to one or more strength members of the optical fiber cable, and wherein the device is receivable by an inlet port disposed in a container and is secured therein by a locking mechanism, wherein the sealing body comprises a stuffing box that includes a set of abutment fingers to receive a sealing gasket configured to surround the optical fiber cable.      
     
     
       29. The watertight inlet device of  claim 28 , wherein the stuffing box includes a threaded outer surface receivable by a clamping nut.  
     
     
       30. The watertight inlet device of  claim 28 , wherein the locking mechanism comprises a fork structure receivable in a channel formed on an outer surface of the sealing body.  
     
     
       31. The watertight inlet device of  claim 28 , wherein the solepiece has at least one of orifices, notches and slots to receive the one or more strength members of the optical fiber cable and has a clamping member to clamp the one or more strength members in the at least one of orifices, notches and slots.  
     
     
       32. The watertight inlet device of  claim 28 , wherein the sealing body is tubular.  
     
     
       33. The watertight inlet device of  claim 28 , wherein the sealing body comprises a groove formed in an outer surface to retain an O- ring gasket, said O - ring gasket interacting with the inlet port to provide a watertight seal.    
     
     
       34. A watertight inlet device for inserting an optical fiber cable into a container via an inlet passageway, wherein the device includes a solepiece fitted to the optical fiber cable and secured to one or more strength members of the optical fiber cable, wherein an outer sheath of the cable is secured directly on the watertight inlet device to a sealing body, and wherein the watertight inlet device is insertable in the inlet passageway, and is locked therein, wherein the inlet passageway includes a first structure having at least one first flat surface and the watertight inlet device includes a second structure having at least one second flat surface, wherein the first and second flat surfaces cooperatively interact to prevent rotational displacement of the watertight inlet device inserted in the inlet passageway.  
     
     
       35. The watertight inlet device of  claim 34 , wherein the sealing body comprises a groove formed in an outer surface to retain an O- ring gasket, the O - ring gasket interacting with the inlet port to provide a watertight seal.    
     
     
       36. The watertight inlet device of  claim 34 , wherein a front portion of the device includes the solepiece, the solepiece including at least one of orifices, notches and slots to receive the one or more strength members of the optical fiber cable.  
     
     
       37. The watertight inlet device of  claim 36 , wherein the solepiece includes a clamping member to clamp the one or more strength members in the at least one of orifices, notches and slots.  
     
     
       38. The watertight inlet device of  claim 34 , wherein the solepiece includes a member at least partially insertable within the sealing body.  
     
     
       39. The watertight inlet device of  claim 34 , wherein the sealing body is tubular and comprises abutment fingers to receive and secure a sealing gasket about an outer diameter of the fiber optic cable.  
     
     
       40. The watertight inlet device of  claim 34 , wherein the first structure is part of an adapter piece mountable within an orifice of the container.