HK1141089B - Optical cable connecting closure and optical interconnection system - Google Patents

Description

Optical cable connection closure and optical cable distribution system

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a closure (closure) for optical cable connection and an optical cable distribution system.

Background

As a conventional optical cable connection closure, for example, a closure described in patent document 1 is known. The optical cable connection closure described in patent document 1 includes: a bracket housing box provided in the closure main body; and a house-entry core wire bracket formed by stacking the lower bracket and the upper bracket, and can be freely inserted into and pulled out of the bracket accommodating box. Set up on lower floor's bracket and upper bracket: a core wire lead-out/lead-in section for leading out/leading in the core wire; a connector housing section that houses a connector for connecting optical fiber cores; a splitter accommodation section that accommodates a splitter connected to the optical fiber core; and a core wire surplus length accommodating portion for accommodating the surplus length of the optical fiber core wire.

In networks using optical cables, it is known, for example, to introduce the cables directly into the dwelling in a way FTTH: fiber To The Home). As this splice closure for connecting optical cables to FTTH, there is known a splice closure having: a spectral module section for optically branching the optical fiber core line or a branched core line module section for performing multi-core/single-core conversion of the optical fiber core line; and a main body portion that houses the module portion (see, for example, patent document 2). In this optical cable connection closure, the 1 st optical fiber core in the 1 st optical cable and the 2 nd optical fiber core in the 2 nd optical cable are connected to the module section via the terminal tray.

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2003-215355

Patent document 2: japanese laid-open patent publication No. 2007-121603

Disclosure of Invention

When such a conventional optical cable connecting closure as described above is used, there is an increasing demand for further improvement in convenience. The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an optical cable connecting closure and an optical cable distribution system that can improve convenience.

One aspect of the present invention is set forth in the context of the following. That is, in FTTH, in a network using optical cables, splice closures for optical cable connection are provided at 3 cable connection points (trunk point, distribution point, service point) between a hub and a subscriber premises, and the optical cables are branched by the respective splice closures to perform tree-shaped distribution of the optical cables from the hub.

In the FTTH network, a pon (passive optical network) system is widely used, in which an optical splitter is disposed in a hub station or a closure, and 1-core optical signals are distributed to 32 cores at maximum and then transmitted to a customer premises. In addition, a multi-core ribbon type optical fiber core is usually built in the optical cable on the station side, but since connection with the optical cable for home entry is performed in units of single core, single core separation by a certain closure is necessary.

In such a case, the connection function required of the optical cable connection closure differs among the optical cable connection points. In the related art, dedicated closures having different structures corresponding to required connection functions are provided at respective cable connection points. However, in this case, when a change in the connection function of the closure is required, it is extremely difficult to cope with the change, and it is impossible to cope with a change of the cable distribution system expected in the future.

Accordingly, an object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a cable connecting closure and a cable distribution system that can easily perform a corresponding connection even if a required connection function is changed.

In order to achieve the above object, an optical cable connecting closure according to the present invention includes: a housing having a module housing; and a connection module which is contained in the module containing part in a freely-inserting and freely-inserting manner and is used for connecting the 1 st optical fiber and the 2 nd optical fiber, wherein the connection module comprises: a module body; a 1 st connector and a 2 nd connector mounted on the module body and connected to the 1 st optical fiber and the 2 nd optical fiber, respectively; and an optical fiber connection unit provided in the module body and connecting the 1 st connector and the 2 nd connector, wherein the module housing unit is configured to be able to house a plurality of types of connection modules, and the module bodies of the connection modules have the same structure and different connection functions of the optical fiber connection unit.

In the above-described optical fiber cable connection closure, a plurality of types of connection modules having the same module main body structure and different connection functions of the optical fiber connection portions are accommodated in the module accommodating portion of the housing so as to be freely inserted and removed. Therefore, when the connection function required for the optical cable connection closure is changed, for example, a connection module that meets the required connection function may be replaced with a currently provided connection module and stored in the module storage portion of the housing. In this case, since the 1 st connector and the 2 nd connector are provided in the module main body of the connection module, the 1 st optical cable and the 2 nd optical cable can be connected by the connectors, and the replacement work of the connection module can be easily performed. This makes it possible to easily cope with a change in connection function required for the optical cable connecting closure.

Preferably, the optical fiber connecting portion has any one of the following functions: a function of linearly connecting the 1 st connector and the 2 nd connector; a function of performing core number conversion and connection between the 1 st connector and the 2 nd connector; and a function of optically branching and connecting between the 1 st connector and the 2 nd connector.

In this way, by using 3 types of connection modules having any one of the linear connection function, the core number conversion function, and the optical branching function as the connection function of the optical fiber connection portion, it is possible to construct a cable distribution system of various forms between the hub-side optical cable and the subscriber-side optical cable, for example.

Preferably, the 1 st connector and the 2 nd connector are provided at one end of the module body, and the module housing portion has the following structure: the connection module is housed in the module housing portion in a state of being placed in a longitudinal direction with respect to the housing with the 1 st connector and the 2 nd connector facing a front surface side of the housing.

In the above configuration, the plurality of connection modules may be accommodated in a state of being arranged in the module accommodating portion of the housing. Therefore, for example, the present invention is applicable to a cable connection closure connected to a station-side optical cable having a large number of optical fibers in a cable distribution system constructed between a station-side optical cable and a subscriber-side optical cable.

Further, the 1 st connector may be provided at one end portion of the module main body, the 2 nd connector may be provided at the other end portion of the module main body, and the module housing portion may have the following structure: the connection module is housed in the module housing portion in a state of being placed in a longitudinal direction with respect to the housing such that the 1 st connector and the 2 nd connector face both the left and right sides with respect to the front surface of the housing.

In the above configuration, when only 1 connection module is accommodated in the module accommodating portion of the housing, the housing can be made small and thin. Therefore, for example, the present invention is applicable to an optical cable connection closure connected to a single-core subscriber-side optical cable in an optical cable distribution system constructed between a hub-side optical cable and a subscriber-side optical cable.

Further, the present invention is a cable distribution system which is installed in the air and distributes a cable between a cable at a hub side and a cable at a subscriber side, the cable distribution system including: the 1 st optical cable is connected with the optical cable at the side of the hub station; a 2 nd optical cable connected to the subscriber-side optical cable; the hub station side splicing box is connected with the hub station side optical cable and the 1 st optical cable; a subscriber-side closure connecting the subscriber-side optical cable and the 2 nd optical cable; and an intermediate closure for connecting the 1 st optical cable and the 2 nd optical cable, wherein the hub side closure, the subscriber side closure and the intermediate closure are constituted by the above-mentioned optical cable connection closures and have different kinds of connection modules.

In the cable distribution system, the cable connecting closure is used as a hub-side closure, a subscriber-side closure, and an intermediate closure. Therefore, when the connection function required to be provided in the station-side closure, the subscriber-side closure, and the intermediate closure is changed, the connection module can be replaced with a connection module that satisfies the required connection function, for example, so that the connection module can be easily adapted.

According to the above aspect of the present invention, even if the connection function required for the optical cable connecting closure is changed, the correspondence can be easily made without newly designing and manufacturing the optical cable connecting closure. This makes it possible to sufficiently cope with changes to the cable distribution system which are expected in the future.

Another aspect of the invention is set forth in the context of the following. That is, in the conventional optical cable connecting closure, as described above, since the 1 st and 2 nd optical fiber cores are connected to the module portion via the terminal block, the core excess length is liable to be increased. Therefore, there is a possibility that handling of the optical fiber core wire becomes troublesome. Further, if the core wire surplus length is long, it takes a long time to carefully handle the optical fiber core wire, and there is a problem that the work efficiency of connecting and storing the optical fiber core wire is reduced.

Accordingly, another object of the present invention is to provide an optical cable connecting closure which can reduce the excess length of the core wire.

In order to achieve the above object, an optical fiber cable connection closure according to the present invention is a closure for connecting a 1 st optical fiber core wire in a 1 st optical fiber cable and a 2 nd optical fiber core wire in a 2 nd optical fiber cable, comprising: a spectroscopic module section that optically branches the 1 st optical fiber core wire and connects with the 2 nd optical fiber core wire, or a branched core wire module section that performs multi-core/single-core conversion on the 1 st optical fiber core wire and connects with the 2 nd optical fiber core wire; and a main body portion that accommodates the module portion, the module portion being provided with: a 1 st connector to which the 1 st optical fiber core is connected; and a 2 nd connector which connects the 2 nd optical fiber core.

According to this closure for optical cable connection, the 1 st connector provided in the module portion is directly connected to the 1 st optical fiber core, and the 2 nd connector provided in the module portion is directly connected to the 2 nd optical fiber core. Therefore, the excess length of the optical fiber core wire can be prevented from being increased due to the connection of the optical fiber core wire to the block section via the terminal block, and the excess length of the core wire can be shortened. As a result, the handling of the optical fiber core wire becomes easy, and the work efficiency of the connection and storage can be improved.

Further, the spectral module portion and the branched core module portion preferably have the same outer shape. In this case, since the branching core wire module section and the spectroscopic module section are compatible with each other, for example, a portion used as the branching core wire module section can be used by replacing the spectroscopic module section. Therefore, the optical fiber core wire can be freely wired inside the main body portion.

Further, the module portions are preferably arranged in a stacked manner. In this case, the module portion can be appropriately housed in the main body portion.

Further, the module unit is preferably configured to be rotatable about a rotation shaft provided in the vicinity of the 1 st connector. In this case, by rotating the module section in a desired manner, the position of the 2 nd connector can be positioned at a position where the 2 nd optical fiber core can be easily attached and detached. Therefore, the detachability of the 2 nd optical fiber core can be improved.

Preferably, the optical fiber connector further includes a comb-shaped guide portion provided in the main body portion and guiding the 2 nd optical fiber core wire. In this case, by making the 2 nd optical fiber core wire enter the groove portion of the guide portion having a comb-tooth shape, the 2 nd optical fiber core wire can be prevented from being stacked.

Further, a closure for optical cable connection according to the present invention is a closure for connecting a 1 st optical fiber core wire in a 1 st optical cable and a 2 nd optical fiber core wire in a 2 nd optical cable, comprising: a spectral module unit for optically branching optical fiber core lines; a branch core wire module unit for performing multi-core/single-core conversion of an optical fiber core wire; and a main body portion for accommodating the module portion, wherein a 1 st connector connected to the 1 st optical fiber core wire is provided on one of the spectral module portion and the branched core wire module portion, a 2 nd connector connected to the 2 nd optical fiber core wire is provided on the other of the spectral module portion and the branched core wire module portion, and a 3 rd connector connected to the 3 rd optical fiber core wire is provided in each of the spectral module portion and the branched core wire module portion, and the 3 rd optical fiber core wire connects the spectral module portion and the branched core wire module portion.

According to this closure for optical cable connection, the 1 st connector provided in the spectral module section is directly connected to the 1 st optical fiber core, and the 2 nd connector provided in the branched core module section is directly connected to the 2 nd optical fiber core. In addition, the 3 rd connector provided on each module section is directly connected to the 3 rd optical fiber core. Therefore, the excess length of the optical fiber core wire can be prevented from being increased due to the connection of the optical fiber core wire to the block section via the terminal block, and the excess length of the core wire can be shortened. Further, since the main body portion is shared by the spectroscopic module portion and the branched core wire module portion, it is not necessary to have two kinds of main body portions corresponding to them, respectively.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the core wire surplus length can be shortened. As a result, the handling of the optical fiber core wire becomes easy, and the work efficiency of the connection and storage can be improved.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an optical cable connecting closure and an optical cable wiring system which can easily cope with a change in a required connection function, can reduce a surplus length of a core wire, and can improve convenience.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a cable distribution system including a closure 1 for connecting optical cables according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the trunk and branch cables shown in figure 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the home-in cable shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the quasi-branch optical cable shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an oblique view of the trunk splice enclosure shown in fig. 1 in an open state.

Fig. 6 is a schematic plan view of the connection module shown in fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an oblique view of the wiring closure shown in fig. 1 in an open state.

Fig. 8 is a schematic plan view of each connection module shown in fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is an oblique view of the service closure shown in fig. 1 in an opened state.

Fig. 10 is a schematic plan view of the connection module shown in fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a configuration diagram showing another cable distribution system including the optical cable connecting closure 2 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 12 is an oblique view of the trunk splice closure shown in fig. 11 in an open state.

Fig. 13 is a schematic plan view of the connection module shown in fig. 12.

Fig. 14 is an oblique view of the wire closure shown in fig. 11 in an open state.

Fig. 15 is a structural view showing another cable distribution system including the optical cable connecting closure according to embodiment 3 of the present invention.

Fig. 16 is an oblique view of the service closure shown in fig. 15 in an opened state.

Fig. 17 is a schematic plan view of the connection module shown in fig. 16.

Fig. 18 is a cross-sectional oblique view showing an optical cable connecting closure according to embodiment 4 of the present invention.

Fig. 19 is a perspective view showing a module portion of the optical cable connecting closure of fig. 18.

Fig. 20 is a cross-sectional oblique view showing an optical cable connecting closure according to embodiment 5 of the present invention.

Fig. 21 is a cross-sectional view showing an optical cable connecting closure according to a modification of the 4 th and 5 th embodiments of the present invention.

Fig. 22 is a front view of an embodiment of a closure for introducing/discharging a bundled service cable having an end-processing structure according to embodiment 6 of the present invention.

Fig. 23 is a perspective view showing a holding structure of the bundled service cables in the cable lead-out/lead-in portion of the closure shown in fig. 22.

Fig. 24 is a perspective view of a terminal processing structure of the bundled subscriber optical cable inserted into the cable lead-out/lead-in portion shown in fig. 23.

Fig. 25 is an explanatory view of a method of forming the waterproof binding portion and the grip binding portion shown in fig. 24.

Fig. 26 is a sectional view of the state in which the band portion is wound in a spiral shape from the state shown in fig. 25.

Fig. 27 is a sectional view taken along line B-B of fig. 24.

Fig. 28 is an oblique view of an example of the bundle fiber optic cable according to embodiment 6.

Fig. 29 is an oblique view of another example of the bundled subscriber optical cable of the 6 th embodiment.

Fig. 30 is a perspective view showing a structure of an optical cable lead-out/lead-in portion in a conventional closure.

Fig. 31 is a front view of the sealing end plate shown in fig. 30.

Fig. 32 is a front view of the sealing end plate 371 in a state where the optical cable insertion portions for the main optical cable and the branch optical cable are opened.

Description of the reference numerals

101 … optical cable distribution system

102 … trunk optical cable (hub side cable)

103 … optical cable for house (optical cable at user side)

104 … Branch optical cable (the 1 st optical cable)

105 … quasi branch optical cable (2 nd optical cable)

109 … 4 optical fiber ribbon (1 st optical fiber, 2 nd optical fiber)

115 … optical fiber core line (1 st optical fiber, 2 nd optical fiber)

118 … trunk line splice closure (side splice closure of line concentration station, splice closure for connecting optical cable)

121 … casing

122 … Module receiving part

123 … connection module

127 … Module body

128 … MT connector (the 1 st connector)

129 … MT connector (No. 2 connector)

130 … optical fiber connection

132 … distribution box (middle box, box for connecting optical cable)

135 … casing

136 … Module housing

137 … connection module

138 … connection module

142 … Module body

143 … MT connector (the 1 st connector)

144 … Single core connector (No. 2 connector)

145 … optical fiber connection part

147 … Module body

148 … Single core connector (No. 1 connector)

149 … Single core connector (No. 2 connector)

150 … optical fiber connector

151 … optical splitter

153 … optical fiber for connection (1 st optical fiber, 2 nd optical fiber)

154 … indoor connection box (subscriber side connection box, cable connection box)

157 … casing

158 … connection module

159 … Module housing part

163 … Module body

164 … Single core connector (1 st connector)

165 … Single core connector (2 nd connector)

167 … optical fiber connector

170 … cable distribution system

171 … trunk line junction box (side junction box of line concentration station, junction box for connecting optical cable)

172 … connection module

173 … Module body

174 … MT connector (No. 1 connector)

175 … MT connector (2 nd connector)

176 … optical fiber connector

178 … distribution box (middle box, box for connecting optical cable)

180 … cable distribution system

181 … indoor connection box (subscriber side connection box, cable connection box)

182 … connection module

183 … Module body

184 … Single core connector (the 1 st connector)

185 … Single core connector (No. 2 connector)

186 … optical fiber connector

201. 210, 230, 240 … cable connecting closure

202 … main body part

203 … light splitting module part

204 … guide part

205 … input connector (No. 1 connector, No. 3 connector)

206 … optical fiber core (1 st optical fiber core)

207 … output connector (2 nd connector, 3 rd connector)

217 … output connector (No. 2 connector)

208 … optical fiber core (2 nd optical fiber core, 3 rd optical fiber core)

213 … branching core wire module part

218 … optical fiber cable for house (2 nd optical fiber core)

G … rotating shaft

T0 … Main optical cable (the 1 st optical cable)

T1, T2 … branch optical cable (2 nd optical cable)

303 … main optical cable

305 … branch optical cable

306 … bundle indoor optical cable

311 … bundle indoor optical cable

312 … supporting wire

313 … single core optical cable for house

317 … bundle household optical cable

319 … bundling wire

321 … waterproof belt

323 … waterproof binding part

325 … holding belt

327 … bundling part for holding

341 … optical cable leading-out/leading-in part

343 … ratchet bolt

363. 365, 367 … optical cable insertion part

371 … end plate for sealing

373 … optical cable grip

379. 380, 381 … sealing plate

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, in each

In the drawings, the same or corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description thereof will be omitted. In the following description, terms such as "upper" and "lower" are used for convenience based on the state shown in the drawings.

[ embodiment 1 ]

Fig. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a cable distribution system including a closure 1 for connecting optical cables according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this figure, a cable distribution system 101 is a system for distributing cables to a plurality of subscriber premises by using a transmission device in a station.

The cable distribution system 101 includes a trunk cable 102 led out from the underground and installed in the air, an entrance cable 103 extending from each subscriber premises, a branch cable 104 connected to the trunk cable 102, and a branch cable 105 connected to the entrance cable 103 and the branch cable 104.

As shown in fig. 2, the trunk cable 102 and the branch cable 104 each have a jacket 107 having a tension member 106 at the center thereof, and a plurality of (here, 5) spiral grooves (slots) 108 are formed in the jacket 107. A plurality of (5 in this case) 4-core optical fiber ribbon cores (simply referred to as 4-core ribbon cores) 109 are disposed in each groove 108. The sleeve 107 is covered by a cable sheath 110, and the cable sheath 110 is formed of Polyethylene (PE) or the like.

As shown in fig. 3, the home optical cable 103 includes a support wire 111, a single-core optical fiber 112, and 1 counter pulling body 113 disposed on both sides of the optical fiber 112. The supporting wire 111, the optical fiber core wire 112, and the tensile members 113 are collectively covered with a sheath 114, and the sheath 114 is formed of PE or the like.

As shown in fig. 4, the branch optical cable 105 includes a plurality of (here, 8) single-core optical fiber cores 115 and 1 pair of pulling bodies 116 disposed on both sides of the optical fiber cores 115. The optical fiber core wire 115 is arranged in 2 layers. Each optical fiber 115 and each tension member 116 are collectively covered with a covering 117, and the covering 117 is formed of PE or the like.

The trunk cable 102 and the branch cable 104 are connected at a trunk point via a trunk splice closure 118. The trunk point is a point where the optical cable ascends from the ground and is laid in the air.

As shown in fig. 5, the trunk cable closure 118 includes a case 121 formed of a box-shaped closure body 119 and a door 120. The door 120 is rotatably supported at a lower end portion of the closure main body 119 and can be opened/closed with respect to the closure main body 119. The closure main body 119 has a module accommodating portion 122. In the module housing portion 122, a plurality of connection modules 123 are arranged in the width direction (left-right direction) in an upright state (vertically placed state) with respect to the bottom surface of the closure 119.

Specifically, a front-drawing type storage rack (not shown) is disposed in the module storage portion 122. Thus, the connection modules 123 can be accommodated in the accommodating rack from the front surface side (the door 120 side) in a freely insertable and removable manner. The connection module 123 is fixed to the housing bracket by a fixing unit such as a bolt or a plug-in/out plate in a state of being housed in the housing bracket.

An optical cable introduction portion 124 having an introduction port for introducing the 4-core ribbon-shaped core 109 taken out by removing the optical cable sheath 110 at the end of the trunk optical cable 102 is provided at one end of the closure main body 119. An optical cable introduction portion 125 having an introduction port for introducing the 4-core ribbon-shaped core 109 taken out by removing the optical cable sheath 110 at the end of the branch optical cable 104 is provided at the other end of the closure main body 119. The housing 121 is formed of plastic or the like, and the cable introduction portions 124 and 125 are formed of rubber or the like to ensure sealability and waterproofness.

On the back surface of the closure body 119, 2 mounting pieces 126 are provided for holding and fixing the trunk closure 118 to a suspension wire (not shown) provided overhead. The mounting piece 126 is fixed by bolts in a state where the suspension wire is sandwiched by, for example, L-shaped plates and flat plates, thereby mounting the trunk junction box 118 on the suspension wire.

As shown in fig. 5 and 6, the connection module 123 has a rectangular plate-shaped module main body 127, and a plurality of (5 in this case) 4-core MT connectors 128 and 129 are attached to one end surface of the module main body 127.

An optical fiber connection unit 130 is disposed in the module main body 127 and connects the MT connectors 128 and 129 to each other. The optical fiber connection unit 130 has a function of linearly connecting each MT connector 128 and each MT connector 129 via an optical fiber 131.

The connection module 123 is accommodated in the module accommodating portion 122 such that the MT connectors 128 and 129 face the front surface side of the housing 120. Then, the 4-core ribbon wire 109 of the trunk optical cable 102 is connected to the MT connector 128 by a connector, and the 4-core ribbon wire 109 of the branch optical cable 104 is connected to the MT connector 129 by a connector. Thereby, the 4-core ribbon-shaped core 109 of the trunk optical cable 102 and the 4-core ribbon-shaped core 109 of the branch optical cable 104 are connected via the connection module 123.

The branch cables 104 and 105 are branched at the distribution point via a distribution closure 132.

As shown in fig. 7, the wire splice closure 132 includes a case 135 including a box-shaped closure body 133 and a door 134. The housing 135 is constructed the same as the housing 120 of the trunk splice enclosure 118 described above. The closure main body 133 has a module receiving portion 136, and in the module receiving portion 136, a connection module 137 and a plurality of connection modules 138 are arranged in the width direction in an upright state with respect to the bottom surface of the closure main body 133. The housing structure of the connection modules 137 and 138 in the module housing 136 is completely the same as the housing structure of the connection module 123 in the module housing 122.

An optical cable introduction portion 139 having an introduction port for introducing the 4-core ribbon-shaped core wire 109 taken out by removing the optical cable sheath 110 in the middle of the branch optical cable 104 is provided at one end of the closure main body 133. At the other end of the closure main body 133, a cable introduction portion 140 having an introduction port for introducing 8 single-core optical fiber cores 115 taken out by removing the covering 117 at the end of the branch optical cable 105 is provided. Although not shown in fig. 7, branch cable 104 passes through cable introduction portions 139 and 140 and penetrates into closure main body 133 (see fig. 1). The cable introduction portions 139 and 140 are formed of rubber or the like as in the cable introduction portions 124 and 125.

On the back surface of the closure main body 133, 2 mounting pieces 141 are provided for holding and fixing the wire closure 132 to a suspension wire (not shown). The mount 141 is constructed the same as the mount 126 described above.

As shown in fig. 7 and 8(a), the connection module 137 has a module main body 142. The module body 142 has the same configuration and dimensions as the module body 127 of the connection module 123 described above. On one end face of the module main body 142, a 4-core MT connector 143 and a plurality of (here, 4) single-core connectors 144 are mounted up and down. As the single-core connector 144, for example, an SC connector, an FAS connector, or the like is used.

In the module main body 142, optical fiber connection portions 145 are arranged, which connect the MT connector 143 and the single-core connectors 144. The optical fiber connecting portion 145 has a function of performing 4-core-single-core conversion (core number conversion) between the MT connector 143 and each single-core connector 144 by the optical fiber 146 and connecting them.

As shown in fig. 7 and 8(b), the connection module 138 has a module main body 147 having the same structure and dimensions as those of the module main body 142. On one end face of the module main body 147, a single-core connector 148 and a plurality of (here, 8) single-core connectors 149 are mounted up and down. As the single-core connectors 148, 149, the same connectors as the single-core connector 144 described above are used.

In the module main body 147, optical fiber connection portions 150 are arranged, which connect the single-core connectors 148 and the respective single-core connectors 149. The optical fiber connection section 150 includes an optical splitter (optical splitter) 151 that splits 1 optical input into a plurality of (here, 8) outputs, and the optical fiber connection section 150 has a function of splitting and connecting between the single-core connector 148 and each single-core connector 149 via an optical fiber 152.

The connection module 137 is housed in the module housing portion 136 such that the MT connector 143 and the single core connector 144 face the front surface side of the housing 135, the connection module 138 is housed in the module housing portion 136 such that the single core connectors 148, 149 face the front surface side of the housing 135. The 4-core ribbon-shaped core 109 of the branch optical cable 104 is connected to the MT connector 143 by a connector, and the optical fiber cores 115 of the branch optical cable 105 are connected to the single-core connectors 149 by connectors. The single-core connector 144 and the single-core connector 148 are connected by a connector via a connection optical fiber 153. Thereby, the 4-core ribbon-shaped core 109 of the branch optical cable 104 and the optical fiber cores 115 of the branch optical cable 105 are connected via the connection module 137, the connection optical fiber 153, and the connection module 138.

The branch cables 105 and the drop cables 103 are branched at the drop point via drop splice box 154.

As shown in fig. 9, the service box 154 has a case 157 made up of a box-shaped box main body 155 and a door 156. The door 156 is rotatably supported at a lower end portion of the closure main body 155 and can be opened/closed with respect to the closure main body 155. The housing 157 is smaller and thinner than the housing 121 of the trunk cable closure 118.

The closure main body 155 has a module housing 159 for removably housing 1 connection module 158. The connection module 158 is held in an upright state (a vertically placed state) with respect to the bottom surface of the closure main body 155, and is held in close contact with the rear inner surface 155a of the closure main body 155 by a fixing means such as a bolt or a hook.

A cable introduction portion 160 having an introduction port for introducing each optical fiber core wire 115 taken out by removing the covering 117 of the intermediate portion of the branch optical cable 105 is provided at one end portion of the closure main body 155, and a cable introduction portion 161 having an introduction port for introducing the service optical cable 103 is provided at the other end portion of the closure main body 155. Although not shown in fig. 9, the branch optical cable 105 passes through the cable introduction portions 160 and 161 and penetrates the closure main body 155 (see fig. 1). The cable introduction portions 160 and 161 are formed of rubber or the like as in the cable introduction portions 124 and 125.

A mounting tool 162 for holding and fixing the service box 154 to a suspension wire (not shown) is provided on the rear surface of the box main body 155. The mount 162 is constructed the same as mount 126 described above.

As shown in fig. 9 and 10, the connection module 158 has a module body 163. The module body 163 also has exactly the same configuration and dimensions as the module body 127 of the connection module 123 described above. A single-core connector 164 is attached to one end surface of the module main body 163, and a single-core connector 165 is attached to the other end surface of the module main body 163. As the single-core connectors 164 and 165, the same connectors as the single-core connector 144 described above are used.

In the module body 163, an optical fiber connection portion 167 having a function of linearly connecting the single-core connectors 164 and 165 with the optical fiber 166 is disposed.

The connection module 158 is accommodated in the module accommodating portion 159 such that the single core connectors 164 and 165 face the left and right sides with respect to the front surface of the housing 157. The optical fiber core 115 of the branch optical cable 105 is connected to the single-core connector 164 by a connector, and the single-core home optical cable 103 is connected to the single-core connector 165 by a connector. Thereby, the optical fiber core 115 of the branch optical cable 105 and the home optical cable 103 are connected via the connection module 158.

In the cable distribution system 101, the cable connection portions of the trunk cable closure 118, the distribution cable closure 132, and the service cable closure 154 are modularized and connectorized, so that the cable connection work can be easily performed and the work time can be shortened.

[ 2 nd embodiment ]

Fig. 11 is a configuration diagram showing another cable distribution system including the optical cable connecting closure 2 according to the embodiment of the present invention. In the drawings, the same components as those in the cable distribution system shown in fig. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

In the cable distribution system 170 shown in this figure, the trunk cable 102 and the branch cable 104 are connected at a trunk point via a trunk splice closure 171.

As shown in fig. 12, the trunk cable box 171 has a housing 121 similar to the trunk cable box 118, and a plurality of connection modules 172 are arranged in the module housing 122 of the housing 121 in the width direction in an upright state with respect to the bottom surface of the box main body 119.

As shown in fig. 12 and 13, the connection module 172 has a module body 173 having the same structure and size as the connection module 123. On one end surface of the module main body 173, a 4-core MT connector 174 and a plurality (here, 8) of 4-core MT connectors 175 are mounted up and down.

An optical fiber connection portion 176 is disposed in the module body 173 and connects the MT connectors 174 and 175. The optical fiber connection unit 176 includes 4 optical splitters 151 (described above), and has a function of branching and collecting the optical fibers 177 between the MT connector 174 and the MT connectors 175 to connect them.

The connection module 172 is accommodated in the module accommodating portion 122 such that the MT connectors 174 and 175 face the front surface side of the housing 120. Then, the 4-core ribbon conductors 109 of the trunk optical cable 102 are connected to the MT connectors 174 by connectors, and the 4-core ribbon conductors 109 of the branch optical cable 104 are connected to the MT connectors 175 by connectors. Thereby, the 4-core ribbon-shaped core 109 of the trunk optical cable 102 and the 4-core ribbon-shaped core 109 of the branch optical cable 104 are connected via the connection module 172.

The branch cables 104 and 105 are branched at the distribution point via a distribution closure 178.

As shown in fig. 14, the wire closure 178 includes a housing 135 similar to the wire closure 132 described above, and in the module accommodating portion 136 of the housing 135, a plurality of connection modules 137 (see fig. 8 a) are arranged in the width direction in an upright state with respect to the bottom surface of the closure main body 133.

The connection module 137 is accommodated in the module accommodating portion 136 such that the 4-core MT connector 143 and the single-core connection 144 face the front surface side of the housing 135. Then, the 4-core ribbon-shaped core 109 of the branch optical cable 104 is connected to the MT connector 143 by a connector, and the optical fiber cores 115 of the branch optical cable 105 are connected to the single-core connectors 149 by connectors. Thereby, the 4-core ribbon-shaped core 109 of the branch optical cable 104 and the optical fiber cores 115 of the branch optical cable 105 are connected via the connection module 137.

The branch cable 105 and the home cable 103 are branched and connected at a home point via a home junction box 154, similarly to the cable distribution system 101 shown in fig. 1.

In the cable distribution system 170, since the trunk splice closure 171 is provided with the connection module 172 having the branching function, the number of branch cables 104 connected to the trunk splice closure can be increased, the number of users connected to the hub station can be increased, and the use efficiency of the system can be improved.

[ embodiment 3 ]

Fig. 15 is a structural view showing another cable distribution system including the optical cable connecting closure according to embodiment 3 of the present invention. In the drawings, the same components as those of the cable distribution system shown in fig. 1 and 11 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

In the cable distribution system 180 shown in this figure, the trunk cable 102 and the branch cable 104 are connected at a trunk point via a trunk closure 118, as in the cable distribution system 101 shown in fig. 1. The branch cables 104 and 105 are branched and connected at a distribution point via a distribution closure 178, similarly to the cable distribution system 170 shown in fig. 11.

Branch cables 105 and drop cables 103 are branched at the drop point via drop splice box 181.

As shown in fig. 16, the service closure 181 has a housing 157 similar to the service closure 154 described above, and 1 connection module 182 is housed in a module housing 159 of the housing 157 in a state of standing upright on the bottom surface of the closure main body 155. The housing structure of the connection module 182 in the module housing 159 is completely the same as that of the connection module 158.

As shown in fig. 16 and 17, the connection module 182 has a module body 183 having the same structure and size as the connection module 158. A single-core connector 184 is attached to one end surface of the module main body 183, and a plurality of (here, 8) single-core connectors 185 are attached to the other end surface of the module main body 183.

An optical fiber connecting portion 186 is disposed in the module main body 183 and connects the single-core connector 184 and each single-core connector 185. The optical fiber connection unit 186 includes the optical splitter 151 (described above), and is connected between the single-core connector 184 and each single-core connector 185 by splitting the light via the optical fiber 187.

The connection module 182 may be a dedicated module different from the connection module 158, or may be used as the connection module 158 by switching the mounting position of the single-core connector 184 between one end portion and the other end portion of the module main body 183.

The connection module 182 is accommodated in the module accommodating portion 159 such that the single core connectors 184 and 185 face the left and right sides with respect to the front surface of the housing 157. Then, the optical fiber core wire 115 of the branch optical cable 105 is connected to the single core connector 184 by a connector, and the home optical cable 103 is connected to the single core connector 185 by a connector. Thereby, the optical fiber core 115 of the branch optical cable 105 and the home optical cable 103 are connected via the connection module 182.

In the cable distribution system 180, since the connection module 182 having the branching function is provided in the service box 181, the system can be effectively used in an area where many subscriber houses are densely populated, and the branch cables 104 and 105 do not need to be excessively increased.

As described above, in embodiments 1 to 3, the plurality of types of connection modules 123, 137, 138, 158, 172, and 182 having different connection methods (functions) between the optical fiber connectors have module bodies having the same structure and size. The module housing portions of the housings in the trunk cable closure and the wiring cable closure have the same structure. Thus, the connection modules 123, 137, 138, 172 may be used in either trunk closures or distribution closures, and the connection modules 158, 182 may be used in drop-in closures. Therefore, even if the cable distribution system is changed, there is no need to redesign and manufacture the trunk splice closure, the distribution splice closure, and the service splice closure in accordance with the required connection function.

Specifically, when the cable distribution system shown in fig. 1 is changed to the cable distribution system shown in fig. 11, the 4-core ribbon-shaped core 109 of the trunk cable 102 and the 4-core ribbon-shaped core 109 of the branch cable 104 are removed from the connection module 123 with the door 120 of the trunk splice closure 118 opened, and then the connection module 123 is removed from the housing 121. Then, the other connection module 172 is housed in the module housing portion 122 of the housing 121, and the 4-core ribbon-shaped core wire 109 of the trunk optical cable 102 and the 4-core ribbon-shaped core wire 109 of the branch optical cable 104 are connected to the connection module 172 by a connector. Thereby, the trunk connector 171 shown in fig. 12 is configured.

In addition, in a state where the door 134 of the distribution box 132 is opened, the optical fiber cores 115 of the branch optical cables 105 are removed from the connection modules 138, the connection optical fibers 105 are removed from the connection modules 137 and 138, and then the connection modules 138 are pulled out from the housing 135. Then, each optical fiber core wire 115 of the branch optical cable 105 is connected to the connection module 137 by a connector. Thereby, the wiring connection box 178 shown in fig. 14 is constituted.

When the cable distribution system shown in fig. 1 is changed to the cable distribution system shown in fig. 15, the connection module 138 is pulled out from the housing 135 of the distribution box 132, and the optical fiber cores 115 of the branch cable 105 and the connection module 137 are connected by connectors, so that the distribution box 178 shown in fig. 14 is configured, as described above.

In addition, in a state where the door 156 of the home box 154 is opened, the optical fiber core 115 of the branch optical cable 105 and the home optical cable 103 are removed from the connection module 158, and then the connection module 158 is pulled out from the housing 157. Then, the other connection module 182 is accommodated in the module accommodating portion 159 of the housing 157, and the optical fiber core 115 of the branch optical cable 105 and the service optical cable 103 are connected to the connection module 182 by a connector. This makes the service box 181 shown in fig. 16.

In this way, when a change in the connection function of the trunk cable closure, the wiring cable closure, and the service cable closure is required, the connection module of the type that meets the requirement may be replaced with another type of connection module that meets the requirement, and the connection module of the type that meets the requirement may be left among the plurality of types of connection modules accommodated in the housing. This makes it possible to easily cope with future changes of the cable distribution system.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments 1 to 3. For example, although the above-described embodiments 1 to 3 relate to a cable distribution system constructed between a transmission device in a station and a plurality of subscriber houses, the cable connecting closure of the present invention is naturally applicable to other types of cable distribution systems.

[ 4 th embodiment ]

Next, an optical cable connecting closure according to embodiment 4 of the present invention will be described. Fig. 18 is a cross-sectional oblique view showing an optical cable connection closure according to embodiment 4 of the present invention, and fig. 19 is an oblique view showing a spectral module portion of the optical cable connection closure of fig. 18. As shown in fig. 18, the optical cable connection closure 201 is used for optical cable connection. The cable connection closure 201 here is configured to route a main optical fiber cable (1 st optical fiber cable) T0 for transmitting communication information of the internet or the like, and a branch optical fiber cable (2 nd optical fiber cable) T1 located near a house and having an optical fiber core line of about several to several tens of cores. The optical cable connection closure 201 includes a main body 202, a plurality of splitter module portions 203, and a guide portion 204.

The body 202 forms an outer shell of the optical cable connection closure 201 and has an elongated box shape. The body 202 may be sealed with a lid (not shown) and houses the spectroscopic module 203 and the guide 204 therein. The main optical cable T0 is inserted into the upper portion of the body 202 along the longitudinal direction of the body 202 (hereinafter referred to as the "front-rear direction"). A branch optical cable T1 is connected to the rear (right in the drawing) end of the main body 202.

The splitter module section 203 branches the optical fiber core (1 st optical fiber core) 206 of the main optical fiber cable T0 and connects the optical fiber core (2 nd optical fiber core) 208 of the branch optical fiber cable T1. The spectral module portion 203 is a plate-like cassette, and is configured by providing an optical waveguide therein, for example. Further, the spectral module portion 203 has a rectangular shape long in the front-rear direction as viewed in the thickness direction.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 19, the spectral module portion 203 has a shape in which one corner is cut off, and an inclined surface 203e inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction is formed on the outer peripheral surface. More specifically, the outer peripheral surface of the spectral module portion 203 is composed of end surfaces 203a and 203b perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, side surfaces 203c and 203d parallel to the longitudinal direction, and an inclined surface 203e, and is configured such that: one end side of each of the end surfaces 203a and 203b is continuous with the side surface 203c, the other end side of the end surface 203a is continuous with the inclined surface 203e, and the inclined surface 203e and the end surface 203b are continuous with the side surface 203 d.

An input connector (1 st connector) 205 is provided on the inclined surface 203e of the spectral module portion 203, and an optical fiber core 206 of the main optical fiber cable T0 is connected thereto. As the optical fiber 206, a 4-core ribbon is used. As the input connector 205, for example, an mt (mechanical transferable) connector for multicore connection is used.

Further, a plurality of output connectors (2 nd connectors) 207 connected to the optical fiber cores 208 of the branch optical cables T1 are provided on the end surface 203b of the spectral module portion 203. Here, 4 output connectors 207 are provided in parallel along the width direction of the spectral module portion 203. The output connectors 207 can be connected to 2 optical fiber cores 208, respectively. That is, the spectroscopic module section 203 can be connected to 8 optical fiber cores 208. As the optical fiber core 208, a 4-core ribbon is used. As the output connector 207, for example, an MT connector for multi-wire connection is used. The optical fiber 208 is protected by an identification tube (not shown) for identification and protection of the optical fiber.

An engagement groove 209 for engaging with the rotation shaft G is provided at an end portion of the side surface 203c of the spectroscopic module portion 203 on the input connector 205 side.

Returning to fig. 18, the spectral module portion 203 is disposed inside the main body portion 202 such that the input connector 205 is positioned on the front side (the output connector 207 is positioned on the rear side) within the main body portion 202. Further, 6 engagement grooves 209 are stacked in the vertical direction, and communicate with and engage with the rotation shaft G (see fig. 19). Accordingly, each of the spectral module portions 203 can be rotated in the arrow a direction within a predetermined angular range (here, a range of 0 to 90 degrees). That is, the spectral module portion 203 is configured to be rotatable around the axis of the rotation shaft G provided near the input connector 205.

The guide portion 204 is arranged on the rear side of the spectral module portion 203 in the main body portion 202, for guiding the optical fiber 208. The guide portion 204 includes comb-teeth pieces 204a arranged in parallel in the vertical direction and extending in the width direction of the body portion 202. That is, the guide portion 204 is formed in a comb-tooth shape.

Specifically, the comb-teeth sheets 204a are arranged in parallel in the vertical direction at predetermined intervals corresponding to the thickness of the stacked spectral module portions 203. Thereby, the optical fiber cores 208 connected to the respective spectral module portions 203 are respectively inserted between the comb-teeth pieces 204a, and the optical fiber cores 208 are prevented from being stacked.

In the cable connecting closure of the conventional FTTH, however, a fusion-spliced portion (terminal tray or the like) is generally accommodated in the main body portion 202, and the optical fiber cores 206 and 208 are connected to the splitter module portion 203 via the fusion-spliced portion. Therefore, when fusion-connecting is performed in the main body 202, a margin length of about 1m is required in order to ensure the number of connection failures of about 5 to 10 times and the working distance to the fusion-connecting machine. Therefore, the excess length of the core wire becomes long, and the handling of the optical fiber core wire becomes complicated.

In addition, if the surplus length core wire is long, the housing time for housing the optical fiber cores 206 and 208 in the main body 202 increases. In addition, when the connection is performed by a fusion splicer, a connection time of about 3 to 5 minutes is required. Therefore, there is a high possibility that an obstacle is caused in the operation of opening an optical fiber line having a large number of cores.

In contrast, according to the optical cable connecting closure 201 of embodiment 4, since the optical fiber 206 is directly connected to the input connector 205 and the optical fiber 208 is directly connected to the output connector 207, the excess length of the optical fiber 206 and 208 can be suppressed from increasing, and the excess length of the core can be shortened. As a result, the handling of the optical fiber cores 206 and 208 becomes easy, and the work efficiency of connecting and storing the optical fiber cores 206 and 208 can be improved. Further, since the complicated work such as the processing work of the excess length of the core wire is reduced, the work time can be shortened while suppressing the adverse effect on the quality due to the contact with the optical fiber cores 206 and 208.

In the optical cable connection closure 201, as described above, the spectral module portion 203 is configured to be rotatable about the rotation axis G provided near the input connector 205. Therefore, when the optical fiber 208 is attached to and detached from the output connector 207, the output connector 207 can be positioned at a position where the optical fiber 208 can be easily attached and detached by performing a desired rotation of the spectroscopic module section 203. As a result, the detachability of the optical fiber 208 can be improved.

When the optical fiber 208 is stored after the optical fiber 208 is attached and detached, the optical fiber 208 can be stored in the main body 202 with high density by rotating the position of the spectroscopic module part 203 again. Further, since the spectral module portion 203 is provided with a plurality of output connectors 207 connected to the optical fiber 208, it is particularly effective in improving the attachability and detachability of the optical fiber 208.

In the optical cable connecting closure 201, as described above, the spectral module portion 203 is disposed in the body portion 202 in a stacked manner, and therefore the spectral module portion 203 can be appropriately housed in the body portion 202 in a space-saving manner.

Further, in the optical cable connecting closure 201, since the guide portion 204 having the comb-tooth shape is provided as described above, the optical fiber 208 is inserted between the comb-tooth pieces 204a (groove portion), so that the optical fiber 208 can be prevented from being stacked and the optical fiber 208 can be smoothly moved following the movement of the spectral module portion 203. Further, as described above, since the comb teeth 204a form a predetermined interval corresponding to the thickness of each of the stacked spectral module portions 203, the optical fiber cores 208 connected to the spectral module portions 203 can be separated.

In the optical cable connecting closure 201, the spectral module portion 203 can be attached to and detached from the main body portion 202 by inserting and removing the connectors 205 and 207, and therefore, for example, the spectral module portion 203 can be easily replaced with a module portion having another function. As a result, after the cable connection closure 201 is installed, in the case where the peripheral cable wiring network is changed, for example, the function of the module portion can be partially replaced easily, and it is not necessary to newly install a separate closure.

In addition, as described above, in the spectral module portion 203, since the input connector 205 is provided on the inclined surface 203e, the optical fiber 206 and the input connector 205 can be easily connected. In addition, since the input connector 205 is positioned on the front side of the main body 202 and the output connector 207 is positioned on the rear side, the stacking of the optical fiber cores 206 and 208 in the main body 202 can be further prevented.

[ 5 th embodiment ]

Next, an optical cable connecting closure 210 according to embodiment 5 of the present invention will be described. In the following description, the same description as in embodiment 4 above will be omitted, and the differences will be mainly described.

Fig. 20 is a cross-sectional oblique view showing an optical cable connecting closure according to embodiment 5 of the present invention. As shown in fig. 20, the cable connection closure 210 is configured to distribute a branch cable (2 nd optical fiber cable) T2 including a plurality of service cables (2 nd optical fiber cores) 218 to a main cable T0. The home optical fiber cable 218 is an optical fiber core of a single core wire, and is mostly used for introducing an optical fiber core into a residence, for example. This optical cable connection closure 210 is different from the optical cable connection closure 201 in that a branched core module portion 213 is provided instead of the spectral module portion 203.

The branch core module unit 213 converts the optical fiber 206 of the main optical fiber cable T0 into a multi-core/single-core cable and connects the optical fiber to the home optical fiber cable 218 of the branch optical fiber cable T2. The branched core wire block section 213 has the same outer shape as the spectral block section 203. Further, a plurality of output connectors (2 nd connectors) 217 are provided on the rear end surface 213b of the branched core wire module portion 213. Here, 4 output connectors 217 are provided in parallel along the width direction of the branched core wire block section 213. As the output connector 217, a skin grip connector is used.

In the optical cable connecting closure 210, the same effect as that of the optical cable connecting closure 201 described above, that is, the effect of shortening the extra length of the core wire can be achieved.

Since the spectral module portion 203 and the branch core line module portion 213 have the same external shape, the module portions 203 and 213 have compatibility, and thus, for example, a portion used as the branch core line module portion 213 may be used by replacing the spectral module portion 203 with another one or by replacing the other one with another one. Therefore, the optical fiber cores 206, 208, 218 can be freely wired inside the main body 202.

Further, as described above, since the outer-skin gripping connector is used as the output connector 217, the house optical cable 218 and the output connector 217 can be directly connected as appropriate. That is, even if the service cable 218 is routed in the main body 202 in the air, for example, it is possible to prevent quality deterioration due to contact with the service cable 218.

The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described 4 th and 5 th embodiments. For example, the optical cable connection closure may have both the splitter module portion 203 and the branch core module portion 213.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 21(a), the optical cable connecting closure 230 may have module portions 203 and 213. The module portions 203 and 213 are stacked in the vertical direction and disposed in the main body portion 202. Specifically, 3 spectroscopic module portions 203 are stacked above the 3 branched core line module portions 213. In the optical cable connecting closure 230, the optical fiber 208 connected to the output connector 207 of the splitter module portion 203 is connected to the input connector 205 of the branch core module portion 213. That is, the optical fiber 208 constitutes the 3 rd optical fiber, and the output connector 207 of the splitter module section 203 and the input connector 205 of the branching core module section 213 constitute the 3 rd connector.

As shown in fig. 21(b), the optical cable connecting closure 240 may include: a spectral module portion 203 disposed on the front side of the main body portion 202 and stacked in the vertical direction; and a branched core wire module section 213 disposed on the rear side of the main body section 202 and stacked in the vertical direction. In the optical cable connecting closure 240, the guide portions 204 are disposed on the rear side of the module portions 203 and 213, respectively. In the optical cable connecting closure 240, the optical fiber 208 connected to the output connector 207 of the splitter module portion 203 is connected to the input connector 205 of the branch core module portion 213. That is, the optical fiber 208 constitutes the 3 rd optical fiber, and the output connector 207 of the splitter module section 203 and the input connector 205 of the branching core module section 213 constitute the 3 rd connector.

According to the above-described splice cases 230 and 240 for optical cable connection, the optical fiber 206 is directly connected to the input connector 205 of the splitter module section 203, and the home optical cable 218 is directly connected to the output connector 217 of the branch core module section 213. The optical fiber 208 is directly connected to the output connector 207 of the optical splitter module 203 and the input connector 205 of the branched fiber module 213. Therefore, the same effect as the above effect is achieved that the core wire surplus length can be shortened.

In the optical cable connecting closures 230 and 240, since the main body 202 is shared by the spectral module portion 203 and the branch core module portion 213, it is not necessary to provide 2 types of main bodies 202 corresponding to these portions.

In the optical cable connecting closures 230 and 240, the optical fiber 206 may be connected to the input connector 205 of the branched core module unit 213, the home optical cable 218 may be connected to the output connector 207 of the splitter module unit 203, and the optical fiber 208 may be connected to the output connector 217 of the branched core module unit 213 and the input connector 205 of the splitter module unit 203. In this case, the optical fiber 208 constitutes the 3 rd optical fiber, and the input connector 205 of the splitter module section 203 and the output connector 217 of the branching core module section 213 constitute the 3 rd connector.

[ 6 th embodiment ]

Embodiment 6 of the present invention will be described below. Embodiment 6 of the present invention relates to an end processing structure of a bundled home-entry optical cable obtained by twisting a plurality of home-entry optical cables, and a closure to which the structure is applied.

First, the background art in embodiment 6 of the present invention is described. As a method of constructing a network using optical cables, there is a method of installing splice cases that house optical fiber connection sections in 3 stages from a hub station to a customer premises, i.e., a trunk point, a distribution point, and using optical cables housed in the splice cases at the installation points flexibly for reasonable connection at each stage.

For example, a multi-core, slotted optical fiber ribbon is generally housed as a branch line in a closure of a trunk point located on the base station side. In addition, in a closure of a distribution point for housing service wiring for a subscriber's house, a suitable number of service cables having 1-core or 2-core optical fibers built therein are housed as service cables. On the other hand, in optical cables connected between the splice closure at the distribution point and the splice closure at the distribution point, a bundled service cable having a structure in which a plurality of service cables are twisted is increasingly used as a quasi-branch cable for the purpose of saving labor in the service wiring process.

Fig. 28 and 29 show an example of the configuration of a bundled service cable used as a pseudo-branch line between a distribution point and a service point. The bundle home-entrance optical cable 311 shown in fig. 28 is formed in a configuration in which 4 single-core home-entrance optical cables 313 (single-core elements) are twisted around the support wire 312. The single-core home cable 313 is configured as follows: the optical fibers 314 and 2 tension elements 315 added to both sides of the optical fibers 314 are covered with a sheath 316. As shown in fig. 29, the bundled subscriber optical cable 317 has a configuration in which a support wire 318 is added in the longitudinal direction to a round bundle formed by twisting a larger number of single-core subscriber optical cables 313, and the bundle of the single-core subscriber optical cables 313 and the support wire 318 are bundled by a bundling wire 319.

Conventionally, when the bundled indoor optical cables 311 or 317 are led out and introduced into the closure, the single-core indoor optical cables 313 twisted with each other are untwisted and inserted and held one by one into the cable lead-out/introduction portion of the closure.

Fig. 30 shows a structure of an optical cable lead-out/lead-in portion at an end portion of a conventional closure. The cable introduction/withdrawal portion 341 shown here is disclosed in japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2005-295749, and is constituted by a sealing end plate 371 which closes the open portions at both ends of the cylindrical case of the closure in a water-tight state, and a cable grip 373 which is provided in the case body of the closure in proximity to the end plate 371.

As shown in fig. 31, the end plate 371 has formed therein: a cable insertion part 363 for inserting the main cable 303; 2 cable insertion portions 365 for inserting the drop cables 305; and a plurality of cable insertion portions 367 for individually inserting the drop cables 307 one by one. As shown in fig. 32, the optical cable insertion portions 363 and 365 are configured to be openable and separable into two parts so that the optical cable can be inserted easily.

As shown in fig. 30, the cable holder 373 includes: a metal member body 374 fixed to the case body of the closure; a ratchet bolt 343 for holding the optical cables 303 and 305 and screwed to the metal member main body 374; and a position limiting plate 375 for holding the home-entry optical cable 307 and fixed to the metal member body 374.

The ratchet bolts 343 are arranged in pairs at positions corresponding to the cable insertion sections 363, 365, respectively, and the optical cables 303, 305 inserted into the cable insertion sections 363, 365 are held by a pair of ratchet bolt metal members.

The position restricting plate 375 is a resin molded product, and has a plurality of cable holding grooves 389 for holding the home optical cables 307 at fixed intervals, and the plurality of home optical cables 307 are held in an aligned state by inserting the home optical cables 307 inserted into the cable insertion section 367 into the cable holding grooves 389 one by one.

Next, the problems of the above-described conventional art and the object of embodiment 6 will be described. The single-core home optical cables 313 constituting the bundled home optical cables 311 and 317 shown in fig. 28 and 29 are untwisted, for example, and the cable insertion portions 367 of the sealing end face plate 371 shown in fig. 30 are inserted one by one, and further the home optical cable holding grooves 389 of the cable holder 373 are inserted one by one, which is very time-consuming and causes a delay in the work.

Further, the number of cable insertion portions 367 or cable holding grooves 389 for the home optical cables provided in the cable leading/leading portion 341 of the conventional closure is about 12 to 16 at most, and when the number of twisted home optical cables is 16 or more, a problem arises that the cable cannot be completely accommodated in the conventional closure 351.

An object of embodiment 6 of the present invention is to provide a terminal processing structure of a bundled service cable and a closure using the same, which can improve workability without inserting service cables one by one into a service cable insertion portion and a holding groove when the bundled service cable is led out and led into the closure, and can accommodate a plurality of service cables, which exceed a service cable accommodation number preset in a conventional closure, in an already installed closure.

Next, means provided in embodiment 6 of the present invention for solving the above problems and achieving the above object will be described. (1) In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a terminal treatment structure for a bundled house-entering optical cable according to embodiment 6 is a terminal treatment structure for a bundled house-entering optical cable in which a plurality of house-entering optical cables are twisted, characterized in that a range held by a sealing end surface plate of a closure is formed as a waterproof bundling portion in which a waterproof tape is wound and bundled, a range held by an optical cable grip is formed as a grip bundling portion in which a grip tape is wound and bundled, the waterproof bundling portion and the grip bundling portion are aligned with the waterproof tape or the grip tape, and then the waterproof bundling portion and the grip bundling portion are wound together with a tape from one end side of the tape, and the plurality of house-entering optical cables are formed into a substantially circular bundle arranged in a spiral shape.

(2) Further, the end processing structure of the bundled fiber-to-the-home cable may have the following features: at least the surface of the waterproof tape is made of a thermoplastic elastic material having low hardness and elasticity.

(3) Further, the end processing structure of the bundled fiber-to-the-home cable may have the following features: the grip belt has a surface formed with an anti-slip portion for restricting movement of a member in contact with the surface.

(4) In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the above-mentioned object, a closure according to embodiment 6 is a closure for guiding out and guiding in an optical fiber cable having an end processing structure of the bundled service cable according to any one of the above (1) to (3), the closure comprising, as a cable guiding-out/guiding-in portion into which the bundled service cable is inserted: a sealing end plate into which the waterproof binding portion is inserted; and an optical cable holder for holding the holding bundling part.

According to the terminal treatment structure of the bundled home-entry cable, the waterproof bundling part at the end of the bundled home-entry cable fills the gap between the adjacent home-entry cables in the radial direction of the volute shape by the waterproof tape wound in the volute shape, and closes the gap between the adjacent home-entry cables, so that even if the entire cable insertion part is inserted as a single large-diameter waterproof cable in a bundled state, the waterproof property of the insertion part is not impaired.

Further, since the holding bundling section for bundling the ends of the drop cables is provided with the holding tape wound in a spiral shape between the drop cables adjacent in the radial direction of the spiral shape, and is bundled in the shape of a multi-core cable in which the adjacent drop cables cannot slide relative to each other, it is possible to hold and fix all the drop cables well even if the entire drop cables are held by the cable holder as a single large-diameter cable in a bundled state.

In the closure according to embodiment 6, for example, the cable insertion portions for the main cable and the branch cable are assigned as cable insertion portions to which the waterproof bundling portion for bundling the drop cables is inserted, and the cable grips for the main cable and the branch cable are assigned as cable grips to which the bundling portion is gripped, so that it is not necessary to improve the conventional end plate for sealing and cable grips, and it is possible to store a plurality of the bundled drop cables without wasting man-hours.

Next, an end processing structure of a bundled service cable according to embodiment 6 of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 22 is a front view of an embodiment of a closure for guiding and guiding a bundled home optical cable having an end-treated structure according to embodiment 6, fig. 23 is a perspective view showing a holding structure of the bundled home optical cable at an optical cable guiding and guiding unit of the closure shown in fig. 22, fig. 24 is a perspective view showing an end-treated structure of the bundled home optical cable inserted into the optical cable guiding and guiding unit shown in fig. 23, and fig. 25 is a sectional view taken along line B-B of fig. 24.

A closure 351 shown in fig. 22 is installed at a so-called distribution point of an optical cable network, and houses and protects an optical cable connection portion 309, the optical cable connection portion 309 connecting a branch optical cable and a bundled service optical cable 306 as a quasi-branch line to a main optical cable 303 such as a multi-core optical fiber ribbon cable, and the closure 351 is configured to include: a cylindrical housing 353 surrounding the outer periphery of the optical cable connection portion 309; and optical cable lead-in/lead-out portions 341 provided in the open portions 353a, 353b at both ends of the cylindrical housing 353 into and out of which the optical cables 303, 306 are inserted and withdrawn.

As the bundled home-in cable 306, a cable having an end treatment described later applied to the bundled home-in cables 311, 317 and the like shown in fig. 28, 29 and the like is used.

The cylindrical housing 353 houses the optical cable connection unit 309 as described above, and has a cylindrical structure with both ends open, formed by the housing main body 354 with its front surface open and the cover 355 covering the open surface of the housing main body 354. In the illustrated example, a side edge 355a of the cover 355 is hinged to the housing main body 354 and can be opened and closed. An elastic locking piece 355c that locks with the engagement portion on the side of the case body 354 when the cover 355 is closed is attached to the other side edge 355b of the cover 355.

The optical cable lead-out/lead-in portion 341 includes: a sealing end plate 371 which closes the open parts 353a, 353b at both ends of the cylindrical case 353 to a waterproof state and has formed therein optical cable insertion parts 363, 365, 367; and a cable holder 373 that holds and fixes the cables 303 and 306 or the single-fiber home cable inserted into the cable insertion portions 363, 365, 367 in the cylindrical housing 353.

As shown in fig. 23, the sealing end plate 371 includes: an outer contour substrate 377 made of hard resin, metal or the like and having an outer contour shape; and sealing plates 379, 380, 381 made of rubber, which are provided on the inner peripheral portion of the outer shell base 377 and provide cable insertion portions 363, 365, 367, respectively.

The end plate 371 for sealing has the same structure as the end plate 371 shown in fig. 30 to 32. The cable insertion portion 363 formed in the rubber sealing plate 379 is a hole for inserting the main cable 303, the cable insertion portion 365 is a hole for inserting the branch cable 305 (see fig. 30) and the bundled service cable 306, and the cable insertion portion 367 is a hole for inserting the single-core service cables 307 one by one. As shown in fig. 32, the optical cable insertion portion 363 and the optical cable insertion portion 365 are configured to be openable and separable into two parts so that the optical cable can be inserted into the two parts easily.

As shown in fig. 23, the cable holder 373 is configured to include: a metal member body 374 fixed to the housing body 354; a ratchet bolt 343 for holding the optical cables 303, 305, 306, and screwed to the metal member main body 374; and a position restricting plate 375 for holding the single-core home optical cable 307 and fixed to the metal member main body 374.

The ratchet bolts 343 are arranged in pairs at positions corresponding to the cable insertion sections 363 and 365, respectively, and hold and fix the optical cables 303, 305, and 306 inserted into the cable insertion sections 363 and 365 by sandwiching them.

The position regulating plate 375 is a resin molded product, and is configured such that a plurality of cable holding grooves 389 for holding the home optical cables 307 are formed at regular intervals, and the plurality of home optical cables 307 are held in an aligned state by sandwiching the home optical cables 307 inserted into the cable insertion portion 367 one by one into the cable holding grooves 389, but in the present embodiment, the position regulating plate 375 is not actually used because a single-core home optical cable 307 is not used.

In the closure 351 of the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 23, the entire bundled service cable 306 is inserted into the cable insertion portion 365 for the drop cable 305, and the cable insertion portion 365 has an aperture corresponding to the outer diameter of the bundled service cable 306 and is held and fixed by a pair of ratchet bolts 343 corresponding to the cable insertion portion 365.

As shown in fig. 24, at the end of the bundled indoor optical fiber cable 306, a waterproof bundling part 323 is formed by bundling all the single-core indoor optical fiber cables 313 constituting the optical fiber cable by winding a waterproof tape 321 in a range held by a sealing end face plate 371 of the cable lead-in/out part 341 of the closure 351. The range gripped by the cable grip 373 of the cable introducing/discharging portion 341 is formed as a gripping and binding portion 327 that wraps and binds all the single-core home optical cables 313 constituting the optical cable around the gripping tape 325.

The waterproof binding portion 323 and the holding binding portion 327 are formed by arranging a plurality of indoor cables 313 untwisted in a row on the waterproof tape 321 or the holding tape 325 as shown in fig. 25, then winding the cables from one end side of the tapes 321 and 325 together with the tapes as shown in fig. 26, and forming a plurality of indoor cables 313 into a substantially circular bundle arranged in a spiral shape as shown in fig. 27.

At least the surface of the waterproof tape 321 is formed of a thermoplastic elastomer material (SEBS copolymer) having low hardness and elasticity to fill the gaps between the home optical cables 313 arranged on the surface. The waterproof tape 321 is set to have a thickness of about 1 to 2 mm.

The grip tape 325 is formed by extruding a resin material such as polyethylene or polypropylene in a band shape, and has a wave-shaped or uneven anti-slip portion for restricting movement of the home optical cable 313 in contact with the surface thereof on the surface. The thickness of the holding tape 325 is set to about 1 to 2 mm.

The non-slip portion is formed by embossing the surface during resin extrusion to form, for example, the above-described unevenness and roughen the surface. Further, as the holding belt 325, a metal belt may be used. In this case, the surface is embossed to form irregularities of the anti-slip portion that restrict the movement of the member in contact therewith.

According to the terminal treatment structure of the bundled service cable 306 described above, the elastic material layer of the waterproof tape 321 wound in a spiral shape fills the gap between the adjacent service cables 313 in the radial direction of the spiral shape in the waterproof bundling part 323 at the end of the bundled service cable 306, and closes the gap between the adjacent service cables 313 in the radial direction and the circumferential direction, so that the waterproof property of the insertion part is not impaired even when the entire cable insertion part 365 is inserted as a single large-diameter waterproof cable in a bundled state.

In the gripping and bundling unit 327 for bundling the drop cables 306, the gripping tape 325 wound in a spiral shape is provided between the drop cables 313 adjacent in the radial direction of the spiral, and is bundled in a multi-core cable shape in which the adjacent drop cables 313 do not slide relative to each other, so that all the drop cables 313 can be gripped and fixed favorably even if the entire bundle is gripped as a single large-diameter cable by the pair of barbed bolts 343 of the cable gripper 373 in a bundled state.

Therefore, according to the end processing structure of the bundled service cable 306 according to embodiment 6, when inserting the bundled service cable 306 into the cable lead-out/introduction portion 341 of the closure 351, the bundled service cable can be led out and introduced into the closure 351 using the cable insertion portion 365 for the drop cable and the barbed bolt 343, for example, as shown in fig. 23, without using the dedicated cable insertion portion 367 for inserting the service cables one by one, and the number of steps for storing the bundled service cable into the closure 351 can be reduced, thereby improving workability. Further, even a plurality of service cables exceeding the number of service cables stored in the existing closure 351 can be stored in the existing closure 351.

Further, since the surface of the waterproof tape 321 for forming the waterproof binding portion 323 is formed of a thermoplastic elastic material having low hardness and elasticity, the single fiber home optical cable 313 in contact with the tape surface bites into the surface by elastic deformation of the surface, and the gap between the adjacent home optical cables 313 is filled, and thus a good waterproof property can be obtained.

Further, since the grip belt 325 for forming the grip bundling portion 327 has a slip-proof portion formed on the surface, it is not likely to slip when gripped by the ratchet bolt 343, and the gripping operation becomes easy.

Further, the closure 351 to which the terminal processing structure of the present embodiment is applied to a plurality of bundled indoor cables 306 without modifying the conventional sealing end surface plate 371 and cable grip 373 and without wasting man-hours by assigning the cable insertion portion 365 for the branched cable as a cable insertion portion into which the waterproof bundling portion 323 for bundling the bundled indoor cables 306 is inserted and assigning the ratchet bolt 343 as a cable grip for the branched cable grip as a cable grip for gripping the bundling portion 327 for gripping the bundled indoor cables 306.

In the above embodiment, the bundle drop cable 306 subjected to the end treatment is inserted into the cable insertion portion 365 for the branch cable 305, but may be inserted into the cable insertion portion 363 for the main cable 303.

Claims (15)

1. A closure for optical cable connection, comprising:

a housing having a module housing; and

a connection module which is contained in the module containing part in a freely-inserting and freely-inserting manner and is used for connecting the 1 st optical fiber and the 2 nd optical fiber;

the connection module has: a module body; and a 1 st connector and a 2 nd connector mounted on the module body and connected to the 1 st optical fiber and the 2 nd optical fiber, respectively,

the splice closure for fiber optic cable connections is characterized in that,

the connection module further includes an optical fiber connection part provided in the module body and connecting the 1 st connector and the 2 nd connector,

the module housing portion is configured to be capable of housing a plurality of types of the connection modules, the modules of the connection modules have the same structure and the optical fiber connection portions have different connection functions,

a plurality of the connection modules are accommodated in the module accommodating portion, at least two of the connection modules are connected in sequence, and the 1 st connector and the 2 nd connector are provided at an end portion of the module main body.

2. The closure for fiber optic cable connections of claim 1,

the optical fiber connecting portion has any one of the following functions: a function of linearly connecting the 1 st connector and the 2 nd connector; a function of performing core number conversion and connection between the 1 st connector and the 2 nd connector; and a function of optically branching and connecting between the 1 st connector and the 2 nd connector.

3. The closure for fiber optic cable connections of claims 1 or 2,

the 1 st connector and the 2 nd connector are provided at one end of the module body,

the module housing part has the following structure: the connection module is housed in the module housing portion in a state of being placed in a longitudinal direction with respect to the housing, and the 1 st connector and the 2 nd connector face a front surface side of the housing.

4. The closure for fiber optic cable connections of claims 1 or 2,

the 1 st connector is provided at one end of the module body, the 2 nd connector is provided at the other end of the module body,

the module housing part has the following structure: the connection module is housed in the module housing portion in a state of being placed in a longitudinal direction with respect to the housing, and the 1 st connector and the 2 nd connector are oriented to both left and right sides with respect to a front surface of the housing.

5. A cable distribution system is erected in the air, and cable distribution is performed between a cable at a hub side and a cable at a subscriber side,

it has the following components:

a 1 st optical cable connected to the optical cable on the hub side;

a 2 nd optical cable connected to the subscriber-side optical cable;

a hub side closure for connecting the hub side optical cable and the 1 st optical cable;

a subscriber-side closure for connecting the subscriber-side optical cable and the 2 nd optical cable; and

an intermediate closure for connecting the 1 st optical fiber cable and the 2 nd optical fiber cable,

the cable distribution system is characterized in that,

the station-side closure, the subscriber-side closure, and the intermediate closure are constituted by the optical cable connection closure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, and have the connection modules of different types.

6. A closure for optical cable connection for connecting a 1 st optical fiber core wire in a 1 st optical cable and a 2 nd optical fiber core wire in a 2 nd optical cable,

it is characterized by comprising:

a spectral module section for performing optical branching and a branch core line module section for performing multi-core/single-core conversion; and

a main body part for accommodating the module part,

the branching core wire module part is provided with a 1 st connector for connecting the 1 st optical fiber core wire, the spectroscopic module part is provided with a 2 nd connector for connecting the 2 nd optical fiber core wire,

the 1 st optical fiber core, the 2 nd optical fiber core, the spectral module section, and the branched core module section are connected in this order:

a 1 st optical fiber core, a 1 st connector, a branched core module part, a spectroscopic module part, a 2 nd connector, a 2 nd optical fiber core.

7. The closure for fiber optic cable connections of claim 6,

the spectral module portion and the branched core module portion have the same outer shape.

8. The closure for fiber optic cable connections of claims 6 or 7,

the module parts are arranged in a stacked manner.

9. The closure for fiber optic cable connections of claims 6 or 7,

the module unit is configured to be rotatable around a rotation shaft provided in the vicinity of the 1 st connector.

10. The closure for fiber optic cable connections of claim 8,

the module unit is configured to be rotatable around a rotation shaft provided in the vicinity of the 1 st connector.

11. The closure for fiber optic cable connections of claims 6 or 7,

the optical cable connecting closure further includes a comb-shaped guide portion provided in the main body portion and guiding the 2 nd optical fiber core wire.

12. The closure for fiber optic cable connections of claim 8,

the optical cable connecting closure further includes a comb-shaped guide portion provided in the main body portion and guiding the 2 nd optical fiber core wire.

13. The closure for fiber optic cable connections of claim 9,

the optical cable connecting closure further includes a comb-shaped guide portion provided in the main body portion and guiding the 2 nd optical fiber core wire.

14. The closure for fiber optic cable connections of claim 10,

the optical cable connecting closure further includes a comb-shaped guide portion provided in the main body portion and guiding the 2 nd optical fiber core wire.

15. A closure for connecting optical cables for connecting a 1 st optical fiber core in a 1 st optical cable and a 2 nd optical fiber core in a 2 nd optical cable, comprising:

a spectral module unit for performing optical branching;

a branch core wire module unit for performing multi-core/single-core conversion; and

a main body part for accommodating the module part,

a 1 st connector connected to the 1 st optical fiber core is provided in the branch core module part,

the 2 nd connector connected with the 2 nd optical fiber core is arranged in the optical splitting module part,

a 3 rd connector connected to a 3 rd optical fiber is provided in each of the optical branching module section and the branched core module section, the 3 rd optical fiber connects the optical branching module section and the branched core module section,

the 1 st optical fiber core, the 2 nd optical fiber core, the 3 rd optical fiber core, the spectral module section, and the branched core module section are connected in this order:

the optical fiber module comprises a 1 st optical fiber core wire, a 1 st connector, a branched core wire module part, a 3 rd connector, a 3 rd optical fiber core wire, a 3 rd connector, a spectral module part, a 2 nd connector and a 2 nd optical fiber core wire.