Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

Ronald G Bossard

Robert B Goodin

Roger H Keith

Charles M Mansfield

Russell P Smith

Dean C Krenz

An interconnection module for providing connections between a plurality of incoming conductors and a field connector has a termination block which is repositionable between storage and installation positions. The module includes a housing having a base and a cover removably attached to the base, the housing retaining a receptacle, such as a telephone jack, and a plurality of jumper wires connected between the termination block and the receptacle. The termination block, wires and receptacle collectively comprise a preterminated connector assembly which is completely removable from the housing. The termination block is generally planar, affording a low-profile module when placed in the storage position, parallel to the bottom of the housing. In the installation position, the termination block is rotated perpendicular to the bottom of the housing, making the capped upper edge of the termination block more accessable for installation of the incoming conductors. The base is designed to support and stabilize the termination block in the installation position.

Repositionable termination module

An optical fiber splicing station includes a base having a vise for releasably securing a splice management device, such as a splice tray, and means for removably mounting one or more different fiber optic splicing tools. The splicing station provides a compact, portable platform which facilitates installation of the splice, particularly in difficult locations such as aerial or buried closures, and high-density environments. The base further has means for receiving an optical fiber cleaver at one of several different locations, to accommodate placement of the splicing tool, or simply for user convenience. Means may also be provided to mount the base to a splice case, tripod, or splicing rig support. Torsional stress, which might otherwise be induced on the fibers during installation of the splice onto the splice management device, is minimized by positioning the device close to the splicing tool, and by orienting the lengthwise direction of the device with the direction of the fibers which are held by the splice tool (on the base) during the splice operation. After a splice has been actuated, it may be removed from the tool and placed on the device in a single step, and the torsional stress is distributed evenly over the final coil of slack fiber stored in the device, with no opposing torsional stresses developed in the spliced fiber coils.

Optical fiber splicing station

Optical fiber termination module

An optical fiber termination module for use in terminating having an end wall and a splice magazine, a connector supported on said end wall, one plug of which has a short optical fiber extending therefrom straight to a splice supported in the magazine, and the support having a flucrum to afford tilting of the support intermediate its ends to afford movement of the end wall to a position away from the end wall of other modules to allow easy access to the connector for attaching a distribution plug.

Optical fiber module termination array and panel

An optical fiber termination for the termination of fibers at a residence, apartment or factory or office work station should be convenient and readily accomplished by the technician. The termination is afforded by a module including a support having a wall to support a connector, a plug and short pigtail fiber reaching the center of a splice in a splice magazine on the support.

A fiber optic splice closure for protecting the splice made into a transmission cable, containing a plurality of fibers which are to remain unsevered, comprises a base to which the cable is anchored and in which slack fibers in the uncut cable are looped and stored free of transverse barriers. The seal is made with the cables and the base by a mating cover provided with a second area to receive splice trays and slack fibers selected from the cable for splicing.

Fiber optic cable splice closure

A strain-relief device for use in a cable splice case for communications cables comprises a horizontal portion having a plurality of tangs projecting therefrom, a vertical portion projecting upwardly from said horizontal portion, and reinforcing means between said horizontal and vertical portions. The tangs on the horizontal portion grip the outer sheath of a communications cable, while the vertical edge abuts the interior end of a cable collar extending through an end plate. The device relieves strain in the cable by allowing it to pass through to the outer shell of the cable splice case.

Strain-relief brace for cable splice case

A cable splice case for communications cables comprises a two part outer shell, divided perforate end plates, and a cable collar for each cable end. The cable collar is grooved to receive an end plate gasket. A preferred form of cable collar is in two parts and fits together over a mastic winding between two washers on the cable to form a hermetically sealed cable end structure which is retained during reentry of the splice area. Details of gasket, tie bar, and strain relief structure are given.

Cable splice case

A composite washer is comprised of two identical flexible mating half-washers each offset along a diameter and slit along an offset radius. Two half-washers are mated after being slipped over a cable section to provide a fluid-resistant barrier in a cable splice enclosure.

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

Ronald G Bossard