Joining apparatus for cables, especially optical fibres.

The present invention relates to a connecting device for splicing cables, particularly of optical fiber cables.

A cable, or optical vector, generally comprises a plurality of conductors (electrical or optical) used for transmission. In the case of an optical cable, it may be constituted, for example, by a number of cylindrical supports called grooved rods, each of the rods carrying a plurality of optical fibers arranged in the grooves. The connection of two cables is made by splicing two optical fibers to two, the splice being protected by a housing. All splice housings of the optical fibers are usually placed in the same container, hereafter called junction box.

Various techniques are known at present to carry out these connections including, for aerial cables include:<ul><li>- The connection in full range, that is to say between two supporting posts cables, the junction box is then attached also rapidly brought to a bearing member; the disadvantages of this solution include the lack of accessibility, the fact of requiring an important material for interventions and the risk of disruption of all transmission lines during an intervention;</li><li>- Connecting upper cable of a support post, the junction box being then carried by the post; here too we encounter difficulties of intervention comparable to previous;</li><li>- The connection in underground chamber, the two cables to be connected then being guided along a retaining stud toward the underground chamber; access to cable to be connected is of course easier than in the previous cases but this solution requires a large civil engineering.</li></ul>

The present invention relates to a connection device to avoid the above drawbacks by using a junction box receiving the ends of cables to be connected, comprising a plurality of independent modules, optionally removable; each module carries out elementary splice case (or a group of boxes) of two transmission media and ensures the storage of the overlength of parts necessary to make splices in a provisional floor installation. When splices are made, the connection box is fixed for example the post.

More specifically, the invention relates to a cable termination device as characterized in claim 1.

It thus appears that with the device according to the invention, there is easy access (ground) and individual (module) for each splice or group of splices, allowing interventions including disrupting other connections at a minimum, all at a minimum cost also.

Other objects, features and results of the invention appear from the following description, given by way of nonlimiting example and illustrated by the accompanying drawings which represent:<ul><li>- Figure 1 a and b, a first embodiment of the connecting device according to the invention;</li><li>- Figure 2, a and b, a second embodiment of the device according to the invention;</li><li>- Figure 3, a third embodiment of the device according to the invention;</li><li>- Figure 4, a fourth device embodiment according to the invention.</li></ul>

On these figures, the same references refer to the same elements.

Figures 1 a and b, it is therefore shown an embodiment of the connecting device according to the invention which includes a connection box wherein R is placed a plurality of tilting modules M, the figure representing the box connection in the closed position and Figure lb, the same box in an open position.

In Figures 1, the junction box R is, for example rectangular parallelepiped shape. The modules are for example in the form of rectangular plates mounted parallel to one side (e.g., a vertical side 7) of the case R, and they are able to tilt (arrow 4) about an axis 3, by example perpendicular to this face 7. in the figure, there is shown as an example three of these modules M₁, M2 and M₃.

One of the faces of the junction box A, preferably the underside for sealing reasons, receives the ends of two cables C₁ and C₂to be connected. The cables enter the box by R 10 and 20 openings that ensure further fixing them. As is known, each of the cables generally carries a plurality of transmission media; Figures 1, only shows a support for each of the cables, namely a support 11 for the cable C₁and a support 21 for the cable C₂, Which are intended to be interconnected by means of a module, such as module M₁. Other carriers of these cables will be connected in the same manner two by two on the following modules M₂M₃ etc ... The supports 11 and 21 are therefore directed towards the module M and more precisely to a spot splice housing E₁Fixed on the module M₁ by fastening means 2, constituted for example by clips. The excess length of supports 11 and 21 necessary for the splicing operation is secured on the module M with the storage means 1, constituted for example in Figures 1 through simple modules.

Where Ci cables and C₂ are optical cable cylindrical grooved structure as described above, to alleviate the connecting device, each of the M modules is assigned to a ring, references 11 and 21 then each pertaining to a ring carrying a plurality of optical fibers and not to a single transmission medium. In this case, the splice enclosures E realize each, in a preferred embodiment, the overall splice all fibers carried by the rod, as described for example in French Patent Application No. 81-03985 on behalf of LTT.

When performing the splicing operation, the TJB R is in the open position shown in Figure lb, this is to say that the module on which a splice is made (M₁) Was rotated 90 ° from its normal position (Fig la) around the axis 3. Splicing is provided in an unillustrated temporary installation schedule. When the splice case (E₁) Is completed, it is returned to its attachment 2 and the excess lengths of transmission media (or rush), 11 and 21 are placed in the bars 1. The module in question (M ₁) Is then placed inside the junction box A by simply tilting about the axis 3. Another module M can then be released by tilting out of the box A. When all splicing operations are completed, R box can be fixed on a retaining post cables, for example the top of the pole, or on a cross member to the post. Where R box is attached to the top of the pole, the length of external cables at the connection box, necessary to ensure that the splice can be done on the ground, are coiled examples (outside the box R ) and set the post.

Figures 2 a and b show a second embodiment of the device according to the invention, respectively in closed position and in open position, wherein the junction box comprises pivoting modules.

In this embodiment include the TJB R, for example of parallelepiped shape, that carries a plurality of modules, for example three modules M₁ M₃Respectively constituted by plates substantially parallel to one of the faces (7) of the box A. As before, each of the modules carries firstly a splice enclosure E (E respectively_l, E₂, E₃ for modules M₁M₂M₃) And means 1 for storing transmission media 11 and 21. There are also two cables CI and C₂ to be connected which are fixed on the underside of the box R, to openings 10 and 20.

In this embodiment, the modules M are also capable of rotation but this time each of the modules is rotatable (arrow 6) about an axis of rotation distinct, for example the axis 71 for the module M₁, These axes being parallel to the suface 7. The axis 71 is vertical for example; the horizontal edges (upper and lower) of the plate modified extended by pins (51 and 52) bent pivotable in guides (53 and 54 respectively) arranged in the horizontal faces of the box A.

2b shows the same connection box R but in open position, the modules having rotated relative to their position of Figure 2a in order to make the splice enclosures E easily accessible.

3 shows another embodiment of the device according to the invention in which modules are sliding.

Found in this embodiment the connection box R of generally parallelepiped shape, containing a plurality of modules M (three modules in the example of the figure) which are slidable for example on a vertical plane. As before, each of the M modules carries a splice closure E and means for storing the excess length of the transmission media. In this embodiment, the modules are in the form of a plate 17 parallel to the face 7 of the box A, the plate 17 bearing on one of its faces a box 1 and, on the other side, means 18 allowing the plate 17 to slide; these means 18 are constituted for example by a slide of U-shaped, as shown in the figure, cooperating with a corresponding rail (not shown) carried by the box A. The box 1 is closed on five of its sides and serves as a means storing the excess length of the elements 11 and 21, these being coiled and held in position with clamps or the like (not shown).

Finally, each splicing unit E is fixed to the plate 17, next to the box 1 by means of two as previously.

4 shows another embodiment of the device according to the invention wherein the modules are fixed.

In this mode can still be found the junction box R of substantially parallelepiped shape having a plurality of modules M, for example three in the figure, each fixed in parallel to a separate face of the parallelepiped R; in this way, they are no longer parallel. The modules may be produced using one of the embodiments described above. In addition they may for example have a notch 8 for passage of the transmission media 11 and 21.

This embodiment is more particularly adapted to the individual connecting optical fibers, that is to say, in case the elements 11 and 21 are fibers.

The device described above is particularly applicable to the connection of optical cables flight.

However, this application is not limiting and it can also be used as an arrangement for cable ends on hold or to allow transition between different cable types, or to achieve a burst of cables in cable smaller.