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EP-3980828-B1 - ENCLOSURE BOX FOR FIBER OPTIC CABLE

EP3980828B1EP 3980828 B1EP3980828 B1EP 3980828B1EP-3980828-B1

Inventors

  • LEESON, KIM
  • TREZISE, SHAUN
  • ETHERIDGE, Harvey

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20200604

Claims (10)

  1. An enclosure box assembly for fiber optic cable comprising: an enclosure box (110); a backplate (120); wherein the backplate (120) is configured to be attached to a support structure, wherein the backplate (120) includes a plurality of latches (122) that are configured to interlock with a complementary latching structure on the enclosure box (110) to secure the enclosure box (110) to the backplate (120) after the backplate (120) is attached to the support structure, wherein the backplate (120) includes at least one exit opening configured to permit a preterminated fiber optic drop cable (190) to pass there through, and wherein the latches (122) and the complementary latching structure are configured to prevent the enclosure box (110) from being removed from the backplate (120) once attached thereto, the latches (122) being configured as cantilevered arms that extend from a front surface of the backplate (120) and include a finger at the free end of the arms, characterized in that the enclosure box (110) includes: a front wall (150), a bottom wall (152), a top wall (154), two side walls (156, 158), and a back wall (160), wherein the front wall (150), the bottom wall (152), the top wall (154), the two side walls (156), and the back wall (160) are a monolithic structure of unitary construction such that the front wall is not removable from the remaining walls; and a preterminated fiber optic drop cable (190) being preinstalled with the enclosure box (110); and a fiber optic adapter (192) being preinstalled with the enclosure box (110) and optically connected with the fiber optic drop cable (190).
  2. The enclosure box assembly of claim 1, wherein the enclosure box (110) is configured to be coupled with the backplate (120) without twisting or turning the enclosure box (110) relative to the backplate (120) to assemble the enclosure box (110) assembly.
  3. The enclosure box assembly of any of claims 1-2, wherein the enclosure box (110) is a small customer terminal.
  4. The enclosure box assembly of any of claims 1-3, wherein the at least one opening permits the fiber optic drop cable (190) to pass between the enclosure box (110) and the backplate (120) when the enclosure is attached to the backplate (120) and secured via the latches (122).
  5. The enclosure box assembly of any of claims 1-4, wherein the enclosure box (110) includes first and second wrap guides (162, 164) arranged to direct slack of the fiber optic cable to follow an arcuate path that is greater than or equal to a minimum bend radius of the fiber optic cable.
  6. The enclosure box assembly of any of claims 1-5, wherein a front surface of the backplate (120) includes a pair of opposed contoured walls formed by raised ribs extending from the front surface of the backplate (120) on opposite sides of a first opening of the at least one opening and extending from the top end of the backplate (120) to the bottom end of the backplate (120).
  7. The enclosure box assembly of claim 6, wherein the walls converge toward one another but are spaced apart from one another at the top end and the bottom end of the backplate (120) to define two additional openings of the at least one opening.
  8. An enclosure box install kit comprising: a box (12) containing a reel (14) and the enclosure box (110) assembly of claim 1; and a tray (18) containing the enclosure box (110) and the backplate (120), wherein the fiber optic drop cable (190) is wound on the reel (14).
  9. The enclosure box install kit of claim 8, further comprising a cover (19) configured to cover the tray (18) to contain the enclosure box (110) and the backplate (120) in the tray.
  10. An enclosure box assembly according to claim 2, further wherein: the backplate (120) includes a plurality of slotted countersunk screw holes configured to receive screws for attaching the backplate (120) to the support structure, the backplate (120) includes a first exit opening through a middle portion of the backplate (120), a second exit opening at a top end of the backplate (120), and a third exit opening at a bottom end of the backplate (120), the second and third exit openings permit the fiber optic drop cable (190) to be fed through one of the second and third exit openings between the enclosure box (110) and the backplate (120) when the enclosure is attached to the backplate (120) and secured via the latches (122).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD This disclosure relates generally to the field of apparatuses for the installation of optical fiber networks. In particular, this disclosure relates to an enclosure box for fiber optic cable and, more particularly, to a customer terminal enclosure box that serves as a termination point for fiber to the home deployments. BACKGROUND As demand for data and connectivity increases, network planners and installers are seeking more efficient and cost-effective deployment options for their fiber to the X (FTTX) rollouts. FTTX comprises the many variants of fiber optic access infrastructure. These include fiber to the home (FTTH), fiber to the premise (FTTP), fiber to the building (FTTB), fiber to the node (FTTN), and fiber to the curb or cabinet (FTTC). The optical FTTP or FTTH network is an optical access network that supplies broadband or ultra-broadband communication services to a number of end users (e.g., services that require data transmission speeds measuring several hundred Mbit/s or even higher). An optical FTTP or FTTH network typically includes a fiber distribution hub (FDH), which is typically located in the basement or vault of a multi-dwelling unit building in which the end users reside. A multi-fiber distribution cable typically leads out of the distribution hub to a fiber connection point that is typically located remote from the distribution hub. At the distribution hub, the distribution cable can be connected optically to one or more drop cables. As used herein, a "drop cable" is an optical fiber cable that typically runs between the distribution hub and an apartment or office of an end user. To connect the distribution cable to the drop cables, a number of optical fibers are broken out of the distribution cable and into a same number of single-fiber cables that are each terminated with an optical fiber connector. Each drop cable is then typically terminated at a customer terminal enclosure box, for example, a small customer terminal (SCT), located in the proximity of or inside an apartment or office of an end user. A building may include a single FDH for the entire building, or one FDH per floor, or any combination in between, depending on the fiber connection needs and capacity of the building. In some installations, an appropriate length of a preterminated optical fiber drop cable is fed from the FDH to the SCT, and in other installations, the preterminated drop cable is fed from the SCT to the FDH. In either case, the FDH and/or the SCT may be configured to accommodate a slack length of the drop cable when necessary. Some conventional SCTs, such as the exemplary SCT 710 shown in FIG. 7, are provided with a preinstalled and preterminated cable 790 and an adapter 792 configured to couple a preterminated end 794 of the cable 790 with another cable (not shown) that is coupled to the opposite side of the adapter and runs to the end user's Optical Network Terminal (ONT). The SCT 710 includes a base member 712 that is configured to be mounted directly to a wall. In order to secure the base member 712 to the wall, a removable cover (not shown) is removed from the base member 712 and the preinstalled cable is removed to allow access to the mounting features. This lengthens the process for installing the SCT 710 and risks damaging components of the SCT, such as the fiber, the connector, and/or the adapter, when the cable is removed during mounting. Therefore, it may be desirable to provide an SCT assembly that permits an SCT to be installed to a wall without accessing an interior of the SCT and without removing preinstalled cable and/or other components. It may also be desirable to provide an SCT assembly that provides multiple exit options from the SCT for the drop cable. EP3229054A2 illustrates an assembly for deploying fiber optic cables including a housing, a spool, a component module, and a cover configured to close a cavity defined by the component module. EP2230738A2 shows a mounting plate which may be screwed to a wall and an associated housing with a peripheral side wall. The housing is open at a rear and a front, but the former rests against the mounting plate while the latter is closed by a separate removable cover. SUMMARY An enclosure box assembly according to the invention is disclosed in any one of appended claims relating to the enclosure box assembly. An enclosure box install kit according to the invention is disclosed in any one of appended claims relating to the enclosure box install kit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES For a further understanding of the invention, reference will be made to the following detailed description of the invention which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawing and in which like numbers refer to like parts, wherein: FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an exemplary small customer terminal assembly in accordance with various aspects of the disclosure;FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a backplate of the exemplary small cust