US-12617601-B2 - Dispenser for a continuous strip of a substrate supporting bend-sensitive items

US12617601B2US 12617601 B2US12617601 B2US 12617601B2US-12617601-B2

Abstract

A packaging dispenser for bend-resistant items. In some embodiments, the dispenser includes a container storing bags of cables in an alternating folded pattern. In some embodiments, a vertically floating dispensing guide guides the bags through a slot in the container. The dispensing guide is configured and arranged to limit over-bending of the items as the items are dispensed through the slot and to stabilize the folded pattern.

Inventors

Cyle D. Petersen
JOHN T. PFARR
Michael J. Schomisch

Assignees

COMMSCOPE TECHNOLOGIES LLC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20211005

Claims (20)

1 . A dispenser, comprising: a continuous strip of a substrate defining holders each supporting a bend-sensitive item with adjacent holders of the holders adjoining each other at fold lines; a container extending vertically from a horizontal bottom panel of the container to a horizontal top panel of the container and including a plurality of vertical side panels extending from the bottom panel to the top panel, the bottom panel and the side panels defining a storage volume, the container containing the continuous strip in a vertical stack of the holders in the storage volume, the holders in the vertical stack being folded at the fold lines in an alternating folding pattern, one of the side panels defining a covered or uncovered horizontally facing slot; and a dispensing guide having a curved outer surface and being positioned within the storage volume vertically below a top of the slot and vertically above at least all but one of the stack of holders, the dispensing guide defining a longitudinal axis of the dispensing guide that is substantially parallel to an elongate dimension of the slot, the dispensing guide being arranged to move downward in the storage volume under a gravity force as the holders are dispensed through the slot, wherein the bend-sensitive item is a fiber optic cable, wherein the dispensing guide has a radius extending from, and perpendicularly to, the longitudinal axis of the dispensing guide to the curved outer surface, the radius being greater than or equal to a minimum bend radius of an optical fiber of the fiber optic cable, and wherein the radius is at least 1.5 inches.
2 . The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the holders are bags each containing the bend-sensitive item.
3 . The dispenser of claim 2 , wherein the slot is covered with a cover, and wherein an uppermost bag in the stack is attached to the cover.
4 . The dispenser of claim 3 , wherein there are perforations between the cover and the one of the side panels; and wherein the cover is a flap that remains attached to the container at one of a top edge or a bottom edge of the cover.
5 . The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the holders are sheets and the bend-sensitive item is mounted to each of the sheets.
6 . The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the dispensing guide is a rotatable body and the longitudinal axis defined by the dispensing guide is a rotation axis of the rotatable body.
7 . The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the dispensing guide is mounted in one or more guides that retain the dispensing guide within a vertical plane as the dispensing guide moves downward in the storage volume.
8 . The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the dispensing guide is not connected to the container.
9 . The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the container and the dispensing guide comprise the same material.
10 . The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the radius is such that a smallest vertical distance between an uppermost fold line of the fold lines and the top panel is less than about five inches.
11 . The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein each fold line is perforated.
12 . The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein a maximum vertical dimension of the slot is shorter than one tenth of a maximum vertical dimension of the container.
13 . The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein a maximum width dimension of the dispensing guide parallel to the longitudinal axis is greater than nine tenths of a maximum width dimension of the one of the panels of the container.
14 . The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the dispensing guide is cylindrical.
15 . The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the dispensing guide is a hollow tube.
16 . The dispenser of claim 15 , wherein opposite ends of the hollow tube are open.
17 . The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the holders include indicia indicating a number of remaining holders in the continuous strip or a number of holders of the continuous strip that have been deployed from the container.
18 . The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the dispensing guide is the only dispensing guide positioned within the storage volume.
19 . A dispenser, comprising: a continuous strip of bags each containing a bend-sensitive fiber optic cable with adjacent bags of the bags adjoining each other at perforated fold lines; a container extending vertically from a horizontal bottom panel of the container to a horizontal top panel of the container and including a plurality of vertical side panels extending from the bottom panel to the top panel, the bottom panel and the side panels defining a storage volume, the container containing the strip of bags in a vertical stack of the bags within the storage volume, the bags in the vertical stack being folded at the fold lines in an alternating folding pattern, one of the side panels defining a covered or uncovered horizontally facing slot; and a rotatable body positioned within the storage volume vertically below a top of the slot and vertically above at least all but one of the stack of bags, the rotatable body defining a rotation axis that is substantially parallel to an elongate dimension of the slot, the rotatable body being arranged to move downward in the storage volume under a gravity force as the bags are dispensed through the slot, wherein the container and the rotatable body comprise the same material; wherein the rotatable body has a radius extending from the rotation axis perpendicularly to the rotation axis to a curved outer surface of the rotatable body, the radius being greater than or equal to a minimum bend radius of an optical fiber of the bend-sensitive fiber optic cable, wherein the radius is at least 1.5 inches; wherein a maximum vertical dimension of the slot is shorter than one tenth of a maximum vertical dimension of the container; and wherein an uppermost bag in the stack is attached to the container.
20 . The dispenser of claim 19 , wherein the rotatable body is a dispensing guide that is the only dispensing guide positioned within the storage volume.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a National Stage Application of PCT/US2021/053550, filed on Oct. 5, 2021, which claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 63/088,601, filed on Oct. 7, 2020, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. To the extent appropriate, a claim of priority is made to each of the above disclosed applications. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to packaging and dispensing of optical fiber cables and other bendable items. BACKGROUND Fiber optic cables carry optical fibers that transmit optical signals to and from telecommunications equipment. Optical cables can be packaged in bulk and shipped to a given installation site. The optical fibers are sensitive to bending. Bending an optical fiber beyond its minimum bend radius can permanently damage the optical fiber. In addition, the jackets of fiber optic cables can have bend or kink memory. For example, an optical cable that has been packaged for an extended period of time in a bent configuration may disadvantageously retain bends or kinks for a period of time or permanently even after the optical cable has been removed from the packaging. SUMMARY In general terms, the present disclosure is directed to improved packaging for bend-sensitive items, such as, but no limited to, hoses, straps, wires, electrical cables and fiber optic cables. Such fiber optic cables can include, e.g., jumper cables or patch cords, which can have one or more connectorized ends that terminate a fiber at a connector. The connector can be installed in telecommunications equipment to provide an optical connection or for storage for the connector until an optical connection is desired. Dispensers according to the present disclosure can, advantageously, inhibit or minimize undesirable bend or kink retention of packaged optical fiber cables. Dispensers according to the present disclosure can, advantageously, prevent packaged fiber optic cables from bending beyond their minimum bend radii in a packaged configuration and/or while being dispensed from a container. Dispensers according to the present disclosure can, advantageously, minimize a quantity of packing material needed to safely store and transport a container of fiber optic cables that includes the dispenser. Dispensers according to the present disclosure can, advantageously, simplify manufacturing and assembly of cable packaging, reduce the weight of the overall packaging, reduce the amount of protective shipping packaging required, and/or reduce the number of different types of materials needed for the packaging. According to aspects of the present disclosure, there is provided a packaging container for fiber optic cables supported by holders defined by a continuous strip of a substrate that is folded in an alternating pattern such that the cables are in a stacked, substantially lie-flat configuration. A dispensing mechanism is provided for dispensing the cables through a slot of the container by pulling the strip over a vertically floating guide positioned within the container. By “vertically floating” it is meant that the guide is not attached to any structure that inhibits vertical movement of the guide within the container. As items are dispensed, the dispensing guide moves downward under the force of gravity so that the dispensing guide continues to rest on the stack, which can advantageously stabilize the alternating fold pattern of the stack. According to certain aspects of the present disclosure, a dispenser comprises: a continuous strip of a substrate defining holders each supporting a bend-sensitive item with adjacent holders of the holders adjoining each other at fold lines; a container extending vertically from a horizontal bottom panel of the container to a horizontal top panel of the container and including a plurality of vertical side panels extending from the bottom panel to the top panel, the bottom panel and the side panels defining a storage volume, the container containing the strip in a vertical stack of the holders in the storage volume, the holders in the vertical stack being folded at the fold lines in an alternating folding pattern, one of the side panels defining a covered or uncovered horizontally facing slot; and a dispensing guide having a curved outer surface and being positioned within the storage volume vertically below a top of a slot and vertically above at least all but one of the stack of holders, the dispensing guide defining a longitudinal axis of the dispensing guide that is substantially parallel to an elongate dimension of the slot, the dispensing guide being arranged to move downward in the storage volume under a gravity force as the holders are dispensed through the slot. According to further aspects of the present disclosure, a dispenser comprises: a continuous strip of bags each containing a bend-sensitive fiber optic cable with adjacent bags of the bags adjoining each other at p