Telecommunication enclosures
A telecommunication enclosure includes an environmentally sealed housing having an interior volume. The sealed enclosure includes a housing wall defining an opening that extends from the interior to an exterior of the enclosure, the housing wall defining interior threads within the opening. A port-defining element mounts within the opening, the port-defining element defining exterior threads that are threadingly mated with respect to the interior threads to retain the port-defining element within the opening. The port-defining element defines a connector port for receiving a hardened fiber optic connector.
1. A telecommunication enclosure comprising:
an environmentally sealed housing having an interior volume, the sealed housing including a housing wall defining an opening that extends from an interior to an exterior of the enclosure, the housing wall defining interior threads within the opening; and
a port-defining element that mounts within the opening, the port-defining element defining exterior threads that are threadingly mated with respect to the interior threads to retain the port-defining element within the opening, the port-defining element defining a connector port for receiving a hardened fiber optic connector.
2. The telecommunication enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the port-defining element also includes a first mechanical fastening structure for mating with a corresponding second mechanical fastening structure of the hardened fiber optic connector to retain the hardened fiber optic connector within the connector port.
3. The telecommunication enclosure of claim 2 , wherein the first and second mechanical fastening structures provide a twist-to-lock interface for retaining the hardened fiber optic connector within the connector port.
4. The telecommunication enclosure of claim 3 , wherein the twist-to-lock interface is a bayonet-style interface or a threaded interface.
5. The telecommunication enclosure of claim 1 , wherein adhesive is provided between the exterior and interior threads.
6. The telecommunication enclosure of claim 1 , wherein a sealant is provided between the exterior and interior threads.
7. The telecommunication enclosure of claim 1 , further comprising a sealing element compressed between the port-defining element and the housing wall.
8. The telecommunication enclosure of claim 7 , wherein the sealing element is an o-ring compressed between the housing wall and an outer flange of the port-defining element.
9. The telecommunication enclosure of claim 1 , wherein friction-based interference sealing is used between the exterior threads of the port-defining element and the interior threads of the housing wall.
10. The telecommunication enclosure of claim 1 , further comprising a ferrule alignment sleeve carried within the port-defining element, the ferrule alignment sleeve having an outer end for receiving a ferrule of the hardened fiber optic connector when the hardened fiber optic connector is inserted into the connector port.
11. The telecommunication enclosure of claim 10 , wherein the ferrule alignment sleeve is a cylindrical split sleeve, and wherein the ferrule alignment sleeve has an inner end for receiving a ferrule of a non-hardened fiber optic connector located within the interior volume of the housing.
12. The telecommunication enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the port-defining element is threaded to the opening of the housing wall from the exterior of the enclosure toward the interior of the enclosure.
13. The telecommunication enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the port-defining element is threaded to the opening of the housing wall from the interior of the enclosure toward the exterior of the enclosure.
14. A telecommunication enclosure comprising:
an environmentally sealed housing having an interior volume, the sealed housing including a housing wall defining an opening that extends from an interior to an exterior of the enclosure, the housing wall including a main body portion and a threaded portion defining interior threads within the opening, wherein the main body portion and the threaded portion of the housing wall are integrally-formed; and
a port-defining element that mounts within the opening, the port-defining element defining exterior threads that are threadingly mated with respect to the interior threads to retain the port-defining element within the opening, the port-defining element defining a connector port for receiving a hardened fiber optic connector.
15. The telecommunication enclosure of claim 14 , wherein the main body portion and the threaded portion are non-movably bonded with respect to each other.
16. The telecommunication enclosure of claim 14 , wherein the main body portion and the threaded portion are molded as a single piece to form a monolithic construction.
17. The telecommunication enclosure of claim 14 , wherein friction-based interference sealing is used between the exterior threads of the port-defining element and the interior threads of the housing wall.
18. The telecommunication enclosure of claim 14 , wherein the port-defining element is threaded to the opening of the housing wall from the exterior of the enclosure toward the interior of the enclosure.
19. The telecommunication enclosure of claim 14 , wherein the port-defining element is threaded to the opening of the housing wall from the interior of the enclosure toward the exterior of the enclosure.