CABLE SEALS WITH REINFORCEMENTS
Aspects of the present disclosure relate to structures and designs that allow gels to be used to conform freely to optical cables while simultaneously minimizing the displacement of the gel due to deformation forces acting on the gel.
1 .- 22 . (canceled)
23 . A telecommunications enclosure comprising:
a housing;
a first cable seal including a first volume of gel and a first plurality of tensile reinforcing elements embedded in the first volume of gel and bonded to the first volume of gel; and
a second cable seal including a second volume of gel and a second plurality of tensile reinforcing elements embedded in the second volume of gel and bonded to the second volume of gel, the second cable seal being configured to cooperate with the first cable seal to provide full sealing about a fiber optic cable;
wherein the first and second pluralities of tensile reinforcing elements each include a free end and an opposite base end, and the base ends respectively extend outside of the first and second volumes of gels and are anchored directly to the housing; and
wherein the first and second pluralities of tensile reinforcing elements are arranged in force transmitting relation relative to the housing of the telecommunications enclosure such that when a deformation force is applied to the respective first and second volumes of gels, the first and second pluralities of tensile reinforcing elements transfer tensile load to the housing of the telecommunications enclosure to resist deformation of the first and second volumes of gels.
24 . The telecommunications enclosure of claim 23 , wherein when the first and second cable seals are positioned one on top of the other, a sealed cable pass-through interface is defined therebetween.
25 . The telecommunications enclosure of claim 23 , wherein the free ends are positioned near the sealed cable pass-through interface.
26 . The telecommunications enclosure of claim 23 , wherein the first and second cable seals have anisotropic deformation characteristics.
27 . The telecommunications enclosure of claim 23 , wherein the first and second pluralities of tensile reinforcing elements include a material selected from the following: aramid, fiber, metal or plastic.
28 . The telecommunications enclosure of claim 23 , wherein the first and second cable seals are configured to withstand a compressive force of at least 300 Newtons.
29 . The telecommunications enclosure of claim 23 , wherein the base ends are integrally molded with the housing.
30 . The telecommunications enclosure of claim 23 , wherein the base ends are anchored to the housing by adhesive.
31 . The telecommunications enclosure of claim 23 , wherein the first and second volumes of gel include first and second opposite sides that are connected by third and fourth opposite sides.
32 . The telecommunications enclosure of claim 23 , wherein the first and second pluralities of tensile reinforcing elements are angled from the housing in a direction extending toward the second side and the third or fourth sides.