Cable grounding assemblies for telecommunications enclosures
Devices, assemblies and methods for fixing and grounding telecommunications cables entering telecommunications closures. A plurality of cable fixation units are independently conductively coupled to components of a grounding assembly with conductive couplers. The conductive couplers are attached to a grounding bar that is fixed relative to the cable fixation units.
1. A grounding assembly for a fiber optic closure, comprising:
a plurality of cable fixation units, each cable fixation unit including a main body defining a cable fixation portion;
a plurality of cable clamps, each cable clamp being configured to clamp a cable to the cable fixation portion of one of the cable fixation units;
a grounding bar adapted to be electrically grounded via a grounding cable, the grounding bar being in a fixed position relative to a plurality of cable attachment locations, the cable attachment locations being defined by mutually parallel reference lines that are also configured to be parallel to axes of cables when the cables are attached to the cable fixation units positioned at the cable attachment locations, the grounding bar crossing the plurality of reference lines; and
a plurality of electrically conductive couplers, the couplers being adapted to couple the cable fixation units to the grounding bar by mounting to the cable fixation units and to the grounding bar, the couplers being adapted to selectively conductively couple and selectively electrically isolate telecommunications cables clamped to the plurality of cable fixation units and attached at the cable attachment locations and the grounding bar, the grounding bar being in the fixed position both when the plurality of electrically conductive couplers are conductively coupled to, and electrically isolated from, the grounding bar.
2. The grounding assembly of claim 1 , wherein the grounding bar crosses the plurality of reference lines at right angles.
3. The grounding assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of electrically conductive couplers are adapted to contact electrically conductive portions of the telecommunications cables.
4. The grounding assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of electrically conductive couplers are adapted to contact electrically conductive portions of the cable fixation units mounted at the cable attachment locations, and wherein the electrically conductive portions of the cable fixation units are adapted to contact electrically conductive portions of the telecommunications cables.
5. The grounding assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of electrically conductive couplers are selectively placeable in grounding positions and non-grounding positions, wherein in the grounding positions the couplers are configured to establish grounding paths between the telecommunications cables and the grounding bar, and wherein in the non-grounding positions the telecommunications cables are electrically isolated from the grounding bar.
6. The grounding assembly of claim 5 , wherein in the non-grounding positions, the telecommunications cables are electrically isolated from one or more other cables that are grounded via the grounding bar.
7. The grounding assembly of claim 1 , wherein the grounding bar is electrically connected to a grounding cable configured to extend exteriorly to the fiber optic closure.
8. The grounding assembly of claim 7 , wherein the grounding cable connects to the grounding bar at a first location on the grounding bar, and wherein the first location is not between two of the reference lines.
9. The grounding assembly of claim 4 , wherein one of the plurality of cable fixation units includes a cable strength member mount for mounting one or more electrically conductive strength members of a corresponding one of the telecommunications cables and a conductive shield engagement component for conductively engaging a conductive shield of the corresponding one of the telecommunications cables, and wherein one of the plurality of electrically conductive couplers is adapted to selectively conductively couple the one or more electrically conductive strength members and the conductive shield to the grounding bar.
10. The grounding assembly of claim 9 , wherein the one of the plurality of electrically conductive couplers includes a body and first and second arms extending from the body, the body and first and second arms defining a substantially squared C-shape profile, and wherein when the one of the plurality of electrically conductive couplers is conductively coupled to the grounding bar, the first arm is conductively coupled to the cable strength member mount, and the second arm is conductively coupled to the grounding bar.
11. The grounding assembly of claim 10 , wherein a flange extends from the second arm, the flange and the second arm adapted to contact different sides of the grounding bar.
12. The grounding assembly of claim 10 , wherein the body of the one of the plurality of electrically conductive couplers contacts the main body of the one of the plurality of cable fixation units when the one of the plurality of electrically conductive couplers is conductively coupled to the grounding bar.
13. The grounding assembly of claim 10 , wherein the substantially squared C-shape profile defines an open space through which optical fibers of the corresponding one of the telecommunications cables can extend into an optical fiber management area of the closure.
14. A grounding assembly, comprising:
a grounding bar;
a cable fixation unit; and
an electrically conductive coupler mounted to the grounding bar and to the cable fixation unit, the electrically conductive coupler including a body and first and second spaced apart arms extending from the body, and a flange extending from the second arm, the body and the first and second arms defining a substantially squared C-shape profile, the body and first and second arms defining an open space between the first and second arms and adjacent the body through which optical fibers of a cable clamped to the cable fixation unit can pass, the first of the first and second arms being mounted to the cable fixation unit, and the second of the first and second arms and the flange being mounted to different sides of the grounding bar, the coupler further comprising a notch,
wherein a fastener extends through the notch and fastens the coupler to a strength member fixation portion of the cable fixation unit.
15. A fiber optic closure for managing optical fibers, comprising:
a housing defining a closure volume;
a plurality of cable ports defined by the housing;
a slotted baseplate;
a plurality of electrically conductive cable fixation units aligned with the cable ports, each of the plurality of electrically conductive cable fixation units being adapted to be individually removably mounted to the slotted baseplate;
a plurality of telecommunications cables fixed to the cable fixation units; and
a grounding assembly for electrically grounding the telecommunications cables, the grounding assembly comprising:
an electrically conductive grounding bar disposed within the interior volume in a fixed position relative to the plurality of cable fixation units and extending perpendicularly to longitudinal axes of the telecommunications cables across all of the telecommunications cables; and
an electrically conductive coupler for each of the plurality of cable fixation units, each of the electrically conductive couplers being selectively placeable in a grounding position and a non-grounding position,
wherein in the grounding position the electrically conductive coupler is mounted to the grounding bar and to a corresponding one of the cable fixation units such that a corresponding one of the telecommunications cables is conductively coupled to the grounding bar; and
wherein in the non-grounding position the corresponding one of the cable fixation units and the corresponding one of the telecommunications cables are electrically isolated from the grounding bar.
16. A fiber optic closure for managing optical fibers, comprising:
a housing defining a closure volume;
a plurality of cable ports defined by the housing;
a plurality of electrically conductive cable fixation units aligned with the cable ports;
a plurality of telecommunications cables fixed to the cable fixation units; and
a grounding assembly for electrically grounding the telecommunications cables, the grounding assembly comprising:
an electrically conductive grounding bar disposed within the interior volume in a fixed position relative to the plurality of cable fixation units and extending perpendicularly to longitudinal axes of the telecommunications cables across all of the telecommunications cables; and
an electrically conductive coupler for each of the plurality of cable fixation units, each of the electrically conductive couplers being selectively placeable in a grounding position and a non-grounding position,
wherein in the grounding position the electrically conductive coupler is mounted to the grounding bar and to a corresponding one of the cable fixation units such that a corresponding one of the telecommunications cables is conductively coupled to the grounding bar;
wherein in the non-grounding position the corresponding one of the cable fixation units and the corresponding one of the telecommunications cables are electrically isolated from the grounding bar; and
wherein the cable fixation units include cable strength member mounts for mounting one or more electrically conductive strength members of the telecommunications cables and conductive shield engagement components for conductively engaging conductive shields of the corresponding telecommunications cables, and wherein the electrically conductive couplers are adapted to selectively conductively couple the one or more electrically conductive strength members and the conductive shields to the grounding bar.
17. The closure of claim 16 , wherein each of the electrically conductive couplers includes a body and first and second arms extending from the body, the body and first and second arms defining a substantially squared C-shape profile, and wherein when the electrically conductive couplers are conductively coupled to the grounding bar, the first arms are conductively coupled to the cable strength member mounts, and the second arms are conductively coupled to the grounding bar.
18. The closure of claim 17 , wherein flanges extend from the second arms, the flanges and the second arms being adapted to contact different sides of the grounding bar.
19. The closure of claim 17 , wherein the bodies of the electrically conductive couplers contact main bodies of the cable fixation units when the electrically conductive couplers are conductively coupled to the grounding bar.
20. The closure of claim 17 , wherein the C-shape profiles of the electrically conductive couplers define open spaces through which optical fibers of the telecommunications cables extend into an optical fiber management area of the closure.
21. A method of grounding a plurality of cables fixed to a portion of a telecommunications closure at cable fixation units, comprising:
securing electrically conductive couplers to the cable fixation units; and
securing each of the electrically conductive couplers directly to a grounding bar that extends across longitudinal axes of all of the plurality of cables, the grounding bar being in a fixed position relative to the cable fixation units and attached to a portion of the telecommunications closure such that the grounding bar is positioned within an interior volume defined by the closure when the closure is in a closed configuration;
electrically isolating a first of the cable fixation units from all of the other cable fixation units only by decoupling the electrically conductive coupler corresponding to the first of the cable fixation units from at least one of the first of the cable fixation units and the grounding bar;
subsequent to the electrically isolating, introducing an electrical toning signal to a first cable fixed to the first of the cable fixation units at a first axial location of the first cable; and
subsequent to the introducing the electrical toning signal, recoupling the electrically conductive coupler corresponding to the first of the cable fixation units to the at least one of the first of the cable fixation units and the grounding bar.
22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising detecting the toning signal at a second axial location of the first cable, the second axial location being within the interior volume defined by the closure when the closure is in the closed configuration.