JP7633467B2 - Cable holder - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cable housing in which a cable bundle is housed in a container.
For designated states in which incorporation by reference of literature is permitted, the contents described in Patent Application No. 2022-22471 filed in Japan on February 16, 2022 are incorporated by reference into this specification and made a part of the description of this specification.

For example, the method described in Patent Document 1 is known as an air-pressurized optical cable construction method for increasing the pumping distance of an optical cable unit. In this construction method, first, a reel is prepared on which both sides of the optical fiber unit are wound simultaneously while the middle part of the optical fiber unit is fixed to the body. Next, the reel is placed between two pipes that have been laid in advance, and the air is pumped into the two pipes on both sides of the optical fiber unit by rotating the reel.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-45322

In the above method, one of the two sides of the optical fiber unit is unwound from the top of the reel and fed into one pipe, while the other of the two sides of the optical fiber unit is unwound from the bottom of the reel and fed into the other pipe. In this way, in order to unwound both sides of the optical fiber unit simultaneously, the above method has the problem that two pumps must be prepared and the feeding operations into the two pipes must be synchronized.

The problem that this invention aims to solve is to provide a cable storage body that allows both ends of a cable to be pulled out independently from a cable bundle.

[1] The cable housing of the present invention is formed by winding a cable and comprises a cable bundle that does not have a winding core and a first container that houses the cable bundle, the first container being a cable housing having first and second outlets for removing the cable from the first container.

[2] In the above invention, the cable may be a single continuous cable.

[3] In the above invention, the first outlet may be configured to pass through the first end side of the optical fiber cable, and the second outlet may be configured to pass through the second end side of the optical fiber cable.

[4] In the above invention, the first container may have first and second surfaces that are substantially perpendicular to the axial direction of the winding of the cable bundle and that face each other, and the first outlet may be formed on the first surface and the second outlet may be formed on the second surface.

[5] In the above invention, the first container may be arranged in a plane substantially parallel to the axial direction of the winding of the cable bundle and may have a convex portion or an inclined surface that contacts the cable bundle.

[6] In the above invention, the cable housing may include a plurality of the cable bundles connected to each other.

[7] In the above invention, the multiple cable bundles may be continuously connected to each other by a single cable.

[8] In the above invention, the first container may be provided with a partition plate that divides the internal space of the first container into a plurality of storage spaces, and the plurality of cable bundles may be individually stored in the plurality of storage spaces.

[9] In the above invention, the cable housing may include a plurality of the first containers that individually house the plurality of cable bundles.

[10] In the above invention, the plurality of first containers may be stacked on top of each other such that the axial direction of the windings of the plurality of cable bundles is aligned vertically.

[11] In the above invention, the plurality of first containers may include an upper container and a lower container stacked on top of each other, the upper container and the lower container may be stacked so as to be offset from each other, and the first or second outlet of the lower container may be exposed from the upper container.

[12] In the above invention, the cable housing may include a second container that houses the plurality of first containers, and the second container may have third and fourth outlets for removing the cable from the second container.

[13] In the above invention, the third outlet may be configured to pass through the first end side of the optical fiber cable, and the fourth outlet may be configured to pass through the second end side of the optical fiber cable.

[14] In the above invention, the plurality of cable bundles may include a first cable bundle having a first inner diameter and a second cable bundle having a first outer diameter smaller than the first inner diameter, and the second cable bundle may be housed inside the first cable bundle.

[15] The cable laying method of the present invention is a cable laying method comprising a first step of preparing first and second ducts, a second step of preparing the above-mentioned cable housing, a third step of unwinding the cable from the first outlet and inserting the cable into the first duct, and a fourth step of unwinding the cable from the second outlet and inserting the cable into the second duct.

[16] In the above invention, the first step may include installing the first and second ducts.

According to the present invention, the cable bundle does not have a winding core, and the first container housing the cable bundle has first and second outlets for removing the cable from the first container, so that both ends of the cable can be independently unwound from the cable bundle.

FIG. 1 is a see-through perspective view showing a cable housing according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 2(a) to 2(d) are see-through perspective views showing first to fourth modified examples of the cable housing in the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of a fifth modified example of the cable housing in the first embodiment of the present invention. 4(a) to 4(d) are diagrams showing a cable installation method in the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5(a) is a cross-sectional view of a cable housing in a second embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the side, and FIG. 5(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line VB-VB in FIG. 5(a). 6(a) to 6(c) are diagrams showing a method of winding a cable bundle in a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7(a) is a cross-sectional view of a cable housing in a third embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the side, and FIG. 7(b) is a diagram showing a state in which the inner container shown in FIG. 7(a) has been removed from the outer container. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional side view of a cable housing according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a see-through perspective view showing a cable housing according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.

Below, an embodiment of the present invention is described based on the drawings.

<<First embodiment>>
Fig. 1 is a see-through perspective view showing a cable housing in a first embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 1 and Figs. 2(a) to 2(d) described later, a part or the whole of the container 20 is shown in a see-through manner in order to make it easier to understand the state inside the container 20.

As shown in Fig. 1, the cable housing 1A of this embodiment includes a cable bundle 10 and a container 20 that houses the cable bundle 10. This cable housing 1A is used, for example, during the work of laying the cable 11, in transporting the cable to the installation site and in the installation work itself.

The cable bundle 10 is formed by winding a single continuous cable 11 into a ring (coil shape). In this embodiment, the cable 11 constituting the cable bundle 10 does not have any connection points between one end (first end) 12 and the other end (second end) 13. Note that a single continuous cable 11 may be formed by connecting multiple cables, for example, by fusion splicing or a connector. That is, the "single continuous cable 11" in this embodiment refers to a cable in which one end 12 and the other end 13 are continuously connected without being interrupted, and may not have any connection points between the ends 12 and 13, or may have one or more connection points between the ends 12 and 13. In addition, a specific example of the cable 11 may be an optical fiber cable, but is not limited to this. For example, a metal cable for power transmission, communication, or a composite type of a combination of these may be used as the cable 11.

An example of the method of winding the cable 11 when forming this cable bundle 10 is traverse winding. The winding method of the cable 11 is not limited to the above, and the cable bundle 10 may be formed by winding the cable 11 using other winding methods such as figure-of-eight winding. Also, the cable bundle 10 may be formed by winding the cable 11 while twisting the cable 11 in the opposite direction to the twist when the cable 11 was unwound, for example, using a winding method such as that described in Utility Model Registration No. 3035145 and JP Patent Publication No. 2000-255659.

The cable bundle 10 of this embodiment is formed, for example, by winding the cable 11 with a parasol drum type winding device. This type of winding device contracts the parasol drum after winding the cable 11, and removes the completed cable bundle 10 from the winding device. For this reason, the cable bundle 10 of this embodiment has a so-called drumless structure that does not have a winding core such as a drum or reel. Note that if the cable bundle 10 does not have a winding core, the cable bundle 10 may be formed using a winding device of a type other than the parasol drum type described above.

In this manner, in this embodiment, since the cable bundle 10 does not have a winding core, the first end 12 of the cable 11 and the second end 13 of the cable 11 can be simultaneously unwound from the cable bundle 10. That is, in this embodiment, both ends 12, 13 of the cable 11 can be simultaneously unwound from the cable bundle 10. In contrast, when the cable bundle is wound on a drum, the end on the winding end side (end E, for example, one end) can be unwound from the cable bundle, but the end on the winding start side (end S, for example, the other end) is fixed to the drum, so the end on the winding start side cannot be unwound from the cable bundle.

In addition, in this embodiment, since the cable bundle 10 does not have a winding core, there is no need to rotate the cable bundle 10 itself when unwinding the cable 11, and both ends 12, 13 of the cable 11 can be unwound independently from the cable bundle 10. In contrast, in the method described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, both ends of the cable must be unwound simultaneously as the reel rotates, and therefore both ends of the cable cannot be unwound independently.

The container 20 is, for example, a box having six faces 21a to 21f, and contains the cable bundle 10 therein. The shape of the container 20 is not particularly limited to the above, so long as it has a space inside that can contain the cable bundle 10. For example, the shape of the container 20 may be cylindrical. By containing the cable bundle 10 in such a container 20, it becomes easier to transport the cable bundle 10 and it is possible to prevent the cable bundle 10 from collapsing.

In this embodiment, the cable bundle 10 is housed in the container 20 in a horizontal position, and is disposed in the container 20 with the winding axial direction _L1 of the cable bundle 10 substantially parallel to the horizontal direction (the XY plane direction in the figure) (i.e., "horizontal position"). By housing the cable bundle 10 in the container 20 in a horizontal position in this manner, it is possible to prevent kinks from occurring in the cables 11 due to the weight of the cable bundle 10 or the like. Note that in the second to fifth embodiments described later, the cable bundle 10 may be housed in the container in a horizontal position.

The container 20 is made of, for example, cardboard made of paper, but is not limited to this. For example, the container 20 may be made of plastic cardboard made of a resin material such as polypropylene (PP), or the container 20 may be made of a metal box.

As shown in Fig. 1, the container 20 of this embodiment has two outlets 22, 23. The first outlet 22 is formed on the first surface 21a which constitutes the left side surface of the box body in Fig. 1. This first outlet 22 penetrates the first surface 21a in the thickness direction of the first surface 21a. In contrast, the second outlet 23 is formed on the second surface 21b which constitutes the right side surface of the box body in Fig. 1. This second outlet 23 also penetrates the second surface 21b in the thickness direction of the second surface 21b.

Both the first and second surfaces 21a, 21b are substantially perpendicular to the axial direction _L1 of the winding of the cable bundle 10, and the first and second outlets 22, 23 are formed on the mutually opposing first and second surfaces 21a, 21b, respectively. The cable 11 is taken out from inside the container 20 to the outside through the first outlet 22, and the first end 12 side of the cable 11 passes through the first outlet 22. On the other hand, the cable 11 is also taken out from inside the container 20 to the outside through the second outlet 23, and the second end 13 side of the cable 11 passes through the second outlet 23.

The orientation of the cable bundle 10 in the container 20 and the surfaces forming the first and second outlets 22, 23 are not particularly limited to those described above. Figures 2(a) to 2(d) are see-through perspective views showing first to fourth modified examples of the cable housing in the first embodiment of the present invention.

For example, as shown in Fig. 2(a), the cable housing 1A shown in Fig. 1 may be used in a state rotated 90 degrees clockwise. In this case, the first surface 21a forms the cover surface of the box body in the figure, and the second surface 21b forms the bottom surface of the box body in the figure, so that the first outlet 22 is located above the cable bundle 10 and the second outlet 23 is located below the cable bundle 10. The cable bundle 10 is housed in the container 20 in a vertical position, and the cable bundle 10 is arranged in the container 20 with the axial direction _L1 of the winding of the cable bundle 10 substantially parallel to the vertical direction (Z direction in the figure) (i.e., "vertical position").

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 2(b), the first and second outlets 22, 23 may be formed on the third and fourth surfaces 21c, 21d. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 2(c), the first outlet 22 may be formed on the first surface 21a, and the second outlet 23 may be formed on the fourth surface 21d. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 2(d), both the first and second outlets 22, 23 may be formed on the same surface 21a. Note that in FIG. 2(a) to FIG. 2(d), the third and fourth surfaces 21c, 21d constitute the side surfaces of the box body in the figures. Note that in FIG. 2(b), the third surface 21c and the fourth surface 21d face each other, but are not particularly limited to this. For example, the third surface 21c and the fourth surface 21d may be adjacent to each other.

In the second and fifth embodiments, the first and second outlets 22, 23 may be formed on the surfaces shown in Figures 2(a) to 2(c). Alternatively, in the third and fourth embodiments, the first and second outlets 22, 23 may be formed on the surfaces shown in Figures 2(b) to 2(d).

Returning to FIG. 1, the container 20 of this embodiment may have a plurality of convex portions 24 on the inner wall of the container 20. Each of the convex portions 24 has a triangular cross-sectional shape and extends along a direction (Y direction in the figure) substantially perpendicular to the axial direction _L1 of the winding of the cable bundle 10. Each of the convex portions 24 is made of, for example, cardboard having an L-shaped cross-sectional shape, and is formed by attaching it to the inner surface of the container 20. Note that the cross-sectional shape of the convex portion 24 is not particularly limited to the above as long as it is a convexly protruding shape, and may be, for example, rectangular or arc-shaped. Also, the convex portion 24 may be made of a plastic cardboard or a metal member instead of a paper cardboard.

The plurality of protrusions 24 are arranged on the third and fourth surfaces 21c and 21d that connect the first surface 21a and the second surface 21b. The plurality of protrusions 24 are provided on the inner surface of the third surface 21c and on the inner surface of the fourth surface 21d. The third surface 21c constitutes the bottom surface of the box in FIG. 1, whereas the fourth surface 21d constitutes the lid surface of the box in FIG. 1. The plurality of protrusions 24 are arranged parallel to each other on the upper surface (inner surface) of the third surface 21c to form a wave-shaped structure. Similarly, the plurality of protrusions 24 are arranged parallel to each other on the lower surface (inner surface) of the fourth surface 21d to form a wave-shaped structure. The number of protrusions 24 arranged on one surface is not particularly limited and can be set arbitrarily.

By forming such a wave-shaped structure consisting of a plurality of protrusions 24 on the surfaces 21c, 21d that are substantially parallel to the axial direction _L1 of the cable bundle 10, the protrusions 24 can be inserted between the cables 11 that constitute the cable bundle 10, and the cables 11 can be held by the protrusions 24. This makes it possible to prevent the cable bundle 10 from falling over or collapsing, even when the cable bundle 10 is stored in the container 20 in a horizontal position.

In addition, the surface forming the corrugated structure consisting of the plurality of protrusions 24 is not particularly limited to the above, as long as it is a surface that is substantially parallel to the axial direction _L1 of the cable bundle 10. For example, the plurality of protrusions 24 may be arranged on the fifth and sixth surfaces 21e, 21f. The fifth surface 21e constitutes the front surface of the box body in FIG. 1, and the sixth surface 21f constitutes the back surface of the box body in FIG. 1. Alternatively, the plurality of protrusions 24 may be arranged on the third to sixth surfaces 21c to 21f (i.e., all surfaces of the box body that are substantially parallel to the axial direction _L1 of the cable bundle 10). In addition, in the second to fifth embodiments, for example, when the cable bundle is housed in a container in a horizontal position, the container may have the protrusions 24.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional side view of a fifth variant of the cable housing in the first embodiment of the present invention.

Instead of the above-mentioned convex portion 24, as shown in Fig. 3, inclined surfaces 25a, 25b may be arranged on the surfaces 21c to 21f substantially parallel to the axial direction _L1 of the cable bundle 10. The first inclined surface 25a is inclined with respect to the axial direction _L1 of the cable bundle 10, and has a tapered funnel shape whose storage space narrows toward the first outlet 22. The second inclined surface 25b is also inclined with respect to the axial direction _L1 of the cable bundle 10, and has a tapered funnel shape whose storage space narrows toward the second outlet 23.

By holding the entire cable bundle 10 by these inclined surfaces 25a, 25b, it is possible to prevent the cable bundle 10 from falling over or collapsing even when the cable bundle 10 is stored in the container 20 in a horizontal position. In the example shown in Fig. 3, for example, the number of turns of the cables 11 in the axial direction _L1 of the cable bundle 10 can be varied to match the shape of the cable bundle 10 to the inclined surfaces 25a, 25b. In the second to fifth embodiments, for example, when the cable bundle is stored in a container in a horizontal position, the container may have the inclined surfaces 25a, 25b.

For example, if there is no risk of the cable bundle 10 falling over or collapsing, or if the cable bundle 10 is placed in the container 20 in a vertical position as shown in Figures 2(a) to 2(d), the container 20 does not need to have a convex portion 24 or inclined surfaces 25a, 25b.

The method for laying the cable 11 by the pneumatic cable blowing method using the cable housing 1A described above will be described below with reference to Figures 4(a) to 4(d). Figures 4(a) to 4(d) are diagrams showing the cable laying method in the first embodiment of the present invention.

First, as shown in Fig. 4(a), two ducts 51, 52 are installed. Note that these ducts 51, 52 may be ducts that have already been installed. Next, the above-mentioned cable housing 1A is placed between these two ducts 51, 52, and the pressure feeder 60 is set at one end of the first duct 51. Next, an operator (see Fig. 1) pulls out the cable 11 from the first end 12 through the first outlet 22 of the container 20 and inserts it into the pressure feeder 60.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4(b), the compressor 70 supplies dried compressed air to the pressure feeder 60. The pressure feeder 60 pressure-feeds the cable 11 into the first duct 51, for example, by pushing with a caterpillar and using compressed air, and as the cable 11 is pressure-fed, the first end 12 of the cable 11 is successively unwound from the container 20 via the first outlet 22. When the first end 12 of the cable 11 is exposed from the opposite end of the first duct 51, the pressure feeder 60 is stopped. This completes the installation of the cable 11 into the first duct 51.

4(c), the pressure feeder 60 is removed from the end of the first duct 51 and set at one end of the second duct 52. Then, an operator (see FIG. 1) pulls out the second end 13 of the cable 11 through the second outlet 23 of the container 20 and inserts the cable 11 into the pressure feeder 60.

Next, as shown in Figure 4 (d), dried compressed air is supplied from compressor 70 to pressure feeder 60. Cable 11 is pressure-fed through second duct 52 by the pushing of pressure feeder 60 and the compressed air, and second end 13 of cable 11 is successively paid out from container 20 via second outlet 23. Then, when second end 13 of cable 11 is exposed from the opposite end of second duct 52, pressure feeder 60 is stopped. This completes the installation of cable 11 into second duct 52.

Next, the container 20 of the cable housing 1A is removed from the cable 11, and the ends of the two ducts 51, 52 are connected to each other, thereby completing the installation of the cable 11 into the ducts 51, 52.

In the above-mentioned cable laying method, the cable 11 is laid in one duct 51 after the cable 11 is laid in the other duct 52, but the timing of laying the cable 11 in the two ducts 51 and 52 is not particularly limited to this. For example, if two pumps 60 can be prepared, the cable 11 may be laid in one duct 51 and the cable 11 may be laid in the other duct 52 in parallel. In this case, by using the cable housing 1A of the present embodiment, the cable 11 can be laid in the two ducts 51 and 52 individually and independently without synchronization, which is excellent in workability.

As described above, in this embodiment, the cable bundle 10 does not have a winding core, and the container 20 housing the cable bundle 10 has first and second outlets 22, 23 for removing the cable 11 from the container 20, so that both ends 12, 13 of the cable 11 can be independently unwound from the cable bundle 10.

<<Second embodiment>>
Fig. 5(a) is a cross-sectional view of a cable housing in a second embodiment of the present invention as seen from the side, Fig. 5(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line VB-VB in Fig. 5(a), and Fig. 6(a) to Fig. 6(c) are diagrams showing a method of winding a cable bundle in the second embodiment of the present invention.

This embodiment differs from the modified example of the first embodiment shown in Fig. 2(d) mainly in that (a) the cable bundle is divided into multiple cable bundles 10A, 10B, and (b) the container 20 has a partition plate 26. Below, only the differences between the cable housing 1B in the second embodiment and the first embodiment will be described, and parts that are similar to those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 5(a), the cable housing 1B of this embodiment includes a plurality of (two in this example) cable bundles 10A, 10B. The plurality of cable bundles 10A, 10B are continuously connected to each other by a single cable 11. That is, the cable 11 constituting the cable bundles 10A, 10B does not have any connection points between the first end 12 and the second end 13. Note that, for example, a single continuous cable 11 may be formed by connecting a plurality of cables by fusion or a connector, and the plurality of cable bundles 10A, 10B may be formed using this cable 11. In this case, it is preferable that the connection points are located within the cable bundles 10A, 10B. This makes it possible to suppress the occurrence of defects at the connection points even if stress is applied to the portion of the cable 11 between the cable bundles 10A, 10B (the portion of the cable 11 that connects the cable bundles 10A, 10B to each other). In addition, the number of cable bundles provided in the cable housing 1B is not particularly limited to the above, as long as it is a plurality of cable bundles.

The cable bundles 10A and 10B are formed as follows:

That is, first, as shown in Fig. 6(a), the cable 11 supplied from the supply drum 80 is wound up using the parasol drum type winding device described above to form the cable bundle 10B. At this time, the second end 13 of the cable 11 is located below the cable bundle 10B.

Next, after removing the cable bundle 10B from the winding device, the cable bundle 10B is inverted as shown in Fig. 6(b), so that the second end 13 of the cable 11 is positioned above the cable bundle 10B.

6(c), the cable 11 supplied from the supply drum 80 is wound into a cable bundle 10A using the parasol drum type winding device described above. At this time, the first end 12 of the cable 11 is located above the cable bundle 10A. In addition, since the cable bundle 10A is formed without cutting the cable 11 after the cable bundle 10B is formed, the two cable bundles 10A and 10B are continuously connected by a single cable 11.

The method of forming the cable bundles 10A, 10B is not limited to the above. For example, the cable bundles 10A, 10B may be formed in the following manner. That is, after forming the cable bundle 10B as shown in FIG. 6(a), the cable bundle 10A is formed without removing the cable bundle 10B from the winding device. Then, after removing the two cable bundles 10A, 10B from the winding device, the cable bundle 10B may be inverted.

Returning to FIG. 5(a), the container 20 of this embodiment has a partition plate 26, which divides the internal space of the container 20 into two storage spaces 27a and 27b. The two cable bundles 10A and 10B described above are individually stored in the two storage spaces 27a and 27b. Specifically, the cable bundle 10A is stored in the storage space 27a, and the cable bundle 10B is stored in the storage space 27b. At this time, both cable bundles 10A and 10B are stored in the storage spaces 27a and 27b in a vertical position. The container 20 may have multiple partition plates 26 depending on the number of cable bundles provided in the cable storage body 1B.

In the first, third and fourth embodiments, the container may include a partition plate that divides the internal space of the container into a plurality of storage spaces, and the cable storage body may include a plurality of cable bundles that are individually stored in the plurality of storage spaces.

The partition plate 26 has two through holes 28, 29. Both of these two through holes 28, 29 penetrate the partition plate 26 in the thickness direction. The first end 12 of the cable 11 is taken out from inside the container 20 to the outside through the first outlet 22 formed on the first surface 21a of the container 20. The portion of the cable 11 between the cable bundles 10A, 10B passes through the first through hole 28 of the partition plate 26. The second through hole 29 is formed in the partition plate 26 so as to face the second outlet 23 formed on the first surface 21a of the container 20. The second end 13 of the cable 11 enters the upper storage space 27a from the lower storage space 27b through this second through hole 29, and is taken out from inside the container 20 to the outside through the second outlet 23.

As described above, in this embodiment, the cable bundles 10A, 10B do not have a winding core, and the container 20 housing the cable bundles 10A, 10B has first and second outlets 22, 23 for removing the cable 11 from the container 20, so that both ends 12, 13 of the cable 11 can be independently unwound from the cable bundles 10A, 10B.

In this embodiment, the interior of the container 20 is divided into a plurality of storage spaces 27a, 27b by partition plates 26, and a plurality of cable bundles 10A, 10B are individually stored in the plurality of storage spaces 27a, 27b. Therefore, even if the cable bundles 10A, 10B are arranged in the container 20 in a vertical position, the cable 11 can be pulled out upward for both cable bundles 10A, 10B, so that the occurrence of kinks in the cable 11 due to the weight of the cable bundles 10A, 10B can be suppressed. Note that, if there is no effect on the cable 11 such as the occurrence of kinks, the outlet 23 may be arranged on the storage space 27b side and the through hole 29 may be omitted.

<<Third embodiment>>
FIG. 7(a) is a cross-sectional side view of a cable housing in a third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7(b) is a diagram showing a state in which the inner container shown in FIG. 7(a) has been removed from the outer container.

This embodiment differs from the second embodiment described above mainly in that (a) multiple cable bundles 10A, 10B are housed in individual containers 20A, 20B, and (b) the multiple containers 20A, 20B are further housed in an outer container 30. Below, only the differences between the cable housing 1C in the third embodiment and the second embodiment will be described, and parts that are similar to those in the second embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 7(a), the cable housing 1C of this embodiment includes multiple (two in this example) containers 20A and 20B. The two containers 20A are stacked vertically. The two containers 20A and 20B store cable bundles 10A and 10B, respectively. Specifically, the upper container 20A stores one cable bundle 10A, and the lower container 20B stores the other cable bundle 10B. At this time, both cable bundles 10A and 10B are stored in the containers 20A and 20B in a vertical orientation. The number of containers included in the cable housing 1C is not particularly limited to the above, and the number of containers can be set according to the number of cable bundles included in the cable housing 1C, for example.

The first end 12 of the cable 11 is taken out from the upper container 20A through the first outlet 22 of the upper container 20A. The portion of the cable 11 between the cable bundles 10A and 10B passes through the second outlet 23 of the upper container 20A and the first outlet 22 of the lower container 20B. The second end 13 of the cable 11 is taken out from the lower container 20B through the second outlet 23 of the lower container 20B.

In this embodiment, in the upper container 20A, the first outlet 22 is formed on the first surface 21a and the second outlet 23 is formed on the second surface 21b, whereas in the lower container 20B, the first outlet 22 is formed on the second surface 21b and the second outlet 23 is formed on the first surface 21a. The second outlet 23 of the upper container 20A may be formed on a side surface of the upper container 20A. The first outlet 22 of the lower container 20B may be formed on a side surface of the lower container 20B.

The cable housing 1C of this embodiment also includes an outer container 30. The two containers 20A, 20B are housed in the outer container 30 in a stacked state. At this time, the upper container 20A and the lower container 20B are stacked so as to be offset from each other, and the second outlet 23 of the lower container 20B is exposed from the upper container 20A. Note that the container 20B may be stacked on top of the container 20A, in which case the containers 20A, 20B are stacked offset from each other so that the first outlet 22 of the container 20A is exposed from the container 20B.

The upper surface 31a of the outer container 30 is provided with third and fourth outlets 32, 33. The third outlet 32 faces the first outlet 22 of the upper container 20A. The first end 12 of the cable 11 is taken out from inside the upper container 20A to the outside of the outer container 30 through the first outlet 22 of the upper container 20A and the third outlet 32 of the outer container 30. Similarly, the fourth outlet 33 faces the second outlet 23 of the lower container 20B. The second end 13 of the cable 11 is taken out from inside the lower container 20B to the outside of the outer container 30 through the second outlet 23 of the lower container 20B and the fourth outlet 33 of the outer container 30. The surface on which the third and fourth outlets 32, 33 are formed in the outer container 30 is not limited to the upper surface 31a, and may be formed on the side or bottom surface of the outer container 30. Moreover, the third and fourth outlets 32 and 33 may be formed on different surfaces of the outer container 30 .

In the first, second and fifth embodiments, the cable housing may include a plurality of containers. In this case, the plurality of containers may be stacked on one another such that the axial direction of the winding direction of the cable bundle is aligned vertically. Furthermore, in the first, second and fifth embodiments, the cable housing may include an outer container that houses the plurality of containers.

When laying the cable 11 using the cable housing 1C of this embodiment, the first end 12 side of the cable 11 is paid out from the first outlet 22 of the upper container 20A to the first duct 51. In contrast, the second end 13 side of the cable 11 is paid out from the second outlet 23 of the lower container 20B to the second duct 52.

At the installation site, the cable housing 1C may be placed with the inner containers 20A and 20B removed from the outer container 30, as shown in FIG. 7(b). This makes it easier to transport the cable housing 1C over short distances at the site. Even if the placement space for the cable housing at the installation site is narrow, the site can be accommodated by removing the inner containers 20A and 20B from the outer container 30 and dividing the cable housing 1C into containers 20A and 20B.

As described above, in this embodiment, the cable bundles 10A, 10B do not have a winding core, and the containers 20A, 20B housing the cable bundles 10A, 10B have first and second outlets 22, 23, respectively, for removing the cable 11 from the containers 20A, 20B, so that both ends 12, 13 of the cable 11 can be independently unwound from the cable bundles 10A, 10B.

In addition, in this embodiment, the multiple cable bundles 10A, 10B are individually housed in the multiple containers 20A, 20B. Therefore, even if the cable bundles 10A, 10B are placed in the containers 20A, 20B in a vertical position, the cables 11 can be pulled out upward for both cable bundles 10A, 10B, so that the occurrence of kinks in the cables 11 due to the weight of the cable bundles 10A, 10B can be suppressed.

In addition, in this embodiment, since the two containers 20A, 20B are housed in one outer container 30, the cable housing 1C can be transported efficiently.

<<Fourth embodiment>>
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional side view of a cable housing according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

This embodiment differs from the third embodiment described above mainly in that the cable housing 1D includes four cable bundles 10A-10D and four containers 20A-20D. Below, only the differences between the cable housing 1D in the third embodiment and the third embodiment will be described, and parts that are similar to those in the third embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 8, the cable housing 1D of this embodiment includes two cable bundles 10C and 10D in addition to the two cable bundles 10A and 10B. That is, the cable housing 1D includes four cable bundles 10A to 10D. The multiple cable bundles 10A to 10D are continuously connected to each other by a single cable 11, and the cable 11 constituting the cable bundles 10A to 10D does not have any connection points between the first end 12 and the second end 13. Note that a single continuous cable 11 may be formed by connecting multiple cables, for example, by fusion splicing or a connector, and the multiple cable bundles 10A to 10D may be formed using this cable 11. In this case, it is preferable that the connection points are located within the cable bundles 10A to 10D.

Furthermore, in order to individually accommodate the above-mentioned cable bundles 10A to 10D, this cable housing 1D is provided with two further containers 20C and 20D in addition to the two containers 20A and 20B. That is, the cable housing 1D is provided with four containers 20A to 20D. Specifically, the container 20A accommodates the cable bundle 10A, the container 20B accommodates the cable bundle 10B, the container 20C accommodates the cable bundle 10C, and the container 20D accommodates the cable bundle 10D. At this time, all of the cable bundles 10A to 10D are accommodated in the containers 20A to 20D in a vertical position.

In this embodiment, the four containers 20A to 20D are stacked vertically. Specifically, containers 20C and 20D are stacked between containers 20A and 20B. The four containers 20A to 20D are housed in this outer container 30 in a stacked state. At this time, container 20D and container 20B are stacked so as to be offset from each other, and the second outlet 23 of container 20B is exposed from container 20D.

The first end 12 of the cable 11 is taken out from inside the container 20A to the outside of the outer container 30 via the first outlet 22 of the container 20A and the third outlet 32 of the outer container 30. In contrast, the second end 13 of the cable 11 is taken out from inside the container 20B to the outside of the outer container 30 via the second outlet 23 of the container 20B and the fourth outlet 33 of the outer container 30.

In addition, the portion of cable 11 between cable bundles 10A and 10C passes through the second outlet 23 of container 20A and the first outlet 22 of container 20C. Similarly, the portion of cable 11 between cable bundles 10C and 10D passes through the second outlet 23 of container 20C and the first outlet 22 of container 20D. In addition, the portion of cable 11 between cable bundles 10D and 10B also passes through the second outlet 23 of container 20D and the first outlet 22 of container 20B.

When laying the cable 11 using the cable housing 1D of this embodiment, the first end 12 side of the cable 11 is sequentially paid out from the first outlets 22 of the containers 20A, 20C, and 20D to the first duct 51. In contrast, the second end 13 side of the cable 11 is paid out from the second outlet 23 of the container 20B to the second duct 52.

That is, in this embodiment, since the first duct 51 is longer than the second duct 52, the cables 11 of the upper three cable bundles 10A, 10C, and 10D in the outer container 30 are installed in the first duct 51, and the cables 11 of only the lowest cable bundle 10B are installed in the second duct 52. In this way, in this embodiment, the number of cable bundles each having a cable 11 wound thereon to be installed in the first duct 51 and the number of cable bundles each having a cable 11 wound thereon to be installed in the second duct 52 can be set according to the length of each of the ducts 51 and 52.

Although not shown, the cable housing 1D may be placed at the installation site with the inner containers 20A-20D removed from the outer container 30. This makes it easier to transport the cable housing 1D over short distances and also makes it suitable for installation sites with limited space.

As described above, in this embodiment, the cable bundles 10A to 10D do not have a winding core, and the containers 20A to 20D housing the cable bundles 10A to 10D each have a first and second outlet 22, 23 for removing the cable 11 from the containers 20A to 20D, respectively, so that both ends 12, 13 of the cable 11 can be independently unwound from the cable bundles 10A to 10D.

In addition, in this embodiment, the multiple cable bundles 10A to 10D are individually housed in the multiple containers 20A to 20D. Therefore, even if the cable bundles 10A to 10D are placed in the containers 20A to 20D in a vertical position, the cables 11 can be paid out upward for each of the cable bundles 10A to 10D, so that the occurrence of kinks in the cables 11 due to the weight of the cable bundles 10A to 10D or the like can be suppressed.

In addition, in this embodiment, the four containers 20A to 20D are housed in one outer container 30, so that the cable housing 1D can be transported efficiently.

<<Fifth embodiment>>
Fig. 9 is a see-through perspective view showing a cable housing in a fifth embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 9, similar to Figs. 2(a) to 2(d) described above, the entire container 20 is shown in a see-through manner in order to make it easier to understand the state of the inside of the container 20.

This embodiment differs from the second embodiment described above mainly in that (a) the container 20 does not have a partition plate 26, and (b) one cable bundle 10B is arranged inside the other cable bundle 10A. Below, only the differences between the cable housing 1E in the fifth embodiment and the second embodiment will be described, and the same reference numerals will be used to denote parts having the same configuration as the second embodiment, and their description will be omitted.

In this embodiment, the container 20 of the cable housing 1E does not have a partition plate 26, so one cable bundle 10A has a first inner diameter D1, while the other cable bundle 10B has a first outer diameter D2 that is smaller than the first inner diameter D1 (D2<D1). The cable bundle 10B is arranged inside the cable bundle 10A. At this time, both cable bundles 10A and 10B are housed in the container 20 in a vertical position. Note that in the first to fourth embodiments, the cable housing may include a first and a second cable bundle, and the second cable bundle may be arranged inside the first cable bundle.

The number of cable bundles in the cable housing 1E is not limited to the above, as long as it is multiple. Even in this case, the multiple cable bundles can be nested by making the diameters of the multiple cable bundles different from each other.

The first end 12 of the cable 11 is taken out from within the container 20A through a first outlet 22 formed on the top surface 21a of the container 20. The second end 13 of the cable 11 is also taken out from within the container 20A through a second outlet 23 formed on the top surface 21a of the container 20.

As described above, in this embodiment, the cable bundles 10A, 10B do not have a winding core, and the container 20 housing the cable bundles 10A, 10B has the first and second outlets 22, 23 for removing the cable 11 from the container 20, respectively, so that both ends 12, 13 of the cable 11 can be independently unwound from the cable bundles 10A, 10B. Note that in this embodiment, after the unwinding operation on the first end 12 side of the cable 11 is completed, the unwinding operation on the second end 13 side of the cable 11 is started.

The above-described embodiments are described to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and are not described to limit the present invention. Therefore, each element disclosed in the above embodiments is intended to include all design modifications and equivalents that fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

Reference Signs List 1A to 1E: cable housing 10: cable bundle 11: cable 12: first end 13: second end 20, 20A to 20D: container 21a to 21f: first to sixth surfaces 22: first outlet 23: second outlet 24: convex portion 25a, 25b: inclined surface 26: partition plate 27a, 27b: storage space 28, 29: through hole 30: outer container 31a: upper surface 32: third outlet 33: fourth outlet 51, 52: duct 60: pressure feeder 70: compressor 80: supply drum

Claims (7)

A cable bundle formed by winding a cable, not having a winding core, and connected to each other ;
a plurality of first containers each housing the plurality of cable bundles,
the first container has first and second outlets for removing the cable from within the first container;
The first containers are stacked on one another such that the axial direction of the windings of the cable bundles is aligned vertically,
the plurality of first containers include upper and lower containers stacked one on top of the other;
A cable housing in which the upper container and the lower container are stacked so as to be offset from each other, and the first or second outlet of the lower container is exposed from the upper container . The cable housing according to claim 1,
the first container has first and second faces substantially perpendicular to an axial direction of the windings of the cable bundle and opposed to each other;
the first outlet is formed in the first surface;
The second outlet is formed on the second surface of the cable housing. The cable housing according to claim 2,
A cable housing, wherein the first container is arranged in a plane substantially parallel to the axial direction of the winding of the cable bundle and has a convex portion or an inclined surface that contacts the cable bundle. A cable bundle formed by winding a cable, not having a winding core, and connected to each other;
a plurality of first containers each housing the plurality of cable bundles;
a second container that accommodates the plurality of first containers ;
the first container has first and second outlets for removing the cable from within the first container;
The second container is a cable housing having third and fourth outlets for removing the cable from within the second container. The cable housing according to claim 4 ,
A cable housing in which the multiple first containers are stacked on top of each other so that the axial direction of the windings of the multiple cable bundles is aligned vertically. The cable housing according to claim 5 ,
the plurality of first containers include upper and lower containers stacked one on top of the other;
A cable housing in which the upper container and the lower container are stacked so as to be offset from each other, and the first or second outlet of the lower container is exposed from the upper container. A cable bundle formed by winding a cable, not having a winding core, and connected to each other;
a first container housing the plurality of cable bundles;
the first container has first and second outlets for removing the cable from within the first container;
The plurality of cable bundles include
a first cable bundle having a first inner diameter;
a second cable bundle having a first outer diameter smaller than the first inner diameter;
A cable housing in which the second cable bundle is housed inside the first cable bundle.

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