Electrical connectors – Coupling part including flexing insulation – Sealing
Patent
1998-07-17
2000-11-28
Sircus, Brian
Electrical connectors
Coupling part including flexing insulation
Sealing
H01R 1340
Patent
active
06152767&
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a cable closure, for example, a cable splice closure for enclosing a splice between cables. The types of cable include telecommunications cable (either conductive or optical fiber), an electrical cable or other conductive cable, a wire or other conductor, or an optical fiber. The closure may, for example, enclose stored optical fibers and connections between optical fibers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There are many different types of cable closures, most of which form a sealed environment by being sealed around the cable(s) which they enclose. Such seals are produced in a wide range of ways. One general way in which they are produced is to provide a cavity or chamber at an end (or, ordinarily, two ends) of the closure, through which cavity the cable(s) extend, and to provide sealing material in the cavity to form a seal around the cable(s). For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,796,823 discloses a cable splice case in the form of half-shells in which the end seals are formed by resilient grommets in compressive engagement with the case and the cable(s). The grommets slot between shoulders in the splice case, and there are strips of sealing tape for sealing along the length of the splice case between the half-shells.
International Patent Application No. PCT/GB94/02622 (publication no. WO 95/15600) discloses a device for forming a seal around an elongate object (e.g. a cable) comprising: (a) a sealing plate having a hole through which the object can pass, and containing a chamber in communication with the hole; (b) a pressure plate positioned within and movable relative to the chamber; and (c) a sealing material positioned within the chamber such that when the elongate object passes, in use, through the hole in the sealing plate, the sealing material is positioned between the pressure plate and the elongate object, wherein the pressure plate can be moved, in use, towards the object in a direction transversely of the object, to urge the sealing material into sealing contact with the object.
The device disclosed in PCT/GB94/02622 performs extremely well, but it would be desirable to have a cable closure which is sealed equally well but which would be cheaper to manufacture and simpler to install. A purpose of the present invention is to provide such a cable closure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cable closure, comprising: when brought together provide a cavity for containing sealing material, through which cavity one or more cables may extend into the closure; housing parts together, and which seals between the cable(s) and the housing part(s); and cavity; wherein bringing the housing parts together, in use, causes the resilient member to be compressed, and thus causes the resilient member, by its resilience, to apply a compressive force to the sealing material.
One advantage of the invention is that a compressive force is applied to the sealing material merely by bringing the housing parts together. It thus avoids the necessity of subsequently moving a pressure plate towards the cable(s) in order to apply such a compressive force to the sealing material, thereby reducing the complexity (and enabling a reduction in the cost) of the closure compared to that disclosed in PCT/GB94/02622, and also simplifying the installation procedure compared to the procedure required for that closure. The need to simplify (and thus to shorten) the installation procedure and the tools needed for installation, and also the need to reduce the costs associated with manufacturing closures, are becoming increasingly important.
There are a number of reasons why applying a compressive force to the sealing material by a resilient member in the cavity may be advantageous. One reason is that, at least in preferred embodiments, the resilient member may urge the sealing material into sealing contact with the cable(s) extending into the closure. Another reason is that, at least for some preferred sealing materials, e.g.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4554401 (1985-11-01), Ball
patent: 4558174 (1985-12-01), Massey et al.
patent: 4845314 (1989-07-01), Pichler et al.
patent: 5199901 (1993-04-01), Balser et al.
patent: 5928033 (1999-07-01), Kato et al.
Dams Francis
Diddens Dirk
Michiels Maarten
Roosen Dirk
Duverne J. F.
N.V. Raychem S.A.
Sircus Brian
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