Electricity: conductors and insulators – Conduits – cables or conductors – Single duct conduits
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-06
2001-07-31
Reichard, Dean A. (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Conduits, cables or conductors
Single duct conduits
C174S068300, C285S104000, C439S098000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06268565
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to sealing arrangements and, more particularly, to sealing arrangements for preventing the ingress of fluid into a location about a cable, such as into a telephone wire enclosure.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
Extensive numbers of telephone wire enclosures are located in harsh environmental settings, including sub-grade locations that are under water or susceptible to flooding. Fluid is prevalent in these settings, and there is great concern in preventing the ingress of fluid into the enclosures, which may denigrate, or altogether destroy, the telephone wire connections within the enclosure. The concern is even greater where fiber optic cables are used.
One of the most susceptible locations for fluid ingress is about a cable at the point of entry of the cable into the enclosure. To restrict the ingress of fluid into an enclosure at a cable's point of entry, seals have been used in the prior art. The various prior art seals provide different degrees of sealing over extended periods of time, depending upon such factors as the extent of plastic deformation caused by changes in temperature, excessive and/or uneven stresses, etc.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To overcome shortcomings in the prior art, a sealing arrangement is provided for use with a cable at a location where the ingress of fluid about the cable is a concern, such as at the point of entry into a telephone wire enclosure. The sealing arrangement preferably has multiple sealing interfaces which define multiple redundant seals. The multiple sealing interfaces restrict the ingress of fluid into the location about the cable at the point of entry of the cable into the location. As used herein, a “cable” can be any of standard copper cables, fiber optic cables or cables of other construction and/or materials.
The sealing arrangement generally comprises a fitting, two sealing members, and two nuts. The sealing members are formed to be at least partially disposed in the fitting, with the nuts being used to tighten against the sealing members and enhance the sealing ability of the arrangement.
The fitting has a passageway extending therethrough, which is preferably generally venturi-shaped, with two tapered converging portions being disposed end-to-end. Also, the sealing members are each formed with a channel, dimensioned to allow the passage therethrough of the cable, and, preferably, a tapered fitting engaging portion. With the sealing members being seated in the passageway, the channels of the sealing members are generally coaxially aligned, and the tapered fitting engaging portions of the sealing members respectively contact the tapered converging portions of the passageway to define two sealing interfaces. With at least two sealing interfaces, and a cable passing through the channels of the sealing members, the ingress of fluid into an enclosure about the cable can be reduced.
Additionally, the sealing members can respectively be formed with tapered nut engaging portions. The nuts are preferably each formed with a ramped smooth compression surface for pressing against the tapered nut engaging surface of one of the sealing members to cause compression thereof upon being tightened onto the fitting. The interfaces of the respective compression surfaces and the nut engaging surfaces provide additional seals in the arrangement which limit the amount of fluid that can migrate about a cable.
The compression of the sealing members by the nuts causes distortion of the sealing members. With the sealing members being in abutting contact and/or due to the angled interfaces of the fitting engaging portions and the converging portions of the passageway of the fitting, the sealing members have limited ability to expand axially and, thus, are restricted to expanding radially. Through radial expansion, the sealing members more tightly press against the cable and the fitting, and cause better sealing about the cable.
With the structural arrangement of the subject invention, not only is a tight seal obtained about a cable, but also tight, redundant seals are defined at interfaces about the cable at a location, such as the point of entry into an enclosure. The arrangement advantageously may be fluid tight to limit the ingress of fluid about the cable into the location.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4169967 (1979-10-01), Bachle
patent: 5621191 (1997-04-01), Norris et al.
patent: 5648639 (1997-07-01), Hand
patent: 5766037 (1998-06-01), Nelson
patent: 5857716 (1999-01-01), Thomas
patent: 5920035 (1999-07-01), Haney et al.
patent: 5934937 (1999-08-01), McCarthy
patent: 6034325 (2000-03-01), Nattel et al.
Avaya Technology Corp.
Patel Dhiru R
Reichard Dean A.
Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP
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