Electricity: conductors and insulators – Conduits – cables or conductors – Single duct conduits
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-29
2001-09-25
Reichard, Dean A. (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Conduits, cables or conductors
Single duct conduits
C174S1520GM, C248S056000, C016S002200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06294734
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sealing device.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Computers or electrical devices are sometimes deployed in surroundings exposed to environmental elements. For example, telephone interface devices may be located on telephone poles, in boxes at a roadside, or under a body of water. Such devices are housed inside sealed enclosures to protect sensitive electrical equipment from exposure to contaminants, such as water, insects and dust.
Often many incoming and outgoing cables, such as electrical cables and fiber optic cables, are connected to the sensitive electrical equipment and communicate to the world outside the enclosure. Therefore, some arrangement must be provided around the cables to allow the incoming and outgoing cables to enter and exit the enclosure, without violating the sealed integrity of the enclosure.
FIGS. 1-4
illustrate a cable sealing arrangement in accordance with the background art.
FIG. 1
is a view of an upper surface
3
of an enclosure
1
having a plurality of cable sealing devices
2
.
FIG. 2
is a close-up perspective view of one of the cable sealing devices
2
of FIG.
1
.
FIG. 3
illustrates a disassembled cable-sealing device
2
.
FIG. 4
illustrates an assembled cable-sealing device
2
, sealing a cable
4
.
Each cable-sealing device
2
includes a base
5
. The base
5
is attached to, and protrudes upward from, the upper surface
3
of the enclosure
1
. The base
5
has first threads
6
formed around an outer periphery thereof An inside of the base
5
includes a first through hole
7
, which communicates an interior of the enclosure
1
with the environment surrounding the enclosure
1
. A periphery of the first through hole
7
is formed by a continuous tapered inner wall
8
, which tapers in a direction opening away from the enclosure
1
.
Each cable-sealing device
2
further includes a gasket
9
, such as a grommet. An outer profile of the gasket
9
resembles a cork. A continuous tapered outer wall
11
of the gasket
9
is tapered in a direction opening away from the enclosure
1
. A second through hole
10
is formed in a center of the gasket
9
. A periphery of the second through hole
10
is formed by a continuous straight inner wall
12
. The gasket
9
is made of a compressible and resilient material, such as rubber.
Finally, each cable-sealing device
2
includes a cap
13
. Outer walls
14
of the cap
13
form a hexagon, like a bolt or nut. An inside of the cap
13
is hollow and provided with second threads
16
around an inner periphery wall. A third through hole
15
is formed in a center of an upper surface of the cap
13
and passes through to an undersurface
18
of the cap
13
. The undersurface
18
of the cap
13
forms a boundary wall of the hollow inside of the cap
13
.
As illustrated in
FIG. 4
, the gasket
9
is interposed between the base
5
and the cap
13
. The second threads
16
of the cap
13
are engaged to the first threads
6
of the base
5
. Clockwise rotation of the cap
14
causes the undersurface
18
of the cap
13
to contact the gasket
9
and forces the gasket
9
further into the first through hole
7
in the base
5
.
As the gasket
9
is pushed into the first through hole
7
, the tapered outer wall
11
of the gasket
9
contacts with the tapered inner wall
8
of the base
5
. The contact causes radial forces tending to close the second through hole
12
in the gasket
9
. Therefore, tightening of the cap
13
results in a seal being formed around the cable
4
, as well as, a seal being formed between the outer walls
11
of the gasket
9
and the inner walls
8
of the base
5
.
The cable sealing device
2
according to the background art performs adequately in sealing a cable port in the enclosure
1
. However, other drawbacks exist in the system of the background art. As illustrated in
FIG. 1
, in order to tighten or loosen the caps
13
, a service technician applies a hand wrench
17
. The hand wrench
17
engages the outer walls
14
of the cap
13
. Therefore, a space must exist between adjacent cable sealing devices
2
to accommodate the hand wrench
17
. Accordingly, an area of the upper surface
3
of the enclosure
1
must be made relative large in order to accommodate a desired number of cables
4
. Conversely, the number of cables
4
must be limited in order to fit into a desired area for the upper surface
3
of the enclosure
1
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a system for sealing cables, which overcomes one or more of the drawbacks associated with the background art.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a cable sealing arrangement, which allows a greater number of cables to be passed through a given surface area of an enclosure relative to the background art.
It is an even further object of the invention to provide a cable sealing arrangement, which allows a surface area of an enclosure to be made smaller, relative to the background art, while still accommodating a same number of cables.
These and other objects of the invention are accomplished by a sealing device including a base with a first end and a second open end. A cylindrical inner wall is formed inside the base and communicates the first end to the second open end. First threads are formed on the cylindrical inner wall, and a first through hole is formed in the first end. A cap includes a top, an open bottom, and a cylindrical outer wall. Second threads are formed on the cylindrical outer wall for mating engagement with the first threads. A second through hole is formed in the top. A tapering inner wall is formed inside the cap and communicates the second through hole to the open bottom. A gasket resides adjacent to the first end of the base and within the tapering inner wall of the cap. A third through hole is formed in the gasket and the first, second, and third through holes are aligned to receive a cable, wire or similar cylindrical object. Tightening of the cap into the base results in compression of the gasket, constriction of the third through hole, and thereby sealing of the cable.
Other objects and further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3363216 (1968-01-01), Benedetto
patent: 3779585 (1973-12-01), Handzlik
patent: 5567174 (1996-10-01), Ericson, Jr. et al.
patent: 5648639 (1997-07-01), Hand
Avaya Technology Corp.
Patel Dhiru R.
Reichard Dean A.
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