Electricity: conductors and insulators – Conduits – cables or conductors – Combined
Patent
1997-07-22
2000-04-18
Kincaid, Kristine
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Conduits, cables or conductors
Combined
174 92, H01R 400
Patent
active
060517921
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a retention strip for winding around an elongate object, for example a pipe, but especially a cable.
In the art of cable splice closures, it is known to wrap tape around a cable in order to build up its diameter to that of a cable entry port of a splice closure, in order to seal the closure. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,933,512 discloses a cable junction closure comprising a sleeve, a pair of rigid end plates for closing the spaces between the cables and the sleeve, an elastic tape wound around the cables for sealing any gaps between the cables and the rigid end plates, and an elastic tape wound around each rigid end plate for sealing any gaps between the end plates and the sleeve.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,124,507 comprises a sleeve, sealing members with cable passage openings for insertion in the ends of the sleeve, and semi-circular sealing elements in the form of individually removable bearing shells lining the cable passage openings of the sealing members, for adapting the openings to different cable diameters. In order to eliminate any air gaps between the cable and the surrounding bearing shells, a sealing tape or band is wound onto each cable.
German Patent No. 4135570 discloses a sealing strip for winding around a cable leading through a cable passage opening, to form a seal which fits between the cable and the cable passage opening. The inside of the strip facing the cable has a roughened surface to increase the friction between the strip and the cable. The roughened surface is formed by projecting friction elements, which may be made from fine-grained carborundum or emery embedded in an adhesive layer, or from metal or plastic teeth anchored in the material of the strip.
INTRODUCTION TO THE INVENTION
We have now invented a new retention strip which can be wound around a cable or other elongate object to retain the elongate object in place with respect to another article (e.g. a cable splice closure) and/or to retain sealing material in place around the elongate object on one side of the strip.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a retention strip for winding around an elongate object, which when so wound in use can decrease in length when compressed around the object, thereby allowing contraction of the strip around the object. Preferably, when the retention strip is contracted around an elongate object, it can grip the object.
The invention has particular utility in applications in which an elongate object (e.g. an electrical or telecommunications cable, or a pipe) extends through an aperture in an article, and the elongate object needs to be secured to the article and/or any gaps between the article and the elongate object need to be closed. More especially, the invention has utility as part of a cable splice closure. For example, the retention strip may be wound around a cable (or more than one cable) in order to increase the effective diameter of the cable to be substantially the same as, or at least closer to, the diameter of a cable entry aperture of a cable splice closure; compressing means (which may, for example, be part of the closure) may then compress the retention strip around the cable, and because the strip can decrease in length, it may contract around the cable. This contraction around the cable, of the wound retention strip, may have one or both of two important advantages, as follows.
Firstly, it may enable the compression force of the compressing means to be transmitted effectively to a cable around most, or preferably all, of the circumference of the cable, thereby causing the cable to be gripped firmly by the compressing means (via the retention strip) and therefore, for example, secured to a cable splice closure against external forces acting on the cable.
Secondly, the fact that the retention strip of the invention may contract around a cable may mean that it can provide enhanced sealing around the cable, for example to seal a cable splice closure from the env
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Damm Jesper
Laeremans Etienne
Burkard Herbert G.
Kincaid Kristine
Mayo III William H.
N.V. Raychem S.A.
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