US4701574A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Cable sealing apparatus
Assignee: Tyco International Ltd Bermuda
•
Filing: 1985-05-02
•
Granted: 1987-10-20
•
Expires: 2005-05-02
Abstract
Abstract A cable end seal and a closure which includes the cable end seal provides a barrier for a junction against water, the junction being in a cable. First and second end seals are disposed adjacent opposite sides of the junction and palced in compression around the cable, the end seals having an outer convoluted surface which mate with a variable length convoluted tubing bridging member so as to form an environmental closure for the junction.
Inventors
- 👤 Gerlad L. Shimirak
- 👤 Thomas Hunter
- 👤 Martha F. Story
- 👤 W. G. Halstead
- 👤 Paul S. Chan
- 👤 Christopher J. Swinmurn
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 09:17
CPC Classifications
H; H02; H02G; H02G15/00; H02G15/013; H02G15/08; H02G15/10; H02G15/113
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 44
Claim 1
Independent Claim
214 words
A cable sealing apparatus, comprising: a first end seal, the first end seal comprising: a layer of precured gel, the gel being cured prior to contacting a cable to be sealed, the gel being elastic, comformable, having a cone penetration between 80 and 350 (10 -1 mm), an ultimate elongation in excess of 50%, the layer of gel including means formed therein for passage of the cable to be sealed therethrough between inner and outer opposite faces of the gel, the cable to be sealed being held in contact with the gel formed means; a convoluted member forming an outer circumferential surface of the gel, the convoluted member having a series of ridges and valleys extending circumferentially therearound; a first member disposed adjacent to and in contact with an outer face of the gel and having means formed therein to facilitate passage of the cable to be sealed therethrough; a second member disposed adjacent to and in contact with an inner face of the gel and having means formed therein to facilitate passage of the cable to be sealed therethrough; and gel formed means comprising a plurality of longitudinal slits extending through the gel, a width of at least one of the slits being greater than a diameter of the cable to be sealed.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
214 words
A cable sealing apparatus, comprising: a first end seal, the first end seal comprising: a layer of precured gel, the gel being cured prior to contacting a cable to be sealed, the gel being elastic, comformable, having a cone penetration between 80 and 350 (10 -1 mm), an ultimate elongation in excess of 50%, the layer of gel including means formed therein for passage of the cable to be sealed therethrough between inner and outer opposite faces of the gel, the cable to be sealed being held in contact with the gel formed means; a convoluted member forming an outer circumferential surface of the gel, the convoluted member having a series of ridges and valleys extending circumferentially therearound; a first member disposed adjacent to and in contact with an outer face of the gel and having means formed therein to facilitate passage of the cable to be sealed therethrough; a second member disposed adjacent to and in contact with an inner face of the gel and having means formed therein to facilitate passage of the cable to be sealed therethrough; and gel formed means comprising a plurality of longitudinal slits extending through the gel, a width of at least one of the slits being greater than a diameter of the cable to be sealed.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus of claim 1, the gel being disposed in a flexible matrix.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
44 words
The apparatus of claim 2, the flexible matrix comprising a material having a plurality of open interstices having an average volume of less than 0.01 inches 3 , the gel including a plurality of interconnected segments which lie within the interstices of the matrix.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
The apparatus of claim 3, the matrix and the gel being such that when the gel and the matrix are stretched, the matrix reaches its ultimate elongation before the gel reaches its ultimate elongation.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 1, the first member being a thin layer of plastic.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus of claim 1, the first member being a layer of foam.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
10 words
The apparatus of claim 1, the slits intersecting one another.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus of claim 3, the first end seal further comprising means for securing the convoluted member and precured gel around a cable.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 3, the first end seal being a slit elongated disc.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 9, the first end seal comprising first and second half-cylinders.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
32 words
The apparatus of claim 3, the gel passage formed means including means for allowing passage of at least first and second cables between the inner and outer opposite faces of the gel.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of claim 9, the first end seal including means for connecting portions of the disc in a hinged manner to allow opening and closing thereof, and further including means for closing the disc portions.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
107 words
The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a second end seal, the second end seal comprising: a second layer of precured gel, the second gel being cured prior to contacting the cable to be sealed, the second gel being elastic, conformable, having a cone penetration between 80 and 350 (10 -1 mm), and an ultimate elongation in excess of 50%, the second layer of gel including means formed therein for passage of a second cable therethrough between inner and outer opposite faces thereof; and a second convoluted member disposed around the second gel, the second convoluted member having a series of ridges and valleys extending circumferentially therearound.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of claim 13, further comprsiing a first bridging member having a convoluted inner surface at opposite ends thereof engageable with the first and second convoluted members of the first and second end seals, respectively.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
11 words
The apparatus of claim 14, the bridging member being slit longitudinally.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
43 words
The apparatus of claim 14, the bridging member having an entire outer and inner surface thereof convoluted and having an inside diameter at the opposite ends thereof which is substantially equal to an outside diameter of the first and second end seals, respectively.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
64 words
The apparatus of claim 14, the first and second end seals and the bridging member forming a closure for a junction in a cable, the first and second end seals being dispsed around the cable adjacent opposite sides of the junction with the bridging member being disposed around the junction and around at least part of each of the first and second end seals.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a second bridging member disposed around the first bridging member, the second bridging member being convoluted at opposite ends thereof.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 17, the gel having a cone penetration between 100 and 270 (10 -1 mm) and an ultimate elongation of at least 100%.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus of claim 19, the gel having a cone penetration between 200 and 270 (10 -1 mm).
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
18 words
The closure of claim 20, the gel having a cone penetration between 240 and 270 (10 -1 mm).
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
28 words
The closure of claim 20, the gel comprising a non-silicone, liquid rubber with little to no unsaturation which has been crosslinked, the gel comprising a liquid butyl rubber.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising means for mounting a termination adjacent a junction surrounded by the closure.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of claim 23, the termination mounting means including means for mounting the termination inside the bridging member after installation.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of claim 23, the termination mounting means including means for mounting the termination outside the bridging member after installation.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising means for forming a cone-like shaped member adjacent at least one of the end seals.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
93 words
A splice cable closure, comprising: first and second ends seals, each end seal comprising a convoluted disc having convolutions on an outer cylindrical surface thereof and having a layer of gel on an inside surface thereof shaped so as to form an axial bore therethrough; and a bridging member having a continuous convoluted inner surface at opposite ends thereof adapted for engagement with an outer surface of the first and second end seals, the end seals being disposed on a cable opposite a cable splice, the bridging member being disposed around the splice.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
93 words
A splice cable closure, comprising: first and second ends seals, each end seal comprising a convoluted disc having convolutions on an outer cylindrical surface thereof and having a layer of gel on an inside surface thereof shaped so as to form an axial bore therethrough; and a bridging member having a continuous convoluted inner surface at opposite ends thereof adapted for engagement with an outer surface of the first and second end seals, the end seals being disposed on a cable opposite a cable splice, the bridging member being disposed around the splice.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
11 words
The closure of claim 27, the bridging member being split longitudinally.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
15 words
The closure of claim 28, one of the end seals being a split, elongated disc.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
15 words
The closure of claim 28, one of the ends seals comprising first and second half-cylinders.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
43 words
The closure of claim 27, the bridging member having an entire outer and inner surface thereof convoluted and having an inside diameter at the opposite ends thereof which is substantially equal to an outside diameter of the first and second end seals, respectively.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
12 words
The closure of claim 31, the bridging member having a tube-like shape.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
64 words
The closure of claim 27, the first and second end seals and bridging member forming a closure for a junction in an electric cable, the first and second end seals being disposed around the cable adjacent opposite sides of the junction with the bridging member being disposed around the junction and around at least part of each of the first and second end seals.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
27 words
The closure of claim 33, further comprising a second bridging member disposed around the first bridging member, the second bridging member being convoluted at opposite ends thereof.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
31 words
The closure of claim 33, further comprising means for urging the gel of the first and second end seals into contact with the cable at the opposite sides of the junction.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
26 words
The closure of claim 33, the gel having a cone penetration between 100 and 350 (10 -1 mm) and an ultimate elongation of at least 200%.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
28 words
The closure of claim 36, the gel comprising a non-silicon, liquid rubber with little to no unsaturation which has been crosslinked, the gel comprising a liquid butyl rubber.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
19 words
The closure of claim 27, further comprising means for mounting a termination adjacent a junction surrounded by the closure.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
21 words
The closure of claim 38, the termination mounting means including means for mounting the termination inside the bridging member after installation.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
23 words
The closure of claim 38, ther termination mounting means including means for mounting the termination outside of the bridging member after installation thereof.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
21 words
The closure of claim 27, further comprising means for forming a cone-like shape adjacent at least one of the end seals.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
27 words
The closure of claim 27, further comprising means for protecting an exposed surface of the gel of at least one of the end seals from the environment.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1990-10-19 | 1991-04-20 | 1991-10-20 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1994-10-19 | 1995-04-20 | 1995-10-20 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1998-10-19 | 1999-04-20 | 1999-10-20 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |