Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
  • H02G—INSTALLATION OF ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES, OR OF COMBINED OPTICAL AND ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES
  • H02G15/00—Cable fittings
  • H02G15/08—Cable junctions
  • H02G15/18—Cable junctions protected by sleeves, e.g. for communication cable
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
  • H02G—INSTALLATION OF ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES, OR OF COMBINED OPTICAL AND ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES
  • H02G1/00—Methods or apparatus specially adapted for installing, maintaining, repairing or dismantling electric cables or lines
  • H02G1/14—Methods or apparatus specially adapted for installing, maintaining, repairing or dismantling electric cables or lines for joining or terminating cables

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a covering device for a cable or the like.
• the covering device has a hollow cylindrical core formed by releasably bonding a strip member to be in a spiral shape having an inner diameter larger than an outer diameter of the cable connection area, and a hollow cylindrical elastic covering member mounted on the outer periphery of the core in an expanded state.
• this covering device In use, this covering device is placed at a position to cover the cable connection, and the strip member is pulled out so that the covering member closely covers the cable connecting portion as the core is gradually removed.
• the strip member may be difficult to remove from the covering device due to snagging or friction and there is the risk of breakage of the strip. Further, such a device may be inconvenient to use in that it is necessary to pull out the strip member while rotating the same in the direction of the spiral, otherwise the strip member will be entwined with the cable. In addition, once the core is broken by removal of the strip member, the core cannot be reused.
• an object of the present invention is to provide a reasonable and economical covering device by which the covering operation can easily be carried out and the reuse of waste material is possible.
• the present invention provides a covering device comprising an elastic covering member in a hollow cylindrical shape, having an inner diameter in a contracted state smaller than an outer diameter of a cable portion to be sealed, and a core in a hollow cylindrical shape, having an inner diameter larger than an outer diameter of the cable portion to be sealed, on the outer periphery of which the elastic covering member is mounted in an expanded state, the elastic covering member and core being arranged while surrounding the cable portion to be sealed so that the contracted elastic covering member closely covers the cable portion to be sealed when the core is pulled out therefrom.
• a slip member having a low friction is interposed between the inner periphery of the elastic member and the outer periphery of the core.
• the slip member has a hollow cylindrical shape, and the slip member and the core are connected with each other in an end-to-end manner.
• the core may be formed into a cylindrical shape by bending a rectangular sheet member and detachably connecting the opposite edges of the sheet member with each other.
• Figure 1 is a longitudinal side cross-sectional view of a covering device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
• Figure 2 is a view similar to that of Figure 1 with a core portion of the invention partially removed.
• Figure 3 is a perspective view of a core of the embodiment of Figure 1.
• Figure 4 is a longitudinal side sectional view of a covering device according to a second embodiment of the present invention with a core portion partially removed.
• Figure 5 is a view similar to that of Figure 4 with the core further removed.
• Figure 6 is a perspective view of a core of the embodiment of Figure 4.
• Figures 1, 2 and 3 illustrate a first embodiment of the present invention
• Figures 3, 4 and 5 illustrate a second embodiment.
• a core 11 of this embodiment is formed, as shown in Figure 3 by bending a rectangular piece of sheet made of thermoplastic resin such as polypropylene, polyamide, or polyethylene so that a pair of opposite edges thereof confront and can be detachably connected with each other, for example, by a male-female engagement, to form a hollow cylindrical tube.
• thermoplastic resin such as polypropylene, polyamide, or polyethylene
• the cylindrical core 11 has a sufficient mechanical strength and rigidity not to collapse due to reasonable external forces exerted on it and has an inner diameter larger than an outer diameter of a cable portion or the like to be sealed (not shown) .
• a hollow cylindrical slip member 13 is first mounted on the core 11 and, then a hollow cylindrical elastic covering member 15 is mounted onto the outer periphery of the slip member 13 while maintaining the covering member 15 in an expanded state.
• the cylindrical slip member 13 is formed, for example, by a thin wall perforated material, meshed material, or other suitable material. Silicone oil, petroleum-based lubricant or the like may be impregnated in or surface-coated on these materials or in accordance with the present invention.
• the cylindrical elastic member 15 is formed, for example, from a rubber material and has an inner diameter in a natural state (or a contracted state) smaller than an outer diameter of the cable portion or the like to be sealed (not shown) .
• the covering device as assembled in Figure 1 is placed surrounding the cable portion or the like to be sealed (not shown) .
• the elastic covering member 15, together with the slip member 13 closely covers the cable portion to be sealed while contracting in diameter.
• the core 11 can be easily and smoothly pulled out due to low friction of the slip member 13 interposed between the inner periphery of the elastic covering member 15 and the outer periphery of the core 11.
• the operation for pulling out the core can very easily be carried out because it is unnecessary to rotate the core 11 as it is removed. Also, there is no risk of breakage of the strip member forming the core.
• the core 11 since the core 11 is developed in a sheet form, it can be readily detached from the cable or the like and repeatedly reused without any special attendance. Of course, the core 11 could be formed as a solid tube, but then it would have to be cut to be removed from the cable .
• the slip member 13 may be left in the elastic covering member in a use for sealing a cable connecting portion, instead of being pulled out therefrom.
• the slip member may be removed from the elastic covering member. In the latter case, the slip member can easily be removed due to its excellent slipperiness even after the elastic covering member is contracted.
• a core 31 according to this embodiment is formed as a hollow cylindrical structure in which the core 11 and the slip member 13 of the first embodiment are fixed with each other in an end- to-end manner as an integral body.
• the core and the slip member may be fixed to each other at an overlapped area, provided it causes no obstacle against the removal of the core.
• Both the members may be formed as an integral body by an injection molding process or connected by means of an adhesive, adherent tape or mechanical fastener.
• the core 31 can be developed from a rectangular sheet by using a male- female engagement as in the embodiment of Figures 1-3.
• the core section 31a and the slippery section 31b may be prepared as an integral rectangular sheet from the same material, or may be separately prepared by different materials and then connected with each other to be in a rectangular form.
• the materials used in this embodiment are the same or similar to those used in the first embodiment.
• the core section 31a of the cylindrical core 31 has a sufficient mechanical strength and rigidity not to collapse due to the outer force, and the slippery section 31b is formed of a thin perforated material, meshed material, or other suitable material.
• an elastic covering member 15 is mounted in an expanded state, while the slippery section 31b in a folded position is interposed between the core section and the elastic covering member (see Figure 4) .
• the covering device thus-structured is placed to surround a cable portion or the like to be sealed (not shown) .
• the elastic covering member 15 closely covers the cable portion to be sealed (not shown) while contracting its diameter, as shown in Figure 5. Since the slippery section 31b provided between the inner periphery of the elastic covering member 15 and the outer periphery of the core section 31a has low surface friction, the core section 31a can be easily pulled out together with the slippery section 31b.
• the slippery section 31b corresponding to the slip member 13 can be repeatedly reused.
• a pull tab may be provided on the core for enhancing the pulling-out of the core. Since the slip member interposed between the inner periphery of the elastic covering member and the outer periphery of the core has a good slipperiness, the core is smoothly and easily pulled out, even though the elastic covering member is mounted thereon in an expanded state, whereby the elastic covering member can closely cover the cable portion or the like to be sealed while contracting its diameter.
• the slip member and the core are connected with each other in an end-to-end manner, the slip member can be pulled out together with the core.

Landscapes

• Cable Accessories (AREA)
• Lining Or Joining Of Plastics Or The Like (AREA)
• Processing Of Terminals (AREA)
• Protection Of Pipes Against Damage, Friction, And Corrosion (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=17391827

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Families Citing this family (14)

Family Cites Families (2)

• 1993
  • 1993-10-21 JP JP26360293A patent/JP3359959B2/ja not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 1994
  • 1994-09-30 EP EP94930544A patent/EP0724788A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1994-09-30 WO PCT/US1994/011143 patent/WO1995011542A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 1994-09-30 CA CA 2172810 patent/CA2172810A1/en not_active Abandoned

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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